Kiyomi Tsuki and His Fox - Chapter 118
When Wang Jie stormed into the living room with a terrified expression and covered in sweat, trembling in front of Lu Qingcheng, Lu Qingcheng's heart skipped a beat. She stood up abruptly, and the chair she was sitting on overturned with a loud crash.
Cai Bo'an asked in surprise, "Wang Jie, what's wrong?"
"Greetings, greetings to Young Master Yue, greetings to Young Master Yue..."
Wang Jie was shivering.
His words and his appearance reminded Lu Qingcheng of that nightmare. He almost blurted out: Don't say anything, don't say anything at all.
"What's wrong with Jianyue?" Cai Zhonghe grabbed Wang Jie and roared, "Speak up!"
Wang Jie trembled even more violently, "Jian...Jian Yue, Young Master..."
No, it's not true.
Lu Qingcheng rushed out of the living room as if her life depended on it. Cai Zhonghe shook off Wang Jie and followed closely behind, followed by Cai Bo'an and Lei Yongxiang.
The study was packed with people, both at the entrance and inside. Lu Qingcheng felt as if he were seeing that dream again, as if he were hearing that voice again, "Young Master Jianyue has passed away." He was even more terrified. He roughly pushed through the crowd and squeezed into the room. What he saw inside was just like the scene in his dream: Zhang Zhichun was kneeling on the ground, holding Qing Jianyue, who was curled up and trembling violently, in his arms. Huang Chong and Zhang Lang were standing by his side, sweating profusely. Little Crow was crying and wailing. And there was another person, Xu Yun, who was pale with fright.
It was her. The person I couldn't see clearly in my dream was her.
Lu Qingcheng had a real urge to bang his head against a wall and die. He rushed forward and hugged Qing Jianyue tightly, just like in his dream. All he could do was foolishly call out his beloved's name; he knew nothing else.
"Get out, get out! Don't crowd in, wait outside!" Cai Bo'an shouted loudly. "Has anyone called a doctor? What are you all standing here for? Go and call a doctor!"
"Quickly tell the kitchen to boil mung bean water, fry rhubarb, or green tea will do. You idiots, don't you even know this most basic thing?" Lei Yongxiang roared like thunder. "Don't just stand there, get to work!"
"Lord, carry Jianyue to the bed." Cai Zhonghe said urgently, "Jianyue has been poisoned. Make him vomit it out first. No matter what method you use, make him vomit it out first."
Chaos reigned both inside and outside the house. Driven to the brink of madness by the prophecy of her dream, Lu Qingcheng was on the verge of losing her mind.
Chapter Forty-Five: Poisoning
It could have been avoided, yet I did nothing. It could have been avoided, but it still happened. How could I have been so foolish? How could I have been so foolish?
Lu Qingcheng was in extreme pain and filled with hatred. He glared at Xu Yun, his expression terrifying, a look that could only be described as ferocious, violent, and cold-blooded.
Xu Yun trembled with fear and pain. His gaze made her feel as if she were being torn apart. She tried to speak, to defend herself, but she couldn't utter a single word. She shook her head desperately, but under that terrifying gaze, she couldn't make a sound.
Lu Qingcheng spoke each word with utter ruthlessness and without a trace of emotion: "Drag her out and torture her severely until she confesses."
Cai Bo'an ordered his subordinates to take Xu Yun out. Just as they were being dragged out of the room, Xu Yun shouted as if she had been straining her throat, "It wasn't me, it wasn't me."
A meeting was being held in the conference hall of the Finance Institute. The main participants were the chief supervisor Su Haibo and his deputy Li Zhen, the chief supervisor Zhou Peng and his deputy Zhou Jie, the general manager Du who managed the warehouse and all miscellaneous affairs of Lujiabao and his son Du Ping, as well as several accounting deacons. With the New Year approaching, they needed to quickly make a series of plans and detailed arrangements.
Xiaoqian gracefully entered, carrying a carved tray, and offered fragrant tea to each of them. This girl had perhaps received excellent care here, for she had grown even more beautiful. Every man with eyes who walked around the Finance Department couldn't help but cast admiring glances at her; Du Ping, the son of Steward Du, was one of them. As soon as she left, Du Ping immediately found an excuse to follow her out, calling out to Xiaoqian in the courtyard. Several maids passing by in the courtyard saw this and hurriedly hid to peek.
"Young Master Du, is there something you need?" Xiaoqian asked curiously, looking at Du Ping, who was riding a tall horse but whose face was flushed with nervousness.
Du Ping took out a small brocade pouch and handed it over, causing the maids who were secretly watching to gasp in astonishment. Du Ping smiled shyly and said, "Miss Xiaoqian, this is for you."
Xiaoqian took a step back and asked in surprise, "What is this?"
"This is the finest four o'clock flower powder and peach-pink rouge." Du Ping stared intently at Xiaoqian's smooth, jade-like face and said with a smile, "If you use it often, it will definitely make your skin even more beautiful."
Xiaoqian turned her face away uneasily. "Thank you. I can't accept this."
Du Ping smiled and said, "You're too kind. This is just a small token of my appreciation."
Xiaoqian said softly, "I have everything: pollen, rouge, perfume, hair oil, clothes, jewelry, and so on."
Du Ping said urgently, "This is different. This is the best four o'clock flower powder, and the rouge is also from Yangzhou. How can the flower powder rouge you use compare to this? You shouldn't use it anymore. Using those inferior flower powder rouge will damage your skin."
"The face powder and rouge I use are the best," Xiaoqian said apologetically. "All my necessities are provided by Young Master Jianyue. I lack nothing, how can I accept Young Master Du's gifts? Please take them back, Young Master Du."
Du Ping looked dumbfounded. "Oh, is that so?"
Xiaoqian bowed slightly and was about to turn away when Du Ping suddenly grabbed her slender hand. Xiaoqian jumped in surprise and exclaimed, "Young Master Du, you...you..."
The maids hiding in the shadows covered their eyes in fright at the sight. They were both ashamed and afraid, yet they couldn't help but peek.
Du Ping stammered, "Miss Xiaoqian, Miss Xiaoqian, please listen to me, I...I..."
Just then, a silver streak of light suddenly shot out from afar, and in an instant, the white fox leaped up and pounced, baring its fangs and claws.
The screams from the courtyard startled the people in the conference hall. Su Haibo, Zhou Peng, Steward Du, Li Zhen, and Zhou Jie rushed out. When they saw Du Ping lying face up and the white fox perched on his face, they couldn't help but shake their heads.
"Here we go again, here we go again!" Steward Du said angrily, "Is that brat out of his mind? Every time he gets close to Xiaoqian, he gets attacked by the white fox. This has happened three times already, how come he still doesn't learn his lesson?"
Xiaoqian said urgently, "Fox, you can't, you can't do this. If Young Master Jianyue finds out about your antics, he'll punish you by locking you in a cage for three days. Come down now."
The white fox arrogantly perched on Du Ping's face, swishing its large tail angrily: "Miss Xiaoqian is the woman I love most, how could I allow you to take liberties with her? Besides, her breasts are so soft and fragrant, only I, the fox king, can touch them. Hmph, you brat, if I see you again, I'll bite your neck off."
"Fox, come down quickly." Xiaoqian coaxed, "Be good, stop making a fuss, come down quickly."
The white fox mischievously rubbed its bottom against Du Ping's face before slowly getting down, proudly running to Xiao Qian's skirt, calling out, "Hug me!"
Xiaoqian bent down and picked it up. Someone came over and helped Du Ping up from the ground. Su Haibo, Zhou Peng, Steward Du, Li Zhen, and Zhou Jie came over, and Xiaoqian quickly bowed, saying, "I'm sorry."
"Alright, it's nothing." Su Haibo smiled and said, "The fox came to you because it wanted you to play with it. You've been busy since this morning, you must be tired. Go back to your room and rest."
Xiaoqian bowed and said, "Yes."
She carried the white fox in one arm and the tray in the other as she walked away.
Steward Du scolded, "You brat, how many times have I told you? Miss Xiaoqian is the one favored by Young Master Jianyue, and you still won't give up."
“If Miss Xiaoqian is truly the one favored by Young Master Jianyue, he wouldn’t be stopping her from finding a good husband.” Du Ping wiped his face with a handkerchief.