Chapter 464: Chapter 451: Send to the Government Office

“This person, not only harbors malicious intent, but is also remarkably meticulous…”

Zhuang Qingning pursed her lips, her head lowered in thought.

It has to be said, this crime incident was a meticulously planned act of purposeful harm. Identifying the culprit would be no easy task.

However, every action leaves traces that one can uncover.

The challenge lies in how to find it.

Zhuang Qingning’s brows knitted together in concentration.

Fang Hou couldn’t sit still and started pacing, grinding his teeth, “If I discover who dared to plot against my young master, I won’t let them off lightly!”

Not just him, the entire Cheng family wouldn’t let the villain who harmed them off lightly!

“Calm down.” Zhuang Qingning raised her head, her gaze cold, “The crucial issue now is how to uncover this person.”

Hearing this, Fang Hou’s clenched fists tightened even more. After a moment, he helplessly unclenched his hands.

They were in plain sight while the villains lurked in the dark. Unmasking them was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“I still remember the face of the medicine apprentice who asked for my help in the diagnosis. We can question him, go up the chain, and find some leads.” Zhuang Wencheng suggested.

“No.” Zhuang Qingning shook her head, “The enemy bold enough to do this must have already prepared themselves. If you accuse him now, he would not admit to it and instead, say you are making unfounded accusations.”

“Moreover, this would only serve to alert the snake in the grass, making the enemy more cautious and possibly plot to harm Manager Cheng again…”

“Then what should we do?” Fang Hou had begun to itch in anxiety.

“There’s a way, but you have to cooperate, and moreover, Brother Wencheng will have to make a sacrifice.” Zhuang Qingning looked at Fang Hou and Zhuang Wencheng.

To catch the person who targeted Cheng Ruize, Fang Hou agreed without hesitation, “Just name the task, Manager Zhuang.”

Zhuang Wencheng also added, “If it wasn’t for you, Little Sister Ning, I might already be in deep trouble. To think I was framed for no reason, I feel wronged. If I can find the perpetrator, a little discomfort is nothing.”

Since they all agreed, Zhuang Qingning didn’t hesitate anymore, “I have to trouble you, Mr. Fang, to take Brother Wencheng to the Government Office, find Master Ding of the county, and say that Wencheng has made a medical blunder and harmed your third young master …”

Take Zhuang Wencheng to the Government Office?

Fang Hou’s jaw nearly dropped to the ground in surprise.

—-

Cheng Ruize felt as if he had been plunged into endless darkness.

Without a single glimmer of light, he could not see anything.

All he felt was a constant falling, falling again…

Suddenly, there was a light in front of him.

But it was an endless sea of fire, raging and burning like mad, the flames seemed like viper tongues darting outward, about to wind around him. Cheng Ruize wanted to struggle, but found that his body was immobile. He could only watch as he was about to be engulfed by the flames.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the endless darkness overhead, the gap was constantly widening and enlarging…

Golden light seeped out from the cracks, while amidst that dazzling gold, a soft and slender hand extended out, firmly grabbing his motionless hand.

The moment that hand touched him, Cheng Ruize felt as if the shackles binding him were released. He instinctively tightened his hold on the hand, struggling to get away from the sea of fire.

But the golden glow in front of him kept getting brighter, blinding him. It was so intense that he had to close his eyes.

After closing his eyes, however, he felt unable to reopen them. His eyelids were heavy and aching, no matter how he tried, he couldn’t open them.

In his frustration, Cheng Ruize forcefully opened his eyes.

There was no longer the blinding gold light, and the sea of fire had also disappeared. He only saw the smoke-colored curtain hanging in front of him, and Fang Hou’s face, both worried and relieved.

“Fang Hou…”

Cheng Ruize moved his lips and said those two words with difficulty, his voice hoarse and weak.

“Master, you’re awake.” Fang Hou was crying tears of joy. Not daring to cry in front of Cheng Ruize, he hastily wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, “You finally woke up. You scared me half to death.”

“How are you feeling now, do you feel better?”

Scared him to death?

Cheng Ruize was stunned, it took a moment for him to remember.

Yes, he was ill, very ill. His entire body ached, and he felt extremely weak, his head was also dizzy. He was unable to do anything and had to recover in bed.

They summoned a doctor to diagnose him, but the doctor couldn’t determine the problem. The doctor said it was due to a lack of vitality and seasonal illness, and recommended that he take a good rest, and with the right prescriptions, he would recover.

After drinking several doses of the prescribed medicine, he felt even worse and increasingly weak.

Just a while ago, it seemed another young doctor came to see him. This doctor claimed that his condition could be cured with acupuncture to clear the blood and energy passages.

But after the acupuncture, he felt blood rushing to his head, tasted a sweetness in his mouth, and then everything before his eyes turned black.

On thinking about it, he must have passed out then.

And this must have scared Fang Hou and the others.

“I’m fine.” Cheng Ruize answered, “Even though I still feel weak, my head doesn’t feel as bad…”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Fang Hou let out a long sigh of relief, “Doctor Qin felt your pulse just now and said you were getting better. I was worried because you hadn’t woken up, but it seems my worry was unnecessary.”

“I’ve got to say, Manager Zhuang’s medical skills are impressive. Not only was she able to identify the cause of your illness, but she also cured you.”

“Manager Zhuang?” Cheng Ruize asked in surprise.

“Yes, Miss Zhuang, Manager Zhuang.” Fang Hou confirmed, “When Manager Zhuang heard that you were bedridden, she wanted to come see you. When she saw that Doctor Qin was at his wit’s end with your condition, she offered to take a look. Surprisingly …”

“She figured out the cause of your illness, treated you with acupuncture, and prepared some pills for you. I was worried about how to get you to take the pills while you were unconscious. But now that you’re awake, let’s hurry and take them.”

Zhuang Qingning had advised that Cheng Ruize’s poison was not completely cleared. He should not get emotional, as it would cause the toxins to spread via blood circulation. Even if he has to know the truth, it would be better to explain everything after three days of treatment.

Fang Hou almost spilled the beans in his excitement just now. Fortunately, he caught himself in time, quickly changed his words, and shifted the topic. He went to the side to pour a cup of warm water, helped Cheng Ruize sit up, and took the medicine.

Cheng Ruize took a sip of the warm water first. When he took the pill from Fang Hou’s hand, he paused for a moment.

This pill had a sweet aroma and was slightly sticky.

Compared to the familiar bitterness of other pills, this one was unusual – it was just like it had been coated with maltose.

He wondered if he could chew on it as if it were maltose…