CHAPTER 966: CHAPTER 966: ARE YOU THAT AFRAID I’LL DO SOMETHING RECKLESS?

In front of the State Banquet Hall’s long corridor, He Chen, Zong Zhan, and Jin Rong watched the two figures beneath the corridor, each lost in their own thoughts in silence.

Inside the hall, the National Ceremony Master of Ceremonies continued to recite blessings in Burmese, creating a harmonious and warm atmosphere.

Under the corridor, Shang Yu held Li Qiao’s back with one hand. The two sat by the railing, gazing at the path ahead, neither speaking a word.

The scene that played out on the path left one sighing emotionally.

Ming Dailan ran about wildly, frantically shouting a name, "Ah Zun."

Wei Lang attempted several times to catch her but hesitated due to his position, not daring to be too aggressive.

The master had said to take her back to Parma, send her to a psychiatric hospital, and inform the Ming family to handle the aftermath.

Though Wei Lang wasn’t a constant follower of Shang Zonghai like Wei Ang, he understood that such an arrangement undeniably meant giving up on Ming Dailan.

After circling around for half a lifetime, the once most beautiful woman of Parma was ultimately returning to her homeland.

Unfortunately, everything had long changed beyond recognition.

At this moment, Li Qiao intertwined her fingers with Shang Yu’s, glancing sideways at his profile, "This way, it’s actually not so bad."

No matter if Ming Dailan was feigning madness or genuinely traumatized, while she might not deserve sympathy, this ending might be the best destination for her.

Shang Yu glanced downward at their clasped hands, his thin lips pressed together, "Mm, pretty good."

Li Qiao detected the sarcasm and obscurity in his tone, squeezed his fingers tighter, and patiently comforted, "Whether right or wrong, she’ll live a much easier life in the future, and you should let go, too."

Shang Yu sidelined his gaze, deep, dark eyes flowing with a unique emotion, "Afraid I’ll take it too hard?"

Li Qiao squinted at the departing Ming Dailan, raising her eyebrows slightly, "I’m afraid you’ll grow too soft-hearted."

With Shang Yu’s nature of valuing emotions and loyalty, he wouldn’t forgive Ming Dailan, yet might not be able to bear seeing her drifting and homeless.

It’s not just him, but also Shang Zonghai.

This father and son duo seemed cold-blooded and domineering on the surface but valued feelings more than anyone else.

Shang Yu chuckled deeply and touched Li Qiao’s ear with a kiss, "I won’t. You’ve thought too highly of me."

Li Qiao didn’t avoid it, instead snuggling closer to his chest, "What I mean is... don’t cure her either."

The man said nothing, intently meeting her gaze, a shadow flickering in his eyes.

Li Qiao rubbed his hand’s back and softly said, "If I were Ming Dailan, instead of living among so many lies, I’d rather, like this, live in my own world, letting everything vanish."

Only by losing one’s sanity, can one escape all sins.

From now on, living in a world with only her and Ah Zun, is also a form of fulfillment.

Shang Yu closed his eyes and moved his palm to gently caress her head, "Alright, I’ll listen to you then."

He indeed had thoughts of wanting to cure Ming Dailan.

During the initial stages of a mental breakdown, if treated properly, there might still be a chance to restore consciousness.

Even though Ming Dailan’s sins were unforgivable, she remained Shang Lu’s beloved mother.

But fortunately, Shang Yu had Li Qiao, all his willpower shifted because of her.

Ultimately, he followed Li Qiao’s advice, madness or not, could allow everything to thoroughly dissipate.

...

On the other side of the corridor, He Chen shed his usual casualness and flamboyance, his expression heavy with worry.

The calmest was Zong Zhan, a cigarette in his mouth, his dignified air and rogue manner perfectly aligned, "The sister-in-law impresses me once again, managing to walk away from Xiao Hongdao unscathed, truly impressive."

Jin Rong, who had a cleanliness obsession, was currently stomping his foot, trying to get the cigarette ash off his shoe. Upon hearing Zong Zhan’s exclamation, he looked up and scoffed, "You make a big deal out of nothing, our Qi Qi has great skills."

At this, He Chen gave him a wordless look, "Your Qi Qi got a new lease on life today; don’t use idioms if you don’t understand them, dammit."

"He Xiaosi, are you looking for trouble?" Jin Rong frowned, clenching his fist, "I don’t mind giving you a firsthand lesson on what a new lease on life really means."

Zong Zhan exhaled smoke playfully at Jin Rong’s face, "You can’t beat Xiao Si, stay calm."

Jin Rong sneered with his chin raised, then cleverly took a step back, showing he knew when to yield.

He Chen couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and took a cigarette from Zong Zhan’s suit pocket, placing it in his lips and lighting it, "If Xiao Hongdao let Li Qiao go so easily, he probably has more tricks up his sleeve."

Unlike Jin Rong’s lack of principle, He Chen, as Black Hawk’s strategist, was naturally more sharp-minded.

He spoke while glancing towards Li Qiao, his words vague, "Unless the sister-in-law has plans too, otherwise, it’s hard to prevent."

At this, Jin Rong regained some composure, straightening his thoughts, "If Xiao Hongdao were that formidable, why is he indifferent about Xiao Yeyan being captured?"

Zong Zhan didn’t participate in the discussion, rather he was getting lost in thought.

He Chen flicked the ash, his gaze fixed on the glowing cigarette butt, "Precisely because he’s indifferent, that’s why there’s an issue."

Jin Rong never enjoyed brainstorming, preferring to hold a gun and shoot rather than playing mind games with someone like Xiao Hongdao.

Before long, Shang Yu and Li Qiao walked over hand in hand. He Chen finished his last puff on the cigarette, his handsome features returning to their usual state.

"The wedding is almost over. If you don’t go in now, I think Wu Minmin won’t be able to sit still."

He Chen teased with a light-hearted quip, his attention on Li Qiao’s face, yet there was a hint of playfulness.

Li Qiao left the wedding midway, and within three minutes, the other four disappeared.

He Chen faintly sensed that Li Qiao might have known something in advance since those border people all followed her lead.

At this moment, Li Qiao met He Chen’s gaze briefly before turning her face away, "Mm, let’s go."

...

Back in the State Banquet Hall, the wedding had reached its final part, the exchange of vows between the couple.

Li Qiao found a somewhat prominent spot and raised her eyebrows towards Wu Minmin, whose expression was tight on stage.

Others typically celebrated weddings with joy, but compared to Wu Minmin, she looked like she was being forced to marry.

Seeing Li Qiao’s returning figure, the hostility between Wu Minmin’s brows gradually faded away, and she visibly relaxed as if relieved.

If Li Qiao hadn’t returned, Wu Minmin might have ordered the entire Cabinet Office to be sealed off for a full search.

A few minutes later, Su Moshi and Wu Minmin finished exchanging vows, concluding this supplemental wedding ceremony, completing it perfectly.

Guests were invited to the adjacent banquet hall for a meal, and Shen Qingye, along with Song Liao and others, timely appeared among the crowd.

The group navigated through the crowd to gather around Li Qiao, Song Liao looking sharply at her, "Kid, that cup of tea wasn’t poisoned, was it?"

They were all hiding near the back garden at the time, but from a distance, they couldn’t hear what she and Xiao Hongdao were discussing.

Li Qiao curved her lips, "No."

Shen Qingye moved with the crowd, glancing around, "Where’s Yin Lao Er?"

Xia Siyu and Song Liao exchanged puzzled looks, shaking their heads cluelessly, "Wasn’t she acting with you?"

Shen Qingye pointed at himself in surprise, "How would I know?"