The Favored Heiress
Chapter 347: Stay Overnight at the Old House Tonight

Chapter 347: Chapter 347: Stay Overnight at the Old House Tonight

In the depth of the backyard, far from the hustle and bustle of the entire mansion, stood a three-story western-style building with red walls and black windows at the end of the stone path.

A hedge surrounded the property, and a meandering artificial stream flowed quietly in front of the door.

Li Qiao followed Shang Yu onto the wooden arch bridge, taking in the architecture around her with some surprise.

This spire-topped building was not connected to either the front or back courtyards, standing alone between the garden and the creek, truly a hidden paradise.

The faded black windows, the scattered towers, and the classic design all stained with the mottling of passing years.

Li Qiao looked at Shang Yu and asked him, "What is this place?"

The man pinched her soft fingertips, walking steadily toward the arched doorway in front of them, "My private residence from before."

Li Qiao understood, it must have been his place before he left the Shang family.

The isolated building before her seemed to match Shang Yu’s temperament.

Independent, aloof, and unapproachable.

The man pushed open the arched door, leading Li Qiao inside, they also stepped into his past and history.

The western-style building was clean, with a fresh scent, apparently tidied up on purpose.

The entrance led to a spacious living room, with dark red floors that added a touch of suppression to the room.

The glaring sunshine poured through the door onto the floor, elongating their shadows.

Looking around, the decor was primarily dark and somber tones.

Li Qiao pursed her lips and smiled with a teasing look in her eyes, "This scenery... is indeed quite unique."

Shang Yu glanced at her, took a seat and crossed his legs, and smoothly pulled Li Qiao into his arms.

In the afternoon sun, the man wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pressed his palm on the back of her head, and covered her lips with his.

This kiss had a hint of punishment, eagerly tasting her flavor.

It was domineering like a siege, yet quickly became gentle as a soft breeze and a fine rain.

Soon after, Shang Yu leaned back in the chair, hooked his hand around Li Qiao’s waist, and drew her away.

He wiped her lips with his thumb, his Adam’s apple moving more frequently than usual as he touched a spot near her mouth, "Does it still hurt?"

It was an injury she got by accident during a fight with Wen Shi, and although the color had faded, looking closely one could still see the mark, a bothersome sight.

Li Qiao sat in his embrace, bathed in sunlight, which also reflected the daze in her eyes.

After a moment, she regained some consciousness, licked the corner of her mouth, and shook her head, "It doesn’t hurt."

Shang Yu sighed silently, softly stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, and gestured toward the staircase, "Go choose a room, we’re staying overnight in the old house."

"Not going back to the manor?" Li Qiao asked as she rose from his embrace and leisurely paced toward the stairs.

This was the first time Shang Yu had asked her to choose a room herself.

Curious.

Li Qiao reached the second floor, which had three rooms on each side.

She wouldn’t ordinarily have the leisure to pick a room herself.

But this was his residence before he left home, and driven by curiosity, Li Qiao proceeded to open each door.

A study, tidy and bright, a whole wall of books neatly arranged in the bookcase.

A gym, with plenty of fitness equipment, comparable to a small gym.

A reception hall, hardly different from the one downstairs.

Having looked around the left side, Li Qiao continued to the right side of the corridor.

The three bedrooms were more or less the same, she stood at the door of the room at the end of the hallway, touched her chin, and nodded.

"Decided?" A man’s footsteps accompanied by his question echoed from the stairwell.

Li Qiao turned her head, watching a figure in black clothing walking over the red floor, and casually pointed out, "This one is not bad."

Indistinctly, she seemed to see Shang Yu’s lips curl up in a carefree smile.

Li Qiao looked around the bedroom again, choosing this one mainly because of that black bed.

The bedding was a black silk four-piece set.

Then, Shang Yu strolled over to her, casually leaning against the door frame, his lips curving in praise, "You’ve got good taste."

"What do you mean?" Li Qiao didn’t catch the deeper meaning in his words.

The weather in Parma was hot and humid, so silk bedding would probably be cooler and more comfortable.

That was the main reason she had chosen it.

Li Qiao looked up at Shang Yu to find the man with his arms crossed, looking up at the bedroom, "This is the master bedroom."

"Oh," Li Qiao swallowed, "then I’ll change..."

"No need, it’s yours to sleep in." Shang Yu cut her off with a smile, taking a deep look at the master bed before pulling her hand, "If you’re bored later, feel free to wander around here."

Li Qiao, multitasking, glanced around the corridor and gently declined, "Let’s wait and walk around together when you return. I have something to do at Tianchen Residence this afternoon anyway."

Shang Yu didn’t insist, escorting her out of the house while admonishing, "Zuo Xuan is also in the backyard; if you need anything, you can have him handle it."

"Yeah, I know." Li Qiao shook his arm, and as the time neared two o’clock, she smiled, "You go attend the meeting; don’t worry about me."

...

At exactly two in the afternoon, the Shang Family Clan Assembly officially began.

Meanwhile, Li Qiao had returned to Tianchen Residence, listlessly nestled on the couch, eyes full of interest as she looked at the trade report Yun Lih had sent her.

To her Bluetooth earpiece, she said with a smile, "Who approved Shang Fu’s entrance into the International Club back then? The ’exceptional investment ability’ label seems way too generous."

Liuyun and Luoyu stood unblinkingly in the living room, while Wen Shi was still tied up in the Taishi chair, looking disheveled but undisturbed in eavesdropping on Li Qiao’s conversation.

He was incredulous at the confidence Li Qiao had to disparage Shang Fu so brazenly in front of him.

And she... she even knew about the International Club.

At that moment, Yun Lih murmured a few words in the earphones, and Li Qiao clicked her tongue, "The investment sector used to be the weakest in the Eight Major Groups, and it still is. Even recruiting people is so haphazard."

Elsewhere, in the Council Hall.

Just like the previous night, all members of the Shang’s family were present, with their seats arranged the same way.

Since Shang Fu belonged to a collateral branch of the family, she didn’t have the right to sit at the main table and could only sit at the observer’s seats at the back, listening intently to the family’s development plans for the latter half of the year.

Nevertheless, her gaze would occasionally drift to Shang Qiongying, clearly lost in her thoughts.

Until the meeting started, Shang Fu had not found the opportunity to discuss strategies with her cousin.

She also had no idea what the state of the trading market was at the moment.

...

For the entire afternoon, Li Qiao barely left Tianchen Residence.

The living room table was arranged with various afternoon tea snacks, and her conversation with Yun Lih continued.

As time quickly reached three-thirty, progress at the Universe Investment Headquarters was still slow.

Li Qiao asked Luoyu to bring over a computer, set it up on the table, and, gliding her fingers over the mouse, she said to Yun Lih, "Do you have any paper gold stocks in hand?"

"I have two," he replied.

Li Qiao’s lips curled into an eerie smile, "That’s enough. Dump yours and buy the two other bank stocks I’ve sent you."

Yun Lih sat in the Universe Office, seeing the bank stocks pop up on his screen, and without a word, he started to move as Li Qiao instructed.

A few minutes later, Yun Lih eyed the paper gold trend with furrowed brows, "It’s barely making an impact. I don’t have much paper gold, it’s not enough to shake the whole market."

There was no sound from Li Qiao in the earphones, just the clattering of a keyboard.

After a wait, as his eyes still rested on the split-screen of the computer, Li Qiao spoke, "Take another look now."

Yun Lih scanned the charts and witnessed a cliff-like drop in the paper gold trend within just a few minutes, raising his eyebrows in surprise, "What did you do?"

"The major players dumped a huge amount of paper gold, so, tell me... can the financial advisors at Shang Fu’s Company remain unaffected?"