The Favored Heiress
Chapter 644: It’s Enough That You Care About Me Alone

Chapter 644: Chapter 644: It’s Enough That You Care About Me Alone

Shang Yu closed the folder and placed it at the corner of the desk, pocketing one hand as he approached Li Qiao. His warm fingertips brushed aside the stray hair on her cheek, "He won’t have any thoughts."

Li Qiao arched her eyebrows, her eyes reflecting deep thought, "Are you sure?"

The man stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with his arm resting on her shoulder, glancing at her before gazing at the distant mountains, "Others might, but he, it’s difficult."

If a stranger had said this, Li Qiao might have thought it an exaggeration.

But Shang Yu never spoke lightly.

Li Qiao leaned against the man, allowing her body to draw closer to his, "Is it because he’s been hurt, or is it his nature? If he has no thoughts, why bother provoking Yin Er?"

He Chen looked like the quintessential playboy, and Yin Mo’s striking appearance would naturally attract him; there could be no fault in that.

At this moment, Shang Yu looked down at Li Qiao, his palm caressing her shoulder rhythmically, speaking with a meaningful tone, "If he had thoughts, he wouldn’t have provoked her."

Next, Li Qiao learned for the first time about He Chen’s past.

The young master of the Parma Nobility’s He Family, it was a pity his birth was not quite legitimate—he was an illegitimate child.

He Chen had once loved someone, his first love and also his most beloved.

On the day he held flowers and a diamond ring to propose, he caught the woman he loved most in the throes of passion with someone else.

From Shang Yu’s explanation, Li Qiao felt her perception of He Chen grow more complex.

"You mean, he never touched her before the wedding?"

Shang Yu sighed deeply and pulled her to sit down on the couch, "Her family was Muslim, their religious tradition forbade premarital relations."

Li Qiao gazed at him with a mix of humor and resignation, "That’s just an excuse."

The man massaged her head, his thin lips curving slightly, "Muslims do have this tradition, but she didn’t want to be with He Chen, mainly because his birth status wasn’t good enough."

Li Qiao pursed her lips in silence. Discovering the woman you love with someone else on the spot while proposing was indeed a melodramatic scene.

She believed that He Chen must have truly loved that woman to respect her ethnic traditions during their relationship, only to find out it was all a sham in the end.

Li Qiao tugged at the corner of her mouth, looking seriously at Shang Yu, "Yin Er and he are not of the same kind; it’s better if they don’t intersect at all."

Putting Yin Mo’s perspective aside, meeting a man like He Chen would undoubtedly be unfortunate for her.

"Then it’s up to Yin Mo’s fate," Shang Yu said with a deep look, picking up the document from the desk again and glancing at Li Qiao, "Worried about her?"

Li Qiao crossed her legs and leaned against the armrest, murmuring softly, "It’s not worry, I just don’t want to see her mocked. Yin Er isn’t so heinous, and her situation is probably more difficult than any of us can imagine. First Xiao Yehui, then Xiao Yeyan, and if He Chen is added to the mix, her path is too rough."

The living room fell into a silent pause.

Li Qiao didn’t receive an answer from Shang Yu. Lifting her eyelids, she saw the man’s deep eyes fixed on her unwaveringly.

As their eyes met, the atmosphere became somewhat delicate.

Li Qiao cleared her throat, puzzled, "What’s the matter?"

Shang Yu fidgeted with the papers, leaning in closer to her, "When will you put all your energy on me?"

Li Qiao: "..."

She chuckled lightly, touching her forehead and replied instinctively, "My energy has always been on you."

All of this, everything she cared about, was related to him.

Otherwise, Yin Mo’s choice wouldn’t matter at all.

Shang Yu pinched the folder and tossed it onto the table, hooked Li Qiao’s neck, and said in a deep voice, "Then caring about me alone is enough."

No sooner had his words fallen than he circled her waist with his arms and gently lifted her onto his lap.

Leaning against the couch, his strong and muscular arms tightly embraced Li Qiao. "Whether it’s Yin Mo or Xiao Yehui, I’ll handle them. Instead of wasting your energy on irrelevant people, why not think about our matters, hmm?"

Li Qiao’s heart skipped a beat as she closely observed Shang Yu’s brows and eyes, "What matters do we have?"

The man leisurely gazed at her, his eyes falling upon her lips, tilted his head, and took a light nip, "Figure it out yourself."

...

Twenty minutes later, Li Qiao wandered out of the living room absentmindedly.

Her lips numb, she walked and pondered—what exactly was the matter between her and Shang Yu?

Perhaps due to the multitude of recent trivial matters, even when Li Qiao reached the law firm, she still had no clue.

And her phone had also received three traffic violation text notifications.

Distracted driving for the first time, Li Qiao: "..."

In the law firm’s consultation room, Qi Nanhuai passed a paper cup to Li Qiao, "The first mediation for the will dispute has ended without effect; your aunt and uncle still advocate for the principle of equal property distribution."

Li Qiao took the cup and thanked him, then softly asked, "What’s next, continue with mediation or go to court?"

"Now that the mediation has failed, if they can accept a second mediation, we can continue to arrange it. If not, we have to formally initiate legal proceedings."

Li Qiao’s expression darkened as she pinched the paper cup slightly harder, "What did my grandfather say?"

Qi Nanhuai pursed his lips, shook his head with a sigh, "The old gentleman is unwilling to budge, sticking to the original distribution plan. If he were willing to take a step back, perhaps..."

"If Grandfather were willing to compromise, he wouldn’t have had the will notarized in advance." Li Qiao set down the cup, thought for a moment, and said, "Lawyer Qi, there’s no need to file for another round of mediation; start the lawsuit process directly."

Qi Nanhuai looked surprised and narrowed his eyes slightly, "You won’t try to negotiate any further?"

Li Qiao slowly stood up, leaning on the edge of the desk and spoke indifferently, "What can I possibly achieve with people who are only after their own interests?"

"All right, I will withdraw the mediation." Qi Nanhuai nodded in agreement, and with a sidelong glance at Li Qiao’s unusually composed expression, he pondered for a moment, then made a tentative statement, "Actually, there is no need for family disputes to go to court. If you voluntarily gave up your share of the inheritance, maybe..."

Li Qiao raised an eyebrow, interrupting him without warmth, "My voluntarily giving up my share would be tantamount to indirectly admitting that Grandfather’s distribution was unequal. Aside from slapping his face, it would only allow the undeserving to prevail."

Qi Nanhuai pursed his lips and nodded. It made sense.

The two discussed some details of the lawsuit, and as Qi Nanhuai was leaving, he gave Li Qiao a copy of the initial mediation report, "Here’s a copy of the first mediation document; you can take it home and have a look. Your aunt said something at the mediation session that I found very suspicious, so I noted it down."

Li Qiao took the document folder, didn’t open it, and asked with narrowed eyes, "What did she say?"

Qi Nanhuai spoke thoughtfully, "She said that even if the old gentleman’s property was to be divided, it should be given to one’s own family."

Li Qiao didn’t make a sound, smiled faintly, and left the law firm carrying the document.

...

Back in the car, Li Qiao threw the document onto the passenger seat and rested her hands on the steering wheel, deep in thought.

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her mind.

The document reminded her of Mr. and Mrs. Li, and subsequently, she remembered the scene before she left for Aida State when her parents interrogated her about getting married.