Thinking she was just trying to show off, Lan Lan took a drink. As she put down the bowl, her eyes briefly caught Qi Xi’s face, noticing a fleeting glimmer of glee before Qi Xi returned to a respectful expression. Lan Lan dismissed it, assuming she must have misinterpreted.
Qi Xi watched the Wang Fei drink the sugar water, feeling reluctant. However, thoughts of her father’s tragic death and her family locked away in that beautiful house quickly outweighed her emotions. They had promised that completing her task would result in her loved ones’ release and a large sum of money for their escape. With her task nearly complete, she felt a moment of joy but quickly suppressed it when Lan Lan looked her way.
“Wang Fei, Lin Bo has some matters to attend to, so this servant will take her leave,” she said, picking up the bowl after Lan Lan drank the doctored sugar water.
Ten minutes after drinking the sugar water, Lan Lan wanted to find the two children, wondering what they were up to. As she stood, she felt dizzy and fell to the ground. She quickly took an antidote pearl, and after a while, her consciousness cleared. Although still weak, she could stand up.
Could there be something wrong with the sugar water Qi Xi brought? A doubt flashed in her mind. It seemed unlikely since she was her benefactor. Was the story of the farmer and the snake about to repeat itself? Something unusual happened only after Qi Xi arrived.
That night, Long Junhao returned to the mansion and saw Lan Lan lying on the bed. He walked over softly and felt her forehead. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” he asked.
“I feel weak all over, Junhao. Take this bowl of sugar water to the imperial physician and have it checked. I felt unwell after drinking it and only recovered after the antidote pearl,” she said, pointing to the sugar water that Qi Xi had brought earlier.
“What? This is outrageous! Who made this sugar water?” Long Junhao sat up nervously.
