As soon as Jingrong carried the person away, Marquis Kang stood frozen in place.

It took him a long while to react. He glared furiously at Cai Da, who lay collapsed on the ground in custody, and waved his hand forcefully. “Lock him in the woodshed. If Master Ji is truly injured, we’ll slaughter you.”

Cai Da didn’t struggle, allowing himself to be dragged away.

Jingrong carried Ji Yunshu back to the room and immediately summoned Muruo.

Ji Yunshu spread both hands out on the table, letting Muruo apply medicine for her. When the medicinal solution touched her palms, it hurt so much she clenched her teeth, but she forcefully held back from crying out.

“Does it hurt?” Muruo was somewhat gloating. “Look at you—you took on that ghost matter, and now you’ve started investigating a murder case. This is clearly the Jingzhou Prefect’s business, but that Marquis Kang really knows how to pass things off—he pushes everything onto you. Really knows how to save himself trouble.”

“It’s just scraped skin.”

“If that knife had struck your body, could you still say such things?”

Well!

Ji Yunshu stopped talking.

Jingrong at the side looked at her palms marked with bloody streaks with both fury and worry, secretly clenching his fists. He frowned and asked, “Are you still investigating?”

Ji Yunshu looked at him. “Investigating. This case is very suspicious—why wouldn’t I investigate?”

“Your hands are like this, and you’re still investigating?”

“Don’t I still have you!”

“This prince?” Jingrong was confused.

Ji Yunshu smiled, deciding to keep him in suspense. “You’ll know in a bit.”

How cunning!

This woman—what medicine was she selling in her gourd?

After Muruo finished bandaging her palms, she looked at her hands wrapped in bandages, then glanced at Jingrong standing to the side, completely bewildered.

That gaze made Jingrong’s heart run cold.

…

Once it got dark, everyone hurried back to their rooms. After all, Granny Lin’s death was suspicious, chilling everyone—they were afraid it truly was something unclean at work.

Tang Si, whose door had been knocked on by a ghost, was also terribly frightened!

She stayed in her room all day, clinging to a young maid to keep her company.

Speaking of which, it was strange—by nature she was bold and daring, fearing neither heaven nor earth. She had kept company with wolves in the forest, caught wild beasts, encountered fierce tigers—she had experienced all manner of things. Usually her mouth was quite tough, claiming she wasn’t afraid of ghosts. But when she thought about how she had been knocked on by an illusory “ghost” all last night, she now broke out in cold sweat all over, constantly feeling as if someone had lifted off the back of her skull, cold wind drilling straight inside.

She couldn’t help but hug her arms tightly!

But the maid who had accompanied her all day also had to return to her room at night.

“Miss Tang, you should rest quickly. I’ll return to my quarters first.”

“You’re leaving? Sit a while longer.”

“No, it’s already so late. If I don’t leave now, in a bit I’ll…” She didn’t dare continue, lowering her head. She looked back toward the outside, swallowing hard.

Tang Si quickly stood up and grabbed her. “Good girl, just stay and keep me company. This way, we’ll sleep together tonight. I promise not to crowd you.”

The maid was confused—this was the first time she had encountered a guest who wanted to sleep with her.

She quickly stepped back several paces, saying, “Miss Tang, don’t joke with a maid like me. How could I possibly sleep in the same bed as you?”

“You can, you can! Just stay.”

“Oh my, this… it’s already so late. Miss Tang, you should quickly get in bed and sleep. I… I really can’t stay here. Please don’t make things difficult for me.”

The maid pulled away her hand that was gripping her arm and ran off.

If she didn’t return to her room now, when it got even darker, who knows what unlucky thing she might encounter!

Tang Si chased to the doorway and stopped. The maid was like water spilled out—she couldn’t catch her back. Her hand gripped the door tightly. After thinking it over, she still rushed out.

But not to chase that maid—rather, she went to Muruo’s room.

At this time, Muruo had returned from Ji Yunshu’s place and was in his room drinking tea while reading a book, reading with great interest, when suddenly someone rushed in from outside the door. With a “thump” she sat down beside him, saying nothing as she snatched the book from his hands. A pair of large eyes looked at him, filled with pleading.

“Tonight I’m sleeping with you.”

Pfft—

All the tea in Muruo’s mouth sprayed out!

Not a drop remained as it sprayed onto Tang Si’s face.

He wiped his mouth, incredulous. “You… sleep with me?”

Tang Si’s face was covered in tea. Her expression soured, and it took a long while before she could open her eyes. While wiping her face, she formed a fist and pounded it hard on the man opposite her, cursing, “Did you do that on purpose!”

“What on purpose! I think you’re the one being purposeful, actually saying such things to me. Are you even a woman?”

“What did I say? Just that I’d sleep with you?”

“This…” Muruo was truly speechless.

Tang Si swung another hard punch at his arm. “What are you thinking? I mean we stay in one room, but not sleeping in the same bed.”

“Then why do you want to sleep in the same room as me? As I recall, that Marquis Kang gave you a large and spacious room. Why aren’t you staying nicely in your own room instead of coming here?”

“I…” She choked up for a moment, bit her lip. “I just wanted to keep you company.”

“Keep me company?”

“That’s right. Look, with so many strange incidents happening recently in the Marquis estate, I was worried you were frightened, so I came to keep you company. It’s kindness. A’Mu, you know my kind heart.” She smiled, revealing a row of white teeth.

Muruo shivered, feeling that smile was eerie, like a roll of cold wind wrapping around him.

Had this woman gone mad?

He used the back of his hand to feel her forehead. “No fever! Why are you talking such nonsense? I’ve even been to mass graves several times—would I be worried about any ghosts? Besides, Jingrong and Master Ji both said there are no people in this world, only scheming human hearts. I think the strange incidents in the Marquis estate are clearly man-made.”

“That’s not certain. Although I didn’t go see that Granny Lin or whatever, I heard from the maids that even A’Ji couldn’t find the cause—she just died inexplicably. And last night that child who knocked on my door—tell me, what was that about?”

With this statement, Muruo finally understood.

“So you’re not here to keep me company at all—you’re frightened yourself.”

Uh!

With her thoughts seen through, Tang Si’s face flushed, and she pouted awkwardly. “So what if I am? We’re going to marry sooner or later anyway—what’s wrong with sharing a room?”

Bah!

Muruo’s brows furrowed high. “What nonsense are you spouting? Who’s marrying you?”

Hey now, still trying to deny it!

Tang Si looked displeased, assuming the manner of a creditor as she began listing things off one by one: “Before, at the Imperial estate, we rolled up in one blanket and slept in the same bed for a whole night. Then later you saw my body, and although nothing happened between us, still… anyway, I’m already your person. And you were the one who asked me to follow you back to the capital, so it’s perfectly natural that we should marry. If we were in Houliao, you and I would already be married by now.”

“Auntie, can you please stop bringing up the past all the time?”

Sweat!