The Favored Heiress
Chapter 314: The Woman Who Admired the Strong

Chapter 314: Chapter 314: The Woman Who Admired the Strong

He Xi frowned slightly, looking at He Qing with an indescribable expression, "It’s precisely because we place too much importance on him that it’s easy for things to go wrong.

How many times can Shaoyan afford to make mistakes with his status? By brazenly bringing his girlfriend home, isn’t he just giving others an opportunity to strike?

I admit, Li Qiao is very beautiful, but beauty alone is useless. Whether she can stand by Shaoyan’s side and share highs and lows with him, none of us can say for sure right now.

You saw it yourself, they only returned yesterday, and they already encountered a car accident today at noon; things are only going to be less peaceful in the future."

At this moment, He Qing looked unblinkingly at his sister, his eyes narrowing with suspicion, "Are you sure this isn’t because you like Shaoyan that you’re doing this?"

He Xi’s gaze became fixed, she looked away towards the window, and after a long while, she said in a low voice, "I used to like him. Who told you I still do?

Even if I have thoughts about him, would targeting Li Qiao and suppressing her make him like me?

If not, then why would I do such a thing?"

After finishing her last sentence, He Xi turned her head with an open face and glared at He Qing.

Even if she were despicable, she wouldn’t resort to such petty scheming.

Because of disdain.

The friends of the Parma Shang clan’s heir, regardless of gender, good or bad, are absolutely forthright and magnanimous.

Hearing these words, He Qing curved his lips in a faint smile, his cold outline softened slightly, and he sighed, "I hope that’s truly what you think, and it’s not... sophistry."

Even though He Xi’s words were righteous and grand, as a man, He Qing still sensed the emotional fluctuations in her.

It was no fault for an excellent man like Shaoyan to attract the admiration of women.

But since he chose Li Qiao, there must be his reasons.

As for He Xi, no matter how dejected she might feel, she had to endure it herself because, in front of Shaoyan and Li Qiao, she was just an outsider.

...

As it approached five o’clock, the Earl’s Private Banquet Hall.

Li Qiao and Shang Yu, along with the He family siblings, walked leisurely inside, while Liuyun, Wang Yue, and others stood guard at the entrance of the restaurant, ready for any eventuality.

The private banquet hall was located at the scenic ring area on the thirtieth floor of the Earl Hotel. Its structure protected privacy while still offering a high-standard service experience.

And the Earl Restaurant was precisely a part of the He family’s assets.

Upon entering, the luxurious private banquet hall was exquisite and grand. On the right side of the banquet table was a curved sitting area, and there was a bar on the left.

The private banquet butler led everyone to the area near the lounge. A brown coffee table was laid out with tea, fruits, and pastries. He respectfully bent his waist and asked He Qing, "Would you like to start serving the dishes now or wait a while?"

He Qing looked at his watch, "Serve the dishes in half an hour." After saying that, he looked towards Li Qiao, "Show the menu to Miss Li, in case she has any dietary restrictions..."

"No need to bother, I’m not picky," Li Qiao nodded slightly towards He Qing, politely declining his suggestion.

Seeing this, He Qing didn’t insist any further and quietly instructed the butler with a few details.

At this moment, Shang Yu leaned over to pick up a teacup from the table and handed it to Li Qiao, his eyebrows raised, his voice teasingly deep, "Not picky?"

Li Qiao blinked innocently, took a sip of tea, and nodded with a half-smile.

Seeing her act this way, Shang Yu’s lips lifted in a faint smile. He casually leaned against the couch, his gaze hidden with affection as it continually rested on Li Qiao’s face.

She drinks tea, and he watches.

She refills her tea, and he watches.

Burning with focus.

Such concentration, Li Qiao couldn’t ignore.

She picked up a small fork from the table, skewered a small piece of avocado, and turned to offer it to the man’s mouth.

Shang Yu bent his long legs in front of him, smelling the fruity scent of the avocado, and he lowered his head to bite off a piece of the fruit.

Li Qiao: "??"

She looked at the remaining half of the avocado, her fingers inching forward again, "Not eating anymore?"

Hearing that, the man chewed on the fruit, his thick eyebrows raised slightly in amusement, yet he said nothing.

Li Qiao felt somewhat bewildered as she looked at him and then at the fruit before popping it into her mouth without another word, meanwhile tossing out a statement, "Waste."

The avocados from Parma were delicious.

So fragrant and sweet!

Seeing this, Shang Yu’s eyes deepened with amusement, his fingers instinctively climbing into the hair at the nape of her neck, caressing gently as he asked, "Do you like avocado?"

Li Qiao, while eating, nodded and mumbled in agreement, "Mmm, sweet."

The man’s Adam’s apple moved, his gaze falling upon her lips moving with the motion, now stained with juice and scented with the fruit, perhaps even sweeter than the avocado itself.

Their seemingly oblivious interaction to the world around them was all observed by He Xi from across the room.

In all the years she had known Shang Yu, she never knew that his usually indifferent face could possess such a range of expressions.

He Xi turned her gaze away, using the act of drinking tea to hide her disappointment.

She did indeed like him, for many years now.

It was not shameful for a woman to admire strength.

But she was not magnanimous enough to face, with equanimity, the sight of him flirting affectionately with another girl. It made her heartache and sad. Beyond that, she could only awkwardly sip her tea and pretend as if nothing was happening.

Less than three minutes later, the door to the private banquet room was pushed open once more.

Two men appeared, Huo Mang and Lu Xirui.

He Qing set down his teacup upon hearing them, and jokingly remarked with a light tone, looking in their direction, "You two are always late, without a single exception."

Huo Mang nodded at Li Qiao, then glanced at He Qing and shook his wristwatch, "Isn’t it five o’clock? It’s only four fifty-eight."

He Qing: "..."

By this time, standing beside Huo Mang, Lu Xirui was surveying all the people in the lounge area, his gaze finally resting on Li Qiao.

Shang Yu’s fingers were entwined with Li Qiao’s loose hair at her nape as he looked up to introduce, "Lu Xirui."

Li Qiao politely stood up, looking at the man with the graceful and handsome features, her lips slightly curving, "Hello, I’m Li Qiao."

Lu Xirui narrowed his eyes, stepping forward slightly, "You, hello."

His tone was slow, his gaze carrying a lingering, far-reaching scrutiny as if reminiscing something.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Everyone was looking at Lu Xirui, who was behaving anomalously, with different expressions.

Shang Yu’s deep pupils contracted slightly as he pulled Li Qiao by the wrist to sit down beside him, his arm hooking around her waist, filled with possessiveness, looking at Lu Xirui and raising an eyebrow, "What are you looking at?"

This young lady’s face did indeed have an aggressive allure for many men.

Thus, Lu Xirui’s overly attentive gaze displeased him.

At this moment, catching Shang Yu’s slightly darkened expression, Huo Mang flashed a look, stepping forward to hook a shoulder over Lu Xirui’s, "Shaoyan was just telling you..."

Before he could finish, Lu Xirui elbowed Huo Mang away.

He took another step forward, focusing on Li Qiao, and leaned in slightly to ask, "Have we met before?"

Huo Mang and the others: "..."

This was a standard pick-up line if there ever was one.

What was up with Lu Xirui today? He seldom did things that did not match his status.

Besides, was Shaoyan’s family’s corner something you could dig into?

Seeing Shang Yu’s brows frown tightly, his eyes swirling with a dark and quiet light, Li Qiao just happened to speak up, "I don’t think so."