The Favored Heiress
Chapter 558: The Capricious Mo Jue

Chapter 558: Chapter 558: The Capricious Mo Jue

The infamous and elusive international thief Mo Jue had never been seen, and no one even knew whether they were male or female.

The international police force was constantly troubled by him, and Song Lao Liu had also been tracking him for years.

Why would a master thief who only stole famous paintings and treasures take his wallet?

The only plausible explanation was that he knew Song Liao’s identity and was attempting to create trouble for him domestically.

Without identification, Song Lao Liu would have trouble investigating cases smoothly within the country.

Even if he applied for new documentation, it would take time.

So then...

Li Qiao thought while tapping on the desk, and a few seconds later, her eyes flashed, "Are there any art exhibitions or high-end jewelry exhibitions in the country recently?"

Song Liao said with a serious face, "Yes, there’s the traveling exhibition of Daqianji’s traditional Chinese paintings, and the first stop is South Sea, which is why I came here."

To track down Mo Jue over the years, Song Lao Liu had paid close attention to major international and domestic art exhibitions, and even his own artistic senses had significantly improved.

Li Qiao’s mouth curved into a knowing smile, "When is the exhibition?"

"Next Wednesday."

Relaxing against the chair, Li Qiao smiled profoundly, "Then... let’s meet this Mo Jue together."

...

Half an hour later, Li Qiao took Song Liao out for a meal and gave him a bank card.

At the dinner table, Song Liao accepted the bank card with a goofy smile, "Thanks, kiddo."

Li Qiao took a sip of water, scrutinizing him meticulously.

Actually, of all the Seven Sons, Song Lao Liu was the least articulate.

He wasn’t particularly handsome, but he had an extraordinary memory, able to recount in detail the features of people and events he had encountered at a glance.

Song Lao Liu, reportedly had autism as a child, had some defects in personality, but that didn’t prevent him from making very acute and unique judgments on many things.

For instance, it wasn’t until two hours after meeting with Li Qiao that he mentioned the elder brother Xiao Yehui.

Song Liao said, "I must have been the first one to see the news of Duke Charlman revealing his true identity because I happened to be handling a case abroad at the time."

Li Qiao gently caressed the cup with one hand, her eyes half-drooping, her expression indifferent.

Song Liao locked his tiger-like eyes on Li Qiao, "Kiddo, although I don’t know exactly what happened, since he has become Duke Charlman, from now on... he probably belongs to a different world."

This was the initial judgment of an international detective.

"How so?" Li Qiao looked back at Song Lao Liu with a playful retort.

She had never said a bad word about Xiao Yehui, even blurred the processes, yet Lao Liu somehow had such thoughts.

At that moment, Song Liao analyzed seriously, "He’s not dead but hides his face—there must be a hard situation or something to conceal. No matter which it is, he’s already set boundaries with us."

What a beastly intuition.

Li Qiao turned her face away to look out the window, "Indeed, that’s true."

Song Lao Liu was probably the only one among the Seven Sons who could face the resurrection of Xiao Yehui calmly and without emotional turmoil.

Due to his lack of intense emotional experiences, he could handle any change with composure.

At seven o’clock in the evening, Li Qiao dropped Song Liao back at River View Grand Court and also arranged for the Li Family butler to deliver a car for his use.

Once he entered the apartment building, Li Qiao withdrew her gaze and picked up her phone to make a call.

But before her fingers touched the screen, a WeChat message from Shang Yu popped up.

Shang Yu: When are you coming home?

Li Qiao replied with a few words and then started the engine and left River View Grand Court.

...

It wasn’t even eight in the evening when Li Qiao entered the Mansion’s living room. Under the dim lighting, the man was seated on the sofa with crossed legs, examining some documents.

Upon hearing footsteps, Shang Yu lifted his eyelids. The lamplight melted into his pupils, and his lips curved up as he spread his palm towards her, "Where have you been?"

Li Qiao walked over and took his hand, summarizing Song Lao Liu’s situation in just a few words.

Shang Yu handed her the document from his lap, his palm stroking the back of her head, "Want to help him catch Mo Jue?"

"Yes, all his documents were taken by Mo Jue. It’s too time-consuming and effortful to reapply for everything, better to just capture the person."

As Li Qiao spoke, she took the document and opened it up to see it was a hand-drawn design sketch of a cheongsam.

Seeing the cheongsam, she thought of Su Yujing and raised an eyebrow at Shang Yu, "Lao Liu said that the Su Embroidery Thangka painting has already been returned."

The man met her gaze, his eyes soft with a gentle shimmer, "That does seem to fit his usual style."

"You know him?" Li Qiao leaned back against Shang Yu’s shoulder and turned her head to look at him upon hearing this.

Shang Yu looked out the window with a farsighted gaze, a smile on his lips, "Two years ago, Mo Jue sneaked into Feng Yi’s collection castle and took a diamond. Three days later, it was found by a maid in a fish tank."

Li Qiao: "..."

What kind of person was this?

Mysterious in identity, erratic in actions, radiating an exasperating air all around.

...

Meanwhile, as the moon descended to the window ledge,

Zong Yue, clutching a pillow absentmindedly, was watching TV. Her eyes occasionally drifted to the wall clock as the hands ticked round and round, yet Li Jun had not returned.

Half an hour later, the sound of a car engine came from outside the villa.

Zong Yue dropped the pillow and, wearing slip-on slippers, ran towards the foyer.

When the door opened, a wave of alcohol mixed with the cool breeze rushed in.

Li Jun’s foreign affairs assistant was supporting him as he walked in. Seeing Zong Yue, he smiled sheepishly, "Madam, there was a dinner party with some city officials tonight, the Secretary-General... drank a little too much."

Zong Yue smiled gracefully and moved forward to take Li Jun’s arm, "Let me take care of him. Thank you for your trouble."

"Not at all, not at all. Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading back."

After the foreign affairs assistant left, Zong Yue draped Li Jun’s arm over her shoulder and, with her other hand around his waist, helped him towards the living room.

Li Jun was drunk, but still semi-conscious.

Propping up his foggy mind, he sprawled on the sofa, rubbing his forehead, his bleary eyes gazing at Zong Yue, "Why haven’t you gone to bed yet?"

"I couldn’t sleep. Wait a moment, I’ll go make you some sobering tea."

She was about to leave when Li Jun grabbed her wrist, "No need for the tea, stay with me a while."

Zong Yue bit her lip corner, sighing as she squatted in front of the sofa, "You should drink less in the future. Even with social obligations, frequent heavy drinking isn’t good for your health."

Since they had been married, Li Jun had gotten drunk several times.

She understood that some social interactions required drinking to warm up the atmosphere but always felt distressed when seeing him uncomfortable after getting drunk.

Li Jun lifted his eyelids, his peripheral vision falling on Zong Yue’s face. The light was warm, the temperature just right, a homely wife waiting for her late-returning husband.

These clear cognitions flickered through Li Jun’s mind and, perhaps under the influence of alcohol, he slowly pulled Zong Yue by the shoulders and drew her into a deep kiss.

Their lips and teeth intertwined, with an extreme closeness.

It wasn’t their first kiss, but when Li Jun was moved, he always made Zong Yue feel a kind of electrifying torment with hot and cold sensations clashing.

His kisses were fervent and intense, starkly different from his usual serious and rigid demeanor.