Li Hanzhou's stoic face cracked slightly, and after a long pause, he asked with a teasing tone, "Kid, are you telling me this now because you want to take responsibility?"
Li Miao desperately signaled to her brother with her eyes, asking him not to be too harsh since Qiao Yun had come from the countryside and didn't realize that he was a fearsome figure in Shangjing, known to make others tremble. It was normal for her not to know the rules.
Qiao Yun thought seriously for a moment, then corrected him, "Legally speaking, I'm already eighteen and an adult, not a 'kid'."
"...?"
"Also, I'm not even of legal marriage age, so this would be considered sexual harassment."
Seeing Qiao Yun's serious face, a hint of speechlessness flashed through Li Hanzhou's shining eyes.
Is this straightforwardness typical of country folks?
To prevent Qiao Yun from saying anything more outrageous, Li Miao took the initiative to grab Qiao Yun's suitcase and pulled her into the car.
"Alright, it's getting late, let's get in the car and talk."
Li Miao first put Qiao Yun's luggage in the trunk and after getting into the car, saw Qiao Yun casually inspecting the interior, which immediately inflated her vanity.
"Cool, right? This is the latest model of smart sports car. It can drive itself and even go underwater. Only five have been made worldwide. Do you know how much it costs?"
Li Miao stretched out a finger: "Almost a hundred million, you've probably never seen this much money in your life, have you?"
Qiao Yun silently recalled her bank account balance and permissively nodded.
Seeing Qiao Yun play along, Li Miao's eyes filled with admiration: "It's pricey for a reason, after all, it's equipped with an MR.Q-developed smart system. Impressive, right?"
Qiao Yun paused, her lips slightly curved up: "Impressive."
"You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you."
Pampered Li Miao assumed that since Qiao Yun lived in the countryside, she probably had to work in the fields after school every day and likely had no time to learn about these things.
"Oh right, I forgot to tell you, your parents had some issues today, so they couldn't come to pick you up."
Qiao Yun, without even lifting her eyelids, calmly acknowledged with an "Oh."
Li Miao suddenly became curious, "Why don't you ask what it was?"
Qiao Yun was uninterested, but seeing Li Miao eagerly looking at her, she paused and asked, "What was it?"
Li Miao, her eyes full of mockery: "It was your half-sister from a different father and mother. I heard she was hospitalized with a fever yesterday and was so dramatic, clinging to your mom and wouldn't let her go. Coincidentally, my mom heard about it and decided to pick you up instead. Oh, by the way, my mom and your mom were elementary school classmates."
They were the type of classmates who kept in touch maybe once a year; she wondered why suddenly they were so eager to help.
Qiao Yun replied indifferently, "I see."
"You're not upset??"
Li Miao thought Qiao Yun's reaction was abnormal since most people would be disappointed if their biological parents chose to take care of someone else who wasn't even their own.
Qiao Yun perplexed: "Should I be upset?"
Li Miao: "..."
Feeling something wasn't quite right and yet it seemed all right???
Qiao Yun truly wasn't upset. Although this body was biologically related to the Lu family, she had been lost at the age of three and abducted, and they hadn't seen each other for more than a decade.
Li Hanzhou watched Qiao Yun through the rearview mirror.
Her snowy white face partially engulfed in shadows, those eyes indifferent without a trace of emotion.
She truly felt no anger.
As Li Miao's eyes darted around, thinking that Qiao Yun, on her first trip to the city, must be curious about the world outside the mountains, she started to describe the scenery.
"You see that skyscraper? It's Shengqiao Group's newly completed headquarters. Impressive, isn't it? Not bragging, but in China, only Li Group can rival Shengqiao Group."
Qiao Yun's bright eyes looked up at the towering skyscraper and nonchalantly hummed an approval, showing no envy.
Just then, Qiao Yun's phone vibrated.
Her slender fingers tapped on the message.
[Heard you're back in Shangjing, when will you visit the Group?]
Qiao Yun glanced down, tapping on her phone: [I've already arrived.]
[Where? Why didn't you say earlier, I could have arranged a welcome ceremony for you.]
Qiao Yun: [Driving past.]
After a while, the other side replied: [......]
Qiao Yun typed with utmost sincerity: [The new building is so ugly, looks like a huge vest.]
[A hundred-billion-dollar building and you call it a vest? There's something I'm not sure whether I should say!]
Qiao Yun coldly replied: [Hold it in.]
After a while, the other person sent an aggrieved emoji.
Li Miao had been explaining for a long time and seeing that Qiao Yun didn't respond, thought she might be overwhelmed by the big city, so she changed the subject: "By the way, now that you're back in Shangjing, you must have transferred your school registration, right?"
Qiao Yun put away her phone and drawled, "It's been transferred."
Li Miao nodded, "Excellent, the resources in Shangjing City are definitely better than in the countryside. Just focus on your studies and you'll surely make something of yourself."
Qiao Yun lifted her eyelids, her gaze conveying an unspoken message to Li Miao, ultimately saying nothing.
Upon reaching their destination, Li Miao poked her head out, holding her phone and waving, "Let's exchange contact information. We're somewhat acquainted now, so you can reach out if you need anything."
Her parents had repeatedly instructed her to take good care of Qiao Yun, who was somewhat pitiable.
Qiao Yun's eyes sparkled slightly.
The first step to making friends: exchanging contact information.
Li Hanzhou's knuckles rapped against the steering wheel, his nonchalant gaze pausing when he saw Qiao Yun's phone.
This was a co-branded model developed by Shengqiao Group's mobile company and the government, priced in the tens of thousands, and featuring the latest advanced chip. It had been a sensation upon its release this year.
Even if the Lu family was wealthy, they wouldn't likely buy such an expensive phone for her.
Li Hanzhou's eyes twinkled, his voice casual as he asked, "Kid, did the Lu family buy that phone for you?"
Qiao Yun lifted her pale face.