Madam Fu did not answer.
Shen Qingqing, sensing something was amiss, pressed, "Grandma, is there something you're hiding from me?"
Madam Fu forced a smile. "Nothing of the sort. Don't guess wildly. This kind of hereditary illness isn't guaranteed to be passed down. Some people have special constitutions and don't have the disease; it's normal."
"You're lying."
If Shen Qingqing didn't understand medicine, she might have believed her.
It was true that hereditary illnesses had a chance of not being passed down, but given that three generations of the Fu family had it, there was no reason for Fu Tingyi to be the sole exception.
Unless...
He wasn't Fu family blood.
Madam Fu stood up abruptly, her voice stern for the first time as she addressed Shen Qingqing, "Qing girl, don't inquire about this matter anymore, and don't investigate it further."
She then left without looking back.
However, her retreating figure seemed somewhat like a hasty escape.
Shen Qingqing pondered. Everything now made sense. Fu Jingshu's attitude, Fu Tingyi's indifference and coercion towards him – it was not the behavior of a father.
But...
Fu Jingshu's blood type matched Fu Tingsheng's. What was going on?
Could it be...
A shocking guess flashed through her mind. She quickly took out her phone and called Ke Lin. "Ke Lin, go and check..."
After hanging up, a phone number popped up on the screen.
"Jingshu."
"Qingqing, we have a lead. Lin Mo found out that the last place Uncle went before the accident was a cafe."
"Then I'll go with you to take a look."
Shen Qingqing made a swift decision. She hung up the phone and immediately ran to find him.
The two of them, along with Lin Mo, arrived at the cafe. The cafe was in a secluded spot with few customers. The server was very enthusiastic. When they mentioned wanting to check the surveillance footage from the day of the incident, August 21st,
The server's expression turned stiff. "I can't make that decision. I'll call the owner for you."
The cafe owner, a man in his thirties with a refined appearance, refused as soon as he heard they wanted to check the surveillance. "I can't help you with this."
"Why?"
"The surveillance is broken." Since there weren't many customers, they hadn't installed new cameras.
Fu Jingshu instinctively looked at Shen Qingqing. "Can it be repaired?"
"Yes, but it's useless." Shen Qingqing could only repair damage to recorded footage. If no footage was captured, the repaired version would still be blank.
The cafe owner tentatively asked, "What exactly happened?"
Shen Qingqing smiled. "It's nothing. Two people who came to your cafe for coffee that day had a bit of a disagreement. We want to figure out why they argued, so..."
"Perhaps if you show me photos, I might remember something."
Shen Qingqing hesitated for a moment, then took out her phone and brought up photos of Fu Tingsheng and Fu Tingyi. Both men were strikingly handsome, with an aura that set them apart from ordinary people.
The cafe owner recognized them at a glance. "It's them."
"You remember?"
"Of course, I remember." The owner said, "I also remember they ordered two cups of coffee, but only drank half of them. It seemed they weren't having a pleasant conversation, and this gentleman left directly."
He handed over the photo of Fu Tingsheng.
"Drank coffee..." Shen Qingqing immediately asked, "Is there any remaining coffee?"
"No, we had no use for it. The coffee was discarded and the cups were washed that day."
"Thank you."
Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu left the cafe. Although they knew a conflict had occurred, they didn't know the reason, nor did they have any evidence to prove Fu Tingyi had administered the drug. The promising lead had ended there.
Afterward, the two decided to visit Fu Tingsheng's home.
His home was similar to him, elegantly decorated yet exuding a gentle aura. The door was opened by a servant who didn't recognize them, her eyes filled with unfamiliarity.
"Who are you looking for?"
"We are relatives of Fu Tingsheng. Something has happened to him, and he's in the hospital. We need to pack some clothes for him."
Shen Qingqing said this with a poker face.
The servant saw that Fu Jingshu's features indeed resembled Fu Tingsheng's. Coupled with the photo Shen Qingqing showed her of Fu Tingsheng lying in the hospital, she moved aside.
"Please come in."
"How could the master have an accident?" She led them upstairs, chattering, "He was talking about leaving earlier. I don't know how long this will delay things."
"He wanted to leave?"
As they spoke, they reached Fu Tingsheng's room. The servant opened the door. "Yes, he said he had finished everything here and planned to return to C City."
Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu exchanged a glance and entered the room.
The room still exuded Fu Tingsheng's simple and distinct personal style, but it felt overly quiet, as if the owner had left with no intention of returning.
Shen Qingqing asked Fu Jingshu to pack clothes, and he quietly complied.
She, on the other hand, chatted with the servant intermittently.
"Did he say when he would be back this time?"
The servant shook her head. "Not exactly. But from the master's demeanor, it seemed he wouldn't be returning. He looked as if he had lost the will to live, but I didn't dare ask too much. That day, the master didn't eat anything. I..."
"Wait." Shen Qingqing suddenly interjected. "You said he didn't eat anything all day?"
"Yes, the master was in a bad mood." The servant sighed.
Shen Qingqing remembered that the dashcam showed Fu Tingsheng had been at home that day. After receiving a call, he went to the cafe. "Is it possible he ate something in the car?"
"That's impossible." The servant answered without hesitation. "The master is a neat freak and doesn't eat outside. Even when eating at home, he insists on strictly sterilizing the utensils."
Then, that cup of coffee...
Was the only possible source of the drug.
Fu Jingshu had already finished packing. Shen Qingqing and the servant bid farewell. After leaving, the two headed straight to the hospital. First, they delivered the clothes to the ward and checked on Fu Tingsheng's condition.
He was still asleep, but his complexion looked much better.
Afterward, the two arranged to meet Fu Tingyi at the same cafe where Fu Tingsheng had had his accident.
Fu Tingyi was reluctant to come at first, but Shen Qingqing said only one sentence, "Do you want us to involve the police? Regardless of whether you did it or not, once it involves harming someone, you'll have no standing in Fu Corporation."
Fu Tingyi hesitated for a moment and then agreed to come.
As soon as he entered, he sat down opposite them with a scowl. "Speak. What do you want me here for?"
Shen Qingqing looked out the window. "Don't you find this location somewhat familiar?"
Fu Tingyi then snapped out of his anger and looked around. His expression instantly stiffened. This was precisely the spot where he and Fu Tingsheng had sat that day.
But the stiffness lasted only a moment; he quickly regained his composure. "Well done. To have investigated this much, you've truly exceeded my expectations."
"Don't you have anything to say?" Fu Jingshu's voice was cold.
"What is there to say?" Fu Tingyi looked genuinely bewildered, even with a hint of a smile. "Since I was the last one to see him, does that mean I arranged his car accident? Jingshu, you need evidence for everything."