The Favored Heiress
Chapter 489: The Prospective Son-in-law is Here

Chapter 489: Chapter 489: The Prospective Son-in-law is Here

It was half past ten at night when the Yan Emperor’s motorcade arrived at the West City casino.

Dressed in black, Shang Yu leaned out from the car door, his sleeves rolled up past his forearms, his tall and lofty silhouette standing beside a streetlight, bathed in light, looking ethereal and transcendent.

At that moment, He Chen had just escorted Li Qiao and Su Moshi out the back door, and upon looking up, he saw Shang Yu standing beside the car.

With a stoic expression, he locked eyes with Shang Yu across the distance, the silence between them charged with an invisible collision of auras, like an unseen contest of wills.

Soon, the man diverted his gaze, looking at Li Qiao as she approached and opened his palm to her, "Had enough fun?"

He Chen licked his back teeth, turned his head without a word, and stormed back inside, slamming the back door shut to express his anger.

Not only that, but he also instructed Ah Yong to lock the back door tight; no one was going to fleece him again.

The sound of the door slamming caught the attention of Li Qiao and the others, she turned to glance back, and smiled silently with curved lips.

"Happy now?" Shang Yu looked down at her smiling face and affectionately patted her head, "Ready to go home?"

Li Qiao yawned lazily, nodding, "Yeah, let’s go back."

After saying this, she tossed the car keys to Su Moshi; the two of them didn’t need to say anything, a simple exchange of glances was enough to understand each other’s intention.

Car keys in hand, Su Moshi walked toward the parking lot, passing by Shang Yu and nodding to him as a greeting.

The moonlight was like silver; Shang Yu bent down to lift Li Qiao’s chin, his voice low and husky, "Did He Chen give you a hard time?"

Li Qiao shook her head with a smile, "No."

Not only did he not trouble her, but he also knew how to read the room quite well.

A low, mellow laugh spilled from the man’s thin lips, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, heading toward the car, "Well done."

In a corridor at the back door, He Chen, who was smoking by a window, looked up at the sky, seriously contemplating a question: Is there still a chance to snatch Li Qiao back now?

Although she may not be the most charming, her abilities are strong.

...

Time hurried by, and in the blink of an eye three days had passed, and the Medical Alliance’s inspection was nearing its end.

That day, coinciding with Friday, the research institute issued a public dismissal notice.

For spreading rumors, deliberately discrediting colleagues and causing widespread negative repercussions, the HR department decided after deliberation to dismiss Intermediate Researcher Li Ru immediately and to never rehire her.

This dismissal notice was posted directly on the research institute’s academic forum.

Even without knowing the specifics of her rumors, the fact that the institute had issued the dismissal notice so decisively indicated that her future in the medical field would be extremely difficult.

Li Ru, upon hearing the news, ran to beg Director Wang Zheng, hoping the institute would retract the punishment even if it meant she had to make a public apology.

She never expected that a moment of impulsiveness would lead to such a grave mistake.

But facing her desperate pleas, Wang Zheng just watched with detached disdain, expressing his final contemptuous words, "You were in Li Qiao’s group, which should have given you an advantage from the start.

But you just had to court disaster, spreading rumors that Li Qiao was Su Moshi’s mistress? Do you dare to spout such nonsense and broadcast it everywhere?

The daughter of the wealthy Li Family from the South Sea, does she need to be anyone’s mistress?

And what is Su Moshi’s status? Slinging mud at him, it seems your head is filled with water.

Get lost as soon as you finish the paperwork today; the research institute can’t afford to keep a disgrace like you."

Li Ru’s heart sank; the pride she once had made the day of her dismissal all the more bleak and dismal.

...

That evening after work, Li Qiao drove back to the Li Family home.

The wedding of her eldest brother and Zong Yue was set for next Tuesday, on the Double Seven Festival.

Li Qiao swayed into the living room after getting out of the car; the whole family was there.

Even her rarely seen second brother, Li Yan, was there, wearing a flashy pink shirt and drinking tea in the living room.

It seemed they were discussing the details of the wedding, and Li Qiao, feeling a bit worn out, sat in the living room for a while before she headed back to her room on her own.

She lay on her back in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Next Tuesday would be the Double Seven Festival, as well as her and Shang Yu’s first Valentine’s Day together.

How should they spend it?

"Knock knock—"

Knocking echoed at the door, and Li San pushed it open and came in.

He sat down in the chair importantly, glancing at Li Qiao, "Heard that Su Lao Si came over?"

Li Qiao gave him a sidelong glance, "Yeah, he’s leaving next week."

Li San leaned against the armrest, his gaze locking onto Li Qiao’s tired cheeks, "Is he attending big brother’s wedding?"

"He is."

Li San leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. After a long silence, he asked in a low voice, "Has Nan Xin contacted you recently?"

Li Qiao lifted her eyelids, sitting up from the bed, "No, haven’t the two of you been in touch?"

Li San, with tightly pursed lips, looked at Li Qiao as if confirming by default.

Li Qiao, resting her chin on her hand, scanned his face, clearly seeing the frustration hidden beneath his calm exterior.

"Give her a call and invite her over for dinner."

Li Qiao touched her chin and raised an eyebrow in response, "Me? Can’t you put your pride aside even when pursuing a woman?"

Li San’s breath tightened, his face tensed, and his voice grew even lower, "Stop talking nonsense, just call her over quickly."

After dropping that line, he pushed back the chair and left the bedroom.

Once outside, Li San stood in the hallway, steadying his breath.

He did want to call Nan Xin, but that damn woman had blacklisted his number.

He had even ordered many of his subordinates at the border to help him get in touch, but she ignored all his messages.

Lately, he had been busy in South Sea, where several factory partners were coming over for his big brother’s wedding, and he was tied up with entertaining them and had no time to look for her.

At this moment, Li San didn’t know how many times he had resolved to himself that when she returned, he would definitely teach her a lesson.

...

Less than half an hour later, as Li Qiao was lying in bed, half-asleep, she suddenly heard the butler’s excited shout from outside the balcony, "Mr. and Mrs., the prospective son-in-law is here."

Li Qiao, half-asleep and half-awake: "??"

Prospective son-in-law?

Son-in-law?

She quickly opened her eyes, rubbed her temples, and hurried barefoot to the balcony.

Near the flower garden, a black figure just walked into the entrance hall.

Shang Yu came over?

Li Qiao curled the corners of her lips and, slipping on her slippers, went downstairs.

In the living room, Shang Yu was dressed in a black shirt and slacks, with two buttons undone at the collar and a few strands of hair hanging over his forehead. He sat elegantly with his legs crossed on a single sofa, with several luxurious gift boxes arranged on the coffee table in front of him.

The three Li brothers looked on with different expressions, while Mr. and Mrs. Li were warmly chattering away.

Zong Yue, seeing the figure at the top of the stairs, raised a smile and greeted her, "Qiaoqiao, my dear... your boyfriend has arrived."

Li Qiao scratched her forehead, walking sluggishly down the steps.

This must be the first time Shang Yu made a public appearance as her boyfriend in front of the whole family.

As a result... her three brothers, although wary of his status, still put on an air of profundity, assuming the posture of elder brothers.

If nobody spoke, the atmosphere was still quite harmonious and warm.

But the following scene, unsurprisingly, shattered the harmonious atmosphere completely.

For example, the eldest brother, Li Jun, fell silent for a few seconds, glanced at the gifts on the table, and then looked at Shang Yu with an arch of his eyebrow, saying in all seriousness, "Master Yan is too polite, there was no need to bring gifts."

The other two brothers thought coldly: "..."

As the eldest, still addressing your sister’s fiancé as "Master"?

Li Yan, the second brother, straightened his back, cleared his throat, and glared at Shang Yu, "Mr..."

Before he could utter "Yan", he abruptly caught the man’s gaze, his mouth slipped, his heart skipped, and he quickly broke into an awkward smile, "Master Yan is so busy with myriad affairs yet still keeps us in mind, much appreciated."

Li Qiao covered her face with one hand and rubbed it, silently sighing.

Embarrassing.