The Favored Heiress
Chapter 252: We Hook Up with Each Other

Chapter 252: Chapter 252: We Hook Up with Each Other

Hearing this, Li Qiao shook her head faintly, letting the weight of her cheek rest fully in his palm, "That won’t be necessary, he’s making a mountain out of a molehill; there’s no need for you to act on such a trivial matter."

Jing Ruian had no ill intentions; he probably just couldn’t extricate himself from the gratitude of being saved all these years.

...

Ten minutes later, Li Qiao left the tea room.

Outside the corridor, Liuyun and Luoyu stood to the left and right, quiet and still. Seeing her come out, both nodded their heads, "Miss Li."

Li Qiao frowned slightly in acknowledgment and lazily walked past them.

Liuyun watched her retreating figure and subconsciously pursed the corners of his mouth.

Miss Li’s lips seemed swollen.

Meanwhile, Li Qiao’s slender figure leisurely exited the ancient castle villa. A shadow loomed behind her; she turned her head and saw Luoyu following two meters away.

"Miss Li, I will accompany you."

Luoyu’s face was softened by the sunlight, smoothing his strong features, his tone slow and filled with respect.

Li Qiao arched her brows but didn’t refuse.

This arrangement was likely Shang Yu’s doing; having Luoyu by her side meant that if those wealthy young masters wanted to approach her, they’d have to weigh whether they could withstand a beating.

Thus, Li Qiao spent an unusual afternoon leisurely strolling around the estate.

Unremarkable, except for the sea of roses, there really wasn’t any scenery worth lingering over.

It was leagues behind the South Sea Mansion in comparison.

...

Four hours later, evening arrived.

As the sky turned dusk, a thin layer of twilight enveloped the skies above Tangxi Mountain.

In the manor’s private banquet hall, the service staff were bustling about, preparing for the meal.

Before seven o’clock, the internal meeting concluded.

The five family heads followed behind Shang Yu, walking leisurely into the private banquet hall. Though their faces showed signs of fatigue from the long meeting, excitement and eagerness filled their eyes.

It was probably because Shang Shaoyan had specially opened a green channel for them and provided very detailed guidance on the deployment of their industries for the following year.

Therefore, as long as the Five Giants followed the plans he laid out, their family businesses were bound to thrive.

The matrons of the families also conveniently rubbed their shoulders as they came down side by side from the card room on the second floor.

They were quite tired after an afternoon of playing cards.

...

The dinner started, and everyone took their seats according to the same order as noon.

The luxurious plates and exquisite food set before them were tempting to the taste buds.

At this moment, Li Yan was sitting beside Li Qiao, peeling shrimp, occasionally glancing at the daughters of the other families across him, his eyes revealing a sharp coldness.

"Did they provoke you?" Li Qiao unexpectedly caught Li Yan’s expression and casually asked.

Li Yan placed the peeled shrimp on Li Qiao’s plate, wiped his hands with a napkin, and snorted, "No, I just find them irritating."

Li Qiao: "..."

That sounded very familiar; she seemed to have said the same thing before.

Li Qiao ate her shrimp at a leisurely pace, indifferent to the comment.

At that time, Tang Yiting, who was sitting beside her, leaned in to complain, "Qiaoqiao, they were gossiping about you behind your back. Li Er and I taught them a lesson."

Li Qiao pursed her lips and chewed her food. After a moment, she nodded, "Oh, what did they say about me?"

"Xiao Tang!" Li Yan called out in a low voice to Tang Yiting, furrowing his brow as if he didn’t want her to say more.

Such ugly words were likely to soil his sister’s ears.

Then, Tang Yiting made an OK gesture to Li Yan and the next second, she recounted the whole event non-stop.

Li Yan: "..." What kind of thought process is this?

At this moment, Li Qiao looked at Jing Yuean with a smile that was not quite a smile and said lazily, "Although she doesn’t have much of a brain, she didn’t get the first sentence wrong."

Tang Yiting was still trying to remember what her first sentence was.

Meanwhile, Li Yan accidentally knocked over his glass, and the crisp sound of clashing tableware immediately drew everyone’s attention.

The waiter promptly came over to tidy up, and Li Yan nodded apologetically to everyone with a feigned calmness, "Sorry, my hand slipped."

What had he just heard?

After the waiter had replaced the dinnerware and tablecloth and the atmosphere had returned to its previous harmony, Li Yan lowered his voice and asked Li Qiao, "What do you mean the first sentence wasn’t wrong? Explain it to me."

Tang Yiting’s first sentence was: Jing Yuean said you hooked up with Master Yan...

Li Qiao looked calmly at her older brother, "Explain what?"

Li Yan took a sharp breath, leaning and muttering, "You didn’t really hook up with him, did you?"

He suddenly remembered, some time ago she said she was going to intern at Yan Emperor Group.

At that time, he was dead set against it, but later... it seemed he was swayed by a painting "Frogs Croaking for Ten Miles."

But recently, he heard from their parents that Qiaoqiao was clearly doing research in the lab, so how would she have time to hook up with Shang Shaoyan?

As Li Yan was baffled by his thoughts, Li Qiao poked a shrimp into her mouth and after finishing it, said leisurely, "To be precise, we hooked up with each other."

Li Yan’s breath stopped.

You’re proud to be hooking up with a big devil?

Suddenly, Li Yan sat up straight, looking across the table at Shang Yu, who was seated at the head of the table.

So, this man who called the shots in South Sea had, unbeknownst to anyone, laid his hands on his little sister?

Damn Shang Shaoyan.

Perhaps due to Li Yan’s dark and angry gaze being too intense, Shang Yu took a sip of red wine and his deep and chilling gaze landed unswervingly on him.

Li Yan was startled by his piercing look and quickly lifted his glass to Shang Yu as a gesture, still babbling seriously, "Here’s to world peace."

So much for dignity.

Li Qiao covered her forehead, rather helpless.

...

At nine o’clock at night, the dinner party ended.

Li Qiao hadn’t even stepped out of the private dining room when she was pulled out of the castle villa by Li Yan.

By the lake in the backyard, a few dim ground lights cast a hazy glow.

Li Yan, with a solemn face, looked at Li Qiao and asked very seriously, "Qiaoqiao, back in the private dining room..."

"Yes, really." Li Qiao admitted the relationship with Shang Yu very plainly, "It’s not public yet, so remember to keep it a secret, Second Brother."

Li San had found out a while ago.

Now it was Li Er’s turn to be dealt with.

The next step was to win over Big Brother.

Lastly, it would be their parents.

Li Qiao was deep in thought, subconsciously pursing her lips and nodding, hmm, step by step, not rash, perfect.

At that moment, Li Yan looked at Li Qiao incredulously, grinding his heels into the ground fiercely, "Are you not joking? Qiaoqiao, tell the truth to your brother, did he force you? Don’t be afraid, spit it out, your brother will stand up for you."

Even if he couldn’t stand up for her, Li San could, since he had a gun!

Then, Li Qiao lifted her eyelids to look at him and said with a knitted brow and a light tone, "You’re thinking too much."

Li Yan clearly didn’t believe her and took a step forward, hands on Li Qiao’s shoulders, asking three times with heartfelt concern, "Sister, this isn’t about me overthinking. So I’ll ask you, do you understand Shang Shaoyan? Do you know what kind of person he is? Have you ever heard about the things he’s done in South Sea?"