Chapter 309: The Grumpy Servant

“Should we go find Old Man Lu now?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Yes, no time for pleasantries. We need to warn him,” Chen Shi replied.

They headed to the second floor. As they climbed the stairs, a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and wearing a suit descended. Sensing trouble, Chen Shi pressed Lin Dongxue against the wall and pretended to kiss her.

The slicked-back man paused, “Hey, what are you two doing here?”

Chen Shi grinned, “With all these renowned doctors here, the old man is unlikely to choose us. We might as well enjoy the party and leave.”

“Who performs the surgery is up to me and Dr. Xu. Get back to the living room and stop wandering around.”

“Sure, sure, we’re going,” Chen Shi nodded.

“Young doctors are really unreliable,” the man muttered as he walked past them.

“That guy seems like he’s in charge. Could he be X?” Lin Dongxue whispered.

“X wouldn’t have so much authority this soon after joining Old Man Lu,” Chen Shi replied.

Seeing no one else around, they continued up the stairs. There were more servants on the second floor, so they moved cautiously to avoid being seen. Suddenly, the sound of high heels echoed down the hall. Chen Shi quickly pulled Lin Dongxue into a dark room.

The woman passed by, talking on the phone, “Send me more of that makeup… I know, I know, you’ll get paid well!” Her voice faded as she walked away.

As they prepared to leave the room, the lights flicked on. Chen Shi turned to see Old Man Lu lying on a hospital bed, holding a remote for the lights. Surrounded by medical equipment and wearing an oxygen mask, his face looked gaunt, and his hair was sparse. Despite his frail appearance, his eyes were still sharp. He pointed a trembling finger at Chen Shi and croaked, “You bastard, who let you in here!”

Lin Dongxue glanced at Chen Shi in shock. Realizing they’d been caught, Chen Shi approached Old Man Lu, “Old man, it’s been a while. What happened to you?”

“Getting old, can’t keep going forever… Who let you in here? You only bring trouble. Get out!”

Seeing he was connected to a dialysis machine, Chen Shi suspected something was off with how quickly his condition had deteriorated. Quietly, he plucked a few strands of the old man’s hair and slipped them into his pocket.

“Who was that woman?” Chen Shi asked.

“Zhenjie’s stepmother.”

“Oh? Even now, you’re remarrying? Do you know how long you’ve got left?”

Old Man Lu glared at him, “Save your sarcasm. I know full well no young, beautiful woman would marry me unless it was for money. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Unlike some people who pretend to be virtuous but are filthy inside!” This jab was clearly aimed at Chen Shi, who just smiled and ignored it.

Old Man Lu continued, “Wan Jun and I aren’t officially married, but she’s taken good care of me these past six months. I’ve already made a will. She’ll get some money when I die. The rest…”

“The rest goes to your son?” Chen Shi prompted.

“How do you know that?”

“Police know everything. I’m here because of your so-called son.”

“Don’t give me that crap, Song. You killed my two sons and now you want to take him away too?”

Old Man Lu was clearly confused, blaming Chen Shi for the deaths of his sons, even though Chen Shi had only been solving cases. He decided to be blunt, “Your son is a fake. A kidney transplant won’t save you!”

“You son of a…!” Old Man Lu started coughing violently.

Hearing the commotion, footsteps approached from outside. Lin Dongxue quickly pulled Chen Shi behind a screen.

Two people entered. One was the slicked-back man, and the other was a doctor in a white coat. Unlike the guest doctors, this one seemed to be Old Man Lu’s current physician.

The doctor checked Old Man Lu’s condition and told the slicked-back man, “Everything’s normal.”

“Where are those useless servants? Leaving the old man alone. Dr. Xu, go call them,” the man ordered.

After Dr. Xu left, the slicked-back man wiped the sweat from Old Man Lu’s forehead. The old man suddenly grabbed his wrist, “Zilu, the paternity test results…”

“Father, stop worrying about it. Three hospitals confirmed it. There’s no mistake,” the man’s tone softened.

Hearing the name Zilu, Lin Dongxue’s eyes widened. Could this man be X?

“Song was lying again!” Old Man Lu muttered.

“Who’s Song? Did someone visit?” the man asked.

“Leave me. I need to rest,” the old man dismissed him.

“Father…” The man knelt by the bed, lowering his voice. “Please sign the stock transfer agreement before the surgery. If anything happens to you…”

“Get out, you scumbag! Are you hoping I die?” Old Man Lu shouted, “Get out!”

Exhausted, the old man closed his eyes. The man’s face turned grim as if he’d been slapped. He grabbed the oxygen tube, veins bulging on his hand.

Seeing this, Chen Shi prepared to intervene but held back, knowing it would blow his cover.

The man’s malice seemed fleeting. He released the tube, bowed to Old Man Lu, and left.

Chen Shi wanted to ask more but Lin Dongxue tugged his arm, urging him to leave quickly. They retraced their steps but found the slicked-back man talking to Dr. Xu in the hallway. Forced to go another way, they ran into a middle-aged servant.

“Who let you up here?” the servant demanded.

“Looking for the restroom,” Lin Dongxue smiled awkwardly.

“Get downstairs. Miss Shi will be furious if she sees you.”

Chen Shi found this servant odd. Most here were young, but this man was older and not dressed uniformly. His right sleeve was tightly buttoned while his left wasn’t.

“You sound like you have a cold,” Chen Shi remarked.

“None of your business.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m a doctor and I’m concerned. There’s a patient upstairs, and a cold could be fatal for him.”

The servant’s tone softened, “Don’t worry, I won’t go in there.”

“Let me check your pulse,” Chen Shi offered, reaching for the man’s left arm.

The servant yelped, pulling back his hand and glaring at Chen Shi, who smiled, “Occupational habit, sorry.”

“Get downstairs and stop wandering around!”