A lecher?

He jolted awake with a start, suddenly realizing something extremely significant.

“How did I end up sleeping in your room?” He tossed out that casual remark.

Bah! Was that the significant matter?

Having said that, he picked up the boots he’d taken off, scratched his head, and prepared to play dumb and leave.

Tang Si on the bed was so angry her face turned alternately green and white. She let out a loud roar, “Muruo, I’m going to cut you into a thousand pieces!”

She threw off the covers in one motion, flipped over and got out of bed, removed the silver whip from her waist, and without a word, first cracked it on the ground, then swiftly swung it toward Muruo.

Right on target!

It struck squarely on his shoulder.

Ugh!

Muruo’s body tilted to one side, half his body slammed hard against the door.

“Thud.”

The pain made him grit his teeth.

“Crazy woman,” he spat out viciously.

But Tang Si’s eyes brimmed with tears, her face full of grievance as she glared at him fiercely. “You did those shameless, despicable things to me, took advantage of me and still want to escape? Today I’m going to flay you alive.”

The whip in her hand swung out again, but Muruo caught it firmly.

“Are you mistaken? Who was shameless and despicable? Who took advantage of you? Last night we just drank too much, who remembers all that? Look carefully for yourself—have either of us removed a single piece of clothing?”

Hm?

Her gaze fixed, and she immediately looked down, only to discover she was indeed fully dressed. Her clothes were merely a bit wrinkled, nothing more. Looking at Muruo across from her, he too was fully clothed, with no trace of having undressed.

For a moment, she was speechless.

Muruo released the whip and rubbed the shoulder that had just been struck. “Can you figure out the situation before hitting people in the future? The way you are, even if I was drunk, I wouldn’t with you…”

Heh!

Tang Si bit her lip. “Even if we didn’t do that kind of thing yesterday, it doesn’t mean you didn’t do other things to me.”

“To you? Impossible.” His tone was firm.

“Why impossible?”

He glanced up and down at the woman before him, his face full of disdain. “Impossible means impossible.”

This type of woman wasn’t his cup of tea, alright?

He turned, pushed open the door, and left.

Utterly carefree!

As if nothing had happened at all.

Tang Si was so angry she stamped her feet on the spot.

She cursed loudly behind him.

Indeed, she shouldn’t have had even a shred of favorable feelings toward that kind of person.

During breakfast, she poked at the table half-heartedly with her chopsticks.

When Ji Yinshu came looking for her, she happened to witness this scene.

Walking closer to sit down, she tapped on the table a few times and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Hearing the voice, Tang Si glanced sideways and only then realized Ji Yinshu had come for some reason.

She snapped back to attention. “Nothing.”

Her tone was angry!

Ji Yinshu didn’t continue pressing, only saying, “Since nothing’s wrong, are you interested in going out with me?”

“Out? Where to?”

“The Qiao manor.”

She gritted her teeth, stood up with a whoosh, and rolled up her sleeves. “Let’s go.”

Time to go vent!

The two left.

Throughout the journey, Tang Si remained very quiet.

Ji Yinshu glanced at her from time to time.

What was with this girl?

Last night when they went visiting together, she still looked so happy. After just one night, how had her temperament restrained so much?

Strange!

They arrived at the Qiao manor!

The main gate was closed.

Ji Yinshu grasped the iron ring on the gate and knocked gently several times. After waiting a long while, no one came to open the door.

Tang Si had a hot temper. She raised her foot and kicked the gate hard.

“What kind of broken place is this, closing the door so early in the morning? Is there some treasure inside? Who cares!”

Ji Yinshu picked up the iron ring again and knocked on the gate several times.

Only then did movement finally come from inside.

The tightly closed gate opened a small crack, and a pair of jet-black eyes peered out from within—the face couldn’t be seen clearly.

“Who is it!”

Ji Yinshu said, “This humble one’s surname is Ji, sent by the Court of Judicial Review to investigate the case from three years ago. I trouble you to open the door—I need to ask your Young Master Qiao some questions.”

Very polite.

But the person’s body shrank back, and the moment she finished speaking, with a “bang” the door was slammed shut.

Shut out!

Ji Yinshu was slightly stunned.

“What kind of people are they!” Tang Si was displeased. While kicking the door, she shouted toward the inside, “Hurry up and open the door for this young lady, or when I charge in, I’ll give you all dozens of lashes! Open the door…”

But no matter how she pounded on the door or cursed loudly, there wasn’t the slightest movement from inside.

The court was conducting official business, yet the Qiao family dared to openly resist—they simply didn’t want to live.

Because of the matter with Muruo, Tang Si still had a bellyful of anger, and now she vented it all on the Qiao family’s gate.

“Aji, I’ll climb over the wall right now, then open the door for you. We’ll charge in together and tear down the Qiao manor.”

No sooner said than done!

She was about to climb the wall when Ji Yinshu pulled her back.

“Forget it. Right now they won’t open the door—they’re in the wrong. If you climb over the wall to get in, even what’s white will be called black.”

“So we’re just letting this go? Just going back like this?”

“Don’t worry. I have documents stamped by the Court of Judicial Review. Even Minister Zuo must submit to my interrogation. The Qiao family naturally has no right to refuse. They won’t open the door or cooperate now—that’s fine. When they’ve tasted the bitter fruit, they’ll naturally come invite us in with an eight-bearer palanquin.”

“Really?”

She smiled and called out, “Zijin.”

Shi Zijin emerged from who knows where and appeared before her in an instant.

“Master’s instructions.”

“Continue watching the Qiao manor. You must ensure they don’t secretly send Qiao Zihua away.”

“Yes.”

After acknowledging the order, he disappeared again.

Ji Yinshu and Tang Si also left without success.

Inside the manor!

Master Qiao sent someone to secretly look a few times. The servant returned to report, “Master, the people have left.”

He breathed a sigh of relief!

In the main hall, almost everyone from the Qiao family was present.

Lady Qiao worried, saying, “Master, what do we do now? Zihua absolutely cannot have anything happen to him—he’s our only son.”

“You don’t need to tell me that. No matter how useless he is, he’s still my son. How could I possibly watch him come to harm with my eyes wide open?”

“Then think of something. We can avoid the first but not the fifteenth. That Master Ji was sent by the Court of Judicial Review. If we continue avoiding them, we’ll be opposing the Court.”

“Enough, enough.” Master Qiao sighed and looked at Qiao Zihua, who sat huddled to one side. His sleeve suddenly swung out. “You worthless thing, how did you get caught up in such a matter?”

Qiao Zihua lowered his head and said pitifully, “Father, your son truly didn’t kill anyone. You must believe me.”

“What use is it if I believe you? You need others to believe you.”

“That day I really was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, Miss Ye’er was already dead. I didn’t kill her.”

He spoke very earnestly and seriously.

Master Qiao sighed. “Alright, alright, stop talking. Now it’s been proven the person was murdered, not suicide. That Master Ji is no ordinary person. Back then we bribed the coroner to lie, but now that trick won’t work. If there’s really no other way, we can only send you away.”

Send away?

Miss Qiao Xiao, the young lady of the Qiao family sitting in the hall, quickly said, “Father, where are you sending big brother?”

“You needn’t worry about that—it’s the last resort.”

Just then—

A servant came rushing over again.

“Master, the Second Master has returned from the capital.”

The one called Second Master was the former Minister of Personnel, Qiao Zheng.

He’d finally returned!

The Qiao family members seemed to see hope brimming over.