ebookland Chapter 119 The mastermind behind the scenes
Chapter 119 The mastermind behind the scenes
Su Daya stood to the side, listening to Su Muya's story. "You must be strong. Hongmei in heaven wouldn't want to see you like this." As she spoke, she reached for the food box beside her and opened the lid. The aroma of osmanthus cake filled the air again, but this time, it lacked the previous sweetness and had a hint of bitterness.
"This is you," she said, her brow furrowed. She glanced at Old Madam Lin every now and then, her eyes filled with worry. The light outside the window grew dimmer, and the light and shadow in the room became increasingly blurred.
“…I saw…Second Aunt…she…she put…put…” Su Muya stopped abruptly, her whole body trembling even more. “Have some of your favorite osmanthus cake,” said Old Madam Lin, handing the food box to Su Daya. “Don’t go hungry.”
Su Daya took the food box and gently placed it on the bedside table. She knew Su Muya couldn't eat anything right now, but she still hoped Su Muya could recover.
"What did she put?" Old Madam Lin's tone became more serious, her eyes fixed intently on Su Muya.
Su Muya bit her lip tightly, afraid to continue. She was scared, terrified, and didn't know what to do. She was just a child; she couldn't bear this.
Madam Lin rallied.
Silence fell again in the room, broken only by the sound of rain and occasional sobs. Old Madam Lin stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the pattering rain outside. The rain blurred the scenery outside, and also blurred her vision.
After a moment, Old Madam Lin turned to look at Su Muya, a knowing glint in her eyes. She sighed softly, reached out and pulled Su Muya into her arms, gently patting her back.
“Don’t be afraid, Muya,” Madam Lin said gently but firmly, “Tell your grandmother what your second aunt put in the master’s teacup?”
Su Muya raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and looked at Old Madam Lin. Her lips trembled as she finally uttered the answer that terrified her: "Poison...poison..."
Old Madam Lin tightened her grip on Su Muya's arm slightly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
Su Daya gasped and covered her mouth.
She turned to Su Daya and said, "Daya, take good care of Muya. I'm going to see what the doctor said." After she finished speaking, she turned and left the room.
Watching Madam Lin's departing figure, Su Daya sighed softly. She closed the food box again, then sat back down on the bedside to continue comforting Su Muya.
After leaving her room, Madam Lin walked slowly down the corridor. Lanterns were lit in the corridor, their dim light illuminating her path. The sound of rain gradually subsided, but a damp atmosphere still lingered in the air.
Madam Lin walked to the door of the doctor's room and gently knocked.
"Come in," Dr. Li's voice came from inside the room.
Madam Lin pushed open the door to Doctor Li's room. A faint scent of medicine filled the room, and an oil lamp burned quietly, casting a dim, yellowish glow. Doctor Li was sitting at the table, organizing his medicine box. He looked up, saw Madam Lin, and quickly rose to greet her, "Madam."
Madam Lin nodded slightly, gesturing for him to sit down. She walked to the table and sat down opposite Doctor Li, asking directly, "Is there any connection between the poison Mu Ya was poisoned and the Heartbreak Powder found in Hongmei's room?" Her tone was calm, but her eyes held a subtle, almost imperceptible sharpness.
Doctor Li pondered for a moment before replying, "Madam, the poison that the Second Miss suffered from is not the 'Heartbreak Powder'." As he spoke, he took out a small paper packet from his medicine box and handed it to Madam Lin. "This is the tea residue that the Second Miss drank, which you asked me to keep. I have examined it carefully, and it is not the 'Heartbreak Powder,' but another kind of slow-acting poison. It is less toxic and requires long-term use to damage the body."
Madam Lin took the paper packet, opened it, and glanced inside. It contained some grayish-brown powder. Her brow furrowed, her face darkening. "A slow-acting poison? So, Hongmei is innocent?"
Doctor Li nodded: "From what we can see, yes. The poison found in Hongmei's room is not the same as the poison that the Second Miss was poisoned with."
After a moment of silence, Madam Lin handed the paper package back to Doctor Li, her voice low and somber: "Doctor Li, could you please examine this packet of 'Heartbreak Powder' again?" As she spoke, she took out another paper package from her sleeve, the very same "Heartbreak Powder" that the maid had found at Xiao Cui's place.
Doctor Li took the paper packet, examined it carefully, and then gently smelled it. His brows furrowed, and his expression was grave. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "This...this is not a poison that breaks the heart, but a slow-acting poison similar to the one in the tea."
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Lin's face grew even more somber. She realized the situation was far more complex than she had imagined. She stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the dark night sky, her mind racing. Who wanted to harm her granddaughter? And who wanted to frame Hongmei?
“Dr. Li,” Madam Lin turned around, her tone firm, “have someone fetch the tea that Muya drank earlier. I want you to examine it again.”
Doctor Li accepted the order and left. A short while later, a maidservant returned carrying a pot of tea. Doctor Li poured the tea into a small bowl, examined it carefully, and finally confirmed that the tea did indeed contain a small amount of poison, the same as the poison in the paper packet that Old Madam Lin had given him earlier.
Madam Lin already understood: someone was secretly poisoning her, and the target was clear: Su Muya. Her face darkened, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes. She was determined to find the mastermind behind this and show no mercy!
"Dr. Li, you may leave now." Old Madam Lin waved her hand, signaling Dr. Li to step down.
Doctor Li bowed and took his leave.
Madam Lin paced back and forth in the room, pondering how to find the poisoner. After a moment, she stopped, her eyes resolute: "Someone, go and fetch Daya."
The maid took the order and left.
Su Daya was taking care of Su Muya in her room when she heard the maid's call and immediately got up to go to Old Madam Lin's room. She was uneasy, wondering why Old Madam Lin wanted to see her.
Su Daya arrived at Old Madam Lin's room and saw that Old Madam Lin's face was gloomy, which made her even more uneasy. "Mother, did you want to see me?" Su Daya asked cautiously.
Madam Lin gestured for Su Daya to sit down, and then told Su Daya the whole story, including the results of Doctor Li's examination and her own deductions.
Upon hearing this, Su Daya turned deathly pale, utterly terrified. She never imagined that someone would want to harm her daughter. She gripped Old Madam Lin's hand tightly, her voice trembling as she asked, "Mother, what about... what about Muya...?"