Snow falls and the wind blows - Chapter 110
The warm, strong hand holding his own gradually conveyed a comforting feeling. Duan Chen recalled the scene of the man holding him and whispering to him last night, and a sweet feeling welled up in his heart. The panic that had swept over him earlier also faded considerably.
The others noticed the change in the two men's expressions. Zhao Ting glanced at the woman again, then frowned and looked at the two men: "What's wrong? Do you know this person?"
Zhan Yun's eyes were slightly cool, and his voice was a little dry: "She is the person that the Third Prince sent to steal Yu Sheng last night."
Zhou Yufei's mind was a little blank: "How could this be... She, shouldn't she have been imprisoned by Kaifeng Prefecture!"
Zhao Ting frowned deeply: "Those two were in the city last night!"
After piecing together the events, everyone understood without Duan Chen's explanation. These two had likely been selecting targets in the city the previous night, and somehow learned that Kaifeng Prefecture was investigating the Seven Sheng Sect case. Therefore, they changed their plans, abandoning their chosen target and instead capturing and taking the woman away. Later, after the trial concluded, Zhao Qi and his group drove back to their suburban villa. The two followed closely behind, but finding Zhao Qi's residence not far from their lodgings, and anticipating Duan Chen and his group would eventually visit, they decided to bring the woman back there and torture her to death.
A bloody hole appeared in the woman's chest, her eyes wide open, as if she couldn't believe someone could act so quickly and take her life in an instant. A corner of white silk was visible inside her half-open robe. Duan Chen reached out and pulled it out, revealing a letter written in tiny, blood-red characters on half of the silk, clearly addressed to Duan Chen and the others.
The handwriting was clearly different from the letter left by the man surnamed Bai in Kushui Town last time, and the signature on the letter was also seven elegant regular script characters: "Qi Sheng teaches the Seventh Young Master's pen." The content of the letter, however, was somewhat unexpected. This Seventh Young Master not only generously admitted that he was the one who handled the previous cases, but also expressed his disdain for Yu Sheng's matter. He called the Third Prince and Zhao Lin "reckless scoundrels" who did not know how to act elegantly, no different from Jin Xiaobai and the others before. Finally, he also kindly advised everyone not to continue to search for his whereabouts, because when they arrived here, he had already settled in a village dozens of miles outside Bianjing City.
Xiao Changqing stared at the woman's chest for a long time, then tore off a piece of satin from the foot of the bed, wrapped it in his hand, and reached into the deceased's chest. He then wiped the object he had taken out with the cloth and placed it on a clean handkerchief. When everyone gathered around to take a look, it turned out to be a lustrous black jade flute.
Afterwards, the group found the inkstone that the Seventh Young Master used to prepare "blood ink" on a windowsill, as well as a small wolf-hair brush with blood on its tip.
The group had no choice but to close all the windows and doors, then take a carriage back to Kaifeng Prefecture and send several constables to transport the body back.
The white silk letter written in blood, along with the black jade flute, was handed over to Lord Cao as evidence in the case. Although the case was solved and a jade flute was recovered, the murderer remained at large. Duan Chen and the others had never felt so frustrated! At first, they were completely clueless, with someone getting ahead of them at every step; later, the clues gradually became clearer, but they still couldn't stop the two men's rampant behavior; in the end, they were even tricked, using the woman's corpse and the blood letter to demonstrate that everyone's every move was under their control, mocking Duan Chen and the others for trying so hard but failing to catch even a glimpse of them.
It's now completely certain that the two people seen outside the porridge shop yesterday were none other than the Seventh Young Master and the man surnamed Bai. That man was indeed a stunning beauty, but not a woman; he was a bizarre man who clearly enjoyed torturing and killing others. Duan Chen later calmed down and meticulously reviewed the many clues he had previously gathered, gradually figuring things out.
This man had an extreme craving for human blood, always targeting young men and women he perceived as possessing a special skill. He fantasized about gaining power from the dead through drinking their blood, harboring an unusual fascination with blood and the color crimson. His brutal killings of beautiful women were always more intense than those of ordinary men. Furthermore, he always took a red piece of jewelry afterward and admired himself in a mirror, suggesting a strong aversion to his male identity. The top scholar, on the other hand, was not only exceptionally talented but also renowned for his handsomeness in the capital. This seventh young master likely only saw the victim's face during the crime, losing control in the process and committing such heinous acts.
Duan Chen explained his deductions one by one, and everyone agreed that they made sense. Xiao Changqing immediately slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "No wonder all the handsome men in Bitter Water Town were 'chopping' off! It turns out the sect leader himself is abnormal, so he can't stand seeing others do well!"
Duan Chen frowned slightly; she hadn't considered that. Zhou Yufei, standing to the side, feigned sudden realization: "No wonder I couldn't tell his true gender at all that day. His face was so smooth and shiny; it turns out he's not a man anymore!"
Xiao Changqing rolled her eyes at him and said with a sneer, "You're the first person in the world to mistake a eunuch for a woman!"
Zhou Yufei's lips twitched, and he gritted his teeth as he explained, "Just looking at his appearance, you really can't tell he's a man!"
The group chatted as they walked towards the Zhuangyuan Tower. They had originally agreed to celebrate at the tower once the case was solved. Although the culprit hadn't been caught, the case could be considered solved, and considering the previous events involving the Third Prince and Zhao Lin, it was indeed worth celebrating.
Duan Chen took the opportunity to send the blood-red jade hairpin, which the murderer had deliberately left in the Mu residence, along with a portrait of the Seventh Young Master that Zhou Yufei had specially commissioned an artist to paint, to Li Lingke.
...
Two days later, Xiao Changqing and Zuo Xin bid farewell to everyone and hurried back to the main hall of Jiangling Prefecture. Zhan Yun also privately discussed with Duan Chen that they would first return to Xingyun Manor in Suzhou, and then discuss where to go next.
When the Seventh Prince and Zhou Jixiang heard that Duan Chen was leaving, they were both very unhappy. But the two old men weren't stupid. They had seen that Duan Chen and Zhan Yun were getting along very well these days, and they couldn't possibly go against Duan Chen's wishes. In addition, there was the relationship with Zhan's father, so they naturally couldn't go too far.
Zhou Yufei is currently working at the Ministry of Justice, so he's not as carefree as before and can't just leave whenever he wants. Although Zhao Ting doesn't have anything urgent at hand, he knows the two are headed to Xingyun Manor next. He wants to follow, but what excuse can he use? He wants to see Duan Chen every day, but at the same time, he also wants to see her sweet and intimate with another man every day. He's imagined their wedding day, and while his heart aches as if it's being squeezed, he also longs to see Duan Chen in her bright red wedding dress. But what happens after he sees her? Will he watch her leave, preparing to consummate her marriage with someone else?
On the day the case was solved, after leaving the Zhuangyuanlou restaurant, he dragged Zhan Yun out for a whole night of drinking. He drank like there was no tomorrow, and Zhan Yun drank with him. They finished several jars of wine, and then he punched someone in the face. Zhan Yun didn't hold back either, letting him vent his anger. A brother who's gone this far—you really can't ask for more. Besides, one of his lifelong principles is never to steal a brother's woman. Moreover, that person didn't even have feelings for him.
Zhao Ting had been thinking for the past two days, but still couldn't come up with a suitable reason to go to Suzhou with these two. On the day of their departure, as they walked to the city gate, Zhao Ting realized for the first time how short the distance from the Prince's residence to the city gate was. So short that he wasn't prepared, so short that he still couldn't think of a suitable excuse, so short that he couldn't decide what to say as his last words.
Just before boarding the carriage, he closed his eyes, avoiding looking at Zhan Yun's expression, and pulled Duan Chen into his arms, whispering something in her ear. For the first time, the person in his arms did not struggle, quietly letting him hold her for a while.
Finally, the moment he released her arm, Zhao Ting opened his eyes to look at her, his eyes smiling. He reached out and gently pushed her into Zhan Yun's arms, whispering two words: "Take care."
Zhan Yun pulled the person into his arms, and smiled slightly, saying, "Take care of yourself too."
Zhou Yufei watched from the side, arms crossed, a slightly unruly and lazy smile playing on his lips. Just before the two were about to board the carriage, he suddenly stepped forward and tossed a brocade box into Duan Chen's arms.
The light green bamboo curtain slowly rolled down, and Duan Chen, unusually, waved to the two men, revealing a faint smile. Zhao Ting, caught off guard, turned his head away, and a clear drop of water fell onto the bluestone slab, quickly evaporating in the bright sunlight.
The carriage slowly drove out of the city. Duan Chen turned to look at Zhan Yun, her clear, cold phoenix eyes holding a faint smile and a thin glint of tears. The moment Zhao Ting pulled her into his arms, she clearly saw the expression in Zhan Yun's eyes, and, almost imperceptibly, a slight shake of her head, signaling her not to refuse. At the same time, a hoarse voice with a slight nasal tone sounded above her head, uttering three words, one by one: "I love you."
Author's Note: There will be an update tomorrow at 9 AM!
Regarding the case:
This case involves a little bit of modern psychological analysis, and I think everyone can understand it, right?
The only coincidence in the case is that Jingyi's residence and the Seventh Young Master's residence are not too far apart.
This was something no one had expected; Seventh Young Master was simply one step ahead of Duan Chen and the others in discovering and utilizing this fact.
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Regarding the romantic subplot and its subsequent development:
In the next volume, Zhao Ting, Zhou Yufei, Xiao Yiyi, Qing Zi, and others will appear in turn; it won't just be Zhan and Duan.
Because the setting is in the Jiangnan region, and it's the last volume of this story, the atmosphere will feel different from the previous volumes.
If I had to put it in a nutshell, it would be that it's returned to the writing style of the first two volumes, far removed from the martial arts world and the imperial court, warm and gentle.
The two chapters tomorrow and the day after are quite heartwarming and sweet; those who don't like that kind of reading can skip them. (*^__^*)~
97
Chapter One: Threads of Love and Thoughts...
Night falls.
Xingyun Mountain Villa.
A delicate floral fragrance drifted through the courtyard, accompanied by the soft chirping of cicadas. Duan Chen wore a snow-white dress, her hair simply tied in a bun, with stray strands brushing against her cheeks and gently tucked behind her ears. She half-reclined, half-leaned in the other person's arms, the old wicker chair creaking gently as it rocked.
Zhan Yun lifted her up slightly, reached out a hand to her chest, picked up the jade pendant, and gently stroked it with his fingers.
The pendant is clear and delicate, with a cool touch even in the sweltering summer. It is a rare find among cold jade, and it makes a perfect pair with the white jade pendant I wear around my neck. The green jade is cold and hard, while the white jade is warm and soft. At first glance, each of their shapes resembles a curved water droplet, but when put together, they form a perfect circle.
Zhan Yun released the pendant, his fingers slowly stroking the fair neck of the woman in his arms, his crescent-shaped eyes revealing a hint of deep thought. He had originally thought that Yi Ran had no feelings for her whatsoever, but after they got into the carriage that day, when he opened the brocade box that Yi Ran had thrown to him and took out the pair of jade pendants, Zhan Yun was not without shock.
He had heard of the pendants before. It was said that Zhou Qianbo had acquired them by chance decades ago and always treasured them, not letting anyone touch them. Zhou Yufei had once mentioned that if he were to get married someday, his father would give the pendants to his future daughter-in-law as a gift, to express his gratitude to her for taking in this unfilial son and to save his parents from worry.
Noticing that the person in his arms was tilting her head slightly, her gaze following the bright moon on the horizon, Zhan Yun smiled and gently kissed her earlobe: "What are you looking at?"