The Favored Heiress
Chapter 540: Between You and Him, I Choose Him

Chapter 540: Chapter 540: Between You and Him, I Choose Him

She suddenly couldn’t be sure if this text message had really come from him.

Because it was indeed too amateurish.

Li Qiao cleared her throat, not wanting to continue this pointless conversation.

After all, neither of them could persuade the other.

She lowered her leg, picked up the mobile phone from the table, and started pacing forward.

Behind her, there was Xiao Yehui’s suddenly somber inquiry, "Xiao Qi, have you made your decision?

With her back to him, Li Qiao’s steps slowed for a few seconds, "You’re right, as of now, our stances indeed differ."

With those words, she expressed her choice.

Xiao Yehui’s body shook, and as he turned to look at her retreating figure, his calm and composed expression finally showed a self-mocking smile, "You do realize the consequences of choosing him, right?"

He stated this interrogative sentence with an indescribable tone of declaration.

Li Qiao continued to walk forward calmly, and at the moment she grasped the doorknob, she said lightly, "I believe that you had your compelling difficulties back then.

I also trust every word you said to me today. But I’m sorry, Duke Charlman, between you and him, I choose him."

Since Shang Yu was her initial choice, he would be her only choice from now on.

Even if that meant opposing the entire Chairman Family, she couldn’t possibly back out halfway.

For him, she had hurt Shen Qingye and Xia Siyu, regardless of the methods and intentions, hurt is still hurt.

The door opened and then closed, leaving Xiao Yehui alone in the vast study, gazing at his doubled shadow in the window.

He suddenly shook his head, chuckling ruefully. For the first time, he felt a subtle envy and resentment toward Shang Shaoyan.

Why, of all people, did it have to be Li Qiao, one of the Seven Sons?

The person he had once protected with his life, had eventually become his enemy.

...

Outside the corridor, Feng Yi and Shang Yu were still smoking.

The longer Xiao Yehui was inside, the faster Shang Yu smoked.

Feng Yi would occasionally chat with him, but the man often responded absently.

He could be bold in his words to Xiao Yehui, but his sensitive heart and profound lack of security still made him uncertain about Li Qiao’s choice.

She and Xiao Yehui shared a bond of life-and-death camaraderie.

Between her and him, apart from love, what else was there?

If she chose Xiao Yehui, could he summon her back by offering his life?

These insecurities, stemming from the depths of his heart, were running wild inside Shang Yu.

He even began to regret letting them meet alone with such a proud and magnanimous attitude.

Too many negative emotions overshadowed Shang Yu to the extent that when the door behind him opened, he was still deep inside his own speculations and unable to extricate himself.

Feng Yi was the first to see Li Qiao emerge. He scrutinized her unblinkingly, the anticipated emotions of pain, disappointment, and sorrow he expected to see were nowhere to be found on her face.

It seemed like he breathed a sigh of relief and nudged the man beside him with his elbow, "The sister-in-law is out."

Shang Yu’s lowered eyelids suddenly flew open, and as he looked up, he locked gaze with Li Qiao’s clear, deer-like eyes.

Perhaps because he had smoked too much, his already deep voice sounded even hoarser, "Finished talking?"

Li Qiao raised her eyebrows and naturally walked over to him, stuffing her left hand into his palm, "Let’s go."

Shang Yu grasped her icy fingers tightly in his palm, glanced at Feng Yi, who immediately understood, "I’ve had someone prepare dinner downstairs; let’s eat something in the side hall."

The noble banquet had already started half an hour ago.

They would clearly be breaking the rules of etiquette if they went over now.

...

At a private banquet in a small room downstairs, in front of a square table, Feng Yi’s eyes twitched as he watched Shang Yu cutting a steak for Li Qiao and then bringing a forkful to her mouth.

One was feeding, and the other was eating—the division of labor was very clear.

It wasn’t that he had never eaten with them before, but did it need to be so hands-on?

Feng Yi glanced at Li Qiao’s injured right hand and then at the food on Shang Yu’s plate, which hadn’t been touched since the meal began. He cleared his throat, "Shaoyan, I can arrange for a servant..."

"No need."

Feng Yi: "..."

He took up his knife and fork, shaking his head as he began to cut his own steak. "Sister-in-law, tell me how did you come to British Imperial this time?"

He had been accompanying Shaoyan earlier and hadn’t had the chance to go downstairs to Dam Hall to ask about the situation.

How exactly did Li Qiao return to British Imperial, and how did she come to Count William’s Mansion without anyone noticing?

At that moment, Li Qiao took the fork from Shang Yu’s hand and was just about to speak when her phone rang beside her.

When she answered, she called out in Burmese, "Uncle Wu."

Feng Yi did not understand, but Shang Yu looked towards her, his discerning eyes flashing with realization.

Li Qiao said just a few words, then stood up and walked outside, all the while maintaining the call.

Driven by curiosity, Feng Yi also laid down his knife and fork and patted Shang Yu on the shoulder, then gestured with his mouth toward the door, "Let’s go and see."

At the entrance of the small banquet room, he looked out through the glass door several times before he saw a figure near Dam Hall.

She lifted her dress and walked over, while Feng Yi finally managed to see the other person clearly, "Is that... Prince Wu Lv from Myanmar?"

The Myanmarese politician, who had recently visited British Imperial, was reportedly invited to the noble banquet that evening.

Significantly, his status within Myanmar was comparable to that of the Chairman Family in British Imperial, unquestionably lofty and exalted.

Prince Wu Lv, over fifty years of age, might not be as tall as Westerners, but his long tenure in high positions endowed him with an air of inviolability.

Commanding without anger, it was evident he was a person of high rank.

Myanmar and British Imperial had always maintained very good diplomatic relations.

This could be seen from the visa exemption policy for Myanmarese nationals.

At this moment, behind Prince Wu Lv stood several members of the British Imperial Royal Family’s exclusive knights, responsible for ensuring his safety while traveling in British Imperial.

Feng Yi watched as Li Qiao walked over and saw Prince Wu Lv’s originally amiable expression instantly turn angry upon noticing her injured right hand, leaving him with a bewildered feeling as if he’d drunk a counterfeit liquor.

Why did she know Prince Wu Lv?

Who exactly was she? Was she even human?

Feng Yi mechanically nudged Shang Yu with his elbow. "Prince Wu Lv is scolding your woman, isn’t he?"

"Mm," compared to his bewilderment, the man seemed much more composed and serene.

Feng Yi blinked, stepped forward, and after triple-checking, he finally believed what he was seeing.

The serious politician was indeed softly chastising Li Qiao. Although Feng Yi couldn’t understand what he was saying, from their body movements and expressions, he had already imagined the gist of their conversation.

For instance, "Why are you running around? Don’t you realize what kind of event this is?"

Or, "You’re an adult, don’t you understand the rules?"

Of course, the plot Feng Yi had fantasized, based on the scenes he had witnessed, was entirely a product of his own amusement.

The actual conversation between Prince Wu Lv and Li Qiao was this: "Child, I just took my eyes off you for a few minutes, how did you get hurt again? Is it serious? What did the doctor say?"