Nan Xin looked back, and Li San also raised his eyebrows, the two sharing a momentary feeling of social death.
In front of them, Li Qiao leaned casually against the door frame, casting a sly look their way.
By her side stood Shang Shaoyan, his single hand nonchalantly tucked into his pocket, exuding an air of arrogance.
Behind the pair stood Liuyun and Luoyu, their faces stern.
Nan Xin, holding a chamber pot in one hand, silently pulled the blanket up to cover Li San.
She wondered if she was cursed, as Li San’s belongings incessantly haunted her mind.
So big, so thick, and so perfectly round.
Nan Xin, like a lost soul, took the urine pot to the restroom.
Li San lay on the bed on his side, eyes closed, hand pressed against his forehead, a vein throbbing at his temple.
His head ached in the back, and even more so below, damn that Nan Xin.
Suddenly, Li Qiao and Shang Yu approached the bed, with Liuyun placing down a fruit basket and setting two chairs by their feet before he and Luoyu walked off to stand quietly in the distance.
"Third Brother, let me introduce someone," Li Qiao said as she sat down, sliding her hand into Shang Yu’s palm with a faint smile, "My boyfriend, you’ve met him, Shang Shaoyan, the South Sea merchant."
As she spoke these words, Li Qiao’s heart also throbbed.
Having known each other for a long time, it seemed like the first time she had formally introduced him to her family.
Shang Shaoyan, the South Sea merchant, was her boyfriend, Li Qiao.
At that moment, Li Cheng suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze intensely fixated on Li Qiao, "Say that again?"
He had just woken up this morning, and his speech was still somewhat slow.
This fact annoyed Li San even more; in front of Shang Yu, he felt utterly powerless, a blow to Li San’s reputation.
Li Qiao met his gaze calmly, patiently repeating, "My boyfriend, Shang Shaoyan."
Li San clenched his teeth, closed his eyes for a breath, and upon opening them again, he directed his gaze toward Shang Yu.
The meeting of two impressive men, each dominant in their own realm, was something Li San couldn’t accept.
His cold stare clashed with Shang Yu’s inky-black eyes, neither speaking, as if engaged in a silent standoff.
However, with Li San dressed in a patient gown and lying on his side, he was inevitably at a disadvantage in terms of presence.
His lips tightly pressed, a turmoil surged in his eyes. Before he could spout any bravado, Shang Yu turned his head, sending a look to Luoyu.
At that, Luoyu stepped forward with a small medicine box, stood at the foot of the bed, and nodded, "Mr. Li, this is a special medicine from the Yan Emperor Medical Laboratory, highly effective for treating head injuries."
Li San glanced at her with heavy eyelids and brusquely said, "I don’t need it."
Luoyu’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked to Li Qiao, seemingly seeking her opinion.
Li Qiao, lifting her head confidently, said, "Just leave it there."
He narrowed his eyes at Li Qiao, his face tight, "Are you trying to kill me with anger?"
Li Qiao smiled slightly, "Third Brother, getting angry is bad for your health."
Hearing this, Li San drooped his eyelids and remained silent.
After a while, he squinted his eyes again, his gaze shifting back and forth between Li Qiao and Shang Shaoyan.
There they sat, squarely before him, two people who shouldn’t cross paths, yet looking so well-matched at this moment.
Li Cheng closed his eyes briefly, forcefully pushing down the odd thoughts in his heart, and asked with furrowed brows, "What if I don’t agree?"
At that moment, Shang Yu leaned back in his chair, his posture lazily sprawled, legs crossed, lids lifting to meet Li San’s dark gaze, his lips slightly parting, "And on what grounds would you disagree?"
Li San froze, locking eyes with Shang Yu, still hiding a trace of wariness, and slowly said, "I’m his brother."