The Favored Heiress
Chapter 408: Do You Believe I Will Hit You?

Chapter 408: Chapter 408: Do You Believe I Will Hit You?

Siyu Xia pinched Li Qiao’s cheek with one hand while wrapping the other around her shoulder, pulling her close.

Although they were of similar height, Siyu Xia appeared somewhat taller due to her high heels.

Possibly because it had been a long time since their last meeting, Siyu Xia hugged Li Qiao with cherished fondness. "Haven’t seen you for so long, did you miss me?"

Li Qiao stepped back slightly, brushed her messy hair away from her face, and squinted at her, "The heiress of Huanxia Pharmaceutical?"

Siyu Xia tugged at her suit-dress skirt and raised an eyebrow, "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, no problem at all," Li Qiao said with a half-smile as she rubbed her cheek. "I’ve always thought of you as a mere drug peddler, which, thinking about it, is a bit embarrassing."

Drug peddler Siyu Xia: "..."

She glared at Li Qiao, then reached out again to pinch the soft flesh of her cheek, "Whether I’m an heiress or a drug peddler, I’m still your Fifth Sister."

"Yes, Fifth Sister is right," Li Qiao pried her hand away, her eyes containing rare ripples of laughter and smiles.

Siyu Xia, one of the Border Seven Sons, ranked fifth.

In the past, all the drugs needed at the border came from Siyu Xia, who was known as the drug peddler.

Now, leaning against an old tree, Li Qiao swept her gaze around and said, "I met Intelligence Dog recently."

Siyu Xia smiled, "And what? Where is he peddling intelligence this time?"

"He’s been in the South Sea recently; he’ll come back with me after the meeting ends in a few days, okay?"

Upon hearing Li Qiao’s suggestion, Siyu Xia agreed without hesitation, "Sure."

After saying that, her smile slightly faded, and she pursed her lips, "Right, what exactly is Shang Qiongying up to at this conference?

The Dz13 gene suppressor that you had me look for a while ago, was it her doing behind the scenes?"

Being a nominal director of Huanxia Pharma Enterprise, Siyu Xia always had close cooperation with the Medical Council.

Although she was not privy to the specifics, she remembered vividly the moment Shang Qiongying had taken the initiative to converse with Li Qiao in the conference room that morning.

That shrewd woman had been scheming and plotting at the Council for so many years—she was no good bird.

"It was her," Li Qiao replied nonchalantly, straightening up against the tree trunk with her shoulder, and said indifferently, "As for what she wants, it doesn’t matter."

Whether it was aimed at her or at Shang Yu, it didn’t matter.

Just deal with it as it comes.

Watching her serene demeanor, Siyu Xia couldn’t help but stroke her chin, "Why do I feel like Shang Qiongying, that old witch, is targeting you? Did you offend her?"

"Maybe."

Li Qiao knew she wasn’t lying, and also knew it wasn’t that she didn’t want to elaborate, but that she simply couldn’t be bothered to think about this mess.

Xiao Qi Zai, the Border Seven Sons’ lazily pampered youngest, who didn’t know just how lazy she was?!

Siyu Xia looped her arm around Li Qiao’s shoulder and yanked her closer, tilting her chin playfully, "Don’t worry, I’ll protect you."

Li Qiao glanced at her and swatted her hand away, "Then I should thank you in advance for the protection."

At this, Siyu Xia’s voice rose in an indignant squeak as she looked at her with a mix of emotions, then, somewhat resentfully, reached out to mess with her hair bun, "Getting all worked up over a couple of words? Among the seven of us, the other six combined couldn’t beat you in a fight. Who’s protecting whom here?"

The other six...

Having spoken that, Siyu Xia immediately regretted it.

There were no longer the Border Seven Sons; they were down to just six.

After big brother Huizai died that year, the Seven Sons did not fall apart, but they completely vanished in the tumult of the border.

They all knew that Li Qiao could never forgive herself.

Even though... Huizai’s death had nothing to do with her at all.

At that moment, Li Qiao lowered her eyes to cover her lids, with a faint smile hanging on her lips, "Let’s go, I’ll buy you Gold Foil Coffee."

Xia Siyu, seeing that she wasn’t showing too much emotion, felt incredibly conflicted.

She glanced at the long alley ahead, patted Li Qiao on the head like a caring big sister, and said, "It’s all in the past, don’t think too much about it, alright?"

Li Qiao chuckled inwardly and squeezed her hand, "When did I ever notice you were such a fusspot?"

Xia Siyu immediately glared at her with a frown, "Do you believe I’ll hit you?"

Li Qiao laughed without a word.

Not until they were about to leave the alley did she remind Xia Siyu in a low voice, "Shang Qiongying came prepared this time. Unless absolutely necessary, try not to confront her."

The coldness in Xia Siyu’s eyes had returned, and looking at the exhibition center right before them, she smirked with a mocking smile, "As long as she doesn’t bully you, she can blow up the entire hall for all I care, but if she dares target you..."

She didn’t finish her sentence but her drawn-out tone was full of menace.

The little treasure that the Border Seven Sons held in the palm of their hands was not something any demon or monster could mess with.

...

About twenty minutes later, Li Qiao and Xia Siyu both returned to the exhibition hall with frosty expressions.

Some gossipy attendees hid in the corner whispering amongst themselves:

"Did you see? Even as Academician Jiang’s proud student, she still had to humbly buy a cup of coffee for Miss Xia."

Everyone looking at the gold takeaway coffee cup in Xia Siyu’s hand admired her even more.

Gold Foil Coffee, something many had heard of but never tasted.

After all, not many were born with Xia Siyu’s background, able to afford a thousand-yuan cup of a warm drink.

"Hey, isn’t it obvious? Miss Xia said earlier, either compensate her with coffee or pack up and leave.

She’s a sponsor, and offending her is like cutting off the laboratory’s future. Only a fool would offend her."

"That’s not right, what you’re saying. If I remember correctly, Renhe was not among the laboratories funded by Huanxia, was it?"

"Really? If it’s not Huanxia funding Academician Jiang’s research, then who could it be?"

This question was destined not to receive the desired answer.

Meanwhile, Li Qiao and Xia Siyu wandered around the exhibition hall as if they were strangers.

Naturally, the fact that Li Qiao had offended Xia Siyu quickly reached the ears of Shang Qiongying.

At that moment, she sat in the resting area of the exhibition center, looking at the anxious girl before her, and touched her pearl earrings, "My girl, you’ve heard.

Li Qiao has managed to offend our biggest financial backer for this exchange. If things continue this way, Renhe Laboratory... might soon vanish too."

The girl sitting opposite Shang Qiongying had a plump figure, her hands continually wringing together on her lap, "Why do you insist on framing Miss Li? She is a good person."

"Heh..." Shang Qiongying seemed to hear a laughable joke, and mocked, "Is your definition of good and bad people based solely on her having helped you?

I’ve told you, conducting unauthorized human trials is inherently non-compliant, and even illegal.

You have two days to think it over clearly, whether or not you want to cooperate with me."