43. Administering drugs
◎It's the 21st century, there's no such thing as an aphrodisiac.◎
Before Zhuang Xiaomeng came to the hotel, she had cried several times at home and had even been slapped by Zhuang Zhong.
She gripped the ampoule tightly in her hand. Zhuang Zhong said it was his only way to survive, and the Zhuang family's last chance. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to repay their tens of millions in debt, and they would have no choice but to die.
Last night, Zhuang Xiaomeng went through a fierce internal struggle.
Zhuang Zhong said that the bottle contained a potent aphrodisiac from Southeast Asia, and that if Xue Lu took it and spent a night with her, their Zhuang family would be saved.
Zhuang Xiaomeng has loved Xue Lu for many years, so of course she hopes to win him over.
But she knew Xue Lu. If Xue Lu knew what she had done, he would never forgive her. Even if he was willing to take responsibility for her, she would never win his heart again.
But……
Zhuang Zhong said that if she didn't do it, he would find someone else to do it.
It was because of those words that Zhuang Xiaomeng made up her mind.
Rather than letting Xue Lu be with other women... it's better for him to be with her. At least she's sincere towards him.
...
Zhuang Xiaomeng arrived at the hotel very early. She and Cheng Cheng, the hotel's heir, had known each other since childhood. Most of the hotel staff also knew her. She was free to come and go in the hotel without anyone stopping her.
Before everyone arrived at the hotel, she had already made a few rounds in the kitchen to find out what the tea, snacks and drinks would be and where they would be placed. All she needed to do was find a suitable opportunity to add the medicine to the drink and instruct the waiter to hand the drink to Xue Lu.
Time ticked by, and the party was about to begin.
Because she was nervous, Zhuang Xiaomeng went to the restroom.
After she came out, she touched up her makeup in front of the mirror, using foundation and highlighter to cover the red marks on her cheeks, and then reapplied her lipstick.
She smiled at herself in the mirror, but as she smiled, her nose started to sting. She took a deep breath and forced herself not to cry.
"Lawyer Xue, I really like you." She said to herself in the mirror, "It's been twelve years... Look at me today, just today... Don't worry, I'll treat you well... I'll be good to you..."
When Zhuang Xiaomeng came in, the door to the cubicle wasn't locked, so she assumed no one was there and confidently talked to herself in front of the mirror.
But after she left, Chen Fangqi came out of the cubicle.
She went into the restroom not to relieve herself, but to adjust her breast pads. She didn't close the stall door, leaving it slightly ajar.
She heard Zhuang Xiaomeng's words clearly, and her professional intuition as an entertainment reporter told her that Zhuang Xiaomeng's words were not simple.
So she followed behind Zhuang Xiaomeng, wanting to see what she was going to do.
...
Zhuang Xiaomeng had oversimplified things. The red wine had been decanted in advance, poured into stemmed glasses, and placed on a tray.
It would be highly unusual for her to take out one of the glasses and have the waiter hand it to Xue Lu.
After much thought, she had no other choice but to find a secluded corner and pour the medicine into a whole tray of wine glasses.
When people do bad things, they feel extremely nervous, but they also feel extremely excited due to the release of adrenaline.
Zhuang Xiaomeng was currently experiencing this painful excitement.
Her conscience was tormented, but deep in her soul, a voice kept saying, "He will soon be yours, he is yours."
The white powder in the ampoule dissolved in the red wine, and Zhuang Xiaomeng knew she had no way back.
She couldn't keep the bottle, so she took a wet wipe and frantically wiped the ampoule, trying to remove the fingerprints. Then she wrapped the ampoule in a tissue and threw it into the trash can.
"Dear old friends and young friends..." Xue Qielu's voice rang out.
Zhuang Xiaomeng was startled, and then, seemingly distracted, she moved closer to the crowd...
Chen Fangqi walked closer to the trash can, reached out and took out the crumpled paper. After opening it, she saw an ampoule.
There was a white note on the bottle, but the writing was in a foreign language and clearly not English, so she couldn't understand it.
Chen Fangqi threw the bottle back and glanced at Zhuang Xiaomeng from afar. This kind of rich young lady, who has no worries about food and clothing and lives without any troubles, should not be crazy enough to poison a room full of people.
She carefully pondered what Zhuang Xiaomeng had said in the bathroom; she had said she would treat Lawyer Xue well today…
Chen Fangqi's eyes darted around, and then she smiled.
Having worked as an entertainment reporter for several years, she knew that many public figures were far from the glamorous image they projected. Those who truly reached the top or second tier were relatively better off, but those obscure celebrities and internet personalities, regardless of gender, if they were exceptionally good-looking and desperately wanted to get ahead or take shortcuts, would be targeted by powerful and wealthy businessmen and taken to Hong Kong or Southeast Asia. Falling into their hands was akin to being ensnared by a scam group in northern Myanmar.
She had heard from a senior colleague that some powerful figures would use drugs and torture to exploit the sexual value of these beauties, and some of the scenes were beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Zhuang Xiaomeng actually managed to get her hands on this kind of medicine for Xue Lu...
The more Chen Fangqi thought about it, the more she felt that she was smart and that her prediction must have been correct.
Thinking of this, she had a flash of inspiration.
If that's really the case, does it have to be Zhuang Xiaomeng who spends the night with Xue Lu? Can't it be Chen Fangqi?
Old Wang, that fat pig, said he'd be taking his wife and kids to the amusement park today. He'd been promising it for months, and if he didn't go soon, his wife would divorce him. He said he'd come to the party later.
Chen Fangqi secretly prayed that he wouldn't come over, so that she and Xue Lu could be together. It would be her way of repaying him for the past two years, since she hadn't served him for nothing.
“This is my daughter-in-law,” Xue Qielu said. “She will be working for the Xue family from now on, and I hope you will all take good care of her.”
Looking at Song Qinggui's haughty and smug appearance, Chen Fangqi sneered. After tonight, you won't be able to hold onto your position as Mrs. Xue.
...
Old Master Xue is getting on in years. His purpose in coming here today was to announce the transfer of power within the Xue family. After finishing this matter, he left, leaving the excitement to the younger generation.
Xue Tan was surrounded by the most people, followed by Xue Lu and Song Qinggui. They were all drinking and chatting happily.
Zhuang Xiaomeng and Chen Fangqi stood in two different directions, but both were staring intently at the drugged red wine, wondering when it would be delivered to Xue Lu.
Finally, a waiter took away the wine tray that Zhuang Xiaomeng had patronized.
Zhuang Xiaomeng and Chen Fangqi also unconsciously moved closer to Xue Lu.
Halfway there, the waiter arrived when Old Wang burst into the banquet hall, panting, and approached the waiter carrying the drinks: "Wait, give me a drink. I'm dying of thirst."
The waiter politely stopped, and Old Wang picked up the red wine and drank it all in one gulp, finishing three glasses in a row before stopping.
Zhuang Xiaomeng watched in horror, while Chen Fangqi thought bitterly to herself, "This fat pig actually came. It doesn't matter. Once the medicine takes effect, I don't care who he goes after. Tonight, I only want Xue Lu."
The waiter brought the wine to Xue Lu, but Xue Lu politely declined, saying, "I drank too much with clients at noon, so I won't drink today."
Chengcheng joked, "What, you don't like the red wine your brother prepared for you? It's Petrus, and the vintage is quite good."
"Don't try to label me like that." Xue Lu laughed as well: "I'm really not drinking anymore, otherwise I'll have a headache tonight."
Chengcheng didn't insist, but Song Qinggui took a cup: "I'll do it for him, he doesn't lie."
Chengcheng laughed: "I always thought your marriage was just a joke, more like a superior-subordinate relationship than mine and my dad's. But lately, it seems like you two are actually quite affectionate as a couple."
Xue Lu glanced at Cheng Cheng and said, "Mind your own business."
Song Qinggui smiled and said that Chengcheng was right; they had indeed been superior and subordinate before.
Just as Song Qinggui's lips touched the rim of the glass, Chen Fangqi was wondering how to persuade Xue Lu to drink the wine when Zhuang Xiaomeng suddenly rushed forward and knocked the wine glass out of Song Qinggui's hand.
The wine glass shattered on the floor, splashing red wine and broken glass everywhere, startling those around.
"Don't drink it!" Zhuang Xiaomeng shouted.
Song Qinggui looked at Zhuang Xiaomeng, whose face was deathly pale, her lips trembling involuntarily, and she could barely stand. Chengcheng walked to her side and supported her.
"Useless!" Chen Fangqi cursed under her breath, then turned and left.
Xue Tan and Su Yalin walked over upon hearing the sound, and everyone's eyes turned to them.
Song Qinggui vaguely sensed something: "Why can't we drink it?"
Zhuang Xiaomeng's chest heaved violently as she breathed deeply, unable to utter a single word.
Xue Tan's aura as the head of the Xue family suddenly rose, and he smiled and said, "It was just a little incident, please don't mind it. Xiaomeng may be feeling a little unwell. Qinggui, Yalin, please take her to the guest room to rest."
Song Qinggui nodded and, together with Su Yalin, led Zhuang Xiaomeng to the guest room.
Xue Lu also realized what was happening and whispered to Cheng Cheng and the waiter who served the wine, "Take these wines back to the kitchen, store them carefully, and don't let anyone touch them."
"good."
After settling everyone in the banquet hall, Xue Tan stayed behind to exchange pleasantries with the others, while Xue Lu and Cheng Cheng went to the guest rooms to find Zhuang Xiaomeng and the others.
The group gathered together, the door locked. Xue Lu spoke up: "There are no outsiders here. What's wrong with the wine? Why can't we drink it according to the rules?"
Zhuang Xiaomeng looked up at Xue Lu with tearful eyes: "I...I..."
Seeing that she couldn't utter a single word for a long time, Su Yalin became a little anxious: "Xiaomeng, you have to tell the truth so we can help you. If you don't say anything, what are we supposed to do?"
Song Qing's rules were even tougher: "You can choose not to tell me, but I'll send those bottles to a professional institution for testing and analysis, and we'll know exactly what's in them. But that would change the nature of the situation, do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Xiaomeng covered her face and burst into tears, recounting the whole story as she cried.
"Zhuang Xiaomeng, are you fucking crazy?!" Su Yalin couldn't help but curse, "Do you know this is a crime? If anything happens, you'll rot in jail!"
Xue Lu's face was dark as he said coldly, "Zhuang Zhong... very good."
Song Qinggui was even more furious: "You've been to school, it's the 21st century, what aphrodisiac is there? With the current incidence of male diseases, if there really were an aphrodisiac, it would be selling like hotcakes, why would you need to sneak around like this?"
“I know I was wrong,” Zhuang Xiaomeng sobbed. “But I have no choice. My dad has so much debt. If I can’t get the money, he and my mom will have no choice but to jump off a building.”
"Jump off a building?" Xue Lu said sarcastically, "If he could come up with such a foolish idea as ruining his own daughter, he wouldn't be the kind of person to jump off a building."
Zhuang Xiaomeng started crying again.
Chengcheng: "Luckily, no one drank those drinks, otherwise my hotel would have gone bankrupt in your hands too."
Zhuang Xiaomeng: "Someone...someone...drank it..."
...
Chen Fangqi angrily berated Zhuang Xiaomeng as a useless woman, then turned and left to get a cake from the dessert table to vent her anger.
I had just eaten a canelé when I was roughly pulled away by a hand.
Old Wang, his face flushed, couldn't wait to drag Chen Fangqi to a hotel room.
Chen Fangqi struggled desperately, but because of the huge difference in their sizes, she was dragged onto the bed by Lao Wang.
The medicine was indeed effective. What should have taken five minutes took Chen Fangqi a full hour today. But when everything calmed down, Old Wang did not fall asleep as usual. Instead, his hands and feet twitched, his eyes rolled back, and he made painful groans.
"Ah!!!" Chen Fangqi screamed.
She put on her clothes and ran out of the room.
But as soon as she opened the door, flashes from cameras outside started going off like crazy, and a whole host of photography equipment was set up in front of her.
Chen Fangqi immediately recognized the two reporters in the lead; they were two colleagues in the industry who had always looked down on her.
"I'm finished..." Chen Fangqi's heart sank.
When Xue Lu and Cheng Cheng found the guest room that Lao Wang had booked, this was the chaotic scene they found—
Chen Fangqi, with her hair and clothes in disarray, stood blankly in the middle of a group of reporters and photographers.
Outside the crowd, a waiter stood lazily against the wall, carrying a paper bag in his hand.
When the waiter saw Xue Lu arrive, he walked over to him, but his eyes fell on Song Qinggui.
He looked at Song Qinggui intently for a moment, then turned to Xue Lu and handed him the bag: "Mr. Xue, I got your coat dirty last time, and I've been wanting to replace it for you."
Xue Lu looked at the logo on the paper bag. It was the brand of suits he usually wore.
"Song Qinggui," the waiter spoke again, "I thought you were something special living alone, but now I see you're nothing special, stupid and clumsy, you don't even know you've been harmed."
Song Qinggui frowned. She didn't recognize the waiter in front of her at all. Who was he?
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