The elder brother’s face took on a mysterious expression as he glanced around and lowered his voice, “Just a few days before that woman left home, strange noises often appeared in my courtyard. Moreover, my wife frequently told me there was someone by the bedside, which frightened me terribly.”
“What happened after that?” Zhuyan listened intently as if hearing a story, eager to know what happened next.
“After? Well, nothing happened after that. Since that woman disappeared, there have been no more issues at home. The strange noises vanished, and my wife stopped saying there was someone by the bedside.”
Zhuyan drew in a sharp breath, her delicate eyebrows furrowing as she sensed something amiss.
At that moment, Shen Du walked in from outside, “I’ve been looking for you for a while. So you’re here.”
Zhuyan and the elder brother quickly stood up. The elder brother asked, “And this is…?”
“Oh, he’s with me. He’s also an official,” Zhuyan hastily interjected, while giving Shen Du a meaningful look.
Shen Du cleared his throat and followed Zhuyan’s lead, “Yes, we’re together.”
The elder brother finally lowered his guard and invited Shen Du to sit down.
After the three were seated, Zhuyan continued her questioning, “Is your wife at home? Why haven’t I seen her since I arrived?”
“Oh, her? She went to Old Lady Wang’s place to learn needlework. My wife is beautiful, but she’s not skilled at needlework, so she’s been learning from Old Lady Wang every day.”
“I see,” Zhuyan nodded.
Just then, the elder brother looked towards the door and said happily, “Speak of the devil, my wife is back.”
He stood up to greet her. As Zhuyan and Shen Du followed his gaze, they were both startled.
This woman…
How could she look so similar to those deceased prostitutes, or rather, to Ruyan!
More precisely, she bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Madam Tang!
Especially the charm in her eyes and her expressions when speaking were almost identical.
Zhuyan seemed to realize something and turned to look at Shen Du, who was also frowning deeply.
It appeared they had come to the same conclusion.
Nightfall.
The two returned to Shen Manor to study the case.
Zhuyan recounted to Shen Du the strange occurrences the elder brother had told her about earlier in the day.
After reviewing the case files, she slammed them on the table in frustration, “It doesn’t make sense. This elder brother’s wife is just an ordinary, illiterate farm woman. Apart from her appearance being somewhat similar to the other victims, there’s no connection at all. The killer has no reason to target her.”
“And then?” Shen Du sat coldly to the side, listening to Zhuyan’s analysis and prompting her to continue.
Zhuyan paced back and forth, her delicate eyebrows had remained furrowed since leaving Qinghe Village.
“I think the killer has a very strong obsession with the identity of prostitutes and their similar appearances. Perhaps he has some trauma or shadow in this aspect.”
“What makes you say that?”
“The killer’s methods are extremely cruel – skinning faces, gouging out hearts and livers, cutting to the bone with every stroke. Only someone with intense inner demons could do such things.”
Hearing Zhuyan’s theory, Shen Du nodded in agreement, not forgetting to tease, “Madam Shen is indeed clever. Is there anything else?”
Zhuyan had no time for Shen Du’s banter and said seriously, “But why did the killer choose the embracing posture? I originally thought he was targeting couples, but Ruyan wasn’t truly in love with Du Huaien, and she had married and had a child with someone else.”
“Xu Huansheng said they were in love. Do you think he’s lying, or do you doubt their feelings for each other?”
Zhuyan pursed her lips, her expression unnatural as she said, “Women understand women best. If she didn’t like this man, she absolutely wouldn’t marry him and have his child. Moreover, she had the opportunity to be with Du Huaien but didn’t take that step. This is enough to prove that the man Ruyan truly loved was Xu Huansheng.”
Hearing Zhuyan’s analysis, Shen Du lowered his eyes, the dark gray depths of his pupils inscrutable.
Zhuyan didn’t notice this change in Shen Du and continued, “In the entire case, Du Huaien was the son of a wealthy merchant, Huang Sheng was a poor scholar, and Liang Chenzhong was the son of an official. Apart from all being young men, these people have nothing in common…”
As Zhuyan finished her speculation, her thoughts were completely absorbed in the case.
Shen Du’s thoughts, however, lingered on what Zhuyan had said earlier: If she didn’t like him, she absolutely wouldn’t marry him and have his child…
“After saying so much, what’s your view on this?” Zhuyan turned to look at the contemplative Shen Du.
Shen Du snapped back to reality, his eyes flickering as he tried to conceal his inner unease, “I…”
“Grand Commandant.” Before Shen Du could speak, Jinglin appeared at the door.
Jinglin’s appearance conveniently masked Shen Du’s awkwardness. He smoothly turned to Jinglin and asked, “Have you found anything?”
“Yes.”
Jinglin nodded in response, but just as he was about to continue, Shen Du suddenly stood up, “We’ll discuss this later. Let’s go eat first.”
Zhuyan and Jinglin were both bewildered.
However, prompted by Shen Du, Zhuyan realized they hadn’t eaten all day.
“Then I’ll ask the servants to prepare something. In the meantime, we can continue discussing the case.”
As Zhuyan spoke and started to walk out, Shen Du suddenly grabbed her hand, “No need. We’ll eat out.”
“…” Zhuyan was speechless, filled with surprise.
Before she could process what was happening, Shen Du pulled her out of Shen Manor.
After passing through several alleys, the two appeared in front of Taibai Tower.
Zhuyan was shocked. Hadn’t they been fleeced enough last time?
“Are you sure… you want to eat here?” Zhuyan looked at Shen Du in astonishment.
She had already calculated that if Shen Du were to change his mind, she would mock him mercilessly.
“Last time I saw you eating here happily, so we’re here again.”
With those words, he pulled her inside.
This time, Shen Du ordered the dishes, reordering all the dishes Zhuyan had chosen last time.
The waiter’s eyes were filled with envy. The love between the Grand Commandant and his wife was undoubtedly as deep as lacquer.
Knowing his wife liked these dishes, regardless of how expensive they were, he still brought her here again. If this wasn’t love, what was?
Shen Du’s warm care stirred something in Zhuyan’s heart. The two of them seemed to be becoming more and more like a married couple.
Thinking back to their wedding day, when Shen Du had held a knife to his own throat and set down the “Three Delusions,” now, not even a hundred days later, he was concerned about her food preferences.
Could it be that he was still his former self, and she was just overthinking things?
After dinner, the two walked back together. The bustling market street once again reminded Zhuyan of the hairpin on her head.
Unconsciously, she reached up to touch the hairpin, pushing it a bit deeper into her hair.
“Don’t move.”
Shen Du’s sudden words left Zhuyan frozen in place.