Du Xiaowan wiped the tears from her face and continued,
“The two men talked for a long time. Then, for some reason, they started arguing and eventually fighting. After a while, it seemed like someone was chasing them. They threw me into a cellar in some ruins. Before they could properly cover the cellar, I heard a scream followed by a ‘thud,’ as if someone had fallen next to me. The other person then ran away.
The sack had loosened during the journey, so I managed to crawl out and call for help. But when I heard someone approaching, I feared it might be the accomplice who had fled, so I stopped shouting. It wasn’t until someone else jumped down from the cellar opening to rescue me that I realized the officials had come to save me.”
Hearing this, Shen Du let out a light chuckle, while Pan Chi beside him glared fiercely. What did she mean by “jumped down from the cellar opening”? He had been kicked down by Shen Du. If he could turn back time, he would be on guard against Shen Du and never let him kick him down.
After Du Xiaowan finished speaking, Magistrate Mo Qianzhi quickly asked, “When you heard the two men talking, could you tell from their voices if one of them was Xu Jize, who stands before us?”
Du Xiaowan observed for a while, then shook her head and said, “It was too dark, and the situation was dire. I was terrified and didn’t pay much attention. I couldn’t distinguish whose voice was whose.”
Even so, the last person she saw before fainting was Xu Jize, so he couldn’t be uninvolved.
By this point in the case, Zhu Yan had returned to Shen Du’s side. She had to admit, she was quite hungry from the late-night interrogation, and the pastries Shen Du had brought were delicious, making her reluctant to leave them.
Seeing Zhu Yan step back, Pan Chi quickly stepped forward and said, “Miss Du has explained everything. The last person she saw before fainting was Xu Jize. Even if he’s not the murderer, he can’t be uninvolved in this matter.”
Hearing Pan Chi’s words, the Du and Li families rushed forward to beat Xu Jize.
Especially Li Zimo, whose angry eyes looked as if he wanted to swallow Xu Jize alive.
Zhu Yan, while eating pastries and watching the commotion, muttered to herself, “This man is quite interesting. His words are so convincing, they almost sound true.”
Shen Du could tell Zhu Yan was being sarcastic. At the moment, she was focused on watching the scene unfold, not paying attention while eating, with pastry crumbs all over the corners of her mouth.
Without thinking, Shen Du raised his hand to wipe away the crumbs from her lips.
This gesture startled Zhu Yan. She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. As if her mind had gone blank, she blurted out, “Thank you!”
Shen Du was speechless. This woman gave him a headache.
In such a situation, shouldn’t she say something more ambiguous? Saying “thank you” seemed out of place. Did he need her gratitude?
Turning his attention back to the case, Magistrate Mo Qianzhi struck his gavel a few times and called out, “Silence! No misconduct in the court!”
Only then did the Du and Li families retreat to the side, though the anger in their eyes hadn’t subsided at all.
Mo Qianzhi looked at Xu Jize and said, “Xu Jize, at this point, do you have anything else to say?”
“Your Honor, I truly am innocent. When I saw the bride faint, I immediately left the room to avoid suspicion. As for why the bride fainted, it’s very likely due to her weak constitution and not having eaten all day, Your Honor.”
“And then? What else did you see?” Mo Qianzhi pressed on.
“Later, I had to relieve myself, so I went to the latrine. When I came out, I saw several figures slip into the bridal chamber. Worried about the bride’s safety, I hurried over and saw someone carrying a sack out through the side door. I followed, but my pace was too slow to keep up, and the distance grew.
After chasing for quite a distance, I saw a terrifying figure holding a knife, with the person who had abducted Miss Du lying beside her. I was too scared and ran back until I met the officials, which saved my life.”
Xu Jize’s account sounded logical and coherent, but Zhu Yan felt something was off.
Beside her, Shen Du also furrowed his brow, watching the scene in the hall. At this moment, Xu Jize continued,
“If Your Honor doesn’t believe me, you can ask around. I have an excellent reputation in my profession. I would never do anything to harm a bride. If I did, wouldn’t I be shooting myself in the foot?”
Hearing this, Mo Qianzhi fell silent and looked towards Pan Chi.
Pan Chi’s expression was cold, his eyes dark as if he too was pondering the twists in the case.
Mo Qianzhi then turned his gaze to Shen Du and Zhu Yan. Shen Du whispered something in Zhu Yan’s ear, causing her eyes to light up. She even gave Shen Du a thumbs-up before stepping forward.
Zhu Yan approached Xu Jize, first circling him once, then bending down as if smelling something on him.
Xu Jize nervously stepped back, asking uneasily, “What are you doing, madam? Men and women should keep their distance. If you have questions, just ask directly. Why come so close?”
Hearing Xu Jize’s words, Zhu Yan sneered, “Don’t misunderstand. I’m just investigating. Did you think I’d be interested in you?”
Xu Jize’s lips twitched. Of course, that wasn’t what he meant, but Zhu Yan’s closeness made him uncomfortable.
“I… I didn’t mean that” Xu Jize tried to explain, but Zhu Yan gestured for him to be quiet.
“Master Xu’s clothes are quite nice, and there’s even a peach blossom pattern on the collar. Did a woman embroider that for you?”
“Madam jests. I’m not yet married. How could there be a woman embroidering peach blossoms on my intimate clothing? I simply like peach blossoms and asked the tailor to add this pattern when I bought the clothes.”
“Oh…” Zhu Yan let out a meaningful sound before continuing,
“I smell a fragrance on you, Master Xu, and with the peach blossom pattern on your collar, I thought you might be married.”
“No, no, madam is mistaken.”
“I’m not mistaken about you.”
Zhu Yan’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“The fragrance on you isn’t ordinary. It’s a mixture of several floral scents. This kind of scent is only found in one place – brothels. Moreover, on your collar, there’s not only the peach blossom pattern but also a little bit of…”
Before finishing her sentence, Zhu Yan suddenly wiped Xu Jize’s neck, looking at the faint red color on her fingertip, and smirked, “Rouge.”
Xu Jize panicked and hurriedly explained,
“Madam, though I’m unmarried, I am a grown man with certain needs. I have an income, so visiting brothels to relieve myself isn’t inappropriate. Besides… even if these things prove my character isn’t great, it doesn’t mean I should be associated with Miss Du’s abduction case today.”
“Of course not. It’s normal for men to have such needs, and it’s understandable to visit brothels if you have the money. But this… what’s this?”
As she spoke, Zhu Yan suddenly felt Xu Jize’s chest.