After a few minutes, Shang Zonghai’s confidant appeared in the living room, "Master Yan, Miss Li, the gentleman invites you to the tearoom."
At this time, Li Qiao was sitting sideways on the sofa, contemplating life as she looked at the gauze wrapped around her foot.
Shang Yu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, having already smoked three cigarettes in a row.
Sensing that the atmosphere was off, the confidant discreetly glanced towards Liuyun and Luoyu.
Liuyun gave him a ’figure it out yourself’ look and then continued to stare ahead, playing the role of a tool.
Luoyu slightly lowered her head with a complex expression, seemingly lost in thought.
After a moment of silence in the living room, Shang Yu finally turned away from the window with a hoarse voice, his eyes resting on Li Qiao, "Let’s go."
On the second floor, in the tearoom, Shang Yu and Li Qiao entered one after the other.
Contrasting with the mansion’s luxurious style, the tearoom featured a Japanese tatami design. On the floor was a tea service table, and calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls. Shang Zonghai knelt on a cushion, with a whole wall of curio shelves behind him, displaying various collectibles and curios.
The air was filled with the aroma of tea. Hearing their approach, Shang Zonghai looked up from his papers and squinted at them, "What happened?"
His gaze fixed on Shang Yu’s face, knowing his son well, he realized that it had been years since Shaoyan had shown such an expression.
Shang Yu, his thin lips tightly pressed together and his lips stretched in a straight line, walked silently to the tea service table. As he took his seat, he glanced sideways at Li Qiao who was trailing two steps behind and his Adam’s apple moved, "Come and sit down."
Shang Zonghai’s eyes held puzzlement, and with a sideways glance, he noticed the gauze on Li Qiao’s foot, expressing some surprise, "How did you get injured?"
As he spoke, Shang Zonghai discreetly looked at Shang Yu, waves of contemplation stirring in his eyes.
Could it be that Shaoyan’s old problem acted up and he ended up hurting the young lady?
Li Qiao cleared her throat, sat down in front of the tea table, and said with a smile, "I accidentally scraped it while walking, it’s no big deal, uncle don’t worry."
Shang Zonghai smiled inscrutably, closed the document in his hand, and advised, "You, young lady, must take good care of yourself. Otherwise, if you get hurt in the mansion, I would have a hard time explaining to your father."
"Uncle, you are too kind. It’s just a minor injury, not worth mentioning."
As soon as she finished speaking, Li Qiao distinctly felt a chilling coldness emanating from Shang Yu.
She really wasn’t that delicate.
Li Qiao touched her forehead and chuckled helplessly with her head down.
Just then, Shang Zonghai pushed the elegant tea cup in front of them, shifting the topic, "Have some tea first. Since your foot is injured, don’t go back today.
The wet season in the South Sea is humid, going back and forth could make it easy for the wound to get infected.
I’ll call your father later, stay until your injury is somewhat better tomorrow. It will be good to keep this old man company for a chat."
Before she had a chance to politely decline, Shang Yu had already picked up the elegant tea cup, blew on the steam, his expression softened, and said in a deep voice, "Mm, father makes sense."
Li Qiao, who had no opportunity to speak the whole time: "?"
She looked down at the gauze on her foot and moved her toes again, unable to stop herself from doubting whether she had just grazed her skin or actually broken a leg...
And so, Li Qiao found herself inexplicably forced to spend the night at the South Sea Mansion.
True to his word, Shang Zonghai finished his tea in the tearoom and then made a call to Li Guangming.
Li Qiao didn’t know what they talked about specifically, but afterwards, she received a message from her parents saying that if the injury was serious, they could send an ambulance to the mansion at any time to take her to the hospital.