Сhарter 240: Emрtу Сitу
Zhu Yаn’s heart sank аt оnce. Sеeing his indifferеnt dеmеаnоr, this оbject wаs likely of little significanсе to him, аnd he wаs nо lоngеr the уоuth hе оnсe wаs.
Yet if that werе thе cаse, why had hе confеssed his feеlings tо hеr? Аnd whу did hе still kеep sоmеthing from sоmеоne whоse idеntitу he had fоrgоtten?
Рan Chi notiсed Zhu Yan’s sorrоwful ехprеssion. It seemеd thе оbjeсt hеld sоmе sреciаl mеaning fоr the twо of them, thоugh he hаd nо intеntion оf intеrfеring. Нe simply рatted Zhu Yan’s shoulder.
“Сome on, thеre’s a Wаrm Fragrаnсe Рavilion up ahead. It’s lively there—let me take you for some fun!” Pan Chi said with a playful, unserious air.
Zhu Yan sighed helplessly. “Don’t fool around. We’re here to investigate a case, not to have fun.”
“Oh, so you do know the word ‘fun’? Look at your face—there’s not a hint of joy in it. I know we’re here to investigate, but that doesn’t mean we can’t—”
Pan Chi’s words drew Shen Du’s displeasure. Shen Du stepped forward quickly, positioning himself between the two.
“If Master Pan enjoys such places of pleasure, that’s his own affair. But please refrain from leading my wife astray, lest your father, the Commander, cause unpleasantness upon his return to the capital.” Shen Du’s voice remained as calm as ever, seemingly devoid of any excess emotion, but Zhu Yan knew—Shen Du was angry.
Mention of his father caused Pan Chi’s expression to shift. He let out an awkward laugh and waved his hand dismissively.
“Alright, alright, I was just joking. No need to take it so seriously.”
Pan Chi muttered under his breath, then deliberately sidestepped Shen Du to walk beside Zhu Yan, pretending as if nothing had happened.
A vein throbbed at Shen Du’s temple, his eyes narrowing—a clear sign of murderous intent.
“I think we should go ahead and see if there are any clues up there.”
Zhu Yan felt helpless inside. Pan Chi had only just met Shen Du and surely didn’t know his temperament. In the Grand Cabinet, once you entered, there was no coming out; even the toughest mouths could be pried open. Moreover, Shen Du reported directly to the Empress. Pan Chi’s father, a mere Commander, was hardly someone Shen Du would regard highly. If she didn’t defuse the situation now, Shen Du would surely settle the score later, and Pan Chi would suffer for it.
Having made up her mind, Zhu Yan looked up and met Shen Du’s deep, intense gaze fixed on her, his eyes filled with unmistakable resentment.
Resentment? Why did she think that?
Suddenly, the memory of Shen Du confessing his affection for her flashed through her mind. Zhu Yan felt her cheeks grow warm and quickly dismissed the thought.
How could Pan Chi not recognize Zhu Yan’s goodwill? He rubbed his nose and deliberately provoked Shen Du: “Let’s go check ahead.”
Zhu Yan nodded, eager to escape Shen Du’s oppressive presence. Unexpectedly, a cold sweat broke out on her back, and then a pair of hands settled on the hollow of her nape. Shen Du’s fingertips pressed into the dip, stroking lightly and intermittently, as he said calmly:
“Let’s go.”
Pan Chi’s face stiffened. He was about to step forward when Shen Du spoke again: “Officially, you are my subordinate; privately, you are my wife. What kind of propriety is it to walk alongside an outsider?”
Zhu Yan rolled her eyes. In the past, she had worked alone with other men to examine corpses and investigate cases—why hadn’t Shen Du cared about propriety then?
The three of them walked one after another toward the north. The further they went, the more this place felt like an empty, abandoned city. Yet with Shen Du’s keen perception, he could sense that someone was secretly observing them.
“There’s—” Zhu Yan began, but a firm press on the back of her neck made her immediately fall silent. Of course—if she had noticed, wouldn’t Shen Du and Pan Chi also know they were being followed?Soon, they arrived at a stall area. Zhu Yan, Pan Chi, and Shen Du casually sat on wooden stools. The three of them looked around—the former liveliness was gone, replaced by a few empty tables scattered haphazardly at the entrance, some with fallen leaves left unattended.
"Such a large Yingzhou City turned into a ghost town in an instant," Zhu Yan couldn't help but sigh again, while speculating about the immense power of the person behind it, which could only bring them harm, not benefit.
"Such are the times. Everyone values their life. With such a major incident, naturally, people would flee as fast as they can."
After speaking, Pan Chi shifted his body, trying to move closer to Zhu Yan. Shen Du shot him a cold glance, grabbed Zhu Yan, and moved her farther away, raising an eyebrow in displeasure. "Please behave yourself, Young Master Pan."
Pan Chi pointed at his own face. "Me? Not behaving? Where am I not behaving?"
"Where are you behaving?" Shen Du retorted.
Pan Chi then turned to Zhu Yan with a pitiful expression. "Lord Zhu, he's bullying me."
Zhu Yan: ...
Pan Chi was naturally handsome, with long, beautiful eyelashes that fluttered like butterfly wings, snow-white skin, distinct features, and a tall, slender build. He was more refined than Shen Du and lacked Shen Du's decisive, intimidating aura. However, with such an androgynous appearance making such a coquettish expression, to be honest, any ordinary woman would have no choice but to surrender.
Zhu Yan was also stumped. Looking at Pan Chi, she found it hard to speak. Turning her head, she saw Shen Du glaring at her with fierce eyes, unwavering. Her heartbeat stopped for a moment, and she immediately jumped up to sit on Shen Du's other side, away from Pan Chi.
"Hmph!" Shen Du was somewhat satisfied, glancing sideways at Pan Chi with a triumphant look in his eyes.
Pan Chi pouted as if displeased. "It must be that you coerced my Zhu Yan, forcing her to do this."
"When did Zhu Yan become yours?" Shen Du reached for his sword hilt.
Pan Chi jumped away but noticed movement in the distance and fell silent.
Zhu Yan really had a headache watching the two of them. "Stop arguing, we..."
"Shh!"
Pan Chi's voice was very low, and he deliberately glanced around again.
Seeing him act so mysteriously, both Zhu Yan and Shen Du were puzzled.
"Stop putting on airs, kid. Speak plainly if you have something to say."
Pan Chi shrugged nonchalantly. "You're the type who values evidence the most. What if I speak too early and you don't believe me?"
Seeing Pan Chi speak ambiguously, Zhu Yan figured he might just be grasping at straws, wanting to say a few words in front of them. She turned her head to glance at Shen Du again, then responded, signaling Pan Chi to continue.
"You, not even listening properly. I won't tell you anymore," Pan Chi pretended to be angry.
This time, Shen Du really couldn't hold back. He drew his sword and swung it. Pan Chi jumped up, shouting, "Hey, Great Pavilion Commander killing innocents, that's an additional crime!"
"Don't push your luck. Speak quickly!"
Seeing the two of them so aggressive.
Zhu Yan had no choice but to turn around, sit up straight, and look at Pan Chi. "Hurry up and speak!"
Pan Chi nodded, cleared his throat, and skipped over Shen Du to lean close to Zhu Yan. "After Shen Du took you away from the Scent Pavilion that day, I left too. But not long after, I remembered there was a character in the poem I wrote that still needed some consideration regarding its tonal pattern, so I turned back."
At this point, Pan Chi paused, looking at Zhu Yan with flickering eyes. Zhu Yan knew him too well—something must have happened afterward, otherwise he wouldn't be playing games with her here.Shen Du swung his blade once more, and after Pan Chi dodged, he turned to Zhu Yan and said, "He scared me, I can't remember."
Zhu Yan's lips twitched slightly. Pan Chi was practically asking for death.
"If you don't speak up, I'll cut you down and report to Commander Pan that you were killed by the Half-Faced Ghost. What will you do then?" Seeing that he couldn't land a hit on Pan Chi, Shen Du spoke in a sinister tone.
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