The Favored Heiress
Chapter 463: Did You Quarrel with My Brother?

Chapter 463: Chapter 463: Did You Quarrel with My Brother?

The next day, Sunday evening at five o’clock.

The private business jet landed at South Sea International Airport.

Li Qiao, dragging her weary steps, descended the gangway, returned to the parking apron, and got into the car before taking out her mobile phone.

It was somewhat coincidental that as soon as she turned off airplane mode, a call came in.

Leaning against the seatback, Li Qiao saw the caller ID, cleared her throat, and slid to answer: "Hello~"

Her voice was hoarse, and with careful listening, one could distinguish a trace of post-sleep softness.

"Still busy?" On the phone, Shang Yu’s tone bore no abnormality, save for a voice that was deeper than usual.

Li Qiao, holding the steering wheel and watching the dipping sunset outside the window, responded indifferently, "Hmm, just finished up, planning to go home."

After speaking, she remembered that Uncle Shang Zonghai seemed to be coming the next day, so she added another question, "What time does uncle arrive tomorrow?"

The man on the other end of the line paused for a few seconds, as if with a faint sigh, "Hmm, he should arrive around noon, go home, and rest early."

Li Qiao wanted to say a farewell, but a busy tone was already coming through the phone.

She looked at her mobile phone, somewhat lost.

Unable to figure things out for the moment, Li Qiao didn’t think too deeply. She started the car, turned the steering wheel, and upon a glance noticed the wristwatch box she had placed on the dashboard.

It would be just right for her to take apart what was inside the wristwatch tonight when she returned to the Li Family.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to bring it last night, but when going to a place like the border, the fewer distinguishing items on one’s person, the better.

...

Having returned to the Li Family, Li Qiao directly entered the villa through the back door of the garage.

A bit tired, she changed her clothes, lay on the bed facing up, and stared at the ceiling until she felt drowsy in no time.

Having only slept a few hours on the plane during the day and night, now the comfort and quiet of her room enveloped her, and the fatigue flooded over her like a tide.

In a state between sleep and wakefulness, someone knocked on the door. Li Qiao propped her eyelids open and said faintly, "Come in."

The door cracked open, and Zong Yue peeked inside with reddened eyes, "You really came back?"

Li Qiao, propping herself halfway up, gestured to her lazily, her tone lethargic, "What’s up, did you need me for something?"

Zong Yue moved step by step into the room. She closed the door behind her, sat down at the foot of the bed, and lowered her head, saying, "It’s nothing much. I just heard from the butler that you’re back, and I thought I’d come up to see you."

Lately, she had been staying in South Sea, often being called to visit the Li Family by Duan Shuyuan for lack of better things to do.

Even though everyone in the Li Family was courteous to her, she increasingly felt an unsettling sense of illusion and reality.

Perhaps the uncertainty was amplified because Li Jun didn’t love her.

Li Qiao straightened up on the bed, her leg bent, her arm resting on her knee, observing Zong Yue, "Did you have a fight with my brother?"

Zong Yue’s expression was mild, but there was an inescapable tinge of sorrow between her brows.

"No, he’s so busy he doesn’t even have time to talk, let alone argue with me."

Zong Yue quickly glanced at Li Qiao, encountered her penetrating dark gaze, and averted her eyes as if to flee, fearful that her inner thoughts would lay bare in front of her.

Seeing her fidgeting with her fingers, Li Qiao couldn’t help but grab at her own disheveled ponytail, "Then why are you crying?"

Zong Yue’s eyes twitched, "Crying?"

She turned to look at the mirror on the wall, noticed her own bloodshot eyes, and returned her gaze to Li Qiao with melancholy, "Didn’t cry, I just have inflamed corneas..."

"Oh," Li Qiao looked at her with an amused yet non-smiling expression, "I thought my big brother was bullying you."

In a low murmur, Zong Yue muttered, "I wish he would bully me."

Right.

After all, she was the precious daughter of the Red Gate Sect Family, who had trained in the Military Department.

Zong Yue seemed gentle, but she definitely had an indomitable resilience deep within her.

Sitting alone in self-pity was certainly not her style.

After a while, Li Qiao, propping her forehead, felt her drowsiness dissipate somewhat, "Did you come to chat or to talk heart-to-heart?"

"Just wanted to spend some time with you," Zong Yue noticed her drowsy expression, her eyes flitted, and then she offered, "Shall I make you a cup of coffee?"

Li Qiao closed her eyes slightly, raised an eyebrow, so she didn’t want to let her sleep, huh?

She forced a dry smile, "My sister-in-law is truly considerate."

"You’re welcome," Zong Yue replied with a pair of bloodshot eyes, heading towards the door.

Li Qiao didn’t stop her. She got out of bed to wash her face, then went out to sit on the balcony.

Zong Yue seemed to be in low spirits. Being in the South Sea without relatives or friends, she probably only felt somewhat at ease when with a peer like Li Qiao.

The sunset filled the sky, the scenery was exceptionally beautiful.

Li Qiao took a sip of the black coffee Zong Yue had made for her, gazing at the thin clouds on the horizon, "Did you go to the hospital?"

Zong Yue glanced at her and touched the corner of her eye, "Yes, the doctor said it’s a bacterial infection leading to corneal inflammation."

Li Qiao frowned slightly, "For how long?"

"Three days, but the doctor prescribed some medicine, said it wasn’t too serious. I’ll go back for a checkup in a few days."

Li Qiao looked at her thoughtfully. Being away from home and sick could make one’s mood sink. After a moment, she asked, "My big brother doesn’t know?"

Zong Yue’s expression tensed subtly, she chuckled, "He’s away at a meeting, no need to bother him with such a trivial matter."

Li Qiao didn’t say anything, just sipped her coffee and soon took out her phone to tap on the screen a few times.

Less than twenty minutes later, the butler called them down for dinner. As they reached the corner, Zong Yue’s phone in her pocket rang.

She looked at the caller ID, surprised, but joy surfaced in her eyes, "Let me take this call first."

Li Qiao walked ahead with one hand in her pocket, vaguely acknowledging with a ’hmm.’

Zong Yue walked to the window and, upon answering the call, was the first to speak, "Why are you calling at this time, have you finished your work?"

Although it was the weekend, Li Jun had mentioned that he was busy with numerous social engagements recently, so even if she missed him, she hadn’t dared to disturb him.

"Not yet," voices faintly overlapped from the phone call. After a few seconds, accompanied by his footsteps, the background noise lessened, and Li Jun’s voice came through again, "What’s wrong with your eye?"

Zong Yue was taken aback, instinctively denying, "Nothing’s wrong."

"Why didn’t you tell me about your corneal inflammation?" Li Jun’s composed and deep voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction, not waiting for Zong Yue to respond, he seemed to sigh, "Go eat first."

Zong Yue opened her mouth, but before she could say a word, the call had ended.

What kind of person was this?

Calling just to complain about her for a moment?

To say he was as blockheaded as wood was almost a compliment.

Holding the phone, Zong Yue dazed for a long while, feeling a melancholy she couldn’t quite express.

She never thought an inflamed eye was a big deal; even Duan Shuyuan had offered to call Li Jun back, but she was worried he’d think her too delicate and with some persuasion, she didn’t let her tell Li Jun.

Meanwhile, Li Jun, who was in a certain provincial city, ended the call and instructed his secretary, "Handle the drinks inside. If they ask for me, just say I went to inspect some grass-roots level work."