"Miss Ning, I'm asking him."
Ning Xin was taken aback, but Mr. He wasn't looking at her, and her expression turned cold.
He found her talkative.
When she fell silent, the living room became incredibly quiet, and Mr. He's footsteps became exceptionally noticeable, step by step.
Heavy and slow.
Xixi tightly clasped her hands. Hearing the footsteps stop behind her, Mr. He's deep, gentle voice sounded.
Even at this point, he seemed to show no signs of anger.
There was no discernible emotion in his voice.
"Little one, answer my question. Is what Miss Ning said true?"
Since there was no way to avoid it, Xixi decided to face the truth. He took a deep breath, turned around, and faced Mr. He directly.
"Yes."
He said this single word with utmost clarity.
Mr. He narrowed his eyes slightly, his pupils reflecting the fair-skinned little dumpling before him. Though small in stature, his face already bore a resolute expression that didn't belong to his age.
"Why?" he asked.
Xixi pursed his lips and didn't answer.
Ning Xin said softly, "Mr. He is exceptionally intelligent and wise. You must have guessed the reason, so why ask?"
Mr. He turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"
Ning Xin didn't believe he hadn't guessed. He simply couldn't bring himself to believe it. If that was the case, she wouldn't mind helping him uncover the truth.
"Shen Qingqing's child deliberately approached you. What other reason could there be?"
"Revenge, of course."
"Your complexion was very poor last time I saw you. I presume you haven't been feeling very well recently."
The information conveyed by these few sentences was vast and complex.
Xixi's arrival, Mr. He's health issues.
Connecting these two events was truly terrifying.
The butler was the first to disbelieve. "Impossible! The child has been extremely caring towards Mr. He, even watching him take his medicine and see the doctor!"
He refused to believe that the concern he saw in the child's eyes was fake. How could a child possess such exquisite acting skills to deceive both him and Mr. He?
This was absolutely impossible!
Mr. He also found it absurd. "Even if you want to sow discord between us, you should at least come up with a more plausible reason."
Ning Xin chuckled, her voice slightly cold, like pearls falling onto Mr. He's heart, each word making his heart skip a beat.
"Mr. He, why deceive yourself? Why not ask the child? I believe he won't lie."
Xixi glanced at Ning Xin and said mockingly, "Then I should really thank you for thinking so highly of me."
Ning Xin smiled. "I just believe your mother must have taught you to be upright in your actions and brave in taking responsibility."
"So, should I tell my mother thank you? You praise her so highly."
"That's not necessary." Ning Xin's smile widened. "We are already enemies. All praise is meaningless. I am merely stating the facts."
With the conversation reaching this point, Mr. He, unless he was foolish, would understand that Xixi hadn't refuted any of Ning Xin's accusations.
This was a form of admission.
He took a deep breath, calming his complex and turbulent thoughts. He raised a hand, halting Ning Xin's words, and looked directly at Xixi, a flicker of hope deep in his eyes that he himself hadn't detected.
"Xixi, did you really come for revenge?"
Xixi frankly admitted, "Yes."
Mr. He asked again, "And my illness..."
"It's also related to me," Xixi admitted decisively, unwilling to listen to him ask one by one. He decided to confess everything. "After my mother met you that day, she was unhappy. I felt someone had bullied her. After investigating, I found it was you."
He lowered his gaze, not daring to look at Mr. He.
"Naturally, I couldn't let you off. But I didn't know what happened between you two. My mother wouldn't tell me, so I wanted to come and find you myself to investigate. It was me who drugged you."
However, initially, he just thought Mr. He was a hypocrite good at disguise and wanted to test him with medicine. If he was faking, he would reveal his true colors after being drugged, and the medicine he used wouldn't be harmful.
"The only accident was that time with the allergy." He paused, and the scene at the dining table that day suddenly appeared in his mind.
He served Mr. He food, and he was so happy.
Even though he couldn't eat peanuts, he ate them with a smile. Xixi didn't know he was allergic to peanuts at the time, and later, when he found out, he couldn't understand.
They were not related, so why would he do such a thing for him?
Xixi looked up at Mr. He, his eyes filled with complex emotions: confusion, relief, and the ease of having revealed everything. "I thought you were a bad person, but after several tests, I found out you're not. I couldn't bring myself to harm you anymore. I originally planned to leave after you recovered, but now... I don't need to wait."
"You're leaving?" Mr. He's expression was somber, his eyes unreadable.
Ning Xin said coldly, "Mr. He, this child has tampered with your food multiple times. This is a violation of the law, and you must not let him off easily."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Mr. He's tone was calm, and Ning Xin couldn't discern his true thoughts. However, the situation had reached this point, and she couldn't let him off the hook. She tentatively suggested, "The child is still young, so he can't be convicted. Even the police can't do anything to him. Why not send him back to his parents and have him apologize publicly, admit his mistake, and promise not to do it again?"
Mr. He hadn't responded yet.
The butler couldn't help but glance at Ning Xin. Her suggestion, while seemingly simple, was actually malicious. For such a young child to have the matter of poisoning publicized would ruin his reputation.
As he grew up, he would undoubtedly face various forms of discussion, which would be detrimental to his development.
He couldn't help but say, "Sir, this child is still young and can't discern right from wrong. A mistake made in a moment of impulse is understandable. Moreover, his subsequent dedicated care for you shows remorse in his heart for his actions. Sir, why not give him another chance and simply send him away? Publicizing it is unnecessary..."
Mr. He stared at the little one, remaining silent.
Ning Xin glanced at the butler and said coldly, "This child poisoned your employer, and yet you're defending him? Are you in league with him too?"
The butler's face flushed red. "Miss Ning, one can eat anything, but one cannot speak carelessly. I have been with Mr. He for decades and have always been loyal, never wavering!"
"Then why are you defending him?" Ning Xin pressed on. "If I were you, I would immediately send this child to his parents and publicize his actions to ensure he learns his lesson!"