Have you eaten together?
At that, Zong Mi nearly froze.
"No! No! Yu Ze has been out gathering food all this time. He hasn't eaten with us these past few days!"
But he quickly answered, and perhaps because he was too anxious, his voice had risen slightly.
Meanwhile, the other orphans behind Zong Mi showed a trace of confusion amid their anxiety. Clearly, they did not understand why Chiba was asking this. What did Yu Ze's condition have to do with whether he ate with them or not?
So it really was like this?
After getting his answer, Chiba had no time to look over the other orphans behind Zong Mi. His gaze returned to the unconscious Yu Ze.
Poisoning...
Chronic poisoning! After another thorough examination, he reached his diagnosis.
And it was likely caused by that poisonous fern. Everything made sense now.
Just as I thought, this Yu Ze really is connected to...
At that moment, aside from confirming the poisoning, Chiba could not help feeling a faint surge of emotion.
"Give me the stone in your hand!"
After confirming it, Chiba raised his head without another word. Pointing at a little girl beside Ming Tai, the little bald boy who was clutching Zong Mi's trouser leg tightly, he spoke.
"Ah?"
Hearing him and seeing Chiba's stern face, the little girl froze at first, then fearfully shrank behind Ming Tai. A terrified little cry escaped her lips.
"Give him the stone. It's all right, Chun."
Hearing this, Zong Mi hurriedly turned around and held out his hand to the little girl, speaking gently. However, his hand was already trembling from anxiety.
It was easy to imagine how important Yu Ze was to him—or rather, how much he valued Yu Ze.
"Mm... mm!"
The startled little girl saw Zong Mi