The old lady was clearly surprised by Lin Xiao's swift agreement, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled for words.
"Grandma, come with me," Lin Xiao said, leading the old lady to the living room. He began to take her pulse.
Before taking her pulse, he observed her complexion and could tell that her sleep quality had been poor lately. Coupled with her age, her vital energy was not strong, and her internal organs were failing, which was a normal phenomenon.
After taking her pulse, he frowned. He then picked up the old lady's hand and examined it carefully before confirming. Looking up at the old lady, he said, "Grandma, you've been poisoned."
"Poisoned?"
Upon hearing Lin Xiao's words, the old man immediately became anxious. He looked at Lin Xiao urgently, "What's going on? Poisoned? What's happened?"
The old lady herself was confused, "Poisoned? What kind of poison?"
"From the looks of it, the poisoning isn't severe, likely chronic. The dosage isn't large. For a healthy young adult, this poison would at most cause diarrhea and a weakened constitution. But for someone your age... another month and you might..." The implication hung in the air, sending a chill down everyone's spine.
Someone had deliberately targeted the old lady!
Suddenly, Lin Xiao looked up at the old man and grabbed his hand, his brow furrowing.
"What is it?" the old man asked, seeing Lin Xiao's expression.
"Grandpa, you've been poisoned too," Lin Xiao stated gravely after confirming.
"Ah?"
This time, the entire family was stunned.
"Same as Grandma, the same situation," Lin Xiao said. He pondered for a moment, "When you were discharged from the hospital before, your body didn't have this issue. That means... it happened after you were discharged."
"After discharge?"
The old man fell into thought, trying to recall what could have been poisoned. He was already in retirement and rarely interacted with the outside world. Most things in the house were gifts from his children.
Gifts from his children...
At this thought, his expression darkened.
"Grandpa, have you remembered something?" Lin Xiao asked.
The old man didn't reply but looked at his wife, asking, "Do you still remember?"
The old lady's eyes were somewhat vacant. She seemed to recall something but did not want to face the outcome. She tried to deny it in her mind, but...
It seemed to be the only possibility.
"Grandma, you know too?" Lin Xiao asked, while signaling for the冥医 (Míngyī - Underworld Doctor) to examine her. "Do you have any idea what kind of poison this is?"
"Mmm..." The冥医 briefly examined her hand, noting the slightly darkened fingernails. He then looked closer at the old lady's condition and, after taking her pulse, said, "This poison, I call it 'Chang Xiang Si' (长相思 - Longing for Each Other)."
"Slow, invisible, tasteless. When the time comes, one simply passes away, without any unusual reactions, as if it were old age, or the end of one's time," the冥医 explained. "This situation should have about half a month left."
"Half a month left?"
Li Xin muttered, "When was it that they went in then?"