He Zinian had not intended to reveal too much to Qin Yue. Just then, Zhang Wan'er's image flashed in his mind. The words that were about to leave his mouth immediately shifted: "I do have something I need your help with."
Qin Yue put on an innocent, clueless expression and asked, "What is it?"
He Zinian slowly began to speak, "I want you to convey Meng Lei's intentions to Zhang Wan'er. To be honest, keeping Zhang Wan'er here was a last resort for our family. No one wants to ruin Gu Xingdong's future!
Zhang Wan'er comes from a reputable family in the capital. If we act rashly, it will be difficult to explain on our end, so we have to make her make a mistake and withdraw from the relationship herself. It's not just for this reason; there's another that concerns your interests!"
Concerned about her interests? If it was put that way, Qin Yue became intrigued. She propped her head on her hand and asked curiously, "How does this involve me?"
He Zinian stared into Qin Yue's eyes, his gaze deep as he analyzed, "The Meng and He families are old acquaintances. Now that the Meng family has encountered such a major incident, with only Meng Lei left, we cannot be ruthless for his mistake. This means the worst possible outcome for him is expulsion from the He family.
If Meng Lei learns that the orders he gave you were not carried out in a timely manner, I fear you might be implicated! But if you were to carry out this task, I'm afraid if the matter is exposed, the police might investigate you, and you could face imprisonment!
If you hadn't conveyed this news to me in time, my mother's life would have been in peril today. We are more grateful to you. Therefore, I don't want you to face this imprisonment! It would be best for Zhang Wan'er to bear this consequence."
Everything sounded reasonable. Seeing He Zinian's concern for her, Qin Yue's heart suddenly began to race. She didn't know why she had been so stubborn in the past, so fixated on Gu Xingdong, a married man. If she had built a good relationship with Chen Lishu, perhaps she could have met the second young master He earlier. Would they...
With this thought, Qin Yue's face immediately turned haggard. The situation had progressed to this point, with no room for turning back. She could only force herself to face what was next and said,
"Alright, I will definitely help you with this matter. But may I ask you for a favor? I hope that once the matter is successful, you will allow me to leave the courtyard safely, free from Meng Lei's harassment!"
He Zinian thought it was not a difficult condition and agreed without hesitation, nodding, "Okay!"
After Qin Yue left the room, He Zinian's smile faded. He then went to Old Master He's room and presented the record of his conversation with Qin Yue to him.
He Zinian said coldly, "This is Meng Lei, whom you've protected at every turn! I don't know what you said to him yesterday, but I hope you won't obstruct our actions from now on!"
Upon hearing that Meng Lei intended to annihilate their family, Old Master He was disappointed. He supported his forehead with his hand and said, "Do as you wish. As long as you spare his life, I will not interfere with the rest!"
At this point, Old Master He was still biased towards Meng Lei. He Zinian angrily slammed the door shut as he left.
To ensure his plan's smooth execution, He Zinian specifically instructed the servants in the villa not to wander around unless it was a particularly important matter! He needed to create an opportunity for Zhang Wan'er to poison the old lady.
After clearing out the servants, Qin Yue also played her part. She found Zhang Wan'er and handed her the neurotoxin.
"What are you doing?" Zhang Wan'er looked at Qin Yue with confusion. She didn't need to be too wary of this fool, but this fool was backed by Meng Lei. Who knew what these people were secretly plotting, making her a pawn?
Sensing Zhang Wan'er's hesitation, Qin Yue took her hand, acting as if she was looking out for her, and said, "On such an important day, shouldn't we do something significant?
I thought, instead of slowly administering the poison and keeping Old Madam He barely alive, giving the He family a chance to investigate, it would be better to poison Old Madam He to death and frame Chen Lishu for it!
Once a person is dead and some evidence is found, they won't continue the investigation. I'm doing this for your own good! In this vast villa, you are the only one I can trust!"
Qin Yue's words were quite moving, but whether they were sincere, Zhang Wan'er felt was debatable.
Seeing Zhang Wan'er's indifference, Qin Yue couldn't help but swallow. She felt her fabricated reason was quite convincing. Why was the other party still hesitating? Had she said something wrong?
Just as she was about to probe Zhang Wan'er's intentions, the latter asked first, "Why don't you administer the poison yourself? Why do you need me to do it?"
Qin Yue's brows furrowed, a look of difficulty appearing on her face. She pouted and mumbled softly, "I'd like to administer the poison, but look at my chances! Only when you cook in the morning can you stealthily add this forbidden drug to her meal!
How about I cook this morning? But I'm not sure if I can control the dosage. If Old Madam He finds the taste unusual and suspects me, I fear neither of us will escape the investigation!"
Hearing Qin Yue's words, Zhang Wan'er couldn't let the opportunity to administer the poison pass her by. After all, the three of them were accomplices. If her task failed, it wouldn't be good for either of them. Therefore, there was no need to worry about any problems with the drug.
With this thought, Zhang Wan'er impatiently took the forbidden drug and said with disgust, "Today, I want you to stay by my side as a lookout. This is the most crucial time. Later, in the chaos, we'll shift all the blame to Chen Lishu!"
"Okay!" Qin Yue smiled and agreed, then they each went about their business with their own agendas.
After breakfast was prepared, Zhang Wan'er, as usual, served the food to Chen Lishu and said, "The elders' attitudes towards you have softened now. If you continue to strive, and after you win the competition, I will also help persuade the elders to forgive your past actions. Then, the family can live harmoniously again!"