The Favored Heiress
Chapter 232: An Invitation from Venus?

Chapter 232: Chapter 232: An Invitation from Venus?

Shang Yu stared unwaveringly at Li Qiao, noticing the girl’s eyes glued to him, not questioning the reason he had moved to action but instead concerned about whether he had been hurt.

The man’s Adam’s apple moved uncontrollably, his emotions barely in check as he embraced Li Qiao’s shoulders, his towering physique leaned forward, pressing her against the nearby lamppost.

His kiss was fierce, their silhouettes overlapping under the lamp light, creating an intense and rich atmosphere.

In the distance, Liuyun, Wang Yue, and Luoyu each rolled their throats, looked away, took out their cigarette cases, and lit up, taking a drag of loneliness.

The early summer night was damn hot.

Before long, Shang Yu released Li Qiao, gazing at her swollen lips, his dark eyes burning with heat.

Li Qiao felt a bit oxygen-deprived from the kiss, she caught her breath, her fingers climbing his suit’s lapel, tugging it gently, her tone hoarse, "If you still have the strength to kiss me, it seems you’re not injured."

No wonder Shang Yu seemed a bit different tonight.

He had been drinking, his lips redolent with the strong scent of alcohol.

That kiss just now gave her the illusion that she might be swallowed whole.

At that moment, Shang Yu wiped the corner of his lips with his thumb, pulled Li Qiao deep into his embrace with one arm, and said hoarsely by her ear: "This kind of thing, I can do even when I’m hurt."

Li Qiao pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow: "..." How should she respond to that?

The next second, her earlobe was suddenly taken into his mouth, gently suckled, which made Li Qiao shiver, followed by a heart-stirring, mellow laughter that penetrated deep into her ear.

Shang Yu straightened up and pulled back to a safe distance, his exquisite and profound features filled with obvious pleasure.

He wiped the moisture from the corners of Li Qiao’s lips and looked at her reddened ear tips, ruffling her hair, "Let’s go back, and get some sleep early."

Li Qiao met his gaze, flickering with light, suppressing the unfamiliar romantic feelings in her heart, she straightened her expression, "Are you sure you’re okay?"

Shang Yu lifted her chin, looking down at her, "Don’t worry, no one can hurt me, except for you."

Alright then.

This man had drunk who knows how much tonight, and although he was still so noble and cool, his actions were uncontrollably wild.

Could it have something to do with the blood on his hands tonight?

...

Under Shang Yu’s gaze, Li Qiao gradually returned to her dormitory building.

On the second-floor corridor, as she passed by, the motion-sensor lights lit up one by one.

The man downstairs stood with his hands behind him, watching the window she passed, the warmth in his eyes fading away, turning sharp and frosty.

Only once Li Qiao’s figure had disappeared into the corridor did Shang Yu cover his eyes, turn around, and take a step.

He then stood in front of Liuyun and the others, commanding in a deep voice, "Send a team to be stationed near the lab, keep her safe."

Liuyun and the others nodded respectfully, "Yes, boss."

Tonight... something indeed had happened.

Originally, they were accompanying the boss at the Royal Hotel for the reception.

But suddenly, they received a tip that someone was going to make a move against Miss Li.

Therefore, en route to the lab, they took care of those men in secret in advance.

What shocked Liuyun and the others was that the boss, who had not been angry for a long time, not only took action personally tonight but the scene was also exceptionally brutal.

On the way back, Wang Yue and Luoyu sitting in the rear of the car looked at the rapidly moving convoy ahead, their expressions slightly grave.

Wang Yue took out a bottle of mineral water from the car’s refrigerator, throwing one to Luoyu, and said in a deep tone, "Could tonight’s people have been sent by Shang Fu?"

Luoyu caught the tossed bottle, squeezing it hard, "No, Shang Fu didn’t bring many people with her to South Sea this time.

"I have crossed paths with Parma and her subordinates before, and the people tonight, their skills were mediocre, not like those trained by Parma."

Wang Yue paused in her act of drinking water and glanced sideways at Luoyu, "You mean..."

If it wasn’t Shang Fu, could there really be someone else in South Sea City bold enough to target Miss Li?

At this moment, Luoyu pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes towards the window, her voice low as a reminder, "Don’t forget, the South Sea Conference is just two months away.

Powers from the east, west, south, and north are all getting restless recently. If someone wanted to, they could certainly find some clues about the big boss and Miss Li’s relationship.

Those people tonight, I fear... their true aim might not have been Miss Li, but to test the big boss."

After her words, a heavy silence filled the compartment.

The underground Overlord of South Sea City, who for so many years had stood alone, suddenly had a vulnerability and a wrath trigger, it’s likely that the probes from various powers are only going to increase in the future.

...

The eve of the Venus Auction.

In the evening, Li Qiao drove to her apartment in Elegant Villa Garden.

After parking, she arrived at the front door of the apartment and used her fingerprint to unlock the private mailbox beside the door; she opened it to find an invitation from Venus’s butler, Uncle Zong.

The thick gold envelope was embossed with the classic statue of the goddess Venus.

Li Qiao weighed the invitation in her hand, locked the mailbox, and turned to enter the elevator.

Back in the lobby, Li Qiao lowered her head and strode forward, until suddenly her path was blocked by a pair of fiery red high heels.

"Little sister, what a coincidence?"

The sickly sweet voice of Shang Fu came from in front, and Li Qiao, without showing any change in expression, slightly raised her eyebrows, slowly lifted her head, and smiled, "Oh, it’s Elder Sister Shang."

Again, this distasteful and vulgar address.

Shang Fu flipped her long hair off her shoulder, her smile fading a little, and her gaze casually swept the lobby as she asked in surprise, "You live here too?"

Li Qiao, holding the Venus invitation in one hand, shrugged, "Is that not allowed?"

Elegant Villa Garden could be considered a high-end apartment, but it was not the most luxurious.

For someone of Shang Fu’s status, choosing to settle here upon her arrival most likely had an ulterior motive.

At that moment, Shang Fu’s gaze flickered, and she unexpectedly saw the invitation in Li Qiao’s hand, her eyes narrowing, "Is that... a Venus invitation?"

Li Qiao gave an ’ah’ sound, vaguely acknowledging, "Seems like it."

"Did Shaoyan give it to you?" Shang Fu scrutinized it closely, and then her face visibly stiffened.

The invitations to the Venus Auction are highly prestigious, coming in gold, silver, and bronze to represent top, middle, and entry-level memberships.

The invitation in Li Qiao’s hand was clearly gold, the entry symbol for top-level members.

Shang Fu was incredulous, her gaze towards Li Qiao now filled with scrutiny.

She suddenly remembered, about two years ago, the Venus Auction House publicly announced that two mysterious members were elevated to the highest tier - the Supreme members.

Shang Fu had always suspected that Shang Shaoyan was one of the Supreme members, and now seeing the gold envelope in Li Qiao’s hand, she felt more certain of her guess.

After all, only Supreme members had the privilege to issue Gold Invitations to ordinary people.

Shang Fu, full of self-conceit, pondered and felt sure that the invitation must have come from Shaoyan to Li Qiao.

She did not believe for one second that Li Qiao could have earned her place among Venus’s elite through her own merit.

After all, being merely the richest in South Sea paled in comparison to the billion-dollar auction scene.

Just then, Li Qiao looked down at the invitation in her hand, curling her lips and hiding the playfulness in her eyes, "Do I need him to give it to me?"