Li Cheng just sat there in a daze with a distressed expression.

His mind conjured countless possibilities!

Good and bad—he thought through them all one by one.

Ji Yunshu and Jingrong didn’t disturb him either, silently sitting in the teahouse’s private room for a long while.

Ji Yunshu also felt something was strange.

She too became lost in thought.

Jingrong looked at her and asked, “Still thinking about what the beggar said earlier?”

She nodded. “Mm… you really do understand me.”

Jingrong said, “Let’s go. We can’t delay the case any longer.”

“Mm.”

Jingrong stood up.

Ji Yunshu then said to Li Cheng, “Young Master Cheng, we’re going out for a bit. You should hurry back to the Metropolitan Court. If there are any new discoveries in the case, I’ll notify you promptly.”

Hearing this, Li Cheng finally came back to his senses and quickly asked, “Where are you going?”

“To find that beggar.”

To find the beggar?

Li Cheng stood up abruptly, somewhat agitated. “That beggar was spouting nonsense—why are you still going to find him?”

“To ask about some things.”

“About Du Mubai?”

“Mm.”

“You…” Li Cheng had intended to stop them, but the words that reached his lips were swallowed back down. “Do as you please. I’ll go with you. I also want to ask clearly what exactly is going on.”

“Young Master Cheng, it’s better if you don’t go.”

“Why not?”

“With you there, the case might not be able to continue. You entrusted this case to me, so you need to listen to me. If you’re there on the side, it will delay many things.” Ji Yunshu said directly.

Li Cheng felt both awkward and helpless.

In the end…

“Fine, fine, I won’t go.”

His bottom sat back down in the chair.

Before Ji Yunshu and Jingrong left, he couldn’t help but add, “You can’t believe everything the beggar says!”

…

After Ji Yunshu and Jingrong left the teahouse, they bought several piping hot meat buns on the street, then went to where that beggar was earlier.

After finishing his argument with Li Cheng, the beggar had rolled up in his straw mat and lay down in the same spot to sleep.

Normally, almost no one spoke to him, but today’s conversation was probably half a year’s worth of talking for him!

Even more unexpected was that he had actually gotten into an argument with government officials.

And almost got thrown into jail!

At this moment, snow was piled all around, yet the beggar was sleeping soundly.

Suddenly—

A fragrant aroma drifted over from far away.

The beggar stirred a few times.

His nose twitched.

That aroma made his mouth water.

Then he threw off the straw mat covering him and crawled up.

“Smells good.”

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw several steaming hot meat buns right in front of him.

For many days, he hadn’t eaten much hot food.

Immediately he licked his lips, saliva already flowing out.

Just as he was about to grab them with that filthy hand, reaching out, the buns were pulled back by someone.

He caught only air.

“Want to eat?”

The voice came from above his head.

The beggar looked up to see Ji Yunshu and Jingrong standing before him.

He immediately huffed.

Very unhappy.

“Why is it you two again?”

Jingrong waved the buns in his hand and asked, “Want to eat?”

Looking at the buns in his hand, the beggar desperately wanted to eat them!

Yet he immediately withdrew his gaze, leaning his whole body against the wall behind him. With the appearance of someone who wouldn’t accept handouts, he said, “You government officials, not one of you has good intentions. Why would you possibly give me hot buns for no reason? You must be like a weasel paying New Year’s respects to a chicken—up to no good.”

Jingrong’s brow furrowed slightly.

This was the first time anyone had ever compared him to a weasel!

Both annoyed and amused.

The beggar glanced at him and said, “Just say it—what exactly do you want? Want me to move away? Don’t even think about it. I’m staying right here and not moving.”

Jingrong found this fellow utterly adorable!

Then he crouched down, bringing their eyes level.

He pushed the buns in his hand closer to the beggar and said, “If you want to eat, you must honestly answer every single question we ask you!”

“Haven’t I already said everything you wanted to know? But you don’t believe me, so there’s nothing I can do. Go ask whoever you want—I’m not saying anything more anyway.”

“Fine then, I’ll just have to take these meat buns away.”

“You…” The beggar became anxious, staring at the meat buns, and his stomach suddenly began rumbling disgracefully… He rubbed his stomach and asked even more disgracefully, “Alright, you… what exactly do you still want to know?”

Only then did Jingrong slowly stand up. Ji Yunshu stepped forward, straightened herself, and said, “I ask you, are you certain the person who went in was Du Mubai?”

The beggar replied, “Of course I’m certain—it was him! Gaoding’s famous talented scholar, how could I possibly mistake him?”

“Just him alone?”

“Haven’t I already said? Just him alone, no one else.”

“Then when did he come out?”

“…Mm… he came out after dark.” The beggar tried hard to recall.

Ji Yunshu asked again, “When he came out, was it also just him alone?”

“Right, just him alone.”

“How long was he inside?”

“About…” The beggar suddenly paused, his eyeballs slowly rolling around, then looked at the buns Jingrong was holding and swallowed his saliva.

Jingrong immediately understood his meaning and took out one bun to give him.

The beggar immediately grabbed it.

Stuffing it forcefully into his mouth.

In the blink of an eye, he had finished it. After eating, he stood up preparing to grab the remaining buns in Jingrong’s hand. Before his hand could touch them, Jingrong pushed him away, saying, “If you want to keep eating, quickly answer the question from just now. Otherwise… forget about getting the buns—even this straw mat of yours, I’ll set it on fire.”

A blatant threat.

The beggar laughed, not expecting there to be someone even more cunning than himself!

He wiped his grease-stained hands vigorously on his own clothes a few times, then thought for a moment and said, “He probably… went in for about two hours. Mm… that’s right, exactly two hours.”

“Two hours?”

“Mm.”

“You’re certain that the entire day, aside from Du Mubai, no one else went in?”

The beggar nodded vigorously. “I hadn’t moved for several days, been sleeping right here. Definitely at that time only he went in alone.”

Strange, truly strange!

Ji Yunshu’s eyes darkened.

Jingrong also began pondering. The beggar took this opportunity to snatch the meat buns from his hand and without a word stuffed them forcefully into his mouth, afraid Jingrong would snatch the buns back.

Jingrong shook his head, helpless.

Then he glanced at Ji Yunshu and said, “Two hours, by himself? Why would one person stay inside for such a long time? What exactly… is in there?”

Ji Yunshu replied, “We’ll know once we go in and look.”

“Mm.”

Before the two went in, Jingrong commanded the beggar, “We’ll still have questions to ask you later. Stay here obediently.”

While wolfing down his food, the beggar said without even lifting his head, “Got it, got it… once I’m full, I’m not going anywhere.”