Chu Chu rummaged through a cloth bundle from the bottom drawer of the wardrobe, grabbed some soapberries and atractylodes, then tossed them into the brazier. As smoke billowed upward, she stepped back and forth over the flames.
Her delicate figure, lightly veiled by the haze, drifted ethereally like an immortal, swaying back and forth before Xiao Jin Yu's eyes without any obstruction...
"Wang Ye, when I compared the pieced-together garment with that person's underwear, I noticed the outer sleeves were significantly longer than the inner ones! If he really wore this, he'd look like an opera performer!"
As if guided by spirits, Xiao Jin Yu murmured, "Mm... that outer garment belongs to the murderer."
"Ah?" Chu Chu leaped out from the smoke, her silhouette so sharply defined that Xiao Jin Yu's face instantly flushed crimson. "Wang Ye, you knew all along?"
Ever since she mentioned the fabric strips being neatly cut and easily reassembled into clothing, Xiao Jin Yu had harbored suspicions.
"Just... just confirmed it now."
The disappointment vanished from Chu Chu's face. "Then my examination wasn't in vain!"
"Mm..." Xiao Jin Yu quietly pulled the blanket on his lap higher, covering his undisciplined and unmanageable body. "Chu Chu, put your clothes on quickly... It's impolite to keep others waiting."
"Alright!"
Initially, the elderly Qin couple adamantly refused Wu Jiang's offer to fetch water. But upon hearing that Prince An, who oversaw all judicial matters in the realm, would personally help find their son, they immediately agreed. After profusely thanking Wu Jiang, they repeatedly tidied their dilapidated single-room hut. By the time Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu arrived, Qin Daye had been supporting Granny Qin as they knelt waiting at the doorway for quite some time.
Before Chu Chu could push Xiao Jin Yu's wheelchair close, the elderly couple began kowtowing. "A thousand years to Wang Ye! A thousand years to the Imperial Concubine!"
It was daytime when most workers were occupied, leaving the servant quarters courtyard quiet and sparsely populated. The elders' exclamations drew a few curious heads peeking from windows and doorways.
"No need for such formalities... Please rise."
Only when the wheelchair drew nearer and Xiao Jin Yu uttered these mild, courteous words did Chu Chu hurry forward to help the weakly kneeling Granny Qin to her feet.
"Wang Ye... Imperial Concubine, the wind is chilly outside. Please come in and sit, come in and sit..."
Chu Chu assisted Granny Qin to a chair. Seeing Qin Daye about to pour water, she swiftly took the pot and deftly filled four faded teacups with hot water. "Uncle, Auntie, please drink!"
Xiao Jin Yu watched the effusively grateful elders with mingled amusement and exasperation—this girl truly never acted like a stranger anywhere...
With only two chairs in the room, Chu Chu insisted Qin Daye take one. After handing Xiao Jin Yu a warm cup to heat his hands, she stood obediently beside him, her pink attire making her resemble a young bride meeting her in-laws.
Seeing Chu Chu's sweet demeanor, the elderly couple's hearts ached at the thought that if their son were still home, he too might have had such a thoughtful wife. Granny Qin gazed at Chu Chu and burst into tears. "My child..."
Chu Chu hurried over to hold Granny Qin's arm, pulling a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe the tears. "Auntie, don't grieve... Wang Ye will surely find your son!"Old Man Qin sighed deeply, his eyes rimmed with red. "It's been over twenty years... if we don't find him soon, we'll never see him again..."
Granny Qin wept in Chu Chu's arms, her sobs coming in ragged gasps. Chu Chu's own eyes grew moist as she turned to look at Xiao Jin Yu, who was frowning slightly. "Wang Ye..."
Xiao Jin Yu cleared his throat lightly. "Old sir... why do you believe your son is in the Imperial Examination Hall?"
"Well... when he left, he said he wouldn't return unless he passed the exams. He didn't say anything else. Neither of us can read much, and we don't know many people. We can only wait for him here at the examination site..."
"What is your son's full name?"
"Qin, Qin Tianlai..." The old man rubbed his damp eyes. "We found him on our farmland back then. We thought heaven had finally smiled upon us, giving us this gift... Who would have thought..."
Xiao Jin Yu nodded slightly. "Did he come to the capital alone to take the exams back then?"
"Yes... he left by himself with just some dry provisions and a few books..."
Xiao Jin Yu gazed thoughtfully at the cup in his hand. "May I ask... who was the Tanzhou Prefecture Governor that year?"
The old man wrinkled his brow, looking up at the ceiling beams. "Oh, I really can't remember clearly... Surname Sun... no, I think there was a 'Sun' character in it..."
"Gongsun Jun."
"Yes, yes..." The old man nodded repeatedly. "That's the name! But... what does he have to do with finding my son?"
"Just asking... General Wu will come later about other matters. Let me ask one more thing... do they need water delivered to the examination cells at midnight?"
Granny Qin's body visibly stiffened, though Xiao Jin Yu's gaze never once fell upon her.
"No need," Old Man Qin waved his hand. "After working all day, we're fast asleep before it's fully dark. Who could deliver water then..."
"Thank you..." Xiao Jin Yu placed the cup back on the table. "I'll do my best."
"Thank you, Wang Ye, thank you, Imperial Concubine..."
From the elderly Qin couple's place back to their room, Xiao Jin Yu didn't speak a word the entire way. Chu Chu didn't dare make a sound either. Only after entering the room and serving Xiao Jin Yu hot tea did she cautiously ask, "Wang Ye, are you particularly busy?"
Xiao Jin Yu emerged from his thoughts. "Hmm?"
Chu Chu bit her lip lightly. "If you're too busy, I can help Granny Qin search... You can focus on your work, don't overexert yourself."
In her momentary pity for the elderly couple, she had forgotten how busy he usually was. Now with a case ongoing and his illness not yet recovered... He must be upset with her for being inconsiderate, which was why he didn't want to talk to her, right?
Chu Chu's eyes reddened slightly. "Please don't be angry..."
Xiao Jin Yu smiled faintly, set down his cup, and pulled her onto his lap. He gently stroked her back, which had stiffened from her anxious thoughts. "Not at all... We're almost found him."
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