The Favored Heiress
Chapter 248: The Big Shot Has Arrived

Chapter 248: Chapter 248: The Big Shot Has Arrived

Has the Yan Emperor arrived?

In an instant, the five heads of the families at the dining table stood up as if by prior agreement.

The other family members present also exchanged surprised glances.

The Yan Emperor... Shang Shaoyan?

It wasn’t that they were making a big fuss over nothing; it was simply that he received an invitation every year, but never attended.

And this year he actually came!

At this moment, led by Li Guangming, the Five Giants hurriedly left the table and followed the steward at a brisk pace towards the estate’s grand entrance.

As everyone walked, they subconsciously straightened their appearance, fearful of slighting the distinguished guest.

"Is it really Shang, Shang Shaoyan?"

"It’s him, definitely him. Who else could it be that would make our fathers go to such lengths to welcome?"

"I’m so excited, Shang Shaoyan actually came. Xi Xi, quick, look if my makeup is smudged. Oh right, lend me your lip gloss."

A group of young heiresses full of fantasies stopped eating and pulled out their compact mirrors to touch up their makeup.

There were fifteen juniors from the families present, seven men and eight women.

Aside from Li Qiao and Tang Yiting, who were busy eating, the joy on the other girls’ faces was unmistakable.

It wasn’t about being flirtatious, but rather it stemmed from an admiration for the South Sea merchant Shang Shaoyan.

A man whose status and position towered over the Five Giants, enough to inspire obsession and adoration.

At this time, Tang Yiting, biting her spoon, cocked her head and whispered into the ear of Li Qiao, who was bowing her head eating sushi, "Hey, did you hear that? The big guy is here."

"Hmm." Li Qiao continued to frown as she ate, but a closer look would reveal that the indifference in her eyes had faded considerably.

Tang Yiting eyed Li Qiao’s composed behavior curiously and followed up with another question, "Did you know beforehand that the big guy would also attend?"

Given their relationship, it didn’t seem inappropriate for Qiaoqiao to be informed in advance.

Hearing this, Li Qiao pursed her lips slightly and shook her head, "I didn’t know."

She truly didn’t know; during her time recuperating at the mansion, Shang Yu hadn’t mentioned it at all.

Tang Yiting looked at her dubiously, feeling that her words weren’t credible.

After a few more hushed exchanges, the Five Giants returned to the vicinity of the open-air dining area.

But the atmosphere on the scene had undergone an obvious change.

Now, led by Li Guangming, the Five Giants surrounded a figure with a distinct aura and impressive physique as they slowly approached.

The man in the middle wore a handsome and sharp dark-colored suit with a small piece of cold gold handkerchief in the pocket, and as he walked, the cufflinks that peeked from his sleeves reflected the color of the handkerchief.

Today’s Shang Yu, with an aura of dignified leadership, stood among the South Sea’s Five Giants, emanating a sense of nobility and capturing attention.

Despite being amidst other distinguished figures, it was his arrival that stole the spotlight.

At the long table, the members of the Five Great Families all stood up, focusing intently on Shang Yu as they paid their respects.

Li Qiao stood up too, out of politeness.

But she didn’t look at Shang Yu; she kept her head down, while his deep gaze lingered on Li Qiao for barely half a second before moving away.

"Master Yan, please take a seat."

Li Guangming’s voice was courteous as he invited Shang Yu to be seated, while the stewards and waitstaff had already replaced all the dishes with new ones.

Shang Yu took his seat at the head of the table, his long fingers slowly unbuttoning his suit jacket. His deep-set, piercing eyes swept across the room as he spoke in a magnetic and resonant voice, "Sorry to have kept you all waiting."

Li Guangming gestured for others to sit, and then said with a restrained smile, "You flatter us; we’ve only just begun."

Head of the Jing Family, Jing Hengsheng, sized up the imposing Shang Yu—youthful yet with a wild arrogance that commanded respect.

His gaze flickered, and with a somewhat sycophantic lift of his glass, he said, "Not at all, not at all. It’s our great honor to have you here."

Shang Yu cast a brief glance at Jing Hengsheng, his fingers caressing the crystal glass, the corners of his lips slightly lifted: "I’ve been quite busy in previous years and haven’t found the time to attend your gatherings. I just happened to be passing by Tangxi Mountain today and thought I’d drop by. I hope I’m not disturbing everyone."

At this, Patriarch Quan, not to be outdone, quickly chimed in after Shang Yu finished speaking, "No disturbance at all, please don’t be so polite."

In front of Shang Yu, the Five Giants of the South Sea were not exactly groveling, but each behaved with cautious respect.

Next, the five took turns toasting Shang Yu, and amid the clinking of glasses, there was an unmistakable undertone of eager flattery.

Liuyun and Luoyu stood shoulder to shoulder behind Shang Yu, solemn and stoic, which added a fair amount of pressure to those present.

Before long, amidst the cordial exchanges among the men, several of the ladies at the table stole shy glances at Shang Yu.

The cold, sharp contours of his face were so strikingly handsome that anyone would find it hard not to silently pledge their affections with just one look.

As for the other young lords present, they sat straight and serious under the pressure of Shang Yu’s powerful presence, daring not to act out of turn.

Still, there were hopeful young masters surreptitiously observing Li Qiao.

Jing Ruian most of all.

...

Less than half an hour later, the meal ended, but the quiet at the long table remained as everyone sat immovable as mountains.

Shang Yu casually adjusted his sleeve with one hand, lifting his eyes to look at the gathering lazily, "Don’t be stiff, please feel free to do as you wish."

As his words settled, the Five Giants exchanged glances, and Li Guangming timely waved to the younger ones, "Alright, now that dinner is over, you’re free to do as you please. We have a meeting this afternoon, so we won’t mind you."

After he finished, there was silence.

But a few seconds later, Jing Ruian took the lead and stood up.

Where there’s one, there are others, and soon the rest followed suit, leaving the room gradually.

In the meantime, Li Qiao leaned back in her chair, legs crossed, lifting her eyelids to glance at the several young ladies dawdling, reluctant to leave.

She tugged at her lips and also planned to make her exit.

Today’s event wasn’t the right occasion to get too close to Shang Yu.

However, just as Li Qiao was about to rise, the man seated opposite her unfolded his crossed hands on the table, leaning slightly forward, he suddenly addressed her, "Miss Li, do you have a moment?"

Miss Li!

This was the first time Li Qiao heard such a formal address from Shang Yu.

Shang Yu initiating conversation caught the attention of the other ladies, who looked toward Li Qiao with a mix of disappointment and scrutiny—all of their expressions quite interesting.

The young masters, who hadn’t left their seats, were surprised and turned their heads, their curiosity about Li Qiao only increasing.

Even Shang Shaoyan, the South Sea merchant, was taking the initiative to speak with her—was her charm really that great?

Meanwhile, including Li Guangming and Duan Shuyuan, several family heads also showed surprised expressions.

At that moment, Li Qiao paused her rising motion and met Shang Yu’s gaze, giving a slight smile, "I’m available. What instructions do you have, Master Yan?"

Shang Yu’s interlaced fingers shook slightly, his deep voice seemingly carrying the mellow scent of wine, "I’ve always heard that the scenery of Tangxi Mountain is quite nice. I’d like to invite Miss Li to show me around. What do you say?"

"Master Yan, actually, Li Qiao is also here for the first time; she’s not familiar with this place at all. Perhaps..." Jing Yuean, the daughter of the Jing Family, intervened before Li Qiao could speak, her voice dripping with sickly sweetness as she preempted everyone else.