Yu Holea followed Yu Sile to the main hall.
Her sharp gaze swept over the group, her calm deanor masking the storm within.
She leaned toward Qiao Jun and muttered sothing, who then nodded and showed her a gentle smile.
She stepped forward, her tone cool but firm.
"Thank you all for gathering on such short notice," she began.
"As you may already know, Old Master Yu’s condition is critical. He’s been poisoned—deliberately."
Gasps rippled through the room, and a wave of murmurs broke out among the staff.
"Silence!" Yu Sile barked, his voice trembling with barely contained anger. The room fell quiet instantly.
Yu Holea continued, her voice slicing through the tension.
"This poison isn’t sothing that appeared by accident. It was introduced into his system, which ans soone here—soone in this house—was involved, knowingly or unknowingly."
She stepped closer, her piercing eyes scanning each face.
"I will not accuse anyone without proof, but I will ask questions, and I expect honest answers. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. Do I make myself clear?"
The staff nodded nervously, a few muttering, "Yes, Miss Holea."
Yu Holea gestured toward a nearby table.
"One by one, you’ll step forward, state your na, and tell what you served or handled for Grandfather today—food, drinks, dicine, anything. Leave nothing out. If you noticed anything unusual, now is the ti to speak."
The first to step forward was the head chef, a stout woman with a trembling voice.
"M-Miss Holea, I’m Chef Lin. This morning, I prepared Old Master’s usual breakfast—congee with so herbal tea. I swear it was the sa as always!"
"Who delivered it to him?" Yu Holea asked sharply.
Chef Lin glanced nervously at the maid standing behind her. "Xiao i... she’s the one who took it to the garden."
Xiao i stepped forward, wringing her hands.
"Miss Holea, I took the tray to the garden, but I didn’t do anything! I just set it on the table where Old Master always sits. He was already there, reading his newspaper."
Yu Holea nodded, her face impassive.
"Did you notice anything unusual about the food, the tea, or the area around him?"
"N-No, Miss. It all looked normal to ."
Yu Holea’s gaze didn’t waver. "You’re certain? This is your chance to speak freely."
Xiao i hesitated, then shook her head. "I swear, I didn’t see anything strange!"
Yu Holea’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she moved on. "Next."
One by one, the staff ca forward.
The gardener, the housekeeper, and the butler all gave their accounts, but nothing seed to stand out.
So ntioned seeing Old Master Yu strolling in the garden or talking briefly with a visitor earlier in the day, but no one admitted to noticing anything suspicious.
Finally, Yu Holea turned to Yu Sile.
"Did Grandfather ntion anything unusual to you before he collapsed? Anyone he spoke to? Anything he ate or drank?"
Yu Sile shook his head, his brow furrowed.
"No, Sister. He was fine when I last saw him. Just... tired, maybe. He said he wanted to spend so ti in the garden."
Yu Holea stood silent for a mont, her sharp eyes studying the room. Then, she glanced at Qiao Jun, who was leaning casually against the wall. She gave him a slight nod.
Qiao Jun straightened, his lips curling into a faint smile. He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the staff like he could see right through them.
"Alright," Qiao Jun said, his voice calm but firm.
"I think we all want the truth here. And I think..." His eyes locked onto Xiao i, who froze under his gaze. "...we already know who has sothing to hide."
Xiao i’s face turned pale, and her hands trembled.
"W-What? No! I didn’t do anything!"
Yu Holea’s eyes narrowed. She stepped closer to Xiao i, her voice calm but icy.
"Xiao i, if you’re innocent, then why are you so nervous?"
"I-I’m not!" Xiao i stamred, taking a step back.
"I told you, I just delivered the tray. I don’t know anything about poison!"
Qiao Jun tilted his head slightly, his calm expression unchanged. "You’re lying," he said simply, as if it were a fact.
"You saw sothing—or maybe you did sothing."
The rest of the staff began whispering nervously, and Xiao i looked like she might faint.
"I swear I didn’t an to hurt anyone!" Xiao i suddenly cried, tears spilling from her eyes. "I-I was just following orders!"
Yu Holea’s expression hardened. "Whose orders?"
Xiao i hesitated, her lips trembling.
"Whose orders, Xiao i?" Yu Holea’s voice was sharp, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Xiao i opened her mouth, but no words ca out. Her lips quivered, and she suddenly clutched her hands tightly together. Her eyes darted around the room like a trapped animal, desperate and frightened.
"I-I can’t..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"You can’t what?" Qiao Jun asked, stepping closer, his voice calm but firm. "Tell us the truth, Xiao i. It’s your only way out."
Tears stread down her face, and she shook her head violently. "I didn’t an for this to happen! I was just doing what I was told! But if I talk... they’ll kill !"
Yu Holea took a step forward, her expression softening just slightly. "Xiao i, listen to . If you help us, I can protect you. You don’t have to be afraid anymore."
But Xiao i shook her head again, her eyes filling with a strange resolve. "You don’t understand... It’s too late for ."
Before anyone could react, Xiao i’s trembling hands shot to her mouth. In one swift motion, she bit down hard on sothing hidden inside.
"Stop her!" Yu Holea shouted, rushing forward.
But it was too late. Xiao i’s body convulsed as foam began to bubble from her mouth. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Gasps filled the room, and a wave of panic swept through the staff. Yu Sile froze in shock, his face pale as he stared at the lifeless body.
Yu Holea knelt beside Xiao i, checking her pulse, but she already knew it was over. The faint sll of bitter almonds filled the air—a clear sign of cyanide.
"She had a poison capsule," Yu Holea muttered, her voice tight with frustration. "She was ready for this."
Qiao Jun crouched beside her, his expression grim. "She was scared out of her mind. Whoever gave her the orders must be ruthless enough to make her choose death over betrayal."
Yu Holea’s jaw tightened.
Xiao i’s sudden suicide had created more questions than answers.
Who was behind this? And how far were they willing to go to protect their secret?
She stood up, her sharp gaze sweeping over the remaining staff.
"This doesn’t change anything," she said firmly. "We’re going to find out who did this. And I promise you, no one else will die today."
The staff stood in stunned silence, too terrified to speak. Yu Sile finally found his voice, his words trembling with anger.
"What do we do now, Sister?"
Yu Holea’s eyes burned with determination.
"We tighten security around Grandfather. And we investigate everyone—every visitor, every servant, every connection. Soone is behind this, and I will find them."
Qiao Jun placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"We’ll get to the bottom of this. Together."
Yu Holea nodded, her expression cold and resolute.
She didn’t feel any sympathy for Xiao i. How can she? With how ruthless Xiao i was to herself, it would be a wonder if she hesitated to take her grandfather’s life.
Yu Holea closed her eyes and tried to find Xiao i’s soul, but to her surprise, Xiao i’s soul wasn’t around.
She frowned, her sharp senses prickling with unease.
She was certain that even in sudden death, a soul lingered for at least a mont before moving on. Yet here, there was nothing—no presence, no trace. It was as if Xiao i’s very essence had been snuffed out entirely.
Qiao Jun noticed her expression. "What is it?" he asked, his voice low but steady.
"Her soul," Yu Holea said softly, still scanning the air around Xiao i’s lifeless body. "It’s... gone. Completely."
Qiao Jun’s eyes darkened. "Gone? How is that possible?"
"I don’t know," Yu Holea admitted, her brows furrowing. "Even if she was terrified, a soul doesn’t just vanish without leaving a trace."
Yu Sile stepped closer, overhearing their conversation. "What does that an, Sister? Are you saying there’s more to this than just the poison?"
Yu Holea nodded, her sharp mind already working through the possibilities. "This could an the poison she took wasn’t ordinary. If it was crafted to erase her entirely, then whoever is behind this is operating on a level far beyond a simple household plot."
"Dark magic?" Qiao Jun ventured, his voice laced with suspicion.
"Perhaps," Yu Holea replied, her tone cold. "Or soone with the ans to control souls."
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l
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