Ji Yinshu didn’t sleep all night, sitting on the bed with her arms wrapped around her knees, head raised, staring at that small window before her.

From darkness gradually brightening!

Until the second day!

Throughout the entire night, her heart was inexplicably restless and uneasy.

She even had an ominous premonition!

She didn’t know how much time had passed when the prison door was suddenly opened and someone walked in.

The footsteps were very light, as if afraid of disturbing her.

Cautious and careful!

The county magistrate stood behind and to her side, his eyeballs pressed tightly beneath his eyelids. He exhaled a breath.

He called out softly, “Yinshu…”

That tone clearly mixed with regret!

Ji Yinshu’s eyes moved slightly, seemingly flickered by the light from outside that window.

She pressed her slightly pale lips together but didn’t intend to respond.

The county magistrate sighed, his face showing a conflicted expression, his hands rubbing together in his official sleeves. He opened his mouth.

His tone was low and heavy. “Early this morning, this official received… received a report saying that the murderer has been found.”

Hm?

Ji Yinshu already vaguely sensed the hesitation in the county magistrate’s tone!

She planned to continue listening to what he had to say.

“Luan’er, she… she’s dead! She committed suicide out of fear of punishment—hanged herself.”

“…”

Suddenly, those eyes that showed no ripples abruptly took on a trace of shock.

She turned to ask, “What did you say?”

“Luan’er, she… she hanged herself.”

Her body trembled violently, the arms hugging her knees tightened, her palms clenched into fists.

The unease of an entire night now surged from her chest to the tip of her nose, to her eye sockets—slightly red and sour!

Bearing a painful feeling!

After a long while…

“When?” Her voice trembled lightly, hoarse and heavy!

“Last night at the hour of midnight.”

“Where?”

“In a room in the west courtyard of the Ji estate.”

In that instant, tears pooled in her eyes. As her eyes closed slightly, they spilled out!

Forcefully enduring that pain in her chest, she bit down hard on her teeth, her sharp thin nails digging into her flesh. Blood and flesh pressed together, carrying a faint bloody smell.

In such shocked stupor, Ji Yinshu appeared calm and quiet on the surface.

But the heart beneath this shell was riddled with holes!

She should have thought of it, should have thought of it early on!

The county magistrate behind her smacked his lips. Though reluctant, he still spoke.

“The coroner has already examined her—she did indeed commit suicide. Moreover, nearby they found a note that Luan’er left behind. She recounted all her crimes one by one. Yinshu, you’re safe now.”

Yes, Luan’er had confessed to the crime—she was safe now!

She was free!

As he finished speaking, the county magistrate handed that note to her.

Ji Yinshu’s reddened pupils glanced at it and took it. On the paper, those crooked characters were indeed Luan’er’s handwriting.

“She has already admitted that she was the one who administered the poison. The purpose was to prevent you from marrying into the Wei estate and becoming the fool’s wife, so that night during the banquet, she put toxic poison in the wine.”

The county magistrate recounted the contents of that letter.

There weren’t many words on the letter, but it took all responsibility upon itself.

Ji Yinshu’s nails, stained with some flesh, lightly traced across the paper surface.

Luan’er’s characters—she had taught her to write them.

The feeling of heartache was like these densely packed characters, stroke by stroke, like knives cutting into her chest!

When her fingertip traced beside the last character of the signature—

She stopped!

Below the black characters was a blurred fingerprint!

Her expression condensed. This broad fingerprint absolutely was not Luan’er’s.

Moreover, the fingerprint was pressed beneath the characters, so it must have been imprinted before this letter was written.

She brought that spot close to her nose and sniffed. Besides the smell of ink, there was actually also a scent of kumquat!

What did this represent?

She raised her eyes, understanding.

Carrying a trace of shock!

She murmured softly, “Luan’er didn’t commit suicide.”

Hearing these words, the county magistrate was shocked. “Didn’t commit suicide? Could she have been killed by someone? But the coroner said she did indeed commit suicide!”

Could the coroner have examined it incorrectly?

Ji Yinshu moved her knees and got down from the bed, tears in her eyes but her face grave.

“Where is Luan’er’s body?”

“The Ji estate’s people sent it to Yi Zhuang.”

She put away that note, said nothing, and quickly left the prison cell.

The county magistrate chased a few steps before stopping, scratching his head in confusion!

Fortunately, the murderer had already confessed, and Ji Yinshu was also safe now.

Outside the prison, the Ji estate had sent someone to pick her up.

It was an old nanny from beside Old Madam Ji.

Seeing Ji Yinshu come out, she stepped forward. “Third Miss, I’ve received Old Madam’s orders to come pick you up and return to the estate.”

Her expression was cold and indifferent as she bypassed this old nanny and walked forward.

“Third Miss, where are you going?”

The old nanny caught up and blocked her path.

“Move aside.”

“Right now, everyone at the estate is waiting for you. You should come back to the estate with me first.”

She seemed to be ordering her.

Ji Yinshu’s stern, solemn eyes glanced at her, making this old nanny’s body tremble.

That gaze was as if she wanted to kill her.

Ji Yinshu said coldly, “You go back and tell my father and grandmother that if there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding Luan’er’s death, I definitely won’t let anyone off. A killer must pay with their life!”

“Ah!”

That old nanny was so frightened her face turned pale.

When had that delicate and weak Third Miss ever had such fierce eyes?

When had she ever spoken such knife-like words!

While she was still frozen in place, Ji Yinshu had already left in hurried steps.

Before long, she arrived alone at Yi Zhuang.

At this moment, Fu Bo was just pulling a white cloth to cover Luan’er’s body. Seeing her arrive, he very consciously pulled the white cloth open again.

He silently stood to one side.

Ji Yinshu stood at the doorway, her eyes red-rimmed, walking step by step to Luan’er’s body.

Luan’er lay on the cold wooden board, her face deathly pale, those eyes that had always been flowing with tears now tightly shut.

“Luan’er…”

Ji Yinshu reached out her hand, lightly touching Luan’er’s ice-cold cheek. Suddenly shuddering, her fingertips withdrew back into her sleeve.

Tears also fell in a rush. Thinking of these five years living together with Luan’er in mutual dependence, she had long ago regarded her as her own family.

She had even thought that once she saved enough silver, she would prepare a dowry for Luan’er and marry her to a good family.

Not seeking great wealth and honor, not seeking delicacies from land and sea!

Only hoping they would work when the sun rose! Return when the sun set!

But she never expected that before enjoying her prime years, she would leave this way!

“Didn’t I tell you to listen to me and not get involved in this matter? Why didn’t you listen? Now, how can I have peace of mind?”

Extremely distressed!

Fu Bo sighed and came over with his stooped waist.

He said, “Everyone will die. Some die peacefully, some die with grievances, and some die for a purpose. A person is nothing more than an empty shell—what truly lives is the soul. When a person dies, they also live. When a person lives, they also die. Dead or alive, why care?”

Ji Yinshu took a deep breath, withdrawing the tears from her eyes, and looked at Fu Bo beside her.

She asked him, “Fu Bo, if it were you, what would you do?”

Fu Bo smiled faintly. “Yinshu, for these five years, you’ve been sketching bones and examining corpses—hasn’t it been to redress grievances for the people of this world? Now, you must not act on emotion. What needs to be investigated still needs to be investigated.”

After speaking, Fu Bo turned around, hands behind his back, bent at the waist, saying as he went, “It seems this time, there’s no need to burn white vinegar water.”

His voice gradually faded…

Ji Yinshu pressed her small, pale lips together, working hard to organize her emotions.

Then, putting on gloves, she examined Luan’er’s body.

The body was already somewhat stiff, limbs straight. At the lower abdomen, lividity had already appeared. Looking again at the purplish strangulation marks at the throat, running diagonally from the throat up to behind the ear root.

Prying open the mouth, the tongue also showed a slight upward curl.

The judgment—it was indeed death by hanging.

She wasn’t surprised!

Taking off the gloves, she looked quietly at Luan’er and said, “Luan’er, a life for a life—I definitely won’t let off the person who forced you to commit suicide.”

She pulled the white cloth over and slowly covered Luan’er’s body.

After leaving from inside, seeing Fu Bo burning incense outside, she said nothing and departed.

Returning to the Ji estate from Yi Zhuang—it was already an hour after her release from prison.

This time, she didn’t enter through the side gate of the west courtyard, but walked through the main gate.

She entered openly and honorably!

In these five years, this was also the first time she’d walked through the main gate since her soul had transmigrated!

A fine drizzle fell from the sky, seeming to lay a layer of frost on her ink-black long hair!

Those fluttering, lively eyes also opened resolutely beneath slightly wet lashes. Following her footsteps, they slowly extended to the Wei estate’s great hall.

The Ji family members sat in the great hall, pairs of sharp gazes placed on her body, as if they wanted to flay her alive.

Ji Yinshu also met those gazes without avoiding them.

Water droplets from her hair bun seeped into the clothes at her shoulders, clinging to her skin. That coldness seemed to add a degree to the cold light in her eyes!

It actually caught the entire Ji family off guard with a chill!

She lifted her steps and entered the great hall, her back straight, her expression cold and indifferent, but her cold eyes full of stern energy.

Ji Shuhan became angry, rebuking loudly, “Didn’t I send someone to pick you up? Now you’re already safe—what more do you want to make a fuss about? Haven’t we lost enough face?”

Making a fuss? Was she making a fuss?

Lost face? What face had been lost?

Luan’er was dead—to these people, was she just a cold corpse?

Her thin lips curved in a cold smile as she looked at her own father and asked, “Is human life equivalent to grass and weeds?”

“You…”

Ji Shuhan was slightly shocked.

Old Madam Ji said in a muffled voice, “Yinshu, the person is already dead. That girl killed people and committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Although you are her mistress, don’t be too emotional. If she killed someone, then she killed someone. She herself…”

Before she could finish, Ji Yinshu interrupted her.

“Luan’er didn’t kill anyone.”

That voice, as firm as ice shards, pierced toward the eardrums of those around her!

Those seated looked at each other in dismay.

Smack—

Ji Shuhan slammed the table and stood up.

He roared angrily, “This matter is already concluded—don’t mention it again!”

Don’t mention it?

She would mention it anyway…

“Luan’er didn’t poison anyone. She was also forced to commit suicide by someone.”

“Shut up!” Ji Shuhan roared furiously. “I don’t care how she died. In any case, for the future of my Ji family, no more incidents can occur. You’ve already come out safe and sound—just consider that Luan’er died in your place, and it’s not worth regretting.”

“I won’t let this matter rest. I will definitely find the true murderer and obtain justice for Uncle Wei, Aunt Wei, and Luan’er!”

As her words fell!

Smack——

A heavy slap landed on her originally deathly pale face.

Ji Yinshu turned her face to the side, her cheek bright red. She slowly turned her eyes, looking directly at this vicious man before her.

Her cold eyes gradually darkened, radiating a suffocating, frightening rage!

“I guarantee—this is the last time you strike me!”