Chapter 48 Account Books

Zhou Yan'an raised his eyebrows with interest, his eyes shifting between Shen He and Xue Minglan.

Chu Yue and Gu Yu were so nervous that their palms were sweating and they dared not breathe.

Chen He felt that the cold sweat on his back was almost soaking through his plain clothes.

She suppressed the turmoil in her heart and tried to maintain a calm face.

Can't be led away by him!

Don’t fall into the trap set by either him or Zhou Yan’an!

Chen He took a deep breath and looked up at Xue Minglan.

Her eyes, deliberately avoiding that inquiry, appeared clear and distant.

"What happened last night was nothing more than a few words exchanged by some scoundrels."

She spoke, her voice clear and cool.

There was a slight pause.

"Shocked, not really."

Xue Minglan looked at her, his eyes still deep.

The ice in his eyes seemed to fluctuate ever so slightly?

So fast that it is impossible to catch.

He nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"By the way, Mr. Xue just now..."

The name "Mr. Xue" made Xue Minglan's eyes move slightly.

Chen He seemed unaware and continued:

"I wonder what the 'blood jade musk' you just mentioned is?"

She cleverly brought the topic back to the jade bracelet that Chu Yue had just pried open.

It also shifts the focus away from herself.

Xue Minglan stared at her with deep eyes, as if trying to see something from her face.

After a few breaths, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying a subtle quirk:

"Miss Shen," he paused. "When did we become so estranged?"

As soon as these words came out, the air seemed to stagnate again.

Chu Yue's eyes widened.

The smile on Zhou Yan'an's face deepened a little, with an expression of looking forward to the show.

Chen He's heart skipped a beat.

What does he mean?

Is it implying that they shouldn't be so distant from each other?

Fragments of memories from the previous life once again flooded into my mind uncontrollably.

The boy who was watching her silently in the corner...

The bastard who would occasionally come to her rescue without a word when she was being bullied...

Chen He lowered his eyelids to hide the complex emotions in his eyes.

When I raised my eyes again, everything was calm.

"Master Xue is joking."

"We are investigating a case now, so we should handle it impartially."

She spoke calmly, drawing the line clearly.

Xue Minglan looked at her, and the strangeness in his eyes gradually subsided, returning to its previous coldness.

But the corner of his mouth curled up into a smile that was not a smile.

"I'm helping you," he said clearly, each word. "It's not about business."

boom!

This sentence is more impactful than the previous sentence "When did we become so distant?"

The smile on Zhou Yan'an's face froze slightly.

Chu Yue and Gu Yu were so shocked that they almost cried out.

Chen He's heart seemed to be hit hard by something.

he……

Does he know what he is talking about?

In front of the clerk from the Ministry of Justice, in front of her and Chu Yue...

Chen He pursed his lips and said nothing.

She didn't know what to say.

Admit? Deny?

Neither seems appropriate.

In the yard, the only sound was the whimpering sound of the wind blowing through the dilapidated window frames.

Xue Minglan didn't force her anymore.

He seemed satisfied with her silence at the moment, or perhaps he just felt that an explanation was due.

He turned his head and looked at the pink jade bracelet fragment in Chu Yue's hand.

"Blood Jade Musk,"

His voice returned to its previous coldness, with a firmness that stated the fact.

"It's not jade, but a very special kind of musk."

"In Dayin, it's only produced in Yunzhou in the southern border."

Yunzhou?

Chen He's heart moved. That place was extremely remote and the environment was harsh.

"The production of this incense is extremely small, and the refining method is secret."

"In the entire capital, is there any store that can obtain and sell this item..."

Xue Minglan paused and glanced at everyone.

"Only one."

His tone was calm, but it left no room for doubt.

"How do you know?" Zhou Yan'an couldn't help but speak with a hint of scrutiny.

Xue Minglan glanced at him and didn't answer his question.

Instead, he made an even more unexpected move.

He slowly took out a small but exquisite account book from the sleeve of his dark suit.

The cover of the account book was dark blue, with slightly curled corners, obviously it was frequently read.

"What a coincidence," Xue Minglan said calmly, holding the account book in his palm. "I happen to have a copy of that store's purchase and regular customer list."

Ledger?!

List?!

The four people's eyes were fixed on the booklet with a dark blue cover.

The air seemed to have been sucked out.

Xue Minglan's fingers were slender and had distinct joints, gently holding up the seemingly ordinary account book.

He glanced at Chen He with a meaningful look.

Then he handed over the account book.

Chen He stretched out his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly, and took the account book that might contain a shocking secret.

It feels slightly cool to the touch, with an old smell unique to paper.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her surging emotions, and turned to the first page.

The handwriting was beautiful and neat, recording the date, the name of the product - Blood Jade Musk, and the quantity.

And...the buyer's seal.

One page, two pages, three pages...

Shen He flipped through the pages quickly, his eyes as sharp as a knife as he scanned every record.

Her heart sank little by little.

really!

In almost every transaction of blood jade musk, the buyer is the same person!

A small private seal was clearly stamped on the account book.

The words on the seal were a woman's name.

——“Pure Heart”.

A name that sounds gentle but unfamiliar.

Chen He raised his head and looked at Xue Minglan with complicated eyes.

How did he get this thing?

And, it points to one person so accurately?

Xue Minglan met her gaze, the smile on his lips still there.

"I can help you," he said in a low voice, but with a sense of finality. "That's it."

The implication is that she has to walk the rest of the way on her own.

Zhou Yan'an narrowed his eyes, his fingers unconsciously stroking the sword at his waist, as if evaluating something.

Chu Yue and Gu Yu exchanged glances, and both saw tension and confusion in each other's eyes.

Chen He didn't say anything, but just clenched the account book in his hand.

Xue Minglan looked at her deeply, and his eyes seemed to penetrate time and space and landed in some distant corner.

Then he turned around.

The black hem of the dress drew a cold and hard arc.

He walked away decisively without stopping for a moment.

It was as if the person who had just produced shocking evidence and spoken ambiguous words was not him.

It was not until his back disappeared outside the dilapidated courtyard gate that the invisible pressure dissipated slightly.

"call……"

Guyu breathed a sigh of relief.

Chu Yue also relaxed her tense shoulders.

Zhou Yan'an coughed lightly and broke the silence: "Miss Shen, this account book..."

Chen He's gaze was still on the cover of the account book.

"Su Xin..."

She whispered the name, her brow furrowed.

"This name... sounds so familiar..."

"I think I've heard it somewhere..."

She searched hard in her mind.

From past lives to present lives, countless fragments of memories come flooding in.

Those days of being extremely cautious in the deep palace, those scenes of struggling to survive amidst conspiracy and calculation...

Who is it?

Who is it?

"Su Xin...Su Xin..."

She repeated it over and over again, as if trying to catch a wisp of smoke that was about to dissipate.

Sudden!

A flash of lightning split the chaotic memory!