Following them was... Luoyu.
Li Qiao held her forehead; "..."
She probably knew who had sent the thing!
"Qiaoqiao, what’s this?" Duan Jingming looked at the object the servants were carrying, which seemed to resemble a screen from its appearance.
Li Qiao pressed her lips together and rose to her feet, walking slowly to stand beside Luoyu, looking at her reservedly.
Luoyu nodded her head and said at a leisurely pace, "Old Mr. Duan, this is the thousand-year-old camphor wood fortune and longevity screen that Miss Li has sent you. It is said that in summer near the South Sea River, there are many mosquitoes, and this camphor wood screen happens to have the effect of repelling mosquitoes and aiding sleep."
Duan Jingming was overjoyed, "Thousand-year-old camphor wood? Oh, my precious granddaughter, how much money must this have cost!"
Li Qiao looked expressionlessly at the floor; she wanted to know as well...
At that moment, the servants set down the screen, and Luoyu moved forward to lift off the red cloth, revealing the entire fortune and longevity screen carved with exquisite hollowed-out designs, rich in color and finesse. The air was even faintly scented with the fragrance of camphor.
Duan Jingming’s temples throbbed as he touched it lovingly for a long time, hastily summoning the servants to carry it to the bedroom in the backyard.
Having completed her task, Luoyu nodded, gestured a farewell, and as she was about to turn, whispered to Li Qiao with a meaningful look, "I’ll be waiting for you outside the main gate."
Li Qiao glanced at her, nodded faintly, and said nothing.
Half an hour later, Duan Jingming placed the two treasures sent by Li Qiao specially in his bedroom, then called his children to accompany him in playing mahjong.
As for the congratulatory gifts from the other guests, they were moved to the... storeroom by the housekeeper.
Li Junhe and Li Yan had things to take care of in the afternoon, so the two left early.
Li Qiao once again found solace by the hammock in the backyard and took the opportunity to take out her phone and send a WeChat message to Shang Yu.
Li Qiao: Master Yan, did you send the camphor wood screen?
It was now past two in the afternoon; they should have arrived at Parma.
It took less than three minutes for the man to reply with two messages in succession.
Shang Yu: It’s a token of my heart.
Li Qiao looked at the content of the message, her gaze flickered slightly, and she typed a few words: Thank you, Master Yan, for your grand and bold gesture.
Shang Yu: It’s nothing.
Li Qiao’s lips curved into a smile as she scrolled through her phone and finally sent him an [rose] emoji.
This time, Shang Yu did not reply, but Li Qiao’s smile grew broader.
Some things, she did not spell out.
For if the screen represented Shang Yu’s heart, then Luoyu should not have sent it to grandfather in her name.
Chances were, he was worried that she had stayed at South Sea Mansion last night and didn’t have time to prepare a decent gift, so he helped her send a lavish one.
A few minutes later, Li Qiao stood up and walked straight towards the entrance.
By the roadside of the Other Residence, Luoyu was sitting in an SUV smoking a cigarette.
Seeing Li Qiao emerging, she put out the cigarette and opened the car door, "Leaving?"
Li Qiao shook her head slightly, leaning casually against the front of the car. She glanced at the cigarette in Luoyu’s fingers and asked, "That screen, it wasn’t bought, was it?"
A thousand-year-old camphor wood, priceless!
Luoyu flicked the ash from her cigarette, "Hmm, it’s from the boss’s private collection."
So he also had a taste for collecting.
Li Qiao raised her brows knowingly, "Does he like screens?"
Luoyu looked sideways at Li Qiao and hesitated for a few seconds before finally admitting, "Not just that, he mostly collects jade, and also... guns."
Li Qiao pursed her lips deliberately, lowered her gaze, and her eyes shimmered.
Mm, they indeed shared similar interests. Truly a perfect match!
In fact, Luoyu’s words were not without deliberate probing either.
She wanted to see how Li Qiao would react upon learning that the boss loved collecting guns.
Such a dark and hidden thing, would she be surprised or scared?
Even though Li Qiao’s third brother had a not insignificant identity on the border, Luoyu didn’t believe Li Cheng would be willing to let Li Qiao come into contact with the ugly and dark side of humanity.