That was a corner of the surveillance feed on her laptop screen.

Liu Lai—the young master who last night had loudly shouted three times in the second-floor corridor that he was a “turtle’s son, a bastard”—was now furtively using a syringe to add something to a bucket of water. Once he’d finished, he painstakingly sealed the needle hole by scorching it with fire and then blocking it with whatever he could find.

Poison?

Or perhaps a laxative?

Who was he planning to feed it to?

Surely not his precious parents, right?

Ming Yue smiled faintly, intrigued. She put aside everything she was doing for the moment and focused intently on the young master Liu’s every move.

As expected, it wasn’t long before the young master placed the water—now laced with whatever he’d added—in the most conspicuous spot, then nonchalantly went off to play nearby. Only after watching Sister Zhao carry the bucket away did Liu Lai curl his lips into a sly grin and skip merrily after her.

Ming Yue had already stepped outside, quietly positioning herself in an inconspicuous spot to observe from afar.

Soon enough, Ma Fengying came over to pour some water, and Liu Lai quickly chimed in with playful banter before handing her a bottle of bottled water. “Grandmother, this one’s delicious!”

“Well, well, my good grandson is being so well-behaved today!” Ma Fengying beamed with pride, thinking nothing of it as she took the water and ruffled Liu Lai’s hair, showering him with praise.

Liu Lai chuckled and continued playing nearby.

A little while later, Liu Qinxin came downstairs, saying she wanted to boil some water to drink. Sister Zhao let out a soft exclamation and hurried over with the kettle to pour the water.

Once again, Liu Lai went all out, eagerly taking over the task himself.

Neither Sister Zhao nor Liu Qinxin thought twice about it; they just let him do as he pleased.

Next up was Liu Jia, who had spent the entire night poring over recipes but found herself irresistibly drawn to short dramas and novels instead.

And so, Liu Lai kept watch all morning until he saw Ming Yue come down to pour some water, at which point the little rascal broke into a smug grin.

Of course, he handed her another bottle of bottled water.

Ming Yue noticed this and suddenly felt a mischievous urge. She too headed downstairs, casually picked up a glass, walked over to the water dispenser, and poured a full glass in one go. Then, pretending she didn’t know any better, she leisurely sat down on the living-room sofa.

She glanced this way, then that way. Several times she brought the glass to her lips, yet never took a single sip.

Not far away, Liu Lai was so anxious he was scratching his ears and head, desperate to rush over and knock the glass over, pouring the whole thing straight into her mouth.

Ming Yue, of course, could see all this.

But she simply refused to drink.

She sniffed left, then right, then cupped the glass in her palm and held it up, gazing lazily toward Liu Jia, who was busy working at the frying pan. “Hey, silly girl, what are you making? It smells so good.”

Ming Yue struck up a conversation.

“What business is it of yours?”

Liu Jia turned her back to her and kept on with her work.

Ming Yue didn’t get upset; she kept chatting aimlessly. “Hey, silly girl, I just called you ‘silly girl’ and you responded—looks like you really are a bit silly!”

“You!”

Liu Jia only realized what had happened a moment later and immediately whipped around, glaring furiously at Ming Yue, still holding the spatula in her hand.

“See? You’re mad now, aren’t you? Why bother? It’s not pretty at all!” Ming Yue chuckled, set down the glass, stood up, and strolled over to Liu Jia, casting a quick glance at what she was cooking. “Oh, it’s heart-shaped burgers! They look pretty tasty—how about making me a couple too? And what are you soaking these beans for? Boiling soy milk? Hey, why are they so green? Looks kind of like someone, but these aren’t mung beans either.”

“Get lost!”

“Oh, too bad—you’re the one who’s good at rolling things like that; I sure can’t do it. But since you’re your father’s darling, maybe you inherited that skill. Why don’t you show me how it’s done?”

“You!”

Once again, Liu Jia was so infuriated by Ming Yue that her face turned green. She raised the spatula in her hand, ready to smash it at Ming Yue—but a single glare from Ming Yue sent her retreating silently.

She bit her lip, secretly vowing never to engage with this crazy woman again and instead focusing all her attention on the food in front of her.

Mom said winning Dad over is key.

Otherwise, she’ll end up like that fat aunt from yesterday…

Seeing the situation turning sour, the nanny quickly evacuated the scene.

Liu Lai was still staring at the glass in Ming Yue’s hand.

Not far away, Ma Fengying wore a dark expression.

Ming Shuo, who had just come downstairs, also frowned.

Liu Qinxin’s gaze was likewise fixed on Ming Yue.

End of Chapter 29: Administering the Poison