Сhарter 192: Thе Сrimе Sсеne
Upon аrriving аt the Li residеnce, thеу disсоvеrеd that aftеr the incident, Scholar Li hаd immеdiatеly dеtаinеd thе guests. Тhis wаs а wisе mоve thаt saved them соnsiderаble trouble.
Мo Qianzhi, аlong with Shen Du аnd thе оthеrs, lеd thеir rеspeсtivе teаms tо сonduсt seраrate insреctiоns. Howevеr, after a thоrоugh sеarсh, they found nоthing unusuаl.
Тhis was rаthеr strаngе—а murdеrer аlwаys lеavеs tracеs behind.
Моrеovеr, thе реrpetratоr was a living person; it wаs impossible fоr them to сovеr thеir traсks so flawlessly.
Mo Qianzhi once again took out the guest list and, after checking the people present, noticed that several were missing.
"Find them," Mo Qianzhi ordered immediately, dispatching men to search. "Once you locate these individuals, bring them back at once."
"Yes, sir," the constables promptly obeyed and set out to search.
At that moment, Zhu Yan noticed a faint scratch mark near the side door.
Zhu Yan approached to take a closer look and discovered that not only was there a scratch, but a corner of the couplet on the doorframe also appeared to have been torn off.
The tear was jagged, as if done in haste. Could this be where the bride was taken after being abducted?
Scholar Li’s family was wealthy and held some status. For his son’s wedding, the couplets should have been brand new.
Comparing the color of the doorframe, it seemed to have been recently repainted, yet there were scratch marks here.
This completely ruled out the Li family’s suspicion. If they truly disapproved of the marriage, there would have been no need to renovate the house.
Zhu Yan gently touched the scratched area. The paint had dried, but a small, uneven piece was missing.
Moreover, the position was low, as if caused by a foot.
"The bride must have been taken by surprise. In her panic, she likely scraped her foot here…"
Zhu Yan murmured to herself, her eyes focused intently.
Pan Chi, who had just emerged from the bridal chamber, noticed her and glanced at Shen Du, who was still questioning the guests. A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips.
He walked over to Zhu Yan and crouched beside her, observing the scratch mark. "Since this is a wedding, why is a piece of the couplet missing? Moreover, the entire doorframe appears to have been renovated, yet the paint here has chipped away slightly. It doesn’t look normal."
Hearing Pan Chi’s words, Zhu Yan turned to look at him. "Your analysis is spot on. I was thinking the same. By the way, have you found anything on your end?"
Pan Chi shook his head slightly. "I came from the bridal chamber, passing through the living room, the covered corridor, the pavilion, and the rockery, all the way here. I didn’t find anything significant until I saw you and noticed something unusual here."
Pan Chi’s voice was magnetic, and his words carried a subtle implication. Zhu Yan’s cheeks flushed slightly.
"I just happened to notice it first. If you had come here to investigate, such an obvious clue would never have escaped your eyes."
Pan Chi chuckled. "Lord Zhu is known for being meticulous and wise. There’s no need to be so modest."
Zhu Yan’s heart suddenly raced. While she didn’t mind praise from others, Pan Chi’s repeated compliments made her feel somewhat uneasy.
"Did you find nothing in the bridal chamber?" To break the awkwardness, Zhu Yan quickly changed the subject.
"Nothing," Pan Chi replied firmly. "I found nothing along the way. It almost feels like an attempt to cover something up.""That's right." Zhu Yan gave a mischievous smile and once again touched the scratch on the doorframe. "After being abducted, the bride left through this side door."
Turning her head and seeing Pan Chi's smile, Zhu Yan realized that Pan Chi had also guessed it, simply waiting for her to voice it out.
As if unable to resist, she also reached out to touch the scratch, and their hands accidentally brushed against each other. Zhu Yan quickly withdrew her hand.
Pan Chi seemed to notice something as well, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued, "Everywhere here is brand new, except for this scratch. It must be a clue left behind by the bride in her panic."
Zhu Yan nodded, standing up with an unnatural expression. "We think alike. She was taken out from here."
Pan Chi also stood up, speaking meaningfully, "It seems we need to send people to search from here."
Just then, Shen Du, who had been interrogating the guests with Mo Qianzhi, suddenly felt uneasy and couldn't help but worry about Zhu Yan.
How long had it been since this woman left his side? Would she encounter any danger?
Moreover, this place was unfamiliar to her. What if she got lost?
Thinking this, Shen Du hurriedly began searching for that figure in the crowd.
By chance, his gaze fell on the side door. Before he could feel relieved at spotting her, he noticed another person standing beside her.
It was him again—truly persistent.
The two stood together, their heights perfectly matched, and they seemed to be engaged in lively conversation.
This scene was not only eye-catching but also deeply displeasing.
However, with important matters at hand, Shen Du restrained his anger. He walked over to the two and coldly demanded, "With such a serious incident happening, you two still have the mood to chat here so happily. What have you been talking about?"
"Of course, it's all about the case. What else could it be, Great Pavilion Commander?"
It must be said, Pan Chi's words were truly infuriating. Shen Du glared at him fiercely. "When I speak to my wife, when is it your turn to interrupt?"
"Huh?" Pan Chi wore an innocent expression, looking at Shen Du like a naive child. "So the Great Pavilion Commander was asking Lord Zhu? I was just answering on her behalf, out of goodwill. Why must you take it so seriously, Great Pavilion Commander?"
"Am I taking it seriously?"
Shen Du took a step forward, fixing a murderous glare on Pan Chi.
Pan Chi's words seemed to bypass his brain entirely, constantly pushing his limits. He wished he could tear the man before him to pieces.
Seeing Shen Du's anger, Pan Chi remained fearless. As for whether Shen Du was taking things seriously or not, his demeanor spoke for itself.
"Pfft..." Watching the two of them, Zhu Yan couldn't help but laugh. With the midnight drumbeat, she hadn't had time to tie up her hair, leaving it loose. Her face was bare, but it couldn't hide her melodious laughter.
Pan Chi laughed along as if in agreement.
"What's so funny? Do you find this amusing?" Shen Du turned his sharp gaze toward Zhu Yan, startling her.
"Not at all." Zhu Yan instantly regained her composure, quickly explaining, "I just suddenly remembered something happy. I'm sorry, I lost my composure."Seeing Shen Du's gaze fixed on Zhu Yan, Pan Chi quickly changed the subject, crouching down to run his hand over the scraped section of the doorframe.
"How did this patch of paint get scraped off here? It looks like someone left it on purpose."
Only then did Shen Du shift his gaze away from Zhu Yan. He didn't crouch down, merely following Pan Chi's hand to look.
It was indeed a scrape mark. No other traces were found anywhere else, only here. It must have been left by the murderer or the bride.
"Come, follow me to pursue them."
Shen Du said fiercely, grabbing Pan Chi and pulling him up to head outside.
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