The Favored Heiress

About twenty minutes later, footsteps echoed from the staircase upstairs.

In the silent living room, everyone stood up as if by an unspoken agreement.

Except for Li Qiao.

At that moment, struggling rays of sunlight pierced through the gloomy clouds and touched down at Li Qiao's feet through the glass.

The girl sat immobile on the sofa, staring indifferently at her own toes without glancing sideways.

Only when Li Guangming and Shang Yu returned to the living room did her gaze slightly quiver, and she slowly let her peripheral vision sweep over them.

Shang Yu, with his distinguished presence, stepped slowly into the center of the living room and said with a cool demeanor, "Stay put, there's no need to see me out."

Li Guangming gave a sheepish smile, "Then... I'll wait for Old Mr. Shang's reply."

The man did not engage in conversation but lowered his eyelids in response.

No one knew exactly what they had discussed, but the atmosphere between Shang Yu and Li Guangming was evidently delicate.

Duan Shuyuan stepped forward, and as the lady of the house, not wanting to be inhospitable to Shang Shaoyan, invited him with a formal politeness, "Mr. Shang, are you planning to leave? If it's not too much trouble, would you like to stay for some morning tea?"

"No need, thank you."

Shang Yu answered with an exceptionally deep tone. Although maintaining good manners, the inscrutable depth of his dark eyes was impenetrable.

In a moment, he led the way to the front hall, with the chauffeur following closely behind him.

The man's proud and determined stride embodied the essence of 'looking down on everything'.

While Mr. and Mrs. Li and the others were still immersed in Shang Yu's inexplicable aura of intimidation, Li Qiao had already stood up and followed him out.

"Qiaoqiao—" Li Cheng's surprised call came from behind, but Li Qiao's figure had already disappeared near the front hall.

In the villa's courtyard, Li Qiao followed Shang Yu at an even pace. Nearby in the little garden, Shang Lu was crouched by a small maple tree, clutching his stomach with a pale and handsome face, occasionally retching, looking both pitiful and funny.

"Master Yan!"

Li Qiao's ethereal and crisp voice softly rose from behind Shang Yu, the chauffeur glanced over silently, then turned away, heading to the small garden as if nothing had happened.

At the sound, Shang Yu paused mid-step, his proud and confident demeanor fluttering with unrestrained charisma, and he gazed at Li Qiao with deep and far-reaching eyes, his voice steady and magnetic, "What is it?"

The girl lazily blinked her eyes, her fingertips tucked in the pockets of her jeans, with her slight, sharp shoulders shrugged slightly, a breeze tousling the hair on her forehead, her voice also tender and faint, "Can I ask what you and my dad talked about?"

Li Qiao's mood was evidently gloomy, her thick eyelashes drooping concealing the ripples in her eyes.

She never doubted her parents' love and protection for her, but this time, she wondered why they were so adamant about her and Shang Lu's engagement.

Shang Yu looked at Li Qiao before him, his pitch-black eyes radiating a daunting gleam, "Asking your father would be more appropriate."

"Can't you tell me?" Li Qiao frowned, suddenly looking up with calm yet sharp deer eyes.

The man scrutinized the girl's hauntingly fine cheeks, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, refusing frankly, "Sorry, I can't."

It had come to this, and Li Qiao's heart instantly surged with restlessness, her gaze dark and cold, her tone slightly tense, "One last question, can this engagement be called off?"

Her impatience and annoyance had crept into the corners of her eyes and brow; usually indifferent in her interactions, Li Qiao forgot to pretend in front of Shang Yu.

Just when she thought Shang Yu wouldn't answer, she heard a sentence by her ear, "As long as you want it, it can be called off."