At that moment, Li San harshly drew on his cigarette, squinted his eyes and exhaled the smoke, "Shang Zonghai told you to go back for a look? I don’t remember you ever visiting Parma. Although I’m not familiar with that place, I’ve heard a few things from friends in the know; it’s not a border that you can just cross whenever you want."
Li Qiao curled her lips indifferently and pulled out a diamond card, tossing it onto the table, "Even you can sense something’s not right, yet mom and dad refuse to say anything."
Once certain suspicions plant seeds in one’s heart, given time to ferment, they quickly take root and sprout.
Li San picked up the ostentatious card and glanced at it casually, "What’s this supposed to be?"
"It’s said to be a Parma pass."
Li San chuckled, threw the card back on the table, crossed his legs, and took a swig of brandy, looking upwards, "Since there’s a pass, then find an opportunity to go check it out in the future. But based on what you said, dad and mom’s attitude towards Shang Zonghai is indeed a bit odd."
South Sea’s richest man, Li Guangming, has never in his life bowed his head to anyone.
At this time, Li Qiao leaned back in her chair, her gaze falling on the diamond card; she spoke carelessly, "Is it possible I’m from Parma? The adopted kind by mom and dad..."
As soon as she finished speaking, she regretted it a little. The suspicion was absurd—who would completely dote on an adopted child with all their heart and soul?
Sure enough, her third brother Li Cheng looked at her with a complicated gaze, his expression a mix of laughter and helplessness, "Have you been watching too many TV dramas?"
As he finished speaking, he rolled up his shirt sleeves and gave Li Qiao a sidelong glance, "When you were born, the whole family was at the hospital for the birth. Your eldest brother was the first to hold you, do you know what he said then?"
Li Qiao looked down to drink, her face expressionless as she tried to hide her embarrassment, "Hmm?"
"Is this black monkey really my sister?" Li San said with no psychological pressure, revealing Li Qiao’s dark history.
The Black Monkey, Li Qiao: "..."
Li San, you really didn’t have to say that out loud.
After two glasses of wine, Li Qiao’s suppressed emotions had eased a great deal.
The warm light above shone on her, making the lines of her profile even clearer and prettier, her skin bathed in a hazy glow.
Li Cheng was a heavy smoker; in just a short while, he had already smoked four or five cigarettes.
The surroundings were not quite filled with swirling smoke, but it was somewhat choking.
Li Qiao tilted her head back slightly, gazing at the ceiling and casually resting her hands behind her neck; in the quiet atmosphere, she could not help but think of Shang Yu.
She had gone home with her parents right after today’s luncheon, and she wondered what he was doing now?
Right then, an abrupt vibration came from the table.
Li Cheng swiped the screen and took a quick look, then cursed lowly, "Damn."
Li Qiao rested her hands on the back of her head, her eyelids half-drooping as she watched him, "What happened?"
"Nan Xin got into trouble." Li Cheng said while grabbing his overcoat from the back of the chair, "You head home first, I..."
Li Qiao had already stood up with a calm demeanour and began walking towards the door, "Together."
Li Cheng watched her retreating back, pursed his lips, caught up to her in a few steps, and patiently cautioned her, "Qiao, it’s fine for you to go, but don’t act rashly, remember this isn’t the border."
He knew Qiaoqiao all too well; once someone she cared about got hurt, she could turn the world upside down without uttering a word.
Otherwise, her exploits at the border wouldn’t still be talked about three years later.
"Nagging." Li Qiao pulled at her lip and threw out two words, a bit disdainfully.
Li San touched his nose bridge: "..."
Nan Xin’s usual haunts were mostly at the border; that’s where they made their own rules, and got wild.
But coming to the South Sea, a society governed by law, their actions had to be more restrained.
Li Qiao wasn’t worried about Nan Xin’s physical safety, rather she feared she might do something that defied legal reasoning.
Eastern Suburb Sports Ground.
Li Qiao and Li Cheng got out of the taxi and headed straight for Bowling Alley No. 2.
It wasn’t hard to guess that a die-hard bowling enthusiast had caused trouble here.