What bad luck!

The rest area was next to a private room. Perhaps it was a bit hot there, as the door was half open, and Zhu Qinghe could clearly hear the conversation inside from her position.

"Wan Ting, your adopted sister has really been kicked out of the house."

A familiar, spoiled voice rang out: "Of course! Zhu Qinghe is a jinx. My father is an upright official who cherishes his reputation above all else. How could he keep her in the Zhu family and let her tarnish our family's name?"

Zhu Qinghe viciously bit off the head of the rabbit cake in her hand. What a small world! She actually ran into Zhu Wanting here.

Isn't this Yakeju? How did they let this mad dog in?

The gossip wasn't over yet, but this time it touched on a different topic.

"Have you heard? The case at the Xiao residence has been solved, and it seems that Lord Shen Wumei, who solved the case, has been promoted."

A young woman who knew the inside story said, "He wasn't originally a constable; he was demoted and sent to the prefectural government. This time, it's not a promotion; at most, he's just regained his previous authority."

Zhu Qinghe listened to their conversation while munching on a pear blossom pastry, her thoughts drifting away. So Shen Wumei had been promoted; that was a good thing after all. No wonder she hadn't heard from him for the past few days.

However, since he is a high-ranking official, it is indeed unnecessary for him to have too much interaction with an ordinary person like her, which is only natural.

Although she understood that this was human nature, Zhu Qinghe didn't know why she felt a tightness in her chest, a kind of unpleasant, twisted discomfort. It was probably from eating too many pastries and getting indigestion.

Then she heard them talking about whose son was handsome and dashing. Zhu Qinghe was not interested. It turned out that these so-called "talented women" were not so high-minded after all. When they got together, they just gossiped about handsome young men. They were not so elegant at all.

Living in this world, with our feet firmly on the ground, eating three meals a day of grains and vegetables, it's really too difficult and too tiring to live a life of aloofness and elegance, detached from worldly affairs.

She would rather be an ordinary person who has fallen into the mortal world and become tainted by worldly affairs, seeking only to live freely and as she pleases.

Zhu Qinghe was listening to their gossip in fits and starts when a richly dressed girl, adorned with sparkling jewels and exquisite makeup, stormed upstairs. The hem of her dress was embroidered with gold threads, each thread adorned with lustrous pearls that swayed gently with each step, making her appear as dazzlingly wealthy as a nouveau riche.

The girl went up to the second floor and looked around. She spotted Zhu Qinghe munching on a pastry in the corner and asked imperiously, "How does this elegant guesthouse train its maids? They're just slacking off in the corner."

“You—” the girl pointed at Zhu Qinghe, “come and serve me right now.”

Zhu Qinghe thought to herself, "Who do you think you are? Did you forget your brain when you went out?" Seeing Zhu Qinghe leisurely eating her pastries and completely ignoring her, the person was so angry that she was about to rush over and teach this ignorant, lowly servant a lesson.

The round-eyed, round-faced maid arrived just in time and humbly bowed, saying, "So it's Miss Xu. I'm late, please forgive me."

Xu Yishu scoffed, "Your elegant guesthouse is so shabby, and I'm always slacking off. If I hadn't been invited, who would want to come to this wretched place?"

"Yes, it is an honor for our humble abode that Miss Xu has graced us with her presence."

From Zhu Qinghe's perspective, all she could see was the pitiful maid with her head bowed and eyes lowered, her posture extremely humble, and her body trembling slightly, as if she were very afraid of the person in front of her.

Who on earth is this person that could frighten her so much?

Xu Yishu didn't bother arguing with her; the poetry club members were still waiting for her. "Hurry up and lead the way," she snapped.

Watching the two walk away one after the other, Zhu Qinghe smacked her lips listlessly. This place was indeed utterly boring.

These noble ladies are so arrogant, they're so boring. It's much more fun to investigate cases with Shen Wumei and the others.

Zhu Qinghe rested her chin on her hand, feeling slightly melancholy. Shen Wumei's promotion was partly due to her efforts, yet he didn't even offer to treat her to a meal. He was so disloyal.

Just as she was feeling melancholy, the maid returned, covering her face, her eyes red and on the verge of tears. Faint red marks were visible where her hands couldn't cover them. Zhu Qinghe subconsciously frowned and called out to her, "Miss—"

The maid looked over with her round eyes wide open, like a frightened cat. Zhu Qinghe smiled and waved to her.

The girl in the corner still had crumbs of pastry on her lips, but her eyes were clear, bright, and sparkling, even warmer than the blazing sun outside. She subconsciously walked over to her.

Zhu Qinghe pulled her to sit down: "There are no guests now, so you can sit here and rest. It will be easier to greet anyone who comes."

"By the way, what's your name?"

"The maid's name is Chenxiang."

"Chenxiang, I want to ask you something. Who was that girl just now? Why was she so arrogant?"

Chen Xiang lowered her eyes and slowly lowered the hand covering her face, revealing clear five-finger marks on her face: "That's Xu Yishu, the daughter of the Xu family. She's very wealthy and has been spoiled since childhood, so naturally she's a bit eccentric and domineering."

Zhu Qinghe frowned: "You can't just hit people like that." She leaned closer to look at the injuries on Chenxiang's face, her tone indignant: "To hit someone so hard, that's really too much."

She pulled a small porcelain bottle from the cloth bag at her waist and handed it to Chenxiang. "This is some medicine powder I ground myself. It's very effective for this kind of bruise. Apply it three times a day as prescribed, and it will heal quickly."

Chenxiang was taken aback, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes. Every noble lady who came here was arrogant and looked down on others. They would feel ashamed to lower themselves by even saying a word to these lowly maids.

The person in front of her not only sat down with her without any hesitation, but even offered her medicine. Her hands, no longer fair and delicate from working, gripped the small porcelain bottle tightly, and she said in a low, hoarse voice, "Thank you, young lady."

Zhu Qinghe waved her hand. She simply couldn't stand the kind of people who thought they were someone special just because their family had a bit of money.

Qinglian Elegant Abode.

Xu Yishu sat in the main seat with a smug expression: "Sisters, don't just stand there, let's play as I just said, this is the most popular way to play right now."

A woman in a light blue dress, with a cold and aloof demeanor, sat opposite her. Her phoenix eyes slightly raised, carrying a hint of coldness: "I have never heard of such a game before, Sister Yishu. Who will take responsibility if something goes wrong?"

Xu Yishu adjusted the tassels on her hair ornament, her smile undiminished: "Sister Congyan is joking. It's just a game, how could anything happen?"

Cong Yan sneered: "All of you here are girls who can't even kill a chicken. You want us to play this game? Don't you think you're going too far?"

Xu Yishu took a sip of tea gracefully and sighed regretfully, "What can we do? When you ask for help, you have to be polite. Don't you all want the funding from the Xu family anymore?"

Cong Yan glared at her, and the girls around her nervously gave her meaningful glances. The people next to her even tugged at her sleeve, meaning that she should stop arguing with Xu Yishu, since everyone needed her family's help this time.

Not all pride in this world can stand tall forever. There are times when we are powerless and can only bow our heads and go with the flow, doing things we don't like.

But it doesn't matter. As long as the flame deep in our hearts never goes out, one day we can find our former pride again. Then, we can gently dust off the dust and we will still be ourselves.

Cong Yan took a light breath and compromised, "Okay, we'll play with you."

Outside, Zhu Qinghe, having finished her pastries, lazily leaned against the balustrade to rest. Chen Xiang watched her move freely, her demeanor completely lacking the dignified and proper bearing of a young lady from a noble family, instead displaying a carefree and unrestrained spirit that set her apart from others.

A deeper question crossed Chenxiang's eyes, and curiosity compelled her to ask, "Since you were invited here, why are you just sitting here?"

Zhu Qinghe chuckled awkwardly, "I came with my cousin. Actually, no one invited me. I'm just here to make up the numbers."

Chenxiang smiled and said, "I see. It seems that Miss's cousin must be an extraordinary person."

"Yes, he is one of the candidates going to the capital this time. He is very talented and will definitely pass the exam with flying colors."

After saying this, Chenxiang's eyes seemed to be stung by something, and a deep, dark emotion welled up inside her. Her voice also became low and hoarse: "It's really good."

If Xiaoguo were still here, she could have taken the exam today. Thinking of this, she clenched her fist, her nails digging deep into her palm, causing a subtle yet sharp pain.

Zhu Qinghe found it rather boring to stay here. If Zhu Wanting came out and bumped into her later, there would probably be another argument. She couldn't be bothered to get involved with her.

So I got up, intending to stroll downstairs to see my cousin, but just as I stood up, I heard a woman's shrill scream coming from somewhere: "Ah—Help! Someone help me—"

Zhu Qinghe's eyelids twitched, and Chen Xiang beside her also suddenly stood up, her face pale.

Yakeju was immediately thrown into chaos.

When Shen Wumei arrived at Ya Ke Ju, Boss Chen was trembling at the door, his legs so weak he could barely stand. Upon seeing the man with a long sword at his waist striding towards him, he grabbed his arm and said, "Sir, our Ya Ke Ju has suffered such a calamity. You must find the real culprit and clear Ya Ke Ju's name!"

Shen Wumei's eyes were deep and cold as she stared at Boss Chen. A chill ran down her spine, and she involuntarily took a step back.

Shen Wumei walked straight in. The hall was filled with men and women. Every now and then, a frightened girl would sob, and a familiar young man would gently comfort her.

The people of this dynasty are open-minded, so this situation is normal. Shen Wumei glanced at it and asked, "Where is the scene?"

Boss Chen quickly pointed to a spot and said, "Chenxiang, come over here and tell the master what's going on."

Shen Wumei's gaze fell over, but she couldn't see which one was Chen Xiang. Instead, she saw a familiar person.

The woman was dressed in a light-colored dress, with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks. Her face was extremely pretty, but at this moment she looked worried and distressed. She looked at Shen Wumei and forced a smile, then stiffly waved her hand as if to say something.

Lord Shen, we meet again.

Why do I say "again"? Because she was just so unlucky. She only accompanied someone to a party, and yet she got caught up in a murder case.

This luck is truly unbelievable.