The Favored Heiress
Chapter 374: Miss Qi

Chapter 374: Chapter 374: Miss Qi

"Qiaoqiao is back!" Duan Shuyuan, propping her forehead with her hand, waved feebly and said, "Mom and Dad are dealing with something right now, so go play upstairs by yourself for a bit."

Li Guangming also nodded in agreement while puffing furiously on his cigar.

Li Qiao said nothing, simply walked over to the armchair and sat down, looking at the three other men, she asked one of them, "Uncle Liu, how is my big brother doing now?"

The man known as Uncle Liu glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Li, then sighed and shook his head, "I’ve asked around. The evidence at the Discipline Inspection Commission is conclusive. I’m afraid the Secretary-General..."

Upon hearing this, Li Qiao nodded impassively and asked, "So, what’s the situation at the Secretary’s office now?"

Uncle Liu didn’t want to say much. After all, a young girl wouldn’t have the power to turn the tide.

Everyone at the Secretary’s office was terrified, each looking out for themselves, fearing they might be the next one targeted.

If Li Jun’s crimes were confirmed, then, essentially, the careers of all his colleagues at the Secretary’s office would be ruined too.

Seeing Uncle Liu hesitate to speak, Li Qiao crossed her legs and said indifferently, "Uncle Liu must know my brother’s character. If he were to take bribes, it would not come to light only now.

Besides, with our family’s situation, do we even need to stoop to taking bribes?"

Uncle Liu forced a smile and agreed, but his eyes were filled with impatience, "That’s true, but the Discipline Inspection Commission doesn’t see it that way.

They have plenty of evidence. Otherwise, the Secretary-General wouldn’t have been taken away so suddenly.

Xiao Li, we feel the same as you do.

But the problem now is, we have no idea where the Discipline Inspection Commission’s evidence came from."

Who the whistleblower was, what the evidence consisted of, they were clueless about all of it.

Even if they wanted to get Li Jun out, they would need sufficient counter-evidence to do so.

At that moment, Li Guangming extinguished his cigar and tossed the half-smoked remainder into the ashtray, "We’ll have to trouble you gentlemen to continue following up on this. We will also look for connections. Let’s keep each other posted on any developments."

Uncle Liu and the other two colleagues exchanged glances. They said nothing more, exchanged some pleasantries, and then stood to leave.

Li Guangming symbolically walked them to the foyer. Upon returning to the living room, his face instantly turned cold, "Looks like we can’t count on the old leader’s colleagues."

Duan Shuyuan glanced at her phone and scoffed, "It’s the same on my end. The wife of Secretary Zhao usually has the best relationship with me.

But now that trouble has hit, she’s not taking my calls or replying to my messages, clearly unwilling to help."

Li Qiao observed her parents’ downcast expressions and quirked her lips sideways, "Seeking others’ help is useless. With my brother’s sensitive position, outsiders will only choose to protect themselves at a time like this."

Mr. and Mrs. Li looked at Li Qiao simultaneously, and Duan Shuyuan forced a smile, "Qiaoqiao, don’t worry yourself with this. Just focus on your experiments. Your father and I will figure out a way to handle your big brother’s situation."

Seeing this, Li Qiao cast her eyes down and said nothing.

She had dinner at home with her parents, watching their difficulty in eating, and lowered her head, her eyes filled with a cold light.

The gall of those who dare touch her family.

After dinner, Li Qiao left the house under the pretense of returning to the laboratory.

Duan Shuyuan walked her to the door, advising earnestly, "Qiaoqiao, make sure your brother’s situation doesn’t affect you, okay?

The worst-case scenario is that your brother is temporarily detained, but your father and I are still trying to find a solution. Don’t worry too much."

Fortunately, they had protected Qiaoqiao well in the past; very few people outside knew of her real identity.

Now that Li Jun was facing the danger of being placed under disciplinary investigation, if people found out Li Qiao was his sister, countless individuals would be pointing fingers at her.

Because Li Jun had power, and the Li Family had money.

And when trouble arises, the walls will surely fall as everyone pushes.

In fact, they had already received a notice of the Li Family’s property investigation this afternoon.

If things got worse, the Li Family’s assets might also face the risk of being frozen.

At that moment, Li Qiao looked at Duan Shuyuan’s weary eyes and, with a heartache, stepped forward to embrace her, soothingly stroking her back, "Mom, don’t worry, big brother won’t be in trouble."

Li Qiao’s notably calm tone surprisingly steadied the turmoil in Duan Shuyuan’s heart.

She patted Li Qiao’s shoulder with relief and nodded, "Okay, go back to the lab, and don’t come back for now if there’s no urgent matter. The house is a mess, and we can’t look after you."

Li Qiao released Duan Shuyuan, gave her a deep look, bid farewell, and then turned to get into the car.

...

The night was thick, and Li Qiao didn’t head back to the lab but instead sat in the Blue Night Bar in South Sea Entertainment City, drinking beer.

Quiet light music flowed through the private room. She sat on the curved sofa with her legs crossed, tapping her fingers on the beer can rhythmically.

Soon, there was a knock at the door, and the sliding door of the private room was promptly pulled open by someone.

Li Qiao cast a cool glance, and seeing the nervous look on the other person’s face, she gestured unhurriedly, "Let her in."

Outside the door stood three people.

Two plainly dressed but sharp-eyed men pushed a petite woman, who looked tense, into the private room.

The woman appeared to be in her late twenties, with attractive willow-shaped eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes. Though not stunningly beautiful, she carried an air of modesty and vulnerability that could evoke a man’s protective instinct.

Ye Yun, Li Jun’s first love.

When she stood in the center of the private room and made out Li Qiao’s face through the dim light, she discreetly sighed in relief, "You are... Li Qiao?"

Ye Yun was among the few outsiders who knew of Li Qiao’s identity.

This was thanks to the times when she and Li Jun were passionately in love, and she had visited the Li Family, meeting all of his family members.

Li Qiao gestured with her mouth toward the sofa, took another sip of her beer and said, "It’s me, sit."

After speaking, she turned her eyes to the two men at the door, her gaze darkening slightly, "Stand guard outside."

"Yes, Miss Qi."

This form of address made Li Qiao’s gaze flicker faintly, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

She watched the private room’s door close again, pursed her lips, then turned her head to look at Ye Yun and shook the beer can in her hand, cutting straight to the point, "Miss Ye, I heard you and my older brother engaged in an illicit deal?"

Ye Yun’s palm-sized face turned pale instantly as she denied in a fluster, "I didn’t."

"Is that so?" Li Qiao raised her eyebrows lazily, looking at Ye Yun with a mocking smile, "Are you sure? Ye, Sister, Ye?"

Ye Yun fell silent.

She looked at Li Qiao, the echo of ’Sister Ye’ giving her a surge of confidence as if she had regained it, and involuntarily straightened up, speaking softly, "Qiaoqiao, if you wanted to meet me tonight, why didn’t you call me directly?

Also, who are those two people outside? They barged into my home suddenly and brought me here; do you know that trespassing is illegal?"

She spoke as if she were on the moral high ground.

Li Qiao casually sipped her beer, swinging the tip of her shoe and retorted, "Well then, does Sister Ye know that framing a government official is also illegal?"