Rose Manor: Tycoon's Relentless Chase-Chapter 368 - 345: A Chill Down the Spine

Shen Jianian carefully recalled the bits and pieces of her interactions with Wen Ran since joining this symphony orchestra. She believed she hadn’t offended her in any way.

Previously, in the drama troupe, Tong Yan targeted her because they were in a competitive relationship. Tong Yan was always resentful that she took the role of Ruoyu and feared she would become popular because of it, so she constantly tried to trip her up.

But what about Wen Ran?

It’s normal for an orchestra to have two to four cellists. This was a small performance; larger ones would have even more cellists. Her presence shouldn’t pose a threat to Wen Ran.

In other words, even if she wasn’t there, other cellists would join instead.

Was Wen Ran unhappy because she was promoted to principal not long after she joined the orchestra?

If that was really the case, it wasn’t necessary to go so far as to harm her. The doctor said that the drug would cause organ failure, and in severe cases, it could be fatal! Even if she survived, she could very well spend the rest of her life in a hospital bed. Did Wen Ran hate her that much?

This time, Hua Sui was lucky and only took one sip; if she had drunk a few more sips...

No, I should say Hua Sui was unlucky because she endured the disaster that was meant for her.

Just thinking about the consequences of drinking that glass of water made Shen Jianian shiver uncontrollably, and her face gradually turned cold. Without caring if it would seem too blunt to directly ask, she stared straight into Wen Ran’s eyes and said deliberately, "Was it you?"

Wen Ran diverted her gaze, bent down to open her suitcase, and began packing. She tried to maintain a calm tone, "What are you talking about?"

Feigning ignorance, Shen Jianian was determined to tear away all pretense: "I’m talking about Hua Sui being poisoned."

The four words "Hua Sui being poisoned" penetrated Wen Ran’s ears and into her brain, leaving her completely stunned. She could no longer think or do anything else, her hands frozen on the clothes in the suitcase.

Wen Ran opened her lips several times, wanting to deny it, but she couldn’t utter a single word.

Seeing this, Shen Jianian understood everything. Her eyes slowly widened, filled with disappointment and heartache.

After a long pause, she heard herself speak, her voice slightly hoarse as she questioned Wen Ran, "Why?"

Wen Ran paused for a few seconds, regaining her lost composure, and belatedly thought to defend herself. All the evidence was destroyed, and Shen Jianian was merely guessing. As long as she adamantly claimed ignorance, no one could do anything to her.

"What do you mean, why?" Wen Ran stood up, turned slightly to look at Shen Jianian with a confused expression, "You just mentioned Hua Sui being poisoned? What’s it got to do with me?"

For a moment, Shen Jianian really thought she had misunderstood her, but she quickly steadied herself and analyzed, "Hua Sui didn’t eat anything else before leaving. Apart from the medicine I gave her, there was that glass of water. I’m sure the medicine was fine, and the water was from the glass you poured. You intended to harm me, but Hua Sui mistakenly drank that water and something happened."

"Why do you think the medicine’s fine and the water must be problematic?" Wen Ran’s face shifted from confusion to disbelief, "Shen Jianian, do you think you’re a detective in a mystery novel? Trying to find an answer through elimination? I really don’t understand. The water came from the water dispenser; I drank it myself!"

To appear confident, Wen Ran raised her voice sharply when she said the last sentence.

Shen Jianian nodded. Despite her suspicions coming close to the truth, she couldn’t prove Wen Ran was behind it. The cup had been cleaned, and even if taken to the hospital for testing, no toxic substances would be found.

She just felt that if Wen Ran really did it, it would be terrifying.

Poisoning... it was something she’d never dared to contemplate, yet someone actually did it, and that person was living right beside her, sharing the same room.

The mere thought of it sent shivers down Shen Jianian’s spine.

"If I’ve wronged you, I apologize. But only if your conscience is at ease."

With that, Shen Jianian said nothing further, picked up her phone, and went to the dining hall for lunch, leaving Wen Ran alone in the room.

Once the door closed, Wen Ran stood there dazedly for a while, then collapsed with a look of despair onto the end of the bed. No one knew the torment her heart had endured since the incident, as if it was being roasted over a fire. Pain and guilt intertwined, almost driving her mad.

She never intended to harm anyone. She had been set up, too, thinking it was just regular stomach medicine, but she couldn’t speak of it.

Once she spoke, she would fall into an abyss with no way out.

*

In the evening, led by Manager Xie, the orchestra members took a shuttle to the airport, with everyone taking care of Hua Sui, who wasn’t feeling well.

Only Wen Ran dared not approach Hua Sui. Seeing that face made her repeatedly recall how close she came to causing a fatality.

Just like on the way there, Wen Ran sat beside Shen Jianian, but Shen Jianian didn’t even glance at her or say a word.

Wen Ran occasionally stole a glance at her, but she always remained unresponsive, as if the matter was already resolved. But Wen Ran knew all too well that everyone could easily move on from it, except for her...

The plane landed a little past ten in the morning. At the T3 terminal exit, Shen Jianian saw Xiao Zheng, who also spotted her, and he quickly walked over to help with her suitcase.

The first thing Shen Jianian asked when she saw him was, "Is Fu Jichen back yet?"

Xiao Zheng replied, "The boss is on a flight arriving around three in the afternoon."

"I see, then let’s not wait for him and head back first."

Shen Jianian was practical. If Fu Jichen landed two hours earlier, she could find a nearby restaurant to enjoy a leisurely lunch while waiting for him. But now, it was only after ten, and waiting until after three would be too long. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Xiao Zheng smiled, "Sure."

Back at Yunding Palace, Shen Jianian spent some time reconnecting with her cats and dogs she hadn’t seen in a few days. Then, she went upstairs for a shower, changed into comfortable home clothes, and just as the cook finished preparing lunch, Aunt Cheng called her down to eat through the upstairs landline.

After lunch, Shen Jianian returned to her room to rest. When she woke up, Fu Jichen had just arrived home.

The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out in slippers, immediately spotting the man in the living room. Beside him was a small suitcase for business trips. His slender fingers were on the buttons of his suit, as if ready to take off his jacket.

The sound of the elevator doors opening reached his ears, and Fu Jichen’s gaze followed the sound, meeting Shen Jianian’s eyes.

Without unbuttoning, Fu Jichen’s next move was to open his arms, reaching towards Shen Jianian.

Understanding his intentions, Shen Jianian’s lips curled into a slight smile, and she ran over to hug him.

Fu Jichen: "Was this trip tiring?"

In his arms, Shen Jianian nodded, her voice a bit low, "Very tiring."

Hearing this, Fu Jichen lowered his head to look at her expression, "Was the performance that exhausting? I thought it was your forte, and you would handle it with ease, triumphing everywhere."

Shen Jianian chuckled softly, not explaining what truly wore her out, but instead, she looked up and asked him the same question, "What about you, was your business trip tiring?"

"I was also very tired," Fu Jichen replied.

"Why?" Shen Jianian blinked curiously, "Was it too tricky?"

She didn’t really understand his work, so she seldom asked about it.

Fu Jichen stared into her eyes for a moment, suddenly leaning his neck down, turning his head slightly, his lips brushing against her ear. His voice was as light as his breath, "Missing you wore me out."

Shen Jianian paused. She had been worrying if his trip went smoothly, never expecting his answer to be unrelated to her concerns.

"You always know how to tease me." Taking advantage of Aunt Cheng’s absence, Shen Jianian stepped back from his embrace, to avoid any awkward encounters.

Fu Jichen lowered his eyelashes and pulled her back into his arms, his hand moving to her waist, rubbing softly. His tone was not pleased, "How is this teasing? I’m telling the truth. Don’t you miss me?"

Shen Jianian could never win an argument with him. She adeptly changed the subject, "I brought you a gift."

"What is it?"

"Wait here, I’ll get it."

Shen Jianian turned and walked away.

Fu Jichen watched her head to the kitchen, a bit puzzled. What kind of gift would be kept in the kitchen?

Thinking this, Shen Jianian reappeared in his sight, holding a box in her arms. She presented it to him like a treasure, "It’s cookies."

Fu Jichen was slightly at a loss for words, "...Are you sure this is a gift for me?" Wasn’t this for her to enjoy?

"You don’t know, I got my period on this trip, so except for the performance, I stayed in the hotel the whole time, didn’t go out to explore. When dining at the hotel restaurant, I found they had cookies. I tried one without any expectations, and it was incredible, better than any cookies I’ve had before. So, before I left, I specially went to the restaurant to pack some and brought them back for you to try."

Shen Jianian spoke at length, and Fu Jichen patiently listened, then smiled.

"You understand, right? That feeling when you want to share something delicious with someone." Worried he wouldn’t understand, Shen Jianian added another explanation.

Fu Jichen nodded, still with a smile in his eyes, "I understand."

Shen Jianian opened the box, took a piece, and brought it to his mouth.

Mr. Fu, by now used to being fed sweets by his wife, opened his mouth and bit off a piece, crispy and crunchy. Without waiting for Shen Jianian to ask, he gave his evaluation, "It’s tasty, not in vain for you to bring it all the way back from Sydney."

Shen Jianian raised her eyebrows with a smile, looking a bit proud.

"Do you want to know what gift I brought for you?" Fu Jichen asked softly after swallowing the cookie.

"What?"

Fu Jichen led her to the elevator area, picking up his suitcase with one hand. In their third-floor bedroom, he opened his suitcase and took out a booklet.

"What’s this?" Shen Jianian mumbled, cradling the booklet as she opened it.

As the contents of the booklet came into view, Fu Jichen’s voice echoed in the quiet room, "Wedding dress design sketches. You can take your time to look and choose what you like."