The dinner at Crystal Court lasted about an hour.
Li Qiao ate with refined manners—slow, deliberate bites—but she was extremely picky.
Even though she had chosen all the dishes herself, her side plates still ended up piled with carefully picked-out ingredients.
Green onions, ginger, garlic, onions, seaweed, broccoli, red cabbage…
Liu Yun, sitting nearby, was stunned.
Wait a second—who was it earlier that said she wasn't picky? Miss Li, do you have a very different understanding of what "not picky" means?
Just then, a faint whiff of smoke drifted across the table. Li Qiao, in the middle of chewing a bite of crystal vermicelli, looked up and saw Shang Yu sitting slightly sideways with his arm resting on the table, staring out the window in deep thought.
She dabbed the broth from her lips and set her chopsticks down. Without much hesitation, she asked, "About the engagement between me and Shang Lu—are you sure it can be canceled?"
With a cigarette between his fingers, Shang Yu brought it to his lips. As he exhaled a plume of smoke, he flicked the ash with his fingertips and replied calmly, "It can. My father will come personally next week to apologize."
Old Master Shang is coming to Nanyang?
Li Qiao's red lips parted slightly. The anxiety that had weighed on her for days slowly began to melt away.
Honestly, as long as the engagement could be called off, the how and why didn't matter much anymore.
That night at 9:30 p.m., a convoy of luxury vehicles from Yanhuang Group once again pulled up in front of the Li family estate.
Li Qiao's Mercedes had also been driven back from the sports center by one of Shang Yu's men.
Outside the gate, after stepping out of the car, Li Qiao glanced back at the Phantom with its window half-lowered. Her eyes met the man's from across the distance. She gave a casual wave and said, "Good night," before heading over to her own car.
…
Moments later, Li Qiao strolled unhurriedly into the house. The brightly lit living room was empty.
After exchanging a brief greeting with the butler, she headed straight upstairs to the study.
Li Guangming wasn't there.
But the cup of hot black tea on the desk was still steaming. Li Qiao slipped off her coat, dragged out a chair, and sat down to wait.
Less than five minutes later, Li Guangming pushed the door open, humming a tune.
When he saw her sitting there, he jumped in surprise. "Whoa! Qiao Qiao, when did you get back?"
Li Qiao leaned lazily against the chair and gave him a sideways glance. "Just now. Dad, I need to tell you something."
"What is it? Go ahead!" Li Guangming's expression instantly turned serious. He sat down behind the desk, fingers interlocked on the table, adopting a proper listening pose.
Li Qiao raised an eyebrow and stated calmly, "Word is, Old Master Shang agreed to cancel the engagement. He's coming to Nanyang in a few days to speak with you in person."
Clatter—
Li Guangming's elbow twitched, knocking over the steaming cup of tea.
"What?! He agreed?" He didn't even care that his sleeve was soaked. He stared at Li Qiao in disbelief.
Li Qiao nodded casually, her expression unreadable. "Yeah. Shang Yu said it himself."
Li Guangming stayed silent for a long moment, then reluctantly sighed. "Alright then. If that's the case, no point forcing it. Let's cancel the engagement."
Li Qiao narrowed her eyes slightly, a trace of frustration knitting her brow. "Dad, since you won't tell me why the engagement was arranged in the first place, I won't ask. But let me be clear—whether or not Old Master Shang agreed, I was going to cancel it either way. You understand what I'm saying, right?"
Li Guangming leaned forward, hesitant. "Sweetie… do you really dislike Shang Lu that much?"
Li Qiao stared at him blankly. "Who would fall for an idiot?"
Valid point.
Li Guangming nodded seriously. Honestly, he also thought Shang Lu was kind of dumb.
"Alright, alright. If you don't like him, we'll cancel the engagement. My daughter's amazing—we're not worried about finding someone better!"
"Qiao Qiao, don't overthink it. As long as you're unwilling, I'll never force you to do anything you don't want."
Li Qiao pulled the corners of her lips into a faint smile. "Thanks, Dad."