The Favored Heiress
Chapter 214: Master Yan, when did you come back?

Chapter 214: Chapter 214: Master Yan, when did you come back?

Less than twenty minutes later, Li Qiao and Shang Yu were sitting downstairs in the restaurant having dinner.

Warm light poured onto the dining table, and Li Qiao, with her head lowered, chewed her food in an unhurried manner.

At one point, she looked up and suddenly met Shang Yu’s profound gaze.

The man wasn’t eating; he simply sat sideways, holding a cigarette in his hand and taking occasional sips.

Li Qiao swallowed her food, took a sip of water from her cup, and, looking across the table, asked, "Master Yan, when did you get back?"

"Six o’clock in the afternoon," Shang Yu replied, turning his head to exhale smoke.

Li Qiao nodded in understanding and picked up her chopsticks again, but hesitated mid-movement and looked at Shang Yu with a flicker in her eyes, "So after you came back, you went straight to the lab to wait for me?"

By the time, driving from South Sea Airport to the lab would take at least an hour.

Moreover, he was in a business car today, not the Yan Emperor’s fleet, which clearly indicated he had come from the airport.

At this moment, Shang Yu narrowed his eyes and put out the slim cigar in the ashtray, a thin veil of smoke surrounding him as he counter-asked, "Has Tu Anliang caused you any more trouble?"

Li Qiao tugged at the corner of her mouth, giving him a deep look, and without dwelling on the previous question, she shook her head, "Probably doesn’t have the time, it takes a hundred days to recover from bone injuries, so he’ll have to wait until he’s healed before he can bother me again."

Li Qiao was not at all surprised by Shang Yu’s question.

The mighty Underlord of South Sea having knowledge of her whereabouts was as easy as flipping his hand.

After all, Li Qiao had no intention of hiding anything from him.

Seeing her speak of this matter in an indifferent tone, the smiles in Shang Yu’s dark eyes grew deeper.

...

After dinner, it was nearing eleven o’clock at night.

Li Qiao lounged lazily on the living room sofa, her drooping eyelashes betraying a trace of fatigue.

At this moment, Shang Yu walked into the living room from outside, followed by Liuyun, "Miss Li, please have some tea."

Barley tea was handed to her by Liuyun, to which Li Qiao thanked him and took a light sip before placing it on the coffee table.

She felt somewhat sleepy but didn’t want to go to bed.

After entering the lab, her time with Shang Yu was limited, especially since he likely waited for her downstairs for two or three hours today.

Thinking this, Li Qiao felt a twinge of compassion, solidifying her intention to spend a little more time with him.

"Boss, if the time is okay, then let’s tentatively set the assessment for this Saturday."

Liuyun and Shang Yu seemed to be discussing something, and while Li Qiao didn’t listen closely, she casually took out her mobile phone intending to play a game to refresh herself.

As he took his seat, Shang Yu crossed his legs, his gaze landing on Li Qiao opposite him, and he blandly responded, "That’s fine."

Liuyun nodded and left the living room.

After he was gone, Li Qiao also closed the gaming app, blinked her sore eyes, and lifting her head, she locked eyes with the man opposite her.

Noticing her weary look, Shang Yu’s brows furrowed slightly, "Tired?"

"Yeah, a little," Li Qiao replied, tossing her phone onto the sofa and leaning her head back with half-closed eyes, "Do you have plans for Saturday?"

This Saturday, she had a half-day off, and if he was busy, she might as well continue soaking in the lab and conduct her research.

The man smirked, raised his eyebrows at her, and said, "Come and sit."

Li Qiao rose languidly and moved to sit beside Shang Yu. As soon as she sat down, his palm landed supportively on the nape of her neck, gently massaging it, "The ranking of the four major assistants is adjusted every three years, and this Saturday is their assessment day."

The man’s explanatory words floated into her ears, and Li Qiao murmured an acknowledgment, but she didn’t continue to ask any more questions.

At this moment, all her senses were focused on the back of her neck, with Shang Yu’s slightly dry palm continuously transferring heat, the way he gently kneaded her neck also felt exceptionally comforting.

Li Qiao’s brows unfurled, her eyes slowly narrowing in pleasure, like a lazy ragdoll cat being stroked.

Shang Yu watched the girl’s contented expression as she enjoyed the moment, his hand paused, and he casually pulled her into his arms and pecked the tip of her ear, "Feeling better?"

Instantly, Li Qiao’s ears burned hot, her eyes were tender and soft as she turned to meet the man’s gaze, forcibly changing the subject, "What are Liuyun and the others being assessed on?"

"If you’re free on Saturday, you can come and watch." Shang Yu’s hand embraced her slender shoulder.

Li Qiao’s eyes lit up with interest, which even made her tired face come alive, "Good, I just happen to have Saturday off."

Shang Yu looked at her bright and delicate cheeks, his deep pupils contracted slightly, and he pressed his lips together, turned his gaze away and leaned over to pick up the cigarette box from the table, "What time are you going to the lab tomorrow morning?"

Li Qiao pondered, "Around eight o’clock."

The work in the laboratory was not easy; arriving after eight was actually quite late.

It seemed she really needed to consider Academician Jiang’s proposal and move into the dormitory sooner rather than later.

At that time, Shang Yu was lighting a cigarette, his handsome face surrounded by a hazy veil of smoke, lifting his head toward the stairs, "Hmm, go to sleep, Liuyun will take you to the lab tomorrow morning."

Li Qiao was indeed sleepy, she stood up with a yawn and, with a languid stride, waved her hand, "Master Yan, good night."

...

The next day, early morning.

Dawn broke and a thin mist still lingered above South Sea Mountain.

When Li Qiao left the Mansion, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Luoyu, whom she hadn’t seen for a few days, wearing training clothes and exercising on the platform’s sports field.

Noticing her pause, Liuyun explained in a steady voice, "There’s an assessment this Saturday, so Luoyu has been training extra hard every day recently."

The assessment for the four assistants not only included mental ability but also various physical and martial skills; a retest was necessary in all aspects, including strategic thinking and combat prowess.

Li Qiao withdrew her gaze indifferently, nodding in understanding.

She had heard that Luoyu previously ranked first. Whether she could maintain her leading position in this assessment was uncertain.

After getting into the business car, Li Qiao slowly made her way to the back seat; as the car drove onto the Mountain Road, she then took out her phone with a look of helplessness, flipping through her messages.

She had left her phone on the sofa the previous night and found over twenty missed calls from her parents when she picked it up this morning.

Staying out all night was something she might... not be able to abide by.

Li Qiao sighed and soon redialed Li Guangming’s number.

As soon as the phone connected, Li Guangming’s tense voice came through, "Girl, where were you last night? I called you so many times, and you didn’t answer. Are you okay?"

Looking at the scenery outside the window, Li Qiao made up an excuse with an indifferent expression, "I’m fine, I was at the dorm last night."

The driver, Liuyun: "?"

South Sea Mansion... what a large "dorm."

At this moment, Li Guangming fell silent for two seconds, his tone still half doubtful, "Really?"

"Mhm. I’ve got a lot of lab work lately. I’ll probably stay at the dorm for a while. If Dad doesn’t believe me, I’ll have Academician Jiang talk to you later."

Upon hearing this, Li Guangming’s voice noticeably relaxed, and he soon cheerfully said, "No need, no need, Dad was just asking. You girls work hard on your research. The lab work is so demanding. This afternoon, Dad will send over some fruit for you, don’t tire yourselves out."

After hanging up the phone, Li Qiao expressionlessly lowered her gaze, her eyes casting deep shadows.

It was a vague feeling, overall just a bit annoying.