Pan Chi vehemently resisted Shen Du’s grasp, stepping back. “If you want to chase, go by yourself. I won’t go. I’m a detective, not a bounty hunter. I’m not responsible for tracking in the middle of the night.”
“What did you say?” Shen Du glared at him menacingly, clenching his fists with an audible crack.
“What, you want to fight? You think I’m afraid of you?” Pan Chi said, quickly assuming a fighting stance.
Seeing this, Zhu Yan hurriedly stepped forward to restrain Shen Du. “Alright, alright. He’s not wrong. I’ll go with you to search.”
Hearing Zhu Yan’s words, Shen Du’s expression softened slightly. He gave Pan Chi a cold look. “Such little courage. You’re a disgrace to manhood.”
Zhu Yan was suddenly startled. Was such a harsh statement necessary for such a trivial matter?
As expected, Pan Chi became angry. He stepped forward, saying, “Who are you calling a disgrace to manhood? If it’s just about chasing the culprit, I’ll go with you. No need to be so petty, is there?”
After speaking, he winked at Zhu Yan, who smiled awkwardly in response.
Pan Chi continued, “Madam Zhu is a woman and doesn’t know martial arts. She’ll need someone to look after her on the way. If we encounter the culprit, you can chase while I stay behind to protect her.”
The atmosphere, which had just begun to ease, became tense once again due to Pan Chi’s words.
Shen Du’s eyes darkened. Since when did his woman need protection from others?
“What did you say?” Shen Du’s sudden question left Pan Chi confused.
Instead of directly answering Shen Du, Pan Chi turned his gaze to Zhu Yan. “Did I say something wrong again?”
Zhu Yan shrugged, indicating she was helpless in this situation.
Fortunately, she understood Shen Du well. He was a man of unpredictable temperament, often flying into inexplicable rages.
To avoid wasting more time, Zhu Yan once again tugged at Shen Du. “Alright, alright. If we delay any longer, who knows what might happen to the bride.”
As she finished speaking and was about to lead Shen Du away, he suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.
“You stay here and wait. We’ll go.”
Shen Du commanded in a deep voice. Before Zhu Yan could react, he had already grabbed Pan Chi by the shoulder and dragged him out.
Zhu Yan didn’t even have time to see Pan Chi’s shocked expression before they disappeared from her sight.
Zhu Yan’s lips twitched. The situation seemed to be spiraling out of control…
She massaged her forehead with a helpless expression. Shen Du was cold and arrogant, while Pan Chi was humorous and gentle.
Would these two completely different personalities be able to catch the culprit together?
Would they end up fighting on the way due to disagreements?
Zhu Yan dared not think further. After all, Shen Du had left her behind, not wanting her to interfere in the matter between the two men.
Shaking her head helplessly, Zhu Yan could only search for clues where she was.
She retraced Pan Chi’s steps back to the bridal chamber. On the table stood the dragon and phoenix candles. She lifted the auspicious dragon and phoenix bedspread to find red dates, peanuts, longan, and lotus seeds spread on the mattress.
Everything seemed in order, with no signs of disturbance. It was indeed as Pan Chi had said – there was nothing unusual.
Zhu Yan took a deep breath. Somehow, her intuition told her that this case was more complex than she had imagined.
Without dwelling on it further, Zhu Yan continued searching for clues. She moved from the bridal chamber to the living room, where she could hear the voices of guests talking in the side hall.
Perhaps they had been waiting in the side hall for too long with nothing to do, making the wait unbearable and causing some complaints.
The guests had started to chat idly.
One woman said, “We thought today would be a joyous occasion, and we came to partake in the happiness. Who would have thought such a thing would happen? It’s truly infuriating. We’ve been stuck here for so long without being allowed to leave. When will they finally let us go?”
“Exactly! I have matters to attend to at home, and it’s already so late. Are they planning to keep us here until dawn?” another woman complained.
“Come now, let’s not grumble so much. The officials are doing this to solve the case. We should just follow their instructions,” an elderly uncle chimed in. “Although today’s wedding took an unexpected turn, it has been quite an eye-opening experience for us.”
“What kind of experience could we possibly gain? It was just an ordinary wedding. Apart from the master of ceremonies doing an exceptional job, I didn’t see anything special,” another woman said haughtily, her face flushing slightly at the mention of the master of ceremonies.
“That’s precisely what I’m talking about,” the uncle continued. “It must have been challenging for him. The role of master of ceremonies is typically more suited for women, with very few men in the profession. But look how excellently he performed. Perhaps in the future, more men should be allowed to join this line of work.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” one woman retorted. “This isn’t exactly a prestigious occupation, and it involves a lot of interaction with the bride, which can be quite inconvenient. What man would willingly choose this profession?”
Hearing the other woman’s comment, the uncle sighed resignedly. “You have a point. Wasn’t it because Xu Jize found the path of the imperial examinations too difficult that he entered this profession?”
“I’m impressed you remember that. Speaking of this Xu Jize, who in our town doesn’t know about him?” another woman added.
“He came from a decent family, but he struggled with the imperial exams. With many restrictions and no one to recommend him, he didn’t have any particular talents in life except for his quick wit and… passable looks. So he entered this profession. Who would have thought he’d become so renowned in this field?”
“I think you’re just jealous. You’re both masters of ceremonies, but the Li family chose him for their wedding instead of you,” someone teased.
“Why state the obvious? I used to think I was quite good at this, but after seeing him today, I realized there’s so much I need to learn. I really should study more.”
“Hehe…”
Hearing all this, Zhu Yan became curious about this master of ceremonies.
Having found no clues in the main hall, she walked to the side hall and joined the crowd.
“I couldn’t help but overhear your discussion about the master of ceremonies. He seems unique. I wonder if he’s here? I have a close friend who’s also preparing for her wedding, and I’d like to inquire about some related matters.”
Zhu Yan’s sudden appearance surprised everyone present. They were taken aback by her unfamiliar face, striking beauty, and official attire. Female officials were rare in these parts, but upon hearing her explanation, they lowered their guard.
“Milord, when will we be allowed to leave? It’s already so late. Surely you don’t intend to keep us here overnight?”
Instead of responding to Zhu Yan’s inquiry, they began voicing their complaints to her.