Chapter 206 It's Hard to Guard Against a Thief Within Your Own Family!

After the turmoil on Xu Caixia's side subsided, Su Yue's life finally returned to peace, as if the salty, sticky winds on the island could blow away all the gloom.

The arrival of Zhang Huilan, the mother-in-law, made the Gu family courtyard much more lively.

She and Li Ma, one taking care of the household and the other the external affairs, treated Su Yue like a national treasure panda. They made sure Su Yue had the prenatal soup every day without fail, personally preparing it and serving it to her.

After the initial fear subsided, Li Ma gradually returned to her usual quiet and efficient self.

No one knew that every night she would be awakened by her son Wang Ergou's bruised and swollen face, followed by Yun Chao's sinister smile and the temptation of five hundred yuan.

She didn't dare.

She dared not actually poison him; that would be a capital offense.

But her son's life was in someone else's hands.

Amidst immense fear and torment, she ultimately chose a compromise that she believed to be safe.

She dared not touch the soup that Zhang Huilan had personally cooked, but she was responsible for serving it to Su Yue at the end.

In that brief moment, she took out a small snuff bottle from her sleeve and quickly dripped a few drops of colorless and odorless herbal juice into the boiling medicine.

This herbal juice is a folk remedy from her hometown. Drinking it alone won't cause any problems, but she vaguely remembers that the village's barefoot doctor said that this stuff shouldn't be mixed with certain blood-activating herbs.

She didn't understand pharmacology, but she felt that as long as the dosage was small, it would at most make Su Yue feel uncomfortable in the stomach and have diarrhea for a couple of days, but it wouldn't be fatal.

In this way, he could give an explanation to Yun Chao without being accused of murder.

With this hopeful thought in mind, Li Ma handed the soup bowl to Su Yue.

"Young Madam, it's time to take your medicine."

Su Yue took the warm soup bowl and was about to drink when she suddenly stopped.

A faint, almost imperceptible sense of something unusual entered her nasal cavity along with the steam from the herbal medicine.

It wasn't the smell of any medicinal herbs; it was more like the scent of... plants being crushed, their vitality fading away.

She looked up at Li Ma.

Li Ma's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, then she immediately lowered her head to avoid her probing.

"What's wrong, Yueyue? Is the soup too hot?" Zhang Huilan asked with concern.

"It's okay, Mom."

Su Yue snapped out of her thoughts. Perhaps it was because of the later stages of her pregnancy that her sense of smell had become too sensitive.

She drank the medicine in the bowl in one gulp.

However, once the seed of doubt is planted, it will quietly take root and sprout.

A few days later, Su Yue began to experience some mild discomfort.

At first, she experienced a significant increase in the frequency of leg cramps at night, and the cramps were more painful than before, sometimes waking her up directly from her sleep.

Gu Beichen felt terrible for her and massaged her calves every night without fail until she fell asleep again.

"It's all my fault."

The man awkwardly massaged her tense muscles, his voice filled with self-reproach.

Su Yue leaned against him, enjoying his care, while offering him words of comfort.

"Does this have anything to do with you? This is normal when you're pregnant with twins."

That's what she said, but her doubts grew stronger and stronger.

Two days later, she began to experience occasional heart palpitations.

Her heart would suddenly pound for no reason, then return to normal. Although it lasted only a short time, it made her feel tightness in her chest and shortness of breath.

Now, not only Gu Beichen, but even Zhang Huilan couldn't sit still.

"No, we have to go to the hospital! This is no small matter!"

Su Yue stopped them.

Her medical knowledge told her that these symptoms were beyond the normal range of late pregnancy reactions.

This is more like a warning signal issued after the body's internal balance has been continuously disrupted by some external force.

The image of Li Ma's evasive actions from that day flashed through her mind once again.

From that day on, Su Yue began to observe discreetly.

Li Ma was still the same diligent and conscientious old nanny, keeping the yard and its surroundings in perfect order, and always treating everyone with respect and humility.

But Su Yue found that her cautiousness was excessive.

Especially when I bring her the pregnancy-stabilizing soup.

Those calloused hands would always tremble slightly uncontrollably.

The moment she took the soup bowl, Li Ma's gaze would instinctively drift away, and she wouldn't dare to meet her eyes.

Moreover, every time Su Yue finished drinking the soup, Li Ma would immediately rush to take the medicine bowl and the clay pot used to boil the medicine and wash them carefully, scrubbing them inside and out until they were spotless, as if there was something shameful on them.

That's highly suspicious.

A normal nanny would never act like this.

Su Yue was almost certain that the mole was Li Ma.

That afternoon, as usual, Li Ma brought the pregnancy-stabilizing soup into the room.

"Young Madam, the medicine has arrived."

Su Yue was leaning against the bed reading a book when she took the bowl, took a sip, and suddenly frowned, making a disgusted face.

"No, the smell of medicine is so strong today, it makes me want to vomit."

She handed the bowl to Gu Beichen, saying, "I really can't drink anymore. Help me back to bed for a while."

Gu Beichen immediately tensed up, carefully helping her lie down and tucking her in.

Li's mother stood to the side, at a loss, her face showing a hint of panic and guilt.

"It's all my fault, did I not control the heat well..."

“It’s none of your business, Aunt Li.” Su Yue waved her hand weakly. “I’m just not feeling well. You can go now.”

After Li Ma left, Gu Beichen held the bowl of unfinished soup, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"What... should we do?"

Su Yue glanced at him but didn't say anything.

She closed her eyes, and with a thought, her consciousness sank into a long-lost space.

Using her mental power, she precisely separated a drop of sample from the soup and dropped it into the spiritual spring in the corner of the space.

The crystal-clear spring water, upon contact with the drop of medicine, seemed to have been mixed with a drop of ink.

A small patch of pale gray-black quickly spread out in the water.

Although it's very faint, it's definitely there!

There really were unclean things in the soup!

Su Yue suddenly opened her eyes, her pupils filled with icy coldness.

It really was her.

Yunlan, Li Ma... they have such audacity!

Do you really think Su Yue is a pushover who can be manipulated at will?

She didn't make a fuss, nor did she fly into a rage; after the extreme anger came a chilling calm.

She wanted to see who was really involved behind this "Li Ma".

Where did Yunlan find these underhanded methods?

She planned to turn the tables and drag out all the rats hiding in the sewers, one by one, and then stomp them to death.

Su Yue turned her head and looked at Gu Beichen, who had a worried expression on his face.

She took the man's hand and gently scratched his palm.

"Keep a close eye on Li Ma for me these next few days."

Her voice was soft, yet carried a chill.

"And her niece, Xiao Lan."