Upon arriving at the Li residence, they discovered that after the incident, Scholar Li had wisely detained the guests, saving them considerable effort.
Magistrate Mo, Shen Du, and the others led people to investigate separately, but after a thorough search, they found nothing unusual. This was rather strange, as perpetrators usually leave traces. Moreover, it seemed impossible for someone to abduct a living person without leaving any clues.
Magistrate Mo took out the guest list again and, after counting those present, realized a few people were missing.
“Find them,” Mo ordered immediately, dispatching men to search. “Bring them back as soon as you locate them.”
“Yes, sir,” the yamen runners promptly obeyed and left to search.
At this moment, Zhu Yan noticed some scratches near the side door. Upon closer inspection, she found not only scratches but also a torn corner of the couplet on the door frame. The jagged edge suggested it was done in haste. Could this be where the bride was taken?
Scholar Li was wealthy and of some status. The couplets for his son’s wedding should have been new. Comparing the color of the door frame, it appeared to have been repainted, yet there were scratch marks here. This dispelled any suspicion about the Li family; if they were truly dissatisfied with the marriage, there would have been no need to renovate.
Zhu Yan gently touched the scratched area. The paint had solidified, but a piece was missing, and the position was low as if made by a foot.
“The bride must have been surprised when taken away, accidentally scraping this spot in her panic…” Zhu Yan murmured, her eyes focused intently.
Pan Chi, emerging from the bridal chamber, noticed her. Glancing at Shen Du, who was still questioning guests, he smiled slightly. He crouched beside Zhu Yan, observing the scratch marks, and asked, “For a wedding, why would part of the couplet be missing? Moreover, the entire door frame shows signs of renovation, yet the paint has peeled off here. It doesn’t seem normal.”
Hearing Pan Chi’s analysis, Zhu Yan turned to him, “Your analysis is spot on. I thought the same. By the way, did you find anything on your end?”
Pan Chi shook his head slightly, “I came from the bridal chamber, passing through the living room, corridors, pavilions, and rockeries to get here. I didn’t find anything significant until I saw you and noticed this unusual spot.”
Pan Chi’s voice was magnetic, and his words carried a hidden meaning. Zhu Yan’s cheeks flushed.
“I just happened to notice it first. If you had come here to investigate earlier, such an obvious clue wouldn’t have escaped your eye.”
Pan Chi smiled, “Lady Zhu’s attention to detail and wisdom are well-known. There’s no need for such modesty.”
Zhu Yan’s heart suddenly quickened. It was one thing for others to praise her, but Pan Chi’s repeated compliments made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
“Was there nothing in the bridal chamber?” To break the awkward feeling, Zhu Yan quickly changed the subject.
“Nothing,” Pan Chi said firmly. “There were no findings all the way here as if it were deliberately concealed.”
“That’s right then,” Zhu Yan smiled mischievously, touching the scratch on the door frame again. “The bride was taken out through this side door after being abducted.”
Seeing Pan Chi’s smile, Zhu Yan realized he had guessed it too, just waiting for her to reveal it.
As if involuntarily, he also reached out to touch the scratch mark. Their hands suddenly touched, and Zhu Yan quickly withdrew hers.
Pan Chi seemed to realize something too, but his expression remained unchanged. He continued, “Everything here is brand new except for this scratched piece. It must be a clue left by the panicked bride.”
Zhu Yan nodded, standing up somewhat awkwardly, “We think alike. The person was indeed taken out from here.”
Pan Chi also stood up, saying meaningfully, “It seems we should send people to search from this point.”
At that moment, Shen Du, who was questioning guests with Magistrate Mo, suddenly felt uneasy and worried about Zhu Yan. This woman had been away from his side for who knows how long, and he wondered if she might encounter any danger. Moreover, being unfamiliar with the place, what if she got lost?
With these thoughts, Shen Du quickly began searching for her figure among the crowd.
Inadvertently, his gaze fell on the side door. Before he could feel relieved at seeing her silhouette, he noticed another person standing beside her.
He again, is truly like a persistent ghost.
The two standing together were of a suitable height, and they seemed to be in animated conversation.
This scene not only caught the eye but also greatly displeased him.
However, given the importance of the matter at hand, Shen Du didn’t explode. He simply walked over to the two and coldly questioned, “With such an important event unfolding, do you two still have the mood to chat leisurely here? What have you been discussing?”
“Of course, we’ve been talking about the case. Where else did the Grand Academician’s mind wander?” Pan Chi’s words were truly provoking. Shen Du glared at him fiercely, “I was speaking to my wife. When did it become your turn to interject?”
“Ah?” Pan Chi feigned innocence, looking at Shen Du like a naive child. “So the Grand Academician was asking Lady Zhu. I merely answered on her behalf, with good intentions. Why is the Grand Academician taking it so seriously?”
“Am I taking it seriously?” Shen Du stepped forward, directing a murderous gaze at Pan Chi.
This Pan Chi seemed to speak without thinking, occasionally touching Shen Du’s bottom line. He wished he could tear the man before him to pieces.
Seeing Shen Du’s anger, Pan Chi remained fearless. As for who was being serious, his behavior spoke for itself.
“Pfft…” Watching the two, Zhu Yan couldn’t help but laugh. Having been woken up in the middle of the night, Zhu Yan’s hair was undone, falling loosely, her face unpowdered, yet it couldn’t hide her melodious laughter.
Pan Chi laughed along, as if in harmony.
“What’s so funny? Find it amusing?” Shen Du turned his piercing gaze towards Zhu Yan, startling her.
“No,” Zhu Yan immediately sobered up, hurriedly explaining, “I just suddenly thought of something happy. I’m sorry, it was inappropriate of me.”
Seeing Shen Du’s gaze fixed on Zhu Yan, Pan Chi quickly changed the subject, crouching down to touch the scratched part of the door frame.
“Why is there a piece of paint missing here? It looks like someone deliberately left it.”
Shen Du finally shifted his gaze from Zhu Yan, following Pan Chi’s hand without crouching down.
Indeed, there were scratch marks. With no other findings elsewhere, only this spot showed traces, surely left by either the kidnapper or the bride.
“Come, let’s go after them together,” Shen Du said harshly, grabbing Pan Chi and heading towards the exit.