Chapter 299 I'll Make Him Pay with His Life

Qingning looked at his familiar face, and her eyes suddenly reddened...

She really wanted to call him "Dad".

But she couldn't.

She has to endure it now, but she misses them so much.

Seeing this, Huo Shenyuan quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Uncle Sheng, you've misunderstood. Xiao Cheng has never had a mother, but his mother is a stunning beauty, as you can tell from his appearance. He just felt a connection with Madam Sheng because she is beautiful and virtuous, like a mother to him, so he took extra care of her."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Chengjun, who had been preparing to unleash his anger, suddenly choked up.

As an elder, he really shouldn't hold a grudge against a child without a mother.

"Look at yourself!" Madam Sheng nudged Sheng Chengjun with her elbow and glared at him fiercely.

She turned her head, immediately put on a loving expression, and said to Qingning, "Xiaocheng, don't mind your uncle. What's your favorite food? Auntie will get it for you."

Qingning was instantly comforted and went from tears to laughter.

She pointed to the plate of bright red prawns.

"I love shrimp, and I want to eat the shrimp that Uncle peels," she said with a grin, her eyes full of anticipation.

Sheng Chengjun was stunned again.

This kid really knows how to push his luck; he actually dared to ask me to peel shrimp myself.

Huo Shenyuan felt a chill run down his spine and quickly tried to smooth things over, "I'll peel it, I'll peel it. This child is really insensible."

Qingning immediately frowned, lowered her head in disappointment, and muttered in a low voice, "Then I won't eat it."

"Peel it!" Madam Sheng said in a commanding tone, "It's such a small thing, why are you dawdling like that?"

Having no other choice, Sheng Chengjun put on disposable gloves and resignedly began peeling shrimp.

Qingning's bright eyes were fixed on the shrimp in his hand, her empty bowl already held up, waiting obediently to be fed.

Sheng Weiwei watched this all-too-familiar scene from the side, and her heart suddenly trembled.

She suddenly asked, "Jiang Cheng, where are you from?"

Huo Shenyuan immediately answered for her, "He's from Ningcheng, and he's going home tomorrow."

Sheng Weiwei casually asked, "Guess how many candies Young Master Huo has in his pocket? If you guess right, these are for you."

As she spoke, Sheng Weiwei took out an exquisite crystal butterfly hair clip from her bag.

That was Qingning's favorite style. She had bought it long ago, but before she could give it to her, the girl left.

Qingning's eyes lit up when she saw the hair clip.

She blurted out almost immediately, "Five milk candies and two popping cotton candies."

Sheng Weiwei curled her lips. She didn't even bother to check Huo Shenyuan's pockets, and simply tossed the hair clip over.

Qingning caught it steadily, looked at it again and again, said thank you, and then put it into her pocket like a treasure.

Huo Shenyuan sighed inwardly as he watched this scene.

Oh no, she's been exposed again. Only this girl kept thinking she was still hiding her true identity.

Finally, Qingning ate the six large shrimp that Sheng Chengjun had peeled himself with satisfaction, her smile stretching almost to her ears.

Sheng Weiwei became even more determined in her decision.

Looking at his innocent smile, Madam Sheng felt inexplicably moved, as if she saw a shadow of Qing Ning.

A short while later, Qingning put down her chopsticks, told Huo Shenyuan that she needed to go to the restroom, and then left the table.

The banquet proceeded in an orderly manner, and as it drew to a close, the guests began to say goodbye to Fu Shihong one after another.

Suddenly, a sharp cry shattered the harmonious atmosphere.

Xiao Yuyu suddenly burst into tears, her little hands flailing wildly in the air, looking anxious and distressed.

Gu Xingnian quickly ran over, hugged the child tightly, and comforted her, "Baby, what's wrong? Mommy's here."

Fu Beichen put down his wine glass, strode over, and took the child from her arms.

"Hey kid, why are you suddenly crying? Did you pee your pants?"

The nanny quickly explained that he had just finished feeding, and the diaper had been checked and was dry. He had sweated a little earlier, so she had changed him into a dry undershirt.

But the child cried harder and harder, his little face turning bright red.

Madam Bai and Madam Sheng also came over with concern. This child has always been well-behaved, so why is he suddenly crying so heartbreakingly?

No matter who holds the child, they can't soothe them; the child cries even harder.

Fu Shihong, who was chatting with Zhuang Ruyu, also came over. A group of people surrounded Xiao Yuyu, anxiously pacing around.

Gu Xingnian sensed something was wrong and reached into the child's clothes to check.

Upon seeing this, her expression changed drastically.

Yu Yu's back and arms were covered in frightening red rashes. She cried out in alarm, "There's something wrong with the clothes!"

She quickly took off his little clothes and saw that the skin on the child's back and arms was already red, which was heartbreaking to see.

Fu Beichen's eyes suddenly turned icy cold, and he shouted sharply, "Uncle Wang, have the gates of the mansion closed! No one is allowed to leave!"

Gu Xingnian picked up the small undergarment, brought it to her nose and smelled it carefully, her face turning ashen.

"It's a special itching powder, I'll go get the medicine!"

After Gu Xingnian finished speaking, she immediately turned around and walked quickly towards the main house.

Fu Shihong's face darkened completely as he looked at the glaring red stain on his great-grandson's body with heartache.

"I'd like to see who dares to cause trouble in my Fu family!" He turned to all the guests present, his voice chillingly cold. "Excuse me, everyone, please wait a moment. Someone is trying to harm my precious great-grandson, and I must find out the truth now!"

The guests were now greatly surprised.

"Who is so bold as to openly harm the heir of the Fu family?"

"Investigate! We must find the murderer! How could they be so cruel to such a young child? They don't deserve to be human!"

"Mr. Fu, rest assured, we will fully cooperate with your investigation and we must bring out that beast who harmed the young master!"

"Yes, we must investigate!"

...

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, filled with righteous indignation, and not a single person felt unhappy about being temporarily detained.

Master Zhuang and Madam Sheng, among others, were also filled with indignation, waiting to expose the mastermind behind it all.

The tall and upright Bai Yu walked out from the crowd.

He had just scouted the scene and checked the nanny's residence and the laundry room where the children's clothes were temporarily stored.

The child showed no abnormalities before changing clothes.

Therefore, the problem must have occurred in the ten or so minutes after the baby was taken to be fed.

He walked to Fu Beichen's side, his tone calm.

"Have someone check who left the banquet twenty minutes ago."

"In addition, call out all the servants who have been in the laundry room."

Fu Beichen turned his head and gave instructions to the steward, Uncle Wang.

"Check the surveillance footage."

He then turned to face the guests in the hall, his gaze sharp.

"Guests who left the banquet twenty minutes ago, please stand over here."

A small commotion arose in the crowd.

Slowly, seven people walked out.

Qingning also went out. She had indeed gone to the restroom and left the banquet hall.

Uncle Wang led his men to quickly check the surveillance footage.

The other five maids who had been in contact with the laundry room were also brought out and stood trembling to one side.

There were exactly twelve suspects in total.

At that moment, apart from the child's heart-wrenching cries, no one dared to utter a single word in the garden.

Gu Xingnian walked over quickly, holding a bottle of pale yellow ointment in her hand.

She carefully lifted the swaddling clothes covering the baby, applied ointment to the red and swollen areas on his body, and gently blew on them.

The ointment has a cooling scent.

She gently wrapped him in swaddling clothes, afraid that he would catch a cold.

Her eyes were red and her hands were trembling as she gently patted the child's back.

The burning sensation on the child's body subsided a bit, and the child was less uncomfortable, and the crying became quieter.

Those big, dark eyes were brimming with tears, looking so wet and pitiful that it broke anyone's heart.

Sheng Weiwei felt extremely distressed and took the child into her arms, gently patting her until the child's cries gradually subsided.

Fu Beichen stretched out his long arm and pulled Gu Xingnian into his arms, gently stroking her shoulder with his palm.

His tone was a mixture of deep tenderness and anger.

"Don't be sad, I will definitely get justice for our son."

"Today, the murderer will not leave the Fu family."

He turned around and walked towards the twelve people.

His gaze swept over each person, sharp enough to pierce their hearts.

Those stared at by him felt their scalp tingle, cold sweat pour down their backs, and they moved their feet nervously.

Qingning stood calmly in the crowd and suddenly spoke.

"There are still two people over there who haven't come out yet."

Her voice was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

“I clearly saw them leave just now.”

Qingning turned around and her finger landed precisely on Fu Lanzhi and her young boyfriend.

Fu Lanzhi's face turned deathly pale instantly, and she retorted in a shrill voice.

"What nonsense are you talking about! We haven't been anywhere!"

Just then, Butler Wang walked over quickly and bowed to report.

"Miss Fu and this gentleman did indeed leave the banquet."

“There was also a maid who went near the laundry room.”

Fu Beichen's gaze turned cold.

A gesture.

Several bodyguards immediately stepped forward and, ignoring the three men's struggles, pulled them directly out of the crowd.

The number of suspects at the scene increased to fifteen.

Bai Yu came out again and spoke to the butler.

"Could you please have the housekeeper prepare fifteen bowls, fill them with water, and add some..."

He lowered his voice and whispered something in the butler's ear.

The butler immediately understood and nodded solemnly.

"Okay, I'll get on it right away."

A moment later, fifteen white porcelain bowls filled with clear water were brought out.

The fifteen suspects stood in two rows, each with a bowl in front of them.

Bai Yu looked around at everyone with a serious expression.

“I just checked the child’s clothes, and they were stained with a special itching powder that contains a high concentration of urushiol.”

"Anyone who has come into contact with clothing or this kind of toxic powder will inevitably have residue on their hands if they can't wash it off with water."

"As soon as your hands touch this bowl of specially treated water, the water will immediately change color."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone's bewildered faces.

"I'll give you ten seconds. I hope the person who committed the crime will confess on their own."

"Otherwise, once I find you myself, it won't be as simple as just admitting your mistake."

"I will have your hands broken."

Bai Yu's words carried an undeniable pressure, making everyone present feel tense.

Ten seconds passed, and no one stepped forward.

"Since no one acknowledges it, let's begin."

Bai Yu's tone turned cold.

"Go ahead and wash."

Just as the fifteen suspects were about to put their hands into the white porcelain bowl.

Gu Xingnian suddenly called out, "Wait!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough to stop everyone in their tracks.

Under the puzzled gazes of everyone, she picked up a pot of brightly blooming pink roses from the carved shelf next to her and placed it on the table.

Without saying a word, she picked up Yu Yu's small undergarment and shook it vigorously in front of the pot of roses.

Some almost invisible powder fell softly onto the petals.

Then, she took out a small green vial, no bigger than the palm of her hand, from her pocket.

Unscrew the bottle cap.

She tilted the bottle and carefully dripped two drops onto the flower's stamen.

The next second.

A terrifying scene unfolded.

The entire pot of roses, which had been blooming brilliantly, withered, died, and turned black at an extremely bizarre speed.

In just a few seconds, it was completely reduced to a handful of charred, withered branches.

This scene made all the guests present gasp in shock and feel their scalps tingle.

Gu Xingnian raised her eyes, her cold gaze sweeping over the fifteen suspects.

She raised the green potion in her hand and slowly spoke.

"This bottle contains a poison specifically designed to counteract that kind of itching powder."

"Just a tiny bit."

"It can cause everything to die completely within a minute."

"Including people."

Her words froze the air in the entire garden.

Fu Beichen instantly understood what she meant.

He strode over, his tall figure exuding a strong sense of oppression.

He took the vial of medicine from her hand, surveyed the entire room, and his gaze was sharp enough to kill.

"Today, the murderer dares to openly harm the heir of our Fu family."

His voice was filled with overwhelming anger, and every word struck the hearts of everyone present.

"I will make him pay with his life!"

Fu Beichen turned his head and said something to the butler.

"Drip the medicine in."

The butler immediately understood, took the medicine, and deftly dripped a drop into each of the fifteen white porcelain bowls.

The crystal-clear water instantly turned into an eerie pale green.

The fifteen suspects stared at the liquid in the bowl, their faces drained of color, and some of them began to feel weak in the knees.

Seeing their terrified expressions, Fu Beichen raised his chin and gave an order.

"Someone come here."

"Give them a good wash."

The fifteen suspects were instantly terrified...