The Favored Heiress
Chapter 871: Transactions Between Men

Chapter 871: Chapter 871: Transactions Between Men

Li Qiao looked at Bai Yan with an expressionless face, and a few seconds later, subtly raised her eyebrows.

It’s always like this.

Whenever Bai Yan sees her showing this expression, he’s completely defenseless, wanting to offer his heart on a platter.

He ruffled the hair on his forehead, turned his face away, and muttered, "Transactions between men, kids shouldn’t be curious."

Kid Li Qiao: "..."

Seeing Bai Yan really didn’t want to say anything, Li Qiao wisely stopped pursuing the matter.

As long as two dominant men don’t become enemies, it’s fine.

Li Qiao glanced at the time, it was already a quarter past ten, and the sun was shining bright outside, the temperature was pleasantly comfortable.

She unlocked her phone, opened the address book, hesitated a moment, "Send the previously found data to my email when you have time."

Bai Yan got up, pushed open the floor-to-ceiling windows, stood on the balcony, and lit a cigarette, "From what you’re saying, aren’t you planning to go back to Scarlet City with me?"

"Is it necessary to go back?" Li Qiao didn’t even raise her head.

Bai Yan leaned against the railing and sneered, "You have no heart."

Li Qiao glanced at him nonchalantly, and the call she had made was appropriately answered.

"Madam."

Li Qiao leaned back into her chair, asking blandly, "What does the British Imperial Times Newspaper say?"

Cheng Mo answered formally, "They are now urgently printing the paper, and tomorrow’s edition will have relevant news."

"Okay, send a digital copy of the newspaper to me."

After hanging up, Li Qiao’s gaze became much longer.

Bai Yan eyed her profile and squinted, "Does Shang Shaoyan know about the things you’re doing?"

"Maybe." Li Qiao raised an eyebrow, her expression returned to normal, "What’s up?"

Bai Yan stubbed out his cigarette, strolled back into the living room, stood in front of Li Qiao and smiled down at her, "Nothing much, just realizing for the first time you’re so selfless."

Li Qiao’s brows darkened, "Speak your mind."

"Don’t understand?" Bai Yan grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the table, unscrewed the cap, and glanced at Li Qiao, "Shang Shaoyan is a man after all, doesn’t look like a coward, yet he lets you handle everything. Is it that he’s not capable, or your maternal instinct is overflowing?"

Li Qiao subtly touched her pocket, then raised her eyebrows, "Which of your eyes saw him letting me handle everything?"

"I have two." Bai Yan tapped his eyelid, scanning her, "You usually don’t even bother remembering your system password, but now you’re running around for him. What’s on your mind?"

Li Qiao gave Bai Yan a look, was silent for a few seconds, then slowly spoke, "Because it concerns Ming Dailan, it can only be me."

Bai Yan knew most of the story, but many old details he neither understood nor cared about.

Upon hearing Li Qiao say this, he let out a cold laugh, "When you can spare some energy for the Flame Alliance, I will definitely burn incense in praise."

Li Qiao stood up and headed outside, "We’ll talk again."

"Where are you going again?" Bai Yan looked at her back, full of displeasure.

He suspected she was going to see Shang Shaoyan again.

Sure enough, Li Qiao said, "799."

That was Shang Shaoyan’s room number.

...

Even though Ming Dailan had returned to British Imperial, Li Qiao and Shang Yu were in no rush to leave Dian City.

In the afternoon, the group set off for Dian City’s largest gambling stone market.

Li Qiao leaned against Shang Yu’s shoulder, turned her head to look out the window, "Have you been to Dian City before?"

The story Zuo Tang told her, she had never asked Shang Yu to verify.

Years ago Ming Dailan took the supposedly dead Xiao Yehui from here, causing Zuo Tang to lose a leg.

She never brought it up, fearing it might trigger unpleasant memories for him.

Now, returning to the old place, Li Qiao didn’t sense any unusual fluctuations in Shang Yu’s demeanor.

Maybe as He Chen said, his obsession had entirely transferred to her.

"Yes, I’ve been a few times."

Shang Yu sat cross-legged, his casual posture exuding some ease.

At the back, He Chen pretended to nap, and upon hearing their conversation, smirked playfully, "Isn’t your husband’s business in Dian City shared with you?"

The words ’your husband’ pricked Li Qiao’s nerves.

Few people knew that Shang Yu’s assets had been shared with Li Qiao post-marriage, and He Chen was one of them.

She pursed her lips, looked at Shang Yu, and blinked without speaking.

No wonder he appeared in Dian City three years ago; it wasn’t because of Xiao Yehui, but for business.

The gambling stone market, located at the southern end near Myanmar, is not only a gambling stone market but also an important jewelry wholesale center.

The market is divided in two, with the gambling stone district on the left and the procurement district on the right.

Li Qiao and Shang Yu tacitly headed towards the gambling stone district, with Wang Yue and Liuyun following behind, while He Chen wandered around alone, evidently familiar with the place.

Shang Yu, with one hand in his pocket, strolled with Li Qiao, catching sight of her picking up a raw gemstone to scrutinize, casually asked, "Did you often gamble stones before?"

Li Qiao put down the palm-sized stone, "Occasionally."

She had little interest in stone gambling; Boer Tingxiao had taken her to play a few times at the underground market on the border before.

Shang Yu squeezed her fingers, stopped and stood at a stall, picked up a stone and caressed it twice, "With Bai Yan?"

Li Qiao gave him a side glance, then shook her head with a slight smile, "Bai Yan doesn’t touch gambling stones."

Shang Yu looked sideways, eyebrows raised with interest, "Won’t?"

"Hmm..." Li Qiao pondered for two seconds and eventually didn’t bother giving Bai Yan face, choosing to speak the truth, "It’s not that he can’t, it’s just his luck is too bad, he loses every bet."

Bai Yan is nicknamed God of Wealth in the gambling stone circle.

Every time he gambles, regardless of size, he loses without fail.

The entire border’s gambling stone circle knows.

At this time, He Chen walked from the diagonal rear, just in time to hear Li Qiao’s words and snorted lightly, "With that luck, still buying mines? Foolish big spender."

Li Qiao turned around in the gambling stone district, randomly bought two stones, and handed them to Liuyun to open the window.

Shortly it was four o’clock, more and more people crowded the gambling stone district, boisterously lively.

Li Qiao frowned and squinted to observe the surroundings.

"Uncomfortable?" Shang Yu keenly noticed Li Qiao’s furrowed brows, hooked her shoulder and pulled her to him, staring at her face.

Li Qiao said no, her gaze covertly sweeping over the gambling stone district, "Someone has infiltrated."

And there’s quite a number.

The gambling stone district hosts batches of gambling stone guests daily, but to maintain order, there’s a corresponding policy to limit the flow.

Yet in just ten minutes, as many as forty-five people deliberately or unintentionally roamed around them.

Regular gambling stone guests might gather in threes at most when finding their targeted raw gemstones, rarely appearing in large groups around a particular stall.

Li Qiao is very familiar with the border’s order; typically, such situations arise either because someone is seeking vengeance, or gang disputes.

And this time, the target was likely either her or Shang Yu.

Perhaps the undercurrent was too evident, He Chen also timely returned to the gambling stone north district where they were present.