After her attention was diverted, Madam Ling threw herself back into the excitement of playing mahjong.
...
Gong Zhijing brought her daughter back to the East Courtyard. After feeding the baby, the postpartum nurse massaged her and applied hot and cold compresses.
By the time these tasks were finished, the postpartum nurse was exhausted, and Gong Zhijing was tormented by unbearable pain.
Lying on the sofa, she didn't want to move an inch. Just as she closed her eyes to rest for a moment, her video call rang.
It was Wen Xuanyuan calling.
Their first stop on their trip was the seaside.
As soon as the video connected, Wen Xuanyuan exclaimed, "Wow... such a beautiful sea, Jingjing, look, isn't it gorgeous!"
The camera panned quickly, revealing Qiao Xinyue and Wen Xuanyuan standing on a yacht, both wearing very sexy bikinis.
The boundless sea was magnificent, the sea and sky blended into one, so beautiful it was dazzling.
"This is Golden Island, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It's truly stunning. You must come here someday..."
Gong Zhijing lay there, unwilling to move, but her eyes were filled with envy.
"You guys are having such a blast, I'm almost dying of pain..."
The excited Wen Xuanyuan then noticed Gong Zhijing's unwell complexion and low spirits.
She quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Thinking that Wen Xuanyuan had a man with her, Gong Zhijing felt embarrassed to say.
Seeing her hesitant demeanor, Wen Xuanyuan didn't press further, only saying, "Then text me!"
"Alright, you go enjoy yourselves!" Gong Zhijing didn't want to spoil their fun.
"Enjoy what!" Wen Xuanyuan glared at her, annoyed. "Fun is fun, but what's more important than your best friend? If anything's wrong, you must tell me."
Her heart warmed, Gong Zhijing smiled and said, "Okay!"
At this moment, Qiao Xinyue leaned in and waved at Gong Zhijing.
"Hi, Zhijing."
Gong Zhijing smiled back and, seeing them, deliberately teased, "You two are living quite the life! Look at those rosy cheeks."
Qiao Xinyue didn't understand her double entendre and just touched her face, innocently asking, "Rosy? Must be from the sun!"
"Pfft, hahaha..."
Wen Xuanyuan burst into laughter, not feeling the least bit embarrassed, and Gong Zhijing, as a married woman, felt even less so.
Qiao Xinyue looked bewildered, as innocent as a baby.
After laughing enough, Wen Xuanyuan raised an eyebrow and said, "It seems your Ling Yucheng hasn't been 'nourishing' you lately. Look at that wistful expression."
Gong Zhijing yelled back irritably, "Get lost! I'm hanging up. I'm tired and want to sleep."
"Bye!" Wen Xuanyuan ended the call, stifling her laughter.
Qiao Xinyue vaguely understood their meaning, and her face turned even redder.
This was her first relationship, and her interactions with Wen Yan had only gone as far as kissing; there was no 'nourishing' involved.
She was sharing a room with Wen Xuanyuan on their trip.
Wen Xuanyuan slung an arm around her shoulder, her smile enticing. "How about we sleep in separate rooms tonight..."
Qiao Xinyue blushed and flatly refused.
"No."
Wen Xuanyuan shrugged, looking resigned. "Alright, then."
Despite her words, a strange glint flickered in her eyes!
"What are you two talking about? Come and eat!" Wen Yan beckoned them over.
With strong liquor, barbecue, sea breeze, and sunshine, it felt as if even the air was filled with leisure. The four of them sat around the table, raising their glasses in a toast.
Only Wen Xuanyuan was drinking juice; she was the type who couldn't hold her liquor and dared not touch it.
Although it wasn't Qiao Xinyue's first time drinking, she still frowned tightly after one sip, as the stuff was truly unpleasant.
"Drink some juice!"
Seeing this, Wen Yan immediately switched her to a glass of juice, while he and Li Bowen clinked glasses, drinking moderately strong liquor.
The two seemed to be getting into their cups, one glass after another, with a "not going home until drunk" attitude.
Qiao Xinyue frowned as she watched Wen Yan, hesitated for a long time, and finally advised, "Don't drink anymore. Look how red your face has gotten."
"It's fine, I'm happy today. Come on, brother-in-law, let's continue..."
The title "brother-in-law" pleased Li Bowen, who curved his lips and smiled, "If my brother-in-law wants to drink, I'll definitely accompany him to the end!"
Qiao Xinyue had no choice but to watch with worried concern.
Wen Xuanyuan, holding her glass and sipping her juice, looked from Wen Yan to Li Bowen.
She felt something was off, very off. The two of them were acting strangely, but she didn't call them out, just watched them drink incessantly.
"Stop drinking!"
Seeing Wen Yan's face getting redder and his eyes becoming more glazed, Qiao Xinyue finally couldn't hold back and snatched the wine glass from his hand.
Wen Yan turned his head to look at her, his breath exuding a strong alcoholic aroma towards Qiao Xinyue.
"It's okay, we'll be docking soon. We'll go back and sleep after this. I'm happy to be out with you. I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time."
His words softened Qiao Xinyue's heart, and she said reluctantly.
She thought of the pressure Wen Yan faced in the entertainment industry, working tirelessly every day to meet his schedules.
She silently placed the wine glass back in front of Wen Yan.
"Then drink. It'll be good to let it out."
A dark glint flashed in Wen Yan's eyes but was quickly masked by a smile.
"Thank you, Xinyue, you're so kind."
Qiao Xinyue blushed profusely and muttered in a low voice, "Are you drunk? Watch what you say."
Wen Yan couldn't help but chuckle but didn't say anything more, knowing Qiao Xinyue was shy.
He winked at Li Bowen and said with a smile, "Come on, let's continue drinking."
Li Bowen gently curved his lips and picked up his wine glass. He wasn't drinking any less than Wen Yan, but he showed no significant reaction throughout, not even blushing.
Wen Xuanyuan watched the two of them, her eyes slightly shifting as if she understood something.
Her brother, talking about relaxation, making it seem like he was under so much pressure.
With his personality, he did whatever he pleased, and no one could influence him. What pressure could he possibly have? He was clearly hatching a bad plan.
Thinking this, she cast a subtle glance at Li Bowen, wondering how he had learned to be so mischievous.
Li Bowen, sensing her gaze, inexplicably felt guilty and dared not meet her eyes.
Fortunately, Wen Xuanyuan only looked for a few seconds before shifting her gaze, otherwise, he would have been unable to resist confessing everything.
After drinking more wine, Wen Yan appeared to be extremely uncomfortable and leaned against Qiao Xinyue, motionless, struggling even to speak.
"Drink... drink... so wonderfully... haha... no need... no need to ponder acting... no need... to practice... practice singing..."
His words were quite poignant, and Qiao Xinyue felt heartbroken. She gently hugged Wen Yan and said.
"It's okay, get some good rest for a while. Even if Brother Wen Yan is inactive for a long time, we will always support you..."
Where she couldn't see, Wen Yan subtly curved his lips.
Wen Xuanyuan watched all of this. She secretly rolled her eyes but said nothing.