Ji Yunshu told Li Shiyan, “I’ll hide in the artificial hill in the courtyard. After the people outside come in, I’ll take the opportunity to leave.”

“I know what to do!” Li Shiyan said.

Ji Yunshu didn’t linger any longer and was about to leave.

But Li Shiyan called out, “Shu’er!”

This address—he hadn’t used it in five years!

Hearing this, Ji Yunshu’s steps paused. She turned back to look at that shadow inside the door.

Li Shiyan was like a big boy. Even though he couldn’t see Ji Yunshu’s appearance clearly, his heart still tightened. The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift shyly upward as he stammered, “Actually… right now I still feel somewhat dazed, and my head is buzzing! Really… I truly can’t believe you would appear! It’s like I’m dreaming. Shu’er, this separation has been five years. Back then, I left in a hurry and didn’t say much to you properly. Thinking about it now, I feel quite regretful. Over these years, I’ve wanted to find you many times, but my father watched me closely, so… In any case, being able to see you makes me truly very happy! And it’s still the same words as back then—just being able to know you is already wonderful.”

Ji Yunshu smiled, then said softly and lowly, “Me too. Being able to know you is quite good.”

Although this little follower had followed her all the way to the capital back then, if it hadn’t been for him, she might have already died in Liang Mountain at that time.

This debt of gratitude had always remained.

Li Shiyan said, “For this matter, I also must thank you for being willing to help.”

“Back then, you saved me. Today I help you—it’s only proper. As long as you didn’t kill anyone, I will definitely help you find evidence to prove you’re not the murderer.”

“So… you’re also doing this to repay a debt?”

“Both gratitude and friendship coexist.” That was what Ji Yunshu said.

Li Shiyan laughed again like a big child.

Then he suddenly called out, “Shu’er!”

“What is it?”

He hesitated, opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say anymore.

The words accumulated in his heart finally became just one sentence when they reached his lips, “Be careful yourself. If you encounter any trouble, you should still go find Ziluo. He’ll help you.”

Ji Yunshu’s expression paused slightly. Her red lips pressed tightly together, then she hummed softly in acknowledgment.

Afterward, she followed the original plan and hid in the artificial hill in the courtyard.

Li Shiyan waited for a while, then forcefully pounded on the door before him, raising his voice to shout, “Someone! Someone!”

His voice was like a great bell!

The two elite soldiers guarding outside heard the commotion from inside and immediately rushed in.

“Heir Apparent, what’s wrong?”

Li Shiyan feigned nervousness, “You two hurry inside. In my room… it seems someone has entered!”

He spoke very eerily!

Combined with what those servants had said earlier about a figure flashing through the manor, when the two elite soldiers heard this, they became highly alert. They immediately took out the key and opened the door.

They rushed in!

Yet the room was still very dark—no lamp had been lit.

“Heir Apparent, are you alright?”

Li Shiyan stood safe and sound before them. He waved his sleeve and said, “I’m fine. I just saw a figure come in. Hurry and search carefully through the room.”

“Yes!”

Thus, those two people drew their long swords and searched through the room. One of them also lit the lamp in the room. Faint light gradually enveloped and spread—apart from the orderly furnishings and objects in the room, there was nothing else. There were no abnormalities at all. They didn’t even see a single mouse or cockroach. Moreover, the ceiling showed no signs of having been lifted open, and the window lattices were intact and undamaged…

After thoroughly searching once through, the elite soldier asked, “Heir Apparent, did you truly see someone enter?”

When it came to lying seriously, Li Shiyan was first-rate. Without his face flushing or heart racing, he said, “I really saw a figure flash into the room, but in the blink of an eye, it was gone again.”

“But there’s no one else in the room.”

“Did you search carefully or not?” As Li Shiyan spoke, he glanced toward the door outside.

“We’ve searched everywhere. There’s nothing.”

“Then perhaps… I saw wrong!”

The two elite soldiers looked at each other and said, “Heir Apparent, earlier someone did say they saw a figure heading this way. We’ve also been watching carefully. But right now, Heir Apparent, you cannot leave here, and we also cannot let you out. For your safety’s sake, I’ll guard at the door. If you have any trouble, just call me.”

“Alright then.”

“Then Heir Apparent, you should rest early.”

The two elite soldiers withdrew and locked the door again.

One of them directly stood guard outside the door, just in case.

Li Shiyan stood in the room. His line of sight looked through the blurry paper pasted on the window lattice toward the artificial hill in the courtyard. He figured Ji Yunshu should have safely gotten out by now.

He heavily let out a sigh and lay down on the bed.

All the anxiety and unease in his heart were gone.

Because he trusted Ji Yunshu!

He knew she would definitely find evidence to prove his innocence!

Just now, though it was only a brief meeting, and they hadn’t even been able to see each other’s faces, when he thought about how he would be able to see her after getting out, his heart didn’t know how happy it was.

“Shu’er, Shu’er.”

He called out again and again.

The smile at the corners of his mouth grew ever more intense…

After Ji Yunshu left Water Moon Pavilion, she returned to that narrow passageway from before.

Luo Yang was waiting anxiously inside.

Seeing her arrive, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, “If you hadn’t come out soon, I was going to find a way to go in and look for you.”

“I’m fine. I just spoke more with the heir apparent.”

“I thought something had happened to you.” Luo Yang’s heart was still clenched now. He frowned, “Anyway, next time if there’s this kind of thing, I definitely won’t help you do it! No, wait—you also can’t do it anymore. How dangerous!”

Ultimately, he was worried about Ji Yunshu.

His worried expression was written all over his face. Ji Yunshu naturally understood. But given the current situation, with so many things she hadn’t done, how could she worry about danger or not?

She retrieved her lantern that she had placed in the corner earlier and relit it. The faint light shone on her fair face—white with a touch of red, extremely beautiful.

Luo Yang stared at her. In his dazed state, he almost squinted his eyes!

He quickly collected his thoughts.

Ji Yunshu looked around, then said, “Let’s go. We’re going to the artificial hill by the west wing.”

Luo Yang asked, “What are you going there for?”

“To investigate the case, of course!”

“Investigate the case…”

Before Luo Yang could say anything, Ji Yunshu had already carried her lantern forward.

On the way, Luo Yang kept asking, “What exactly did you and the heir apparent talk about? What did the heir apparent say?”

Ji Yunshu answered him, “I asked some things about the night Wang Huai died.”

“And then!”

“And then, right now I’m going to find evidence to prove the murderer is someone else!”

Prove the murderer is someone else?

Luo Yang’s gaze froze for a few seconds. He moved closer to her side and asked in surprise, “So what you’re saying is that the heir apparent truly isn’t the murderer? The murderer is someone else?”

“That’s right!”

“Are you alright? Just from hearing the heir apparent say a few words, you’re now saying he’s not the murderer? What exactly is in your head? Right now, a lot of evidence points to him being the murderer. Don’t fall for the heir apparent’s tricks.” Luo Yang reminded her.

Ji Yunshu simply responded, “…”

The two talked all the way and arrived at the west wing area. The patrolling servants here were relatively more numerous compared to the South Courtyard.

They were also more cautious. Walking with lowered heads, they avoided those people one by one. When they reached the artificial hill where the incident occurred, Ji Yunshu pulled Luo Yang and immediately ducked inside.

Luo Yang knew he couldn’t persuade her anymore. Too lazy to say more, he just silently followed behind Ji Yunshu.

Constantly wandering around inside the artificial hill.

Soon they found the place where the incident occurred!

Although that pool of blood on the ground had already been cleaned, the bloodstains were still imprinted on the ground. There was also blood on the rocks nearby—it should be from when Li Shiyan pushed and collided with Wang Huai, and Wang Huai’s head struck the rock, leaving bloodstains. Apart from these two places with bloodstains, there were no bloodstains anywhere else, and there weren’t even any dragging blood marks.

Luo Yang asked, “Did you see anything?”

Ji Yunshu shook her head, “Let’s search around nearby.”

With that, she circled around the small cave before her and searched in the vicinity.

Luo Yang followed, asking, “What exactly are you looking for? You’ve also seen the crime scene—there’s nothing. This artificial hill is very large. Don’t walk around everywhere like a headless fly. If we’re seen by someone, we’ll be in trouble.”

Ji Yunshu didn’t speak.

“You really are something! At least say something! Don’t act like a mute. If you want to find something, tell me. I can help you search together, can’t I?”

“…” Ji Yunshu remained silent.