The Favored Heiress
Chapter 563: What a big kid

Chapter 563: Chapter 563: What a big kid

Indeed, the internationally renowned master thief Mo Jue was picked up off the streets by his second brother, Li Yan, by chance.

Mo Jue’s real name is Mo Mo, and he claims to be an orphan, spending his days as a minor street punk.

He supposedly never went to school, but he seemed to have a knack for many things without being taught.

Li Yan also tried to investigate his identity, only to find out in the end that he was unregistered.

The reason for taking him in was that one time on a foreign street, Li Yan, holding a baguette he had just bought, was planning to go back to the hotel to eat.

But just as he stepped out of the bakery, he unexpectedly received news of an art exhibition opening and casually threw the two baguettes to Mo Jue, who was squatting by the roadside, lost in thought.

He thought he was a begging vagrant.

In reality, Mo Jue was searching for a target, intending to steal a couple of bucks to buy bread.

As it turned out, the two baguettes Li Yan tossed to him were exactly the treats he had been craving for a long time.

At that moment, clutching the baguettes and looking at Li Yan standing against the light, Mo Jue felt he was even more radiant than any heaven-sent savior.

After that, he became Li Yan’s little follower.

Not only that, but as they got to know each other better, Mo Jue discovered Li Yan’s love for famous paintings, and so he began to study his preferences.

Whatever the boss liked, he would steal it for him.

Like the chocolate Li Yan casually picked up and looked at in the supermarket.

Like the Durex that caught Li Yan’s curiosity on the shelf, causing him to take a few more glances.

And the beginning of stealing famous paintings was in the Muda Palace Museum, where Li Yan stood in front of a unique painting, admiring it for a long while, loving it more and more, until finally he sighed wistfully, "How wonderful it would be if this painting were mine."

Thus, at three o’clock in the morning that night, when Li Yan got up to go to the bathroom, he unexpectedly found the painting in the hotel’s bathtub.

There’s no need to describe his feelings at that moment, but Li Yan would always remember the embarrassment of being scared to the point of peeing himself on the spot.

...

Five minutes had passed, and Li Yan was talking until he was out of breath.

Mo Jue was still holding the black bag, standing in the same spot and gazing at him earnestly.

At this point, Li Yan didn’t care about the reaction of the others, standing by Li Qiao’s side, he nudged her with his shoulder, "Qiaoqiao, are you going to say something?"

Li Qiao gave him a sidelong glance, slightly turning her body towards Song Liao, "What do you plan to do with him?"

Song Lao Liu wiped his face, looking helplessly at Li Yan, "Mr. Li, you are encouraging his wrongdoing."

Li Yan was about to nod when Mo Jue got upset, "Don’t you speak ill of my boss!"

"Shut your mouth," Li Yan scolded with a frown, and Mo Jue immediately fell silent.

Li Qiao’s eyelids drooped as she curled a finger to rub her nose, "Has the International Criminal Police Organization issued a red notice for him?"

Song Liao pursed his lips and shook his head, "His case is rather special. The charge of theft is established, but indeed he hasn’t profited from it. How to handle this specifically, I need to go back and discuss it with the central bureau."

For a moment, everyone looked towards Mo Jue.

Li Yan was even more troubled as he ran his hand through his hair; although this little follower always annoyed him, the only reason he stole the paintings was to please him.

Thinking of this, Li Yan pulled Li Qiao by the elbow and took her to the corner behind the display cabinet, "Qiaoqiao, this is my fault, he’s just a kid. Can you ask your friend to let him go this once? From now on, I’ll make sure to discipline him properly."

A kid?

Mo Jue did seem quite young, and...

Leaning against the display cabinet, Li Qiao glanced through the double-glazed window at Mo Jue, who clearly looked confused, "How old is she?"

"Twenty-three."

Li Qiao’s face was expressionless as she withdrew her gaze, "Twenty-three years old, really just a big kid."

Seeing her complexion darken slightly, Li Yan stepped forward in a flurry, "Baby, if we really need to give an explanation, let that Mr. Song take me away instead."

Though he bossed Mo Jue around, the kid was ultimately someone he had raised for a long time. If the child were taken away, their life would be ruined.

After thinking it over, Li Yan felt this was the most reliable method. He sighed, turned to Mo Jue and said, "Don’t let her age fool you. Despite being twenty-three, she’s practically like a child at heart.

When I met him two years ago, he couldn’t even write, and he had forgotten a lot of things.

Let them take me away, and I’ll bear whatever comes my way. As for him... could you take care of him for a while?"

With a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, Li Qiao curled her lips, "Do you like her?"

"What the heck?" Li Yan pointed to his nose in disbelief, "Do I look like I’m gay? Huh?"

It all made sense now.

So the second-hand dealer he had been raising Mo Jue for over two years and still didn’t know she was a girl?

It seemed... not even Xia Siyu and the others had noticed.

Mo Jue had delicate features, a palm-sized face, almond-shaped eyes, but with a sharply defined jawline adding a touch of masculinity. Paired with her short hair and slender figure, indeed... it was easy to mistake her for a boy.

Li Qiao did not respond directly to Li Yan, instead, she looked at him deeply and walked past the display case.

Standing a few steps from Mo Jue, she raised an eyebrow, "Come with me."

"Why? Who are you?" Mo Jue asked defiantly, with a stiff neck.

Then, Li Yan strode forward and smacked the back of her head, "She’s your ancestor."

Mo Jue stumbled slightly from the slap, pouting as she glanced at him, "Alright, alright, I get it."

...

Before long, Li Qiao led Mo Jue to a collection room modified from a secondary bedroom behind the display case.

Two valuable Taishi Chairs were placed in the corner of the room. Li Qiao took her seat and looked up to see that Mo Jue was still standing in place, holding onto the painting of Ti Xiang.

She gestured towards the Taishi Chair next to her, "Sit down."

Mo Jue, still holding the painting, took a small step back and shook her head hurriedly, "No, thanks, Ancestor, I’ll just stand."

Li Qiao looked at the black cloth bag in her arms, her tone light, "Isn’t it tiring to hold onto that?"

"Not tiring," Mo Jue replied promptly, clutching the painting even tighter as she spoke.

This was a painting for the boss; she couldn’t put it down.

Li Qiao leaned back on the armrest of the Taishi Chair, her gaze piercing as she stared at Mo Jue, who looked back innocently.

Those eyes seemed to have their own voice, clear and flawless.

Suppressing a smile at the corner of her mouth, Li Qiao tapped her fingers on the armrest, "You’re a girl, aren’t you?"

Mo Jue blinked without showing signs of nervousness or guilt, responding only with silence.

And silence was as good as a confirmation.

"Is there a reason?" Li Qiao asked casually, her gaze slanted, her tone smooth and not implying accusation or blame, more like idle chit-chat.

Mo Jue’s lips twitched as if she wanted to speak but then hesitated.

Li Qiao did not press her, patiently waiting for her to let down her guard.

It took only half a minute before Mo Jue finally lowered her head and murmured, "Because it’s safer this way, I was like this before I met the boss."

Having struggled to survive at the bottom of society for years, she knew how filthy the world could be. To protect herself, she had no other