Сhарtеr 158: Shuаngmu
Zhu Yan cаutiоuslу оbsеrved Shen Du, notiсing а flicker оf movemеnt in his dеер еуes as thе corners of his lips curvеd uрward. "Yоu're quitе right."
Sееing Shеn Du resроnd, Zhu Yаn quiсklу seizеd the opроrtunity tо continue.
"Аt Princе Ying's residenсе, Lаi Luоzhi's аrrivаl wаs far toо сoinсidеntаl. Whethеr in terms оf timing оr the cirсumstаncеs of the cаse, it felt as thоugh hе hаd delibеrately stаgеd а scеnе tо еmbаrrаss us. Tаking аwaу the рerson уou hаd арprеhеndеd in frоnt of so manу people nоt only suggests а closе relаtiоnship bеtween him and Chen Huo'e, but I also worry that Princess Yongan might be involved in the entire affair."
After hearing Zhu Yan's words, Shen Du did not reply. Instead, he raised his cup, took a sip of wine, gently set it down, and began to eat.
"Are you even listening to me?" Seeing Shen Du remain unmoved, Zhu Yan thought she might have said something wrong and hurriedly inquired.
Shen Du still did not react, merely setting down his chopsticks and looking at Zhu Yan with great interest.
"Some things you can think of, others can too. Not answering your question doesn't mean I deny your thoughts. Let's not discuss the case during mealtime—it ruins the appetite."
"..." Zhu Yan was momentarily stunned. Mealtime was a rare moment of peace, a chance for the two of them to sit together and exchange insights about the case.
If even mealtime couldn't be used for discussion, when would be the most appropriate time to talk about the case?
Zhu Yan lowered her gaze in thought for a moment before looking at Shen Du and voicing her question.
A peculiar smile tugged at the corners of Shen Du's lips, filled with profound meaning. His deep eyes were unfathomable. "In bed."
Those four simple words struck Zhu Yan like a thunderbolt in her mind. How could he even think of such a thing?
Yet, his words weren't entirely wrong. Discussing the case in the quiet of the night was indeed more suitable than at the dining table.
Zhu Yan pursed her lips and fell silent, afraid that if she said another inappropriate word, Shen Du would leave her speechless again.
Picking up her chopsticks, Zhu Yan prepared to eat in peace when suddenly a young man with a stern expression but dressed like an ordinary passerby approached them.
"Young Master." Shuangmu whispered into Shen Du's ear, and Shen Du immediately understood his meaning.
After a moment of hesitation, as if deep in thought, Shen Du said, "Just say the case hasn't been fully investigated yet. Keep the report simple, especially regarding Lai Luozhi—just gloss over it. Understand?"
"Understood." Shuangmu seemed to understand Shen Du well. Though the words were brief, he grasped Shen Du's intent.
As Shuangmu turned to leave, Zhu Yan looked at Shen Du with confusion. "Who was that?"
"Shuangmu," Shen Du replied calmly before taking another sip of wine.
"I wasn't asking for his name. Are you doing this on purpose?" Zhu Yan pouted angrily and glared at Shen Du.
Shen Du paid no attention, merely smiling faintly as he finished his cup of wine. "He's an informant I placed in the palace to report my findings to Her Majesty."
Zhu Yan finally understood, though she still didn't fully grasp Shen Du's approach.
"If that's the case, why didn't you tell the Empress about Lai Luozhi's involvement in this case?"
Shen Du's face was filled with deep meaning, and the curve of his lips carried a hint of mystery."Lai Luozhi has helped the Empress remove many thorns in her side, making him a top favorite. Even if we tell the Empress all these things, she likely won’t take any action against him over this matter, right?"
Zhu Yan nodded thoughtfully. Shen Du’s concerns were not without reason and were quite realistic.
Rather than troubling the Empress with trivial matters now and irritating her, it would be more practical to wait until they had the most solid evidence, so that the Empress would completely lose her trust in Lai Luozhi.
Yun Que was carried by Jing Lin all the way to the Shen residence, cursing and struggling nonstop along the journey, but Jing Lin paid her no mind.
Only after stepping through the gates of the Shen residence did he set Yun Que down from his shoulder, speaking with annoyance, "I say, Miss Yun Que, can’t you see I was helping you?"
"Helping me?" Yun Que was so angry she stomped her feet, wishing she could give Jing Lin a good beating.
Not only had he ruined her time with Shen Du, but now he was turning around and claiming he was helping her. It was truly both infuriating and laughable.
Jing Lin, however, nodded with a serious expression and explained,
"Just think about it. Our Great Pavilion Commander is known as the White King of Hell. His face was already so dark, and you kept pestering him relentlessly. If he got angry and decided to twist your head off, it wouldn’t be impossible."
After hearing Jing Lin’s explanation, Yun Que’s lips twitched. Though his reasoning was a bit unreliable, the point was valid despite the crude phrasing.
Pursing her lips and rolling her eyes, she reluctantly bowed to Jing Lin and said, "Thank you!" not forgetting to glare at him fiercely.
Anyway, it was too late to chase after Shen Du and the others now, but she was deeply concerned about the culprit in the Brocade Workshop case.
Jing Lin was someone close to Shen Du and often worked on cases with him. Perhaps she could learn some inside information from him.
"Brother Jing Lin." Changing her expression faster than flipping a page, Yun Que, who had been furious just moments ago, suddenly broke into a smile.
"Do you know who the culprit in the Brocade Workshop case is?"
Jing Lin was taken aback by Yun Que’s sudden change, but he grew even more cautious about her question.
"I don’t know," Jing Lin said calmly, then seemed to think of something and continued the conversation with Yun Que.
"Actually, I’ve always been a bit curious about you. How deep is the bond between your Yun family and Kong Xianrong’s family that you’re willing to go to such lengths to clear their names?"
"You wouldn’t understand even if I told you," Yun Que lowered her head, her expression tinged with grievance.
"Then why don’t you tell me? Maybe I really can understand something," Jing Lin felt there must be an unusual relationship here and pressed further.
Yun Que shrugged, her expression helpless.
"Our families only had business dealings, but our relationship was truly good. After the Brocade Workshop case happened, my parents even set up a memorial altar for Kong Xianrong and his wife at home to mourn them."
Jing Lin lowered his gaze in thought for a moment. "If the relationship was that deep, why was the evidence submitted and then withdrawn at the time? And why was the Kong family executed while the Yun family remained unaffected?"
Yun Que was about to explain something when she suddenly realized the implication of his words—Jing Lin was suspecting her parents.
Yun Que grew somewhat angry, glaring fiercely at Jing Lin as she explained, "My parents are just businesspeople, honest and upright, and treat others well. Do you think there weren’t enough innocent people wrongfully killed in that case back then?""No, of course I don't mean that," Jing Lin quickly explained. "I was also thinking of gathering more inside information, perhaps it could be of some help."
Hearing Jing Lin's explanation, Yun Que's expression softened slightly. "It's been so long since it all happened, thoroughly investigating it won't be easy. I truly hope the Great Pavilion Commander can solve the case soon and bring justice to the many wronged souls."
Jing Lin fell silent. This girl Yun Que seemed quite naive, and she spoke straightforwardly, not like a woman with hidden schemes.
Moreover, she was pleading for so many wronged souls. If she were truly suspicious, she wouldn't have taken the initiative to bring up this case.
Having reasoned this through, Jing Lin set aside his doubts about Yun Que. However, he still told Shen Du about the close relationship between the Yun and Kong families.
In the quiet of the deep night, Shen Du's study was still lit by candlelight.
His eyes were dark and deep as he pondered Jing Lin's words, while also harboring some suspicions about Yun Que's identity.
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