Chapter 279 Clues

After Lu You's reminder, Shang Wu maintained her usual gentle attitude towards Li Li on the surface, but she remained tense inside.

She began to pay closer attention to Li Li's every move, especially her daily diet and medication.

Li Li seemed to have sensed something as well, and became increasingly cautious in her behavior and meticulous in her work. Her thoughtfulness and professionalism left no room for criticism.

However, the more perfect it seemed, the deeper Shang Wu's doubts became.

That day, Shang Wu arrived at the restaurant half an hour later than usual because she had to deal with an urgent design draft revision.

As she approached the restaurant entrance, she inadvertently peeked through the slightly ajar door and saw Li Li standing with her back to the door, next to the dining table, holding the thermos jar that had been specially prepared for her to hold nutritious soup.

This action itself is nothing special; sometimes, the nanny will do a final check before serving it.

But Shang Wu noticed that Li Li's shoulder made a rapid shrugging motion, and then she quickly put the lid of the thermos on.

The movement was so fast it was almost an illusion, yet it carried a sinister quality.

Shang Wu's heart skipped a beat.

She didn't go in immediately, but quietly took a few steps back, then deliberately made her footsteps louder before pushing the door open and entering.

Upon hearing the voice, Li Li immediately turned around with an impeccable, gentle smile on her face: "Mrs. Lu, you've arrived. Lunch has just been prepared. Today, the chef made the steamed cod that you mentioned wanting to eat last time, and the soup has also been simmered to perfection according to the nutritionist's requirements."

Shang Wu's gaze swept over the thermos seemingly unintentionally, and she nodded and smiled, "Thank you for your hard work, Sister Li."

She sat down and began to eat as usual, her expression normal, and even praised the food a few more times than usual.

The soup still tasted delicious, but there seemed to be a slight astringent taste, which was almost completely masked by the salty and savory flavor of the soup itself.

If one were not vigilant, one would definitely overlook it.

Shang Wu's heart sank.

She continued eating without making a sound, but secretly kept each dish, especially the soup, in a separate bowl.

After finishing lunch, she returned to her bedroom, closed the door, and immediately took out her phone to send a message to Lu Rang, who was working in the study.

"Go back to your bedroom immediately. It's urgent. Don't disturb anyone."

Upon seeing the message, Lu Rang immediately came over and opened the bedroom door, only to see Shang Wu standing solemnly by the window, holding a bowl of soup and rice in her hand.

"Awu, what's wrong?" Lu Rang's heart jumped instantly.

Shang Wu quickly and quietly recounted what she had just seen and her doubts to him: "This is the food and soup I secretly left behind. I suspect that Li Li added something to it, especially the soup, which tastes a bit off."

Lu Rang's expression changed instantly, his eyes sharpening.

He carefully placed the food into a clean, sealed bag and made his decision immediately without any hesitation.

“I will personally send it to the most authoritative testing institution in the city for the most comprehensive component analysis. You stay at home and pretend that nothing happened, and everything is normal. I will have Aying find an excuse to stay with you.”

His voice was low and calm, but his clenched fists and the bulging veins on the back of his hands betrayed his inner rage and lingering fear.

Someone actually dared to reach out right under his nose and try to harm the woman he cherished as his life.

"Be careful," Shang Wu said, looking at him with concern.

"Don't worry," Lu Rang told her, "Take good care of yourself until I get back."

Lu Rang took the samples without alerting anyone in the villa or using a driver, and drove himself to the testing facility.

To ensure that the samples were not switched and the results were absolutely accurate, he used all his connections to request expedited processing and stayed outside the testing room the entire time, never leaving its side.

Time passed second by second. Lu Rang sat on the cold bench in the corridor, his face calm, but his heart was filled with anxiety.

He couldn't imagine what the consequences would be if Shang Wu's suspicions were true, and if he were to eat these things long-term.

What kind of vicious conspiracy is hidden behind that seemingly gentle and harmless family doctor?

Is it aimed at Shang Wu, or at Lu Rang?

Or perhaps he came for his unborn child?

Various speculations swirled in Lu Rang's mind, and for the first time he experienced what it meant for time to drag on endlessly.

As darkness fell and the city lights began to illuminate the night, the sky gradually darkened.

The door to the testing room finally opened.

The person in charge, wearing a white coat, came out with a report.

Lu Rang immediately stood up and went to greet him.

"Mr. Lu, the results are in." The person in charge handed him the report, his expression somewhat serious.

"We detected a drug component in the soup sample that can affect fetal nervous system development. Although the single dose is very small, long-term use could lead to..."

Lu Rang could no longer hear what was said after that.

He stared intently at the clear handwriting and glaring data on the report, feeling a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, as if the blood in his body had frozen instantly.

Anger and a destructive ferocity surged wildly within him.

He suppressed his almost uncontrollable emotions, thanked the person in charge, clutched the thin report tightly, and turned to leave.

Lu Rang's steps were quick and steady, but the aura he exuded made people passing by in the corridor unable to help but turn their heads and give way.

On the drive home, Lu Rang's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

Countless ways to make that audacious woman pay the price have already flashed through his mind.

It was already late at night when we returned to the villa.

Li Li was sitting in the living room when she saw Lu Rang return. She immediately stood up, her face beaming with her usual smile, as if to greet him: "Mr. Lu, you're back..."

Lu Rang acted as if he hadn't seen her or heard her voice at all, and walked straight past her, continuing upstairs without stopping.

Li Li's smile froze, and a chill inexplicably rose in her heart.

In the bedroom, Shang Wu was leaning against the headboard reading a book, but she was clearly restless.

Hearing the door open, she immediately looked up and saw Lu Rang enter with a sullen face, and her heart sank.

"What was the result...?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Lu Rang didn't say anything, but simply handed the test report to her.

Shang Wu took the report, quickly scanned it, and her face instantly turned pale. Her hand holding the report began to tremble uncontrollably.

She suddenly raised her head and looked at Lu Rang, her eyes filled with an unprecedented coldness and determination.

"Bring her up here."

Lu Rang nodded and went out, his voice cold and devoid of warmth: "Li Li, come to the master bedroom right now."

A moment later, Li Li came in, her face still showing a hint of confusion and unease at being inexplicably summoned.

She tried to remain calm: "Mr. Lu, Mrs. Lu, what can I do for you?"

Shang Wu sat on the edge of the bed and gently placed the test report beside her.

She didn't immediately retaliate, but instead spoke in a calm tone.

“Sister Li, you’ve been living with us for a while now, and Lu Rang and I have always been sure we’ve treated you well.”

Li Li's heart skipped a beat, but she forced a smile and said, "Mrs. Lu, what are you saying? You and Mr. Lu have been very kind to me, and I am very grateful."

"Is that so?" Shang Wu leaned forward slightly, his gaze intense, staring intently into her eyes. "Then tell me, who exactly are you working for? What benefits did they give you that made you dare to do such a heinous thing?"

Li Li's face turned pale instantly.

She instinctively took a half step back, her voice tinged with obvious panic and feigned grievance: "Mrs. Lu! What do you mean by that? I don't understand. I've been taking good care of you! Did someone say something to you? Was it Miss Lu You? She's always been prejudiced against me, last time..."

She tried to shift the blame onto Lu You, a pre-prepared excuse.

"Enough!"

Lu Rang interrupted her sharply, grabbed the test report next to him, and slammed it to the ground in front of her.

"Look for yourself! Look at what good stuff you put in the soup!"

Li Li was startled by Lu Rang's sudden outburst.

She bent down, trembling, to pick up the report. She froze completely, as if struck by lightning, the color draining from her face instantly.

Li Li's lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word.

The report in her hand fluttered to the ground, and she slumped down to the floor. The light test report now felt like a heavy burden on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.

Shang Wu's words about going to jail resounded in her ears like a thunderclap, and she could almost see the iron bars and high walls.

She has worked so hard to get the life she has today, and she absolutely cannot let it be ruined like this!

"No...no! Mrs. Lu, Mr. Lu, please! I can't go to jail!"

Li Li burst into tears, her previous composure and pretense completely gone, leaving only fear and the will to survive.

"I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything! Please give me a chance!"

Shang Wu looked down at her, her eyes cold and unmoved: "Speak, who ordered you to do this?"

"It's...it's a man surnamed Wang!"

Li Li hurriedly confessed, her voice broken with fear, "I don't know his exact name. We all call him Mr. Wang. He's very rich and generous. At first, he just wanted me to find a way to get close to you, stay by your side, and report on your and Mr. Lu's situation..."

Surname Wang? Shang Wu and Lu Rang exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

The surname immediately reminded them of someone.

Wang Yun! Lin Ruan's real lover, the playboy who had a complicated relationship with Lin Ruan at the gym.

"Go on," Lu Rang said, his voice as cold as ice, carrying a sense of oppression.

Li Li shuddered in fright and quickly continued, "Later, I don't know how he found out you were pregnant, but he immediately changed his attitude. He gave me that kind of medicine and told me to find a way to sneak it into your food, pretending to be an excellent family doctor visiting your home, with the goal of getting rid of the child in your belly... He said that after it was done, he would give me a large sum of money, enough for me to live a worry-free life for the rest of my days."

Despite being mentally prepared, Shang Wu still felt a chill run down her spine, and her hands and feet turned ice cold.

Is Wang Yun holding a grudge because of Lin Ruan?

Suppressing his fear, Shang Wuqiang took a deep breath and stared at Li Li.

Her tone was chilling: "You don't want to go to jail?"

Li Li nodded frantically, as if grasping at a straw: "Mrs. Lu, please give me a chance! I was forced into this, I was momentarily blinded by greed..."

“Okay.” Shang Wu interrupted her sobbing. “I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself. From now on, you’ll cooperate with us, pretend the plan is still going on, and regularly report to that Mr. Wang about what’s happening here, keeping him calm. If you dare to try anything again, or leak even a single word to him…”

Shang Wu's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "I guarantee you'll suffer a hundred times worse than going to jail!"

"I'll cooperate! I'll definitely cooperate!" Li Li hurriedly agreed.

At this moment, Shang Wu and Lu Rang were her only lifeline, so she dared not have any other thoughts.

"I'll do whatever you tell me to do! I'll definitely obey you!"