The Favored Heiress
Chapter 840: Teach a Lesson

Chapter 840: Chapter 840: Teach a Lesson

Late at night, Li Qiao wandered around every corner of the living room.

She had searched every possible place where a medicine bottle could be kept, but all was in vain.

With 100 pills in the bottle and given the initial dosage, there should be at least half a month’s supply left.

Li Qiao stood beside the sofa, feeling agitated, if she couldn’t find it and Shang Yu continued taking it, he would inevitably develop a dependency.

At that moment, footsteps were approaching from the entrance, and Li Qiao promptly hid at the staircase. Outside, Luoyu was walking while talking on the phone.

"Gu Chenn, don’t push your luck, I don’t need you to teach me how to handle my affairs."

As Luoyu’s footsteps receded, Li Qiao didn’t delay any longer and stepped onto the stairs, intending to try her luck again in Shang Yu’s study. However, as she passed by the tea room, she abruptly came to a stop.

The tea room...

...

The next day, Monday.

Shang Yu went to the company, while Li Qiao called for Luoyu and left the house.

South City Old Street, headquarters of South Sea Private Bank.

Li Qiao and Luoyu sat in the VIP reception room, waiting for the bank manager.

Perhaps because the storage receipt was very old, the bank manager specifically verified the records of the original receipt and compared them with the information entered into the system, only then confirming their authenticity.

Even though the bank belonged to Shang Yu, the procedures were quite strict.

After about twenty minutes, the bank manager, wearing white gloves, brought over a tray with the contents of the safety deposit box.

He smiled apologetically, "President Yu, Miss Li, my apologies for the wait."

The outside world didn’t know that Li Qiao was married to Shang Yu, only that she was publicly acknowledged as Master Yan’s girlfriend.

And judging by the behavior of Luoyu, one of the four aides, Miss Li’s position seemed rather significant.

Luoyu glanced at the manager, took the tray, and presented it to Li Qiao.

It was a very ordinary white envelope. Li Qiao took it and pinched it, just as her grandfather had said, it contained several four-sided glass pieces slightly larger than fingernails.

About four or five of them.

Without opening the envelope, Li Qiao picked it up, said thanks for the trouble, and left the reception room with Luoyu.

Back in the car, Luoyu started the engine and said, "The remaining fees for the safety deposit box, I had the bank manager refund them to the account that made the payment. Old Master Duan had been paying on time all these years."

Li Qiao glanced at the bank’s main entrance and clenched the envelope in her hand, "Mhm."

"Back to the Mansion?"

Li Qiao retracted her gaze and sat silently in the passenger seat for two seconds, "To the First Court."

This morning at ten o’clock was the first court hearing for the inheritance dispute case.

They didn’t speak along the way and arrived at the First Court just at ten past ten.

Li Qiao held her phone horizontally and deftly switched to the live surveillance of the courtroom.

Not being open to the public didn’t hinder her from watching the proceedings.

Qi Nanhuai was right, the great-aunt and great-uncle didn’t show up in court, and the lawyers from both sides were engaged in a battle of words.

It wasn’t until the supplemental materials segment, half an hour later, that the opposing lawyer submitted two additional pieces of evidence.

Li Qiao rested her arm on the car window, increasing the volume on the hearing aid. The words of the plaintiff’s lawyer were heard clearly.

"This is the DNA parentage test report for the inheritance claimant Li Qiao and Duan Shuyuan, and this is a display of the specialized achievements from the school where Li Qiao studied.

Your Honor, Li Qiao is an adopted daughter with no blood relation, and according to inheritance law, she does not enjoy the right of inheritance. Old Mr. Duan Jingming only had the family butler present when making the will, which doesn’t qualify as a legally recognized witness.

Furthermore, with Li Qiao majoring in biological genetics, our side has reason to suspect she used unscrupulous means to coerce the elderly man into writing the will."

Hearing these words, Luoyu found them laughably absurd yet couldn’t help but ask with suspicion, "How could Duan Shuhua have your DNA report?"

"She probably had her suspicions for a while, getting a strand of hair isn’t that difficult."

When she was brought to her grandfather’s house by Duan Shuyuan to do her postnatal confinement, some things could be kept from outsiders, but not from close relatives in the family.

Li Qiao curved her lips into a smile, impatiently closing the surveillance footage.

For the sake of money, they really stop at nothing.

Luoyu’s expression turned slightly cold, pondering giving them a lesson.

Duan Shuhua and Duan Yuanhong were too narrow-minded; the amount of wealth they cared about was insignificant in Li Qiao’s eyes—not even worth mentioning.

If only they were a bit smarter, sincere in exchange for sincerity, the wealth they could have obtained would have been far greater than Old Master Duan’s will.

At this moment, Li Qiao gestured with her mouth toward the road, "Let’s go home."

"Madam, what about them..."

Li Qiao sighed with a hint of displeasure, "I had thought about letting them off, but now it seems unnecessary."

She had always been too lazy to make a move against her aunt and uncle; for one thing, it was a waste of time, and for another, it posed no challenge.

Fighting over the inheritance is one thing, but slandering Grandfather is unforgivable.

Luoyu’s eyes brightened, her expression filled with an eager excitement, "You say, what should we do? I’ll arrange it."

Li Qiao glanced at her indolently, "Wouldn’t that be overkill?"

That was a compliment.

Luoyu pursed her lips and smiled, "It’s okay, just pretend I have too much free time."

Li Qiao pondered for a moment, then reluctantly said, "Fine, there’s no need to overdo it, after all, they are Grandfather’s children. Since they love money so much, let them taste the bitterness of losing what they love."

Li Qiao really couldn’t be bothered to get involved in the fight for Grandfather’s inheritance.

Duan Shuhua and Duan Yuanhong were not utterly wicked; perhaps they were greedy, but it wasn’t about right or wrong.

Unequal distribution of property was bound to lead to disputes, and she indeed was an adopted daughter.

On the way back to the Mansion, Qi Nanhuai also made a call.

Due to the significant controversies at the court hearing, the verdict was to be announced on another day.

Li Qiao, however, didn’t say much, and her reaction to the DNA test report was quite unremarkable, as if not at all surprised.

At the same time, Qi Nanhuai stepped out of the First Court, and upon raising his eyes, he saw Duan Yuanhui’s car parked at the roadside.

He walked over unhurriedly, recounting the situation at the court hearing. Duan Yuanhui’s gaze showed a slight bafflement, "Is the paternity test report real?"

Qi Nanhuai nodded, "It’s authentic and has been notarized. It seems... you didn’t know about this?"

Duan Yuanhui tapped on the steering wheel thoughtfully, chuckling lightly, "Now I know, but it doesn’t really matter. After cherishing my niece for so many years, a mere report won’t affect my affection for her."

...

At noon, Li Qiao walked into the study of the Mansion, opened the envelope, and shook out the small glass inside.

The square pieces of glass had a common craftsmanship, and one could even feel the unevenness and flaws when touching them.

Although called glass, it contained some impurities and wasn’t as clear as pure glass.

Li Qiao studied it for a while, five pieces the size of a fingernail, indeed hard to find when hidden in the cotton of swaddling clothes.

Li Qiao fiddled with them a bit, trying various methods with no effect.

So, she took a photo, opened WeChat, and sent it to Shang Yu, asking if he had ever seen anything like it.

The man seemed to be busy and did not reply for a while.

Li Qiao searched online for a while but couldn’t find any useful clues.

It was almost twelve o’clock. She pursed her lips, sighed, and carefully stored the glass pieces back in the drawer. Then she got up and went down to the dining room.