Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The highest-ranking official among the ten detectives, Mizhou Inspector Bai Qianfan, pondered for a moment before speaking. "During my investigations, I often have many peculiar habits—unrefined behavior, a reversed day-night cycle—that might lead my colleagues to ridicule me and could be quite off-putting. Therefore, I request to handle this case alone."
As expected, nearly everyone chose to work independently. This was true even in modern times; although cases were typically tackled collaboratively, those with strong investigative skills often preferred to think through problems without distractions.
Despite their reputation as detectives, these individuals were undoubtedly officials of the court, each one clear-headed and astute. For them, engaging in formalities and mutual flattery was far more tedious than focusing on solving the case. We held the status of county magistrates, which was humble indeed; we had no need to express our opinions, as the esteemed officials ahead of us had already decisively rejected the proposal for collaboration.
The only ones who remained silent besides us were Ruo Chanjuan.
Lord Fang Xuanling seemed to have anticipated everyone's choices. He simply smiled calmly and said, "In that case, after tonight's banquet, I ask you all to return to your inns early. The White Horse Temple is now heavily guarded by troops from Luozhou; no one is permitted to enter. I will send various documents to your inns shortly. You may arrange your time as you wish and enter the White Horse Temple for investigation at your convenience. You have one month to clarify this case. After one month, I will report the findings truthfully to the Sovereign and reward you accordingly."
His words were quite tactful, but even if we were foolish, we understood the main point. We had only one month; if we succeeded in our investigations, there would be rewards, but failure would bring consequences.
Upon returning to the inn, my mind was still occupied with the strange case of the White Horse Temple. With only a month at our disposal, every day was precious, and action was certainly required. Thus, I did not change my clothes or prepare for rest; instead, I left my room and headed toward Nie Qiuyuan's quarters.
I assumed he would be calling us for a meeting tonight. However, before I could approach his door, I noticed a graceful figure in a striking red dress knocking on my idol's door.
In the middle of the night, a woman alone knocking on a stranger's door?! My heart ignited with anger—what was she doing? This was utterly inappropriate!
I quickly approached Ruo Chanjuan and stood beside her. She turned to look at me without a hint of surprise on her face. I forced a flirtatious smile.
"Miss, why are you still awake at this hour? Are you feeling lonely in your heart? Would you like to grab a drink?" I suggested.
Up close, she truly was stunningly beautiful. I had thought Ye Liuhui was attractive until I compared her with Ruo Chanjuan; suddenly Ye Liuhui seemed like an inexperienced girl next to her, which only fueled my irritation further.
The beautiful woman's perfect face slowly broke into a smile; though lovely, it carried a hint of disdain and coldness.
"A drink? Are you sure you can handle your liquor?"
I was taken aback. How perceptive! Even someone as inconspicuous as me, a cheat in the tavern, had been noticed by her!
This was going to be tough; I might have to risk everything just to push her out of the way!
The door swung open with a creak, and Nie Qiuyuan stood at the entrance, looking expressionless at me, who was dressed in men's clothing and still trying to hide my embarrassment.
Cough, cough, this was simply too disastrous.
"What brings you here?" he turned to the beautiful woman.
Ruo Chanjuan smiled charmingly, the hostile disdain that had just been thrown at me vanished without a trace.
"My lord has fallen ill suddenly, and time is of the essence. Chanjuan did not bring anyone else along. As a lone woman, I find myself rather isolated. So, if Lord Luo does not mind, could you take me along when your county investigates?"
"Chief Hunter, among those who have come this time, there are many high-ranking officials. Why must you insist on teaming up with an obscure figure from Yichuan County?" Nie Qiuyuan raised an eyebrow and asked coldly.
Yes! Yes! I nodded repeatedly in my mind; this was indeed suspicious!
Ruo Chanjuan smiled lightly.
"I am merely a Chief Hunter under the Legal Officer; I doubt I can reach the heights of other lords."
Implied in her words was that among all of us, only our positions were low enough to speak freely.
"Chief Hunter, if we are to team up, we should involve our county magistrate Lord Nie. Coming here in the middle of the night to find the County Constable might not yield any results!" I couldn't help but retort sarcastically.
I secretly glanced at Nie Qiuyuan. A fleeting, inexplicable expression crossed his calm face, as if he was about to smile or perhaps feeling something else entirely, but it vanished in the blink of an eye.
Could it be that seeing such a beauty stirred something in his heart, even if he didn’t show it?
Ruo Chanjuan didn’t respond to me; instead, she pursed her lips into a faint smile, her eyes solely fixed on my handsome companion.
Nie Qiuyuan remained unfazed and simply said, “There’s nothing wrong with that. The more people we have, the more strength we gain. I’m sure Lord Nie wouldn’t refuse. It’s getting late; you should head back, as it’s not very convenient.”
The beautiful woman nodded seductively and turned to walk slowly down the corridor, not even glancing at me.
How could he agree to her? I was furious and turned to leave, but then I heard a voice behind me laced with amusement:
“Ye Shenbu, come in and talk.”
I turned back to see Nie Qiuyuan wearing a very faint smile, glancing towards his room.
He wanted me… to go to his room?! Oh my gosh! What was happening?
I felt a rush of excitement, almost forgetting the unpleasantness that had just occurred. But I still had my principles and dignity. I pouted and said indignantly, “We are different genders; it’s quite late after all, so it’s really not convenient!”
I repeated his words to Ruo Chanjuan.
His smile widened: “You’re not a woman right now; there’s no need to be concerned!”
I had entered his room, half-pushing my way in. If he had changed his mind and refused to let me in, I might have found some excuse to stubbornly squeeze my way through anyway. Sigh, that's just how people are!
"I'll make you some tea," the handsome guy said gently. "Da Chun and Lin Jiu will be here soon."
"…"
How foolish of me to think otherwise; it was indeed the time for the evening meeting I had suspected.
"Hey? Liuying, you came so early?" Luo Dachun exclaimed as he pushed the door open, surprised. They arrived too quickly, leaving no chance for me and the handsome guy to be alone.
"Let’s go to White Horse Temple together tomorrow morning," Nie Qiuyuan suggested. "I thought about it and feel we should start from the scene."
We all nodded in agreement.
"And about that Yingzhou Ruo Chanjuan, the Chief Hunter…" As Nie Qiuyuan spoke of her, an inexplicable irritation surged within me.
"You agreed to her?" Luo Dachun asked in surprise. "That's not like you! Could it be that you really like her?"
I secretly rolled my eyes at Luo Dachun, trying not to let him notice. It was incredibly frustrating. Yet, I had to admit, why did his words bother me so much?
"One more person means one more strength," the handsome guy replied ambiguously without elaborating further.
Comment 0 Comment Count