Chapter 848 - 833
One against three, when Wang Qiang threw his two cards on the table, the entire room fell silent.
Wang, Wu, and Wen looked at each other, and finally, Wen Quanxin swallowed and timidly reminded, "Hey, Qiang, I played a pair of Jacks."
"Oh," Wang Qiang responded indifferently, unmoved.
"You played the wrong card!" Wen Quanxin, helpless, had to speak up again.
This time, Wang Qiang simply flipped his cards face down on the table, "Sorry, I’m not in the mood to play. Quan, you take over."
After saying that, Wang Qiang got up and left, and as he departed, "Little Coalball" immediately followed suit.
They say dogs understand humans, and though Coalball couldn’t speak human language, it truly felt its owner’s dejected mood.
As Wang Qiang sat down, Little Coalball attempted to leap onto the chair, but its small size could not make the jump.
Perhaps feeling sorry for "Coalball," Liao Fangfang, who was reciting Tang poems with Wei Yang for He Jing, ran over, picked up Coalball, and placed it on the chair.
As soon as it was on the chair, "Little Coalball" dashed into Wang Qiang’s arms. Without any extra movements, it lay silently, lightly licking Wang Qiang’s palm, comforting him in its own way.
To not ruin the mood, Tang Xiaoquan called over Wei Dazhuang to join Wang Zhongyu and others at a table.
He himself walked over to Wang Qiang’s seat. Fangfang noticed Tang Xiaoquan approaching and, pouting and frowning, expressed her concern, "Uncle Tang, Uncle Wang Qiang is upset. You guys should let him win at cards a little bit. Don’t bully him. At my kindergarten, when classmates bully me, I get upset too."
Children don’t understand the adult world, and she couldn’t comprehend something as complex as "love."
But that didn’t stop her from using her own eyes to understand and observe the world. Fangfang instinctively felt Wang Qiang was upset because he was bullied during the card game with Wang Zhongyu and others.
This was something Fangfang could particularly empathize with, as she had experienced similar feelings before. That’s why she displayed righteous indignation, like a little adult ready to right the wrongs she witnessed.
Tang Xiaoquan stroked Fangfang’s head, squatted down, and reassured her with a smile, "Fangfang, you’re right, Uncle Wang Qiang is indeed upset, but don’t worry, with Little Coalball by his side, he’ll be okay soon."
"Is that so?" Fangfang’s large, watery eyes blinked as she said, "But when my friends bully me, I feel sad for many days."
Children’s hearts are always the most honest, never hiding their thoughts. Tang Xiaoquan felt ashamed of his evasive words for a moment.
"Fangfang, come here to Auntie, your mom is still waiting for you to recite the Tang poems." Wei Yang timely distracted Fangfang, helping Tang Xiaoquan out of his dilemma. He gratefully exchanged a glance with Wei Yang.
Hearing Wei Yang’s call, Fangfang hesitated, glancing at Wang Qiang.
Tang Xiaoquan saw Fangfang’s hesitation, affectionately patted her head, and smiled, "Don’t worry, Fangfang, I’ll talk to Uncle Wang Qiang. He’ll be fine."
"Okay, but make sure to talk nicely and don’t rush him. When I’m upset, I really don’t like others rushing me," she replied, twirling her pigtails before running back to Wei Yang.
Watching Fangfang leave, after ensuring she safely returned to Wei Yang’s arms, he turned his attention back to Wang Qiang.
Under the moonlight, a man and a dog sat together; no one knew what Wang Qiang was thinking, but his forlorn expression clearly revealed his troubled heart.
"Sigh~" With a deep sigh, Tang Xiaoquan sat down beside Wang Qiang. He lifted his gaze to the moonlit night outside the vehicle.
Tonight, the moon was particularly bright, rare stars dotted the Milky Way, casting a beautiful sight from afar.
"Qiang, some words, some truths, I believe you understand in your heart. As your brother, I won’t say much. I just want to tell you, losing you is Yang Xue’s loss! She will pay for her choice one day! As for you, I know you’re distressed now, and your heart is full of questions you want to ask Yang Xue. It’s normal to feel this way; if it were me, I’d feel the same. But you know suppressing yourself for too long isn’t good, and besides, the team needs you, your mood affects everyone. I hope you can quickly adjust and return to us. Remember, no matter what happens, I’m always on your side!!"
Tang Xiaoquan emphasized this last sentence, patting Wang Qiang on the shoulder before saying no more.
As time ticked on, towards eight in the evening, Tang Xiaoquan felt he had spent enough time in the bus, got off silently, and returned.
"Back?" Old Xu reclined comfortably in the rear of the transport vehicle, sipping tea leisurely.
This might have been his most relaxed moment in days, though soon, preparations for midnight would begin, and he’d have to busy himself again.
"Yeah," Tang Xiaoquan responded casually, finding a seat opposite Old Xu.
"Haha, let me guess, Xiao Wen and the others are playing cards!" Old Xu’s brows raised confidently.
Tang Xiaoquan chuckled, "You know them well, Old Xu."
"Hahaha," Old Xu laughed heartily, then his expression turned serious as he asked in a low voice, "How is Qiang doing? Still not talking to anyone?"
Upon hearing this, the smile gradually faded from Tang Xiaoquan’s face, "Yeah, still the same. Maybe he needs some more time."
"Sigh, it’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have brought that little seductress Yang Xue back." He punched the vehicle’s panel with a "bang."
"Don’t say that, Old Xu. This can’t be blamed on you. You could say Yang Xue was Qiang’s trouble. Like him, I didn’t date during school, so I don’t know how to interact with women, let alone make them happy. Qiang falling for Yang Xue was circumstantial; in the past, he wouldn’t have fallen for such a materialistic girl."
"There’s no use talking about this now; what I’m worried about is if Qiang continues like this, he might never recover. Look at He Jing; I really don’t want Wang Qiang to end up like that!"
He Jing’s madness was always a concern for Xu Renjie. Although staying in the villa improved things, she was still unclear at times and occasionally did outrageous things.
If Wang Qiang ended up the same way, it would be bad news for Xu Renjie as well as the entire team.
"Don’t worry, Old Xu, Qiang isn’t the kind of man to be easily defeated. I believe he’ll bounce back, definitely!" (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)