Seeing Magistrate Zhuo’s pale and frightened appearance, Li Cheng couldn’t bear to continue scaring him.

He waved his hand: “All right, now that the murderer has been caught, shouldn’t you hurry back to the yamen to handle this? Or do you want this young lord to report this case as well?”

“Show mercy, show mercy! This official will go right away.”

Magistrate Zhuo turned and bowed once more to Ji Yunshu before leading his men away from the theater.

Actually, Li Cheng was just trying to scare him. He didn’t really have the ability to report an official.

Moreover, he wasn’t someone in the officialdom. Even if he told his father, the Marquis of Pingyang, about this matter, the Marquis of Pingyang was already busy half to death with court affairs—where would he find the time to manage local officials!

So those words just now were merely to give Magistrate Zhuo a warning.

Then Li Cheng walked in front of Ji Yunshu and gave her a thumbs up, saying: “Young Master, I never expected that in just two short days, you would find so many clues. You kept me completely in the dark. This young lord admires you! Admires you!”

He cupped his hands.

Ji Yunshu immediately returned the gesture: “I don’t deserve such praise.”

“You do deserve it, you do!”

Speechless!

At this moment—

Someone called out: “Troupe Master.”

Looking toward the sound, they saw Troupe Master Tao’s body tilting, being supported by others.

He had clearly been struck by the truth of this matter!

Everyone helped him sit down. He took quite a while to recover.

Then he let out a long sigh and said: “What terrible karma! What deity has the Zhao Family Troupe offended to end up in such a state today? The dead are dead, the sick are sick, those in jail are in jail, and now the murderer is also from my Zhao Family Troupe! Alas…”

The play “The Ghost Wife Buries Her Husband” had brought the Zhao Family Troupe to its peak!

And it was also because of “The Ghost Wife Buries Her Husband” that the Zhao Family Troupe had fallen to rock bottom!

It made them successful!

It also destroyed them!

…

That day, when Ji Yunshu and the others left the Zhao Family Troupe, it was already late at night.

Bai Yin and Song Zhi each carried a lantern and walked at the front.

Li Cheng and Li Wenshu walked in the middle.

Ji Yunshu and Jingrong walked at the back.

The streets were bustling with a few remaining pedestrians.

There were also several shops and inns around with their doors still open.

Lanterns extended forward one by one…

Along the way, the cold wind gently blew.

Everyone couldn’t help but wrap their garments tighter.

Jingrong looked at the slender woman beside him and silently grasped her cold hand.

His heart ached deeply.

When Ji Yunshu’s hand was held in his warm palm, she didn’t pull away, letting him hold it.

Suddenly—

Li Cheng turned around to look.

Ji Yunshu immediately withdrew her hand.

After all, two men holding hands—what kind of propriety was that?

What would people think?

Jingrong looked at Ji Yunshu, whose cheeks flushed red as if from a guilty conscience, and couldn’t help but laugh.

Dashingly handsome.

Fortunately, Li Cheng hadn’t noticed.

He called out to Ji Yunshu: “Young Master, I’ll be returning to Gaoding tomorrow. When we get back to the inn, let’s have a good drink together, what do you say?”

“I don’t drink alcohol!”

“What kind of grown man doesn’t drink!” Li Cheng walked toward her. “Today the case is solved—it’s a good thing. We should celebrate properly.”

“I don’t drink alcohol!”

Ji Yunshu emphasized again.

“Don’t be such a spoilsport!”

“It’s not being a spoilsport. Please don’t make things difficult for me, Young Lord Cheng.”

“How would I make things difficult for you!” Li Cheng raised his hand, preparing to drape it over her shoulder.

However—

Before he even touched Ji Yunshu’s shoulder, Jingrong’s cold and severe gaze swept toward him.

It collided directly with Li Cheng’s smiling peach blossom eyes.

Suddenly, Li Cheng’s hand stopped abruptly!

He shamefully lowered it.

He always felt that Jingrong carried an oppressive aura that could overwhelm one’s heart—an aura that ordinary people didn’t possess.

To put it bluntly, he was a bit afraid!

So he had always been extremely puzzled about Jingrong and the others’ identities.

Filled with curiosity.

He quickly shifted his gaze away, smacked his lips a few times, and laughed awkwardly: “If you don’t want to drink, then don’t! There’s plenty of time ahead. We’ll surely meet again in the future.”

Ji Yunshu smiled.

Without speaking!

And along this journey, Li Cheng talked a great deal.

Probably because their parting was imminent, it was inevitable he felt some reluctance!

Walking in front, Li Wenshu, because she was walking behind Bai Yin, boldly let her gaze fall on Bai Yin’s solid back.

She couldn’t forget Bai Yin’s eyes.

They lingered persistently!

Deeply imprinted in her mind.

Her reason also told her again and again that she must not fall deeply into this.

That person was just someone completely unrelated to her!

…

After saying goodbye to everyone, Song Zhi carried his lantern home.

Everyone else returned to the inn.

Each to their own rooms.

Li Cheng still wanted to say something to Ji Yunshu, but because Jingrong was there, he could only reluctantly give up.

Back in her room, Ji Yunshu organized her luggage.

But something fell out from her clothes.

“Thud”—it hit the ground!

Picking it up for a look, she discovered it was a small jade token.

Very exquisite!

It even had the character “Nan” carved on it.

She remembered that this was given to her as thanks when she had performed a cesarean section for the wife of a Huyi merchant on the road from Jinjiang to the capital city.

So much time had passed that she had almost forgotten she still had this jade token on her.

“Nan?” She murmured softly.

She didn’t know what it meant.

“Knock knock knock…” Someone knocked on the door.

She casually tucked the small jade token into her sleeve, then went to open the door.

Jingrong stood outside.

He said: “I’ve already given orders. We’ll leave tomorrow at noon.”

Ji Yunshu was puzzled: “Aren’t we departing early in the morning?”

Jingrong’s gaze glanced toward the room where Li Cheng was staying and said: “They’re leaving early tomorrow morning.”

The implication was that he didn’t want to run into them!

He didn’t want too much interaction!

Ji Yunshu understood: “Then you should rest early.”

But—

Jingrong didn’t leave!

His hands suddenly grabbed the door frame, and his body leaned inside.

Moving close to Ji Yunshu.

The distance between them was within inches!

“What is it?” Ji Yunshu pressed her lips together, her deep eyes looking at the handsome and cold man before her.

Jingrong looked at her delicate face, the corners of his lips curving slightly as he said: “That Li Cheng fellow isn’t stupid at all. He knows you’re a woman.”

“I know.”

“So…”

Ji Yunshu lifted her chin slightly, taking over his topic, and said firmly: “So with you here, I’m not worried.”

Clearly these words were extremely satisfying to Jingrong.

Instantly sealing the vinegar jar in his heart!

The corners of his lips gradually showed a smile: “I like it when you say things like that.”

Their gazes locked!

Then Jingrong moved even closer to Ji Yunshu.

Making a motion as if to kiss her!

Ji Yunshu didn’t dodge, only instinctively closed her eyes.

Her hands inside her garments gently clenched together.

Just as… their lips were about to touch.

But—

Jingrong stopped.

Ji Yunshu waited for a long time without his “invasion,” but could feel the heavy breath from Jingrong’s nose brushing against her lips!

When she slowly opened her eyes, she met Jingrong’s gentle gaze filled with laughter.

So… she’d been played!

Just as anger began to rise in her heart, Jingrong reached out and gently tousled her head.

He loved this Ji Yunshu!

Loved the way she showed her little temper!

Before Ji Yunshu could speak, he brought his lips to her ear and said tenderly: “Rest well.”

Then he left!

After Ji Yunshu closed the door, she couldn’t help but smile…