The Favored Heiress
Chapter 434: He Needs to Vent

Chapter 434: Chapter 434: He Needs to Vent

After hanging up the phone, Li Qiao’s hand was in so much pain that she felt numb.

She paid no attention to what Madam Xiao said afterward.

All she contemplated was a question: even if she became the duchess, was it necessary to be so harsh on her own son?

The woman, whose voice was so gentle, showed not the slightest tenderness of a mother.

With a "click," the sound of a lighter snapped Li Qiao back to reality.

She fixed her gaze on the man in front of her, surrounded by smoke that blurred his outline, showing no sign of relaxation.

Li Qiao looked down at the back of her hand that had been released, the pale white marks from being gripped were clearly visible.

She hid her hand by her side, said nothing, took a step forward, and burrowed into his embrace.

Perhaps because his emotions were too tense, the man’s body also radiated stiffness.

The moment Li Qiao entered his arms, she even felt him tremble slightly.

A sense of almost unprecedented compassion sprouted from her heart.

This feeling was completely different from the heartache she felt when she learned he was injured.

Physical wounds will heal sooner or later, but psychological ones...

Li Qiao held him, silent for a few seconds, until the man extinguished his cigarette and, in a burst of uncontrolled strength, hugged her tightly to him.

His arms wrapped around her firmly, he slowly closed his eyes, bowed his head, and nestled his handsome face into her ear, out of her sight.

Li Qiao bore his strength, gently stroking his back, and after a moment reminded him, "Be gentle..."

She wasn’t afraid of the pain, but she was concerned about the wound on his shoulder.

Even though it had been four or five days, she still worried that the wound might reopen under such a great force.

Sure enough, the man’s grip lessened, though he pressed her even tighter into his chest.

He said nothing, and she no longer wanted to ask.

Some things are difficult for ordinary people to express outright, let alone such a proud man.

Li Qiao held him for a while, sensed Shang Yu’s gradually relaxing body, then leaned back to create some distance and looked into his deep, ink-like eyes. Without a word, she tiptoed and kissed his lips.

Except when drunk, Li Qiao rarely initiated such intimate contact with him.

Most of the time, it was Shang Yu who took the lead.

In the quiet study, she wrapped her arms around the man’s waist, looked up into his eyes and kissed him deeply.

Though not very skilled, it wasn’t too naive either.

After just a few seconds, the situation reversed.

Shang Yu switched from the passive recipient to the dominator, kissing her more forcefully and passionately.

If there was only one light left in the world that could dispel the darkness surrounding him, then that light would definitely be named Li Qiao.

The uncontrolled emotions and the tenseness of the man’s body elevated everything to a level beyond control.

He needed to vent, and Li Qiao wanted to let him.

He did not touch her when he was drunk the night before, even though the dazed Li Qiao was fatally tempting to him; he still controlled his thoughts.

But now, under Li Qiao’s proactive seduction, the man was ready to burst.

Yet, at the very moment when everything should have followed its natural course, he suddenly stopped.

Shang Yu held Li Qiao in the executive chair, his handsome face buried in her neck as he breathed deeply.

Li Qiao’s cheeks were also flushed, as she clung to his neck, taking small gasps of air.

The man’s strong, powerful arms held her entire body in his embrace, his fingers threading through the hair at the back of her head, caressing it over and over.

After a long while, he suppressed the desire crashing and surging within him, pressed his forehead against Li Qiao’s, their breaths entwining, and asked in a hoarse voice, "When do you plan to leave?"

Li Qiao caught her breath, blinked, and spoke in a voice so soft it barely sounded like her own, "There’s no hurry."

A light laugh reached her ears, and the man kissed the tip of her nose, his voice getting huskier, "Afraid I can’t get over it?"

Li Qiao hooked her arm around his neck and leaned back, looking directly into his cold eyes, her fingers climbing to the corners of his eyes, "Would you?"

"No," Shang Yu pulled down her hand and kissed it gently, "She’s not that important."

Li Qiao didn’t speak, or rather didn’t know what to say.

She had never felt such heartache for Shang Yu, but she also knew he didn’t need this kind of pity.

Li Qiao quietly held him for a long time, so long that his mood had completely calmed, and his features had returned to their usual cold and profound semblance.

Later, Shang Yu escorted her downstairs, and the two inevitably got saccharine at the staircase entrance.

And Xia Siyu, who was sitting in the living room bored to death, cast her gaze toward the sound of footsteps. Seeing Li Qiao’s swollen lips, she smiled in a particularly meaningful way.

"Call me if you need anything."

At the door, the man saw them off. Li Qiao nodded in agreement, her gaze steadily meeting his, "Some non-essential calls can actually be blocked."

Shang Yu’s thin lips curved slightly, and he brushed a fingertip across her face, "Alright, as you wish."

Li Qiao smiled, gave him a farewell kiss, and then turned to follow Xia Siyu into the car.

The business car drove away from South Sea Mountain, and in the absence of Shang Yu, Li Qiao’s face grew cold and stern again.

She did want a chance to meet the Duchess of the British Imperial.

Li Qiao was absorbed in her own thoughts for a long time, not snapping back to reality, while Xia Siyu looked out the window with a forlorn expression.

She would be seeing Yun Lih tonight. Should she greet him with a polite ’hello,’ or with a ’long time no see’ filled with hidden affection?

...

At ten o’clock in the morning, Li Qiao took Xia Siyu to the laboratory.

The chaos at the symposium had fermented over the past few days and was no longer a secret in the medical community.

As Li Qiao entered the lobby, she unsurprisingly ran into Li Xiaoxiao, who was descending from upstairs with a cardboard box in her arms, looking dejected.

Coming face to face, Li Xiaoxiao’s expression alternated between red and white, her eyes flickering, not daring to meet Li Qiao’s gaze.

She was silent, and Li Qiao was even less likely to waste words on her.

As they passed each other, Xia Siyu sneered, "For a mere Council seat, you’ve jeopardized your entire future.

Who in any major laboratory would dare to hire someone who betrays their own? Anyone blacklisted by Huanxia, if hired by any lab, is simply asking for trouble with Huanxia."

These words made Li Xiaoxiao stop in her tracks, looking at Xia Siyu in disbelief, biting her lip before turning to Li Qiao, "We were colleagues after all, are you really going to be so ruthless?"

Li Qiao gave her a look devoid of expression, "Or perhaps, you’d rather join Shang Qiongying?"

Li Xiaoxiao’s face was stricken with horror, clutching the cardboard box tighter, "I haven’t committed a crime..."

"Not a crime?" Xia Siyu mocked her, "Laboratory researchers all sign non-disclosure agreements, don’t tell me you didn’t sign one. Leaking secrets, what is that if not a crime?"

Li Xiaoxiao took a couple of steps back, not daring to defend herself further, afraid of making more mistakes.

She turned to leave, her back betraying a hint of desperate flight.

Xia Siyu’s next words struck her like lightning, "A single Council member is enough for you to act without regard for consequences; do you think the Council or the Medical Alliance carries more weight?"