Chapter 36 Transaction

For a long, long time.

Chu Yue bent down slowly and slowly.

Her movements were slow, but with a determination to make a last-ditch effort.

She picked up the pestle that had fallen to the ground and held it tightly in her hand.

Then, she raised her head and looked at Shen He.

The eyes that were previously filled with shock, fear, and struggle now only had a cold determination and... a hint of resolute madness.

"Miss Shen."

Her voice was still cold, but it was no longer indifferent and kept people at a distance. Instead, it was sharp and icy.

"What do you want me to do?"

She agreed! She didn't ask "Why do I trust you?" or "Why should I help you?" Instead, she asked directly "What to do?" At this moment, Chu Yue chose to gamble everything! A fellow traveler, a deal!

Chen He looked at the determination in her eyes, his heart settled slightly, and a faint arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Done.

Chen He looked at the determination in Chu Yue's eyes, and a heavy stone in his heart slowly fell.

She did not immediately say what she wanted to test, but instead picked up the silver needle bag that had just been placed next to the medicine mortar in front of Chu Yue and handed it to Chu Yue.

"Here, take it first."

Chu Yue was startled, her eyes falling on the silver needle bag embroidered with a light and elegant orchid pattern.

Her vision seemed to be glued, and her pupils contracted slightly.

"This is?"

There was a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.

Shen He's tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable power.

"Consider it my gift to you."

"Or rather, it's a token of my sincerity in forming an alliance."

It's not a handout, it's a gift! It's not an order, it's an invitation!

Chu Yue stretched out her hand, and her fingertips trembled as they touched the familiar brocade.

When you touch it, you will feel the cool and silky touch, and... the slightly hard outline of the silver needle inside.

She suddenly picked up the needle bag and untied the laces almost roughly!

She recognized it! The eagerness and disbelief in her movements revealed the turmoil in her heart!

Several fine needles of different lengths, emitting a faint silver light, lay quietly on the unfolded brocade.

At the end of the needle, there is a very small but very familiar seal of the word "Chu"!

Chu Yue's breathing stopped instantly!

Her eyes suddenly turned red!

"This is Grandfather's 'Seven Star Needle'!"

Her voice was choked with disbelief and immense doubt.

"This is clearly my grandfather's legacy! After the incident, all the Chu family's medical supplies were sealed by the Ministry of Justice! You...how could you..."

Chu Yue suddenly raised her head and stared at Chen He, her eyes full of inquiry and a hint of vigilance.

Chen He met her sharp gaze with a calm expression, even with a hint of imperceptible nostalgia.

This needle bag was left by Mr. Yan.

He once said that Mr. Chu was a senior whom he respected.

He said that 'Truman's Golden Needle' should not be covered in dust.

But Shen He couldn't tell Chu Yue.

"How I got it, I can't tell you yet."

There was apology in Shen He's eyes, but also an unusual firmness.

“Some things just haven’t happened yet.”

Chu Yue was silent.

She tightly grasped the set of ancestral silver needles that she had lost and found, and her knuckles turned white from the force.

The cold touch of the needle tip seems to be able to penetrate the skin and reach the heart.

Chen He looked at her struggling expression and softened his voice.

"Chu Yue, I give it to you to show you my sincerity."

"This set of needles shall be returned to its original owner."

"It is also my commitment to the covenant between us."

Chu Yue closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the excitement, confusion, and struggle in her eyes gradually faded away, leaving only a settled determination.

She carefully and solemnly tied the silver needle bag again and put it close to her body.

That action carried with it a sense of cherishment as if something had been lost and then recovered, as well as a certainty of handing over one's fate.

"good."

She uttered a word, her voice was soft but powerful.

"Miss Shen, I believe you."

The dust has settled! Chu Yue has made her final choice! This set of silver needles became the straw that broke her last doubts and also became the bond that connected their fates.

A genuine smile finally appeared on the corner of Chen He's mouth. Although it was faint, it dispelled the cold and damp air in the side pavilion.

"I know you still have a lot of questions in your mind."

She looked at Chu Yue with a frank gaze.

"That's normal."

“Trust doesn’t happen overnight.”

"I won't force you to trust me wholeheartedly right away."

"But I'll give you time."

Chen He's tone was full of confidence and an unquestionable certainty.

"On the road ahead, I will prove it to you step by step with my actions."

"Prove that your choice today was not wrong."

"It proves that we are truly fellow travelers."

The promise of the future! Chen He did not stop at words, but cast his eyes on the future!

She vowed to use her actions as a pen to write a glorious chapter that would win Chu Yue's full trust, making this alliance as solid as a rock and unshakable from now on.

Chu Yue met Chen He's gaze and nodded slowly.

At this moment, the raindrops outside the window seemed to understand this heavy yet warm promise, and gradually restrained their noise, leaving only the soft sound of drizzle brushing against the window lattice.

A faint ray of light shone through the window lattice, illuminating the sharp and determined light in Shen He's eyes.

Next is Zhou Yan'an's turn.

***

The Ministry of Justice Archives is dark and damp.

The air was filled with the musty smell of old paper and the lingering odor of blood, and it was so cold that it seemed as if no living person was present.

A shiny cockroach slowly crawled across the cover of a yellowed file, on which were written in thick ink four shocking words - "A family massacre."

Deep in the shadow of the bookshelf, there stood a man.

Zhou Yan'an.

The famous "King of Hell" in the Ministry of Justice is impartial and ruthless.

He was dressed in a dark green official robe, his figure was as straight and upright as a pine tree, yet he exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers away.

He lowered his head slightly, his eyes fixed on the file in his hand, his mutilated left hand unconsciously pressing on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

A burst of very light footsteps was heard, breaking the dead silence here.

Chen He's figure walked step by step from the bright light at the entrance of the archive into the darkness.

She looked calm and walked leisurely, as if she was just a guest at an ordinary family's home.

Zhou Yan'an didn't look up, his voice was as cold as ice.

"Ministry of Justice is a very important place. No one is allowed to enter."

Shen He stopped a few steps behind him.

"Master Zhou, I am not an idler."

Her voice was clear and distinct in this empty and cold space.

"I came to see you."

Zhou Yan'an then slowly raised his head, his movements almost stiff and sluggish.

His gaze, sharp as a knife, shot straight at Shen He.

"The eldest lady of the Shen family?"

He recognized her.

After all, there was only one woman in the entire capital who publicly asked to marry a foolish prince at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet.

"Miss Shen," Zhou Yan'an's voice was devoid of any warmth, "the files of the family annihilation case are not something a young lady should read."

His words were pointed and contained an undisguised warning.

"Master Zhou, how about we make a deal?"

Shen He's voice was not loud, but it revealed an unquestionable power.

Zhou Yan'an's gaze slowly moved from Chen He's face to the half jade pendant. His eyes were deep and his emotions could not be seen.

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows with a hint of sarcasm, "What is it about Miss Shen that I like?"

Shen He ignored his ridicule and continued speaking at a steady pace.

"Zhao Qi."