Half an hour later, the members of the Duan family gradually arrived.
Duan Jingming had four children, two sons and two daughters.
Aside from Duan Shuyuan and Duan Yuanhui, there was also an elder uncle, Duan Yuanhong, and an elder aunt, Duan Shuhua.
Soon, Li Guangming and Duan Shuyuan arrived.
As soon as they entered, they began to search for Li Qiao, finally finding her on a swing chair in the backyard of the Other Residence. The couple hurried over, grasped her hands, and started bombarding her with questions.
"Baby, is the injury serious? Exactly where did you get hurt?"
"Qiaoqiao, are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?"
Li Qiao was forced to stand up from the swing chair and pointed helplessly to the very faint scratch on her instep while sighing in resignation.
Duan Shuyuan and Li Guangming looked simultaneously at the virtually invisible ’injury’ on her foot, both falling silent with an expression that was rather hard to describe.
Such a huge wound, and it’s already healed!
Heaven knows that just a second sooner yesterday, and they would have been in an ambulance, rushing to South Sea Mansion.
Li Qiao repeatedly emphasized that she was fine, and the couple also breathed a sigh of relief, "Qiaoqiao, you stay here by yourself for a while, and your dad and I will go say hello to your grandfather first."
After sending off Duan Shuyuan and Li Guangming, Li Qiao once again nestled lazily into the swing chair.
The day’s weather couldn’t be called clear, but it was without wind or rain and the temperature was very comfortable.
Li Qiao half-closed her eyes, rocked the swing chair, and leisurely enjoyed the rare tranquility.
Moments later, as it neared noon and Li Qiao was in a state between sleeping and waking, she faintly heard footsteps approaching from behind.
She twisted her brows in irritation and as she lifted her eyelids, a sardonic sneer also followed, "Heh, everyone’s in the front hall celebrating Grandpa’s birthday, but she just had to run off here to find some peace."
Ah, Cousin Duan Yixuan, two years older than Li Qiao, the youngest daughter of her elder uncle’s family.
She and Li Qiao had never seen eye to eye. Competing for affection for over twenty years, but she never once won.
At this moment, the young man beside Duan Yixuan frowned, "Stop picking fights. Grandpa already said that Qiaoqiao came early and has already celebrated his birthday with him."
"Duan Yilang, what’s wrong with you? You always take her side. Who’s actually your real sister?"
The siblings had begun arguing behind the swing chair, with Duan Yixuan’s voice getting louder and louder.
Li Qiao frowned in annoyance, stood up from the swing chair, and emotionlessly walked along the path deeper into the backyard.
Seeing this, Duan Yixuan became so enraged she couldn’t contain herself.
She was arguing with her own brother because of her, and the person in question had walked away.
Duan Yixuan glared furiously, pointing at Li Qiao’s retreating figure and yelled, "Li Qiao, wait up!"
"Duan Yilang, can you please stop making a scene," Duan Yilang said, nudging her with his elbow in distaste, "Today is Grandpa’s birthday, if you have to act up, at least choose the right moment."
Just as Duan Yixuan was about to retort, Duan Yilang quickly caught up to Li Qiao.
In the entire Duan family, everyone doted on Li Qiao. Despite her being just a granddaughter by marriage, the whole family was biased towards her.
And because of this, Duan Yixuan particularly detested Li Qiao, always believing she had stolen the attention and affection that should have been hers since childhood.
In the depth of the backyard, Li Qiao leaned against a kapok tree and looked down at her phone when a pair of AJ sneakers stopped in front of her. Duan Yilang said apologetically, "Qiaoqiao, don’t mind her. Yixuan is just like that. Don’t pay attention to her."
Li Qiao glanced up at Duan Yilang, who had the looks of a pretty boy, and dropped her gaze indifferently, "Hmm."
Of course, she didn’t mind; Duan Yixuan was always picked on and bloodied in their confrontations, yet she never learned her lesson.
In Li Qiao’s eyes, her cousin was the very definition of a fool.