At this moment, everyone at the training ground turned their heads at the sound.
Li Qiao, with her hands tucked into the pockets of her assault jacket, approached the ring with a cool and indifferent expression.
Liuyun was right, if she had arrived an hour later, Luoyu, in her current state, might not have been able to walk out of the training room.
No one knew just how long they had been fighting.
Sweat dripped continuously from Luoyu’s training uniform, as if it had been washed with water, and her left arm bore several smeared traces of blood, including two bruises, one on her cheekbone and another on her brow bone, weak and wretched.
Li Qiao pursed her lips and withdrew her gaze, while Luoyu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing her. Her figure swayed slightly, and the next second, she kneeled on the ring, utterly exhausted.
There was silence in the vast training room.
Then, Li Qiao turned around and looked at Shang Yu, casually dragging a recliner beside him and sitting down.
"Master Yan," Li Qiao glanced at Shang Yu, her smile faint as she greeted him, "When did you get back?"
The man lazily raised his eyebrows, while his peripheral vision passed over Li Qiao’s shoulder to look at Liuyun far away.
Liuyun, with a troubled expression, bowed his head, not daring to meet his eyes.
Li Qiao then leaned back slightly in the recliner, blocking Shang Yu’s gaze with perfect timing.
The girl’s eyes were clear and devoid of impurities, and at a half-meter’s distance, one could even see the faint shimmer at the bottom of her eyes.
Shang Yu rested his arms on the armrests, tilting his head to look at Li Qiao, "Last night. What are you doing here at the mansion?"
"Had nothing better to do, so I came to have a look," Li Qiao said, fist under chin, locking eyes with the man. Feeling her response wasn’t sincere enough, she pondered for a moment and added, "Mainly, I wanted to see you!"
Shang Yu’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly and he set down his teacup, his lips curving up in a cryptic smile, "The truth?"
Clearly, the Overlord seemed not so easily fooled.
Li Qiao cleared her throat. Under Shang Yu’s penetrating gaze, she nodded earnestly, "Yes, the truth."
The man scrutinized Li Qiao deeply, the smile at the corner of his lips fading slightly. He twirled his fingers, his gaze growing colder as he looked back toward the ring, raising his hand to signal, "Since there’s nothing wrong, then let’s watch together. Continue."
"Wait," Li Qiao sighed, reflexively reaching out to press down on Shang Yu’s slightly lifted wrist.
Her slender, slightly cold fingers touched the man’s warm skin, a sensation like water passing over, seemingly soothing the restlessness in his heart.
Shang Yu’s eyelids drooped as he looked at the fingers on his wrist. His brows tightened, displeased by her coldness, "Why are your hands so cold?"
As he spoke, the man’s wrist turned, gently clasping Li Qiao’s cool fingertips, heat transferring instantly.
Li Qiao’s breath hitched slightly as she felt the warmth at her fingertips. Her eyes flickered, and she unintentionally curled her fingers to hold Shang Yu’s hand, her voice soft, "Then, Master Yan, warm them for me. It’s quite cold."
After speaking, she pretended to look away nonchalantly. The moment she turned her face, a smile played at her lips.
Shang Yu noticed her subtle movements, his gaze darkening as his grip gradually tightened.
Silence spread throughout the training room.
After a moment, Li Qiao calmed her wavering mind and looked at the ring, "What did Luoyu do wrong to deserve such punishment?"
Such a relentless cycle of battles was clearly a form of punishment.
At that moment, Shang Yu’s thumb gently stroked Li Qiao’s hand. His gaze cold as he looked towards the ring, his words sparing, "Dereliction of duty."
Li Qiao relaxed her brows, finding a comfortable position in the recliner, then fixed her eyes on Shang Yu, "Because of last night?"