Ma femme escalade le mur

Chapitre 119

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yufei's expression became even more pitiful. He quickly bypassed Zhao Ting and Duan Chen, ran to Zhan Yun's side, tugged at his sleeve, and pleaded in a low voice, "Xingzhi, I used to laugh at you for being so mild-mannered. I know I was wrong. This time, you really have to help me..."

Zhou Yufei initially thought he was quite adept at pursuing girls, always showing a mixture of disdain and mockery towards Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun. Especially regarding Duan Chen, he felt the two lacked decisiveness, or to put it simply, weren't thick-skinned enough or ruthless enough. Based on Zhou's extensive experience of frequenting brothels since the age of thirteen, he believed he could get someone into bed within a month if he wanted to.

But this time he ran into Yao Shu'er. He'd tossed and turned in bed several times, but she still ignored him. He figured even the male prostitutes at the mansion were treated better than him. Last night, Zhou Yufei lay on the floor all night, tossing and turning but still couldn't figure out what it was like. It wasn't until Zhan Yun said that he finally understood!

As the saying goes, "the stones from other mountains can be used to polish jade." Since his method didn't work on that girl, he should try a different approach. Clearly, Zhan Yun wasn't on his side, but the fact that he had even managed to win over someone as difficult as Duan Chen proved that he had some merit. Thinking this, Zhou Yufei opened his mouth and spoke well of Zhan Yun, praising both Duan Chen and Zhan Yun in a string of words, and repeatedly begging Zhan Yun for advice.

Zhan Yun chuckled at the news. He finally managed to get a chance to speak when Zhou Yufei took a breath. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Zhao Ting say, "We've arrived. Let's get down to business first."

Zhan Yun patted him on the shoulder and said gently, "There's plenty of time in the future," before following Duan Chen into the alley. Zhou Yufei had spent a lot of time trying to get some valuable advice out of him, but the young prince's words ruined everything. He immediately slumped his shoulders and followed the three of them dejectedly.

The four arrived at the alley corner where the body had been found the previous evening. They first walked along the alley to the exit, where they saw a teahouse and a cloth shop on either side of the entrance, and a rice shop across the street. After walking along the street for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at the Zhu residence. It seemed that Zhu Qiaolian and the maid had also wanted to take a shortcut home by walking through this alley, so they had neither called a carriage nor taken a sedan chair, but unexpectedly stumbled upon the body of Madam Ye.

Duan Chen stared at the teahouse on his left for a long time before suddenly turning to Zhan Yun and asking, "What's it like inside that teahouse in Suzhou?" Of the three dead in Suzhou, one was strangled in the alley behind the teahouse. The three of them had only gone there briefly to observe the surroundings but had not gone inside to investigate further.

Zhan Yun quickly realized that Duan Chen was asking about a place. Although she didn't understand why Duan Chen asked this, she patiently explained, "The teahouse has two floors, but there are no private rooms. The tea and snacks are just average. However, there are occasional opera performances, so it's quite lively and has a small reputation in the city."

Duan Chen's lips curled into a smile, a glint of light flashing in his phoenix eyes: "Let's go check out this place now." If her guess was correct, it should be...

Seeing her expression, the two people beside her knew she had thought of some clue, so the four of them went into the teahouse together. Once inside, they found the place empty, with a faint musty smell permeating the air. Tables and chairs were scattered haphazardly, and sunflower seed shells and peanut shells littered the floor.

The blue curtain leading to the inner room was lifted, and a waiter-looking man lazily walked out, bowed to the four men, and said with drooping eyelids, "Gentlemen, you've come early. Our shop only opens after 5 PM every day. If you're in a hurry for tea, please find another place."

As he spoke, he turned to walk back, but Duan Chen quickly grabbed him: "Young man, does your teahouse have a theatrical troupe performing tonight?"

The young man chuckled and replied with half-closed eyes, "Yes! If you gentlemen want to hear a performance, you'd better arrive early in the evening. The troupe is from out of town, and the songs they sing are genuine and fresh. Many guests who arrive late have to stand to listen..."

The other three also figured out something by now. Zhan Yun took out a piece of silver from his waist and handed it to the man: "Could you please save us a good spot, one with a good view and some privacy? We'll definitely come to listen tonight."

The waiter smiled and agreed, bowed to the four of them, and went into the inner room.

After leaving the teahouse, the group turned back into the alley to investigate. Crossing the high wall on their left, they reached the backyard of the teahouse. Zhao Ting nodded thoughtfully, then glanced at Duan Chen: "Now it seems there's a 70% chance the crime was committed by someone from this opera troupe." If they could confirm tonight that the troupe had indeed come from Suzhou, they could essentially start investigating the suspects within their ranks.

Zhan Yun smiled and looked at Duan Chen: "How did you come up with this, Chen'er?"

Duan Chen smiled slightly and said softly, "Last night, when I was standing by the window, I saw a group of people carrying flags and brightly colored things walking by..." At the time, she hadn't thought about it in detail, but just now, seeing a teahouse outside the alley, Duan Chen suddenly thought of a possibility. If the murderer was also with the opera troupe, then it wouldn't be hard to explain why this person's whereabouts were so elusive, and why they didn't stay in one place to commit crimes.

Previously, everyone took it for granted that this person intentionally traveled around committing crimes, so the more they thought about it, the more perplexed they became. But what if it wasn't the murderer's intention? Traveling around was part of his profession, and being homeless was part of his daily life. In that case, many things would make sense.

This morning's visit to the alley entrance was quite fruitful. After returning to the government office, I greeted Li Qinglan and the others, explained the basic situation, and the four of us had lunch together. We agreed to meet outside the teahouse in the evening.

When the appointed time arrived, Zhou Yufei did not appear despite waiting for a long time. Duan Chen, Zhan Yun, and Zhao Ting were already together, while Zhou Yufei had rushed back to the inn after lunch. Moreover, he was restless and uneasy for the entire half day, probably thinking about Yao Shu'er and how to please his sweetheart.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, seeing more and more people pouring into the teahouse, Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun exchanged a glance, frowned, and said, "Let's go in first. Anyway, that kid is very quick-witted, he'll definitely find us when he gets here."

Zhan Yun smiled and nodded, putting away her folding fan. She pulled Duan Chen along, following Zhao Ting towards the teahouse. Her expression remained calm, but a hint of worry lingered in her heart. Although Zhou Yufei usually seemed carefree and irresponsible, he was never ambiguous when it came to serious matters, especially at crucial moments. Could he have caused trouble again…?

The three men went inside and quickly found the young waiter from that morning. The man, his initial weariness gone, was now full of energy. Upon seeing them, he hurried over: "Oh! Gentlemen, this way please." He held the cloth over his elbow and said with a grin, "The play is about to begin. Today's performance is truly excellent..."

Soon, the young man led the three to a table. The table was near the pillars, not too close to the stage, but it offered a panoramic view of the entire teahouse, including the stage. The shadows cast by the pillars made it relatively secluded and less likely to attract attention.

After Duan Chen sat down, he looked around and exchanged a glance with the other two; their vision was indeed excellent. Zhan Yun tipped the young waiter a piece of silver and, waving his folding fan, smiled faintly, "I have something I'd like to ask you about, young man."

The waiter's eyes lit up as he took the silver, tucking it into his pocket like a treasure, his eyes crinkling with laughter: "Sir, please ask away! As long as I know the answer, I will definitely explain it to you."

Zhan Yun glanced at the two men talking by the stage. The older one was gesturing and giving instructions, while the younger man nodded repeatedly. The waiter followed Zhan Yun's gaze and smiled knowingly, "Oh, the older one is the troupe leader. And the younger one next to him, oh dear, you gentlemen, haven't you seen him? He's extremely handsome! I heard he's the troupe leader's youngest son, but he won't be singing the first act."

Duan Chen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked with half-lowered eyes, "Which troupe came from? Do they really sing that well?"

The young man chuckled, put down the teapot, and wiped the water off his hands: "We really don't know which side they're from. But we heard they sang in Suzhou before, then Huzhou, and finally all the way to Hangzhou. They won't be staying for many more days. Last night I heard the troupe leader talking to our boss, saying that after three more days of singing, they'll head south to Muzhou."

Duan Chen didn't look up, only a slight smile played on his lips. Zhan Yun continued, following up on the previous question, "You just said that the young man isn't singing in the first performance, so who will sing?"

The waiter then introduced all the members of the opera troupe. Basically, these itinerant opera troupes are all one family; even if they aren't actually related by blood, they've certainly recognized each other as relatives, perhaps as sworn brothers or sisters, or with godparents. This troupe was no exception. The troupe leader was an old man, and he had three men and two women under his wing. The two girls were the troupe leader's own daughters, and of the three men, one was his youngest son—the one who had been talking to the troupe leader by the stage earlier. The waiter wasn't entirely sure about the other two.

After gathering all the basic information, Zhan Yun waved his hand, indicating that the waiter was temporarily free. The young man bowed slightly to the three of them and ran off to fetch the snacks and dried fruits for tea.

Zhao Ting turned around, about to speak to Duan Chen, when he heard a gentle voice behind him: "Young Master Zhan, Young Master Zhao, what a coincidence."

Author's Note: There will be an update this Saturday at 9 AM!

Don't worry, everyone~ The new article has a certain amount of drafts in reserve, which is why it can be published.

There are only a few chapters left in this story, and I want to try my best to write it well. Also, I'm a bit short on time lately.

105

Chapter Nine: On and Off Stage...

Upon hearing that gentle greeting, Zhao Tingchu's brow twitched, and his gaze towards Zhan Yun held both mockery and warning. When Zhu Qiaolian reached the table, she merely nodded indifferently before drinking her tea in silence.

Zhan Yun then closed his folding fan and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Zhu Qiaolian, still wearing a gentle smile on his face: "Boss Zhu."

Zhu Qiaolian glanced at Duan Chen out of the corner of her eye, a sweet dimple playing on her lips. "Are you all here to watch the opera too? Bi'er and I have been coming here quite often these days; the opera troupe's performance is truly excellent." Zhu Qiaolian bit her lip somewhat awkwardly. "Unfortunately, something came up at the manor today, so we're late..."

Zhan Yun quickly realized the meaning behind Zhu Qiaolian's words and was about to politely decline when Duan Chen spoke up first: "If Boss Zhu doesn't mind, you can share a table with us."

Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun were both taken aback, with the latter's gaze towards Duan Chen appearing somewhat complicated. Duan Chen, however, spoke with a completely calm expression, revealing nothing. Zhan Yun, who considered herself to know this person very well, was now unsure of her thoughts, and a feeling of tightness rose in her chest, making the faint smile on her lips slightly bitter.

Zhu Qiaolian simply smiled at Duan Chen, not responding to the conversation, but instead glanced at Zhan Yun. Zhan Yun's eyes were slightly cool, but his voice remained as gentle as ever: "Please go ahead, Boss Zhu."

These words sounded somewhat unfamiliar, but Zhu Qiaolian didn't seem to mind. She bowed to the three of them, thanked them softly, and sat down on the only empty stool. Bi'er poured her a cup of tea and gently fanned her with a silk fan.

While the group was talking, the play had already begun.

Duan Chen held his teacup, watching intently. Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun were also paying attention to the commotion on the stage, each lost in their own thoughts. Zhu Qiaolian tried several times to strike up a conversation, but seeing that none of the three intended to talk, she felt a little awkward and could only turn her head away to watch the play.