More clues

Si Xuan reported that traces of kerosene had been found near the fire shed at the Salesian Home. The matter had been reported to the county magistrate, but further investigation was needed to determine whether it was intentional or accidental.

After Si Xuan left, Cheng Yayin and Pei Songsheng sat in the hall without saying a word, but the same thought was swirling in their minds.

I originally thought that the man who was luring lonely women everywhere was just an ordinary lustful person. Maybe he was more meticulous and his methods were more efficient, but he was not too difficult to deal with. He had committed many crimes, and if we investigated them one by one, we would always find clues.

But now it seems that the other party is a more complicated person. Not only is his method of committing crimes neat and skillful, but he also has a backup plan afterwards. After abandoning Du Lanxin, he did not just leave her alone, but has been secretly monitoring any unusual movements around her. Once someone finds out about her, he will immediately wipe her out.

This at least shows that he is not fighting alone, and there are people acting as his eyes and ears in Shengjing.

Thinking deeper, even if such a man despised a woman, he would never let her leave in one piece, allowing her to clearly tell others about him. Perhaps Du Lanxin was not driven mad by the shock of her ordeal, but was murdered by a treacherous person.

Thinking of this, Cheng Yayin couldn't help but shudder and felt creepy.

This person is meticulous and ruthless. If he is not caught as soon as possible, he will cause endless harm.

Thinking of this, Cheng Yayin began to worry about Du Lanxin's safety. She had been targeted by the officials of the Dali Temple. If the thieves failed to strike her, they would definitely look for another opportunity to strike. The outside world was full of dangers for her.

Pei Songsheng and she had the same idea. As soon as Cheng Yayin had the idea, he asked, "I want to take Miss Du to the mansion to take care of her for a while. Is that okay?"

Cheng Yayin certainly wouldn't disagree, and asked doubtfully, "This is your home, why are you asking me this?"

Pei Songsheng opened his mouth but said nothing. After a while, he stood up and said, "Then I'll make the arrangements."

*

Du Lanxin's injuries were not serious. After all, the clinic was crowded with people every day, so it would be a good thing if she could have a quiet place to recuperate.

It took quite a bit of effort to bring her back to the Cheng Mansion.

She was already mentally unstable and was frightened by the fire. When she was conscious, no one could get close to her.

In the end, Cheng Yayin invited the director of the Salesian Home. With someone familiar around, Du Lanxin finally calmed down. The director coaxed her into the Pei Mansion's carriage. The mansion's rooms had already been tidied, and calming incense had been burned long before.

The incense was specially given by the doctor in the clinic to ensure that it would not harm Du Lanxin's body. It was also effective quickly and she soon fell into a peaceful sleep.

The dean had to go back to the academy to look after the children and could not stay in Pei's house for long, so he had to leave while Du Lanxin fell asleep.

Du Lanxin's involvement in the dangerous case could not be directly disclosed to the dean. Cheng Yayin simply said that she felt sorry for her plight. After all, the academy was located near the market, not a quiet place, which would not be conducive to her recovery. So she took her back to the mansion to take care of her for a while. The dean was naturally grateful, and Cheng Yayin was thanked by her profusely.

Cheng Yayin announced to the inside that the person who came into the mansion was her distant cousin, who had caught a cold on the way to visit her in Shengjing. The doctor said that he should not be exposed to the wind, so he rested in his room as soon as he entered the mansion and ordered the servants not to disturb him without reason.

The residence chosen for Du Lanxin was in the most secluded southwest corner of the mansion, a place rarely visited by servants. Because she was afraid of strangers, Cheng Yayin assigned only Lanyue to take care of her.

In this way, Du Lanxin was settled down in Pei Mansion. No matter how powerful the thief behind the scenes was, he would not be able to reach the residence of an imperial official.

After solving the most pressing problem, the next question facing Cheng Yayin and Pei Songsheng was how to determine whether Du Lanxin's madness was man-made, and if so, whether there was a solution.

This problem was more difficult than simply protecting Du Lanxin's safety. She had seen many doctors, but none of them had diagnosed anything abnormal. This meant that even if someone had tampered with her dementia, it wouldn't be something an ordinary doctor could detect.

When Cheng Yayin was in trouble, Pei Songsheng said that he knew someone whose medical skills were the best he had ever seen in his life, and maybe he had a solution.

Cheng Yayin perked up and asked who it was.

Pei Songsheng said that it was an imperial physician named Wang from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Cheng Yayin became depressed again and said, "As an imperial physician, you only serve the royal family. Why would you come here to treat a commoner?"

"You don't know," Pei Songsheng said, "This Imperial Physician Wang met my father by chance when he first came to Shengjing. My father has been very helpful to him, and even his appointment to the Imperial Medical Bureau was at my father's recommendation. The Pei family has been indebted to him, and he and I have similar personalities, so we can be considered friends regardless of age. So if I ask him for help, he probably won't refuse."

Cheng Yayin perked up when she heard this: "Really? Then go find him."

Pei Songsheng seemed a little embarrassed. "It's against the rules for a royal doctor to treat commoners. If the news gets out, both the Pei family and he will be in trouble. To be on the safe side, everyone in the mansion must stay away on the day when Royal Doctor Wang comes to the mansion..."

Cheng Yayin understood and said simply, "I understand. When the imperial physician comes, I will ask Lan Yue to come back and will not let you down."

Pei Songsheng nodded, but he kept looking at her, his eyes somewhat cautious for some reason, and said: "This is not because I don't trust you or the people around you, but it's a matter of great importance, so I have to be careful."

Cheng Yayin felt that he was a little too serious and said with a smile, "Of course I understand. Even if you really don't trust us, it's normal. After all, this concerns the safety of the Pei family, so it's better to be cautious."

Cheng Yayin thought it was normal for Pei Songsheng to want to hide something from her; after all, she had previously kept the book secret from him. They were both about to divorce, and it was rare for them to be able to sit down together and discuss serious matters calmly. Once this matter was settled, they would go their separate ways, so it was best not to leave any evidence against each other.

Her eyes were clear, and she really didn't seem to take the matter to heart. She thought that this look must be reassuring. However, Pei Songsheng looked at her for a while without blinking, then turned his head away, his jaw tense, and he didn't look very satisfied.

Cheng Yayin was confused. She always felt that he had been acting strangely since he hit his head. She wondered if there was any sequelae.

However, it is possible that Pei Songsheng was always eccentric, but she didn't have much interaction with him before, so she didn't notice it.

But Cheng Yayin had no desire to delve into the true nature of her soon-to-be-divorced husband. Driven by her righteous hatred of evil, she now decided to team up with Pei Songsheng to track down the murderer. He was currently busy and likely wouldn't have the time to discuss the divorce in detail. Cheng Yayin decided to wait until the murderer was brought to justice before discussing her personal affairs.

Pei Songsheng was busy outside, and Cheng Yayin was not idle either. In addition to taking care of Du Lanxin's daily food and daily life, she took the time to visit Zhijin Bookstore.

The manuscript of "The Story of the Red Tassel" was due every two weeks, and the time had come, so Cheng Yayin dressed in men's clothes and went straight to Zhijin Bookstore.

But this trip was not to submit a manuscript, but to ask Xia Changhuan about someone.

Cheng Yayin walked slowly into Zhijin Bookstore with a folding fan in her hand, and stood in front of the pavilion, watching leisurely. She looked no different from the lazy young men around her and was not eye-catching.

She walked around and didn't see Xia Changhuan, which wasn't surprising. Her business was growing, and she spent most of her time moving between stores. The current owner of Zhijin Bookstore was her younger brother, Xia Changan, who usually ran the business.

Xia Changan was slightly surprised when he saw Cheng Yayin. Cheng Yayin nodded calmly and went upstairs to her own quiet room.

A short while later, a waiter from the shop brought her favorite tea and snacks. After she finished a cup of tea, Xia Changhuan came over. As soon as he entered the door, he couldn't stop smiling and said, "Don't blame me, my dear guest. I was tied up by something outside and kept you waiting for a while."

Cheng Yayin picked up a cake in her hand and said mischievously, "Boss Xia's business is booming. How dare I ask you to make a special trip for me? If I delay your business, I can't afford to pay for writing these books."

"My little god of wealth, why are you so modest?" Xia Changhuan sat down next to Cheng Yayin and spread his hands in front of her with a smile.

Cheng Yayin swallowed the cake in her mouth, patted the powdered sugar on her hands, and said calmly, "I didn't write it."

Xia Changhuan immediately stopped smiling and was about to complain, but after thinking about what had happened in her house recently, she felt it was understandable. She sighed and asked with concern, "Has your Master Pei recovered?"

Cheng Yayin nodded. This was the only good thing that happened during this period.

However, she wasn't here to chat with Xia Changhuan today. After exchanging pleasantries, she immediately got straight to the point and asked, "Are you acquainted with Liu Cuifu from Fanle Tower?"

"Not really, we've only met a few times." Xia Changhuan asked doubtfully, "She left Fanle Building a long time ago. Why are you asking about her?"

"I was thinking about what to write in my next storybook, and I remembered this former top performer in Fanle Tower, so I wanted to give her some reference." Cheng Yayin lied without changing her expression.

"Ancestor, you haven't even finished writing this one yet, and you're already thinking about the next one." Xia Changhuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Good sister, please tell me about it." Cheng Yayin begged, "After all, this Miss Liu was once famous in Shengjing for her pipa playing. When she was around, many dignitaries would invite her to perform at their birthday banquets. Last time I heard you say that she eloped with someone, and now I'm very curious about it. Please tell me in detail."

"Okay." Seeing Cheng Yayin's itchy look, Xia Changhuan said compassionately.

"But you also know that I recently collaborated with Yin Fanlelou to rehearse 'The Story of the Red Tassel', which is how I got to know Boss Zhao. I heard him complain a few times."

She recalled, "Actually, Boss Zhao himself was baffled. Back when Miss Liu was at the height of her fame, she had no shortage of admirers, including some from prominent families. But she was always aloof and arrogant, never taking these people seriously. And then, out of nowhere, she found a lover, lost her mind, and ran off with him, leaving behind a farewell letter.

"Miss Liu is a proud woman, and she's never been on good terms with the other musicians at Fanle Tower. No one knows when she became interested, or who her lover is. Boss Zhao searched everywhere but to no avail, and he was furious. After all, Liu Cuifu was different from Qu Xiaoyou today; she had a contract with Fanle Tower.

"But when she left, she left behind a farewell letter and a large sum of money for her redemption. Boss Zhao had no choice but to swallow this loss in silence. He even gossiped to me, saying that she acted so noble but secretly embezzled the money. He even made up a story that she must have been pregnant, otherwise she wouldn't have left so hastily."

Xia Changhuan sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. "Business is business. I understand that Boss Zhao feels he's lost money and feels unhappy about it, but I despise him for making up stories about the girl behind her back. After all, wasn't that money earned by Liu Cuifu for Fanlelou?"

Cheng Yayin asked, "I guess Miss Liu must have no parents or relatives to rely on, right?"

Xia Changhuan sighed and said quietly, "That's natural. No matter how glorious she is in Fanle Tower, she's still a member of the lower class. Those people may show her superficial attention, but they don't really love her. If she still has family, how could they bear to see her fall to this level?"

The two fell silent at the same time.

Cheng Yayin was in a state of mixed emotions. On the one hand, she was angry that there was another victim in this unsolved case, but on the other hand, she felt that this was also another clue in the investigation.

She didn't move for a long while. Xia Changhuan turned around and was startled. "Why do you look so grim? Did what I said make you angry?"

Cheng Yayin shook her head, cheered herself up and said, "Thank you, sister, for telling me this. I know what to do next."

After she finished speaking, she was about to take her leave, leaving Xia Changhuan staring at her back in confusion. He didn't even have time to stand up to see her off. He just felt that it was strange that she came and went in such a hurry today.

In this quiet room exclusively for Cheng Yayin, the books always on hand are selected according to her preferences. Every time she comes to submit a manuscript, she will take a few books with her. Today, she left in a hurry and even forgot to pick out the books.

Xia Changhuan sorted out the books on the shelf and then stood up and left.

She reached the corner of the corridor and was about to go downstairs when a quiet room at the end of the corridor behind her was pushed open and a man walked out, calling out, "Boss."

Xia Changhuan turned around.

It was dusk, and a golden glow was pouring in from the windows at the end of the corridor. The man was quite tall, half of his body bathed in the sunset, and the other half hidden in the shadow of the corner at the end of the corridor. His face could not be seen clearly, but he was seen holding up a book, his lips moving, and his voice as clear as a mountain spring drifted along the corridor towards Xia Changhuan.

"Is there a second volume of this book 'Hidden Tower'?"