Li's eyes widened, and after finally breaking free from that hand, her first words were, "Are you crazy? How could my eldest brother possibly poison me?"
The man in black said, "Of course he could. Now that your son is missing and you're falling ill, wouldn't the dye workshop and this vast Lu mansion naturally fall under his management?"
"Impossible."
"Don't believe me?" The man in black lowered his head. The medicine bowl on the ground had cracked into three pieces, with some liquid remaining at the bottom. He casually took a small teacup from under the table and poured the liquid into it. "Any doctor can test for poison. If you find a doctor without your brother knowing, you'll know if I'm telling the truth or not."
Li氏 snorted, "Who knows if you didn't poison it yourself and deliberately framed my brother?"
Now she was alert. The man in black said, "Isn't your brother coming to bring you medicine later? I won't interfere. You can see how you feel after drinking it."
How would she feel after drinking the medicine? Sleepy, of course.
It had been like this for the past two days. Seeing the man in black's confident demeanor, a sliver of doubt couldn't help but arise in her heart. But she quickly dismissed the thought. Illness struck like a mountain collapsing; she was just gravely ill.
Her eldest brother doted on her so much, how could he possibly harm her?
She snorted, "Who are you? Did Lu Nian Fu send you to harm me?"
The man in black almost gave up. Why was Madam saving such a foolish woman? He said sarcastically, "The young master sent me to protect you. He feared you would be killed by your own brother."
"Xiao Fei, where is he? Is he injured?" Li氏 suddenly became agitated.
Unfortunately, before the man in black could answer, footsteps could be heard from outside. Her eldest brother had returned.
The man in black flashed away and hid. Li氏 quickly hid the cup of medicine on the table under the bed and then lay back on the bed feigning illness.
Li Chuanhu was very solicitous, even feeding her the medicine after it had cooled to her lips.
Once the seed of doubt was sown, trust inevitably developed cracks. While Li氏 deeply trusted her eldest brother, she couldn't help but wonder if he was truly poisoning her.
She had just received news about Xiao Fei, and if she died now, what would happen to her Xiao Fei? It was just a matter of testing a cup of medicine; she wasn't lacking the money to hire a doctor.
"Little sister, open your mouth."
Li Chuanhu's voice pulled her back to reality. She hesitantly took a spoonful. The medicine wasn't particularly bitter; it even had a slight sweetness. She couldn't help but ask, "Big brother, isn't it said that good medicine tastes bitter? This medicine doesn't taste bitter at all."
Li Chuanhu scooped another spoonful. "I was afraid you wouldn't take it if it tasted bitter, so I specifically asked the doctor to add some licorice."
Was her elder brother too considerate? It seemed he had never taken care of her when she was sick as a child.
"Little sister, drink quickly, or the medicine will get cold."
"If it gets cold, I'll just gulp it down. Although this medicine isn't bitter, it's still not pleasant to drink. Taking it spoonful by spoonful like this is too torturous. Oh, by the way, Big Brother, hurry and take the money to the escort agency. What if they refuse to take the job because it's too late?"
Li Chuanhu said, "I'll go after you finish your medicine."
Li氏's heart skipped a beat, but she said aloud, "Big Brother, I'm all grown up. Are you worried I'll spill the medicine? Don't worry, I still need to find my son, so I'm not willing to die right now."
How come in just a short while, her sister's spirit seemed to have completely changed? Li Chuanhu looked at her searchingly. Li氏 was eager to get rid of him so she could ask about her son, yet she feared he would notice something. She quickly said, "Big Brother, hurry to the escort agency. Or should I have the housekeeper accompany you?"
Li Chuanhu shook his head and said it was unnecessary.
He had no intention of spending that unnecessary money.
However, he had to maintain appearances. He admonished Li氏 a few more times before turning to leave.
Soon after, Xianxiang came in to attend to her. She picked up the broken bowl and used a rag to carefully wipe away the spilled medicine. Then, seeing that the medicine bowl in front of Li氏 remained untouched, she quietly advised, "Madam, if you don't drink this medicine soon, it will get cold."
"Which doctor prescribed this medicine?"
"This servant does not know. This was found by the master's brother."
"Go to Xingrentang and invite Doctor Yin here. Be discreet, don't let anyone find out, understand?"
Xianxiang thought being discreet would be difficult, but since Madam had instructed her, she had to comply. Fortunately, Doctor Yin had been treating Lu Chaosheng for half a year and had a good impression of the Lu mansion. Upon hearing that it was Li氏's request, he cooperated and entered the mansion through the side gate.
The medicine liquid was already ice-cold, but Doctor Yin recognized it at a sniff. "A bit of Glauber's salt has been added. It's not a potent poison. Drink a little each day for ten to fifteen days, and you'll become paralyzed."
Li氏's body went limp.
Doctor Yin looked at her sympathetically. "Madam, let me take your pulse."
Li氏's outstretched hand was trembling.
However, the result was not bad. Doctor Yin said, "It's alright. You've only taken it for two days. I'll write a prescription for you, and after taking two doses, the poison will be expelled."