Snow falls and the wind blows

Chapter 7

The three of them had never even heard of it, so naturally they were unprepared. Zhao Ting was already annoyed by all this fancy stuff of name cards and stationery, and after the boy's long explanation, he became even more impatient. He frowned and said coldly, "The government is investigating a case, don't get in the way." He then barged inside, making Zhan Yun shake his head in disbelief. This guy's princely temper is flaring up again!

Xiao Duan seemed to appreciate the atmosphere and followed them inside without a word. Zhan Yun, helpless, followed as well. The two children, used to being around young ladies from wealthy families or refined scholars, had never seen anything like this before. Seeing that they couldn't stop them, they ran off to find someone to complain to.

The courtyard was lush with green trees and abundant flowers, and unknown birds chirped sweetly, with butterflies occasionally flitting by—a truly elegant scene. The three headed straight for the three-story building. A beautiful young woman of about sixteen, dressed in a snow-white satin dress, walked past them, her face streaked with tears, her beautiful eyes filled with sorrow, carrying a small basket. Xiao Duan turned and stood before her: "Miss."

The woman raised her eyes, subtly scrutinizing Xiao Duan before giving him a somewhat indifferent nod: "May I ask what business you have with me, young master?"

Xiao Duan glanced at the small white lotus in the bamboo basket and smiled slightly: "Was this lotus picked for Miss Qian?"

The woman nodded, a few clear tears sliding down her cheeks. She then turned to look at Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun, and gracefully curtsied, saying, "Greetings to both gentlemen." Then, with a slight sob in her voice, she asked, "Are you friends of Dieyou?"

Zhan Yun smiled faintly and said gently, "I heard that when Miss Qian was thirteen years old, she embroidered a masterpiece called 'Smoky Willow Colors,' a double-sided work of exquisite craftsmanship. This time, I was passing through your esteemed land and originally thought that I might have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the beauty's charm..." As he said this, Zhan Yun frowned slightly, tapped the jade folding fan in his hand, and looked very wistful.

Upon hearing this, the woman smiled, revealing her teeth. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and her tear-stained face gained even more charm: "So that's how it is. If you don't mind, young master, several of the ladies in this elegant abode are skilled in needlework. Sister Dieyou taught me well before. Although the double-sided embroidery technique is complicated, it's not the most difficult to learn..."

Zhan Yun, with his keen intellect, naturally understood the woman's implication. He raised a handsome eyebrow, his crescent-shaped eyes revealing a hint of interest: "Oh? Miss can do that too?"

The woman nodded shyly and said softly, "I just embroidered a silk handkerchief a few days ago..."

Upon seeing the woman's delicate and shy appearance, Zhao Tingchao gave Zhan Yun a look, signaling him to stay and slowly extract information from her, and then went to the pavilion with Xiao Duan.

Upon entering, one is greeted by a faint, sweet scent of sandalwood. In the large room, only a woman dressed in a light blue dress sits quietly in a corner, facing the north-facing window, her head bowed, seemingly busy with something.

Xiao Duan walked to a spot five steps away from the woman. Before he could speak, the woman seemed to notice him and turned her head. She looked up and met Xiao Duan's eyes, exclaimed in surprise, and stood up to run to the side. However, she accidentally kicked the leg of a stool next to her and fell forward.

Xiao Duan strode forward, placing one hand on her waist to catch her delicate body. The woman in blue was immediately startled and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her large, doe-like eyes were wet, her delicate red lips trembled slightly, and she pushed against Xiao Duan's shoulder with her small hands: "Thank you so much, young master..."

Xiao Duan released his hand, took two steps back, and bowed slightly: "I apologize for the offense."

The woman's face flushed even more. She shook her head repeatedly, bent down to pick up the flower-covered brim from the ground, and lowered her head, trying to run away. Unexpectedly, Zhao Ting stepped in front of her, blocking her way. The woman looked up, her eyes filled with even greater panic, and her sweet voice trembled: "Young...Young Master...please let me through..."

“Miss, please don’t be alarmed. We’re just here to inquire about some things. If you know the answer, please tell us; if not, that’s fine too. Would you please stay a moment and help us with this?” Xiao Duan’s voice was still cool, yet it carried a strangely reassuring quality. The woman in blue nodded gently and extended a delicate white hand: “This way, gentlemen.”

"Miss should have already heard about what happened at the Broken Bridge this morning." Xiao Duan and Zhao Ting sat down at the small round table, speaking calmly while carefully observing the woman's expression.

The woman nodded, lowered her head, gently bit her lip, then picked up the embroidery hoop from her lap and placed it on the table. She said softly, "I...I want to embroider a handkerchief for Miss Qian. She loved embroidering green willows and lotus ponds when she was alive, and I...I just want to embroider one with that design for her..." Her voice choked with emotion, "I'll send it to her in the afterlife, so that she...she can have some peace too..."

The two men were at a loss when they saw the woman crying. Xiao Duan glanced at Zhao Ting, thinking to himself, "Don't you have a handkerchief? Why don't you take it out and wipe her tears? What are you standing there for?" Zhao Ting was also puzzled when he saw Xiao Duan glaring at him. He thought to himself, "Don't expect me to comfort her. I've never comforted a woman in my life! This kind of thing is something Zhan Yun and that kid are good at, not my forte."

The woman cried for a while, then gradually stopped, gently wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Xiao Duan breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking that thankfully she was someone who could control herself. If she were the type to cry endlessly, he really wouldn't be able to handle it.

"What is your name, young lady?" Zhao Ting asked as soon as he saw the woman stop crying.

"My surname is Lan," the woman replied softly, gently tugging at the silk handkerchief on the bandage.

"Miss Lan." Xiao Duan stared intently at Lan Lan with his phoenix eyes. Only after the woman looked up at him did he continue, "Three young ladies have died in succession at 'Zhu Xiang Ya She'. I wonder what you ladies think about this matter?"

Lanlan, who had been gradually calming down, shuddered upon hearing Xiao Duan's words. Her large eyes welled up with tears of panic as she shook her head repeatedly, saying, "This is something that can't be said, it's something that can't be said!"

Xiao Duan sneered, his phoenix eyes filled with mockery: "Miss Lan, do you also believe in that rumor about water ghosts taking lives?"

Lanlan's expression grew even more terrified. Her delicate red lips trembled slightly, and her deliberately lowered voice, trembling, sounded somewhat eerie: "It's not a water ghost, it's her soul. Her soul has returned, to take revenge on all of us..."

The author has something to say: There are quite a few clues in this chapter, so interested readers should read it carefully.

P.S.: I really like that proprietress~ Oh la la la~

9

Chapter Four: Layman Menglian's Night Walk...

Xiao Duan's delicate brows furrowed slightly, while Zhao Ting chuckled. Just as they were about to speak, a woman's voice rang out behind them: "Lanlan, we've been looking for you for so long, so you're here." As she spoke, the woman walked up to the three of them, nodded slightly to the two as a greeting, and then took Lanlan's hand and led her outside. Xiao Duan and Zhao Ting stood up, watching the two figures, one in blue and one in green, leave through the door and turn left.

The two exchanged a glance, and Zhao Ting asked, "So? Are we going this way or back to find Zhan Yun?"

As Xiao Duan walked out, he said, "I'll go over there, you go back first."

Leaving the attic, Xiao Duan turned left and walked onto a quiet path, Zhao Ting quickly following behind. Xiao Duan glanced at him, and Zhao Ting raised an eyebrow: "That kid can handle a young lady all by himself. My presence would only bother him." Xiao Duan looked away, his expression cold as he stared ahead. What was supposed to be a serious conversation about the case had come out sounded so unethical coming from his mouth.

The path beside the attic was shady, with tall trees providing shade on the other side and lush bushes on both sides, making the path seem somewhat eerie. A cool breeze swept by, and Xiao Duan couldn't help but shiver slightly. Zhao Ting glanced at Xiao Duan, a hint of a smile flashing in his deep eyes, his thin lips curving slightly: "Cold? Or afraid?"

Xiao Duan remained silent, continuing to walk forward without changing his expression. Zhao Ting frowned. He was usually the type to ignore others when they spoke, but ever since he met Xiao Duan, he had been almost always the one trying to talk to him, only to be ignored by Xiao Duan!

After navigating the winding path, the view suddenly opened up before them. Behind the pavilion was a garden, where seven or eight young women sat in small groups, heads bowed, folding something. Xiao Duan looked around, his delicate brows furrowing deeply. Zhao Ting was also puzzled. The garden wasn't large; you could see the end of it at a glance. High walls surrounded it on both sides. The two people had clearly left, turned left, and followed that path; how could they have vanished so quickly?

Several young ladies sitting and folding origami flowers noticed the newcomers. A woman in a pink dress was the first to stand up, give a curtsy, and then said with a slight smile, "Are you two gentlemen from the government here to investigate a case?" Seeing the two men nod, the woman continued, "The layman has already mentioned it to us. Gentlemen, please feel free to ask us anything. We will tell you everything we know."

Xiao Duan's gaze turned cold: "Layman?"

The woman in the pink dress nodded and gestured for the two to sit at another table: "After Sister Zhou's accident, our humble abode lost its leader. Fortunately, we still have a lay Buddhist to help us make decisions..."

Xiao Duan frowned slightly: "I wonder if we could meet the lay Buddhist that Miss mentioned?"

The woman hesitated for a moment, then a woman sitting on the other side making paper flowers smiled and said, "Tonight we're going to the Broken Bridge together to pray for Sister Dieyou... Oh dear!" The woman was halfway through her sentence when she hurriedly touched her calf. She saw that the girl sitting next to her had her head down and her hands were still moving. Only her rapidly fluttering eyelashes, like butterfly wings, betrayed her somewhat flustered state of mind.

Zhao Ting suddenly changed the subject: "I wonder if you all saw two women just now, one dressed in green and the other in blue."

The woman in pink shook her head firmly: "No. We've been sitting here since lunch, and we haven't seen the person you described."

The girl who had interrupted earlier parted her lips slightly, as if she had thought of something. She hesitated for a moment, then bit her lower lip, pursed her lips, and lowered her head to continue folding paper flowers.

Xiao Duan glanced sideways at Zhao Ting, as if to say, "Do you have any more questions?" Zhao Ting shook his head almost imperceptibly. The two stood up, thanked the woman in pink, and turned to walk back the way they had come. They walked quietly for a short distance before Zhao Ting turned to look at Xiao Duan, his thin lips parting slightly: "What do you think?"

Xiao Duan shook his head slightly and said softly, "We'll talk about it together later."