The Favored Heiress
Chapter 553: The Flame Alliance Big Shot Who Sells Fried Rice

Chapter 553: Chapter 553: The Flame Alliance Big Shot Who Sells Fried Rice

Li Qiao hung up the phone with an indifferent face. What use was her conscience?!

Shang Yu lazily watched her, and although he hadn’t heard their conversation clearly, he could tell the other party was a man.

He looked down to adjust his cuffs, stepped across the threshold, and said in a deep voice, "A friend from Myanmar?"

Li Qiao’s phone vibrated again, and she glanced at it to find it was the same number. She straightforwardly hung up, then looked up at the unchanging handsome face of the man, "Not from Myanmar, he sells fried rice in Scarlet City."

The Flame Alliance boss who sells fried rice: "..."

What do you mean ’sells fried rice’? That fried rice stand is his family’s heritage, okay!

Upon hearing this, Shang Yu slightly raised an eyebrow, "A man?"

Li Qiao was about to nod when she saw his mysterious expression. She held back a laugh and calmly nodded, "Yes, a man, almost forty."

The Flame Alliance boss in Scarlet City, who was only twenty-nine: "..."

Li Qiao, it’s not that you lack a conscience; you simply lack a heart.

The other side cursed and hung up the phone, seriously considering whether to add Li Qiao to the blacklist or not.

He had heard the entire conversation loud and clear.

It was an insult to his personality.

Of course, Li Qiao did not know this. She intended to hang up the call, but accidentally hit the answer button with a random poke.

And so, the Flame Alliance boss in Scarlet City looked up at the sky, increasingly feeling that Li Qiao’s brain wasn’t functioning properly.

Twenty-nine and forty are nearly a whole cycle apart.

...

In a private mansion with Huizhou-style architecture, the black, white, and gray tones matched the mountain and water-facing building pattern, blending ancient elegance and simple artistry, making one feel as if the old capital had been revived.

In the Huizhou-style garden of the backyard, Li Qiao sat near the skylight of the through hall corridor, looking around at the carved windows, and her heavy mood gradually settled.

Soon, Luoyu approached from the other side holding a cup of clear tea, "Miss Li, have some tea first. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Thank you." Li Qiao took the tea cup and smiled slightly, "Is this courtyard rented or purchased?"

Luoyu nodded and said, "It was a gift. The boss has a collaboration with the Longhuai Su Family, and this house was also a gift from them."

Li Qiao sipped her tea and looked up at the carved dragons and phoenixes in the skylight’s eaves, "The Su Embroidery heritage family?"

"Yes."

Li Qiao raised her eyebrows slightly, "Does Yan Emperor also delve into traditional crafts?"

She had always thought that Yan Emperor Group focused mainly on high-tech industries.

After all, her initial research indicated that medical and artificial intelligence were their main development directions.

Luoyu looked at Li Qiao and carefully explained, "It’s just a discussion of cooperation, not a key project."

As they were speaking, Shang Yu’s figure gradually came into view from across the corridor.

The man’s shirt collar was undone, two buttons left open. With one hand in his pocket, his long legs wrapped in suit trousers walked leisurely. The breeze coming through the hall ruffled his hair, adding a touch of wild elegance to his demeanor.

Li Qiao handed the tea cup to Luoyu as she saw him and stood up to meet the man. They met in the middle of the corridor, "Where have you been?"

"Doing some errands," Shang Yu raised his arm, resting it naturally on her shoulders.

Luoyu stood with the tea cup, and as they drew closer, he said in a low voice, "Boss, Zhui Feng called just now, saying there’s a meeting he hopes you could attend."

Shang Yu looked at Li Qiao by his side and said, "Postpone it. No business talks in Longhuai."

Luoyu acknowledged the order, then stepped back to the side and remained silent.

At this moment, Li Qiao inexplicably felt like she had become a calamitous enchantress. She lazily lifted her eyes, "If you’re busy, you can go ahead. I can..."

"Weren’t you wanting me to accompany you around Longhuai?" However, before she could finish speaking, the man narrowed his eyes and lowered his eyelids, his expression quite thought-provoking.

Li Qiao met his gaze, and, realizing belatedly, nodded, "Oh, right, you need to accompany me."

Shang Yu’s frown relaxed, and Luoyu was stunned.

Who was comforting whom at this point?

It appeared as though Mr. Shang was indulging Miss Li, but in reality... it was Miss Li who clearly held the dominant position.

Whatever she said, went. Unbelievable.

...

For lunch, the table was filled with Longhuai’s specialty dishes.

After cooking, the servants from the kitchen all went back to their quarters, not daring to overstep.

Li Qiao, holding her bowl, ate in small bites, and the man occasionally offered her some food. There wasn’t much conversation between them, but the atmosphere was warm and harmonious nonetheless.

After the meal, it wasn’t even half past one in the afternoon.

Shang Yu took Li Qiao out of the house, got into the car, and went straight for North City Old Street.

It still preserved the original appearance of the ancient town, with narrow alleys and deep lanes intertwined in a comprehensive and orderly maze.

Su Embroidery Manor was the most representative old shop here.

This was also the first time Li Qiao and Shang Yu walked through the unfamiliar Old Street, not avoiding pedestrians, moving through the bustling crowd just like any ordinary couple, stopping and going.

Of course, they quickly became a part of the scenery in other people’s eyes.

In this era, there was no shortage of handsome men and beautiful women.

But Li Qiao’s delicate face and Shang Yu’s excessively handsome features, along with his nearly 1.9-meter-tall stature, overshadowed even the Su Embroidery culture in the Old Street.

Especially since they were followed by a stern-faced man and woman who looked like bodyguards.

The surrounding tourists gradually slowed their pace. What scenery to look at, when there were faces to admire?

The man was cold yet dashing, the girl beautiful and assertive, what kind of divine combination was this?

In a blink, the divine combination entered the old-established store, Su Embroidery Manor.

Li Qiao wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about textile crafts; as far as she could see, the entire Su Embroidery Manor was filled with various kinds of embroidery products and quite a few hand-made qipaos.

At the store entrance, a tailor upon seeing them immediately came forward rubbing his hands, with an especially ingratiating smile, "Mr. Shang, you’ve come."

Shang Yu nodded slightly to him, and the old tailor immediately gestured towards the inner hall, "Please come this way, sir. Our master is handling some affairs and will join you shortly."

Before long, Li Qiao and Shang Yu were led to the tea room in the inner hall, where snacks and hot tea were laid out. After a few customary polite words, the old tailor turned and left.

Li Qiao looked around, casually picked up a Su Embroidery brochure from the table, "Are you planning to buy Su Embroidery?"

The man’s posture was elegantly relaxed as he crossed his legs, his right hand resting on the table, fingers tapping twice. His gaze swept over her, "Hmm, I’m considering it."

Li Qiao didn’t overlook the gaze that lingered on her, even if just for an instant, it was exceedingly direct.

She didn’t ponder it and casually browsed through the Su Embroidery brochure when the sound of footsteps approached from outside the tea room.

"Mr. Su, we apologize for the theft of the exhibit. We will cooperate with the international police to solve this case as soon as possible. There’s no need to see us out, please stay," someone said.

Theft of the exhibit?

International police?

Li Qiao caught these keywords, followed by a low and steady voice, "Then we’ll leave it in your hands."