Li Cheng’s face turned sallow, clearly feeling he had suffered a silent loss.

Yet he had nothing to say about it.

He could only suppress this frustration.

Then he urged the beggar, “Alright, hurry up and speak. Do you really want this official to have you beaten?”

“I’ll speak, I’ll speak now.”

“Quickly.”

Almost everyone present was waiting.

Wanting to hear what exactly had happened.

The beggar vigorously cleared his throat, then slowly began, “Back then, I did indeed see that person called Du Mubai. He passed by me here. It was evening that day, before dark, and he passed right by me.”

Ji Yunshu asked, “Where was he going?”

The beggar pointed to the alley behind him and said, “He went in there.”

“Inside? What’s inside?”

The beggar said, “Inside there’s a lake and a pavilion that’s been abandoned for over twenty years. No one has gone in for a long time. It’s completely desolate. Even stray cats and dogs won’t go in there.”

“Then… why would Du Mubai go inside?” Ji Yunshu muttered to herself.

The beggar shrugged, “How would I know? You’d have to ask him yourself.”

Just after saying this, the beggar froze.

Realizing he had said something wrong.

Du Mubai was already dead, so how could they ask him?

Would they have to go to the underworld to ask?

He quickly said, “I didn’t mean it that way, it’s just… I really don’t know!”

If he had known, perhaps there would have been leads about Du Mubai’s death, and they wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble searching for places with door studs.

Causing such an uproar throughout Gaoding City.

Ji Yunshu didn’t pursue what he had just said, but continued asking, “At that time… was he alone?”

“Yes, alone.”

“What was he doing inside?”

The beggar said, “How would I know? All I know is that he was limping.”

Just as he finished—

Li Cheng directly denied it, “Nonsense. Du Mubai wasn’t lame. I think you’re just talking rubbish. You’re lying, aren’t you?”

An interrogation!

“No, he was at that time.” The one who spoke up was Jingrong, who was standing nearby.

This fellow was very well-behaved, never speaking all this time.

Silently following beside Ji Yunshu.

Willingly being a transparent person!

Li Cheng looked at him, “Young Master Jing, what do you mean by that? What was the situation then? Do you know something?”

“What, Young Master Cheng doesn’t know?”

“What should I know?” Li Cheng was confused.

He didn’t understand what he was supposed to understand.

Jingrong said, “Has Young Master Cheng forgotten? Both Fang Tong and Jiang Wen said that Du Mubai had taken a fall during those days and couldn’t walk properly. Moreover, Master Ji examined the skeleton and indeed confirmed his ankle was injured, so walking with a limp would be normal.”

“Oh, I almost forgot about that.”

Jingrong said “mm.”

Li Cheng said to the beggar, “Continue.”

“What else is there to say? Just thinking about it makes me angry.” The beggar’s expression soured.

Ji Yunshu asked, “Why?”

“When he passed by me, he accidentally stepped on something and slipped, almost falling. Then he took his anger out on me, kicked and broke the bowl I use for begging, and kicked me too. He even spat at me.”

“You’re lying!” Li Cheng was very agitated, “Du Mubai wasn’t that kind of person.”

“He was a scholar, so of course he wasn’t what you all think, but he did kick me and curse at me at that time.”

“Did you recognize the wrong person?”

“Du Mubai, the Scholar of South Shen—who doesn’t know him! It wasn’t even dark yet, how could I have mistaken him?”

“Nonsense.”

“Believe it or not.” The beggar didn’t want to say more.

He pulled his straw mat and lay down directly.

Ji Yunshu wanted to ask a couple more questions, but the beggar covered his head to sleep and refused to say another word.

Li Cheng then pulled everyone away.

This behavior was very abnormal.

Ji Yunshu and Jingrong had already been somewhat suspicious, and with what just happened, they really couldn’t help wanting to know the reason.

So she said to Li Cheng, “Young Master Cheng, I have something I want to say to you.”

“Speak.”

“Please have these officials step aside first.”

“What matter requires them to step aside?”

“A private matter!”

Li Cheng felt it wasn’t that simple, but still agreed.

He dismissed all those officials and guards.

Leaving only him, Jingrong, and Ji Yunshu—the three of them!

Ji Yunshu pulled him to a teahouse.

Li Cheng asked, “Young Master Ji, why did you bring me here?”

Ji Yunshu and Jingrong pulled him into a private room.

Acting very mysteriously.

Seeing the atmosphere so serious, Li Cheng seemed to realize something.

“What’s going on?”

Ji Yunshu asked him very seriously, “What exactly are you still hiding?”

“Me? Hiding what?”

“Every time Du Mubai’s character is mentioned, you become very agitated. What exactly are you hiding?”

“I…” Li Cheng was at a loss for words.

Jingrong sat leisurely drinking tea, looking like he was prepared to listen to a story.

Ji Yunshu said, “It’s already come to this point. Are you still going to keep hiding it?”

“I…”

“You might think what you’re hiding is unrelated to the case, but what if it is? Perhaps what you’re hiding isn’t just one thing, but a clue to the case.”

Hearing Ji Yunshu say this, Li Cheng’s heart began to waver.

He struggled internally.

Should he speak?

Or not?

After all, this matter concerned his elder sister. If he spoke of it, wouldn’t it damage her reputation?

So—

He bit his teeth and said, “You’d better not ask. I’m not hiding anything.”

“Young Master Cheng, I’m not forcing you. I’m hoping you can help me.”

“If I speak, will it help you?”

“That’s right.” Ji Yunshu told him decisively.

Jingrong continued sitting to the side watching.

By now, he had finished a cup of tea.

The main event hadn’t started yet.

Li Cheng swept his sleeve and walked to the window of the private room, both anxious and conflicted.

Finally—

“Fine! I’ll speak!”

Ji Yunshu and Jingrong simultaneously looked at him.

He pondered for a moment, as if organizing his words, then said, “Du Mubai… he had feelings for my elder sister.”

He finally said it.

But Ji Yunshu and Jingrong weren’t surprised.

They had actually guessed this long ago.

“And then?”

Li Cheng slowly continued, “Back then, when Du Mubai came to my residence, he fell for my elder sister at first sight. But because his background wasn’t good, he kept these feelings hidden all along, until…”

Li Cheng slowly continued, “Back then, when Du Mubai came to my residence, he fell for my elder sister at first sight. But because his background wasn’t good, he kept these feelings hidden all along, until…”

“Until what?”

Telling only half the story could make one tongue-tied!

Jingrong and Ji Yunshu looked at him, urgently wanting to know what happened next.