Zhu Yan felt a pang of sadness seeing his cold demeanor. This item seemed insignificant to him now; he was no longer the young man he once was. Yet, if that were true, why had he opened his heart to her? And why keep something when he had forgotten who gave it to him?
Pan Chi noticed Zhu Yan’s melancholy. The item held special meaning for them, but he chose not to interfere. He simply patted Zhu Yan’s shoulder.
“Come on, there’s a lively place called Nuan Xiang Ge ahead. Let’s have some fun!” Pan Chi said mischievously.
Zhu Yan sighed, “Don’t joke around. We’re here to investigate, not to enjoy ourselves.”
“So you do know the word ‘enjoy’! Look at that gloomy face of yours. I know we’re here to investigate, but that doesn’t mean we can’t…”
Pan Chi’s words drew Shen Du’s displeasure. He quickly stepped between them.
“If Young Master Pan enjoys such brothels, so be it. But please refrain from corrupting my wife. I’d hate for Duke Pan to face unpleasantness upon your return to the capital,” Shen Du said, his voice as calm as ever, but Zhu Yan knew he was angry.
Hearing his father mentioned, Pan Chi’s expression changed. He laughed awkwardly and waved his hand. “I was just joking. Why so serious?”
Pan Chi muttered under his breath, deliberately sidestepping Shen Du to stand next to Zhu Yan, pretending nothing had happened.
A vein pulsed on Shen Du’s temple as he narrowed his eyes, clearly harboring murderous intent.
“Perhaps we should look ahead for clues,” Zhu Yan suggested, exasperated. Pan Chi had just met Shen Du and didn’t know his temperament. The Inner Cabinet was a place of no return, capable of breaking even the toughest. Shen Du answered directly to the Empress, and a mere Duke like Pan Chi’s father meant nothing to him. If she didn’t intervene now, Shen Du might seek retribution later, and Pan Chi would suffer.
Her mind made up, Zhu Yan looked up to find Shen Du staring at her intently, his eyes full of resentment.
Resentment? Why did she think that?
Suddenly, the memory of Shen Du confessing his affection for her flashed through her mind. Zhu Yan felt her cheeks warm and quickly dismissed the thought.
Pan Chi, picking up on Zhu Yan’s goodwill, rubbed his nose and deliberately provoked Shen Du: “Let’s go check up ahead.”
Zhu Yan nodded, eager to escape Shen Du’s oppressive aura. Unexpectedly, she felt a cold sweat break out on her back as a pair of hands settled on the nape of her neck. Shen Du’s fingertips pressed into the hollow there, lightly caressing as he said calmly, “Let’s go.”
Pan Chi’s face stiffened. He was about to step forward when Shen Du continued, “Officially, you are my subordinate; privately, you are my wife. How improper would it be for you to walk alongside another man?”
Zhu Yan rolled her eyes. In the past, she had examined corpses and investigated cases alone with other men. Why hadn’t Shen Du cared about propriety then?
The three walked northward, one in front and two behind. As they progressed, the place felt increasingly like a ghost town. However, Shen Du’s keen senses detected that they were being secretly observed.
“There’s…” Zhu Yan began, but a firm press on her nape silenced her. Of course, if she had noticed, Shen Du and Pan Chi must have been aware of being followed as well.
Soon, they reached a market stall area. Zhu Yan, Pan Chi, and Shen Du casually sat on wooden stools. They glanced around; the former bustling atmosphere was gone. Empty tables were scattered haphazardly at the entrance, some with fallen leaves that no one bothered to clear.
“To think the great Yingzhou City could become a ghost town in an instant,” Zhu Yan couldn’t help but marvel again, simultaneously pondering the immense power of those behind this, which boded ill for them.
“Such is the world. Everyone values their life. When something this big happens, people naturally flee,” Pan Chi said, shifting closer to Zhu Yan.
Shen Du glared at him, pulling Zhu Yan away. He raised an eyebrow in displeasure, “Young Master Pan, please mind your manners.”
Pan Chi pointed at himself, “Me? Minding my manners? How am I not?”
“How are you?” Shen Du retorted.
Pan Chi turned to Zhu Yan, feigning hurt, “Chief Zhu, he’s bullying me.”
Zhu Yan: …
Pan Chi was inherently beautiful, with long lashes that fluttered like butterfly wings, snow-white skin, defined features, and a tall, slender figure. He was more delicate than Shen Du, lacking his decisive and intimidating presence. But with such an androgynous face making such a coquettish expression, truthfully, any ordinary woman would surrender.
Zhu Yan was also at a loss. Looking at Pan Chi made it difficult to speak. She turned her head to find Shen Du glaring at her intently. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately jumped up to sit on Shen Du’s other side, away from Pan Chi.
“Hmph!” Shen Du seemed somewhat satisfied, glancing sideways at Pan Chi with a hint of triumph in his eyes.
Pan Chi pouted, clearly dissatisfied. “You must have coerced our Zhu Yan. That’s why she’s forced to act this way.”
“Since when did Zhu Yan become ‘yours’?” Shen Du’s hand moved to the hilt of his sword.
Pan Chi jumped back but noticed movement in the distance and fell silent.
Zhu Yan was truly exasperated watching the two of them. “Stop arguing, you two. We…”
“Shh!” Pan Chi hushed, his voice very low, deliberately glancing around again.
Seeing his mysterious behavior, both Zhu Yan and Shen Du were puzzled.
“Stop putting on airs, boy. If you have something to say, say it,” Shen Du said.
Pan Chi shrugged nonchalantly. “You’re all about evidence. What if you don’t believe me if I speak too soon?”
Seeing Pan Chi’s ambiguous words, Zhu Yan guessed he might just be grasping at straws, trying to show off in front of them. She glanced at Shen Du again, then nodded to indicate Pan Chi should continue.
“You’re not even listening properly. I won’t tell you anymore,” Pan Chi pretended to be angry.
This time, Shen Du lost his patience. He drew his sword and swung. Pan Chi jumped up, yelling, “Hey! The Grand Secretary is killing an innocent! That’s a capital offense!”
“Don’t push your luck. Speak up!” Shen Du demanded.
Seeing their aggression escalating, Zhu Yan sighed. She turned to face Pan Chi squarely: “Just tell us already!”
Pan Chi nodded, cleared his throat, and leaped past Shen Du to Zhu Yan’s side. “After Shen Du took you away from Xiu Xiang Ge that day, I left too. But I hadn’t gone far when I remembered I needed to check the tonal pattern of a character in the poem I wrote. So I went back.”
At this point, Pan Chi paused, his eyes darting as he looked at Zhu Yan. She knew him too well; something must have happened, or he wouldn’t be playing coy like this.
Shen Du swung his sword again. Pan Chi dodged and returned to Zhu Yan’s side, saying, “He scared me. I can’t remember now.”
Zhu Yan’s mouth twitched. Pan Chi was practically asking for death.
“If you don’t speak up, I’ll cut you down and report to Duke Pan that you were killed by the Half-Face Ghost. What do you think of that?” Shen Du threatened ominously, unable to strike Pan Chi.