Qiu Huan laughed in exasperation. He pushed back his chair and strode off across the lawn in long strides.
In the distance, he vaguely heard Shang Yu speaking in a tone of indulgent warning, "Even if you want to drink, don't have too much brandy."
Qiu Huan sneered and quickened his pace. To hell with brotherhood—men always ditch their friends for women.
…
Shortly after Qiu Huan left, Li Qiao casually glanced at the man's watch. "What time is it?"
"Not quite four," Shang Yu replied. He studied the girl's relaxed expression. "Got plans tonight?"
Li Qiao nodded and gently pinched her earlobe, smiling indifferently. "Yeah, it's our college farewell party."
"What time does it start? I'll have Liu Yun drive you there," Shang Yu said as he picked up a cigarette and twirled it between his fingers. "Don't drink at the party. And remember, the board meeting is at eight tomorrow morning."
Li Qiao glanced again at the wine decanter on the table, her lips curling into a subtle smile. "Did you forget, Master Yan? I never drink in front of outsiders."
She wasn't lying. Drinking, for her, depended on who she was with.
Just now, watching Shang Yu sip his wine stirred something in her, which was why she poured herself a glass.
She wanted to taste his wine—to see if it was as rich and intoxicating as he was.
Apparently, her words pleased the man.
Shang Yu turned his head slightly to look at her. His prominent Adam's apple bobbed twice, and his refined features softened noticeably. "Aside from Zhang Leshan, did anyone else at the police station give you trouble?"
Li Qiao shook her head. "No. The others were just following orders—it's not their fault."
After a pause, she said, "Master Yan, can I borrow your phone for a second?"
Shang Yu took his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to her. "Where's yours?"
"I left the station in a hurry and forgot it. I'll go back for it later, and I'm picking someone up too," she explained while pulling up the contacts list.
She meant to open the dial pad, but her eyes casually swept across the recent call log—and then suddenly stopped.
BabyGirl.
Shang Yu didn't have many calls in his history, so even a quick glance was enough for her to see the number beneath that name.
It was her number.
Li Qiao's breath caught, and her heartbeat instantly skipped out of rhythm.
A few seconds later, she calmly tapped the dial pad and manually keyed in Tang Yiting's number.
While waiting for it to connect, she turned her face slightly, gazing out at the river in the distance, a subtle smirk playing at the corner of her lips as she tried to suppress her amusement.
Soon, Tang Yiting picked up, her voice still a little cautious. "Hello~ Who is this?"
Li Qiao suppressed her smile and replied evenly, "It's me."
"Qiao Qiao?" Tang Yiting called tentatively. The moment she confirmed it was Li Qiao, she shrieked in disbelief, "Holy crap, whose explosive ten-digit number is this?!"
Li Qiao lowered her gaze and sighed lightly, then changed the subject. "Come pick me up at Jiuzun Club."
"What?! You ditched me in the design studio just to go party at Jiuzun? Li Xiao Qiao, how could you do this to me?"
Li Qiao: "…"
She quickly said, "Hurry up," and ended the call without another word.
Shang Yu sat lazily with his legs crossed. The slightly open collar of his shirt revealed a wild, unrestrained aura. A lit cigarette rested between his long fingers. "Why not let Liu Yun take you?"
Li Qiao placed the phone back on the table. "Tang Yiting's going to the farewell party too. It's more convenient if we go together."