The Favored Heiress
Chapter 555: Interpol Song Lao Liu

Chapter 555: Chapter 555: Interpol Song Lao Liu

The man leaned casually against the back of a low stool, his deep gaze falling upon her, "Don’t like it?"

"I wouldn’t say that." Li Qiao, holding a teapot to refill tea, glanced at him, "I’ve never worn a cheongsam, and there isn’t really any occasion for me to wear one."

Shang Yu’s thin lips curved up in a meaningful arc, reaching over the low table to hook her fingers, "Never worn one, you say?"

Li Qiao unconsciously thought to shake her head, but suddenly, a scene flashed through her mind, and she fell silent.

On the day of the engagement banquet, she seemed to have worn a wine-red gown styled like a cheongsam.

Yes, wine-red.

What had he said back then?

It was too beautiful.

Li Qiao licked the corner of her mouth, narrowing her eyes, and regarded him with scrutiny, "You want me to wear a cheongsam all the time from now on?"

Shang Yu slowly shook his head, "Only at home."

Li Qiao turned her face to glance outside the cabin, then looked back at him, unable to suppress a chuckle, "For your eyes only?"

"What else?"

It seemed so obvious.

Li Qiao propped up her forehead and after a while couldn’t help but laugh.

Of course, she hadn’t expected that later, the night the cheongsam was rush-delivered to the South Sea, the first time she walked up to him, curves elegantly outlined by the handmade cheongsam, everything got out of control. The wine-red, exquisitely embroidered cheongsam was directly torn by him.

It was torn on the bed.

...

The next day, the two of them went to a vacation resort in the suburbs, standing amidst the lush and boundless mountain wetlands, feeling exceptionally open-minded.

As evening approached, the sky was veiled in a thin layer of clouds. Li Qiao and Shang Yu also began their journey home.

During the two days in Longhuai, they roamed the streets and alleys of the ancient city, and sat on a tour boat to experience the misty rain of Suhang.

Although it was a brief time, these two days without external disturbances, immersed in the beauty of Suhang, the comfortable and relaxing atmosphere indeed smoothed the impatience in their hearts.

As the plane climbed to an altitude of ten thousand meters, Li Qiao watched the city of Longhuai shrink in the cabin window, smiled, and closed her eyes, leaning against the seatback to catch up on sleep.

At nine o’clock at night, the plane landed in the South Sea.

Li Qiao turned off airplane mode on her phone, and a message popped up:

Song Lao Liu: I’m in the country

The content was concise, without even a punctuation mark, but it was quite in Song Lao Liu’s style.

Li Qiao pondered for a few seconds, then replied to him: I’m in the South Sea.

Song Lao Liu: Good

Li Qiao looked at the chat box, pursing her lips and sighed silently.

Song Lao Liu, as an international police officer, had long been moving between countries. Even if she didn’t mention it, he must have known about Xiao Yehui’s situation.

However, his arrival in the country at this time seemed quite coincidental.

Su Yujing had mentioned that the international police had been tracking the whereabouts of the master thief Mo Jue, maybe referring to Song Lao Liu.

...

Time swiftly passed, and three days went by.

Life was so peaceful that there were no ripples to speak of, or in other words, nothing happened.

Xiao Yehui’s return from the dead seemed like a ludicrous dream, and when they awoke, nothing had changed.

But beneath the surface of this calm, there seemed to be brewing even more turbulent waves.

That day at noon, Zong Yue came to the Research Institute to have lunch with Li Qiao.

After registering with the guard downstairs, she carried a thermal lunch box up to the third floor.

Li Qiao was waiting for her at the stair entrance, wearing a white lab coat. Seeing the lunch box in her hands, she raised her eyebrows.

Zong Yue held the lunch box with one hand and looked up with a radiant smile, "Qiaoqiao, I’ve come to have lunch with you."

Li Qiao put her hands in her pockets, eyeing her, "Did you make this yourself?"

"Yeah," Zong Yue jogged up the steps, cradling the lunchbox in her hands as if it were treasure, "I’ve been free these past few days, so I took the opportunity to study some recipes at home. Today I made four dishes, you should try them later and see how they taste."

Li Qiao: "..."

She thought her sister-in-law had come to invite her for a meal, not realizing she had come to be her ’guinea pig’.

With a novice chef in the kitchen, Li Qiao felt she shouldn’t get her hopes up.

A few minutes later, the two were sitting in the conference room. Li Qiao had a slice of cucumber in her mouth, unable to swallow it or spit it out.

Why was the scrambled eggs with cucumber so bitter?

It was so bitter it made her scalp tingle.

On the other hand, Zong Yue was looking at her with hopeful eyes, stars practically shining in them, "How is it? Does it taste good?"

Li Qiao gulped down the whole slice of cucumber as if swallowing a date whole, turned her head with a solemn air, and asked the soul-searching question, "Didn’t you taste it yourself?"

Zong Yue shook her head seriously, "No, I didn’t. I made it especially for you following the recipe."

She really hadn’t tasted it; she was so focused on cooking it quickly and bringing it over to Qiaoqiao so she wouldn’t have to wait too long.

Li Qiao silently put down her chopsticks, "Have you ever made this for your husband?"

Zong Yue still shook her head, "If you think it tastes good, I’ll make it for him tonight."

Li Qiao felt like a little lab rat being experimented on.

She swallowed, the bitter taste still stuck in her throat, "Sister-in-law, maybe you should just... focus on your job."

Zong Yue glanced at the stir-fried dish, which looked quite presentable, and then at Li Qiao’s indescribable expression. She was struck by a thought, picked up another pair of chopsticks, and tasted the dish.

Then she spat it out.

"Cough, it’s so bitter," Zong Yue’s face was screwed up in distaste. Scrambled eggs with cucumber shouldn’t be bitter like stir-fried bitter melon. Where did the bitterness come from?

Li Qiao composed herself, smoothly shifting the topic, "I’ve picked out two companies for you."

Zong Yue’s previously downcast expression instantly brightened, "Ah? Two?"

"Yes. The first is the research institute. Although there isn’t a formal appointment, they will sign an official labor contract with you. The position is for a human resources officer, no overtime, eight to five.

The second is a fund company, same position, nine to six. You might need to work overtime occasionally, and the company is located in the South Sea Technology Park."

The nature of both jobs was similar, the only difference being their location.

The research institute was in the development zone, not far from King’s Bay Villa.

But the fund company was in the Technology Park, a forty-minute drive away without traffic.

Zong Yue was uncertain, pondering for a long time without reaching a decision.

Seeing this, Li Qiao smoothed out the lab coat she was wearing and suggested, "You don’t need to rush your decision. I’ll send you the company profiles later, and you can think about it."

Zong Yue breathed a sigh of relief and began cleaning the table while nodding, "Then I’ll think about it and give you an answer tomorrow, okay?"

"That’s fine, no rush."

...

Out of guilt, Zong Yue insisted on taking Li Qiao out for a lavish meal.

After dinner, Li Qiao returned to the research institute. Before she could enter the building, her phone rang in her pocket.

It was an unfamiliar number.

After looking at it for a few seconds, she answered, and a voice that was both familiar and formal said, "Kid, where are you?"

Song Lao Liu, a man of few words and always serious.

Always wearing a poker face he called her "kid."

Li Qiao stood in the lobby downstairs, smiling softly, "You’re in South Sea?"

"Just arrived, at gate six of the airport. Come pick me up?"

As an Interpol officer, Song Lao Liu spoke and handled matters with a kind of unabating firmness that was hard to refuse.

Li Qiao looked at the time on her wristwatch, "Come by taxi, to the South Sea Research Institute."

Song Lao Liu paused for a second, "Oh, got it."