London Port International Airport.
Five cars drove onto the tarmac one after another.
Li Qiao’s phone rang just then, she glanced at the caller ID and slid to answer.
From the other end, Xiao Yehui’s voice came through, indifferent, "Leaving now?"
Li Qiao eyed the rearview mirror, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, "Why didn’t you make a move on the way here?"
On their way here, they had been followed by three minivans and two Bentleys.
At this moment, those vehicles were blocking the entrance to the tarmac.
On the phone, Xiao Yehui chuckled briefly, "They just want to take Ningning back, taking action is pointless."
"It’s not pointless," Li Qiao, her arm resting on the car window, coolly revealed, "You just don’t dare to stop the Royal Family’s convoy."
Xiao Yehui’s breathing deepened for a moment, then he closed his eyes, "Xiao Qi, you’ve said before that disaster shouldn’t extend to family; I trust you understand my intention."
"Is that so?" Li Qiao muttered ambiguously, cutting him off without giving him a chance to continue, and decisively ended the call.
Shang Yu sat beside her with his legs crossed, steady as a mountain; after a brief silence, Li Qiao instructed Wei Ang in the front seat, "Have Yin Mo and Xiao Yening get out of the car."
Wei Ang immediately responded, opening the car door and stepping out.
Not long after, Yin Mo left the tarmac holding a clearly puzzled Xiao Yening, the young girl looked back as she walked, her gaze lingering as she occasionally spoke to Yin Mo.
At the same time, Madam Xiao also leaned out of her car at the entrance to the tarmac, with Xiao Yeyan standing by the door, his expression unreadable.
The moment she saw Xiao Yening, the fear and anxiety of the past days turned into relief, as if she’d survived a great ordeal.
Xiao Yening turned her head, immediately waved and called out, "Mommy—"
Madam Xiao quickly walked towards Xiao Yening, several bodyguards following closely behind her.
Her haggard face was lit with joy as she embraced Xiao Yening and meticulously checked her over, "Ningning, are you alright? Tell Mommy if any part of you hurts."
Xiao Yening shook her head in confusion, "I’m okay, I don’t hurt anywhere, why are you crying, Mommy?"
The little girl felt that something was amiss, but upon seeing Madam Xiao’s reddened eyes, she quickly hugged her.
Madam Xiao’s taut expression softened slightly, "Really, you’re okay?"
Xiao Yening nodded vigorously, "I’m fine, I’ve been with Brother Shaoheng the whole time, what could happen?"
Madam Xiao’s expression changed swiftly; she looked up at the cars ahead, and before she could speak, a shuttle car drove up from behind.
The car stopped, the rear window slowly rolled down, revealing Shang Zonghai’s majestic visage.
Madam Xiao pulled Xiao Yening behind her, her gaze lowered towards Shang Zonghai in the car, a hint of caution in her eyes.
The driver opened the door, and Shang Zonghai emerged, crossing his legs.
He rubbed the Buddha Beads, glanced at Madam Xiao, and shook his head, "When you get back, ask your daughter if she has been mistreated."
Madam Xiao was about to speak when Shang Zonghai, hands behind his back, walked on; after a few steps, he stopped, glanced back and dropped a remark, "Ming Dailan, you’ve never truly understood your own son."
"Shang..." Madam Xiao attempted to call after him, but Xiao Yeyan interrupted from behind her, "Ningning, come here, let your second brother have a look."
In that instant, Madam Xiao’s words were cut off, and Shang Zonghai walked further away.
Even long after, she often thought back to that day, wishing she could have understood the deep disappointment in Shang Zonghai’s eyes.
Before long, Xiao Yeyan had Yin Mo accompany Xiao Yening into the car, while he himself walked to Madam Xiao’s side and asked in a low voice, "Shall we take action now?"
Madam Xiao did not reply, her eyes fixed through the rear window of the last car where she could vaguely see Shang Lu’s blurred profile.
She hesitated, because Shang Lu was present, and even more because of Shang Zonghai’s words.
Meanwhile, in the three minivans behind them were a group of thugs Xiao Yeyan had hired at a high price.
As soon as they got out of the car, the tarmac was bound to descend into chaos.
Watching Madam Xiao hesitate to make a decision, Xiao Yeyan’s patience finally ran out. He looked back at the van, just gave a meaningful glance, and his phone in his pocket buzzed.
Xiao Yeyan looked at his cell phone, his gaze slightly surprised, "Father."
Madam Xiao also looked over at the sound, whatever Xiao Hongdao said on the other end, Xiao Yeyan’s expression changed slightly, and he replied very seriously, "Okay, we’ll head back right away."
"What’s the matter?" Madam Xiao looked at him suspiciously, Xiao Yeyan pursed his lips, and whispered, "Father didn’t say much, just told us to go back immediately."
Madam Xiao was puzzled, what could have happened that they were being summoned back to the estate so urgently?
Once Madam Xiao’s motorcade left the tarmac, Li Qiao and the others also got out of the car at a leisurely pace.
That evening, two planes took off one after the other, the destinations being South Sea and Parma.
Inside the cabin, Shang Lu sat upright across from Shang Zonghai, tentatively asking, "Dad, what did you just say to Mom?"
Shang Zonghai, holding a medical book, casually turned a page, "Do you still have Red Ganoderma and Nightshade Vine in your Medicine Garden?"
Shang Lu was taken aback, and it took him several seconds to answer, "I think so."
"Find them when you get back and prepare a medicine for Yun Lih’s kid according to the thirty-second prescription in the ’Medical Herbal Classic’."
Shang Lu kicked his legs and nodded sheepishly, "Got it."
It was always , never saying much, wouldn’t it hurt to give him a chance to share the problems and solve troubles!
Shang Zonghai ignored Shang Lu’s fidgeting; he turned another two pages, then asked as if nonchalantly, "What were you doing on the day your mother had an accident in Parma?"
That year, Shang Lu was fourteen.
After a moment of thought, he answered with conviction, "I was at school."
Shang Zonghai raised an eyebrow, and Shang Lu hung his head immediately, confessing, "I went out street racing..."
"Do you remember who performed the surgery on her?"
Shang Lu mused for a while, supporting his forehead muttering, "It seems to have been her personal family doctor. That night when I got home, I just saw him coming out with a tray..."
On that tray, were the blood-soaked fetus and her uterus.
The sight had been so bloody that it was deeply etched in Shang Lu’s memory.
But why she had had the accident at the old house, his dad and his elder brother remained tight-lipped.
However, their silence didn’t mean Madam Xiao would not tell him.
To this day, even though Madam Xiao has repeatedly stated it was his elder brother who deliberately caused the death of her child, Shang Lu has never believed it.
In his eyes, his elder brother was a man of integrity; what reason would he have not to admit to killing a half-brother embryo?!
South Sea time, four-thirty in the morning, the Yan Emperor’s Special Plane landed at the international airport.
Li Qiao was still sleeping in the rest room, Shang Yu bent down to touch her cheek, his rich voice calling her, "Darling, we’re home."
In the cabin, Xi Luo tossed aside the Pai Gow tiles in her hand, stretched out languidly, "No more playing, finally back."
He Chen changed from his usual frivolous manner, leaning against the high chair, he chugged a big gulp of liquor from his glass.
He did not stay in British Imperial, but followed them back to South Sea.
The little interest he had developed for Yin Mo wasn’t enough to make him stay regardless of the consequences.
If you lend a hand too many times, you become cheap.
If Yin Mo lacks the ability to get out of trouble, she’ll always be just a burden.