The woman before him was very young, thin, with no ornaments whatsoever—completely plain and simple.

“Zhifei, I’m Sixth Sister from the Ji residence—Ji Hui. When you were young, you often came to our house with Ming Ting. Have you forgotten?”

“Sixth Sister!”

Xie Zhifei slapped his forehead and forced out his trademark smile with difficulty. “How did you become so thin? No wonder I didn’t recognize you.”

Ji Hui’s eyes reddened.

With everything that had happened to her family these past months, how could she not lose weight?

At this moment, Xie Zhifei glanced back at Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing immediately pulled out a money pouch. “We found the person. The chief invites everyone for drinks tonight. Dismissed for now.”

“Chief, should we pursue those two masked men…”

“Not for now.”

Third Master, I’ll handle this myself!

“Yes!”

The guards filed out.

Seeing the main door open, Madam Ning realized speaking wasn’t convenient. “Come on, let’s go to the back room to talk.”

“Wait.”

Xie Zhifei: “Third Madam, this shop belongs to you?”

“It’s part of my dowry.”

“Then why the white banner on the carriage?”

“Didn’t our Ninth Miss die in prison? The funeral was handled simply then, but now that the Ji family is cleared, we should at least…”

Madam Ning turned away to wipe her tears, then took Yan Sanhe’s hand. “Forget it, let’s not talk about that. Come on.”

“Third Madam, don’t pull her!”

Xie Zhifei pulled Yan Sanhe’s hand back, protective as if guarding a cub. “Yan Sanhe, watch your step.”

Madam Ning froze, then turned around and smiled meaningfully.

What’s with that smile?

Don’t you understand what it means to lose something and find it again?

With a buzz, Xie Zhifei’s mouth fell slightly open, his expression somewhat dazed.

Something’s not right!

Why would I think of the phrase “lose and regain”?

Third Master Xie stared blankly at Yan Sanhe beside him, his heart suddenly boiling over again.

Thump, thump, thump!

Thump, thump, thump!

That heart seemed to have become a wild beast. For all these years it had been napping quietly, but today’s scare had awakened it.

So it opened its gaping maw, roaring as it sought food.

“Yan Sanhe.”

He unconsciously called out, wanting to warn her to be careful—the person that beast wanted to devour seemed to be…

Her!

Yan Sanhe heard Xie Zhifei call her name and waited for him to continue.

After waiting a long time, not only was there no continuation, but she got a wooden statue instead.

This man just stood in the corridor, eyes clear black and white, bloodshot, staring at her blankly without saying a word.

Possessed?

Yan Sanhe raised her finger and pressed it between his brows.

Xie Zhifei felt as if cold water had been poured over his head. He shuddered violently and snapped back to attention.

Yan Sanhe pushed him. “Let’s go—everyone’s waiting!”

Xie Zhifei looked up to find four eyes fixed on him from both Madam Ning and Sixth Sister Ji.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

He felt guilty and covered by saying, “I was just thinking about the case.”

“Oh my goodness, my dear Third Master!”

Madam Ning couldn’t care less now. She grabbed Xie Zhifei’s arm and pulled him forcefully forward. “There’s something more important than the case right now.”

Xie Zhifei was dragged along like a piece of wood, but all his senses remained focused on Yan Sanhe behind him.

What he didn’t know was that Yan Sanhe was also watching his back at that moment, deep in thought.

Madam Ning led everyone to a room in the back courtyard.

This room was where the manager kept accounts and received important guests. Tables, chairs, and everything else were complete.

Madam Ning personally lit the lamps and brought fresh hot tea before eagerly speaking.

“Miss Yan, I didn’t finish asking earlier—have they caught the grave robber who disturbed our old madam’s tomb?”

Yan Sanhe glanced coolly at Xie Zhifei. “You speak first. What’s this about?”

Madam Ning hastily signaled Ji Hui with her eyes, indicating she should speak up quickly.

Ji Hui wanted to speak too, but the words stuck in her throat. Unable to get them out, she anxiously wiped away tears and raised her teacup for a drink…

Madam Ning was so anxious she broke out in a sweat. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Miss Yan, our Fourth Madam—my sister-in-law—wants to become a nun.”

“Why?”

“Why?”

Yan Sanhe looked at Xie Zhifei, who had spoken simultaneously with her, and said, “Is it because of the Ninth Miss?”

Madam Ning sighed. “Actually, the Ninth Miss took her own life because of something Fourth Madam said.”

Yan Sanhe was shocked. “What did she say?”

Just mentioning this made Madam Ning’s anger flare up.

“No wonder they say women have long hair but short sight. Our four branches of the family already had conflicts, and in that kind of place, Miss Yan, just think…”

The first branch blamed the second branch;

The second branch vented on the third and fourth branches;

The third and fourth branches cursed the first branch for ruining the entire Ji family;

The first branch turned around and cursed the third and fourth branches for being ungrateful…

“Miss Yan, you didn’t see it—these women who are so gentle and virtuous in daily life, when they start cursing, they’re sharper than anyone. Those words stab straight into your heart.”

Thinking of those three months in prison, Madam Ning’s eyes reddened too.

“Fourth Madam was mistreated and took it out on the Ninth Miss, pointing at her head and scolding her—

‘Usually you’re the most talkative, chirping away, but now you’ve become mute. Can’t even say a word for your mother. I worked so hard to give birth to you—what use are you? Every one of you is a debt collector. Better off dead.'”

“My mother isn’t usually like that.”

Ji Hui suddenly choked up. “Ninth Sister was the youngest, and Mother loved her most. She was just pushed to the edge.”

“Continue.”

Yan Sanhe didn’t even blink.

Ji Hui was startled, thinking how cold this girl was, without a shred of sympathy.

“Continue, Sixth Sister.”

Xie Zhifei glanced at Yan Sanhe. “Yan Sanhe and I have other matters to attend to. There’s no time to waste.”

“Oh, yes!”

Ji Hui hurried to say, “My mother was so devastated by Ninth Sister’s death that she refused food and water in prison. After being released, she stayed home for two days before saying she wanted to go to the nunnery to take vows. No one could dissuade her.”

Yan Sanhe: “And then?”

“We saw she was determined, so we thought we’d let her stay at the nunnery to clear her mind for a few months. After some time, when she comes around herself, we’ll bring her back home.”

Ji Hui began choking up again.

“There are several nunneries in the suburbs of the capital. We settled her at the Water Moon Nunnery in the western suburbs, but the abbess said my mother’s six roots weren’t pure and refused to accept her.”

Yan Sanhe: “Then find another one.”

“We can’t, Miss Yan!”

Madam Ning quickly interjected. “The other nunneries are either inside temples or next to temples—monks and nuns all mixed together, it’s not proper. Only the Water Moon Nunnery stands alone, completely secluded and peaceful.”

Yan Sanhe: “Go on.”

Ji Hui: “My mother…”

“Sixth girl, let me tell the rest. You’re young—don’t touch these evil matters.”

Madam Ning hastily interrupted her.

“The abbess refused to accept her, so we brazenly brought up Ming Ting’s position. We thought that since Ming Ting oversees the Buddhist Registry, the abbess would at least give him some face. Who knew she wouldn’t budge.

Later we asked a young nun and learned that the night after we visited, something strange happened at the nunnery.”

Yan Sanhe: “What happened?”