Chapter 88: Zhou Fuqu’s Mischievous Cousin

Lu Feng frowned and thought for a moment, then asked, “Did you investigate the borers mixed in with the narcissus herb?”

“Of course we did. That batch was procured by Third Aunt through an intermediary, we traced every step but couldn’t find out who tampered with it. Third Aunt spent the whole night kneeling before Grandpa, crying and swearing she had nothing to do with it. I honestly don’t think she was responsible. It’s just that when she was sourcing the herbs, she didn’t keep a constant watch. If someone wanted to meddle, there were plenty of opportunities,” Zhou Fuqu explained.

“So you don’t have any suspects? There must be someone who benefits from your grandfather's misfortune,” Lu Feng pressed.

“We do have suspicions, but no evidence. Suspicions alone won’t get us anywhere,” Zhou Fuqu replied.

“This sort of thing is beyond me. I only know how to heal people,” Lu Feng shrugged.

“Naturally. That’s why I’d like to invite you to our family’s farm villa sometime. We grow organic greenhouse vegetables there—the taste is nothing like what you find in supermarkets,” Zhou Fuqu offered.

Lu Feng understood Zhou Fuqu’s intention at once. She wanted him to visit the Zhou patriarch’s residence and examine the root cause of his illness.

“All right, I’ll go when I have time,” Lu Feng agreed.

“Feel free to bring some friends. Treat it as a countryside outing—we can have a barbecue by the orchard. We’re growing guavas there; right now they’re halfway ripe, tart with a hint of sweetness. They’d taste wonderful with a sprinkle of salt,” Zhou Fuqu said with a smile.

Lu Feng had never attended such a gathering before, so he asked, “Will there be many people?”

“It depends if you like a lively crowd. If you want a bigger group, I’ll invite some others and turn it into a picnic outing,” Zhou Fuqu replied.

“Alright, just let me know once you set a date,” Lu Feng consented.

...

The two fell silent for a while, until Zhou Fuqu broke it. “Right, I still need to pick up my cousin. It’ll be bustling tonight—Uncle Wang is heading to Huaying.”

The Audi took a slight detour and arrived at Huaying Private School.

It was a bilingual elite institution, so the entrance was lined with luxury cars. Zhou Fuqu’s Audi 7 seemed quite understated in comparison.

As soon as the car stopped, a girl of twelve or thirteen in a plaid school uniform pressed herself against the window and called, “Cousin!”

Only after calling did she notice there was a man sitting inside.

“Who are you?” the girl asked, her expression curious and puzzled.

Zhou Fuqu immediately scolded her, “Don’t be rude! This is Dr. Lu, who’s treating your grandfather. Aren’t you going to greet him?”

“Oh…” The girl responded and politely said, “Hello, Doctor. My name is Du Zitong. Thank you for helping my grandpa.”

Lu Feng sized up the little girl. About twelve or thirteen, dressed in a plaid school uniform with a side ponytail—a typical loli just beginning to mature, with neither curves nor figure, but undeniably pretty and adorable. Judging by her lively antics and courteous demeanor, she seemed to be quite spirited.

Her name was interesting too—it sounded just like “stomach ache.”

“Get in, your grandpa must be anxious by now,” Zhou Fuqu beckoned.

The driver opened the passenger door. Du Zitong climbed in, didn’t bother with the seatbelt, turned around and knelt on the seat, eyeing Lu Feng with keen interest. “Doctor, did you really cure my grandpa? You look so young—hardly older than me!”

“They said I did. Why would it be a lie?” Zhou Fuqu admonished. “Sit properly, we’re about to drive. Put on your seatbelt.”

Du Zitong ignored her cousin’s nagging and pressed on, “Doctor, are you my cousin’s boyfriend?”

“Ahem… No,” Lu Feng shook his head.

“Then why are you sitting so close? My cousin is an ice queen—she doesn’t let men near her. If she didn’t like you, she’d have kicked you out of the car already,” Du Zitong teased Zhou Fuqu earnestly.

“You little rascal! Do you need a lesson?” Zhou Fuqu threatened, her beautiful eyes flashing.

Lu Feng felt a bit embarrassed and could only chuckle awkwardly.

Du Zitong stuck her tongue out at Zhou Fuqu, then turned back to pester Lu Feng, “Doctor, if I drink more papaya milk now, will it help me develop a better figure?”

Zhou Fuqu’s brows twitched at the question, and she reached over to pinch her ear, scolding, “How old are you? Already thinking about these things!”

“You always bully me! When you were growing, you must have drunk lots of papaya milk—otherwise, you’d never get a boyfriend or grow so tall!” Du Zitong protested indignantly.

“You’re getting out of hand!” Zhou Fuqu blushed at her cousin’s teasing, shot a furtive glance at Lu Feng, and reached out to tug Du Zitong’s ear.

“If you bully me again, I’ll tell Grandpa!” Du Zitong pouted, fuming.

After her ear was pinched, Du Zitong settled down for a moment, but soon turned around again, kneeling on the seat, and asked, “Doctor, I heard Grandpa was cursed by someone—is that true?”

Lu Feng was taken aback—he hadn’t expected the mischievous girl to ask so bluntly. If one were to be precise, witchcraft could be considered a type of curse, but the culprit wasn’t that skilled; they had only used some poisonous borers. The method was really more like poisoning.

“You’re asking for trouble, girl! How can you say such things?” Zhou Fuqu scolded her immediately.

Du Zitong, having been reprimanded yet again—she’d lost count since getting into the car—responded defiantly, “But it’s true! Grandpa’s illness was caused by a curse!”

“Enough! Not another word!” Zhou Fuqu snapped.

“Meh…” Du Zitong stuck out her tongue in protest.

“I’ll deal with you when we get home!” Zhou Fuqu threatened grimly.

Du Zitong ignored the threat, turned to Lu Feng and giggled, “Doctor, dump my cousin and be with me. I’ll treat you much better than she does!”

Lu Feng was stunned, while Zhou Fuqu was beside herself with rage.

Lu Feng chuckled and patted the girl’s head, saying, “Study hard, don’t let your imagination run wild.”

“I’m not a child!” Du Zitong frowned, correcting him seriously and indignantly.

...

They arrived at the Zhou family’s Yuanshan estate amidst noise and laughter. As they got out, Su Daoan and the Su sisters, Su Muyu, were already there.

The Zhou household was lively. With the old patriarch’s recovery, his three sons and two daughters had all come with their families to visit, so the villa was bustling with adults and children—at least twenty or thirty people.

Su Daoan approached Lu Feng, pointed to the crowd, and said, “Tonight it’s not just the Zhou family—there are also members of the Wang family. That’s the eldest son of the Wangs.”

“Which Wang family?” Lu Feng asked, unfamiliar with the layout of Yangcheng.

“The Wang family from Haizhu District, who control the Political and Legal Affairs Committee. They’re powerful, and it seems they’re interested in marrying into the Zhou family,” Su Daoan explained.