Chapter 29
The news brought by Yu Zhi was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Han Meng's thoughts on the cooperation plan. Her fingers, gripping the plan, tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white.
Han Shangting, as expected, didn't easily believe her explanation of "sudden repentance." Falling into the water, developing a fever, and experiencing blurred consciousness… that was precisely the point in time when she transmigrated! The original owner's last memories were a jumbled mess, and it was at that moment that her soul took over this body. If Han Shangting were to dig out any details from others that were drastically different from the original owner's habits…
"What did he ask? What did Xiao Liu and the housekeeper say in response?" Han Meng calmed herself down and asked Yu Zhi in a low voice.
Yu Zhi tried hard to recall: "The young master asked very detailed questions. He asked who you called first after you woke up, what the first thing you ate was, and whether you said anything strange... He also asked what you used to hate eating the most, and whether you suddenly liked any of those foods after waking up."
Han Meng's mind raced. Some of these details were blurry in the original owner's memory, while others were completely absent. She had just transmigrated and was in a panic, relying entirely on instinct and the plot of the original story she had read. How could she possibly remember these trivial matters clearly?
"What did Xiao Liu say?"
"Xiao Liu said that you were a little confused after waking up. You called for the master, and you didn't seem to be picky about food. However, you weren't as energetic as before and seemed listless," Yu Zhi said. "The housekeeper said something similar, adding that you seemed to care less about the clothes and jewelry you used to like after you recovered."
Han Meng breathed a slight sigh of relief. The words of Xiao Liu and the housekeeper sounded more like the normal reaction of someone recovering from a serious illness. Although it contradicted her "suddenly ambitious" behavior, it was a plausible explanation. No matter how shrewd Han Shangting was, without concrete evidence, he couldn't determine from the servants' intuition alone that his sister had been replaced.
But this is ultimately a hidden danger. Han Shangting is like a time bomb, and it's anyone's guess when he'll explode.
"I understand." Han Meng nodded to Yu Zhi. "You did a good job. If my brother asks anything again, or if you hear any rumors, tell me immediately." She handed Yu Zhi a few silver dollars. "Take this and buy yourself something nice to eat."
After dismissing Yuzhi, Han Meng took a deep breath and carefully put away Lu Jinxian's cooperation proposal. Dealing with Han Shangting was the top priority right now; the cooperation had to be put on hold for the time being.
She decided to remain unchanged and continue playing the role of "Han's daughter who is trying to change things." At the same time, perhaps... she could take the initiative and test Han Shangting's bottom line.
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In the following days, Han Meng behaved unusually "normally". She went to the pharmacy on time, carefully checked the accounts, guided Chen Miaoyin in identifying medicinal herbs, and even took the time to show up at Honglin University, quietly listening to and taking notes in Xu Shuyi's literature elective class - even though the classical Chinese phrases made her drowsy.
She also deliberately interacted with Han Shangting at the dinner table, chatting about her overseas experiences or asking him questions about business management. She adopted a humble attitude and was sincere, just like a good younger sister who longed for her older brother's guidance.
Han Shangting handled the situation with ease, seemingly pleased with her "eagerness to learn," and occasionally offered advice on pharmacy management, sounding quite professional. However, his deep eyes always carried a subtle, probing gaze, making Han Meng dare not relax her guard in the slightest.
Tang Ying was delighted to see her children getting along so well, and Han Xianfei was also pleased to see that his son was paying attention to his daughter's career. On the surface, the atmosphere at home was harmonious.
That day, Han Meng had just returned from the pharmacy when she saw Han Shangting and Qin Luo sitting in the living room, drinking tea and chatting. Qin Luo seemed to be organizing some medical manuscripts.
"Mengmeng is back." Han Shangting greeted her. "Qin Luo is very interested in some difficult and complicated diseases recorded in ancient books and is collecting cases. I remember you were also interested in medicine before and even tried to treat the third young master of the Lu family? Why don't you come and listen? Maybe you can provide some different ideas."
Han Meng's alarm bells rang again. Here it comes, he's testing her again! And this time it directly involves Lu Jinxian.
A perfect blend of shyness and interest appeared on her face: "Brother, please don't tease me. My meager skills are nothing compared to Mr. Qin's." She walked closer and looked at Qin Luo, "Mr. Qin, what kind of difficult and complicated diseases are you researching?"
Qin Luo adjusted his glasses and smiled gently: "Miss Han, you're too kind. I've recently been studying some medical records from the previous dynasty, which mention a condition called 'pseudo-weakness.' Patients may appear to be terminally ill, but their pulse may not necessarily indicate a serious condition, and may even be no different from that of an ordinary person. This is often related to emotional distress and prolonged worry. I wonder if Miss Han has encountered any similar or suspected cases while running her pharmacy?"
Han Meng's heart skipped a beat. "Pseudo-weakness"? His pulse was normal? This description... it sounded so much like Lu Jinxian's condition! Had Qin Luo already figured something out? Had Han Shangting told him, or had he noticed it himself?
She forced herself to calm down, feigning deep thought: "It sounds very strange. Our pharmacy mainly serves ordinary people with headaches, fevers, and rheumatism, but we've never seen such a strange illness before." She paused, as if suddenly remembering something, "However... hearing Mr. Qin say this reminds me of Young Master Lu... Although he's been ill for many years, sometimes his complexion doesn't look so bad, could it be..." She stopped at the right moment, leaving room for speculation, both clearing herself of any suspicion of "knowing" and making it seem like she was just mentioning it casually.
Han Shangting held his teacup, his gaze lingering on Han Meng's face for a moment, a half-smile playing on his lips.
Qin Luo nodded seriously: "That is indeed possible. The mind and body are one; emotional distress can indeed lead to a multitude of illnesses and manifest in countless ways. If Young Master Lu is indeed in this situation, then the focus should be on resolving his inner conflicts, with medication as a supplement." He looked at Han Meng, "If Miss Han examines Young Master Lu again, she might pay attention to the relationship between his emotional fluctuations and the severity of his symptoms."
"Mr. Qin's insight is profound, I've taken note." Han Meng readily agreed, but inwardly she thought to herself, "Lu Jinxian's inner turmoil is probably quite deep, how could it be so easily resolved?"
What appeared to be a casual medical discussion was, in Han Meng's eyes, a turbulent undercurrent. She wasn't sure how much Han Shangting and Qin Luo actually knew, but she was certain that they had become interested in Lu Jinxian's "illness," and this interest likely stemmed from their investigation into the changes in their "sister."
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Two more days passed, and things calmed down. Han Meng almost thought that her brother's investigation was over.
That evening, she was in her room, hesitating over Lu Jinxian's cooperation plan—Han Xianfei's demand for a profit amount was like a mountain, and Lu Jinxian's proposal was undoubtedly a shortcut, but risks were involved—Xiao Liu rushed over again, this time with an even stranger expression.
“Miss, the young master… he spoke to Miss Tang Xiaomei alone in the garden for quite a while. When Miss Xiaomei returned, her eyes were red, as if she had been crying.”
Han Meng nearly dropped the project proposal in her hand.
Han Shangting actually went to see Tang Xiaomei! That timid little cousin who almost never communicates with anyone!
Tang Xiaomei is the child of the original owner's mother's sister. She didn't have much contact with the original owner, but they were blood relatives after all, and she was also considered an "outsider" in the Han family. Han Shangting probably asked her about things because he thought that children wouldn't lie, or that he could hear some subtle changes about his "cousin" that adults overlooked from her.
"Where is Xiaomei now?" Han Meng asked hurriedly.
"He went back to his room, closed the door, and ignored everyone."
Han Meng immediately got up and went straight to Tang Xiaomei's room. She knocked gently on the door: "Xiaomei, it's your cousin, can you open the door?"
There was no response.
Han Meng patiently softened her voice and said, "Xiao Mei, don't be afraid. Your cousin just came to see you. Did your brother say something to you? You can tell your cousin if there's anything you need to say."
After a long while, the door creaked open a crack. Tang Xiaomei, her eyes red and swollen, looked at her timidly.
Han Meng squeezed through the door, closed it, and squatted down to be at eye level with the little girl: "Xiao Mei, tell your cousin, what did your brother ask you?"
Tang Xiaomei bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes again, and she sobbed softly, "Cousin...cousin asked me...if I thought my cousin was the same as before...asked me...would my cousin secretly give me treats...and asked me...if I remembered that before I fell into the water, my cousin promised to buy me a sugar figurine..."
Han Meng's heart sank. Han Shangting's questions were highly targeted, all comparing the differences in her behavior before and after her transmigration. The original owner probably didn't have much affection for Tang Xiaomei, this suddenly appearing poor relative, let alone offer her treats or promise to buy her candy. But after transmigrating, out of pity for the little girl and a sense of compensation to her "family," she was indeed much gentler towards Tang Xiaomei, even giving her snacks.
"So what was your answer?" Han Meng's voice unconsciously carried a hint of nervousness.
Tang Xiaomei sobbed, "I... I said my cousin is doing well now... she smiles at me... I was scared, I didn't dare to talk about what my cousin used to be like... my cousin's eyes were so scary... I... I just started crying..."
Looking at the little girl's frightened expression, Han Meng felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, she was relieved that Tang Xiaomei was timid and protective, or rather, that her fear of Han Shangting prevented her from speaking recklessly. On the other hand, Han Shangting's relentless pressure made her feel unprecedented stress. He clearly hadn't given up his suspicions and had even begun to investigate from the weakest point.
She pulled Tang Xiaomei into her arms and gently patted her back: "Xiaomei, don't be afraid, your cousin is here. You did the right thing. Don't be afraid of your brother. If he asks you anything in the future, just say you don't know, or come directly to your cousin, okay?"
After comforting Tang Xiaomei, Han Meng left the room with a serious expression.
Han Shangting's investigation has escalated from indirect inquiries to direct contact with those close to her. This time it was Tang Xiaomei, who will it be next? Chen Miaoyin? Or... Lu Jinxian?
She couldn't wait passively any longer. She had to find a way to divert Han Shangting's attention, or at least find a reason to make him temporarily stop the investigation.
Her gaze fell once again on Lu Jinxian's cooperation proposal on the table. A bold idea gradually took shape in her mind.
Perhaps... agreeing to cooperate, expanding the business, and demonstrating sufficient commercial value and a "normal" ambition would make Han Shangting think that her changes were simply due to growing up and becoming more sensible, rather than for some unspeakable reason?
Or perhaps, introducing Lu Jinxian, an "outsider," could complicate the situation within the Han family?
The risk is high, but... there doesn't seem to be a better option.
Han Meng took a deep breath, walked to her desk, spread out the letter paper, and dipped her pen in ink.
She was going to reply to Lu Jinxian and agree to discuss the details of the cooperation in person.
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