Hidden identities of the AI Heiress-Chapter 1008: Professor Qiao’s Grand Engagement Ceremony (2)
Li Hanzhou chuckled helplessly, "Little one, are you sure that after we tell them, they won’t cause trouble?"
Qiao Yun paused for a moment, then immediately replied with righteous confidence, "They’re very well-behaved. You shouldn’t have any prejudice against them."
Li Hanzhou said slowly, "I think I’m going to have to redefine the word ’well-behaved’."
"They’re Qiaoqiao’s family, of course they need to be informed." Lu Zhanxing teased gleefully, "Mr. Li, you’ll be part of their family soon. Excited?"
Li Hanzhou smiled faintly.
Qiao Yun nodded earnestly and took out her phone to call Pei Ya.
The call connected quickly.
"Boss, what’s up?"
Pei Ya had been quite busy recently. The criminals responsible for his parents’ deaths weren’t just Fu Yun, and he’d been preoccupied tracking them down.
With Huo Lin’s cooperation, he’d pinpointed several older culprits involved in the case, and was merely waiting to gather sufficient evidence to make them pay.
So over the past few days, he hadn’t had much time to care about Professor Qiao.
"Something important." Qiao Yun stated succinctly, "I’m getting engaged to Zhouzhou, let them know."
Pei Ya froze.
Wait, what?
What did he just hear?
Who’s getting engaged?
Before he could snap out of it, Qiao Yun casually added, "That’s all. Bye."
Then she hung up the call.
Pei Ya stared wide-eyed, utterly flabbergasted.
Did Professor Qiao just say she’s getting engaged?
He dug a finger into his ear—he wasn’t hearing things, was he?
Pei Ya immediately called her back. When the call connected, he asked, incredulously, "You’re getting engaged? To Li Hanzhou?"
Qiao Yun patiently replied, "Yes."
"..." Pei Ya was too stupefied, muttering nervously, "It’s real after all. How is it real? Why is it real? You’re really getting engaged?! I’m actually going to have a stepdad?! Holy—holy crap! So fast! Boss, have you ever heard the saying that marriage is the graveyard of love? Why are you rushing to jump into the grave?!"
Qiao Yun’s voice turned icy, "You’re too noisy."
Without hesitation, she hung up again.
Pei Ya: "..."
It’s just an engagement, not even marriage yet, and already she’s this dismissive?
Ugh...
Stepdad here means stepmom isn’t far behind!
He felt pitiful.
No, no! The most urgent matter now is how to deliver this terrifying news to that bunch of little brats!
Just thinking about how Little Wangwang would surely scold him for not properly looking after Professor Qiao made Pei Ya feel wretched.
Was it really his fault?
It was plainly Professor Qiao who voluntarily stepped into the wolf’s maw.
...
Li Hanzhou teased with a playful tone, "They’re going to absolutely hate me."
Qiao Yun replied seriously, "Don’t worry. With me here, no one will bully you."
Seizing the opportunity, Li Hanzhou held Qiao Yun’s hand and said, "You have to protect me well."
"Of course." Qiao Yun nodded firmly.
Lu Zhanxing: "..."
Lu Jingzhi: "..."
Did they forget we’re still here?
Lu Zhanxing felt a pang of jealousy—so overwhelmingly sour. He could see it clearly now.
His sister had truly made up her mind; it was unshakable.
As her older brother, he couldn’t stop her, so he could only offer his blessings.
Li Miao rested her chin on her hands, staring enviously at the couple opposite her. They had done nothing overly affectionate yet still fed her an entire serving of PDA.
"When will I find someone who I can mutually support? Sigh... what should I do, I want to fall in love too."
Li Miao let out a dramatic sigh, turning to look at Lu Shiran, who was eavesdropping on the conversation nearby. She asked curiously, "Lu Shiran, what’s your ideal type?"
Lu Shiran was engrossed in listening to Lu Rui and the elder Li discussing engagement dates—though it was mostly the elder Li being overly enthused. When he heard Li Miao call his name, he replied without thinking,
"Ideal type? What’s that? Can you eat it? My ideal type is a great scientific career!"
Li Miao gawked, stunned by his lofty aspiration, "You’re actually willing to stay single forever just for your career?"
Lu Shiran clicked his tongue, "Li, my dear sister, will you get your phrasing straight? I’m maintaining the status of a bachelor aristocrat. But then again..."
He glanced at Qiao Yun before rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "If falling in love could make me as impressive as my sister, I’d start dating immediately."
Li Miao’s lips twitched.
Lu Shiran asked Li Miao, "Do you think a gentle and kind big sister is better, or a cool and stylish diva, or maybe a pure and fairy-like one..."
Listening to his preferences—all focused on the "big sister" type—Li Miao saw his goofy expression filled with visions of grandeur and inexplicably felt annoyed. She rolled her eyes, huffed, and stopped paying him any attention.
Lu Shiran: ???
What did he do now?
Women—always so unpredictable.
Lu Shiran shook his head and turned his focus back to the elders speaking.
Feeling ignored, Li Miao grew even angrier; yet, the frustration seemed baseless. In the end, she attributed it to her and Lu Shiran simply being too different to ever become good friends.
Fine, let’s leave it at that—it seems they’d never truly get along.
...
Although Elder Li wanted nothing more than for Li Hanzhou and Qiao Yun’s engagement ceremony to be held immediately, Lu Rui ultimately refrained from making decisions on his own. He asked Qiao Yun for her opinion, curious about what she truly wanted.
Had she truly decided to spend her life with Li Hanzhou?
Lu Rui knew, based on Qiao Yun’s persistent nature, that once she set her mind on someone, she wouldn’t waver.
Qiao Yun simply stated, "I’ve made up my mind."
Lu Rui said nothing more after hearing this. He nodded and said, "Alright, leave the rest to me."
Qiao Yun expressed her gratitude earnestly, "Thank you, Dad."
Lu Rui smiled warmly, "Seeing you find happiness makes me happy too."
Su Mian added sentimentally, "It’s just an engagement, not a wedding, yet I already feel so reluctant."
Qiao Yun leaned close to Su Mian, her voice soft and sweet, "Mom, I can spend six more years with you, so don’t feel sad."
Li Hanzhou: "..."
Su Mian laughed, "Alright, alright, spend a few more years with Mom."
"Okay." Seeing Su Mian happy, Qiao Yun felt happy too.
After Su Mian and Lu Rui returned to discuss engagement dates with Elder Li, Li Hanzhou couldn’t help but sigh, "You seriously want to make me wait six years?"
In only one year, Qiao Yun would reach the legal age for marriage and they could get their marriage certificate.
Just one year away, but Li Hanzhou already wished he could speed up time.
Qiao Yun pressed her lips together, her mouth curling slightly upward, "Guess."
Li Hanzhou froze for a moment, then pinched her nose lightly, "You little troublemaker."
Qiao Yun hummed softly in response.
"Even if it’s just an engagement, I still need to make a statement of ownership."
Li Hanzhou took out his phone, gently holding Qiao Yun’s hand, and snapped a photo of their intertwined fingers.
Particularly the ring on her finger—high-resolution and unmissable.
Then he opened Weibo and posted only his third-ever update.
[Good morning, fiancée.]
Seeing this, Qiao Yun thought for a moment and then took out her own phone, opening Weibo.
[Good morning, fiancé.]
Li Hanzhou raised a brow, "You have an account?"
"I registered it before, to follow my brother." Her account had been used to follow Lu Zhanxing, but now she’d inadvertently exposed herself. It was easy to guess how much attention this would attract.
Li Hanzhou hadn’t been able to resist making a public display of affection. Seeing Qiao Yun’s response now, his mood instantly brightened.
Meanwhile online, these few words, once posted, sent hyperactivity in the comments skyrocketing as if on a rocketship.
One was the notable Mr. Li from Li Group.
The other was the famous Professor Qiao, owner of Shengqiao.
Born heat magnets, their Weibo announcement promptly crashed the server.
For netizens, the biggest dilemma was this: should they fawn over the long-awaited opening of Professor Qiao’s social media account, or should they obsess over the fact that she really was getting engaged to Mr. Li?!
It was absolutely surreal.
—
Lu Shiran X Li Miao (quarrelsome little frenemies)
Pei Ya X Han Wang (cool ice queen x sassy CEO)
