Shang Yu fiddled with his phone, raising his eyelids indifferently as he glanced at Shang Zonghai, "Do you have any instructions?"
Li Qiao also looked over in response, focusing attentively in silence.
Shang Zonghai rested his hands on his knees, his gaze sweeping over their faces, "Has the Xiao family sent anyone here?"
This was probably the first time Li Qiao had heard Shang Zonghai actively mention the Xiao family.
She remained silent as Shang Yu pursed his thin lips, his attitude very indifferent, "Not at the moment."
Shang Zonghai chuckled shortly, "This is George’s other residence; they wouldn’t dare act recklessly, but you also need to avoid complacency."
Li Qiao lowered her eyelids, reaching out to gently caress the back of Shang Yu’s hand, "Dad, why did the Parma Xiao family become Dukes of the British Imperial?"
A moment of silence filled the room.
Li Qiao raised her eyebrows toward Shang Zonghai, and seeing him silent, did not press further, calmly meeting his gaze.
After a while, Shang Zonghai leaned back in the sofa, squinting slightly, "Girl, how did you know they were from Parma?"
That piece of history from forty or fifty years ago, if not for the older generation of original residents of Parma, very few people could trace back to the origins of the Xiao family.
Only then did Li Qiao realize she had been oblivious; having returned from the border to the South Sea and busying herself with trivial matters before hurrying to the British Imperial, it seemed she had forgotten to inform Shang Zonghai about Uncle Mu of the Mu Family.
Quickly, she relayed the matter concerning Mu Aoxian truthfully, and after a long period of silence, Shang Zonghai stood up and walked to the window nearby.
"It must be fate, I never would have thought the second brother was still alive..." He gazed at the dense night sky, his voice low and hoarse as he asked, "Is he at the border?"
Li Qiao and Shang Yu exchanged glances, then nodded, "Border Slum Kiln, do you want to go see him, Dad?"
Shang Zonghai massaged his temples, sighing with regret, "Of course I have to go; the second brother must have suffered a lot to escape death. The meeting will require careful planning..."
Toward the end, he lapsed into silence once again.
Hearing this, Li Qiao took out her phone, operated it for a moment, and looked up with a slight smile, "Dad, I’ve sent you his number."
Shang Zonghai’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he didn’t delay, exiting the side hall and pulling out his phone to make the call.
At the border, it was the deep of night, and Mu Aoxian had not been able to sleep due to a rheumatism flare-up.
Ringing broke the silence near his pillow, and he propped himself up to see the caller ID displaying a call from Parma.
Thinking of something, Mu Aoxian hesitated before sliding to answer.
He did not speak, and the silence continued on the other end of the line.
The two men, both over fifty, listened to each other’s breathing for a long moment before Mu Aoxian ventured to speak, "Is that... Big Brother Shang?"
Shang Zonghai, standing in the corridor and closing his eyes with a sigh, responded, "Second brother, it’s me..."
The following day, Li Qiao and her group prepared to head to Myst Town, the headquarters of the Medical Alliance.
Shang Zonghai did not stay for long and had left the other residence the night before.
Before departing, standing by the bushes in a corner of the garden, Li Qiao turned to ask, "Has H already left?"
Xi Luo plucked a leaf and rubbed it between her fingers, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she smiled slyly, "You still don’t know?"
Li Qiao arched an eyebrow, her gaze serving as her inquiry.
Xi Luo loosened her fingertips, letting the leaf fall, "Two hours before the start of the fireworks festival banquet, he got pulled away by Bai Yan, supposedly for another task."
"Oh," Li Qiao responded nonchalantly, neither confirming nor denying.
No wonder she hadn’t heard from him in the past few days.
Xi Luo eyed Li Qiao with her smile undiminished, "Do you really believe that?"
Xi Luo curled her lips and plucked another leaf, teasing with a hint of meaning, "You are not unaware of Bai Yan; he’s very protective."
Especially regarding Li Qiao’s matters, he almost indulges without limits.
The reason Bo Tingxiao was temporarily withdrawn was entirely because he acted on his own authority and brought Ye Jing to the British Imperial.
Initially, it didn’t affect the overall situation, but unfortunately, Ye Jing offended Li Qiao.
Bai Yan’s intention to transfer Bo Tingxiao was clear—to punish him for acting independently and to leave Ye Jing isolated and without support in the British Imperial.
Li Qiao’s eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze fell on the bushes, as she said indifferently, "Don’t let Ye Jing leave for now."
"I know~ everything has been arranged."
Ten minutes later, three luxury cars set off from the separate residence, heading towards Myst Town.
Xi Luo also called her personal driver to take her and Gu Chenn back to London Port.
He Chen didn’t leave and casually strolled around the residence. Soon enough, he took out his phone and called Yin Mo, "Where are you?"
Yin Mo, upon hearing his voice, hung up the phone without a word and blocked and deleted him.
He Chen’s eyes lightly’sneered, and he stood still for a moment to ponder before dialing Xiao Yeyan.
In November’s Myst Town, expansive fields were shrouded in the remnant thin mist.
The three cars came to a slow stop, and the doors opened, with Shang Yu dressed in all black leaning out first.
Ahead of them, the president of the Medical Alliance, Su Moshi’s father, Su Zhenhong hurried over wearing a white lab coat.
"Master Yan, your visit truly honors us; I apologize for not welcoming you from afar."
Su Zhenhong had met Shang Yu a few times and had a distinct impression of the investor who once proposed that the Medical Alliance relocate.
After the Bonfire Festival dinner, the Crown Prince had personally announced that he was the Archbishop of the House of Lords. Under the reinforcement of multiple identities, Su Zhenhong regarded Shang Yu with an inherent reverence.
The man came forward to touch palms with him and greeted him with a deep voice, "Mr. Su, long time no see."
Li Qiao got out of the car leisurely and joined Shang Yu, looking at Su Zhenhong and politely asked, "Uncle Su."
Knowing the relationship between Li Qiao and Su Moshi, Su Zhenhong enthusiastically urged them to walk deeper into the town.
Xia Siyu, Yun Lih, and Su Moshi lagged a few steps behind, chatting as they walked.
Su Zhenhong had specially arranged for the two most secluded pointed-top Western houses in the town as their lodgings and had instructed Su Moshi to entertain them well.
In the living room of the detached Western house, Li Qiao ate fruit absently, occasionally glancing out the window, seemingly in thought.
Suddenly, she felt a weight on her head, and when she looked up, she saw Shang Yu standing in front of her, one hand in his pocket.
His warm palm gently caressed the top of her head, his deep gaze profound as he asked with lifted brows, "Worried about Yun Lih?"
Li Qiao shook her head, pulled down his wrist toward her side, and after a few seconds of consideration, she said directly, "I’m planning on having a checkup here."
Shang Yu sat down next to her, pursed his lips and swallowed, his voice slightly hoarse, "Alright, I’ll arrange it."
"No need," Li Qiao smiled, stretched her fingers and interlocked her hands with his, "I have already spoken to Su Lao Si, he’ll arrange it after Yun Lih’s physical examination."
Shang Yu frowned slightly, his gaze passing over her abdomen, "That’s good, then."
Li Qiao didn’t think much of it; although the Medical Alliance headquarters wasn’t a hospital, all the testing equipment was very advanced and comprehensive.
However, that afternoon, while Yun Lih was undergoing his examination, a delivery truck arrived outside the town.
Delivery note: latest model ultrasound scanner, fully automatic blood routine analyzer, fully automated urine analyzer...