Duan Zhuo asked, “Is it possible you two picked up the wrong milk tea?”
An Li hadn’t considered that possibility. “Maybe… but if we took the wrong one, what would happen?”
The ingredients of mango pomelo sago included mango, coconut milk, and sago pearls. Among them, mango—like peanuts—contained allergens.
Duan Zhuo had already roughly guessed how things would unfold next.
Suddenly, urgent shouting came from the hallway.
“Miss Wen, why did you faint? Are you okay?!”
It was a band member’s voice.
Hearing that someone had fainted, An Li hurried over. She saw Wen Shuyi collapsed on the floor, the milk tea cup in her hand tilted, sweet mango pomelo sago spilling across the ground.
“W-what happened?” An Li asked in shock. “How did she suddenly faint?”
“I don’t know,” the band member said, equally confused. “I just came out and saw her like this.”
Back in school, An Li had learned basic first aid. She quickly checked Wen Shuyi’s philtrum and pupils, confirming she wasn’t choking, then helped her lie flat.
At the same time, she called emergency services and checked Wen Shuyi’s pulse. Everything seemed normal.
But when she rolled up Wen Shuyi’s sleeve, she saw patches of red rashes covering her skin.
“What’s this?” the band member asked.
“Allergy,” Duan Zhuo answered concisely. “She probably drank something she shouldn’t have and went into allergic shock.”
“What? Is it serious?”
“Who knows.”
Who knew how far Wen Shuyi would go with her act—whether she would even risk her own safety.
Duan Xingning and the others soon arrived. Everyone was alarmed by the chaotic scene.
Even at a moment like this, Duan Xingning remained calm, just as he always was. His expression stayed composed, his thoughts orderly. He didn’t lose control despite concern for his fiancée.
He draped his coat over Wen Shuyi. When the ambulance arrived, he accompanied her to the hospital.
An Li stood frozen in place, still shaken. Her fingers were tense, and she barely dared to breathe deeply.
She had almost thought something terrible would happen to Wen Shuyi.
“H-how did she suddenly faint from an allergy…” An Li murmured, recalling the scene and shivering slightly.
Seeing her genuinely worried about someone else, Duan Zhuo didn’t know what to say. “You should be worrying about yourself.”
“Me? I’m fine,” An Li said, pointing at herself. “I’m not allergic.”
Even now, she still didn’t understand what was going on.
Her awareness was about as sharp as a banana.
Duan Zhuo pointed at the spilled mango pomelo sago on the floor. “You two drank milk tea together, and just happened to take the wrong cups. She’s allergic to mango. If something happens to her, do you think you’ll have any responsibility?”
“Why would I?” she said innocently. “She gave me the milk tea.”
“That’s what we know. But what about everyone else?”
To outsiders, it might look like the two of them ordered drinks together, and An Li accidentally took the wrong one, causing Wen Shuyi to drink the mango-based drink and have an allergic reaction.
An Li had only graduated from university not long ago and had been working for less than a year. When it came to scheming, she was no match for someone like Wen Shuyi—a socialite from a powerful family. A young lady without cunning wouldn’t even qualify to compete for family inheritance.
Facing something like this for the first time, An Li was at a loss. All she could do was go to the hospital and wait for Wen Shuyi to wake up.
Duan Zhuo followed along as well.
He wanted to see exactly what was going on.
If he didn’t stick close like a shadow today, his girl would probably be bullied beyond recognition.
When they arrived at the hospital, Duan Xingning had just come out of the ward.
Seeing Duan Zhuo and An Li together again, Duan Xingning frowned slightly.
“How is Miss Wen? Is she okay?” An Li asked nervously.
“She just woke up,” Duan Xingning replied calmly.
“Really? That’s great.” An Li let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad she’s okay.”
“There’s nothing serious,” Duan Xingning said flatly. “She’s been allergic to mango since childhood. She accidentally ingested it today, which caused the reaction.”
“She’s allergic to mango?”
“You didn’t know?” Duan Xingning frowned. “Last time she ordered afternoon tea, she mentioned she was allergic to mango and couldn’t drink mango-based beverages like this.”
“S-she… she never said that…” An Li said in shock.
Not only had Wen Shuyi not mentioned it, she had even suggested mango pomelo sago and asked An Li if she wanted to try it too.
“I asked the band members just now. They all knew,” Duan Xingning said, taking a breath. “Only you didn’t?”
The tone was clearly accusatory.
An Li felt a bad premonition and shook her head.
“Shuyi just told me,” Duan Xingning continued, his voice lowering, “that the incident happened because you two ordered milk tea together, and she accidentally drank the mango pomelo sago you gave her.”
“Me? I gave it to her?” An Li exclaimed in disbelief. “How is that possible? She ordered it herself and took the wrong one!”
“She said it herself.”
“I… I’ll go ask her.”
Even now, she refused to believe Wen Shuyi would twist the truth.
She pushed open the ward door, intending to confront her directly.
Beside the hospital bed sat an elegant middle-aged woman, accompanied by two bodyguards.
After hearing that her daughter had been hospitalized due to an allergic reaction, Wen’s mother had rushed over immediately, staying by her side in fear of further complications.
Wen’s mother glanced at An Li. “Who is this?”
On the bed, Wen Shuyi struggled to sit up slightly, her pale lips pressed together. “Mom, she’s Xingning’s sister—and his assistant.”
“Oh, so she’s the assistant who gave you the mango drink that caused your allergy,” Wen’s mother said sharply, her attitude turning hostile. “What kind of assistant are you? Do you know you almost killed my daughter?”
Whenever An Li was surrounded by people, especially in a confined and unfamiliar space like this, she felt as if she were back in the small room where she had once been locked as a child—suffocating, her throat gripped by something invisible, unable to speak.
Wen Shuyi, aware that An Li couldn’t communicate properly, pretended to smooth things over. “Mom, don’t blame her. She probably didn’t do it on purpose.”
“I think she did it on purpose,” Wen’s mother snapped. “She’s jealous of you and wanted to harm you.” She pointed at Duan Xingning. “Future son-in-law, you’re also responsible for this. How could you let someone so malicious be your assistant?”
Duan Xingning glanced at the silent An Li. “Auntie, I’ll investigate this matter and give you an answer.”
“Investigate? What’s there to investigate?” Wen’s mother said angrily. “The evidence and testimony are all here. My daughter said it herself—she drank the mango drink your assistant gave her.”
An Li took a deep breath. “I… I didn’t.”
“You still dare to argue? What didn’t you do?” Wen’s mother glared at her.
“I-it was Miss Wen who took the drink herself. I… I never gave it to her,” An Li said, her fingers digging into her palm as she struggled to steady herself.
She had to defend herself.
She couldn’t stutter.
She couldn’t let her stutter make her look inferior or allow herself to be wrongly accused.
“So you’re saying my daughter knowingly drank something she’s allergic to?” Wen’s mother stood up in fury and rushed toward her. “Do you think we’re all fools who would believe your nonsense?”
“B-but…” An Li instinctively looked at Duan Xingning.
He had said he would investigate.
He would clear her name.
But Duan Xingning didn’t look at her again. He simply raised a hand to stop Wen’s mother and calmly soothed her. “Auntie, please calm down. I will give Shuyi—and you—an explanation.”
“And what kind of explanation will you give?” Wen’s mother demanded. “If I’m not satisfied, do you believe I’ll sue her for intentional harm?”
“Today’s incident was my assistant’s fault,” Duan Xingning said methodically, “but I believe she didn’t do it on purpose. I’ll deduct three months of her bonus.”