The Favored Heiress
Chapter 447: Who Would Win if They Fought?

Chapter 447: Chapter 447: Who Would Win if They Fought?

Night had fallen, and as Li Qiao left the laboratory, she encountered Fu Lvting in the corridor.

"How has Jiugong been doing recently?" Li Qiao played with her phone, lifting her head to look at him as she asked.

Fu Lvting smiled, his eyes unwaveringly focused on her face as he teased, "I thought you had forgotten about the old man.

Don’t worry, he’s doing quite well, and his wrist is recovering nicely. These past days he’s even been discussing with me about moving back to his own place."

The original reason for entrusting Jiugong to Fu Lvting’s care was to prevent Tu Anliang from bothering him again.

Now...

Li Qiao looked down at her phone, pondering, "Let’s have him move back after this week. Try not to let him go out these next few days."

Fu Lvting’s eyes flickered, "Alright, I’ll have the boxing gym pay extra attention."

Li Qiao voiced her thanks in a subdued tone, chatted with Fu Lvting for a few more sentences, then turned and went downstairs.

The South Sea Conference was taking place at the Royal Hotel, and Qiu Huan was keen on taking control of South City’s underground. Tu Anliang had lost his momentum, and he might indeed become desperate, so it was necessary to be on guard.

...

In front of Royal Hotel, Li Qiao drove here unconsciously.

She parked her car on a side road, propped her arm on the window, and looked askance at the hotel entrance, which was under strict security.

She hadn’t intended to disturb Shang Yu.

But in the morning, she was forcibly taken to a bridal shop and then pursued by Duan Shuyuan with numerous questions about wedding preferences, inevitably making her think of him.

She even grew curious about what married life might look like with him.

Li Qiao sat in the car for a while and checked the time, then decided to head back to the dormitory.

But just as she started the engine, someone came out of the hotel’s main entrance, and her phone, which was placed on the dashboard, rang right on cue.

Picking it up, her lips curved slightly, "Aren’t you in a meeting?"

The call was naturally from Shang Yu.

His deep and magnetically hoarse voice came from the other end, "You’re here, why not get out of the car?"

Li Qiao raised her eyebrows in surprise, staring out the car window, and only then did she realize that the person who had come out was Liuyun.

She tilted her head towards the upper floors of the hotel, "How did you know? Did you see me?"

The man seemed to chuckle, his tone growing warmer, "Come up."

After hanging up, Liuyun had also reached the side road.

The two entered the lobby one after the other. Li Qiao glanced around and noticed many bodyguards stationed everywhere, the atmosphere exceptionally solemn.

Feeling Li Qiao’s gaze, Liuyun pressed the elevator button and explained, "Though there are no outsiders in the hotel these two days, the security measures are quite strict to prevent any accidents."

Li Qiao nodded indifferently, stepped into the elevator, and glanced at the floors. She looked at Liuyun, "Did you guys see me then?"

Liuyun suppressed a laugh, "We’ve added quite a few surveillance cameras around the hotel; Miss Li’s car was captured on them."

"Oh..." Li Qiao responded lazily.

Of course, what Liuyun didn’t say was that the increased surveillance covered all the entrances and exits, and the boss had specifically ordered that if Miss Li came by, she was to be informed at any time.

...

A few minutes later, the hotel’s meeting room.

Liuyun opened the door for Li Qiao, revealing a grand yet somewhat solemn living room. The lighting was not very bright, and there were several sets of square sofas arranged along the walls.

Only Shang Yu and He Chen were quietly chatting.

The sitting room was thick with the smell of smoke, and fruit plates and tea were placed on the square tables between each set of sofas, giving the appearance that a meeting had just concluded.

He Chen was sitting sideways on the couch, his long legs crossed in front of him, occasionally swinging a foot, his posture casual and unrestrained.

With a cigarette clamped at the corner of his mouth, smoke wreathing around his face, his eyes slightly squinted, he said, "You really are taking it easy, getting engaged so early. Are you afraid she’ll run away, or afraid you’ll regret it yourself?"

He Chen obviously hadn’t noticed Li Qiao’s presence. He took a draw from his cigarette and exhaled a large cloud of smoke, "How has Zuo Tang been doing lately?"

At that moment, Li Qiao’s measured steps abruptly halted.

Zuo Tang?

From the name, it’s hard to tell the gender, but in the context of He Chen’s previous and subsequent remarks, it’s clear that there is an implication.

By now, Shang Yu had already seen Li Qiao. His thin lips curved slightly, and just as he lifted his arm, He Chen muttered again, "To be honest, before you brought Li Qiao out, I always thought you’d end up taking Zuo Tang.

"Those legs of hers were nearly ruined trying to save you; don’t tell me you’re unaware of her feelings."

Ah, so it is a woman after all.

Li Qiao couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart. It was calm, but there was an almost imperceptible irritation.

Because of what He Chen said: thinking he would take Zuo Tang.

Shang Yu spread his hands towards Li Qiao, his handsome face devoid of any superfluous emotion. His deep gaze fell on He Chen’s face, brows furrowing, eyes growing somewhat heavy, "When did I ever give you the illusion that I had taken her?"

"You said it was an illusion, how should I know? Don’t deny it, you favor Zuo Tang over Luoyu." He Chen scoffed, "The Zuo siblings have been managing the Secret Hall for you these years. Sooner or later, when you’re with Li Qiao, you’ll have to take her there for a tour.

"Now that I think about it, I’m actually quite looking forward to it. Who do you think would win if they..." He stopped, unable to finish the word "win."

He just noticed Shang Yu’s open palm when he blew the smoke away from his face.

He Chen turned his head and saw Li Qiao, then jokingly lifted his eyebrows in a frivolous gesture, "The sister-in-law has arrived... Did she... hear everything?"

Li Qiao pressed down the corners of her mouth and walked unhurriedly over to Shang Yu, handing him her hand while slightly pouting, "Mm, more or less."

He Chen removed the cigarette from his lips and twisted it in the ashtray, gazing at her with a languid expression as she took a seat, "Jealous?"

Li Qiao sat beside Shang Yu on the sofa, leaned back against the chair, crossed her long legs, and looked expressionlessly at the wallpaper opposite her, "When he really has something going on with Zuo Tang, it will still be early enough for me to get jealous."

The moment her words fell, her fingers were gripped tightly, and the man’s deep, slow voice followed, "Rest assured, you won’t have that chance."

Li Qiao glanced at his sullen eyes and brows, temporarily suppressing the slight emotions in her heart, saying nothing.

It wasn’t quite jealousy, but from He Chen’s conversation, she had already guessed the identity of the person referred to as Zuo Tang.

It must be Zuo Xuan’s sister.

Someone from the Secret Hall—she’d heard about it many times but had never seen for herself what was actually inside the Secret Hall.

The point was, why would He Chen have that impression.

Zong Yue had said before that many women were fond of Shang Yu, which Li Qiao had no doubt about.

His handsome looks, immense wealth, and high status—this combination was fatally attractive to women.

Even Shang Fu of the Shang’s Collateral Branch, who had some kinship with him, harbored feelings for him, not to mention others.

And as Zuo Tang was his underling, who inevitably had frequent contact with him—

How did this superior-subordinate relationship give He Chen the illusion that they would be together?