A Rich Family’s Matrilocal Alpha Married to a Vegetative Omega - Chapter 28

Li Zhenfang offered a guilty, dry laugh and waved her hand. “Forget it, forget it. Since Little Sister won’t let anyone see Shujian, I won’t bother.”

“Carry on with your work, Housekeeper Su. I’m leaving.” With that, Li Zhenfang walked away quickly, as if fearing that if she moved too slowly, the housekeeper would catch up and drag her to see Qin Wan.

Qin Huaili was waiting anxiously. The moment Li Zhenfang returned, he asked impatiently, “How was it? Did you find out anything useful?”

Although Qin Huaiyi remained seated on the sofa without saying a word, his expectant gaze was fixed on Li Zhenfang.

Li Zhenfang shook her head and set the tonics on a side table. Her brows knit together. “It’s just as Second Brother said. Qin Wan has issued orders barring anyone from the third floor. I was about to go up when Housekeeper Su blocked me.”

“Su Yu?” Qin Huaili frowned in displeasure. “You’re a master of the house; how could you let a mere housekeeper drive you away?”

“I had no choice,” Li Zhenfang explained. “She said if I insisted on going up, I’d have to go see Qin Wan with her. I can only see Shujian with Qin Wan’s permission.”

Silence fell over the room. If this matter were brought before Qin Wan, it might result in more than just being turned away. However, this interaction confirmed their suspicions: something was happening with Shujian’s condition—she was either getting better or much worse.

If she were worsening, that would be fine; they feared she might suddenly wake up. If she did, the situation they had worked so hard to build would be shattered once again.

As for Ye Fan, because Qin Shujian could only communicate through her, she had to stay by Shujian’s side at all times. Although Ye Fan loved being close to her wife, her wife was simply too alluring, frequently causing Ye Fan’s pheromones to surge. Since she still hadn’t learned to control them, Ye Fan could only miserably inject suppressants to keep herself in check.

But when pheromones are suppressed for too long, there is bound to be a rebound…

That night, Ye Fan lay in bed feeling incredibly hot. Only one spot beside her felt exceptionally cool, and she couldn’t help but lean toward that coolness.

Qin Shujian was sleeping fitfully when she suddenly felt someone nuzzling against her. A pair of hands moved over her body with reckless abandon, causing her to let out an involuntary moan. The owner of those hands seemed insatiable, becoming more forceful. Ashamed and enraged, Qin Shujian’s emotions peaked; she actually snapped her eyes open and kicked Ye Fan.

Ye Fan was kicked off the bed and jolted awake. She looked up to see Qin Shujian’s collar wide open, her clothes draped precariously off one shoulder, revealing a fragrant patch of skin. Her wife was staring at her in shock.

“Wife?” Ye Fan dazed out, not quite processing the situation.

Qin Shujian recovered first, realizing she had actually woken up. Previously, she had been a vegetable who could only hear Ye Fan’s voice; this was the first time she was truly seeing her. Ye Fan’s appearance was much like she had imagined: fair, delicate skin and eyes that were currently wide with shock. Her curled lashes cast shadows beneath her eyes, and her upturned lips gave her an approachable, friendly air.

Qin Shujian pulled her clothes back over her shoulder, a slight smile touching her lips. “Not bad. You aren’t ugly.”

Ye Fan blinked a few times, still feeling as though she were in a dream. “I… am I still asleep?”

Seeing Ye Fan’s silly expression, Qin Shujian couldn’t help but laugh. She leaned over the edge of the bed to look at Ye Fan, who was still bracing herself on the floor with both hands. “What nonsense are you talking?”

Ye Fan’s eyes went even rounder. Realizing this was reality, she lunged upward, dimples appearing on her cheeks as she threw herself at Qin Shujian. “This is great! Wife, you’re finally awake!”

Qin Shujian was knocked back onto the bed by Ye Fan’s momentum. She reached out and gently pinched Ye Fan’s cheek, shaking it. “Yes, I’m awake.”

With her face being pulled, Ye Fan’s speech was a bit muffled. “I knew you’d wake up.” Remembering the first thing Shujian had said, she pouted slightly. “But wife, you only care about looks? Can’t you see the interesting soul beneath my skin?”

Qin Shujian couldn’t stand Ye Fan’s piteous look and comforted her with a laugh. “I see it, I see it.”

Ye Fan propped herself up and looked steadily at Qin Shujian, the gentle smile in her clear eyes deepening. “This is wonderful. I’m going to tell Madam Qin the good news right now!”

Qin Shujian smiled faintly. “It’s too late; Mother should be asleep already. Wait until tomorrow.”

“Okay!” Ye Fan nodded vigorously.

Although her wife was beautiful when lying quietly, she much preferred the lively, smiling wife she saw now. The two lay in bed, embracing silently as they shared their joy.

The night passed quickly. Eager to share the news, Ye Fan woke up early and knocked on Madam Qin’s door.

“Ye Fan?” Madam Qin opened the door, her brow furrowing instinctively. “Why are you here so early? Is something wrong?”

Ye Fan looked left and right. Seeing no servants, she whispered with a massive grin: “Madam Qin! My wife is awake!”

Madam Qin’s eyes widened visibly. Her usually stern, rigid expression broke into a look of surprise and joy. “Let’s go. I want to see Shujian.”

Ye Fan hurried to lead the way back to the third floor. With Ye Fan’s help, Qin Shujian had already washed up. When Madam Qin entered, Shujian was sitting up against the headboard with a book in her hands. The morning sun shone through the glass behind her, making her look tranquil and serene. Though she was still quiet, she no longer looked deathly still as she had when lying flat.

“Shujian, you’re awake.” Qin Wan’s eyes reddened slightly, her voice gentle and full of relief.

At the sound, Qin Shujian set down her book and turned her head. Seeing Qin Wan, her feelings were complicated. Before the accident, she was her mother’s best assistant, and they were very close. But after she became a vegetable, Qin Wan’s focus on an heir over her had disappointed her. Regardless, she responded.

“Mom.”

“It’s good that you’re awake,” Qin Wan said, sitting by the bed. “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

Qin Shujian shook her head. “I’m fine physically. It’s just that my legs are stiff since I just woke up; I’ll need some time to recover.”

While she couldn’t move, Ye Fan had frequently massaged her to prevent muscle atrophy. Combined with the professional medical team and caregivers her mother had hired, the lingering effects of being bedridden weren’t as severe as she had feared.

“I’ll contact your Aunt Zilin later to have her check you over and set a recovery plan.” Madam Qin spoke, then a look of worry crossed her face. “Now that you’re awake, you need someone by your side. I should stay home with you, but I have an important project negotiation that requires me to go abroad for a while. The mastermind behind your accident hasn’t been identified yet; you must be careful at home.”

Qin Shujian’s lashes lowered. Although she knew that for Qin Wan, the group’s interests and work always came first, she still felt a sense of loss.

Ye Fan, keenly sensing her mood, took Qin Shujian’s hand and gave her a brilliant, sunny smile. The gloom in Shujian’s heart was instantly dispelled by that radiant look. Ye Fan was always like this—full of vitality and a heart-warming heat that made one forget their troubles.

“Don’t worry, Mom,” Qin Shujian said, reinvigorated. “Now that I’m awake, even if someone wants to move against me, it won’t be that easy. Besides, that person in the shadows doesn’t know my status yet.”

The mother and daughter discussed detailed arrangements for the people around Shujian. Madam Qin also identified several trusted individuals Shujian could use while she was abroad. Since the culprit was still unknown and Shujian hadn’t fully recovered, Madam Qin decided not to announce her awakening to the public yet.

Meanwhile, after several days, Qin Huaili’s men finally found news of Li Jinghui.

“You’re saying Qin Wan took him?”

The subordinate nodded. “Yes. Li Jinghui is currently being held at the Plum Garden villa. Madam Qin doesn’t let anyone near him except the servant who brings him food.”

Qin Huaili gritted his teeth, his face solemn. “I understand. You may leave.”

After the man left, Qin Huaili and Li Zhenfang exchanged a look, both seeing a strong murderous intent in the other’s eyes. “It seems we can’t let Li Jinghui live.”

That same day, Qin Huaili bribed the servant who delivered food to Li Jinghui, handing him a bottle of poison. “I want you to put this in his dinner. After he’s dead, I’ll transfer another sum of money to you.”

The servant, A-Hua, took the poison with a sycophantic smile. “Rest easy, Master. Just wait for my good news.”

In the evening, A-Hua placed Li Jinghui’s dinner on a tray. Seeing the kitchen was empty, he quietly pulled out the poison to pour it into the soup.

Just then, a voice came from the doorway. “A-Hua, going to deliver food again?”

A-Hua’s hand shook in guilt, and the last of the poison spilled onto the outside of the soup bowl. “Ah… haha, yes.” He laughed awkwardly and tucked the empty bottle into his pocket before the other person could approach. Fearing discovery, he didn’t stay, gesturing to the tray. “I’ll go deliver this now.”

The other servant scratched his head in confusion. “Why is he so eager today?”

A-Hua walked out of the kitchen. Looking at the water stains on the rim of the bowl, he thought a little spill wouldn’t matter. He reached the door of Li Jinghui’s room and smiled at the two guards. “Bringing dinner.”

The guards knew him and let him in. A-Hua set the food before Li Jinghui. “Time to eat.”

Li Jinghui sat at the table and frowned at the wet rim of the bowl. “Why is the soup spilled?”

A-Hua’s heart tightened, but he remained calm, sounding annoyed. “It’s good enough that I’m bringing you food at all; don’t be so picky. Eat up, I need to take the dishes back soon.”

Li Jinghui, having no right to refuse, quickly finished the meal. Seeing him drink every drop of the soup, the weight on A-Hua’s heart finally lifted. He cleared the dishes and left. To hide his tracks, he buried the empty bottle in the garden and smashed the contaminated soup bowl, throwing it in the trash. He then messaged Qin Huaili: Master, it is done.

Qin Huaili and Li Zhenfang had been waiting for news all evening. When his phone buzzed, they both lunged for it. Seeing the message, Huaili exhaled. “It’s done!” Relief and a hint of joy appeared in their eyes.

However, they were celebrating too early.

Not long after eating, Li Jinghui felt a pain in his stomach. At first, it was dull, and he thought he’d eaten something bad, but the pain soon became agonizing. He realized he had been poisoned. He collapsed to the floor, his lips turning purple and veins bulging on his neck. He tried to stand, but the pain was too sharp; he had to crawl toward the door with every ounce of strength.

“Help… help me…” he croaked, hoping the guards would hear.

The noise alerted the guards. They pushed the door open to find Li Jinghui deathly pale on the floor. Housekeeper Su had specifically told them to keep him alive. Fearing negligence, one guard performed emergency first aid while the other contacted Housekeeper Su.

Su Yu arrived quickly. By then, Li Jinghui was completely unconscious. “To the hospital, quickly!” she ordered. Li Jinghui held the clues to Shujian’s accident; he could not die.

Whether because A-Hua hadn’t poured the full dose or because of the quick first aid, the poison damaged Li Jinghui’s organs but didn’t kill him. He remained in a coma. Su Yu arranged for guards at the hospital and returned to the villa to tell Qin Shujian.

Qin Shujian frowned. “Li Jinghui is an ordinary man with no personal enemies. The person most likely to poison him is the one who hired him to tamper with my car.”

Ye Fan nodded vigorously. “Thank goodness he’s still alive.”

“He’s still unconscious,” Su Yu reported. “I have reliable people watching him. I’ll be notified the moment he wakes.”

Qin Shujian’s eyes were deep. “The Qin house is not a place anyone can just enter. The person who poisoned him must be someone from the household. Housekeeper Su, find out who did it. Once we find the poisoner, we aren’t far from the mastermind.”

“Understood, Eldest Miss. I will find out as soon as possible.”

Housekeeper Su was efficient. Within a day, she brought A-Hua before Qin Shujian. “Eldest Miss, this is the one who poisoned Li Jinghui.”

A-Hua didn’t know why he was being summoned and was too terrified to look up. When he heard the title “Eldest Miss,” he looked up in shock to find Qin Shujian awake.

“Eldest Miss?”

Qin Shujian sat in a chair, her gaze like a sharp sword piercing him. “Why did you poison Li Jinghui?”

“I… I didn’t. I’m being framed.” A-Hua dodged her gaze, hoping he could get away with a denial.

“Framed?” Qin Shujian sneered, then looked at Su Yu.

Housekeeper Su brought out the evidence. “This is the shard of the soup bowl you smashed. The poison on it matches what was in his system. This is your bank statement; a massive transfer was made to your account the day before yesterday. And this—the poison bottle you used. The fingerprints match yours.”

A-Hua collapsed to the floor, his face gray. “Do you still claim you were framed?” Qin Shujian asked coldly. “Why did you poison him?”

A-Hua, seeing no way out, confessed: “It was… it was the Eldest Master who told me to do it.”

“Eldest Uncle…” Qin Shujian’s gaze darkened. She wasn’t surprised. She had suspected the mastermind’s identity since Li Jinghui was caught; she just lacked proof.

Housekeeper Su’s phone rang. “Eldest Miss, it’s the hospital.”

“Answer it.”

The guard’s voice came through. “Housekeeper Su, Li Jinghui is awake. He says he has something to tell you.”

“Put him on.” Su Yu turned on the speaker and started recording.

Li Jinghui’s weak, frantic voice came through. “Housekeeper Su! Someone is trying to kill me! You have to save me!”

“I will, but you must tell me: who hired you to tamper with the Eldest Miss’s car?”

“It was Qin Huaili!” Li Jinghui blurted out. Any loyalty he had was gone the moment he was poisoned.

Meanwhile, in Qin Huaili’s study.

The subordinate watching A-Hua saw him being taken by Housekeeper Su and immediately informed Huaili. Huaili’s face went black. “That useless idiot!” A-Hua was a mere servant; Huaili didn’t think he could keep a secret. Once he was sold out, Qin Wan would never let him go.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. Since he was exposed, he couldn’t stay in the Qin house…

By the time Housekeeper Su arrived to arrest him, Qin Huaili had already fled.

Qin Shujian had Su Yu submit all the evidence—the hiring of Li Jinghui and the poisoning—to the police. They immediately began a manhunt. Huaili had fled in such a hurry that he had little cash, and his bank accounts were frozen. With Li Zhenfang under house arrest, he had nowhere to go. In desperation, he called Qin Huaiyi. At least in the Qin family, they both hated Qin Wan and the fact that Shujian was the heir.

“Second Brother, it’s me.”

Huaiyi froze at the voice. “Brother?”

“I left without money,” Huaili said, skipping the pleasantries. “Can you lend me some? I need to go abroad.”

“This…” Huaiyi hesitated. “I can’t help you. My funds are tied up in a project. Besides, it’s all Little Sister’s fault. Shujian is a vegetable, yet she spends a fortune on her while refusing to share any power with us…”

Before he could finish, the call was abruptly disconnected.