In his heart, Xiao Jiang truly believed Zhang Xiaobai was hiding a woman in his room and didn’t want him to know. He was determined to find that woman.

After all, if someone as neither-woman-nor-man as Zhang Xiaobai was really hiding a woman in his room, if this got out, it would definitely cause a sensation.

He wanted to be a gossip expert!

So while joking around, he wandered about the room, but there really was no woman in the room, nor was there any place to hide someone. Even the windows were closed.

How boring!

Zhang Xiaobai wasn’t stupid either. Holding the costumes, he stood at the door staring at him. “Seen enough? Is there a beauty here or not!”

“Haha!” Xiao Jiang scratched his head, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“Hurry and leave, don’t disturb my rest.”

“Alright, alright, you rest well, old man.”

Xiao Jiang was about to leave when he inadvertently noticed some white powder on the table and floor. His mind worked quickly, and as he passed the table, he used his finger to dab some of it.

He hid his hand behind his back.

Only then did he leave!

As he went out, he said to Zhang Xiaobai again, “Oh, next time you want costumes washed, just find me. I’ll give you a discount.”

Zhang Xiaobai didn’t even look at him and slammed the door shut with a “bang.”

Xiao Jiang stood at the door, pursed his lips, then looked at the powder on his finger with full curiosity and sniffed it with his nose.

He frowned slightly.

This was medicine for treating scratch wounds!

“What? Zhang Xiaobai is injured?” he muttered, but didn’t think much of it. He wiped the white medicinal powder from his fingertip onto his clothes and left.

Inside the room.

Zhang Xiaobai hung up the costumes one by one.

Only then did he remove his clothes and continue applying the medicine!

Early the next morning.

The sky had just brightened when a group of constables rushed into the back courtyard of the Zhao Family Troupe.

“Hand over Zhang Xiaobai.”

Huh?

The people in the troupe were all confused!

What did they want Zhang Xiaobai for?

The lead official saw they weren’t moving, so he ordered his men, “What are you standing there for? Hurry and find him.”

“Yes!”

“Wait.” Troupe Master Tao had been sleeping in his room ever since returning from the yamen last night. Having just gotten up to see this scene, he walked over with a tired expression and asked, “Officers, what’s going on?”

“Magistrate Zhuo has ordered us to bring Zhang Xiaobai to the yamen for questioning.”

“This… why is this?”

“Why? Because he very likely is the murderer who killed Wang Jun.”

“Ah?”

Everyone was shocked!

The lead constable gave an order, “Go arrest him.”

Soon, Zhang Xiaobai, who had just gotten out of bed, was brought over by two constables.

“What are you doing? Let me go, I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Whether you killed someone or not, we’ll know once we get to the yamen.”

Don’t let Zhang Xiaobai’s short stature and thin build fool you—the strength in his wrists was quite formidable!

Two constables couldn’t even budge him.

“Be obedient.”

“I didn’t kill anyone. You can’t take me to the yamen. What if you beat a confession out of me? That would be terrible!”

Oh my!

Little rascal, quite clever actually.

The lead constable, with his two dark eyebrows furrowed, walked up to him. “Zhang Xiaobai, if you have anything to say, say it at the yamen. If you dare resist again, I’ll break your legs.”

He immediately became obedient!

After the person was forcibly taken away, Troupe Master Tao and the people from the troupe all followed.

At the same time, Ji Yinshu also received the information.

After visiting Song Zhi at the prison last night, she had returned to the inn. This morning she heard that people from the yamen said Magistrate Zhuo had arrested Zhang Xiaobai and brought him to the court hall.

Planning to interrogate him!

Ji Yinshu and Jingrong immediately went over.

When the two arrived at the yamen, the area outside the court hall was already surrounded by people.

Zhang Xiaobai was kneeling inside.

Jingrong had her first observe the situation from outside the court hall. The two stood among a crowd of people who had come to the yamen to watch.

Among the spectators was Troupe Master Tao, nervously watching inside, also very worried.

They could only hear Zhang Xiaobai crying out from inside, “Your Honor, I’m wronged!”

Magistrate Zhuo sat above, looking at him coldly. “Zhang Xiaobai, this official has already ordered an investigation and confirmed that you and Wang Jun have always had a bad relationship. Back then, you were supposed to be the Zhao Family Troupe’s male lead, but at that time, Wang Jun married Zhao Zhuang’er, the proprietress of the rouge shop, so he stole your male lead role. You harbored resentment in your heart, didn’t you?”

“I… didn’t.”

“This is a court hall. If you dare lie, this official will have you beaten with the rod.”

Zhang Xiaobai was most afraid of pain and most afraid of having scars on his body. He furrowed his thin eyebrows and said, “Yes, I did have a bad relationship with Wang Jun. I also resented him for stealing my male lead role, but… but I wouldn’t kill someone!”

“Because your accumulated resentment was great and you were unwilling to continue being Wang Jun’s understudy, plus this time Wang Jun performed in ‘The Ghost Bride Buries Her Husband,’ the play became popular, and he became popular too, so you developed murderous intent.”

“I didn’t!” Zhang Xiaobai said anxiously. “The troupe master already promised me that after the next play, I could be the male lead. Why would I still kill him? To bring trouble upon myself?”

“Even if what you say makes sense! However, before Wang Jun went to find Song Zhi, someone personally witnessed you and Wang Jun having an argument in a small alley behind the Zhao Family Troupe. At that time, Wang Jun even hit you, and you declared you wouldn’t let him off, even saying you would skin him alive. Is this true?”

Uh!

There was such a thing?

Zhang Xiaobai felt somewhat guilty. “I…”

Magistrate Zhuo snorted and ordered, “Bring up the witness.”

Two constables brought in a hunched old woman from outside.

As the constables pushed through the crowd of spectators, they accidentally bumped into Ji Yinshu.

Jingrong immediately protected her, and at the same time, a large hand also reached over, supporting her elbow.

Only then did she avoid the danger of falling.

Ji Yinshu looked down and saw that the hand supporting her wrist was very large, and that person’s wrist was wrapped in bandages. Because the bandages were somewhat loose, she could clearly see small red spots on the wrist, densely packed and quite disgusting.

When she looked up, that person had already withdrawn his hand and immediately tucked it into his sleeve!

That person was none other than Gao Dali, tall and burly with a full beard, but with the face of an honest man.

She said softly, “Thank you.”

Gao Dali didn’t know she was the bone-painting expert the yamen had invited to work on the case.

He simply said, “Just a small favor.”

The old woman was brought inside and knelt on the ground.

Zhang Xiaobai turned his head and looked at her strangely.

In his memory, he didn’t recognize this person at all.

Magistrate Zhuo asked the old woman, “This official asks you, do you recognize the person beside you?”

The old woman glanced at Zhang Xiaobai and nodded. “I recognize him. He’s Zhang Xiaobai from the Zhao Family Troupe.”

Her voice was trembling.

“Then do you recognize Wang Jun or not?”

“I recognize him.”

“Then did you personally witness Zhang Xiaobai and Wang Jun arguing? And did you see Wang Jun hit him at that time?”

The old woman buried her head even lower, her body shrinking to the side, afraid that the “murderer” Zhang Xiaobai would take her life as a witness right there on the spot.