The Favored Heiress
Chapter 403: Zong Yue Calls Him Uncle Shaoyan?

Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Zong Yue Calls Him Uncle Shaoyan?

The man caught it smoothly and took a sip with his head tilted back, but his gaze remained fixed on Li Qiao through the rim of the cup.

The rich yet bitter coffee blossomed on his taste buds, his thick eyebrows slightly furrowed, showing no clear sign of liking or disliking it.

Seeing the crease form between his brows, Li Qiao couldn’t help but ask, "Does it not taste good? Then..."

Her words were sealed off.

The man set down the coffee cup casually, his arm pulling her into his embrace with a forceful gesture, his fingers still damp as they cupped her face, his thin lips descending onto hers.

The longing from not seeing each other for several days all turned into a deep kiss.

The man’s intense scent enveloped her nose, the mellow aroma of coffee mingling between their lips and teeth.

Li Qiao gripped his wrist, tilting her head to receive his ardent kisses.

Even though it had only been a few days, the sudden intimacy still made her heart flutter unexpectedly.

After what felt like an eternity, Shang Yu released her lips and tongue.

Their foreheads rested against each other, their breaths entangled.

As the man caressed her cheeks, his eyes burned silently and intensely. His Adam’s apple moved restlessly, and after a long while, he asked in a husky voice, "Do you miss me, hmm?"

Li Qiao’s cheeks were slightly flushed, her hands wrapped around his shoulders, and she pecked at the corner of his lips, "Of course, I miss you."

That sentence was too pleasing to hear and utterly scrambled the man’s mind.

He bowed his head to kiss her cheek and neck, utterly infatuated.

Li Qiao froze, feeling a tremor through her skin, and quickly pushed at his shoulders, "This is an office."

Shang Yu’s movements paused at her earlobe, his warm breath cascading down as he chuckled, "So?"

Li Qiao said nothing but leaned back to create some distance, suddenly meeting his burning gaze head-on, with words on the tip of her tongue that she just didn’t know how to express.

"What do you think I’m about to do?" Shang Yu’s voice was extremely hoarse, his breathing heavy, yet his tone was steady, even carrying a hint of a teasing smile.

Li Qiao shrank her neck back, feigning calm as she took a step back, "How would I know?"

As much as she said that, her brightly reddened ears still betrayed her true thoughts.

Seeing her stepping back, Shang Yu’s arm again forcefully brought her back, settling for a few seconds before asking in a deep voice, "How many days will you stay in Chong City?"

Li Qiao took a moment to collect herself, "At least a week, I guess."

There were many projects at the conference, and with over a dozen laboratories attending, it wasn’t something that could be wrapped up in just a day or two.

The man’s thin lips tightened, he did not speak, but gripped her tightly in his arms, not releasing her for a long time.

As the sun set outside the window, Shang Yu lowered his head and kissed her cheek, "At noon..."

"Knock, knock, knock—"

An untimely knock on the office door echoed.

Li Qiao stepped out of the man’s embrace, brushed the hair from the corner of her mouth, and had not yet turned to leave the desk when Shang Yu pulled her back into his arms once more.

"Come in." The man responded gravely, not intending to let her go even as someone entered.

Li Qiao could only lean against his side and look towards the opening office door.

Liuyun pushed the door and walked in, pausing at the scene before him, quickly nodding, "Boss, Miss Zong is here."

Miss Zong?

"Let her in."

Li Qiao tried to step back once more, knowing it wouldn’t be proper to continue embracing in front of a visitor.

Then, Shang Yu circled her waist and pressed her back into his arms, his eyes narrowing, his voice deep, "Running away from what?"

As he spoke, a figure had already walked in from behind Liuyun, "Uncle Shaoyan..."

Li Qiao was stunned.

Uncle Shaoyan what?

Li Qiao was stunned, and even Miss Zong, who had just walked in from outside, was so dumbstruck that she forgot to react.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere became awkwardly perplexing.

The newcomer was none other than Zong Yue.

In the office, Shang Yu was circling Li Qiao, leaning on the desk with his tall and proud figure hooking around her waist. He turned his head to glance at the dazed Zong Yue at the door and spoke in a deep voice, "Find a place to sit yourself."

"Oh, oh," Zong Yue wandered over to the lounge area like a lost soul and sat on the sofa, still not having snapped out of it.

Li Qiao blinked and pulled the man’s arm from behind her back, raising an eyebrow as she asked, "Do you know each other?"

What did her future sister-in-law call Shang Yu?

Uncle Shaoyan?

The man bent his head and whispered in Li Qiao’s ear, "Surprised?"

Li Qiao nodded and, looking over his shoulder at the bewildered Zong Yue, felt that some matters were gradually becoming clearer.

She had said that Zong Yue was in the Imperial Capital, so how could she know that her elder brother was looking for a marriage alliance?

Shang Yu must have had a hand in this.

It wasn’t long before the man led her towards the lounge area.

Zong Yue stared blankly at their clasped hands, blinked, and managed to stammer out, "Uncle Shaoyan, you guys..."

With Li Qiao by his side, Shang Yu took a seat across from her. His long legs crossed, his gaze filled with meaning, "Li Qiao, your future aunt number five."

Zong Yue: "??"

Li Qiao: "??" How is there suddenly an aunt number five?

"What did you want with me?" the man’s handsome features reverted from their earlier warmth to a calm and indifferent expression as he looked at Zong Yue.

At the sound of his voice, she blankly opened her handbag and took out a small brocaded box, "Uncle Three knew I was coming to South Sea and asked me to give this to you on my way."

Shang Yu lifted his sharply contoured jaw, signaling her to place it on the desk.

Zong Yue leaned down to put down the brocaded box, confusion and bewilderment filling her eyes. It took her a long while to squeeze out the question, "If I marry Li Jun, should I call her ’little aunt-in-law’ or ’aunt number five’?"

Li Qiao lowered her head and rubbed her forehead. That was indeed a good question.

Carrying this unsolvable conundrum, Zong Yue left in less than five minutes, seeming to have lost her soul.

Too horrifying.

Uncle Shaoyan actually had a girlfriend!

Did Uncle Three and the others not know yet?

It wasn’t until Zong Yue was far gone that Li Qiao slowly lifted her head, gazing unblinkingly at Shang Yu, "You and her Uncle Three..."

Zong Yue’s Uncle Three, Zong Zhan of the Imperial Capital, leader of the special forces.

Li Qiao had already received the information on the members of the Imperial Capital’s Zong Family at noon.

The Zong Family, noble within the noble, where almost all members hold high positions, either wealthy or distinguished.

"Brothers by choice, five people."

Li Qiao nodded in sudden understanding, "So He Chen is also among these five people?"

As she finished speaking, Shang Yu remained silent, his profound gaze falling squarely on Li Qiao’s face, his eyebrows slightly raised, "Why bring him up suddenly?"

Li Qiao pondered for a few seconds, her eyes gradually clearing, "Because your friendship with He Chen seems deeper than with Qiu Huan and the others."

Hearing her explanation, the man regarded her keenly, his deep voice answering, "Hmm, He Chen is ranked fourth."

Indeed, only those bonded through life and death became brothers by choice.

And Zong Yue, only two years younger than him, was supposed to call him Uncle Shaoyan.

Li Qiao fell silent for a moment, then turned her head to look at Shang Yu, "Was this marriage alliance for my brother also orchestrated by you?"

"Not exactly." The man leaned forward to pick up the brocaded box that Zong Yue had left behind. As he opened it, his thin lips lifted slightly, "I merely let Zong Zhan leak the information to her, but the choice was still hers to make."