The Devoted Female Supporting Lead and the White Moonlight’s Sister Got a Happy Ending (GL) - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Drinking

Shao Qingran took a deep breath. While the big screen displayed sweet photos of her and Xu Chengyue, she leaned in and whispered a few instructions to the master of ceremonies.

Thus, after another segment, the MC smiled and said, “On such a joyous day, I’m sure the friends and family of both the bride and groom have many blessings they wish to send. Next, why don’t we invite those who wish to offer their blessings to come up and say a few words?”

Such speeches, of course, began with the elders. Since it was a wedding, the parents of the newlyweds were the first to be invited onto the stage.

Shao Qingran was an expert at getting along with people. Xu Chengyue’s parents were delighted by her and gave her much face, praising her from head to toe. As for the Shao family, since they were “marrying up,” they naturally held Xu Chengyue in high regard and didn’t have a single negative word to say.

Once the parents finished, it was the turn of the prestigious relatives. Being able to speak on such an occasion was also a manifestation of status. Therefore, those whose names were called would all say a few words.

After a few more people, the MC smiled and said, “I noticed long ago that we have a very special guest here today, sitting at the second table—Teacher Lin Hezhi! This is my idol and god; I didn’t expect to see him here. I wonder which side of the family he belongs to?”

“He is my uncle-in-law,” Shao Qingran said with a sweet smile. “And also my mentor.”

“Then we must invite Teacher Lin onto the stage to say a few words and send his blessings to the couple!” the MC said immediately. “Reporters usually can’t catch a glimpse of you even if they want to interview you; you can’t decline this time, can you?”

Lin Hezhi, who was sitting below, had been smiling with the grace of a master since the MC turned the topic to him. Hearing this, he naturally did not refuse and rose to walk onto the stage with a smile.

He was a world-renowned piano master. Standing on the stage, he possessed a refined elegance that was very eye-catching.

He took the microphone from the MC and smiled. “The protagonists today are not me, but the newlyweds. Everyone should focus their attention on them. Most of the blessings have already been said, so I won’t repeat them. I hope this couple will support each other and work tirelessly after marriage, so that both their family and career may flourish!”

However, the MC wasn’t going to let him off that easily. “Teacher Lin hasn’t performed on stage much in recent years, and countless fans have been waiting eagerly. On such a wonderful day, as an elder, do you have any plans to use the piano to offer a blessing to the couple?”

Upon hearing this, Shao Qingran immediately turned her head, looking at him with expectation and eyes full of admiration.

Lin Hezhi was in a good mood today, so he joked along with the MC, “I could, but my appearance fee is very expensive.”

“What kind of appearance fee would that be?” the MC asked cooperatively.

Lin Hezhi looked at Shao Qingran. “Even after you get married, you can’t be too distracted. Do you have the confidence to bring back a trophy for me at the end of this year?”

Shao Qingran glanced down and saw that Shao Peiran was drinking cup after cup of wine. Her face flushed with excitement as she answered loudly, “Uncle-in-law, don’t worry, Qingran will definitely not fail your expectations!”

Lin Hezhi nodded and sat down at the piano to play a segment of Mariage d’Amour.

Below the stage, after Shao Peiran had downed several cups, her hand reaching for the bottle was caught by He Baizhou. “Don’t you have a headache?” she said. “Drink less. It feels worse once you’re drunk.”

Hearing this, Shao Peiran turned her head to look at her and asked, “Are you not drinking?”

The words seemed to have a deeper meaning, but He Baizhou didn’t catch it. She shook her head and answered seriously, “I don’t drink. Drinking makes it easy to mess things up, and it’s not good for the body. It’s better to drink less.”

“Mmm…” Shao Peiran tilted her head and thought for a moment, then put down her cup. “You have a point.”

He Baizhou knew she was being a bit talkative and was afraid she might be annoying, so she was surprised the other woman was so receptive. She couldn’t help but add, “Eat some food to soak up the alcohol.”

Shao Peiran nodded, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.

In the time it took He Baizhou to turn her head and pour some water, she looked back to see Shao Peiran picking up a small millet chili and putting it into her mouth. Seeing this, He Baizhou was stunned, but her first thought was that since Shao Peiran used chilies as accessories, perhaps she really liked spicy food.

It wasn’t until Shao Peiran’s expression changed from the heat that she reacted, hurriedly handing over the water.

Shao Peiran drank several mouthfuls of water, but a distinct flush quickly spread across her face, and fine beads of sweat even broke out on the tip of her nose.

He Baizhou’s heart skipped a beat. For some reason, she thought of Emperor Minghuang’s remark about Yang Guifei: “Is the concubine drunk, or is it just that the Begonia has not slept enough?”

However, thinking of the word “drunk,” He Baizhou paused and finally realized something was wrong. She looked closely at Shao Peiran’s face; sure enough, she was already showing signs of intoxication, and even her gaze was no longer as clear as before.

Looking down further, she saw that the dish in front of Shao Peiran consisted of almost nothing but chilies. In her drunken state, it was no wonder she had picked the wrong thing.

This bit of muddled behavior made He Baizhou both exasperated and amused. She truly hadn’t expected the seemingly mature, steady, and glamorous Shao Peiran to be like this in daily life. Yet, she couldn’t deny that this version of Shao Peiran was even cuter.

Until this moment, He Baizhou had not realized the gravity of the situation.

A few minutes later, Shao Peiran’s crimson face gradually turned pale, her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she clutched her stomach in pain. He Baizhou suddenly remembered that Shao Peiran had mentioned before that her stomach was not good.

Eating an incredibly spicy millet chili directly would be unbearable for an ordinary person, let alone someone whose stomach already had issues.

“Stomach pain?” she asked in a low voice.

Shao Peiran half-closed her eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

She looked quite frightening. He Baizhou immediately stood up and reached out to support her. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Shao Peiran leaned softly against her, offering almost no resistance. This made He Baizhou even more anxious; without even stopping to say goodbye, she helped her out of the banquet hall.

As the song Mariage d’Amour reached its end, Shao Qingran turned her head as if casually, looking down at the stage. A look of astonishment suddenly appeared on her face. Below the stage, the seats that had belonged to Shao Peiran and He Baizhou were empty.

He Baizhou intended to take Shao Peiran to the hospital, but she was refused. Shao Peiran said she had medicine in her suitcase and was unwilling to go to the hospital, so He Baizhou had no choice but to help her upstairs to the lounge to get her luggage.

But even after taking the medicine, Shao Peiran’s condition didn’t improve much. In this state, she naturally couldn’t go back to the wedding. Fortunately, most of the proceedings were over; what remained were the toasts, so it didn’t matter much whether they were there or not.

He Baizhou took her directly to the room she had reserved on the top floor.

As soon as Shao Peiran lay down on the bed, she instinctively curled her body, pressing her hands against her stomach with her brow slightly furrowed. Other than that, there was no sound; she just lay there quietly.

The posture was too practiced, as if she had been through it a thousand times before. He Baizhou watched with a heavy heart and couldn’t help but squat down by the bedside.

Sensing her movement, Shao Peiran opened her eyes, glanced at her, and suddenly smiled. “Actually, it’s okay. I’m used to it.”

But how could someone get used to pain?

He Baizhou was silent for a while, then went out to call room service.

Not long after, she returned with a hot water bottle in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. She first placed the hot milk on the nightstand, then tucked the hot water bottle into Shao Peiran’s arms and adjusted her posture. “I asked around; this will make you feel a bit better. When you feel less uncomfortable, drink some milk—it helps neutralize the spiciness.”

“You…” Shao Peiran suddenly spoke.

He Baizhou looked up at her in confusion, but Shao Peiran didn’t continue. She only said softly, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He Baizhou watched her drink half the milk and lie back down. Only then did she turn off the main lights, take the glass, and sit down on the small cot in the outer room.

The phone suddenly rang. He Baizhou was startled and hurriedly muted it.

She looked at the name “Shao Qingran” flashing on the screen. After a moment, she put the phone down without answering.

So many things had happened that day that it was hard for He Baizhou to find the time to think about the fact that “Shao Qingran is married” itself. It wasn’t until this moment, sitting in the darkness, that the thought resurfaced. He Baizhou found that she didn’t actually feel much sadness.

The screen went dark and didn’t ring a second time.

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