Qiu Huan trailed closely behind Li Qiao, constantly sneaking glances at the small case in her hand.
"I'm just here to welcome you, alright?"
Li Qiao's expression remained cool and emotionless. "What did I do to deserve a personal welcome from Young Master Qiu?"
Yep, she was still mad.
Qiu Huan rested a hand on his waist and glanced at the camera case again. His eyes flickered as he said,
"Look, about that incident at the police station—that was on me. But don't worry, Zhang Leshan's already been taken in for investigation. I promise you, he's never getting another chance in this lifetime."
Then he flashed a bootlicking grin and moved closer.
"So, uh… can we let bygones be bygones?"
Li Qiao raised her brows and gave him a side glance—not agreeing, but not refusing either.
That ambiguous look made Qiu Huan feel increasingly uncertain.
Just then, her eldest brother, Li Jun, stepped out of the elevator with a serious expression.
As the Secretary-General of the Nanyang Secretariat Office, he wore a deep navy suit with a crisp white shirt. A small emblem was pinned to his lapel, exuding both dignity and elegance.
Staff members who passed by nodded in respect.
"Secretary-General."
Each greeting underscored his authority and status within the Secretariat.
Li Qiao and Qiu Huan turned around at the sound of his footsteps.
Li Jun approached with composed authority. When his eyes fell on Li Qiao, his expression softened.
"Qiaoqiao, when did you get here? Why aren't you upstairs?"
Li Qiao held out the case and responded calmly, "Just arrived."
Li Jun took the box from her naturally, met Qiu Huan's gaze for a moment, then added,
"On behalf of the Mechanical Plant, thank you. Since you're here, how about lunch together?"
"Yes, let's eat together. My treat," Qiu Huan chimed in eagerly.
Li Qiao shot him down without hesitation.
"No need. I just stepped out for a bit. I should head back."
She turned to leave, but suddenly paused. Looking over her shoulder, her gaze landed briefly on the small case before flicking toward Qiu Huan.
"If anything happens to that camera, remember you'll be paying for it."
Qiu Huan: "…"
…
After dropping off the camera, Li Qiao drove straight back to Yanhuang Group.
She took the private elevator up to the top floor of 101. The time was exactly 1 PM.
At the front desk, the receptionist was touching up her lipstick in a compact mirror. When she spotted Li Qiao, she quickly whispered, "Director Yun was looking for you."
Ah, Liu Yun.
Li Qiao nodded. "Got it."
She then walked down the quiet corridor toward Liu Yun's office.
Just as she stopped at his door and raised her hand to knock, a voice came from behind her.
"Miss Li."
She turned to see Liu Yun walking toward her.
"The receptionist said you were looking for me?" she asked.
Liu Yun gave a small nod and glanced at the door of the Chairman's office next door.
"Boss was just asking where you went."
"Oh, I stepped out to run an errand. I'll go tell him," Li Qiao replied casually and turned toward the Chairman's office.
She gently pushed the door open—and was immediately greeted by a faint trace of smoke in the air.
By the large desk, Shang Yu sat back in his executive chair, facing the city skyline outside the window. A cigarette was held loosely between his fingers, the smoke curling in the air.
Li Qiao closed the door behind her and walked toward him. Before she could say anything, his low voice asked,
"Where did you go?"
"Delivered something to my brother." She stood at an angle behind him, her eyes resting on his sharply defined side profile.
Shang Yu's long legs were crossed casually as he took a slow drag from his cigarette.
"Have you eaten?"
Li Qiao shook her head.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of an elegant lunch box on the coffee table near the sofa.
That was… takeout from Shuijing Garden?