The Favored Heiress
Chapter 299: How Pitiful

Chapter 299: Chapter 299: How Pitiful

Li Qiao took the car keys from Luoyu’s hand and drove to the parking lot.

Approaching two o’clock in the afternoon, she sat in the car, lost in thought. Even after calming down, her mind involuntarily revisited everything that had happened at the Mansion earlier.

In particular, the scene where the man, wearing a shirt, cornered her in the elevator, wild and rakish, more captivating than ever before.

Li Qiao’s hands rested on the steering wheel, and she naturally propped her chin on her wrists, as if savoring, as if coy, the more she thought about it, the redder her face became.

After about five minutes, she slowly got out of the car, slammed the door shut, and as she turned around, about a dozen meters away, Academician Jiang and Lian Zhen were standing there, deep in thought, eyeing her.

Li Qiao: "..."

A gust of wind blew past, ruffling the wisps of hair at her temples.

Li Qiao reached up to tidy them, walking over with composure.

At that moment, Academician Jiang, rubbing his thermos cup, exchanged a glance with Lian Zhen and pursed his lips in Li Qiao’s direction, clearly implying for him to ask what was going on.

Lian Zhen, hands in his lab coat pockets, shook his head helplessly, looking at Li Qiao as she approached. In a gentle voice, he began, "Xiao Li, are you alright?"

Li Qiao looked puzzled, glanced around, and shook her head, "No, why?"

Academician Jiang took a small step forward, his keen eyes filled with concern, "Qiaoqiao, are you feeling unwell? Look how red your face is, do you have a fever?"

Li Qiao’s gaze flickered as she wiped her face with the back of her hand, "No, it might have been a bit hot in the car just now."

Academician Jiang was clearly skeptical.

He looked at Li Qiao doubtfully; she had been leaning on the steering wheel for quite a while, and although he couldn’t see her expression clearly at the time, her demeanor seemed unhappy.

Academician Jiang thought of a possibility and immediately cautioned with the tone of someone who’s been there, "Qiaoqiao, society is so restless now. It’s normal for young people to have some friction, but don’t fight, try to understand each other, it’ll all pass."

Li Qiao: "??"

What was this earnest lecture all about?

She was full of doubts but had no inclination to ask further, giving a perfunctory nod in agreement, "Yes, teacher is right. I will go back to the lab now."

Li Qiao nodded to them and then walked into the laboratory building at an unhurried pace.

Academician Jiang turned to watch her receding figure, sighing lightly to Lian Zhen, "Well, let’s head back too."

They had originally come downstairs for a walk to relieve some fatigue but hadn’t expected to encounter a preoccupied Li Qiao.

Academician Jiang felt that the child must have argued with that mister, and given his status, any grievances she had were likely something she had to bear on her own.

Pitiful indeed.

...

As evening approached, Li Qiao lay listlessly on the table, hungry.

She had rushed to South Sea Mansion from the hospital at noon, and then Shang Yu’s teasing had left her in a daze, long forgetting about lunch.

She glanced at the screen to check the time, then buried her face in her arms on the desk.

At this moment, Academician Jiang in his office was getting restless.

He could vaguely make out Li Qiao’s hunched figure through the frosted glass window, and glancing at the time on the computer screen, he got up with a frown and walked out impatiently.

Academician Jiang arrived at the research room and made a round behind each researcher.

Soon, he stood behind Li Qiao, cleared his throat, and asked, "Qiaoqiao, what are you up to?"

At the sound, Li Qiao sat up straight from the table and slowly looked up, "Nothing much, is there something you need me to do, teacher?"

Seeing her languid demeanor, Academician Jiang coughed into his fist and said, "I don’t need you to do anything, but, do you... have anything you want to talk to the teacher about?"

Without a second thought, Li Qiao shook her head, "No."

"Oh, then continue resting," Academician Jiang glanced at her sideways and then walked away.

He had to report to that gentleman, it wasn’t that he refused to grant leave, it was that the kid just wouldn’t open their mouth to ask for it.

...

At five-thirty, Li Qiao received a call from Shang Yu.

After saying goodbye to Lian Zhen and the others, she ambled to the street corner and the moment she slipped into the car, her stomach inappropriately growled twice.

Shang Yu looked up from his documents and raised his eyebrows at her, "Hungry?"

Li Qiao glanced at him, pulled the car door shut, then leaned back in the seat and responded with closed eyes, "Mhm."

"To Crystal Garden." Shang Yu nudged the front seat with his foot, his profound gaze settling on Li Qiao’s face as he furrowed his brows, "Didn’t have lunch?"

At that, Li Qiao cracked an eyelid open. Did she have time for lunch at noon?

She remained silent, but Shang Yu had already read a hint of accusation in her eyes.

He closed the document he was holding, set it aside, turned his head to look at Li Qiao, took her fingers and rubbed them as he said in a deep, teasing voice, "Well, it seems I’ve been negligent in my care."

Li Qiao unsuccessfully tried to smile, twisting the corner of her mouth as she leaned her body against his shoulder, "Do you really want to go to the hospital?"

Shang Yu lifted his arm around her and looked down at her sapped cheeks, "Would you rather I didn’t go?"

"Not really." Li Qiao tugged at her lips, gazing at the swiftly passing street scene outside the window, stopping herself from saying more.

Both of them were clear on what it meant to take Shang Yu to the hospital.

Hopefully, the severely injured Li San didn’t get so irritated that it killed him.

...

By seven in the evening, after finishing their dinner, they headed straight to Yan Emperor International Private Hospital.

In the quiet hallways of the high-end ward, the footsteps of their group were particularly discernible.

Liuyun was carrying a fruit basket, while Luoyu had a small medicine box in hand.

Soon, they arrived at Li San’s hospital room, the door still slightly ajar.

Li Qiao turned to look at Shang Yu, seeing his eyes lazily arching a brow, she pursed her lips and pushed the door open.

In an instant, Nan Xin’s muttering could be heard, "You’ve gone too many times today, could it be a prostate problem?"

The people at the door: "..."

By the bedside, Li San was lying on his side while Nan Xin was bustling about in front of him, bending over with the sound of water in the air.

Anyway, neither of them noticed the situation outside the door.

Then, they heard Li San’s teeth-grinding voice, "Why don’t you try getting infused with over a dozen bottles and see how that feels."

At this moment, Nan Xin, bending over with the bedpan, stubbornly twisted her neck, focusing steadfastly on the stark white wall ahead as if afraid an inadvertent glance might reveal something she shouldn’t see.

As she spoke, the sound of water also stopped.

Nan Xin didn’t dare look around recklessly and began to turn away while attempting to move the bedpan.

Little did she know, with her hasty movement, the edge of the bedpan scraped across Li San, eliciting a muffled grunt from him as he swore, "Fuck!"

Nan Xin paused, her fingers reflexively winding her hair as she turned her head and asked, "Hey, you alright?"

The moment she finished speaking, she saw something she wasn’t supposed to.

How should one put it? That size, truly unseen by her before, was impressively grand.

So the two of them froze in place, Li San glaring at her with rage, Nan Xin staring blankly, forgetting to avert her gaze.

"Have you seen enough..."

Li San slowly attempted to cover himself with the blanket but his words still hung on his lips when, amid this bizarre atmosphere, someone suddenly knocked on the door...