Chapter 222 There's No Escape

As she spoke, she carefully poured the brewed tea into a porcelain cup, picked up the tea tray, and said, "Let's go outside and sit down to chat. Standing is tiring."

In the living room, Song Yazhi had already opened the snack box with great interest.

The moment the lid was lifted, a sweet and refreshing aroma filled the air, soothing and delightful.

Inside, lotus-shaped pastries and osmanthus cakes are neatly arranged, layer upon layer, with a warm color and exquisite shape like works of art. Each piece shows the craftsmanship.

"Qingqing, try a piece."

While greeting her, Song Yazhi eagerly picked up a lotus-shaped pastry and handed it to Qiao Wanyin, saying, "Look at this craftsmanship, it's obviously authentic. Xiaoju bought it especially for you, how thoughtful of her."

Qiao Wanyin put down the tea tray, sat down gently, and pretended to be surprised, her eyes sparkling: "Wow, it looks so good, just like in the painting, I can't bear to eat it."

She reached out and picked up a lotus-shaped pastry, her fingertips lightly touching the pastry as she examined it closely.

The petals had clear patterns and slightly golden edges, appearing flawless.

But her gaze lingered on the details, her expression seemingly appreciative, but actually harboring a scrutinizing intent.

At this moment, Fang Xiaoju's gaze was fixed on the pastry in her hand, her eyes unmoving, as if waiting for a certain result to be revealed.

Her fingers curled unconsciously, her fingertips tightening slightly beneath her sleeve.

Qiao Wanyin sneered inwardly, her eyes turning slightly cold.

Sure enough, this thing wasn't clean either.

It's no surprise that something that looks good on the outside but is actually poisonous on the inside.

What exactly do these two want to do today?

Did you want to see her embarrass herself on the spot?

Or is he trying to take this opportunity to kick her out of the house completely?

She was just about to put the pastry in her mouth, her lips curving into a smile, when suddenly her brow furrowed, she clutched her stomach, and let out a soft gasp: "Ouch..."

"What's wrong?"

Song Yazhi jumped up from the sofa, her face full of panic. "Is there something wrong with the snacks? Or is the tea unpleasant?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Qiao Wanyin waved her hand, her face slightly pale, one hand gently pressing her lower abdomen, her tone weak but firm, "It's just that my stomach suddenly hurt a little. My stomach may be a bit sensitive lately, so I guess I have to be careful what I eat now."

After she finished speaking, she slowly put the pastries back into the box, her movements showing a restrained caution.

Fang Xiaoju stood to the side, her eyes flashing, a hint of rapid irritation crossing her gaze.

Her fingers, hanging at her sides, tightened subtly, her nails almost digging into her palms, but she instantly regained her composure, as if the emotions she had just felt had never existed.

But she quickly put on a worried expression, her brows furrowing slightly, her eyes showing genuine concern. "Sister Wanyin, you're not feeling well right now, you need to take good care of yourself and not overwork yourself."

As she spoke, she slowly stood up, walked lightly to the coffee table, picked up the purple clay teapot, and carefully poured a cup of steaming hot tea. "Drinking hot tea will make you feel better, warm your stomach, and refresh you."

Just as she was holding the teacup, leaning slightly forward, preparing to hand it to Qiao Wanyin, her wrist suddenly twisted violently, as if she had slipped and lost her balance—the scalding tea instantly spilled out of the cup, landing squarely on the front of Qiao Wanyin's clothes.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Fang Xiaoju immediately exclaimed in surprise, her face filled with panic and regret. She frantically pulled a neatly folded white handkerchief from her purse, squatted down, and vigorously wiped the water stains off Qiao Wanyin's clothes. "I really didn't mean to! I never expected to be so careless..."

The tea quickly soaked through Qiao Wanyin's light-colored top, the fabric clinging to her skin and outlining her awkward figure. The wet stains spread down to below her chest, making her look quite disheveled, and even the roots of her ears flushed with embarrassment and annoyance.

Song Yazhi also hurriedly stood up, quickly walked to the cabinet and rummaged around for a while, then ran back with a clean towel, "Go change your clothes quickly, don't catch a cold, wet clothes sticking to your body is not comfortable."

"It's alright," Qiao Wanyin forced a smile, her tone gentle yet tinged with distance. "I'll just go change. No need for everyone to worry."

After saying that, she slowly stood up and walked towards the bedroom with slightly stiff movements, her back revealing a hint of defensiveness.

The moment the door closed, her expression suddenly turned cold.

As soon as Qiao Wanyin entered the room, she immediately locked the door behind her. The crisp click of the lock was particularly clear in the quiet room.

She leaned against the door, took a deep breath, and only relaxed slightly after confirming that no footsteps were approaching outside.

She quickly pulled a tiny recorder, no bigger than a fingernail, from her small bag; its silver-white metal casing gleamed coldly under the light.

She held her breath and very gently placed the recorder in the gap inside the door frame, in a position that would allow her to clearly capture every word spoken in the living room.

Then, she quietly stepped back a few paces, changed into a clean light blue cotton top, tidied her appearance, and then walked towards the door again.

At that moment, the conversation in the living room was taking place in hushed tones.

"Mom, has she found out?"

Fang Xiaoju muttered in a low voice, her fingers nervously rubbing the rim of her teacup, "She didn't drink a drop of the donkey-hide gelatin, nor did she touch the snacks. She's clearly wary of us."

Song Yazhi frowned, her smile vanishing, replaced by a hint of annoyance and dissatisfaction. She retorted sharply, "Impossible! We arranged everything perfectly. The medicine was hidden at the bottom of the tea. How could she possibly have found it? She's just a country girl. What does she know about the wickedness of people? She's just putting on an act."

“But her reaction just now… was too calm,” Fang Xiaoju’s voice was even softer, almost whispering in her mother’s ear, “We have to force her to use that space as soon as possible, otherwise things will get complicated if we drag this out.”

"Is the medicine you bought effective?"

Song Yazhi interrupted her impatiently, her eyes filled with suspicion, "Didn't you say that eating it would cause diarrhea, and that she would have to go to the hospital if she couldn't take it? When she's weak, we can take the opportunity to control the situation."

"It will definitely work!"

Fang Xiaoju immediately explained, her tone firm, "I spent a lot of money and asked several people to get this special laxative from the black market. Just a little bit will definitely have an effect within half an hour. It's absolutely true."

"So what do we do now?"

Song Yazhi sneered, lowering her voice even further, "She just took a sip of tea, then spat it all out, claiming it was too hot, without even swallowing it."

"Don't panic, Mom."

Fang Xiaoju suddenly smiled coldly, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes. Her tone suddenly became cold and firm, "We have plenty of time. We'll have another chance tomorrow. She can't escape."

At this moment, Qiao Wanyin had already changed her clothes and gently opened the door to come out.

She remained calm, as if nothing had happened, and casually took the recorder from the door frame, quickly putting it back into her bag and hiding it.