Zhu Kuo looked at Zhu Yan with a mix of helplessness and compassion. “No matter what, you are my daughter. I hope you can live a peaceful life, even if it means losing your position or failing to solve the case…”
As he spoke, Zhu Kuo’s eyes reddened, and he quickly changed the subject. “But that won’t happen. You will find the evidence and catch the culprit.”
Zhu Kuo only wished for his daughter’s safety and success. However, he was well aware of the dangers in the court. If the case remained unsolved, his daughter would not be able to protect herself.
Zhu Yan deeply understood her father’s concerns and nodded earnestly. “Father, you need not worry about me. Once the case is over, I will visit you and Mother often, and also…”
Before she could finish, Zhu Yan fell silent.
Zhu Kuo understood his daughter’s unspoken words and nodded. “I know you don’t want your mother to worry about your current situation. Rest assured, I will tell her you are well. She is a straightforward person and won’t overthink things.”
Zhu Yan’s worries eased, and she forced a smile at Zhu Kuo. “Thank you, Father, for your understanding.”
Zhu Kuo sighed, his face showing signs of age and weariness. “Alright, I won’t disturb you here any longer. I’ll head back now.”
“Daughter will see you off…”
“No need.”
Just as Zhu Yan was about to stand up to see her father off, Zhu Kuo raised his hand to stop her. “Time is pressing. You should spend more time on the case.”
With that, he left without waiting for Zhu Yan’s response.
Watching her father leave, Zhu Yan felt a myriad of emotions. Without solid evidence, relying solely on suspicion and inference was not enough to arrest anyone.
Her father’s concerns were not unfounded. Her and Shen Du’s current situation was indeed precarious.
But regardless, as Madam Shen, she was already deeply involved. She and Shen Du were inextricably linked; their fates were intertwined.
As she pondered, she suddenly sensed a strong presence behind her, bringing with it a familiar pressure. There was no need to guess who it was.
“What are you thinking about?” Shen Du asked, and Zhu Yan turned around, only slightly surprised.
She was somewhat astonished at how familiar she had become with this man. “Why are you here?”
Zhu Yan didn’t answer Shen Du’s question but instead asked him.
“Why, am I not allowed to be here?”
Zhu Yan was at a loss for words. As a high-ranking official, there was no place he couldn’t go, let alone a small department like the Ministry of Justice.
“Of course not,” Zhu Yan replied absentmindedly. “I was just surprised to see you here.”
After speaking, Zhu Yan lowered her eyes, as if her thoughts had drifted away again.
Seeing Zhu Yan like this, Shen Du felt a heaviness in his heart. “Are you worried about Master Chen?”
With Shen Du’s mention, Zhu Yan suddenly remembered that she hadn’t thanked him for this matter.
“Thank you for taking care of Master,” Zhu Yan quickly said. “If it weren’t for you, I would be worried about whether he could endure the hardships of prison.”
Shen Du said nothing more, only looking at Zhu Yan’s reddened eyes with some heartache. “I believe Master Chen is not the culprit, but we must catch the real murderer to free him. Keeping him here is also a form of protection.”
Zhu Yan nodded, and then her thoughts returned to the case.
The case was becoming increasingly complex, yet it seemed simpler as if the answer was within reach but stuck at a bottleneck.
It felt like looking at flowers through a fog—seemingly close, yet not quite clear.
Seeing Zhu Yan deep in thought, Shen Du didn’t want to disturb her. He sat quietly beside her, idly spinning a ring on his finger as if the progress of the case had nothing to do with him, completely unconcerned about the looming deadline.
“I’m sorry.”
After a long while, Zhu Yan suddenly spoke. Shen Du turned to look at her. “What did you say?”
“I said I’m sorry,” Zhu Yan repeated, her voice filled with guilt. She felt that the current situation was all because of her.
If she hadn’t insisted on investigating the case, perhaps Shen Du would have already caught the murderer, and the Empress wouldn’t have lost trust in him.
“Why are you apologizing to me?” Shen Du approached Zhu Yan, looking down at her.
At this moment, the woman seemed to have lost her usual proud demeanor, leaving only helplessness and vulnerability.
“If I hadn’t interfered in this case, maybe you would have already found the murderer, and the case wouldn’t have dragged on, causing the Empress to lose trust in you.”
Zhu Yan lowered her head, looking like a child who had done something wrong.
Hearing this, Shen Du chuckled softly. “Isn’t it a bit late to apologize for this now?”
Zhu Yan was taken aback. Even at this moment, Shen Du couldn’t resist teasing her.
“Can you be serious?” Zhu Yan shouted at him, tears welling up in her eyes. “Aren’t you worried at all? There’s only a few days left. Don’t you care about your own life?”
Shen Du was stunned. He had never seen Zhu Yan so angry, worried about his dwindling time. What was this woman thinking?
“Are you worried about me?” Shen Du asked, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
“Who would worry about you?” Zhu Yan denied it. “I’m just worried about being implicated by you. You may not care about your life, but I am my parents’ precious child. If I die, they would be heartbroken. Can you bear to see two elderly people bury their child?”
Shen Du was taken aback. He knew Zhu Yan was a strong woman. Although she denied worrying about him, he could sense the underlying meaning in her words.
Joking aside, seeing Zhu Yan so upset, Shen Du couldn’t bear to tease her any longer.
“You are overthinking,” Shen Du said seriously, with a hint of gravity. “The bodies found later at Ximing Temple were moved there for secondary burial, not buried there immediately after death.”
Zhu Yan was shocked.
“What… what do you mean?” Zhu Yan realized the complexity but didn’t understand the reason.
Shen Du smiled wryly, with a touch of helplessness. “Even if you hadn’t intervened in this case, I couldn’t have closed it early. Someone is targeting me, trying to bring me down. Since it started, only by letting the situation escalate can it gain the Empress’s attention. If I closed the case early, I would only catch a scapegoat, not the real murderer.”
Zhu Yan’s heart trembled. She had realized something, but she couldn’t accept it.