The Favored Heiress
Chapter 548: I Might Leave the Research Institute

Chapter 548: Chapter 548: I Might Leave the Research Institute

Zong Yue was very sensitive and noticed his frowning gesture.

He didn’t want her to go to work?!

Zong Yue’s heart tightened, her hands cradling the cup as she looked straight into Li Jun’s eyes and spoke gently, "There’s no particular reason, but when you’re not at home, it’s quite boring for me to be alone in the villa. There’s not much to do.

I don’t know many people in South Sea, and Qiaoqiao is usually very busy, so I thought about getting a job outside. Regardless of what it is, it’s more interesting than me staying idle all day."

After speaking, she took another sip of water, her mood not as buoyant as before.

It’s not that she had to find a job, if he disagreed, then she would think of another way.

And in the instant Zong Yue lowered her head to drink water, a sudden flicker of self-reproach crossed Li Jun’s eyes.

It wasn’t until this moment that he suddenly realized something.

Zong Yue had married far away to South Sea without friends or family.

King’s Bay Villa had four floors without a daily maid, just a cleaner who came at a set time every day to clean.

She appeared to live in a villa, enjoying luxury out of reach for others, but inside, she was probably very lonely.

Thinking about all this, a kind of indescribable heartache suddenly sprouted deep within Li Jun.

He felt sorry for Zong Yue, and couldn’t even begin to imagine what she had been doing all alone in the villa during this time.

Even other wealthy and high-profile ladies had their social circles and connections, but in South Sea, aside from him, Zong Yue had nothing.

Li Jun’s Adam’s apple bobbed several times, and the moment Zong Yue looked up, he quickly grabbed a cup to drink water to mask his exposed emotions.

Zong Yue waited a long time without hearing Li Jun respond.

She glanced at him and couldn’t help feeling disappointed as she traced circles on the table with her finger, "It was just a whim I had a few days ago. It’s not that I have to go out to work..."

"If you want to go, then go," Li Jun put down the cup, his gaze softening, "If you want to work outside, how could I disagree?"

"You agree?" Zong Yue’s eyebrows raised in surprise, her eyes lighting up with joy once again.

Li Jun nodded gently, his demeanor thoughtful for a few seconds, "Have you found a job you’re interested in?"

"Not yet, but Qiaoqiao said she can help me find one."

Li Jun fell silent for a few seconds before making a startling suggestion, "Would you like to come to the secretarial department?"

"The secretarial department?" Zong Yue didn’t think deeply before instinctively declining, "I don’t want to."

Li Jun instantly furrowed his brows: "..."

He hadn’t expected Zong Yue to reject the offer so flatly.

Li Jun continued seriously, "Really don’t want to? There is a clerk in the secretarial department who is taking maternity leave soon, and there’s a plan to hire someone new. If you come, I could arrange something for you."

Zong Yue blinked, clearly seeing a hint of displeasure on his face.

What was he unhappy about?

Just because she didn’t want to work in the secretarial department? That seemed a bit much.

Zong Yue forced a smile and awkwardly said, "Although I’ve never worked before, I’ve heard about some workplace rules. All of your colleagues attended our wedding, and if I work with them now, it will certainly be awkward for them, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable either."

Just thinking about that situation made Zong Yue uncomfortable all over.

Furthermore, if her abilities were limited and she made a mistake at work, wouldn’t it become a laughingstock for others?

Zong Yue’s words did indeed make some sense.

But Li Jun still felt a peculiar sensation in his heart, hoping she had only rejected his arrangement because she felt uncomfortable, rather than... not wanting to work with him.

...

The next day, Friday.

Li Qiao went to the research institute early in the morning, and as soon as she sat down, Lian Zhen came over with a cup of tea, "How’s the Medical Alliance?"

"It’s okay," Li Qiao looked back at him, "Myst Town is their headquarters."

A trace of yearning crossed Lian Zhen’s eyes, and after pulling up a chair to sit down, he said, "The name alone sounds quite unique."

Just then, Li Qiao received a text message on her phone. She read it but didn’t reply, then raising her head again, she changed the subject, "How’s the research progress?"

Lian Zhen straightened his expression, picked up the project list from his desk, and explained the details to Li Qiao meticulously.

At the end, he relaxed his brows and sighed, "Xiao Guan came over last week, her weight has stabilized, and the pathological reactions of her indicators aren’t as obvious as before. The effects are quite good."

Li Qiao tapped on the desk, thoughtful, "How long do you think it will take to cure her?"

"Hard to say, at the moment, the fact that her weight isn’t increasing is already a good sign. But a cure isn’t something that can happen overnight."

Lian Zhen’s answer was still quite rigorous.

Li Qiao pondered with her eyes downcast for a long while before turning to look at him, her tone steady, "Senior Brother Lian, I might have to temporarily leave the research institute for a while."

"What?" Lian Zhen’s face was full of surprise, realizing his own lapse, he frowned and asked in a low voice, "What do you mean by leaving?"

Li Qiao rolled her throat, without going into too much detail, gave a vague summary, "I might be busy with other things in the future, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to keep asking for leave.

The specific timing isn’t settled yet, I just have this plan and wanted to give you a heads up."

She wasn’t about to just abandon the project and walk away, after all, she had initiated the project.

But it’s hard to guarantee that there won’t be more unforeseen changes in the future, and she needs to devote more of her energy elsewhere.

With two academicians at the helm of the project and the combined efforts of other researchers, her presence or absence wouldn’t affect the overall situation.

At this moment, Lian Zhen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair, and joked, "Telling me in advance, are you trying to give me a heads-up, in case I’m thinking of leaving midway too?"

Li Qiao smiled, "If you really wanted to leave, you wouldn’t have come to the research institute in the first place. Trust me, Senior Brother Lian, this project is definitely worth continuing your research on."

Lian Zhen looked at her unblinkingly, his gaze very focused, "Xiao Li, you should know that if you leave the project midway, then you might end up losing the corresponding research honors in the future?"

As a researcher, isn’t it the goal to have one’s name on the showcase list of scientific research outcomes?

Li Qiao lightly raised her eyebrows, as if to say ’of course she knew.’

At that time, Lian Zhen simply did not know that from the very start, Li Qiao was purely interested in research.

Even if the gene mutation project eventually made a breakthrough, she had never thought of adding her own name to it.

It was for this reason, in the not too distant future, that Li Qiao personally put Lian Zhen on the international stage of medical science.

And made him the first domestic researcher to receive the top honor from the Lasko Award for Medical Research.

...

In the afternoon, taking advantage of the lunch break, Li Qiao drove to the law firm.

In the office of the partner, Qi Nanhuai, who was over thirty-five, sat across from her, his hands crossed on the desk, and as he sized up Li Qiao, he began to explain, "The first mediation is scheduled for the end of this month, Old Master Duan has authorized me to appear in court on his behalf as his attorney."