The Favored Heiress
Chapter 251: Girlfriend Being Harassed

Chapter 251: Chapter 251: Girlfriend Being Harassed

Li Qiao’s gaze was calm and cold as she looked at Jing Ruian’s ecstatic expression, her tone slightly languid, "You have mistaken me for someone else."

She had never intended to bring up the border incident to anyone.

It was indeed surprising that Jing Ruian had been one of the crowd saved during the violent uprising three years ago.

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Qiao stepped aside, planning to leave the fountain.

But Jing Ruian was not willing to give up so easily, and in his urgency, tried to reach for Li Qiao’s arm, desperately calling out, "Miss Li..."

However, before Jing Ruian’s fingertips could touch Li Qiao’s sleeve, she skillfully dodged his grasp.

Li Qiao furrowed her brows slightly as she looked at Jing Ruian, her expression showing slight impatience.

The rescuer had never thought to oblige the saved for repayment, yet the saved always sought to express their gratitude and debt.

Troublesome.

Jing Ruian had been obsessed with Li Qiao for three years, and even though she was indifferent, nothing could extinguish the wild joy and excitement in his heart.

His chest was heaving at a slightly rapid pace, and with clenched fists, he stared at Li Qiao’s indifferent yet delicate cheeks, unabashedly asking, "Miss Li, I mean no offence, I just want to thank you for saving my life that year.

I... I have been looking for you for a long time and have even dreamed of meeting you again." And I have liked you for a long time as well.

The last part of his sentence, Jing Ruian did not dare to speak out loud, fearing it would be too presumptuous towards his benefactor.

At this moment, Li Qiao glanced at him, her voice cool, "No need."

What was there to thank her for? The rescue was just incidental; their real target were the desperados who had disrupted the peace at the border.

Having said that, Li Qiao turned and walked away.

Upon hearing this, Jing Ruian followed her in great joy, matching her steps, "Miss Li, you admit that you were K at the border..."

Before he could finish, Li Qiao turned her head slowly, the irritation in her eyes surging, "Are you not finished yet?"

Seeing the signs of Li Qiao’s rising anger, Jing Ruian shook himself and hurriedly lowered his voice, "Miss Li, rest assured, I have never spoken to anyone about the border incident. So, could you honor me by allowing me to take you out for a meal?"

Faced with Jing Ruian’s incessant pestering, Li Qiao’s patience had run out, and she spoke deliberately, "No, I cannot."

"Then... then could you give me your phone number? I..." Jing Ruian was still babbling on.

At this point, Li Qiao was struggling to contain her anger.

If she had known he was going to be this troublesome, she might have been better off not saving him.

"Miss Li." Just then, Liuyun’s composed voice came from behind the two of them.

Li Qiao turned around with an expressionless face, utterly indifferent.

Liuyun’s heart skipped a beat as he quickened his pace to join them and subtly positioned himself in front of Jing Ruian, "Miss Li, the boss would like to see you."

At the sound, the irritation in Li Qiao’s eyes subsided slightly, and she took the opportunity to glance at the gridded windows of the conference hall ahead, realizing it was empty.

Li Qiao said nothing, just nodded faintly and tilted her chin forward, signaling Liuyun to lead the way.

Jing Ruian looked dazed, catching the warning in Liuyun’s eyes, and his heart tightened, freezing in place.

After Li Qiao and Liuyun left, Jing Ruian stood motionless on the spot for a long, long time until a heavy pat on his shoulder snapped him out of his trance, and he turned his head in bewilderment.

"Ruian, how did it go? I saw you two entangled all the way, did you manage to sort it out?"

At that moment, the young master of the Quan Family teased him with ill-intent, with the handsome Ji Family’s elder son standing behind him.

Jing Ruian didn’t like his choice of words, frowned, shook his head, and walked away disconsolately.

Meanwhile, on a nearby lawn, several ladies of high society also witnessed the scene, each with a mocking smile as they quipped unpleasantly, "Li Qiao really has a big appetite, first flirting with Master Yan, and now playing hard to get with Jing Lao Er. No wonder Uncle Li hid her away for so long; it seems he has ’nurtured’ her quite diligently."

Such sour words were very unpleasant to hear.

"It doesn’t matter whether Qiaoqiao had been ’nurtured’ or not—the point is... you’re gossiping behind her back; did your family education get eaten by dogs?"

These words came from Tang Yiting’s sarcastic remark tossed from afar, beside her stood Li Yan with a somber expression.

He’d just gone to pick out a few paintings, yet as soon as he returned, he heard so many people discussing his sister?

Li Yan, despite being dressed in casual clothes, had a cold face that was no less intimidating.

At this moment, he walked slowly with one hand in his pocket and Tang Yiting by his side, passing by the group of high society ladies, he glanced coldly at them and questioned sharply, "Does my sister’s status require her to play hard to get with men? Are you blind? Can’t you see that it’s Jing Ruian pestering her?

What do you mean by ’nurturing’? Since you know so much about it, why don’t you enlighten me?"

This Art Tycoon, who established himself in the South Sea by dealing in famous paintings, was certainly not lacking in eloquence.

The ladies were scolded by Li Yan to the point where they turned ashen and dared not utter a word.

It was well known among the families of the Five Giants that the Li brothers had boundless indulgence and affection for their only sister.

Indeed, they were talking behind her back, and they didn’t dare provoke Li Yan again after his sarcastic rebuke.

Tang Yiting sneered contemptuously, "Sour grapes. If I were Master Yan, I’d choose Qiaoqiao too, who would pick a bunch of nagging busybodies!"

The ladies wanted to refute Tang Yiting but, because Li Yan was present, they found themselves speechless.

...

Elsewhere, Li Qiao followed Liuyun into the castle villa, and just as she stepped onto the stairs, she glanced at the standing guards and asked while fiddling with her fingertips, "Is the meeting over?"

Liuyun slowed his steps slightly, nodding, "Not yet, it’s just a temporary break for tea."

A meeting that hadn’t lasted an hour was already taking a tea break?

Li Qiao lazily nodded her head and quickly reached the tea room with Liuyun.

The rich scent of tea wafted through the door seams as Li Qiao slowly entered, looking up to see the man standing by the bright window.

In the tea room of over twenty square meters, there was only him.

Liuyun casually closed the door, and Li Qiao glanced back before walking to the window with a smile, "Why take a mid-game break all of a sudden?"

Shang Yu, with one hand in his pocket, turned his back to her, flicking ashes into the ashtray on the windowsill. His voice, muffled by the cigarette, was slightly hoarse, "A boyfriend can’t just stand by when his girlfriend is being harassed."

Li Qiao paused mid-step, blinked, and couldn’t help but laugh, "You saw it?"

No wonder the meeting stopped midway, and Liuyun happened to appear just as Jing Ruian persisted in his pursuit – it was all Shang Yu’s doing.

At that moment, Shang Yu squinted his eyes, looking sideways at Li Qiao as she approached, and curved his lips mysteriously, "What does he want to do?"

Li Qiao crossed her arms and leaned against the window sill, sighing somewhat wistfully, "He probably wants to... express gratitude for a past rescue."

Amusement flashed in the depths of Shang Yu’s profound eyes as he casually crossed his legs and gazed at Li Qiao, "When have you saved him?"

"Three years ago, on the border," Li Qiao explained with a touch of irritation as she massaged her brow, her gaze falling on the flickering cigarette in his hand, "There were many people, and the scene was chaotic; it was just a makeshift rescue. I didn’t expect him to take it so seriously."

Shang Yu observed the girl’s slightly frazzled expression, lifted her perfect curved chin with his index finger, and smiled at her lips, "Do you need your boyfriend to take care of it for you?"