Chapter 2: This Wine is Poisoned!
In the Lu family dining room, the long table was covered with all kinds of delicacies.
Yet the atmosphere was even heavier than the night outside.
Lu Shixuan sat in the top seat on the left, holding a knife and fork, but he hadn't touched the steak in front of him.
His gaze swept over his second sister, Lu Zhirou, who sat opposite him.
Lu Zhirou, the second young miss of the Lu family, was already an internationally renowned genius surgeon at the age of twenty-four.
She had wavy hair and wore gold-rimmed glasses; beneath her white lab coat was a scorching hot figure. The contrast between her professional restraint and wild allure was enough to drive any man crazy.
But right now, this second sister, who usually had a fiery temper, was staring at Lu Shixuan with an extremely strange expression.
That look... it was as if she wanted to dissect him, yet also as if she wanted to swallow him whole.
Lu Shixuan felt a bit creeped out.
Why is Second Sister staring at me?
Is there something on my face?
Whatever. According to plan, when Ye Chen proposes a toast later, I'll flip the table!
System, get the rewards ready. I'm going to hit the jackpot this time!
Lu Zhirou's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly.
She heard it!
She really heard it!
That inner voice she heard when she entered wasn't an illusion, and neither was this one!
This kid... is actually planning to flip the table?
But what concerned her more was the remark she had heard upon entering about the brake pads.
She had specifically sent someone to check just now, and the mechanic had broken out in a cold sweat—the brake pads really did have severe cracks. If she had driven any faster tonight, the consequences would have been unthinkable!
A Xuan saved her life.
Yet he planned to use such a nasty method as "stealing the car" to hide his kindness?
Looking at Lu Shixuan's face, which practically screamed "I'm a bad guy," a wave of indescribable bitterness and emotion welled up in Lu Zhirou's heart.
Just then, Ye Chen, who had been neglected all this time, finally found an opportunity.
He picked up his wine glass, a fawning smile plastered on his face, and stood up. "Second Sister, I am Ye Chen. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please look after me in the future. I'd like to propose a toast to you."
Although the Eldest Sister had arranged for Ye Chen to stay on the first floor, he wasn't satisfied.
He knew the Lu family had many sisters; as long as he won one over, he would have a firm foothold in the family.
Second Sister Lu Zhirou was a doctor, and doctors were usually soft-hearted.
Ye Chen had specifically chosen a bottle of red wine. He had secretly taken it from the wine cabinet just now. Although he didn't understand vintages, it looked very expensive.
Lu Zhirou was just about to raise her glass.
"Wait!"
A sharp shout interrupted the movement.
Lu Shixuan slammed the table, making the plates jump.
"Ye Chen, who do you think you are? You think you're worthy of toasting Second Sister?" Lu Shixuan said with an arrogant and domineering air. "This bottle of Romanee-Conti is from my private collection. Who gave you permission to touch it? Can wine even be drunk after being poured from a bottle touched by your filthy hands?"
Ye Chen's face instantly turned pale. His hand holding the glass froze in mid-air, extremely embarrassed.
"A Xuan! Watch your tongue!"
Father Lu, Lu Zhenhua, finally couldn't take it anymore and scolded him with a frown.
Although he also doted on his adopted son more, this was his biological son after all; he had to maintain some semblance of decorum.
Lu Shixuan sneered inwardly.
Go ahead and scold me!
Dad, the harder you scold me, the closer I get to retirement!
Just as he was about to continue his tirade, that inner voice rang out again:
Did this idiot Ye Chen even look at the bottom of the bottle when he took it?
That bottle's cork is leaking air, and I saw him sneak something into the glass in the kitchen earlier.
I don't know what it was, but with that shifty look in his eyes, he's definitely up to no good.
Second Sister has performed three major surgeries in a row recently and is suffering from severe neurasthenia. If she drinks this spiked or spoiled wine, she might have an accident on the operating table.
Dammit, for the sake of Second Sister's career, I'm definitely playing the villain!
I'll spill the wine and just say I don't like the sight of him!
Lu Zhirou's brow, which had been furrowed because of Lu Shixuan's rudeness, instantly smoothed out.
Her heart pounded fiercely.
He added something?
As a top-tier doctor, her sense of smell was extremely keen.
She hadn't noticed before, but now, alerted by Lu Shixuan's inner thoughts, she calmly took a sniff.
There was an extremely faint scent of bitter almonds that didn't belong to the red wine.
Is this... some kind of neurostimulant?
If she drank it, she certainly wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, and she would definitely fail tomorrow's critical heart transplant surgery due to hand tremors!
Once she failed, her career would be ruined!
Ye Chen... what a cruel heart!
To curry favor with her, or for some other purpose, he actually dared to drug her?
And A Xuan, to stop her from drinking this glass, would rather bear the infamy and be scolded by his father just to knock it over!
Seeing that his second sister wasn't moving, Lu Shixuan steeled himself, stood up, and reached out to knock the glass out of Ye Chen's hand.
"Get the hell out of the way!"
Just as his hand swung out.
*Slap!*
A slender but powerful hand intercepted his wrist in mid-air.
It was Lu Zhirou.
Lu Shixuan was stunned.
It's over, Second Sister is going to get physical!
She's trained in Taekwondo!
My wrist is going to break!
Seeing this, Ye Chen was overjoyed.
Second Sister is indeed angry!
That idiot Lu Shixuan dared to act wildly at the dinner table!
"Second Sister, don't be angry, Big Brother, he..." Ye Chen was just about to add fuel to the fire.
"Shut up."
Lu Zhirou spat out two words coldly, her gaze cutting through Ye Chen like a knife.
Then, she turned her head to look at Lu Shixuan. Her previously cold gaze instantly melted, becoming as soft as water.
She gently rubbed Lu Shixuan's wrist, her tone so doting it gave people goosebumps. "Silly younger brother, does your hand hurt? Why did you slam the table so hard?"
Lu Shixuan: "??"
"Second Sister, I'm insulting people! I'm bullying the newcomer!" Lu Shixuan was having a breakdown. "Shouldn't you give me a slap?"
Lu Zhirou chuckled, stood up, and snatched the glass of wine from Ye Chen's hand.
"A Xuan is right. This wine indeed cannot be drunk."
She swirled the glass, walked over to Ye Chen, and looked down at him. "Ye Chen, what did you add to this wine?"
Ye Chen's face changed drastically. "Second Sister, I... I didn't add anything! This is just ordinary red wine..."
"Is that so?" Lu Zhirou sneered. "I'm a doctor. Do I need to take it for a lab test right now?"
Cold sweat instantly poured down Ye Chen's forehead. He had indeed added a little something to liven things up and make a deep impression on his second sister, but he hadn't expected... "Get out."
Lu Zhirou slammed the glass down on the table, splashing wine all over Ye Chen's face. "This wine is dirty. A Xuan didn't want me to drink it for my own good. A person with such crooked intentions like you doesn't deserve to sit at this table."
The room fell into a dead silence.
Both Father and Mother Lu were stunned.
Why was their second daughter, who was usually reasonable and followed the rules, going crazy along with the eldest daughter?
And even directly driving their biological son away from the table?
Lu Shixuan was even more bewildered.
Wait, Second Sister, how did you know there was something in the wine?
Do you have X-ray vision?
Only my system's poison detection function could see that!
It's over. None of them are following the script.
Second Sister, have you been possessed too?
But... when Second Sister rubbed my wrist just now, she seemed... quite gentle?
Oh, Second Sister's dark circles are almost down to her chin. She definitely hasn't been resting well.
I'll have the kitchen stew some calming soup for her later. I'll just say I wanted to drink it and gave her the leftovers.
Hearing this inner thought, Lu Zhirou felt a sting in her nose.
This silly younger brother.
Even though he's the one who needs care the most, he's always worrying about his sisters' health.
"Dad, Mom." Lu Zhirou turned around, her tone firm. "I'm tired and going to my room to rest. Also, from now on, I won't eat or use anything Ye Chen gives me. In this family, I only recognize A Xuan as my brother."
After saying that, she pulled up the still-dazed Lu Shixuan. "A Xuan, come upstairs with me. I'll check your wrist; it must be red from slamming the table just now."
"Eh? Second Sister, I'm not going! I want to eat!" Lu Shixuan struggled.
"Eat what? I have your favorite snacks in my room." Without another word, Lu Zhirou dragged the 1.8-meter-tall Lu Shixuan away.
Leaving Ye Chen standing alone in the middle of the dining room, his face covered in wine stains, looking utterly wretched.
He watched their retreating backs, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.
Why?
Why are both these sisters so good to that vicious fake young master?
I'm the biological one!
He's the one who's always insulting people and throwing things!
Are the people of the Lu family blind?
...Second floor, Lu Zhirou's room.
It was filled with a mixture of the smell of disinfectant and a faint scent of perfume.
Lu Shixuan was pressed into a chair while Lu Zhirou held some ointment, carefully applying it to the tiny, insignificant red mark on his wrist.
"Second Sister, it's really fine..." Lu Shixuan felt like he was sitting on needles.
This atmosphere was too eerie.
Shouldn't Second Sister be threatening me with a scalpel?
How did she turn into a gentle older sister?
*Ding!*
[Detected that the host successfully prevented Second Sister from drinking the poisoned wine (although the process was a bit off). Judged as "Attempted Malice with Severe Consequences (for Ye Chen)."]
[Reward: God-level Acupuncture (Lost Edition).]
[Reward: Constitution Strengthening Potion x1.]
[Current villain points: +200.]
With the system rewards received, Lu Shixuan felt slightly more at ease.
Although the process had fallen apart, as long as the rewards were still there, it was fine.
"A Xuan." Lu Zhirou suddenly spoke, her voice slightly hoarse. "Thank you."
"Thank me for what? I almost flipped your table just now," Lu Shixuan said stubbornly.
"Thank you for... having a good eye." Lu Zhirou smiled, not exposing him. "For seeing that there was a problem with the wine."
She stood up and suddenly hugged Lu Shixuan from behind.
The soft sensation made Lu Shixuan's entire body stiffen.
"In the future, don't be so silly," Lu Zhirou whispered in his ear. "If you want to care for your sister, just say so. There's no need to pretend to be a bad guy. Your sisters... actually understand."
Lu Shixuan's heart skipped a beat.
Understand?
Understand what?
Could I have been exposed?
Impossible. The system said the inner voice shielding is absolute!
Second Sister must be too tired and is having hallucinations.
Sigh, her back muscles are as stiff as rocks. How many hours must she have spent standing at the operating table?
I just got the God-level Acupuncture. I'll wait until she's asleep and give her a few needles to clear her meridians.
Otherwise, her cervical spine will be ruined sooner or later.
Lu Zhirou tightened her embrace, tears almost falling.
You're even going to wait until I'm asleep?
You're going to give me acupuncture in secret?
Do you really not want me to know of your kindness that much?
Fine. Since you want to act, then I'll act along with you.
But from today on, no one will even think about touching a single hair on your head!
Just then, a sudden commotion came from downstairs.
Immediately after, the butler ran upstairs in a panic and knocked on the door.
"Second Young Miss! Young Master! Something's wrong! Third Young Miss... Third Young Miss is beating up Young Master Ye Chen!"
Lu Shixuan's eyes lit up.
Third Sister?
That violent police flower, Lu Hongyi?
Great!
Third Sister has the fiercest temper and won't tolerate any nonsense.
Although Ye Chen is a "green tea" bitch, he is her biological brother after all. Third Sister must be beating him because she's disappointed in him.
If I go down now and mock Third Sister for being a violent maniac, I'll definitely draw a huge amount of hatred!
Lu Shixuan stood up abruptly and pushed Lu Zhirou aside. "I'm going to take a look!"
Watching his excited back as he ran out, Lu Zhirou helplessly pressed her hand to her forehead.
"Silly younger brother, you probably don't know that with Old Third's temper, if she hears your inner voice... Ye Chen will likely be beaten into the ICU."