Chapter 12

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Li Qiao returned to the villa of the Li Family at 4 p.m.

She heard a melodious voice call her the moment she stepped through the door. “Is my baby Qiao back?”

A smile flashed across Li Qiao’s face. “Mom, it’s me,” she shouted in the direction of the living room in response.

Wearing a magenta ensemble, Duan Shuyuan hurriedly walked out of the living room. Her long hair was pinned into an elegant updo.

Although the Mistress of the Li Family was over fifty years old, the luxurious lifestyle she’d lived for years had made her a well-preserved lady.

Her fair and delicate face showed her maturity, yet she didn’t look old and wrinkled. Instead, she looked like a woman in her early forties with an elegant figure.

Duan Shuyuan scurried to Li Qiao. She held her in her arms and rubbed her head. “Baby, mom came back too late,” she said. “I’m sorry you went through all of this.”

The bun on Li Qiao’s head was all messed up. She didn’t know how to respond.

Duan Shuyuan was around five feet, seven inches tall, about the same height as her daughter, Li Qiao. Wearing a pair of high heels, she still looked graceful and willowy at her age.

Li Qiao struggled to get out of Duan Shuyuan’s arms and casually tidied up her hair, saying, “Mom, you just came back. Why didn’t you go upstairs to rest for a while?”

“Mom isn’t tired. Come here, baby. I bought some clothes for you during fashion week. Check them out and see if you like them!”

Holding Li Qiao’s hand, Duan Shuyuan pulled her into the living room and sat down on the couch. She took out her phone and showed the pictures of the clothes to Li Qiao. “Look at this pale yellow skirt. You would look out-of-this-world in it. And this…”

The next twenty minutes was Duan Shuyuan’s show-and-tell time.

By the time Li Guangming, Li Yan, and Li Jun walked down from the study on the second floor, Duan Shuyuan was still talking incessantly to Li Qiao about all the money she’d spent like water.

Three sets of casual clothes, two evening gowns, seven pairs of jeans, eight coats, as well as limited edition hair jewelry. The total cost was twelve million.

All of these were for Li Qiao.

Duan Shuyuan took a sip of water to soothe her throat and stuck her phone in Li Qiao’s hands. “Baby, do you like it?” she asked. “The companies will deliver the clothes to us directly. I came back in a rush and missed a couple of fashion shows. I’ll buy you more next time.”

Li Qiao held her burning hot phone and turned off the screen straight away. “I like them. Thank you, mom,” she said.

She was so used to this routine.

By this point, Li Guangming and his sons had already sat down. Li Qiao’s big brother Li Jun was a senior official at the Office of the Secretary-General. Dressed in a well-pressed suit, he had a commanding presence.

Because Li Qiao’s engagement had been called off, he’d dropped out of a negotiation meeting abroad and had been the first one to return to the Li Family.

Li Jun carefully scanned Li Qiao’s face and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she was her usual self—nonchalant and relaxed.

Then, he reached into his pocket and took out a long, beautiful box. Feeling guilty, he said to Li Qiao in a serious voice, “Qiaoqiao, I was busy at work during my trip and didn’t get you a nice present. Take this Mont Blanc platinum fountain pen for now.”

Li Qiao took the small box and rolled the pen between her fingers. “Thank you, Big Brother,” she said.

Li Guangming was pleased with Li Jun’s thoughtfulness. The next moment, he punched Li Yan’s shoulder hard and bellowed, “Take a look at your big brother!”

Li Yan: “…”

After a while, Li Jun adjusted the cuffs of his shirt and, with a piercing gaze, said, “Mom, Dad, let’s get to the point. Did Shang Lu give you any kind of notice before he broke off the engagement suddenly?”

Li Jun had been a high-level official for a long time and had long since adopted the domineering demeanor typical of people in power.

Before Li Guangming had a chance to speak, the smile on Duan Shuyuan’s face disappeared, and in its place was a gloomy look. As the masterful Mistress in the family, she said, “He broke off the engagement on his own and never discussed it with us. If we’d known this would happen, we wouldn’t have let Qiaoqiao meet him alone. He’s pushing us too far.”