"How could you do such a thing?"
Eisen could never have imagined that his usually pure, cute, and harmless sister would do something so wicked! She had acted so convincingly that he hadn't noticed anything amiss!
The Grand Prince's expression immediately turned cold. "Eisen, your sister has truly surprised me."
The mockery in his words made Eisen blush uncontrollably. If there were a crack in the ground, he would have immediately dived into it!
"Your Highness, I..."
"I cannot manage this matter." The Grand Prince had initially thought it was just a conflict between girls, at most some jealousy and verbal taunts. But this had endangered someone's life! If someone were to harm him, he would throw them into the sea without hesitation!
Eisen watched helplessly as his savior left. The gifts he had brought for Shen Qingqing were not accepted, and the Grand Prince, who had intended to give them to Aiqi, took them all back.
Aiqi choked back a sob. "Brother, please help me..."
From beginning to end, she dared not show her face. The red patches on her face were too terrifying. She didn't even dare to look in the mirror, fearing she would see a ghost-like reflection of herself.
Eisen paced the floor in anger, muttering curses, not even knowing what he was saying. "You've really outdone yourself! When I told you to stay at home, you refused and insisted on going, and now you've done something to harm others. Have you lost your mind? You have designs on a married man, and you even dare to commit murder. You've truly gone mad! You've thrown our family motto to the dogs! Mom and Dad educated you to be kind, innocent, and considerate of others in vain!"
Each word struck Aiqi like a resounding slap. In her over twenty years of life, this was the first time she had done something against her conscience. Facing such accusations, she was utterly defenseless.
Eisen's anger grew. Nothing pleased his eye. With a sweep of his hand, he knocked a vase from the table onto the floor. The shattering sound startled Aiqi, and she flinched, hugging her arms.
"I'm done with this!" Eisen declared hatefully. "You stay in your room and don't go anywhere. I will tell Dad about this, and you will await his orders regarding how to deal with you!" With that, he turned and strode out.
The door closed, and the faint sound of sobbing could be heard from within the room. But this time, Eisen hardened his heart and left without looking back.
...
The apartment suddenly became lively. Guests arrived one after another, all looking for the old man and Shen Qingqing.
"Please come and examine my husband quickly. He suddenly fainted after returning. He woke up once and told us to find you immediately."
"And my father, he also fainted."
"My uncle is the same, but he seemed to have some premonition. Before he fainted, he told us to find a Miss Shen and a poison doctor..."
The crowd spoke all at once, making the old man and Shen Qingqing's heads buzz.
"Everyone, calm down. Speak one by one." Shen Qingqing raised a hand, her patience wearing thin.
The crowd finally quieted down. It turned out that those who had participated in the three-day sea trip began to feel unwell shortly after returning. Some had even fainted. Others were still bedridden. They realized it wasn't a simple illness and suspected poisoning, so they sent their family members to find them. Upon arrival, they discovered so many people were ill, which further suggested it wasn't a coincidental sickness.
Shen Qingqing looked at the old man. "Let's go." It was obvious something was amiss. They had all undergone physical examinations by Z before leaving, but nothing unusual had been detected at the time.
The old man quickly packed his things and slung his large backpack over his shoulder. He and Shen Qingqing set off, compiling a list of the afflicted before they left. They planned to check each household, starting from the nearest. The two split up, agreeing to meet back at the apartment at 5:00 PM.
They were busy with this for the entire day. Shen Qingqing and the old man were warmly welcomed by everyone. After all, for those who were ill, they were now their saviors. However, not everyone suspected them.
Shen Qingqing arrived at the last house. Upon entering, she saw doctors and nurses busy. She didn't rush forward to examine the patient but watched the doctors from the doorway. After a long while, the doctor shook his head and sighed. "We can confirm that the gentleman has been poisoned, but we need to conduct further tests to identify the poison." Without knowing the poison, there could be no antidote.
The patient's wife, seeing Shen Qingqing, felt as though she had found a savior. "Mrs. Fu, you're finally here! Please come in quickly, why are you standing at the door without a word?" She eagerly ushered her in.
Shen Qingqing walked to the bedside and saw the man on the bed was already very weak. "Since it's confirmed to be poisoning, let's wait for the doctor's test results."
"Can't you provide an antidote?" the woman asked.
"I don't know what the poison is yet, how can I give an antidote?"
"If you can't provide an antidote, what are you here for?" a young, provocative, and disdainful voice called out from the doorway. It belonged to a handsome young man.
Shen Qingqing glanced over. "Of course, I'm here to confirm the poisoning, so that I can prepare an antidote. Do you have a problem?"
The young man faltered, then sneered, "I think you're just incapable. You're so young, how could you possibly know how to cure poison? Mom, you're really seeking help from any doctor!" When his father had fainted, his mother's first action was to send for Shen Qingqing. He had initially thought it was some legendary physician, but upon hearing from his mother that it was a woman, he immediately felt it was unreliable. Against his mother's wishes, he had quickly called a doctor. If even the doctor couldn't identify the poison, this woman was clearly not up to par. "Stop trying to trick my mom, get out!" the young man ordered.
The woman glared at him. This child hadn't been on the island and didn't know this divine doctor's abilities. She quickly apologized with a smile, "Mrs. Fu, my child is young and ignorant, please don't take offense. He doesn't mean any harm. His father is in trouble, and he's anxious, that's why he's speaking irrationally..."
Having been publicly embarrassed, the young man's face flushed red. "Mom!"
"You shut up!" the woman snapped. Seeing that her mother was truly angry, the young man finally restrained his temper and closed his mouth with great frustration.
Shen Qingqing said calmly, "Give me a copy of what you've collected. Also, I will have someone send over the antidote as soon as it's deciphered. For now, he's not in immediate danger, though he may remain unconscious for a while. The family need not worry too much." Although she couldn't determine the exact poison at the moment, judging by his complexion, it was a chronic poison, not one that would kill him instantly.
"Okay, thank you so much." The woman, seeing that Shen Qingqing was not angry, was immensely grateful.
Shen Qingqing returned to the apartment right at 5:00 PM, with the old man arriving just after her.
"Girl, did you find anything?" Shen Qingqing, tired from a day of work, slumped onto the sofa. "Yes, I did. I observed them all day and, combined with their symptoms, I can confirm they were all poisoned with a chronic toxin. This poison won't kill them, but it will cause them great suffering. To cure it, we must first identify its specific components. However, I can confirm one thing: the person who administered the poison definitely wants to control them using these toxins to achieve their nefarious goals."
The old man had received similar information. On his way back, he had already begun researching the poison. "I still have the urge to continue my research. I won't be joining for dinner. Eat yourselves, and don't disturb me." The old man rushed back to his room.