RMM – Chapter 39 A Sudden Misfortune

After finishing her phone call with Xi Yuechen, Su Ruo returned to her parents’ home that same day and stayed for two days.

The point wasn’t that she went home—but that she went home to ask Zhang Huaqing for cooking advice…

Su Ruo couldn’t quite explain what she was feeling. Even though Xi Yuechen had said everything was fine, she just couldn’t stop worrying. How relaxing could a military drill possibly be? He probably wasn’t eating properly or getting enough rest.

Since she was going home anyway, she figured she might as well take the chance to prepare some nourishing food for him. He already had stomach problems—she didn’t want them to get worse. This sudden impulse of hers left her feeling both awkward and at peace with herself. After all, she was his wife—caring about his health wasn’t exactly overstepping.

Zhang Huaqing was more than happy about her daughter’s sudden interest. For parents, the greatest wish is for their children to be happy. Naturally, she spared no effort in teaching Su Ruo.

“Hey, Ruo Ruo, I’ve noticed that ever since you moved out, your cooking has really improved! Back then, you could barely stir-fry something edible—and that’s only if you were in a good mood. But now look at you—your skills have taken a big leap,” Zhang Huaqing said with curiosity as she worked in the kitchen with her daughter.

“I’ve been cooking every day over there—how could I not improve? Even just doing it enough times would lead to improvement.”

Su Ruo could now respond to this kind of question—something that once would’ve made her panic—without batting an eye.

“That’s true. Ruo Ruo, I used to worry that you wouldn’t be able to handle your relationship with Yuechen after getting married, that it might be difficult for you. But seeing how much you care now really puts my heart at ease. We watched Yuechen grow up. We understand him well and know the Xi family too. That’s why we agreed to the marriage in the first place. What your dad and I were most afraid of was you getting the short end of the stick… you’ve always been a bit carefree. You don’t blame us for it, do you?”

Zhang Huaqing grew a little emotional and her eyes reddened as she spoke.

“Mom, what are you talking about? I agreed to this marriage because I was okay with it too. Why would I blame you? I know you both meant well. Don’t let your thoughts run wild. Aren’t I living a good life with Xi Yuechen now? He’s a really good person—you don’t need to worry.”

Seeing her mother getting sentimental, Su Ruo quickly walked over and hugged her, comforting her as she spoke.

Though she was no longer the original Su Ruo, all the genuine emotions these people gave her were clearly seen and felt. Even if they didn’t know the Su Ruo standing before them was no longer the same, she was still sincerely grateful. How could anyone be truly emotionless? After these past few months, she had already come to see them as family and friends.

Besides, she didn’t feel the least bit wronged about marrying Xi Yuechen. On the contrary, if she really thought about it, wasn’t this actually a blessing? He was such an outstanding person.

“That’s good to hear. As long as you’ve come to terms with it, that’s what matters most. Alright, let’s not dwell on that. Did Yuechen say when he’d be back?” Zhang Huaqing asked, adjusting her emotions.

“Mm, that’s why I wanted to come learn some cooking from you. I’m planning to make him something nutritious when he gets back… Mom! Why are you looking at me like that?”

As Su Ruo spoke, she caught her mother’s teasing look and grew annoyed.

“It’s nothing, nothing. Come, let me show you how to make a few nourishing soups…”

While things were lively and warm on this side, an unexpected incident had erupted at Mu You.

Since its opening, Mu You had always adhered to a high-quality, high-end business model. Most customers who entered had heard about its powerful backing, and naturally, no one wanted to stir up trouble and bring problems onto themselves. Even those who didn’t know the background of Mu You were usually people of status or wealthy young heirs—people who knew better than to act rashly. As a result, the business had always gone smoothly, with a steady stream of income and no trouble.

But today, that perfect record was broken.

Around noon, Mu You welcomed a few unfamiliar customers. Yang Yu noted that while these men were a bit arrogant, they weren’t causing trouble, so he didn’t pay them much mind and went off to handle other matters. Who could’ve predicted what happened next?

When someone came running to get him, the second-floor lounge had already descended into chaos. At first, Yang Yu was angry—who dared stir up trouble here?

But once he got to the center of the crowd and learned what had happened, cold sweat broke out on his back.

It turned out that someone had passed out after drinking alcohol at Mu You, their whole body convulsing. The second floor was a bar and fairly crowded, so when something like this happened, it naturally drew everyone’s attention. People quickly gathered around the unconscious man, and several individuals squatted beside him, shouting anxiously.

“This… this looks like an overdose on drugs,” someone said.

That one sentence caused an uproar among the crowd.

Drugs mixed into Mu You’s drinks?! That was a serious accusation!

At this point, Yang Yu had no way to suppress the situation. Although Mu You had always had a stellar reputation, there were too many people present now. Even with strong backing, it wouldn’t be easy to quell the commotion—especially not if someone deliberately fanned the flames.

And especially not with those few men who had just come in.

“What the hell is going on? How can there be drugs in the drinks? Even if you’re trying to attract customers, doing something this immoral is way over the line! Who knows how many people have accidentally consumed your drugs?” one man shouted angrily.

That statement was like throwing a stone into a pond—it stirred up waves. Faces in the crowd changed, and people no longer stood idly by. Some even started cursing, and folks from upstairs began coming down to see what was happening.

“Everyone, please calm down. I assure you we absolutely did not add any drugs to the drinks. I believe this is a misunderstanding,” Yang Yu tried to pacify the increasingly agitated crowd.

“Misunderstanding? Misunderstanding my ass! This clearly looks like a drug overdose. Don’t try to talk your way out of it! We’ve already called the police. Whether it’s drugs or not, the cops will make that clear soon enough! Everyone, stay put—once the police arrive, we’ll expose Mu You’s true face. We came here in admiration of your reputation, only to end up like this. Look at my buddy—how can we not be furious?!”

When Yang Yu took a closer look, he realized that the loudest voices were coming from the very same men who had arrived earlier. After thinking for a moment, he became sure—this was a setup. Mu You had never done anything illegal. How could drugs suddenly appear in their drinks?

There was no time to investigate the source right now—the urgent task was to contain the situation. If someone had indeed tampered with the drinks to frame Mu You, then it had to be dealt with swiftly.

He cast a suspicious glance at the loudest men but quickly suppressed his doubts and turned to calm the others. “I’m sure many of you know Mu You—we’ve never been involved in any illegal or shady activity. How could something like drugged alcohol suddenly appear today? Please rest assured, Mu You will definitely give everyone a proper explanation.”

After Yang Yu spoke, some in the crowd began to hesitate. Indeed, who didn’t know about Mu You? It had always been a booming business with top-notch service. Its backing was said to be powerful—why would they risk their reputation doing something like this?

Just as one of the men squatting down was about to say something else, a voice shouted from the stairwell, “The police are here—make way!” The man subtly curled his lips into a smirk before bowing his head again to check on the unconscious person.

Yang Yu saw the situation spiraling further out of control. The arriving officers were unfamiliar faces with an aggressive air about them. They were cursing under their breath, clearly not planning to let this go easily. Normally, Mu You had a good relationship with the local police—why would they be hostile right off the bat? That’s when he understood—someone was clearly targeting Mu You.

The officers walked over and squatted by the unconscious man. After closely inspecting him, one of them finally spoke: “Preliminary judgment—this does look like a drug overdose.”

Yang Yu wasn’t surprised by the result. He discreetly gave a signal to his assistant before stepping forward.

“I can guarantee this has absolutely nothing to do with us. Mu You’s reputation is known to everyone—we would never do something so self-destructive. Please, trust that Mu You is innocent.”

“Whether you’re innocent or not isn’t for you to say. What is clear is that there were drugs in the drinks. You can’t talk your way out of this. You’ll need to come with us to the station,” one officer said impatiently, frowning. He looked at the man on the ground and added, “You’d better get him to the hospital—he’s still unconscious, and if something happens to him, it’ll be on you. He needs a urine test as well.”

Seeing how things were unfolding, Yang Yu knew there was no escaping a trip to the station today. Still, he wasn’t worried—he hadn’t done anything wrong, so what was there to be afraid of?

A few officers walked over and asked, “You’re the person in charge here? Come with us. What are you doing messing with drugs, huh? And who else here drank the same drinks? They’re all coming with us too—we need to run tests and take statements.”

Staring at the officers who had already decided Mu You was guilty, Yang Yu let out a cold laugh. “You officers really work fast—I’m impressed. Everyone, I repeat: Mu You is innocent. We would never do anything to harm our guests. I trust the truth will come to light.”

“You’re still trying to deny it at this point? Enough—move!”