Chapter 78 - Exposed (2)

The maid trembled and it made An Meiying more and more panicked. Before she could utter anything foolish, she slapped her hard.

"The nerve of you to do something like that! How dare you poison Siying's food? Don't you have any shame?"

The maid covered her red cheek stinging with pain.

"You work at the An residence and you dare plot against our daughter? I blamed poor Caihong because of you! Get out! You're fired. Don't show your face ever again!"

Yunru said, "Now, now. Don't be so hasty Mrs. An. She is just a maid. She doesn't have any connection or grudge towards Han Siying, so she wouldn't harm him without any reason."

He glanced at her pale face. "Somebody told her to do it. Tell me the name."

An Meiying secretly eyed her to stop her from saying anything.

Zhiyuan smiled. "Well, she is all yours, Yunru. I guess you will have to beat the name out of her."

"No! No!"

She was afraid of the torture the cops might put her through.

"It was Madam An! She told me to add the sauce to Han Siying's food! I-I am innocent."

Yunru shot a sharp look at her. "Hooo…"

An Guoting froze. 

An Meiying cried. "Lies! All lies! Why would I do something like that?" She glared at Caihong. "Caihong, how can you do this? Ju-just because you want to escape the punishment, you made me the scapegoat. Is it because I am not your real mother?"

She sniffled. "Guoting...I-I cannot believe Caihong would do this…She wants to frame me. You also know how she never accepted me no matter how hard I tried to be her mother. But to go this far…"

The maid said, "B-But-"

"Shut up! Caihong bribed you to frame me, right?" She looked at Caihong with tears in her eyes.

"Caihong, if you hated me that much, you should have told me. I-I would have left the An residence for your happiness. But to plot against me and drive me away like this is too harsh."

Caihong looked at her, shocked. 

An Guoting felt as if he was at a crossroads. He believed Caihong wouldn't harm Siying, but An Meiying's words didn't feel any wrong to him either.

Caihong incredibly said, "If I wanted to drive you away, would I wait for more than twenty years to plot against you? You married Dad so long back. Why would I suddenly think of that now?"

"T-this…" An Meiying couldn't retort to this.

Zhiyuan's threatening stance made her shudder. "It would be wise for Mrs. An to confess the truth. My son has suffered a lot and I am losing my patience now."

"I didn't do anything! This is all a plan to defame me!"

Zhiyuan stared at her hard. Just then his phone buzzed. He faintly smiled, reading the message. The moment he felt suspicious of An Meiying's guilt, he started investigating her.

He played a recording.

"Before Caihong comes here to collect Siying's lunch, make sure to add soy sauce in his food."

An Meiying's voice was heard in the hospital's corridor.

"But Madam-"

"Shut up! Just do as I say. I will give you the money later. And not a word to anybody about this."

There was a pause after which the maid agreed. "O-okay Madam…"

An Meiying was shocked out of her wits.

This b*tch recorded our conversation? Is she nuts!?

Xiaosi raised his brow and stared at Zhiyuan.

Hmm…

An Guoting's shock knew no bounds.

"M-Meiying you really…"

The woman he knew who always worked hard to gain Caihong's love could do this came as a shock to him.

Shuang quietly said, "Mom, don't bother lying anymore. Just confess and get done with it."

"Shuang! You are my daughter! E-even you...how could you say that to me?" She sniffled.

Yunru glanced at her. She seemed expressionless, but only he knew how turbulent she must be feeling inside with the way her nails were digging into her palm.

She must be feeling embarrassed and ashamed of her mother.

At that moment, he wanted to be there for her, but he couldn't. 

"No Guoting. I-I-"

"Meiying! Is it true? You really framed Caihong? And you were trying to fool me this whole time!" An Guoting's face turned red in anger.

Caihong said in disbelief. "How could you stoop to these lengths to put a child's life in danger!? He is only three! Do you have any idea that a strong allergic reaction can even kill a child!"

Her nostrils flared in disgust. The sight of Siying's convulsing body and his painful cries brought terror into her heart.

"Why did you bring an innocent child between us?"

Her words snapped An Meiying and she glared at her.

"Don't act so high and mighty, Caihong. At least I only made her add the soy sauce! Weren't you irresponsible in ignoring Xinyi's message and failing to give him his medicine!? You dare accuse me of bringing him between us. But didn't you compromise on his safety too just because you felt angry at Xinyi? Even you brought him between Xinyi and your problems as well! Just because you didn't mean it to happen doesn't take away your responsibility from this incident!"

They froze.

An Meiying realized that in anger, she lost her control and confessed the truth. Her eyes widened in panic.

Zhiyuan slightly furrowed his brows.

Angry at Xinyi? Why would Caihong be suddenly mad at Xinyi? I will have to find out…

It didn't sit well with him that Xinyi might be misunderstood.

Caihong's gaze turned misty.

She is right... Siying was my responsibility, but I failed. I am a culprit just like her.

"G-Guoting I-I-"

He felt as if lightning struck him. "So you are indeed behind everything. You pretended to care for Caihong all this time…"

He grabbed her neck and choked her. "How dare you!"

She paled. "Guoting I-"

Yunru shook away his hand. "You don't need to take the law in your hands, Mr. An when a cop is right here."

Zhiyuan coldly said, "Yunru. Take her with you," His gaze darkened. "I will personally meet her in jail."

An Meiying coughed hard. "N-No! It was an accident. Shuang please help me. Say something. I didn't do anything."

Shuang ignored her cries and looked away.

"How could you just stand there! I am your mother!"

Despite her numerous protests, Yunru dragged her away. "We have the maid as the witness and your confession. Please come with me or things will get difficult for you Mrs. An."

"N-No I am innocent! Guoting please stop him!"

As silence reigned again, Xiaosi said, "That recording was fake."

If it was real, there was no way that he wouldn't have got his hands on it while he investigated the maid.

An Guoting was taken aback. "Fake?"

Zhiyuan said, "But it made her confess. I had an inkling she wouldn't confess so easily so I had to do this. I should thank Xiaosi for this idea," he smiled at him, "After all, you did something similar on the cruise as well, didn't you?"

Zhiyuan referred to how Xiaosi made a fake call with Siying's voice to trap him.

Xiaosi chuckled. "You learn fast, Mr. Han. I am impressed."

He glanced at Caihong. "Pack your bags. You are returning home with me."

An Guoting flared at him. "Xiaosi! Caihong will not go anywhere."

"There is no point living there anymore. I don't think Zhiyuan and Xinyi would give their permission to continue the classes, right?" He smiled.

Zhiyuan didn't respond.

Caihong softly trembled and once again her eyes teared up.

An Guoting didn't want Caihong to leave so soon. He knew how much she hated living with Xiaosi. It was already his regret that he wasn't able to help her divorce him. 

"Caihong, you don't have to listen to him. Dad will not let you go anywhere."

Xiaosi shrugged.

An Guoting looked at Shuang and pursed his lips. He patted her head. "Shuang. You don't have to take any responsibility for this, okay?"

He knew she might be feeling embarrassed. An Meiying was her biological mother after all. He didn't want to let her feel that he would hate her because of this incident.

Shuang smiled. "Yup Dad, I know. Thank you. I remember I have to check on my work. Bye."

He hesitated, but faintly smiled.

His phone buzzed with a call. 

"Caihong, dear. I need to take this call. I will be right back," he shot a deadly glare at Xiaosi. "You will not be going anywhere."

As he walked away, picking the call, his assistant was panicked on the other end.

"What happened?"

"Sir. An Corps shares value is rapidly decreasing. I have already gotten a few calls from investors regarding the situation."

He was shocked. "Why so suddenly?"

"Sir I investigated as soon as I read the news and I found that the Han Corps is behind this."

"What!?"

He clenched his fist. "That Zhiyuan! He is still unsatisfied! Now he wants to destroy my company for his son!"

"No, sir. It's not Han Zhiyuan."

"Then who else would it be?"

"Han Huizhong."