The Favored Heiress
Chapter 483: Why Did You Let Him Hold You?

Chapter 483: Chapter 483: Why Did You Let Him Hold You?

At 8:30 in the evening, Li Qiao was drinking and chatting with Su Moshi near the scenic window of the executive lounge.

The lounge wasn’t very crowded, with small groups of people gathered together, chatting and laughing merrily.

The atmosphere wasn’t noisy. Accompanied by the elegant piano music played by the pianist, the dimly lit lounge was shrouded in a deep, mysterious haze.

At that moment, Su Moshi was fiddling with a scalpel that had special golden edges. His arm rested on the edge of the table, and he remarked with some surprise, "I’m really curious about what kind of man could catch your eye."

Li Qiao leaned lazily against the back of her chair, her long legs crossed in front of her, "You’ll see him tomorrow at noon."

She rubbed her phone, occasionally glancing down at it, subtly furrowing her brows without making a sound.

Half an hour earlier, she had sent a message to Shang Yu, inviting him to have lunch with her and Su Moshi the next day.

But... the man hadn’t replied to her message yet.

After another ten minutes, Li Qiao wanted to give him a call, so she excused herself to go to the restroom.

Su Moshi watched her leave with a smile in his eyes before turning his gaze back outside the window.

Shang Shaoyan, the South Sea merchant?

He had heard the name before but didn’t know much about him.

He had been living abroad for years and had paid little attention to domestic affairs.

However, a man who could catch Li Qiao’s fancy probably wouldn’t be bad at all.

After all... during those years at the border, so many pursued her, and she even turned down Brother Xiao, so how exceptional must Shang Shaoyan be?!

...

Five minutes later, Li Qiao returned from the restroom, her expression still as calm as water, but Su Moshi still noticed the anxiety hidden at the bottom of her eyes.

"What’s wrong?"

Li Qiao’s lips tightened slightly, and she shook her head, "It’s nothing."

Su Moshi gazed at her intently for a few seconds before teasing her in a gentle tone, "Boyfriend not answering the phone?"

Li Qiao lifted her eyes to look at him, didn’t answer, but her expression conveyed a resigned helplessness.

Su Moshi put away his scalpel and tapped his knuckles on the tabletop, "I never would have guessed you’re the type to make the first move with a boyfriend!"

"You sure talk a lot," Li Qiao gave him a sideways glance, picked up the cocktail on the table, and downed it in one go, then pushed herself up from her chair, "I’m leaving."

Is she in a hurry?

Su Moshi chuckled silently. As they walked shoulder to shoulder out of the lounge, he raised his hand to pat Li Qiao on the head, "When a man doesn’t answer his phone, there are generally three possibilities.

Either he’s busy, he’s angry, or he doesn’t care.

The first is often an excuse; no matter how busy a man is, he can always reach out to you if he wants to.

As for being angry, you need to figure out what made him angry.

And the last one, well, you know what it means not to care. It can lead to many possibilities.

So, think carefully about which it is before you consider how to respond, got it?"

Su Lao Si advised Li Qiao in a tone that suggested he had been through it before, adding at the end, "However, the first and third possibilities are unlikely for a man you’re interested in. Don’t overthink it, and if you need help, just tell me anytime.

Also, take this. It’s a newly developed antidote for alcohol that can quickly reduce the alcohol level in your system."

Li Qiao curled her lips, muttered a soft ’hmm,’ and took the pill he offered, stripping off the coating and swallowing it down.

...

That night, at the South Sea Mansion.

Li Qiao parked her car and headed straight for the lobby.

In front of the door, Luoyu had been waiting. Upon seeing her figure, he approached to greet her, "Miss Li."

"Is he here?" Li Qiao’s voice was flat without a trace of fluctuation, but her lips were slightly pursed, betraying the calm she did not show.

Luoyu turned to glance in the direction of the living room and nodded, "He is, he just came out from the training room and is now in the living room smoking."

"Hmm." Li Qiao responded and passed by him.

Actually, Luoyu didn’t know what had happened either, but half an hour ago Li Qiao had called him, asking about the boss’s whereabouts.

Back then, they had just returned from the company to the Mansion, the boss didn’t exhibit any anomalies, he merely headed to the training room by himself, and that’s what Luoyu had told Li Qiao.

In the living room, as she drew closer, a whiff of smoke wafted out with the flowing air.

The sound of Li Qiao’s footsteps was very light, and before she was even close to the entrance hall, the man’s husky and chilling voice hurled two words at her, "Get out."

Frowning, she didn’t halt but appeared in the living room in a flash to find the lighting very dim.

She was familiar with this level of brightness, having dimmed it herself a few days ago to conceal the wound on the back of her hand.

At the moment, the man lay flat on the couch, still dressed in a black shirt and trousers. His one leg was bent at the knee, and his right forearm rested on his forehead, with his breathing sounding exceptionally clear and heavy in the quiet living room.

Li Qiao’s heart tightened, her gaze swept over the coffee table, and she easily spotted his phone lying there.

With furrowed brows, she walked over to the couch, slowly squatted down, and her cool fingers gently touched his jaw, "Why did you tell me to get out?"

The man’s breathing was deep, and the frequency of his rising and falling chest suggested he might be quite uncomfortable.

However, upon hearing Li Qiao’s voice, his breath halted for a second, and suddenly he lifted his eyelids to find Li Qiao squatting beside him, tilting her head to look at him.

Perhaps it was the dim lighting, but she appeared almost surreal with an otherworldly haze wrapped around her.

The man closed his eyes and breathed deeply, lifting the arm from his forehead. In the next second, he circled his arms around her shoulders and pressed her straight onto his chest.

He exerted a great deal of force, and even after regaining his composure, his breath still carried an uncontrollable rapidity.

Li Qiao, smothered in the man’s embrace, smelled his scent as her fingers cautiously traced over the crook of his arm.

Fortunately, there was no symptom of muscle tension.

For a moment, she thought he might have had another episode.

Time passed, perhaps seconds or maybe minutes, before Shang Yu, his voice hoarse, spilled warm breath into her ear, "Had enough touching?"

Li Qiao, still gently stroking his arm, was speechless: "..."

She lifted her head from his embrace, and they were mere inches apart, the half-reclining position on his chest uncomfortable.

Li Qiao struggled a bit, sat up right, and moved to sit on the couch. Just as she was about to speak, Shang Yu hooked her waist, and with a strong pull, she was once again lying on his chest.

This posture was unprecedented.

Different from the intimacy on the bed and unlike the usual embraces.

He lay flat, holding her in his arms, with the living room lights creating a romantic atmosphere. His hands embraced Li Qiao, his lips close to her forehead, and his breath sprayed down hotly, somewhat fervent.

"Why don’t you speak?"

As Shang Yu spoke, the vibration in his chest tickled Li Qiao’s eardrums.

She lifted her head, her chin resting on his chest, "What’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell?"

The man’s burning gaze mingled with the crystal chandelier’s dim yellow glow, his thumb climbing Li Qiao’s cheek. As their eyes met, he said, "Yeah, uncomfortable."

Li Qiao’s brows jumped, and she made to rise from his embrace, "What..."

But she had barely started moving when she was pulled back into his arms.

Then, Shang Yu’s dark and taut voice rose, "Why did you let him hold you?"