The Favored Heiress
Chapter 218: Thinking of You

Chapter 218: Chapter 218: Thinking of You

Fei Zhihong was a straightforward and upright person. Although he disliked whistleblowers, he still thought things through thoroughly.

At this moment, Li Qiao looked at Fei Zhihong with a composed face, her smile slightly cool, "What I want is for the netizens to attack her."

If she liked to stir things up on the internet, then let Duan Yixuan taste what it really felt like to be doxxed and attacked by a crowd.

In this world, there are not so many rights and wrongs; it’s mostly a game of tit for tat.

Fei Zhihong silently watched Li Qiao, his sharp gaze flickering briefly, silently giving Li Qiao a thumbs up.

That evening, at eight o’clock, the South Sea Police Station released a Weibo post for a police announcement.

The wording throughout was strict and precise, logically clear, and it also simply disclosed the details of the girl helping the police to capture an important suspect in the video.

At the end of the post, there was a separate note, which was the exact words Li Qiao had said.

In less than ten minutes, the likes for this police announcement surpassed five thousand, with nearly a thousand comments.

At the same time, Li Qiao leaned against the laboratory bench, casually flipping through the top comments under the official post.

Besides a few argumentative remarks, most of them were questioning whether the whistleblower had an ulterior motive.

And as more targeted comments reached the hot comments section, netizens became thoroughly enraged, with many posting the whistleblower’s Weibo links and a flurry of insults and defamation swirling like a tornado.

The whistleblower’s Weibo was overwhelmed overnight, and within two hours, personal information such as her home address and mobile number was exposed by netizens.

Duan Yixuan, twenty-four years old, a graduate from the South Sea Art Institute’s Fine Arts program, commonly used Weibo links, newly registered Weibo links, none were spared.

Li Qiao quit Weibo with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, and then logged onto online banking to transfer two hundred thousand to a certain marketing account.

This act of cyber violence was the real warning she sent to Duan Yixuan.

...

The next day, Friday.

Li Qiao spent the whole day in the laboratory doing research and various chemical tests.

During her occasional breaks, she would pick up her phone and send a few WeChat messages to Shang Yu to stay in touch.

Like now, after everyone had just finished lunch, the researchers in her group were taking a nap.

Li Qiao rubbed her stiff shoulders and went alone to the greenery garden of the experimental building.

Under a Chinese parasol tree, she sat on one side of a bench, stretching her legs forward and crossing her ankles, looking down and sending Shang Yu a WeChat emoji.

Li Qiao: [What’s baby doing.jpg]

This WeChat emoji was one she had gotten from Lian Zhen.

A pink cartoon kitty peeked out from behind a curtain, with five words floating above its head: What’s baby doing~

Li Qiao stared at the sent emoji for three seconds, then withdrew it expressionlessly.

The nickname... seemed inappropriate. Better to be conservative.

Li Qiao flipped through her empty emoji collection, her mouth twitching in resignation. Finally, she typed out five words: Master Yan, what are you doing?

A second later, the man replied.

Shang Yu: What did you retract?

Li Qiao bit her lip and typed: I mistyped.

At this moment, Shang Yu at Yan Emperor Group, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking at his phone, his thin lips hooked in a barely there smile, sent Li Qiao an inquiry: What did you mistype?

Li Qiao: "..." Why suddenly so inquisitive?

Just as Li Qiao wondered how to bluff her way through, Shang Yu’s message came again: Calling me baby, was that a typo?

Li Qiao was taken aback, and a smile quickly spread across her eyes; he had seen it.

She hurriedly replied: No, it wasn’t, I just thought Master Yan might not be used to it!

Meanwhile, standing behind Shang Yu, Liuyun was still earnestly reporting on work, "Boss, the cooperation between both parties has been finalized, and currently..."

Before he could finish, Shang Yu slowly raised his arm and instructed Liuyun, "Mm, go out."

Liuyun: "?"

He was holding a folder, somewhat at a loss, not having finished his report yet. Why was he told to go out?

At that moment, Shang Yu slipped a hand into his pocket and, with his deep eyes fixed on the cellphone, sent Li Qiao four words: Send it again.

Underneath the parasol tree, Li Qiao twiddled her fingertips and tossed out an emoji again: [What’s the baby doing.jpg]

Shang Yu: Thinking of you.

Li Qiao, looking at the three words on the screen, couldn’t help but smile.

...

Night, ten o’clock.

The night was like thick ink, with the stars shining brightly.

Having concluded the day’s research work, Li Qiao dragged her exhausted steps towards the employee dormitory behind the building.

She walked side by side with Lian Zhen, occasionally exchanging a few words, but most of their conversation was related to the experiments.

On the several hundred meters between the laboratory building and the dormitory, they passed by a 24-hour convenience store. Lian Zhen paused, "Do you want to eat something?"

Li Qiao looked over in passing and declined with an indifferent expression, "No thanks, you go ahead."

The dim yellow streetlights cast a tired pallor on Li Qiao’s face.

Lian Zhen did not press her, looking at her with gentle eyes, "Then you go back first, I’ll bring you something to eat in a bit. With so many experiments lately and you hardly eating at night, your body won’t hold up if this continues."

Li Qiao moved her lips as if to decline politely, but Lian Zhen had already walked towards the convenience store.

A few seconds later, Li Qiao turned and followed in Lian Zhen’s steps, "Senior Brother Lian, let’s go together."

Although she was a bit tired, she couldn’t really let Lian Zhen deliver her meal back to the dormitory.

Li Qiao didn’t consider herself so delicate, especially since he had often helped her with their experimental projects.

Inside the convenience store, they sat opposite each other by the window, and within less than five minutes, the cashier brought over two fast-food beef noodles and a cup of juice.

Li Qiao really wasn’t hungry, ate a few bites of the noodles while poking at them, then started to stare blankly out at the moonlight.

"Xiao Li, how did you meet Academician Jiang?"

Perhaps the atmosphere between the two was a bit awkward. Lian Zhen took a sip of the beef soup and turned his head to break the silence.

Li Qiao, propping her chin with one hand, blinked lazily as she looked out the window and said, "During university, I participated in an experimental competition. My teacher was a judge then, so we met."

Hearing this, Lian Zhen couldn’t help but smile wistfully, "Then you’re quite lucky, to have met him in university. It took me over half a year to get his permission to come here to learn and further my studies."

"Oh..." Li Qiao, not good at making conversation and not wanting to create an awkward silence, flickered her eyes and grasped at straws, "Aren’t you from the South Sea?"

The corners of Lian Zhen’s slightly downcast eyes revealed an imperceptible smile, "I’m from Li City, and I haven’t been back for many years due to work."

Li Qiao lowered her eyelids with little interest and nodded.

Perhaps because both of them were not good at socializing, after a few more minutes, Lian Zhen finished his beef noodles and looked at Li Qiao, "Have you finished?"

"Yes, let’s go."

Li Qiao was the first to rise from the high stool and slowly walked towards the door.

Along the way, neither of them spoke. Once back at the dormitory building, Li Qiao bid Lian Zhen goodbye.

The male dormitory was on the first floor, while the female dormitory was on the second floor.

Li Qiao slowly climbed the stairs, rounded the corner, and continued forward with her hands in her pockets.