The Favored Heiress
Chapter 552: Let Her Return to the Border

Chapter 552: Chapter 552: Let Her Return to the Border

Xia Siyu sat on the hospital bed, her knees tucked to her chest, staring out the window even though the dazzling sunlight hurt her eyes, she stubbornly kept looking for a long time.

It seemed that only by doing so, could she disperse the dense ink-like darkness in her eyes.

"Focus on healing, let everything else take its course," Li Qiao said in a calm tone, breaking the silence in the hospital room.

Xia Siyu moved stiffly, she lifted her eyelids and reached out her hand towards Li Qiao.

As their equally cool fingertips touched, Xia Siyu burst into tears.

Her sobs were unstoppable, and she tried to speak several times, but her tears only surged more fiercely, and after a while, she finally asked intermittently, "Is... is Li San the same?"

She had heard the news of Shen Qingye being shot and hospitalized as soon as she woke from her coma.

Just a few days before, she had joked with Su Lao Si, saying how she and Li San were fellow sufferers, both having slowed in their skills, and had been attacked and admitted to the hospital.

Thinking back on it now, it seemed both ironic and laughable.

If it were not for the fact that they had once been comrades who shared life and death experiences together, Xia Siyu would not have been so overwhelmed.

In the hospital room, as Xia Siyu cried her heart out, the atmosphere became so oppressive that it was suffocating.

Li Qiao swallowed, wanting to comfort her, but felt it was redundant.

Besides silence, there was nothing she could do.

If it were any other member of the Seven Sons, they probably would not react as strongly as Xia Lao Wu.

The Seven Sons work as one, but each member actually has their own deeply connected companion.

Just like how she was closer to Su Lao Si, Xia Lao Wu and Huizai had the strongest relationship.

That’s why she wished more than anyone for Huizai to be alive and was more heartbroken than anyone when she heard the news.

Xia Siyu got out of bed slowly and stood by the window, waving her hand at Li Qiao, "Qiaoqiao, you can go back, I’m fine. Let me... stay by myself for a while."

Li Qiao looked at her shaking shoulders, lowered her gaze as she stood up, and before leaving, she said calmly as she faced the door, "Sister Wu, follow your heart."

Every member of the Seven Sons had the right to make their choices.

Whatever they chose, she would absolutely accept it.

Xia Siyu caught her breath, her hands pressing on the windowsill. As she turned to look back, all she saw was Li Qiao’s receding figure.

In an instant, Li Qiao returned to the parking lot, got into the car, and without a word, closed her eyes to rest.

The man in the back seat glanced at the time, "Done talking?"

"Yeah, let’s go." While saying this, she leaned into his chest without opening her eyes, making it impossible for anyone to see the deep redness at the bottom of her eyes.

The man surveyed Li Qiao without showing any emotion, her suppressed feelings very thick, indicating their talk was not a pleasant one.

He tightly pressed his thin lips together, glancing through the window at the hospital’s residential area and gave a low command, "Head to the airport."

Liuyun responded by starting the engine, and no one spoke the rest of the way.

...

Meanwhile, at the border.

Li Cheng stood near the factory, his face stern as he held up his phone, "Most of Qiaoqiao’s power is at the Border of Myanmar. If you’re sure Xiao Yehui will make a move on her, then I can consider relocating the factory back into the country."

On the other end of the phone, Bo Tingxiao’s persuading voice could be heard, "Li San, don’t act rashly. Even if you relocate the factory, you won’t be able to get the domestic permits approved in a short time.

The defense industry is already saturated, and besides... even if you bring all your power back, it wouldn’t be much help.

Xiao Qi is not as fragile as you think. Moreover, she has Shang Shaoyan by her side. As far as I know him, if there’s really trouble, he won’t just stand by and watch."

Li San licked his cheek and his gaze became sharp and frosty, "Even if it’s useless, I can’t just watch him go after Qiaoqiao."

Damned Xiao Yehui.

His death back then, made Li Qiao leave the border full of guilt.

Now he’s transformed into one of the top aristocrats of the Western world. Not to mention Qiaoqiao, even as an outsider, I can’t calmly accept this turn of events.

At that moment, Bo Tingxiao slowly exhaled smoke, his eyes deeply gazing at the pavilion in his backyard, "Instead of worrying about her being isolated in the country, you might as well figure out a way to get her to return to the border."

Li San paused for a second, "Return to the border?"

"That’s right." Bo Tingxiao leaned forward to flick the ash off his cigarette, speaking very calmly, "Everything for Xiao Qi is at the border. Her departure was due to Xiao Yehui, and since he’s not dead, there’s no reason for her not to go back.

Her teacher, her comrades, her friends, everything she has, is between the Border of Myanmar. If she really has to face off against Xiao Yehui, her chances of winning are greater if she goes back."

These words left a heavy mark in Li San’s heart.

He couldn’t even find an excuse to refute them at the moment.

Because they were all true.

Li San held the phone for a long time without speaking, and Bo Tingxiao did not urge him but added patiently, "This is just my consideration, whether to go back or not still depends on her own will.

But remember what I said, don’t move your forces. You’re relatively safe in the borderlands, but once you return to the country, it’s a different story."

Li San of the borderlands lived on the edge of legality, dealing in the business of life and death.

The social environment of the country simply couldn’t accommodate him.

"Okay, I got it."

Li San hung up the phone in a hurry, his face as still as a deep lake, but his heart was far from calm.

Bo Tingxiao’s words indeed made sense.

But how to get Qiaoqiao to return to the border?

...

The flight from Cloud City to Longhuai took only half an hour.

Suhang Longhuai, a water town with pavilions, painted bridges, and Su Embroidery, combined into a beautiful scenery that makes one linger and forget to return.

Li Qiao had never been to Longhuai but had heard of the misty rain stories of this town.

Now, approaching noon, Li Qiao sat in the car and relaxed as she took in the ancient town streetscape, quite different from the South Sea, easing the tension that had built up over the past days.

She held Shang Yu’s hand and asked softly, "Have you ever been to Longhuai before?"

"Mm, on business trips." The man’s gaze stayed fixed on Li Qiao, as if unable to be drawn away by anything outside the window.

She was admiring the scenery; he was watching her.

Li Qiao turned her head to meet Shang Yu’s gaze. He sat beside her, his posture lazy and casual, looking unexpectedly relaxed.

She leaned her head back against the seat, glancing at him sideways, "Never took a stroll around?"

With legs crossed, the man’s gaze fell on his own knees, tapping them with his fingers, his voice low and magnetic, "Very busy, mostly business meetings."

Li Qiao’s gaze through the window stalled.

Yes, he was busy, busy staying alive, busy growing stronger, busy outwitting opponents.

Even on business trips, he couldn’t freely travel and sightsee as he wished.

Li Qiao silently tightened her grip on his hand, forcefully, feeling an inexplicable urge to present the whole world to him just for a smile.

The car drove through the streets and alleys of Longhuai and soon stopped in front of the gate of an old Huizhou-style house near the Nanhuai River.

No sooner had Li Qiao stepped out of the car, her phone in her pocket began to buzz.

The person on the other end sounded a bit downcast, sighing a few times before saying in Myanmar language, "Couldn’t secure the dukedom."

Li Qiao’s face fell, and the other person continued, "Did our best, only managed to secure a marquisate."

"It’ll suffice."

Shang Yu heard Li Qiao respond in Myanmar language, swallowed, and turned to look at her.

The person on the other end was silent for a moment, sounding very impolite, "You think this is like buying vegetables on the street? Do you know how much effort we had to put in to find a marquis family that fits the criteria?"

Without rushing, Li Qiao replied, "Don’t know."

The other person was left speechless by her response, smacking their tongue, "You’re heartless."