Xiao Jin Yu did not respond, merely turning his head to glance at Chu Chu. "Chu Chu, meet Shi Niang..."
Before Chu Chu could open her mouth, Shi Niang shot her a sharp glare, startling Chu Chu into shrinking back into Xiao Jin Yu's embrace.
Xiao Jin Yu offered a faint, bitter smile. "Shi Niang, Chu Chu is with child..."
Shi Niang froze. "Xue Rucheng's?"
"...Mine."
Shi Niang's beautiful eyes widened. "Then why are you telling me? I've no time for your pointless chatter. Explain clearly—what exactly happened to Xue Rucheng?"
Xiao Jin Yu's brow furrowed, his expression darkening slightly. "My teacher is suffering in my stead... I will rescue him as soon as possible."
Shi Niang snorted coldly, muttered "lunatic," then rose and strode out.
Only when Shi Niang's footsteps had completely faded did Xiao Jin Yu lie back down. Chu Chu pouted, her heart still racing with fear. "Wang Ye... what kind of official is the Pavilion Master anyway? How come she isn't the least bit afraid of you?"
Xiao Jin Yu gently massaged his throbbing temples. "She isn't just the Pavilion Master—she's also a princess... my tenth elder sister, eleven years my senior... They say after the palace maid who dropped me died, no one dared to care for me. So she personally looked after me in the palace for eight years..."
Chu Chu's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. The fierce woman she had just encountered was actually a princess—someone she had only heard of in operas. "She... she doesn't seem like one at all..."
Xiao Jin Yu's brow tightened slightly as he forced a wry smile. "She used to be very gentle... Later, she married by imperial decree, but within a year, her consort died suddenly from illness. Her temperament changed completely after that..."
Chu Chu pursed her lips. "Then... why is she looking for Grand Tutor Xue?"
Xiao Jin Yu sighed silently, the words on the tip of his tongue vanishing as he shook his head. "Chu Chu... go summon Feng Yi. I have matters to discuss with her."
Seeing Xiao Jin Yu's pallor, Chu Chu dared not press further. "Alright."
The moment Feng Yi entered the room, Xiao Jin Yu pointed at the plate of knife-sliced lamb and came straight to the point. "Who prepared this?"
Feng Yi was taken aback. Seeing the full table of dishes untouched by chopsticks, she assumed it wasn't due to displeasure with the food and relaxed slightly. "Replying to Wang Ye, it was a cook who came seeking work on his own. Quite young, with knife skills so exquisite it's as if he possesses magical skill—though he's a bit lazy... His name is Mu Yao."
Xiao Jin Yu's brow furrowed slightly. "Do you know what he did before?"
"He mentioned he worked at a tavern called As Returning Pavilion. After it closed down, he came here... Would Wang Ye like to meet him?"
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head gently. "You may attend to your duties."
"Yes."
Xiao Jin Yu had little appetite, managing only half a bowl of pumpkin and millet congee. The remaining dishes were nearly cleared by Chu Chu, whose enthusiastic eating made Xiao Jin Yu feel both heartache and contentment.
On the way back to the Imperial Examination Hall, Xiao Jin Yu succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. He awoke lying quietly on the bed in his examination hall chamber, as if the events of the past two days had been nothing but a bizarre nightmare.
Outside, the sky had darkened completely. The room was bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, softening the contours of everything—including the figure sitting diligently at the desk, writing something.
"Chu Chu..."
Hearing Xiao Jin Yu's voice, Chu Chu immediately set down her brush and hurried to the bedside. "Wang Ye, you're awake?"
"What time is it..."
"Just past midnight... I applied the medicated wine for you again. Does your body still ache?"Xiao Jinyu shook his head and looked at the paper and brush on the table. "What are you writing..."
"I want to reorganize the corpse manifest for this case." Chu Chu frowned seriously. "The imperial examination will conclude in two days. If we can't solve the case before it ends, the murderer who killed General Wang Xiaohua will definitely escape once the candidates disperse... If I make the corpse manifest clearer, you'll need less effort and can catch the villain faster."
Xiao Jinyu was momentarily stunned. "Chu Chu... do you believe Li Rusheng killed all those previous people?"
Chu Chu nodded. "Your judgment must be correct." She pursed her lips and added, "But if Li Rusheng really did it, then Qin Daye and Granny Qin are so pitiful... And Li Rusheng's wife and son - I saw them when they came to identify the body. His wife is blind, and his son is thin and small, dressed in rags. They're so pitiful..."
Chu Chu grabbed Xiao Jinyu's hand and said softly but firmly, "If by any chance we're wrong... I'll stay in prison with you for three months."
Xiao Jinyu felt both heartache and warmth upon hearing this. "Don't worry, that won't happen..."
"Then I'll continue writing!"
"No rush..." Xiao Jinyu pulled Chu Chu back. "It's late, time to sleep..."
"It's fine, I'm not sleepy yet!"
"Come up..." Xiao Jinyu lifted the quilt. "Tell me about Wang Xiaohua's cause of death."
Chu Chu could never resist the temptation of being held in Xiao Jinyu's arms. "Okay!"
☆ 102 Braised Pork Knuckle with Rock Sugar (16)
Chu Chu contentedly nestled into Xiao Jinyu's embrace. Actually, except when he had a fever, Xiao Jinyu's embrace was always cool, and with him growing thinner each day from illness, his embrace wasn't particularly comfortable. But Chu Chu simply loved being held by him.
Chu Chu wrapped her arms around Xiao Jinyu's waist, burying her head in his chest and rubbing against it like a cat seeking affection from its owner. Xiao Jinyu carefully pulled the quilt to wrap around her body, couldn't resist kissing the top of her head, and gently stroked her back with a soft sigh. "You've worked hard..."
Now that both official and personal matters relied so much on her, it was truly difficult for her petite and delicate body.
"You're the one who's worked hard," Chu Chu said with a heartache, kissing Xiao Jinyu's increasingly prominent collarbone. "Working all the time without eating properly."
Xiao Jinyu laughed and lightly pinched Chu Chu's lower back. "Do you believe I'm an honest official now..."
"No!"
Xiao Jinyu choked. "Why?"
"You're too rich!"
Although Xiao Jinyu knew this person was teasing him mischievously, he couldn't help taking it seriously. "That's all money I earned through hard work... Someday take a walk around the capital - any plaque with my calligraphy belongs to Prince An Manor's businesses... Besides handling cases every day, I also have to manage business affairs. It's exhausting..." Xiao Jinyu reached out and patted Chu Chu's bottom. "And you still wrong me..."
OpenNovel