Jiang Tang had begun putting on weight in middle age. Normally, when meeting people, his face wore a smiling expression, and if he walked on the street, no one could tell he was the head of the Jinlin Guards. But at this moment, his gaze was sinister and cold, staring at Jiang Yuanchao like a venomous snake.

Jiang Yuanchao didn’t answer but asked in return: “Foster father, are you suspecting me?”

Jiang Tang sneered coldly: “Whether I suspect you or not is not for you to ask. I only need you to answer me—where did you go during that half hour, and what did you do?”

Jiang Yuanchao fell silent.

“Were you with Ran Ran?” Jiang Tang asked sternly.

“Foster father—”

“Jiang Shisan, if you still consider me your foster father, if you still remember that you’re the child I brought back from the streets more than ten years ago, then honestly answer me—were you with Ran Ran during that time?”

“No. Foster father, I wasn’t.”

“Very well, then tell me what delayed you for that half hour that made you return to headquarters so late?”

Jiang Yuanchao remained silent.

“Speak!” In front of Jiang Yuanchao, Jiang Tang no longer concealed his emotions that were on the verge of collapse, suddenly kicking over a chair beside him.

The loud crash echoed, and footsteps could be heard outside the door.

“No one is allowed to enter!” Jiang Tang shouted coldly.

It became quiet outside the door.

Jiang Tang stared coldly at Jiang Yuanchao.

Jiang Yuanchao finally spoke: “At the time, Ran Ran ran off in anger. I was originally planning to return to headquarters immediately, but when I passed the silk shop we had browsed earlier, I remembered that Ran Ran hadn’t bought anything while we were shopping, so I instructed the shop assistant to wrap up several fabrics that Ran Ran had noticed and send them to the Jiang residence.”

Hearing Jiang Yuanchao mention his daughter, Jiang Tang felt intense pain in his heart and pressed his lips together: “That still wouldn’t take half an hour.”

Jiang Yuanchao smiled bitterly: “After buying the silk, I simply went to all the shops Ran Ran had browsed and bought everything she had looked at several times. I thought that since I’m clumsy with words and don’t know how to coax girls, perhaps Ran Ran wouldn’t be angry anymore when she saw these things…”

Jiang Tang was silent for a long time before asking: “Where are those things?”

“They should have already been delivered to the residence. You can ask the household steward to confirm.”

“You may go. I will ask.”

“Then I’ll take my leave. Foster father, you still need to take care of your health.”

Seeing Jiang Yuanchao walking toward the door, Jiang Tang seemed to remember something and called out: “Wait.”

Jiang Yuanchao stopped and asked gently: “Does foster father have any other instructions?”

“That double-fish jade pendant you usually wear—why did you change it?”

Jiang Yuanchao looked down at the flying bird jade pendant hanging at his waist, hesitated briefly, and said: “That jade pendant was lost.”

“Lost? When did you lose it?”

Jiang Yuanchao looked up at Jiang Tang’s somber expression and replied: “I lost it on the day of the Lantern Festival.”

Jiang Tang stared at Jiang Yuanchao for quite a while, as if trying to judge the truth of his words.

Jiang Yuanchao respectfully bowed slightly, allowing Jiang Tang to scrutinize him.

He could understand his foster father’s feelings.

Foster father had lost his wife in his early years and never remarried. Ran Ran was everything to foster father. Now that Ran Ran was gone, the blow to foster father was devastating.

He dared not imagine what kind of actions Foster Father might take after losing Ran Ran.

To be able to twist Ran Ran’s neck with one hand and silently kill the Jinlin Guards protecting her—there weren’t many people in the capital with such skills.

As for the murderer, the foster father probably had some idea in his heart.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yuanchao smiled self-mockingly.

No matter what the foster father thought, his days ahead would not be easy.

“You may go.”

After dismissing Jiang Yuanchao, Jiang Tang immediately issued two orders: first, to bring the Jiang residence steward for questioning, and second, to verify the story at the shops near Baiwei Pavilion.

Learning from the steward that many items girls would like had indeed been delivered to the residence that afternoon, Jiang Tang felt quite unsettled.

How happy Ran Ran would have been to see those gifts, but his Ran Ran would never come back.

Not long after, he received word from the Jinlin Guard who had gone to verify at the shops: “Grand Commander, Lord Shisan did indeed go to those shops. Because Lord Shisan and… Miss had browsed them earlier, all the shop assistants had vivid memories.”

Jiang Tang gave a perfunctory nod and said nothing more.

But that Jinlin Guard stood still without moving.

Only then did Jiang Tang glance at him: “What?”

The Jinlin Guard said respectfully: “This subordinate unexpectedly discovered something else—”

“Speak!”

“At a jewelry shop, when this subordinate questioned the shopkeeper, he said that Lord Shisan had recently commissioned jewelry from them and picked it up on the twenty-fourth day of the first month.”

“The jewelry style.” Jiang Tang said in a heavy voice.

The Jinlin Guard pulled out a rolled-up drawing from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

Jiang Tang unrolled the drawing. It showed a pair of earrings in a very rare style—a pair of white jade ducklings with green jade used for the eyes, creating a finishing touch.

Jiang Tang stared at the duckling earrings in a daze.

He felt these earrings looked very familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before.

“The shopkeeper said these earrings had a unique and cute style that they had never made before, so when this subordinate asked about Lord Shisan’s affairs, he immediately remembered.”

Never made before?

Jiang Tang’s heart stirred as he asked: “The shopkeeper said Jiang Shisan picked up the earrings on the twenty-fourth day of the first month?”

“Correct.”

The twenty-fourth day of the first month—

Jiang Tang silently recalled that day.

Such earrings were naturally meant for a girl, but when Ran Ran took Shisan shopping the next day, Shisan hadn’t brought them out.

Later, when Ran Ran ran off in anger, Shisan had gone to those shops to buy the gifts Ran Ran had liked to make her happy, but from beginning to end, he never mentioned these earrings.

This meant the earrings were not intended for Ran Ran!

Jiang Tang looked at the drawing again.

Snow-white ducklings with emerald green eyes made the earrings appear unique and full of spirit, showing the thoughtfulness of whoever had commissioned them.

The twenty-fifth day of the first month was Third Miss Li’s birthday!

Jiang Tang closed his eyes and finally understood.

Shisan had prepared those earrings as a gift for Third Miss Li!

This conclusion made Jiang Tang’s fury surge up immediately.

One was personally drawing the earring design for the jewelry shop to carefully craft, the other was hastily going to shops to buy items that Ran Ran had glanced at a few times. The difference in importance was clear at a glance.

He had only thought that Shisan might have some feelings for Third Miss Li—men being fickle wasn’t unusual—but he never imagined that this foster son with such deep thoughts had fallen so deeply in love with Third Miss Li!

This being the case, Ran Ran’s accusations of Shisan had been correct all along. Her anger and hurt were entirely because she sensed Shisan’s neglect of her and his devotion to another woman.

How wonderful! Third Miss Li was celebrating her birthday, and his prospective son-in-law had carefully prepared a gift, while his Ran Ran had lost her life because of that angry run!

Towering hatred surged in Jiang Tang’s heart, his clenched hands making his joints crack.

Shisan, Third Miss Li, and the real murderer who killed Ran Ran—he would spare none of them!