The Favored Heiress
Chapter 591: Our Miss Invites You

Chapter 591: Chapter 591: Our Miss Invites You

Diamond Hall, located on the third floor.

Within the nearly thousand square meter sales area, diamonds sparkling like the stars filled one’s view, dazzling to the eyes.

On the left were raw gemstones untouched by cutting or polishing, and on the right were exquisitely crafted loose diamonds, ranging from one carat to over ten carats, arrayed inside display cases in all their splendor.

In the Diamond Hall alone, there were no less than twenty bodyguards.

Li Qiao strolled to the vicinity of the loose diamonds display case, glanced over casually, and her gaze landed on a five-carat D-grade loose diamond.

"Miss, this loose diamond is priced at one million and five hundred thousand, with a purity of IF grade and an EX cutting process. If you like it..."

The sales guide manager was dutifully pitching diamonds to Li Qiao. Although she was looking down, her face was not clear, but one of the two men accompanying her was the Border’s Third Master Li.

A renowned arms dealer, exceedingly wealthy.

The price of this diamond was a mere trifle to Third Master Li.

As expected, upon hearing the sales manager’s pitch, Li San had already walked over with large strides. He hadn’t studied diamonds, glanced following Li Qiao’s gaze, and reached for his wallet to swipe his card, "Take it if you like it."

"I don’t like it." Li Qiao softly and faintly turned her face away and walked towards another display case.

She had collected diamonds before, but she was not particularly fond of them, only purchasing when both the quality and the craftsmanship were top-notch.

However, at a place like the underground market, she wouldn’t touch even the finest goods.

Because their origins were unclear, and their prices artificially inflated.

Li San watched her retreating figure and chuckled lightly, slipping the card back into his pocket.

Indeed, Diamond Hall had nothing much of interest. Before long, they went to the Antique Hall next door.

Just as the sales manager had said, there were even fewer people in the Antique Hall.

After all, serious collectors seldom came to the underground market at the border to purchase antiques.

Inside, the decor sported an austere, dark red that added a touch of solemnity and grandeur.

Porcelain, vases, calligraphy and paintings, Buddha statues, and other antiques were visible everywhere.

Li Qiao aimlessly walked around, and just as she passed a coral bone ornament, she caught a glimpse of a government kiln celadon-glazed string-patterned antique vase on the curio shelves.

Hm?

She stopped and looked closely at it for a moment, a smile flickering in her eyes.

So this vase was in the underground market at the Border.

As Li Qiao was intently observing, a shadow descended from above her head, and turning back, she found herself face to face with Shang Yu’s profound pupils.

The man rested a hand on her shoulder, leaning in to look at the curio shelf, "Thinking of buying this vase?"

"Not for now." Li Qiao murmured with a curved lip, looking sideways at his profile, her gaze inadvertently sweeping past the angled backside. Unexpectedly, she saw the sales manager who had brought them here standing in a corner covering a phone with his hand and whispering something.

His occasional sly glances towards them had not escaped Li Qiao’s notice.

With a cooling gaze, she pursed her lips, "Trouble."

If she had known the underground market was Dan Ying’s territory, she certainly wouldn’t have come tonight.

She simply didn’t want to expose herself at the Border.

Dan Min was the epitome of a spoiled heiress, with a narrow mind and pettiness, only she could bully others. If someone angered her, they would at best get beaten up, at worst, killed.

One could say that the formerly prominent Border Seven Sons were a thorn in Dan Min’s eye, especially Li Qiao, who had injured her.

At that moment, Shang Yu looped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his embrace, and whispered in her ear, "You can fight tonight, but you can’t get hurt, okay?"

Clearly, he too had noticed some changes in the Antique Hall.

Hearing his caution, Li Qiao arched her eyebrows, sighing lightly, "I’ll try my best."

Even back then, she and Dan Min had only fought to a draw.

The year-round underground Female Fist King must have honed her skills to be even tougher.

And since her return to South Sea, she had slacked off a bit.

...

Ten minutes later, the sales manager approached with a sheepish smile, "Hello, miss, our young mistress requests your presence."

At that moment, Li Qiao was looking down at a set of bronze ware in the display case, her cheeks framed by a few loose strands of hair, "If she wants to see me, let her come here herself."

The sales manager was slightly taken aback, his smile faltering as he continued, "Miss, I suggest you come with me. Our young mistress... she has a bit of a temper."

Li Qiao said indifferently, "So do I."

The sales manager was about to offer a few more words of persuasion when the man in the black shirt beside her cracked his knuckles and rapped on the display case, "See anything you like?"

Li Qiao pursed her lips disappointedly and shook her head, "No, most of these are reproductions, only good for deceiving the clueless fools."

The sales manager’s face soured instantly.

He hurriedly looked around, thankfully not many people had heard.

This was an underground marketplace, labeled ’underground,’ how could you expect it to be entirely legit?

Mixing the fake with the real was already considered quite good here.

The sales manager thought Li Qiao was a thorn in his side, no wonder she had caught the young mistress’s attention.

Was it because Third Master Li was present that she dared to speak her mind?

"Miss, you can’t just say whatever you want." The sales manager intended to offer a kind reminder, if it weren’t for Third Master Li’s face, he wouldn’t bother being so welcoming with a smile.

As he spoke, Li Qiao didn’t even bother to pay him any attention, walking back to a greenglazed vase from the official kiln with Shang Yu and motioning with her lips, "What do you think about this one?"

The two of them discussed the vase’s age and texture as if no one else was around.

Watching for a while and seeing Li Qiao unmoved, the manager turned and ran out to report the situation to Dan Min.

...

In less than five minutes, the other customers in the Antique Hall were temporarily asked to leave.

Two rows of bouncers blocked the door, and in between their ranks, Dan Min slowly walked in wearing a black tank top and black cargo pants.

She had an above-average appearance, willow leaf eyebrows, phoenix eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a very distinct facial contour.

But her shoulders were wide, her frame large, and she was tall; plus, due to years of boxing, her muscles were too well-defined, making it hard to identify her feminine traits from behind.

At that time, Li San and Nan Xin were sitting in the VIP rest area. Hearing the commotion, they looked up in unison, then quickly lowered their heads again to mind their own business.

Dan Min didn’t know Li San well; they didn’t even nod to each other in passing.

Therefore, as she stepped in her military boots into the Antique Hall, she glanced over the resting area as if it were nothing before heading straight towards Li Qiao.

Deep within her gaze, however, she was distractedly observing Shang Yu.

She had grown up on the border and had seen countless men.

But the one by Li Qiao’s side, whether in appearance, demeanor, or elegance, none could surpass him.

Dan Min was prideful by nature, and very few men could catch her eye.

This one did.

Dan Min, nearly 1.8 meters tall, planted herself behind Li Qiao and opened with a taunt, "Li Qiao, you really are hard to please, aren’t you?"

As Li Qiao led Shang Yu along the counter, she heard Dan Min’s voice but didn’t even lift her head as she replied, "If you know I’m hard to please, then don’t bother trying."

"You’re right, that’s why I came," said Dan Min, her arms crossed, the muscles on her exposed arms bulging with well-defined lines.