The investigating officer stepped forward. “Auntie, please tell us the truth.”
At this point, Auntie Liu, having finally pieced everything together, could no longer hold back.
Her gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Lu Yanli, who had turned slightly as if trying to slip away.
“Yanli, my niece, didn’t you say that adding that herb would only make me faint? Why did I almost die?”
Auntie Liu’s words instantly drew everyone’s attention to Lu Yanli.
“Oh my god, the drug that nearly killed her was actually given by Dr. Lu!”
“She wanted Auntie Liu dead!”
“Why would she do this? Isn’t Auntie Liu her own aunt?”
“Now I remember—she was the first one to ‘discover’ that Auntie Liu had died, and she was also the one who led us here to demand Dr. Gu pay with her life.”
“So it was all her scheme.”
“She wanted to kill Auntie Liu!”
Facing the crowd’s accusatory stares and pointed fingers, Lu Yanli staggered backward, her spine chilling. She shook her head frantically. “It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!”
Lu Yanli couldn’t understand how things had spiraled so far out of control when everything had been perfectly planned.
Her aunt was supposed to die—why had she survived?
Could Gu Jianing really be that skilled?
To revive someone on the brink of death, to cure even severe tuberculosis!
But Lu Yanli knew one thing for certain—no matter what, she couldn’t admit to anything.
Otherwise, she was finished.
At that moment, Liu Xiwang, like an enraged young lion, lashed out at Lu Yanli. “Lu Yanli, why would you do this? What did my mother ever do to wrong you? How could you trick her into taking a drug that could kill her?”
“Was it just to frame Dr. Gu? So my mother was just a disposable pawn to you?” Liu Xiwang was sharp—he had pieced everything together in an instant.
“Xiwang, don’t say that. Your cousin… she did help us before. We were able to come to the Northwest Military District, and you got your job in the cafeteria, all thanks to her.” Though Auntie Liu was shaken by Lu Yanli’s actions, she was fair-minded.
After all, Lu Yanli had helped them before—which was why she had trusted her so easily this time.
But Liu Xiwang only laughed bitterly at his mother’s words. “So this is how she fooled you?”
“Mom, you’ve been deceived.”
“You think Lu Yanli is some kind-hearted relative who helps others out of goodwill?”
“The only reason we got here was because I gave her a precious medicinal recipe in exchange!”
What?! So that’s how it was?
Auntie Liu stood frozen in place.
“Mom, what exactly happened? How did she trick you? You need to tell everyone everything now.”
At this point, Auntie Liu could no longer hide the truth. She revealed how, over a week ago, Lu Yanli had urged her to seek treatment from Gu Jianing.
Of course, she also admitted that the strychnine had been given to her by Lu Yanli today, with instructions to add it to the medicine she was brewing.
“She told me it would just make me faint.”
“She said if I did as she said, she’d arrange for you to become a doctor at the hospital.”
“Son, haven’t you always wanted to be a doctor?”
Before, Auntie Liu had never believed her tuberculosis could be cured. She had even thought she was dying.
So, before her death, she wanted to do everything in her power to secure a doctor’s position for her son.
But she never expected…
Liu Xiwang never imagined this was the reason.
He was on the verge of breaking down. “Mom, do you know why I wanted to be a doctor?”
“Because I wanted to study medicine—to cure your illness!”
“But if I became a doctor and you were gone… what would be the point?”
“Besides, Lu Yanli only cares about profit. How could you ever believe her?”
“She was lying to you this whole time!”
“What?!” Auntie Liu’s eyes widened in shock. So that was it—Xiwang had wanted to be a doctor for her sake.
Tears streamed down her face as the truth sank in.
Meanwhile, the crowd finally understood the full story. No one had expected that everything had been orchestrated by Lu Yanli—and that she had originally intended for Auntie Liu to die.
After all, her earlier confident declaration that Auntie Liu was already dead proved she had believed the drug would kill her.
But Auntie Liu was her own aunt—her own flesh and blood!
The realization that Lu Yanli was a doctor sent chills through the crowd.
With that kind of position, couldn’t she easily kill anyone?
What about them…?
People began frantically recalling whether they or their family members had ever been treated by Lu Yanli. If so…
“Lu Yanli, come with us for questioning.”
“No! It wasn’t me! She’s lying!”
No matter how fiercely Lu Yanli tried to argue, she was still taken away.
If she truly had nothing to do with this, then fine—but if she was involved, not only would she lose her position as a doctor, she might even face prison time. And her husband would undoubtedly be implicated as well.
“Brother Xi,” Gu Jianing whispered to Sheng Zexi, “please remind the leadership to investigate Lu Yanli thoroughly. I suspect she may have innocent lives on her hands.”
She trusted the Malice Detector completely.
The system had shown Lu Yanli’s malice level at 90%—that alone proved her hands were stained with blood.
At first, Gu Jianing wondered if the system had factored in Auntie Liu’s near-death.
But then she realized—no.
After all, Auntie Liu hadn’t died.
Which meant… there had to be others.
Sheng Zexi’s gaze sharpened as he looked at her. “Understood. I’ll make sure they look into it.”
Just then, Auntie Liu stumbled forward and **dropped to her knees** before Gu Jianing.
“Dr. Gu, I—I’m sorry! I was a fool!”
“I shouldn’t have doubted you. I shouldn’t have listened to Lu Yanli!”
“And thank you… thank you for saving me. If you hadn’t, I would’ve—”
“Dr. Gu, you’re a true doctor—a miracle worker!”
She bowed her head, ready to kowtow in gratitude, but Gu Jianing quickly stopped her.
“Comrade Liu, help your mother up.”
Liu Xiwang snapped out of his daze and immediately pulled his mother to her feet.
Gu Jianing studied the tear-streaked face of Auntie Liu. She could tell the woman genuinely regretted her actions—but even though she had saved her life, Gu Jianing couldn’t bring herself to like her.
Auntie Liu had known the herbs Lu Yanli gave her would harm her, yet she drank them anyway.
She had been willing to trade her life just to secure a job for her son.
But—
Had she ever stopped to think why Lu Yanli would do such a thing?
Had it not crossed her mind that if something happened to her while under Gu Jianing’s care, it would ruin the doctor’s reputation—even if she wasn’t accused of murder?
Auntie Liu was selfless toward her son… but selfish toward everyone else.
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