CHAPTER 935: CHAPTER 935: A PRINCE GUO-LEVEL FIGURE

At half-past six in the evening, Wei Ang drove back to the villa.

Prince Wu Lv and Shang Zonghai were sitting in the pavilion, casually chatting over tea.

As dusk fell, small ground lamps lit the surroundings. When Li Qiao and Shang Yu entered, Shang Zonghai nodded his chin, "The girl you’ve been thinking about is back."

Prince Wu Lv turned his head accordingly, looking at Li Qiao with gentle amusement in his eyes.

Li Qiao walked over calmly and nodded politely, "Dad, Uncle Wu."

Shang Zonghai smiled silently, his gaze swept over her features, and he glimpsed Shang Yu, deepening his smile.

At this moment, Prince Wu Lv looked Li Qiao and Shang Yu up and down, gesturing at her with his hand, "You child, after being away for so long, you’re finally willing to come back?"

Li Qiao smiled and handed over an antique box, "Uncle Wu, this is a gift from Shaoyan and me."

Prince Wu Lv feigned annoyance with a glance, "Don’t think you can appease me with little trinkets."

"Just take a look," Li Qiao encouraged, pushing the box forward once more.

Prince Wu Lv pressed his lips together as he took it and opened the box, his eyes brightened instantly, "This is..."

Li Qiao nodded with a smile, "Your favorite jade carving, in a palace architecture style."

"It must have cost a lot, right?" Prince Wu Lv rubbed the exquisite jade, its luster even more radiant under the ground lights.

Li Qiao said it didn’t cost anything.

Prince Wu Lv assumed she was joking, focusing his attention on the palm-sized jade without putting it down.

Myanmar produces jade, but finely crafted and high-quality jade carvings are hard to come by.

This jade palace carving, whether in color or craftsmanship, is extraordinary.

Of course, Li Qiao never lies—this jade carving indeed didn’t cost anything.

Because Myanmar’s Kansa Antique City is Jin Rong’s property.

Not long ago, when she and Shang Yu went to pick out a gift, it somehow reached Jin Rong’s ears.

Consequently, her godfather called and generously said, "Qi Qi, take whatever you like, no need to pay. If there is nothing you fancy in the store, check the warehouse at Antique City, you know the code."

...

During dinner, Prince Wu Lv, Shang Zonghai, and others sat around a table on the second floor of the main building. The dining room was filled with the fragrance of wine, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Midway through dinner, Prince Wu Lv held up his wine glass, his cheeks slightly flushed as he looked at Li Qiao, "Qiaoqiao, when you’re in Myanmar, remember not to act impulsively, okay?"

Li Qiao nodded calmly, "Got it, don’t worry."

"Ha," Prince Wu Lv chuckled briefly, then turned to complain to Shang Zonghai, "Elder Shang, you don’t know how stubborn this kid can be. Once..."

Li Qiao timely picked up the wine pot to refill his glass, a hint of a smile on her lips, "Uncle Wu, that’s all in the past."

Prince Wu Lv was interrupted, shaking his head with a smile, "It may be past for you, but others might not think the same. In any case, be mindful, think twice before acting, don’t be too rash."

Where was she impulsive...

Li Qiao nodded absentmindedly, listening inattentively.

Soon after, Wei Ang came into the living room and reported business-like, "Patriarch, Mr. Su Moshi has arrived."

Shang Zonghai smiled faintly, "Let him in."

Li Qiao lowered her gaze, lost in thought for a moment.

To outsiders, Uncle Wu and Shang Zonghai appeared to be chatting amiably, yet Uncle Wu’s demeanor was indisputably humble and respectful.

It was a cautiousness she had never noticed in Uncle Wu before.

Even in interactions with Myanmar’s highest leader, Uncle Wu rarely bowed his head.

Li Qiao discreetly glanced at Shang Zonghai, perplexed.

Soon, Su Moshi entered with Wei Ang, "Dad, Patriarch Shang."

Shang Zonghai responded, then exchanged a meaningful look with Prince Wu Lv, kindly saying, "Girl, help entertain our guest for a bit."

Li Qiao readily agreed, getting up to lead Su Moshi from the dining room.

She knew Shang Zonghai was just using the opportunity to send her away.

In the living room, Li Qiao sat across from Su Moshi, propping her head with a hand, lifting her eyelids, "How’s the wedding preparation?"

"Almost done." Su Moshi’s handsome face looked slightly haggard, leaning back in his chair with a sigh, "I used to think weddings were simple, just a matter of following procedure. Now, managing one myself, it turns out to be quite troublesome."

Upon hearing this, Li Qiao lightly raised an eyebrow, "It’s worth the trouble for a once-in-a-lifetime event."

Su Moshi pinched his brow, giving Li Qiao a knowing, playful look, "Indeed, that’s why I’ve had everything meticulously recorded. When you and Master Yan have your grand wedding, it might come in handy."

Li Qiao was silent for a moment and ultimately said nothing.

Her wedding with Shang Yu hadn’t been scheduled yet. Having the marriage license makes them husband and wife, and the wedding is just a formal acknowledgment to the public; there’s no rush.

Seeing Li Qiao’s silence, Su Moshi guessed she might not want to discuss it further. He leaned forward to grab a bottle of mineral water from the coffee table, unscrewing it as he asked, "Xiao Yehui’s issue, was it your doing?"

"What?" Li Qiao returned to her senses, her gaze indifferent.

Su Moshi took a sip of water, his eyes slightly mocking, "His engagement to the princess hasn’t been announced, and the wedding might be indefinitely postponed."

"Oh." Li Qiao barely mustered interest, pulling a lip, "Quite normal, it’d be surprising if it weren’t postponed."

Su Moshi smiled knowingly, "You really do what you say."

Li Qiao turned her face, her eyes reflecting a faint gleam, "It might just be fate."

"Tell me what you did?"

Su Moshi’s curiosity was piqued, albeit with lingering doubts, wondering how a royal and noble union could be so fragile.

Li Qiao stared back at him, pondering for a couple of seconds before succinctly explaining a few points.

Finally, she raised her lips playfully, summarizing with a hint of amusement, "The Global Society openly defamed the Archbishop, involving the Second Crown Prince in controversy. He needed to minimize attention and divert the public’s focus, so how could he organize a wedding drawing public notice?"

The Second Crown Prince might not be deeply scheming, but he has basic self-preservation skills.

Besides...

It was clearly Xiao Hongdao who instigated the Global Society to attack the Archbishop, yet the Second Crown Prince ended up being the one embroiled in trouble.

And an alliance of benefits can’t withstand storms; friction had arisen between the Second Crown Prince and Xiao Hongdao, and with Charlman facing successive public backlash, it’s challenging to regain face through a wedding, no matter the lack of internal and external threats.

Su Moshi’s eyebrows rose in astonishment, "Master Yan certainly lives up to his reputation, managing to get the House of Lords to issue an announcement. I’ve never heard of such a thing in the British Imperial for so many years."

Li Qiao looked at him nonchalantly, her words surprisingly casual, "The announcement... wasn’t his doing."

"Then..."

Li Qiao gestured lightly toward the dining room, "Father Shang intervened midway, and everything that followed had to do with him."

Su Moshi’s pupils trembled, sitting up slightly straighter, "Your family’s old man, what exactly is his background? Including this villa, it’s also his, did you know?"

"Are you sure?" Li Qiao was uncharacteristically surprised. She had thought the villa was lent to Shang Zonghai temporarily by a prince or Uncle Wu, not expecting it actually belonged to him.

The door frame was carved with Prince Guo’s honor insignias, meaning the villa’s owner could only be someone of Prince Guo’s stature.