The Favored Heiress
Chapter 780: I’ve Never Been in Your Heart

Chapter 780: Chapter 780: I’ve Never Been in Your Heart

Upon encountering Xiao Yehui once again, Li Qiao met his gaze without any expression.

Even though his face still wore a gentle smile, it could not bring back the familiarity of the past.

On seeing Xiao Yehui, Ye Jing immediately stood up, straightened her hair, and politely smiled, "Duke, have you finished your business?"

At this, Li Qiao’s eyebrows quirked slightly, while she glanced sidelong at Xi Luo, who was flashing a forced smile and blinking.

Xiao Yehui, without sparing Ye Jing a glance, strode firmly to stand before Li Qiao and lowered his head to adjust his sleeves, "Are you here on business?"

The BTI officials standing behind held their breaths in anticipation, and each of their gazes towards Li Qiao was filled with scrutiny and curiosity.

The girl whom Duke Charlman took the initiative to greet must be someone with quite the background.

Li Qiao, with one hand in her pocket, looked at Xiao Yehui with an undisturbed demeanor.

She didn’t speak because there was nothing good to say.

Seeing this, Xiao Yehui was not annoyed, but just chuckled lightly and turned slightly to speak to the gathered executives.

The executives nodded repeatedly, and in the blink of an eye, left the VIP waiting area.

Xiao Yehui ignored Xi Luo and the others nearby and lowered his gaze to Li Qiao, who remained cool and indifferent, "Shall we sit down for a talk?"

"Is there a need?" Li Qiao asked lightly, her gaze fixed on his eyes without any emotional fluctuation.

Xiao Yehui took a seat self-sufficiently, his arms resting on the armrests of the VIP chair, "It concerns Yun Lih, isn’t it necessary then?"

The two of them, one standing and one sitting, created a tense and strange atmosphere.

From time to time, people in the hall glanced their way, as Xiao Yehui’s face was a symbol of his identity.

Li Qiao maintained her original stance, one hand pocketed, while her other hand casually flipped her phone by her side.

After a few seconds, she turned her head and looked down at Xiao Yehui from above, "You still have the face to mention his name?"

"Why shouldn’t I?" Xiao Yehui’s fingertips curled and tapped on his knee twice, "Xiao Qi, I’ve already shown mercy. For someone who trespassed into Charlman Manor, they wouldn’t normally leave alive, would they?"

A mocking curve appeared on Li Qiao’s lips, "Xiao Yehui, disaster should not strike family members."

Xiao Yehui’s gaze flickered, his smile turning into a resigned and disappointed sneer, "You’re all the same, always wanting to impose your moral standards on others. You talk about disaster not striking family members, but what if your family members infringe upon my territory? Is my retaliation wrong? There’s no such logic."

It seemed that Li Qiao’s words had struck a nerve in him.

Xiao Yehui stood up unhurriedly, his brows and eyes losing their warmth, replaced by an undisguised sharpness and mockery, "Since you chose Shang Shaoyan, you’re no longer entitled to judge my right and wrong.

Shorting Charlman’s international company stocks in secret, leveraging your power in Myanmar to constrain Charlman’s partners’ development within Myanmar territory, do you really think I don’t know?

If I take action against Yun Lih, do you have the face to tell me disaster should not strike family members? Aren’t the actions you took a disaster for my entire Charlman family? If you can do it, why can’t I?

Li Qiao, the Border Seven Sons have only ever fallen apart because of you. What right do you have to criticize me?"

Luoyu attempted to step forward to protect Li Qiao, and Xi Luo also furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to speak, "Charl..."

Before she could finish, Li Qiao stopped her with a look.

Xiao Yehui, on the other hand, glanced at Xi Luo with a thin veil of anger, "Do you think... I can’t touch the Xi Family?"

Xi Luo swallowed and, with a smile, shook her head, "I just wanted to remind the Duke that your fiancée has arrived."

She nudged her lips towards the end of the street where a royal car happened to pull into a parking spot.

Xiao Yehui, however, didn’t even glance at it and withdrew his gaze, landing it once again on Li Qiao’s face. He leaned in, his angry expression slightly softening, "Xiao Qi, everyone has to pay a price for their choices. You should have thought about this when you pulled others to your side.

You all call me big brother out loud, but not a single one of you took the initiative to understand my situation, nor did anyone ever ask why I have been absent for the past three years.

It was clearly a conflict between two families, yet you persist in intervening. Li Qiao, from the very beginning, you never considered preserving the Seven Sons, so now do not expect me to show any mercy."

This was the first time Xiao Yehui had revealed the feelings hidden within his heart, his anger and disappointment had been building for a long time, all bursting forth due to Li Qiao’s words ’misfortune should not involve family’.

She had probably forgotten they were once family, sharing life and death together.

In the face of her love, the Border Seven Sons couldn’t withstand a single blow.

Xiao Yehui gave Li Qiao a deep look and turned to leave.

At that moment, a calm remark from Li Qiao drifted to him from behind, making Xiao Yehui’s body shake.

She said, "Are you planning on using Yun Lih to force the Seven Sons to turn back?"

Xiao Yehui abruptly stopped, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he mockingly looked at Li Qiao’s back, "You understand me more than anyone else, yet your heart has never held a place for me."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Before leaving, he left behind one final statement, "The life and death of Yun Lih hangs on a single thought of yours. If you dare send him to Charlman Manor, then you must be ready to bear all the consequences.

His body carries six types of poisons. For every one of you who returns, I will counteract one. There’s no need to waste time finding an antidote for him. You might as well go and ask Shang Zonghai, if the Xiao family had not left Myanmar years ago, would the title of Medicine King ever belong to him."

Xiao Yehui strode away briskly.

Yet his words lingered persistently in Li Qiao’s ears.

— His body carries six types of poisons, for every one of you who returns, I will counteract one.

Li Qiao closed her eyes, a touch of melancholy as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Xi Luo came to her side, filled with worry, and patted her shoulder, "Although I’m not in any position to say anything, from his perspective, he may not be wrong. But rest assured, sister, I will always have your back. Don’t let him influence you. Just listen to me."

The slightly older Xi Luo, with more experience and maturity in her personality.

They all knew the world wasn’t simply black and white.

Xiao Yehui had his convictions, Li Qiao had her choices. Since both were unwavering, there was no need to fret over one another.

Li Qiao lowered her hands, her face exuding innocence, "What influence does he have on me?"

Xi Luo opened her mouth as if to speak, then stopped, licked her lips, and gave a dry laugh, "Really no influence? Then what are you being so sullen about here for?"

Li Qiao tugged at her lips, "I was thinking of a way to cure the poison."

Xi Luo: That’s unnecessary.

Ye Jing, who was still nearby, studied Li Qiao’s face. Yet, her mind was filled with what she had seen and heard on the night of the fireworks festival.

No wonder she could attend the banquet with the Archbishop. It turned out she seemed to have some entanglement with Duke Charlman as well.

Ye Jing, pondering thoughtfully and with her overbearing nature, couldn’t help but sneer, "Did you get caught playing both sides? Quite embarrassing, isn’t it?"

After speaking, Ye Jing lifted her chin, grabbed her coat and handbag, and prepared to leave.

Just as Xi Luo was about to stop her, Li Qiao slowly lifted her eyelids, her dark eyes emitting an aggressive glare, "Did I let you leave?"