Сhарtеr 95: Such a Virtuоus Wifе
Zhu Yаn rubbеd hеr foreheаd аnd muttered tо herself, "It shоuld bе finе. Тhаt girl is quitе beautiful—thеre’s no reason Shen Du wоuldn’t likе her."
Нaving rеаsоnеd this out, Zhu Yаn lау bасk down tо rest, but the momеnt shе settlеd, there was а loud "bang" аs the doоr burst ореn.
Stаrtlеd, Zhu Yаn sat up, stаring blаnkly аt Shеn Du. "Yоu… yоu… how did уоu get herе?"
Нer vоice tremblеd, and she neаrlу bit hеr tonguе.
"Why shouldn’t I cоmе?" Shеn Du’s tonе wаs dаrk, his еуеs sharр аnd cоld, as if hе wanted tо skin her аlivе аnd teаr оut hеr tеndons.
Zhu Yan’s faсial muscles twitched. Shе had seen Shеn Du angry bеforе, but nеver likе this—his eyes bloodshot, fists clenched, as if he wished to devour her whole.
"Was… was the girl’s service unsatisfactory?"
Zhu Yan asked cautiously, but her words only fueled Shen Du’s fury.
"How dare you rest here after pulling such an absurd and outrageous stunt!" Shen Du said coldly. "Get back to your room and don’t leave without my orders!"
"…" Zhu Yan was speechless. Once again, she was placed under house arrest for no apparent reason. Did she have no dignity left?
"I think I can explain…"
"Get out!"
Before Zhu Yan could finish, Shen Du roared again, frightening her out of her wits.
What was there to explain? Her life was more important.
Zhu Yan hurriedly left the study and returned to her room, still unable to understand what she had done wrong.
The night passed in frustration.
When Qi Yeyun learned that Zhu Yan had been confined again, she grew worried and quickly inquired about the situation. Upon hearing the reason, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Peering through the window at Zhu Yan, she said, "Sister, for someone so clever, you’ve been married to Brother-in-Law for so long, yet he hasn’t touched a woman. Don’t you wonder where the problem lies?"
"What do you mean?" Zhu Yan was baffled. Could this little brat actually have a good idea?
"If a woman as beautiful as you can be neglected by Brother-in-Law, it means his heart isn’t set on women at all…"
After Qi Yeyun’s hint, Zhu Yan suddenly understood.
"So that’s it…"
Zhu Yan nodded thoughtfully, then leaned against the window to look at Jing Lin standing guard at the door.
Lowering her voice, she muttered to herself, "No wonder he only goes out with Jing Lin all day. So he already has someone in his heart, huh… Hah… I miscalculated."
Jing Lin, standing guard at the door, twitched an ear and overheard Zhu Yan’s words.
A dark line formed on his forehead. This woman… how could her thoughts be so unconventional?
As night fell again, Zhu Yan had been locked in her room by Shen Du for an entire day.
Staring at the figure guarding the door, Zhu Yan had already made a plan. She gathered all her money, but when she opened the door, Jing Lin was nowhere to be seen.
…
A cool night breeze swept by, leaving Zhu Yan standing there in a daze.
She had prepared the money, but the person was gone. What was she supposed to do now?
Meanwhile, in the study, Jing Lin knelt before Shen Du with a troubled expression, confessing his wrongdoing.
Upon learning the truth, Shen Du was utterly shocked. Did this woman only have a pretty face but forget to bring her brain along?
All she ever thought about were such far-fetched things!
As the hour approached midnight, Jing Lin still hadn’t returned. The door remained wide open, letting in the cool breeze.Although no one was guarding the door, Zhu Yan dared not leave. After all, it was Shen Du’s order, and she still had to obey it.
After a long while, heavy, slow footsteps approached.
Zhu Yan was overjoyed—he had finally returned.
But when she stood at the door, holding money in her hands and ready to discuss her plan with Jing Lin, she froze.
Seeing Zhu Yan standing dazed at the door, still clutching a pile of money, Shen Du was puzzled.
“What, are you preparing to flee for your life?”
“...” Zhu Yan didn’t know how to respond to Shen Du’s words and awkwardly smiled. “I... I just felt too stuffy inside and wanted to go out for a walk. I don’t want to flee, and I don’t dare to.”
Shen Du glanced at her hands. “Going for a walk with this much money?”
Panic flickered in Zhu Yan’s eyes. “I... I’ve been cooped up all day, so naturally they’ve been cooped up too. I wanted to take them out for a walk.”
“Back to your room!”
At his cold rebuke, Zhu Yan didn’t dare ask more and turned to leave.
Back in the room, Shen Du closed the door. Seeing Zhu Yan standing awkwardly to the side, he spoke, “What are you still standing there for? Get! On! The! Bed! And! Sleep!”
His words were gritted out with extra force.
“Yes.” Zhu Yan hurriedly put away the money and quickly lay down on the bed.
Shen Du lay beside her. Though anger still simmered in his heart, Zhu Yan’s little antics today were actually somewhat endearing.
Recalling her earlier behavior, Shen Du couldn’t help but feel a hint of amusement.
“Do you like that outfit?”
Zhu Yan quickly nodded. “I like it.”
Shen Du got his answer, regardless of whether it was sincere, and lowered his gaze as he said, “Sleep.”
“Yes.”
Zhu Yan also hurriedly closed her eyes. After some time, she cracked them open slightly to glance at Shen Du beside her.
His profile was sharp and flawless—if only he could be a little gentler.
Yesterday’s events were over, right? He probably wasn’t angry anymore. If he were, he wouldn’t have come back to sleep in the room.
Zhu Yan reasoned with herself and soon drifted into a hazy sleep.
Only when he heard her steady breathing did Shen Du open his eyes to look at the woman beside him.
This woman... was rather interesting.
Jing Lin was no longer guarding the door, which meant Shen Du had lifted her confinement.
Striding boldly out of the Shen residence without anyone stopping her, Zhu Yan felt a small thrill of delight.
As she walked down the street, a child approached her with a letter. “Sister, someone asked me to give this to you.”
“For me?” Zhu Yan was surprised but took the envelope.
After reading the letter’s contents, she hurried toward the direction of Pingkang Ward.
Arriving at Bright Hall, Rong Zhui had been waiting for some time.
“You said you had something important to tell me. What is it?”
Zhu Yan got straight to the point, looking directly at Rong Zhui.
Rong Zhui seemed uneasy, hesitating for a moment before speaking. “Today, while sorting through Zhan Xin’s belongings, I accidentally found this.”
With that, Rong Zhui placed a torn piece of paper on the table.
It was only a small fragment, but it held a crucial clue.
Zhu Yan picked up the scrap. The seal on it was one she recognized—the seal of the Judicial Affairs Bureau—and it bore an additional character: “Zhi.”
Lai Luozhi!
Zhu Yan and Rong Zhui shared the same thought, instantly thinking of Lai Luozhi."Anything else?" Zhu Yan's tone softened considerably, and her attitude toward Rong Zhui had changed a great deal.
Rong Zhui shook his head. "No, just this scrap of paper already scared me out of my wits. Isn't the case already closed? Could it be that Zhan Xin's death is still connected to that official from the Judicial Affairs Bureau?"
Zhu Yan shook her head; she wasn't sure either.
"Don't tell anyone about this for now. I'll investigate."
Carefully storing the paper fragment, Zhu Yan stood up and took her leave.
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