Chapter 278 A Guilty Heart
Shang Wu stood at the door, her face still showing a hint of irritation, but her eyes were clear.
She glanced at Lu Rang, who seemed somewhat taken aback, then turned her gaze to Cheng Zhou, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Cheng Zhou, who are you calling annoying?"
Cheng Zhou was caught off guard by Shang Wu's sudden appearance and caught red-handed. He choked instantly, his smile freezing on his face. He immediately raised his hands in surrender: "No, no one! I was just talking nonsense! Ah Wu, don't misunderstand, I was just teaching him how to be a non-annoying expectant father!"
As he spoke, he gestured with his eyes for Lu Rang to say something quickly.
Seeing Shang Wu's obvious protective stance, Lu Rang's slight grievance and confusion instantly vanished, replaced by a warm feeling. He stepped forward, naturally putting his arm around Shang Wu's shoulder, his tone returning to its usual calmness, with a hint of barely perceptible amusement: "It's nothing, Cheng Zhou just has a sharp tongue."
Shang Wu rolled her eyes at Cheng Zhou, but her tone softened: "My man, I say yes, others say no."
Her words were somewhat joking, but her intention to protect her was obvious.
Cheng Zhou nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, it's my fault! Lu Rang is so considerate, he's a model husband! I was blind!"
He quickly handed over the egg tart box in his hand, "Here, these egg tarts are fresh out of the oven. Youyou specifically requested them, so I brought them here for you to try and make up for my mistake!"
This little incident has passed. Cheng Zhou stayed a while longer, cracking jokes to liven up the atmosphere. Seeing that Shang Wu's expression had returned to normal, he got up to take his leave.
Lu Rang saw him to the door. As Cheng Zhou reached the corner of the villa's courtyard, he was about to get into his car when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.
It's the new family doctor, Li Li.
She was standing with her back to them, behind a lush cluster of roses, making a phone call in a low voice.
Cheng Zhou hadn't paid much attention at first and was about to continue walking forward when he vaguely caught a few fragmented words drifting over: "...The situation is stable...very cautious...no opportunity for the time being..."
This content...sounds a little strange?
Cheng Zhou stopped in his tracks and instinctively pulled Lu Rang to the side into the shadows.
Li Li appeared to be reporting something to the person on the other end of the phone, her tone respectful yet tinged with caution.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, she turned around sharply and met Cheng Zhou's probing gaze.
A fleeting look of panic crossed Li Li's face, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. She almost immediately said hastily into the phone, "That's all for now, we'll talk later," and quickly hung up.
Li Li adjusted her expression. A gentle smile appeared on her face as she nodded towards Cheng Zhou and Lu Rang: "Mr. Cheng, Mr. Lu, are you leaving?"
Cheng Zhou had many doubts, but he didn't show it on his face and replied with a smile, "Yes, Sister Li is busy."
"No, it's just a family member calling to ask how work is going."
Li Li's explanation sounded reasonable, but her momentary panic was deeply imprinted in Cheng Zhou's mind.
"Oh, then you go ahead with your work." Cheng Zhou said calmly, and walked out the door with Lu Rang.
After leaving Lu Rang's house, Cheng Zhou's smile faded. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
Does a family doctor need to use such words when reporting to their family?
This sounds more like a report to a superior about the situation regarding the monitored target.
One should always be wary of others.
Cheng Zhou immediately dialed Lu You's number.
"Youyou, I need to tell you something..."
He told Lu You everything he had seen about Li Li's suspicious behavior while she was on the phone, the snippets of conversation he had overheard, and his own suspicions.
Lu You was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone. When she spoke again, her voice was calm and sharp as she always had: "I understand. Don't tell anyone about this, especially not A-Wu. She needs to rest and can't be worried. I'll go see her tomorrow."
The next morning, she came over, carrying several boxes of delicate pastries.
When she arrived, Li Li was, as usual, measuring Shang Wu's daily blood pressure and heart rate in the living room.
Lu You put down the snacks, walked over with a smile, and stood casually to the side watching.
"Sister Li, right? I heard you used to work at a top-tier hospital? Which hospital?" Lu You asked, her tone sounding like casual conversation.
While skillfully operating the blood pressure monitor, Li Li calmly replied, "Yes, Ms. Lu You, I was previously in the obstetrics and gynecology department of Renming Hospital."
“Renming Hospital, what a great hospital.” Lu Youdian nodded, then asked, “So why did you decide to switch careers and become a family doctor? Wouldn’t the hospital have a better future?”
Li Li paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, then resumed her natural movements and smiled, "I mainly wanted a change of environment, a slower pace, so I could focus more on serving individual families."
“Oh—” Lu You drawled, but her eyes swept sharply across Li Li’s face. “So, is Sister Li’s family local? They don’t seem to be.”
A bead of sweat appeared on Li Li's forehead as she forced a smile: "I... I'm originally from the south, but I studied and worked here and have been settled here for many years."
Shang Wu found it strange that Lu You was questioning her like she was taking a census. She gently tugged at Lu You's sleeve and whispered, "Sis, what are you doing?"
Lu You patted her hand, signaling her to ignore it, and continued to look at Li Li, her smile fading slightly.
Her tone also carried a hint of pressure: "Sister Li, you know the current situation of my brother and sister-in-law. They can't afford to make any mistakes."
Since we hired you, we naturally trust your expertise. However, there are some things we need to say upfront: when working for us, the most important things are integrity and loyalty. Don't say what you shouldn't say, and don't do what you shouldn't do, understand?
Li Li's face turned slightly pale after Lu You's accusatory words.
She lowered her head, her hands clasped together nervously, her voice trembling slightly: "I...I understand, Miss Lu You. I will do my best to take care of Mrs. Lu and will never do anything out of line."
"That would be best," Lu You said calmly, no longer looking at her, and instead picked up a pastry and handed it to Shang Wu, "Try this, it's a new flavor, not too sweet."
In the following time, although Lu You did not directly make things difficult for Li Li, her subtle aura made the atmosphere in the living room somewhat stagnant.
Li Li appeared even more cautious, acting and speaking with extreme care, and even seemed somewhat at a loss.
Finally, when Lu You casually inquired about the details of a family she had previously served, Li Li's psychological defenses seemed to crumble.
Her eyes reddened, and tears fell unexpectedly. Her voice choked with sobs, filled with grievance and confusion: "Ms. Lu You... I... did I do something wrong? Please tell me... I really need this job, I will definitely change..."
Her pitiful, tearful appearance would make anyone feel sorry for her.
Shang Wu couldn't stand it any longer. She tugged at Lu You's arm and whispered, "Sister, that's enough. Sister Li has always been very serious and responsible at work. Why are you making things difficult for her like this?"
Lu You looked at the crying Li Li, her eyes unwavering, but instead growing even colder.
She remained unmoved, her tone even becoming more stern: "Why are you crying? Feeling wronged? I'm just reminding you that you have to abide by the rules of whoever pays your beck and call."
In our Lu family, the most taboo thing is someone who betrays their own family and has ulterior motives.
If you do your job well, no one will make things difficult for you.
Her words were pointed, and Li Li's crying stopped abruptly. She raised her tear-filled face, a flash of fear crossing her eyes, before lowering her head again, her shoulders trembling slightly, and she dared not speak again.
"Alright, that's all for you here. Go and get back to work." Lu You waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Li Li felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly wiped away her tears, lowered her head, and hurriedly left the living room.
As soon as she left, Shang Wu immediately looked at Lu You with dissatisfaction: "Sis, what's wrong with you today? Sister Li is a really nice person, and she's very professional. Why did you give her such a hard time right from the start? Look at how she was crying just now..."
When Lu You turned around to face Shang Wu, the coldness on her face disappeared, replaced by a solemn expression.
She took Shang Wu's hand and sat down on the sofa, lowering her voice to say, "A-Wu, don't be so quick to blame me. I suspect that this Li Li has something going on."
"There's a problem?" Shang Wu was taken aback. "What problem?"
"When Cheng Zhou left yesterday, I saw her sneaking around in the corner making a phone call. The content of her conversation sounded like she was reporting the situation here to someone, and the words she used were very suspicious."
And as soon as she saw Cheng Zhou, she hurriedly hung up the phone.
Lu You shared Cheng Zhou's findings and her own suspicions, saying, "Does an ordinary family doctor need to report on their work like this? And why are they so afraid of being overheard?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Wu frowned.
She recalled Li Li's usual performance, which was indeed impeccable in terms of professionalism and interpersonal skills, but it seemed... a bit too perfect, always giving people a feeling of being separated by a veil.
Moreover, the momentary fear she felt when Lu You reprimanded her just now didn't seem like the simple grievance of being harassed by her employer, but rather more like... the panic of having her secret thoughts exposed.
"You mean... she might have been sent by someone else?" Shang Wu's voice also turned somber.
"You can't be too careful," Lu You said solemnly, "especially in your current situation."
Although Lin Ruan has been taken inside, it's hard to guarantee that no one else is watching her from the shadows. This Li Li has a perfect resume, and her appearance was too opportune; we can't afford to be careless.
Shang Wu was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Having experienced what happened to Lin Ruan, she was well aware of the wickedness of human nature.
She touched her slightly protruding belly, her eyes hardening: "I understand, sister. I'll keep an eye on her and pay more attention to her actions."
"Yes, just keep that in mind. On the surface, act the same as before, and don't alert her. I'll have Cheng Zhou keep an eye on her background as well."
Lu You gave a few words of advice, her worry barely concealed.
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