The Favored Heiress
Chapter 482: He Chen Tattling

Chapter 482: Chapter 482: He Chen Tattling

"Qiaoqiao, when did you... join the Medical Alliance?" Academician Jiang set down his teacup, rubbed his hands together, and even his questioning voice carried a tremble of excitement.

Leaning against the back of the chair, Li Qiao tilted her head back, her tone light, "Four years ago, I guess."

Academician Jiang was stunned for a few seconds, swallowed, and murmured, "That early, huh."

Li Qiao tugged at the corner of her mouth, saying nothing more.

Seeing this, Academician Jiang probed further: "Then the interview invitation I received last night..."

Li Qiao replied, "Didn’t I say I’d give you a gift? That’s what it was."

Academician Jiang fell silent once more, gazing straight ahead at the vast white wall, his left hand slowly covering his heart. Overwhelmed with excitement, he felt his heartbeat exceeding its normal load.

What kind of outstanding child was this, and how had he stumbled upon her?

Truly a blessing from the heavens.

In less than twenty minutes, Li Qiao and Academician Jiang took leave and stealthily departed the research lab through the emergency exit on the other side of the corridor.

She couldn’t be bothered to deal with others, nor did she want to be surrounded and bombarded with questions.

After Li Qiao left, the researchers who had come to curry favor were turned away by Lian Zhen under the pretext that they were disturbing the experiment.

They weren’t really looking to gain anything from Li Qiao. Most were just benevolently curious, though that certainly didn’t preclude those with ulterior motives.

...

At a quarter past six, Li Qiao drove to the Royal Hotel, where the Medical Alliance inspection team was staying.

She leaned out of the car, and just as she walked out of the parking lot, she saw the figure of Su Moshi leaning against the Roman column at the porch.

Su Moshi had changed into a light blue shirt and casual slacks, his arms crossed and his head tilted with a smile as he watched Li Qiao approach.

As she neared, he opened his arms and arched his eyebrows, his voice warm yet lucid, "Hug."

Li Qiao paused in place, not stepping forward, just meeting his gaze from a distance.

Three seconds later, Su Moshi admitted defeat, stepped down the steps, and leaned down to embrace Li Qiao, pulling her into his arms.

The hug was simple, neither intimate nor distant, reminiscent of long-lost kin or old friends reuniting and using such a gesture to express their longing.

There was even a half-foot of safety distance maintained between them.

Li Qiao patted his back in response, a trace of amusement flickering in her sharp black-and-white eyes, "Aren’t you afraid your girlfriend will be jealous now?"

When alone, her voice lost its cool detachment.

The Border Seven Sons had shared life and death for many years.

However, among the Seven Sons, Li Qiao’s relationship with Su Lao Si was always the closest.

Su Moshi gave her a quick hug before stepping back and freeing her, then slid a hand into his pocket, looking down at Li Qiao with a raised eyebrow, "Not a girlfriend anymore."

Li Qiao narrowed her eyes slightly, "You guys..."

With the corner of his mouth tilted and a gentle smile flickering in his eyes, Su Moshi said, "From now on, when you see her, remember to call her Fourth Sister-in-law."

"Fourth Sister-in-law..." Li Qiao repeated, with a teasing expression, she looked back at Su Moshi and clicked her tongue mockingly, "So you’ve finally become Myanmar’s Prince Consort."

Su Moshi: "..."

Su Lao Si’s beloved was the daughter of a prince from the Myanmar Royal Family.

Back when they were at the border, they had fallen in love at first sight in the presence of the Seven Sons.

One could say their meeting perfectly embodied what it means to be struck by lightning and set ablaze.

Of course, that Fourth Sister-in-law was quite the jealous type, and initially, due to the Seven Sons, she often quarreled with Su Lao Si.

About fifteen minutes later, Li Qiao and Su Moshi sat in the Royal Restaurant, each ordering a similar steak. After eating for a while, Su Moshi swirled his wine glass and said, "This time, I’ve brought two experts on paranoid disorders. After the conference, how about I arrange for you to chat?"

Li Qiao paused in her steak-cutting, her gaze meeting Su Moshi’s gentle eyes. After a moment, she asked, "Have you ever looked into mania?"

Su Moshi sipped his red wine, a frown forming between his brows, "Your recent research topics are quite broad, aren’t they?"

Although these two diseases have a slight similarity, they differ fundamentally.

She wants to research, but will she manage it while also taking care of the duties at the research institute? Will she be too busy?

Thinking this, Su Moshi said with grave concern, "You also know medical research isn’t accomplished overnight. With so many disciplines to cover, I don’t recommend that you..."

Before he could finish, Li Qiao put down her knife and fork and turned to look out the window of the Western restaurant. "It’s not for research, it’s for someone."

Su Moshi paused, "That person, suffering from both..."

The words he was about to say died on his lips as he saw Li Qiao nod faintly.

Su Moshi’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he chuckled with a sense of realization, "I see, it’s still the same Qi Zai that I know."

Years ago, they all knew.

Li Qiao appeared cold and distant, but in fact, she was the most passionate of them all.

Whatever she wanted to do, whoever she wanted to help, she never left room for herself, fighting tooth and nail to achieve her goals.

Su Moshi fell silent for a while and then sighed, "Qi Zai, your Fourth Brother doesn’t ask much of you, just remember one thing.

No matter what you do, think more about yourself. Even if the other person deserves all you have, at least leave yourself a way out, understand?"

"Hmm," Li Qiao replied to Su Moshi without any hesitation.

It seemed like she truly took it to heart, but in reality, she was very perfunctory.

Su Moshi understood her all too well, she never looked back once she was set on something, even if she ended up battered and bleeding, it was always with a valiant effort alone.

Such Li Qiao made him feel very heartbroken, he hoped... it was worth it.

...

At 7 PM, Shang Yu was still in a meeting at the company.

After the meeting concluded, it was nearly 8:30 PM.

He returned to his office and casually pulled out his phone; as expected, there were two unread messages in his WeChat chat box.

Upon opening them, a cloud-like shadow instantly fell over the handsome contours of the man’s face.

They were messages from He Chen.

A photo, and a voice message.

The content of the voice message was, "Have you been cuckolded?"

The tone sounded a bit schadenfreude.

As for the photo, it was an unfortunate snapshot, taken at the entrance of the Royal Hotel, of the moment Su Moshi embraced Li Qiao.

The photo was not taken with a phone, but from a surveillance camera outside the entrance of the Royal Hotel.

The South Sea Conference was held at the Royal Hotel on that day, and many surveillance cameras were added to the various entrances and exits outside.

Today, He Chen happened to go to the hotel’s surveillance room to look for something and coincidentally captured this image while reviewing the records.

In fact, it wasn’t that he didn’t trust Li Qiao, and the posture of the hug was very much ceremonious.

The problem was, who was this young, handsome man?

After a few seconds of analysis, He Chen confirmed that it was a stranger he had never seen before.

So with a mindset of watching the excitement, he directly photographed the surveillance screen and sent it to Shang Yu.

It wasn’t strange for men to pursue Li Qiao with her looks.

But she had only had intimate contact with Shang Yu and maintained absolute distance from other men.

That this man could embrace her, and be embraced in return, was enough to prove his special status.

He Chen thought to himself, as a brother of Shaoyan, he was completely justified in tattling about the peach blossoms that needed culling.