A bright red five-fingered mountain appeared on the woman's fair face, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears. Unable to break free from the man's grip, she clung tightly to the wall with her other hand, her cries heart-wrenching and despairing: "Help! I really don't know him, and he's not his wife..."
"You bitch, I went through so much trouble to finally find you, I'll never let you escape again!" the man said hatefully, raising one foot high and stomping down hard on the woman's slender leg.
"Bang!" The man's foot didn't land on the woman's leg; instead, he was kicked three or four meters away, staggering back four or five steps before regaining his balance.
Looking up, he saw a beautiful woman standing where he had stood. Her face was stunning, her clothes fluttering in the sunlight behind her, making her look like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting.
The rude man's eyes gleamed with lust, full of amazement. But when he saw the rough woman next to Shen Lixue, he quickly suppressed his lust and shouted angrily, "Who are you to dare meddle in my business?"
Shen Lixue pointed at the woman in coarse cloth who was being helped up by Yan Yue: "You said she is your wife, then may I ask what her name is?"
Shen Lixue has seen countless people. While she can't say she's 100% accurate in judging people, she's 80% sure she's right. This woman in coarse cloth has clear eyes and simple manners, unlike the cunning woman who might be having an affair. On the other hand, the man is fierce and ruthless, argumentative, experienced, and quite scheming.
"Xiao Cui!" the rude man snorted coldly, answering without thinking.
"Miss, my name is Xin'er, not Xiao Cui!" The woman looked at Shen Lixue and explained anxiously. Among so many pedestrians, it was rare to find someone who believed her, and she didn't want Shen Lixue to misunderstand as well.
"You wretched woman, not only did you run off with some random man, you even changed your own name!" the man cursed, and was about to come forward to beat the woman in coarse cloth again.
"What is her birth date and time?" In ancient times, people would match the birth dates and times of their spouses before getting married. True couples would know each other's birth dates and times.
Shen Lixue smiled slightly, her expression fresh and natural, yet her eyes were incredibly deep, subtly carrying a hint of demonic allure, making it hard for anyone to breathe.
The man felt a sudden, overwhelming shock, his mind going completely blank. When he regained his senses, he was terrified, drenched in sweat, and his voice, devoid of its previous confidence, stammered, "The year of Jiazi..."
"I wasn't born in the Jiazi year, I was born in the Yichou year!" The woman was overjoyed and tears welled up in her eyes as she was able to prove her innocence.
The rude man glanced at the woman and scoffed disdainfully, "She changed her name and doesn't even acknowledge her birth date anymore. These things are dead, and no one can prove them. Whatever she says, she says she was born last year, and we can't refute that, can we?"
"Hahaha!" A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd; what the man said did indeed make sense.
"Which village is she from?" Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth slightly, looking at the rude man with a half-smile. He was quite clever. Birth date and name can be changed anytime, anywhere, so they can't be used as evidence. Then she would ask a question that could be used as evidence.
The woman was dressed in plain clothes and entered the city alone without any bundles, so she must have come from a nearby village.
A layer of cold sweat beaded on the rude man's forehead. He seemed surprised that Shen Lixue would ask such a question. Seeing the suspicious gazes of the crowd on him, he became anxious and shouted angrily, "Little Li Village!"
"I misspoke, I misspoke! I'm from Xiaowuzhuang, my name is Wu Xin!" The woman happily wiped away her tears and looked at the crowd: "If you don't believe me, you can come with me to Xiaowuzhuang. Anyone in the village can prove my identity!"
"Do you dare go with her to Xiaowu Village?" Shen Lixue asked coldly, looking at the rude man.
All eyes were now on the rude man, who was sweating profusely, his heart pounding. His eyes flickered, and he turned and ran.
"Grab him, don't let him get away!" Everyone was stunned for a moment. Several burly men were the first to react. They rushed forward, grabbed the rude man tightly, and pressed him to the ground.
The rude man struggled violently, and his beard fell to the ground with a thud, revealing his smooth chin and his entire face to everyone.
"Hey, isn't that Lai San?" A passerby recognized the man.
"That's him! I remember he was sentenced two years ago for kidnapping respectable women and selling them into brothels. How come he's been released so quickly?"
"So that girl really is a respectable woman, and he's trying to kidnap her and sell her for money!"
"What a shameless villain! He's so cunning; we almost fell for his tricks!"
"Send off to the official, send off to the official!"
Several strong young men dragged the rude man to Shuntian Prefecture, hurling stones, rotten vegetable leaves, and rotten eggs at him.
"shameless……"
"It has caused immense harm..."
"Girl, thank you, thank you so much!" The rude man was taken away, and the crowd dispersed. The woman in coarse cloth looked at Shen Lixue with tears of gratitude in her eyes, thanking her repeatedly. If it weren't for Shen Lixue, she would have been sold into a brothel.
Shen Lixue smiled gently: "No need to be so polite. Next time you go to the capital, it would be best if you came with someone. It might be dangerous for you to go alone!"
"Thank you for reminding me, young lady. I will never go to the city alone again!" Wu Xin'er wiped away her tears, crying tears of joy.
"I never thought you could solve cases!" A familiar voice rang in her ears, and Shen Lixue was startled. She turned to look at the person who had come, and was met with Dongfang Zhan's handsome face, which was close to hers. His deep eyes were like the sea, vast and boundless, but could instantly submerge everything. A faint scent of ambergris enveloped her, and his warm breath sprayed on her face. The two of them were only two or three centimeters apart.
Shen Lixue suddenly woke up, quickly took a step back, glared at Dongfang Zhan, and said, word by word, "Prince Zhan, do you walk without making a sound?" He appeared in front of her suddenly.
"It was too noisy on the street. I walked lightly, so you didn't hear me!" Dongfang Zhan raised an eyebrow, his demeanor elegant and his smile gentle.
"How long have you been here?" Shen Lixue frowned as she looked at Dongfang Zhan. There was a pastry shop on the street, and the aroma was overwhelming. He smelled strongly of pastries, so he must have been standing there for quite some time.
"When you got off the carriage, I had just reached the intersection!" Dongfang Zhan had seen the whole story of the rude man and the woman in coarse cloth from beginning to end without missing a single detail. Shen Lixue always managed to surprise him unexpectedly.
"How did you notice that the man was acting strangely?" The rude man acted as if he were a pitiful man who had been wronged, behaving naturally without any sign of anything amiss. There were so many people on the street, yet no one noticed anything amiss with him.
Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth slightly and said arrogantly, "It's a secret!" She wouldn't tell Dongfang Zhan that something similar had happened in modern times, where the male protagonist impersonated a woman's husband or other relative and brazenly kidnapped her in front of everyone.
"Thank you for saving my life, young lady. You have friends to entertain, so I won't disturb you any longer. Farewell!" Wu Xin'er curtsied to Shen Lixue and prepared to leave.
"Take care, young lady!" Dongfang Zhan nodded and smiled politely at her.
Wu Xin'er was an ordinary commoner, and had never seen a prince as noble, elegant, and handsome as Dongfang Zhan. His gentle words of advice made her feel as if she were bathed in a spring breeze, and she blushed instantly. She lowered her head and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Thank you, young master!"
"Li Xue, you've come to Zui Xian Lou for a meal?" In an instant, Dongfang Zhan's gaze shifted from Wu Xin'er to Shen Li Xue.
"Yes!" Shen Lixue walked past him, hurrying forward, and answered indifferently.
Dongfang Zhan looked up and saw that the sun was already high in the sky: "It's noon, and Zuixianlou is probably already full. I made a reservation, so how about..."
"My fiancée is my own, so I need not trouble you, Prince Zhan!" With a cold male voice, a window on the second floor of Zuixianlou opened, and Dongfang Heng, dressed in white, descended from the sky. His handsome face and imposing aura made him look like a god of war!
His sharp eyes flashed with a dark, icy coldness as he stared at Dongfang Zhan!