Her guess was right; the person inside the room was indeed someone connected to Shui Yue Rou.
An Xin glanced at the group and immediately recognized their identities.
Standing by the window was a young girl, with plain features and nothing particularly special. She was dressed simply and had her hair styled in a maid's bun. She must be Ying Gu, Shui Yue Rou's personal maid.
The handsome but thin scholar sitting upright at one side of the square table must be Xu Huai'an, Shui Yuerou's lover.
As for the fierce-looking woman sitting on the soft couch and the lewd-looking middle-aged man, they should be Shui Yue Rou's aunt Li Qiu Xia and uncle Fu Xin Ren!
They were also looking at An Xin with unfriendly expressions. After all, no one would be happy to be placed under house arrest as a murderer.
"How rude of you! Why aren't you setting up a seat and pouring tea for the master?!" An Xin's eyes darkened as she coldly shouted!
Everyone was startled. An Xin had already turned around, smiled innocently at the person behind her, and then pushed him in front of her.
Outside, Minghe is being shrewd; this woman is definitely the first to dare to so blatantly exploit the Right Chancellor!
The four people were clearly taken aback and hurriedly stood up. Without exception, they all stared at the person in front of them with amazement—this adult was too young, too beautiful, and too unfamiliar!
The official waved his folding fan and said lazily, "I only drink West Lake Longjing tea."
An Xin nearly stumbled behind her, thinking to herself: This girl is too immersed in the role!
Seeing the four people standing there dumbfounded, An Xin said in a deep voice, "Didn't you hear what the adults said?!"
The four of them snapped out of their daze. Ying Gu, used to the work of a maid, hurriedly picked up the teapot, but her worry was, where could she find West Lake Longjing tea?
An Xin was quick and agile, and hurriedly pulled out a rattan chair, saying respectfully, "Please, sir."
He glanced at her, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes, but without any hesitation, he leaned back in his chair and sat down casually.
An Xin's eyes gradually cleared. Once she started working on a case, she would concentrate fully. Details were often the key to solving a case, and she was certain that the murderer was among these four people. All she had to do was confirm her answer.
"Answer me three questions. First, where were you all when Shui Yue Rou died? Second, when was the last time you saw Shui Yue Rou? Third, where are the witnesses who can prove your innocence?"
An Xin disliked idle chatter and getting straight to the point was simply her nature. However, these three questions caused varying degrees of change in the expressions of the four people. Finally, Xu Huai'an spoke first: "I left Yi'an County to go to the capital for the imperial examinations, but I failed repeatedly. Forced by circumstances, I made a living by writing calligraphy. When Rou'er died, I was still in the capital. During those days, many people asked for my calligraphy, and I was usually busy until late at night. By the way, that night the moon was as bright as a silver plate, and I even composed a poem for the moon. I gave the poem to my good friend Bai Chuan, who stayed at my house that night. He can testify that the last time I saw Rou'er was three years ago on the Mid-Autumn Festival. When I proposed breaking up, Rou'er slapped me and then walked away without looking back. I haven't seen her since."
Yinggu carefully offered the teacup and said in a low voice, "My lord, we don't have West Lake Longjing tea here..."
The adult, accustomed to a life of luxury, glanced at the tea with extreme disgust and said coldly, "If that's the case, why pour it at all?" With displeasure, he flicked his hand, and the teacup shattered with a "crack," spilling scalding tea all over Ying Gu.
Yinggu was terrified and knelt down with a thud, repeatedly begging for mercy, "This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"
The adult said coldly, "Then go die!"
An Xin's lips twitched involuntarily. He really thought he was an adult! Putting on airs and acting all high and mighty! With that kind of talent, he should be an actor!
Ying Gu's right hand trembled incessantly; the tea had already scalded it, causing blisters. An Xin patted her forehead, turned around to block everyone's view, took a deep breath, and then leaned forward slightly, speaking through gritted teeth in a kind and gentle manner: "My lord, since there's no West Lake Longjing tea, would you mind making do with this?"
He raised his eyelashes, his fingertips supporting his forehead, and lazily looked her over.
She was very close to him, and her eyes seemed to be naturally warm, as he could see. Her smile was warm, yet there was an invisible, refined air about her, as if hidden between her brows, which quickly melted away his displeasure.
She gritted her teeth yet put on a friendly demeanor, which he found very endearing. She was like a snow-white, furry little beast that looked harmless, but once touched, it would reveal her sharp claws.
His eyebrows curved into a smile, which spread like ripples on water. He readily agreed, saying, "Okay."
An Xin gritted her teeth and said, "Then, can Ying Gu receive treatment?"
He smiled good-naturedly and said, "Okay."
An Xin then gave him a "you know what's good for you" look. When she turned around, Xu Huai'an had already taken the medicine and was bandaging Ying Gu. Li Qiuxia and Fu Xinren stood to the side watching coldly, and An Xin keenly caught a hint of schadenfreude in their expressions.
Xu Huai'an seemed to be left-handed, whether applying medicine or bandaging, he always used his left hand. An Xin couldn't help but think of a boy next door. When she was young, she would play a mystery game alone in the backyard of her house and would always see a boy in a white shirt leaning against the French window reading. That boy was left-handed, whether writing or drawing. Later, she noticed that when he opened the window and waved to her, he did the same. However, she always had a fear of strangers at that time, so she turned around and ran away.
The next time I saw the boy was at the funeral home. He was lying on a clean white sheet, and he had stopped breathing and died of leukemia.
She thought that if time could turn back, she would run to him when he waved, because they were both so lonely.
The sudden cracking sound snapped An Xin back to reality. Her face stiffened, and she forced a smile, asking, "My lord, what are you going to do now?"
Chapter Twelve: Take Off Your Clothes
"As you can see." The adult raised his chin at her, then pinched his temple listlessly. "Smash the cup."
"..."
Who said they weren't afraid of god-like opponents but were afraid of pig-like teammates?
Well said!
However, she rarely lost focus; just now, staring intently at Xu Huai'an made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
Li Qiuxia stepped forward and said, "My lord, I did not harm that girl. When Yue Rou died, I was still in the shop. There were many customers that night, and I was busy until very late. Many people can testify to that. As for this dead man, he never left the casino and did not return until the next morning. He was completely drunk and looked like a limp rag. How could he have killed someone?"
Fu Xinren nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, the last time I saw Yue Rou was a month ago. At that time, she had already been selected as a concubine. I only saw her from afar. I never expected her to die so suddenly!"
Yinggu said timidly, "I have always been with Miss. Before Miss died, she wanted to eat xiaolongbao, but it was already late at night and the shops had closed. I had no choice but to knock on the door. The shopkeeper still had some left. I begged the shopkeeper for a long time before he agreed to sell them to me. When I got home, Miss... had already had an accident!"
Li Qiuxia suddenly jumped up and shouted, "It must have been you, you vile slut, who killed Yue Rou! You poisoned the steamed buns and killed her!"
Ying Gu exclaimed in shock, "I didn't! How could I possibly poison you, Miss!?"
Li Qiuxia snorted, "You think I don't know? A month ago, you stole Yue Rou's gold bracelet and she beat you up after she found out. Because you resented her, you went to the pharmacy and bought arsenic. You dare to say that you didn't poison her with arsenic?!"
Ying Gu's face suddenly turned pale, and she took a step back in fear.
An Xin narrowed her eyes.
Li Qiuxia said sarcastically, "I told you long ago, outsiders can't be trusted! If that brat had given me that gold bracelet, how could a lowly girl like you have stolen it? It's the thief within the family that's hardest to guard against!"
Xu Huai'an said, "Aunt, there may be some misunderstanding."
"Aunt? Who's your aunt? I don't remember having such a poor nephew as you!" Li Qiuxia's sarcastic remarks made Xu Huai'an blush with embarrassment and lower his head awkwardly.
An Xin said coldly, "With the lord here, enough nonsense!"
Li Qiuxia's body suddenly trembled, and she hurriedly smiled apologetically, "My lord, what I said is all true. You see, even Yinggu is frightened, isn't she?"
Ying Gu trembled, gritting her teeth as she said, "Don't you have any motive? When Miss was young, you beat her repeatedly, almost killing her! Didn't you push her into the water to get the gold bracelet she had? If it weren't for me, Miss would have died long ago!"
Li Qiuxia's voice immediately rose to a shrill tone: "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Ying Gu, seemingly insane, pointed directly at Fu Xinren and said, "Didn't he have a motive? He lusted after Miss's beauty and harassed her repeatedly. When Miss refused, he beat her and even threatened to kill her! I did buy arsenic, but I didn't make Miss take it!"
Ying Gu sneered: "Then where did that girl get the arsenic in her body? You dare say you didn't put it in there!?"
The sharp argument clearly displeased the official, who coldly and indifferently said, "Shut up, all of you."
The volume wasn't loud, but it seemed to have the overwhelming pressure of Mount Tai, instantly silencing the arguing people.
An Xin remained silent, lost in a state of deep thought that kept everyone at arm's length. Their argument was enough to show that all of them had a strong motive to commit a crime, except for Xu Huai'an, who seemed to have no motive at all!
She already knew who the murderer was, but she was struggling to find evidence against him!
Whether in ancient or modern times, accusing someone of a crime requires sufficient evidence! Without evidence, your accusation is unfounded and constitutes slander! According to modern law, even baseless slander is a crime!
Moreover, when she received news of Shui Yue Rou's death, the murderer had already fled for a long time, and the evidence had probably already been destroyed... An Xin's gaze suddenly fixed on one spot, and then her pupils burst with extremely bright light—she had it!
"Take off your clothes!" An Xin suddenly said.
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was stunned.
Minghe, who was standing outside the house, almost spat out his water. What kind of twisted sense of humor is this guy!
Xu Huai'an stared at An Xin with a strange expression and said, "Miss, this...this is a bit inappropriate..."
An Xin raised the corners of her lips: "How is it inappropriate? I think it's perfectly appropriate, don't you think, sir?" At this moment, she smiled confidently and radiantly, her eyes as bright and beautiful as spring sunshine.
The adult smiled, his eyes rippling with a lazy smile, and said, "Indeed."
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. "If the adults are so sensible, then fine, then take them off..." The adults' tastes are truly bizarre...
An Xin casually gathered everyone's robes and said calmly, "It's been many days since we found the murderer. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. The murderer's method wasn't difficult. What was difficult was..." The difficulty was that ancient technology was underdeveloped and there was no fingerprint recognition. Otherwise, the murderer would have been caught long ago! It's not surprising that there were many complicated cases involving enemies in ancient times!
"Who is the murderer?" Xu Huai'an asked anxiously.
An Xin smiled slightly, raised the robe in her hand, and said, "I have the murderer in my hands, but I will have to wait until tomorrow to tell you." Before that, she still needs to go to Shuiyue Pavilion again to find something.
The adult, who seemed to be bored out of his mind, got up and said lazily, "Well, since that's the case, why don't we go for a walk at Shuiyue Pavilion?"
An Xin gave him a strange look. Could this be considered a kindred spirit?
---Aside---
This chapter is a bit short, but I'll update more tomorrow. The number of favorites isn't great, I've completely lost motivation, and I'm feeling really lethargic. So, ladies, will you add this to your favorites?
Chapter Thirteen: Those Who Can Recite Poems Aren't Afraid of Those Who Can Compose Them
An Xin is always decisive and efficient. Having someone else around would only be a burden. Besides, the sooner she gets to Shuiyue Pavilion, the better. The person in front of her is so slow and lazy, which is indeed a burden!
"Hello."
He raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly and asked, "Hey, who is it?"
An Xin was too lazy to explain. She raised her finger to the sky, then moved her wrists and did a few stretching exercises. Then she bent down, put her hands on the ground, and assumed a standard starting position.
He asked, "What are you doing?"
An Xin said, "I'll go first!"
Then the girl suddenly took off running, her body like a running leopard, with extraordinary agility and grace. She left a trail in the wind and a fragrance in her wake, and disappeared from his sight in an instant.
Minghe, who had followed, was dumbfounded. After a long while, she finally came to her senses and asked, "My lord, what did she mean by pointing to the sky just now?"
With a hint of amusement in his eyes, he raised a languid smile, like a dreamlike illusion, and said, "Heaven knows."
...
Just as An Xin had predicted, the thing was still there.
An Xin carefully picked it from the flower branch, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and smiled slightly.