Chapter 78

Shang Wenxiu, although not a first-time drinker, was definitely drinking more than ever before. And once she started, she couldn't stop. Everyone at the table knew why she was drinking like this, but no one could stop her.

"Wenxiu, don't drink anymore. Getting drunk is bad for your health," Qin Chuan took the glass from Shang Wenxiu's hand.

Shang Wenxiu directly picked up a bottle of alcohol, ready to drink it straight. Luo Xiaofang quickly stepped forward and snatched the bottle from Shang Wenxiu's hand.

"What's the harm? At least my heart will feel better. Qin Chuan, what right do you have to tell me what to do? I'm not your anything anymore. Aren't you a chauvinist? Why do you still care?" Shang Wenxiu was already drunk, her words slurred.

In fact, Shang Wenxiu was clear in her heart. There were things she couldn't say when sober, so she took the opportunity to speak her mind while drunk.

"If you want to drink, I'll drink with you, but you should eat something first," Qin Chuan was at a loss. But he couldn't just let her be. Seeing Shang Wenxiu in pain, he felt it too. Although they had broken up, they still had feelings for each other.

Love is never absolutely rational. This is why the divorce rate for couples who fall in love and get married is higher than for those who marry through arranged marriages. Love often comes with a certain blindness. When in love, people are passionate, but when they break up, it's often dramatic.

From Shang Wenxiu's mother, Wang Xiaoli's perspective, there were many people more suitable to be the Shang family's son-in-law than Qin Chuan. After Qin Chuan moved to Tan Shan City, he also felt that marrying Jiang Lingling might be more suitable for his situation. It's not that Qin Chuan's family and Jiang Lingling's family were a perfect match, but Jiang Lingling didn't have as much ambition as Shang Wenxiu. Jiang Lingling wouldn't consider going abroad, but Shang Wenxiu had long decided to become a renowned doctor. Although they loved each other, the differences in their personalities would inevitably lead to many conflicts. Love is like two cars driving side by side on a road, romantic and carefree. Marriage is like parking two cars in a small garage, requiring high skill and patience, or they will crash.

Qin Chuan couldn't bear to see the person he loved in pain. Seeing Shang Wenxiu in such a state, Luo Xiaofang quickly said, "Let's eat first. I'll take Wenxiu to a room to rest."

"I'll do it," Qin Chuan said.

"You go and get a room first, and I'll take Wenxiu over later," Luo Xiaofang didn't object.

After a while, Qin Chuan returned, "Let's go."

Luo Xiaofang helped Shang Wenxiu up, but Shang Wenxiu was very drunk, staggering as she walked.

"You carry Wenxiu," Luo Xiaofang said irritably.

Qin Chuan didn't hesitate, picked up Shang Wenxiu, and walked.

In the room, Qin Chuan used some techniques he learned from the system to help Shang Wenxiu feel better.

Seeing how carefully Qin Chuan took care of Shang Wenxiu, Luo Xiaofang's anger subsided a bit.

"You, why did you do this in the first place? How Wenxiu feels for you is obvious to anyone with eyes. You know how you feel about Wenxiu. Both of you still have feelings for each other. How could you break up just because of what Wenxiu's mother said? You love Wenxiu, not her mother. If you had insisted, Wenxiu would have found a way to solve it. You heard her, she's preparing to apply to a university abroad. Why don't you apply too? Once you're abroad, her mother can't control you anymore," Luo Xiaofang said calmly to Qin Chuan.

"My parents are already in their sixties, and I'm their only child. Can I just abandon them for my career? I can only stay at the Tan Shan Central Hospital, while Wenxiu can become a great doctor. That's her dream," Qin Chuan said.

"In the end, it's not because of Wenxiu's mother, but because of your own issues. In the future, you could always bring your parents over after you and Wenxiu are settled. What's so difficult about that? Everyone has parents. In this society, there are many only children. Do they all stay home to take care of their parents?" Luo Xiaofang found Qin Chuan's reasoning hard to understand.

"True, everyone has parents, but my parents are old. They are used to living in Tan Shan City, and I don't want to make them wander around. The housing prices in big cities are so high. If I bring them over in the future, they would have to rent, and they wouldn't be happy with that," Qin Chuan was in a mess.

While Qin Chuan was talking to Luo Xiaofang, he didn't notice a tear rolling down Shang Wenxiu's cheek.

After talking for a while, Luo Xiaofang felt it wasn't appropriate to stay. She thought Qin Chuan and Shang Wenxiu needed some alone time for Qin Chuan to think quietly.

"Qin Chuan is a scoundrel. Shang Wenxiu is such a good girl, and he treats her like this. Now he's even doing this. Lü Shulei, you're in Tan Shan too. Has Qin Chuan found a new girlfriend there?" Huang Da stared at Lü Shulei.

Lü Shulei wasn't good at lying: "How would I know? He works at the central hospital, and I'm at Tan Shan University, about twenty kilometers apart. Qin Chuan usually comes to my place. I've never been to his."

"How can you be such a bad friend? You don't care about your classmates at all?" Huang Da seemed very dissatisfied.

"Qin Chuan works in the emergency department and doesn't always have weekends off. I only have weekends off. It's hard for us to meet. Can you blame me? Besides, why would I go to the hospital for no reason? People might think I'm sick," Lü Shulei was annoyed.

"Alright, alright, let's not argue. Qin Chuan is in the wrong. A relationship of several years can't just end like this," Zhang Jingzhou said.

Seeing Luo Xiaofang come over, Huang Da was anxious: "How is Shang Wenxiu? Why did you come over?"

"What else? She's drunk. Why would I stay there? It's their business, and I shouldn't be in the middle," Luo Xiaofang was very unhappy.

"They've already broken up. Isn't it inappropriate for them to be alone together now?" Huang Da, in a hurry, spoke without thinking.

The others indeed looked at Huang Da, noticing his inappropriate behavior.

"If they were going to do something, they would have done it already. One more time won't make a difference," Luo Xiaofang said, half laughing, half crying.

"Huang Da, after all these years, you still have feelings for her? Even if Qin Chuan and Shang Wenxiu break up, it's unlikely to be your turn," Zhang Jingzhou didn't give Huang Da any face.

"Why wouldn't it be my turn? Explain yourself, Zhang Jingzhou," Huang Da was angry and embarrassed.

"I don't need to explain. Your behavior already shows it," Zhang Jingzhou had no need to be polite to Huang Da.

"Stop arguing. We're here for a reunion. What's next on the agenda?" Luo Xiaofang said.

"Given the situation, what's the point of any more activities? I'll go back to sleep. I've been on night shifts for several days," Zhang Jingzhou said.

"My boss has a few surgeries tomorrow. I need to prepare," Xu Hui also didn't want to stay.

With everyone leaving, Huang Da felt it was inappropriate to stay, "I'll go too."

Luo Xiaofang also found it meaningless to stay: "I can go home."

Qin Chuan's hangover relief techniques were quite effective. At first, Shang Wenxiu was in pain, but after Qin Chuan's treatment, she fell into a deep sleep, seemingly having not slept well for a long time.

Qin Chuan sat quietly by her side, seeing the tear marks on her face, feeling a bit heartbroken. He took a tissue and gently wiped her face.

His phone dinged, startling Qin Chuan. He quickly pulled his hand back. Opening the phone, he saw a message from Luo Xiaofang: "Qin Chuan, take care of Wenxiu. Everyone has left, and I'm going home. Don't make Wenxiu sad again."

Qin Chuan put the phone on the bedside table and sat quietly on the sofa. He had been on night shifts recently and fell asleep unintentionally.

"Qin Chuan, why am I here? Where's Xiaofang?" Shang Wenxiu woke up and called Qin Chuan.

"Everyone has left, and Luo Xiaofang has gone home."

"How could she do this?" Shang Wenxiu complained about Luo Xiaofang. Now sober, being alone with Qin Chuan made her feel awkward. She didn't know what she might have said while drunk.

"Does your head hurt?" Qin Chuan asked.

"Not really," Shang Wenxiu shook her head.

"Are you preparing to apply to a university abroad?" Qin Chuan asked.

Shang Wenxiu nodded, "Do you think I should?"

"I can't say for sure. The medical environment abroad is better, and the medical standards are higher. It would be very beneficial for your future development and help you achieve your dreams," Qin Chuan analyzed accurately, speaking calmly.

"Actually, I can change. You always impose your views on me. Yes, becoming a great doctor is my dream, but I won't abandon everything for it. You've hurt me and disappointed me. You know that, right? We shouldn't have ended up like this. But you just left. I know my mother destroyed your chance to stay at Nan Ya Hospital and said many bad things to you, but I didn't. I never did," Shang Wenxiu covered her face and cried, her body trembling.

Qin Chuan wanted to comfort the fragile woman, walked to Shang Wenxiu's side, and sat down. Shang Wenxiu directly fell into Qin Chuan's arms and calmed down after a long time.

"Qin Chuan, let's break up," Shang Wenxiu said after calming down.

Before Qin Chuan could respond, Shang Wenxiu continued, "Maybe for you, we've already broken up. But for me, we're breaking up now. A cracked mirror is no longer perfect. Even if we stay together, it might break in the future. Better to end it now than to prolong the pain."

Shang Wenxiu cried hysterically, and Qin Chuan knew her pain but couldn't comfort her. He was also in pain.