The Favored Heiress
Chapter 719: Who Else But You Could Arrange My Life?

Chapter 719: Chapter 719: Who Else But You Could Arrange My Life?

Ah Chang, gripping the steering wheel, said seriously, "The old master has always been quite well, except for his rheumatism; there have been no major issues."

Li Qiao rested her elbow on the car window, eyeing the roadside wilderness. After a moment, she took out her phone and made an overseas call.

Meng Jun, in Aida State, was surprised, "You need me for something?"

Li Qiao, not in the mood for pleasantries, got straight to the point, "Why did you have a falling out with the teacher back then?"

Meng Jun’s breath grew heavy, "Why ask this? It’s been said, ’betraying one’s master and ancestors’; what other reason could there be?"

The residents of the Poor People’s Kiln were always united, but Meng Jun was an exception.

At this time, Li Qiao, touching her own nails, drew out her words, "Will you tell me yourself, or should I investigate?"

Meng Jun flicked his tongue against his cheek and, grabbing his pack of cigarettes, walked out of his office.

His footsteps were clearly audible, and Li Qiao didn’t hurry him, patiently waiting.

Before long, Meng Jun lit a cigarette, standing alone in the recreation room. He spoke in a low and harsh tone, "There’s no need to investigate. To put it nicely, I grew tired of the daily training. To put it unpleasantly, I no longer wanted to be his tool or puppet. If that counts as betraying one’s master and ancestors, then there’s nothing more I have to say."

Li Qiao pursed her lips, her brows knitted slightly, "Tool and puppet?"

Meng Jun took a drag from his cigarette and said in a sheepish tone, "You might not feel it, since you’re young, and the old man cared for you the most. He never sent you on any tasks, so it’s understandable that you don’t know certain things.

In those years, although it seemed like we were training, we were actually sent out periodically to carry out tasks. Once or twice was fine, but as time went on, do you think others couldn’t see what was going on?

We were just a bunch of errand runners he kept in hand, using us as tools. He’s no charitable benefactor, moved by the plight of others; most of the people in the Poor People’s Kiln were his confidants. Who would believe he’s just an ordinary old man?"

Li Qiao really didn’t know any of this.

After some thought, she asked in a low voice, "What kind of tasks did you carry out?"

Meng Jun was silent for a moment before sighing, "We were sent to find or steal things—sometimes it was an auction, sometimes an intelligence station..."

Stopping there, Meng Jun was silent for a few seconds before chuckling, "It seems he really favored you the most, never sending you on any tasks and teaching you all the time. Was he afraid of not having a successor and saw you as the next in line?"

Li Qiao was speechless because what Meng Jun said was not unfounded.

Her current abilities and methods did indeed come from her teacher’s guidance.

Li Qiao ended the call with Meng Jun, leaning back in her chair, her thoughts tumultuous.

She vaguely felt the illusion of someone manipulating her entire life.

That teacher, who had cared for her in every small detail, the enlightener who taught her all she knew, and who had even introduced her to Prince Wu Lv—did he want nothing more than a successor?

She faintly remembered that all these years, it seemed no one knew the teacher’s full name.

Everyone revered him simply as: the old master.

And he was also the person she respected the most on the frontier, with feelings even deeper than those for the Seven Sons...

...

Five hours later, Ah Chang drove the SUV back to South Sea.

Yancheng City was just a city within South Sea’s proximity. As they drove off the freeway, they arrived at the Eastern Suburb Villa Area.

Upon reaching the long-unvisited Tangxi Garden villa, before entering, Li Qiao turned to Ah Chang, "You return to the frontier. Give the teacher a message for me."

Ah Chang stood firm and nodded, "Yes, tell me."

Li Qiao withdrew her gaze and looked at the villa’s front gate, "Tell him, I’ve seen Xiao Dingshan."

Ah Chang furrowed his brow; although he didn’t know who Xiao Dingshan was, he still nodded earnestly, "Alright, Miss Qi."

As the SUV pulled away, Li Qiao stood in place, watching the receding taillights, a barely perceptible faint smile flickering at the corner of her lips. She unlocked the code lock and stepped into the villa.

As night fell, Li Qiao sat alone in the living room, her legs resting on the coffee table; the three beer cans on it were already empty.

She hadn’t turned on the light, only the dim ground light from the yard seeped in, casting a blurry illumination.

Ever since her return from Parma and then learning of the Jing family’s news,

a single day had passed, yet the timeline seemed stretched long and distant.

Li Qiao sipped her beer, the slightly cool liquid sliding down her throat, slowly calming the tumultuous emotions within her.

At that moment, the sound of a car engine came from outside the villa.

Li Qiao paid it no mind, sitting quietly organizing the clues in her mind.

Her phone on the table rang, its dim light reaching her eyes. Picking it up, she smiled as she answered, "Are you done with your work?"

Over the phone, the man’s magnetic and steady voice seemed to smooth over her troubles, "What are you doing?"

Li Qiao shook the beer can in her hand, "Drinking."

"Alone?"

Li Qiao hummed in affirmation, tilting her head back against the couch, her shoulders relaxed and her brows and eyes showing a hint of fatigue.

Shang Yu’s lips curved into a light smile, "Open the door."

Li Qiao took the phone from her ear, blinked, and hurriedly walked out of the room.

Outside, under the thick curtain of night, the man stood in his thin black shirt. He had one hand in his pocket, his physique tall and slender. A smile lingered in his deep eyes, behind him was her Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

In the driver’s seat was Liuyun, staring ahead, serving as a mere backdrop.

A jolt seemed to hit Li Qiao’s heart; she looked down, smiled softly, and stepped forward to embrace Shang Yu.

The man wrapped his arms around her waist, his palm gently caressing the back of her head, "Are you staying here just to drink alone?"

Li Qiao buried herself in Shang Yu’s embrace, deeply inhaling his scent. After a moment, she tiptoed to kiss his face, "Let’s talk inside."

Liuyun turned his head to look at the door that had closed again, rolled down the window, and lit a cigarette. He felt he might have to sleep in the car tonight.

In the living room, Li Qiao turned on the light, squinting at the sudden brightness.

Shang Yu had never been to the Tangxi Garden villa.

The modestly luxurious and simple decor did match Li Qiao’s usual taste.

The man sat down leisurely, his gaze sweeping over the coffee table filled with seven or eight beer cans, three of which were already crushed and thrown aside.

Li Qiao came over to him, opened a bottle of beer, and handed it to him, "I saw the Jing family members in Tongliang County."

Shang Yu took the can, crossed his legs, and looked at her sidelong, "Are you sure they were from the Jing family?"

Li Qiao shook her head, candidly recounting everything about Xiao Dingshan without holding back.

In the end, her gaze deeply set on the space before her, "The IP address points to the Poor People’s Kiln, and someone was able to deliver the news accurately to Ah Chang. Apart from ’Teacher,’ I can’t think of anyone else."

At this, the man looked at her calm profile, leaning forward to put down his beer and pulling her into his arms, "It doesn’t matter who it is. No one can make you do what you don’t want to do."

Li Qiao leaned lazily against his shoulder, her eyes twinkling, she teased, "Anything else doesn’t matter, as long as you weren’t arranged for me by someone else."

Shang Yu’s lips curled into a smile, a deep chuckle escaping his throat, "Other than you, who could arrange me, huh?"

Li Qiao looked up at him, his handsome face under the light clear and striking. Regardless of the chaos outside, he was always there.

In a rare show of initiative, Li Qiao acted on her feelings.

She cradled his face with one hand and tipped her head back to plant a kiss on his lips.