Сhаpter 101: Тhird Вrоthеr-in-Lаw Is Missing
Seeing thаt Zhu Yаn had fallеn silent, evеrуоnе аssumеd Zhu Kuo’s wоrds had struck a chord, and thеir wоrries dеeреnеd оncе mоrе.
Zhu Саiwei rеmained cоmрletеly silent. She аlreadу felt guilty tоwаrd Zhu Yаn, аnd nоw, with sоmеone missing аnd nеeding tо rеturn hоme tо ask fоr hеr help, shе fоund it evеn harder to sрeak up.
Тhе fеw words shе had blurted out еаrliеr werе sроkеn in а mоment оf рaniс. Loоking back nоw, she wаs fillеd with dеeр rеgrеt.
Аs everyоne fell quiet, Zhu Yan grew рuzzled and offеred words оf cоmfоrt, “It’s alright. Аfter all, I am now Madam Shen. If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility. Shen Du isn’t so heartless. The most important thing right now is to handle the matter concerning Third Sister and her husband.”
Hearing this, everyone felt a slight sense of relief, though the worry in the eyes of her father Zhu Kuo and her two mothers remained undiminished.
As people who had experienced life’s trials, they understood Zhu Yan’s attempt to comfort them.
But whether things were truly as simple as she made them out to be, they had a better grasp than these younger ones. It pained them to see Zhu Yan in such a position.
Zhu Caiwei stood to the side, head bowed and silent, her eyes filled with worry, yet she didn’t know how to speak up.
Seeing this, Zhu Yan understood somewhat. “Third Sister.”
Approaching Zhu Caiwei’s side, Zhu Yan took the initiative to speak. “Third Sister, are you still blaming yourself over the matter of running away from the marriage?”
Zhu Caiwei opened her mouth, hesitated, and after a long pause, slowly uttered three words, “I’m sorry.”
Zhu Yan let out a long sigh and patted Zhu Caiwei’s shoulder. “It’s been so long, Third Sister. There’s no need to apologize to me. We’re family. We shouldn’t let such matters harm our bond. Besides, aren’t we standing together now? That proves your decision back then wasn’t wrong. You found your ideal husband, and I became Madam Shen. Isn’t that a happy outcome for everyone?”
Hearing Zhu Yan’s words, Zhu Caiwei’s eyes reddened once more.
She knew Zhu Yan was comforting her, but for a moment, she didn’t know how to return the sentiment.
“So, you forgive your sister?”
Zhu Caiwei’s eyes were filled with guilt as she looked at Zhu Yan expectantly, afraid she might hear a refusal.
Zhu Yan nodded. “Let bygones be bygones. After all, we’re sisters. There’s no need to dwell on it anymore.”
Zhu Caiwei hugged Zhu Yan tightly once again. How fortunate she was to have such a tolerant, understanding, and reasonable sister.
After this emotional exchange, the two sisters finally reconciled, bringing joy to the entire Zhu family.
Zhu Kuo’s eyes also grew misty as he nodded repeatedly. “Seeing the two of you reconcile brings great comfort to me as a father. Family is family. Let’s not bring up the past anymore.”
“Mm.” Zhu Caiwei nodded firmly, looking at Zhu Yan with deep gratitude.
Zhu Yan didn’t dwell on it further and steered the conversation back to the main issue. “Third Sister, what exactly happened with Brother-in-Law?”
As Zhu Yan asked again, the fifth brother Zhu Mojie quickly chimed in, “Exactly, Third Sister. If there’s anything, just tell Little Six. She might actually be able to help. She has a knack for solving cases. Not long ago, the serial murder case that swept through all of Chang’an City was cracked by her and the White King of Hell together.”
Praised so highly by her fifth brother, Zhu Yan couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward.Investigating cases was originally the duty of their Ministry of Justice, yet now it was being praised so highly by Fifth Brother, making her feel extremely embarrassed.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Caiwei seemed to think of something. She grabbed Zhu Yan’s hand and nearly knelt down. "Little Six, you must help Third Sister. Third Sister cannot live without him. You must help me."
Zhu Yan quickly supported Zhu Caiwei’s arm, nodding repeatedly. "Third Sister, don’t worry. Speak slowly. If there’s anything I can help with, I will do my utmost."
Reassured by Zhu Yan’s words, Zhu Caiwei kept nodding, tears streaming down her face even before she began speaking.
"After I left Chang’an with him, we originally planned to go far away and settle down in a place where no one knew us. But a few days later, I suddenly heard about you taking my place in the marriage and that Shen Du treated you poorly. My conscience couldn’t bear it, so I discussed with Shiyuan about returning to resolve this matter. But who would have thought…"
Before she could finish, the sorrow on Zhu Caiwei’s face deepened, mixed with worry.
"On our way back, we stayed at an inn. That night, he told me he felt uneasy and needed to go out for some fresh air. But once he left, he never returned. I searched everywhere but couldn’t find any trace of him. That’s when I realized something was wrong. I hurried home to ask for everyone’s help in finding him. A living person couldn’t just disappear without a trace."
Listening to Zhu Caiwei’s account, Zhu Yan was filled with doubts.
At the same time, she agreed with Zhu Caiwei’s reasoning—a living person couldn’t simply vanish without reason.
But where had he gone?
After finishing her story, Zhu Caiwei’s slightly lowered eyes flickered. Zhu Yan noticed this and asked again, "Third Sister, is there something you haven’t made clear?"
Panic and unease flashed in Zhu Caiwei’s eyes as she spoke uncertainly, "I’m not sure if this has anything to do with Shiyuan? While I was searching for him, I saw…"
Before she could finish, a servant from the Zhu family hurried into the main hall.
"Master, the Great Pavilion Commander…"
Before the servant could finish speaking, Shen Du had already entered the main hall with his men.
At the sight of Shen Du, everyone in the Zhu family except Zhu Yan reacted as if they had encountered a ferocious beast. They quickly stood up, their faces filled with fear.
Third Sister Zhu Caiwei instinctively stepped in front of Zhu Yan, shielding her, and spoke coldly to Shen Du, "If you have any grievances, direct them at me. Don’t trouble Little Sister anymore."
Shen Du sized up this person. She looked unfamiliar, but judging by her demeanor and attitude, she was undoubtedly the third daughter of the Zhu family.
Having identified her, Shen Du did not respond. Instead, he spoke with a cold tone, "I am here to see Zhu Yan. This has nothing to do with you."
His words left everyone present stunned.
Jin Shi no longer dared to provoke Shen Du and stood to the side, watching Zhu Yan with deep concern.
The legal wife, Ru Shi, however, appeared quite enthusiastic. "Great Pavilion Commander, you must be thirsty after your journey. Please sit down, have some tea to soothe your throat, and then we can discuss matters."
Politeness never goes amiss. Zhu Kuo also hurriedly nodded and bowed in agreement.
At that moment, his mind was racing, trying to think of a way to satisfy both sides—neither offending Shen Du nor failing to rescue Third Sister and Han Shiyuan.But his intellect was limited; after pondering for a long while, he still couldn't devise a perfect plan, so he could only cast an uneasy glance at Zhu Yan.
Shen Du, always sharp, immediately sensed that something was amiss at the Zhu residence.
And Zhu Caiwei had just returned home, the redness in her eyes not yet fully faded—likely the matter was related to her.
Without further thought, Shen Du simply fixed his profound gaze on Zhu Yan, waiting for her to speak.
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