Dazzlingly white
Ever since You Jiale spilled the beans about the locked box and the letters, Zhang Xiande outwardly remained calm, but deep down he was concerned about the location "Zhangyun Wharf" mentioned in the letters. This was the only place among the letters, besides "Li's Sauce Shop," that provided any information.
Zhang Xiande secretly sent someone to investigate the situation at "Zhangyun Wharf". He found a pretext, saying that he needed to verify the recent cargo volume at the wharf, and retrieved the cargo list and detailed accounts of the personnel involved from about two months ago, around the beginning of June.
The investigation needed to be swift to avoid detection, but it also required meticulousness. After all, it was a recent shipment, many records were still clearly available, and most of the personnel involved were still at the dock or in the surrounding area. However, to avoid alerting the suspects, Zhang Xiande's men remained cautious.
Sure enough, after careful analysis and comparison, Zhang Xiande had a clue. All the clues pointed to one possibility: "Zhangyun Wharf" was probably a secret material transfer station for the underground party at that time, and the batch of cotton cloth that had been specially marked might contain some important items or intelligence.
After finishing his work for the day, Zhang Xiande did not return to his main residence in Yunyin Hall as usual. Instead, he went to the small courtyard where You Jiale was temporarily staying in Yunyin Hall.
Several dim lanterns hung in the courtyard, swaying slightly in the breeze and casting flickering shadows. As soon as Zhang Xiande stepped into the courtyard, he saw You Jiale sitting casually on a bamboo chair in the center of the yard, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan, looking completely relaxed and carefree.
You Jiale was wearing a pair of white silk pajama bottoms, the material of which was thin and light. Perhaps because it was too hot, he casually rolled up the wide legs to his upper thighs, revealing a section of dazzlingly white long legs.
Zhang Xiande abruptly stopped, as if all the blood in his body had been drained and rushed to one place. He felt a dryness in his throat, and the words he had prepared seemed stuck there. He had almost forgotten why he had come here.
After several seconds, Zhang Xiande forced himself to regain some composure and coughed lightly: "You Jiale."
Hearing the voice, You Jiale lazily turned his head and saw that it was Zhang Xiande. A slightly surprised expression appeared on his face: "Oh, what brings you here?" As he spoke, he was about to get up.
"Sit down." Zhang Xiande tried to take his eyes off You Jiale's legs, walked to the stone bench next to him and sat down. He tried to keep his tone calm, but his voice was still a little hoarse.
You Jiale sat back down, looking at Zhang Xiande with a hint of doubt: "It's so late, is there something you need?"
Zhang Xiande composed himself before slowly recounting the bits and pieces of information he had gathered: "I checked the 'Zhangyun Wharf' mentioned in the letter you mentioned last time."
Upon hearing this, You Jiale's previously nonchalant expression immediately vanished, replaced by a serious demeanor. He sat up straight, his eyes filled with anticipation and a hint of nervousness: "What did you find out?"
Zhang Xiande took out a document, spread it on the stone table, and pointed to a spot by the light of the lantern, saying slowly but clearly, "Look here."
“Around the beginning of June,” Zhang Xiande tapped one of the columns lightly with his fingertip, “a considerable quantity of cotton cloth was transported in and out of Zhangyun Wharf. This batch of goods was specially marked, and the recipient was called ‘Tongji Trading Company’.”
"It sounds like a pretty ordinary business." You Jiale frowned.
“On the surface, yes.” Zhang Xiande sneered. “They sell cloth. But I had someone investigate, and the actual controller behind it can’t be found. The registered person is just a gofer. In other words, it’s a facade.”
He pushed another booklet over and continued, "Among those responsible for loading and unloading this batch of cotton cloth, there were several people who weren't on the dock's official employee list. Not long afterward, they all resigned and left the dock, citing reasons such as returning home, being sick, taking care of family members... there were many reasons."
"Did you find out where they went?" You Jiale asked.
"It's not clear yet. My people found out through another line of investigation, and we didn't dare to alert them."
“This…” You Jiale’s expression turned serious. “So this batch of goods was used as a cover?”
"You learn pretty quickly." Zhang Xiande's words were completely calm, but his eyes subtly swept over You Jiale's fair skin.
Zhang Xiande forcibly pulled his gaze back to the documents, pointing to the date on the shipment, "And look, the time of entry and exit from the dock matches perfectly with the time period of the operation mentioned in the letter we received earlier."
You Jiale swallowed hard, a strange shiver running through her: "Then... what do you plan to do?"
Zhang Xiande did not answer immediately, but remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "We have too little information right now, so we can only continue to investigate."
You Jiale listened very attentively, occasionally asking questions. The two then discussed this information, analyzing the activities that "Yu Shanhe" might have been involved in back then and the role that "Li Ji Sauce Shop" might have played.
Throughout the discussion, whenever You Jiale frowned slightly in thought or unconsciously rubbed her legs, Zhang Xiande's gaze was drawn to her as if by a magnet, unable to look away.
Ultimately, the two discussed their next steps and decided to investigate "Tongji Trading Company" and other contact points mentioned in the letter more cautiously.
"Why didn't you call me to your study?" You Jiale suddenly laughed. "You came here so late, aren't you afraid of people gossiping?"
Zhang Xiande raised his eyelids slightly and said in a nonchalant tone, "When have I ever cared what others say?"
“But I do care.” You Jiale slowly fanned herself, her gaze not meeting his. “Young Master Pei also lives here. Don’t you need to consider his feelings?”
A hint of confusion flashed in Zhang Xiande's eyes. "I came to see you, what does that have to do with him?"
You Jiale smiled enigmatically, "If someone sees you entering my yard too often, who knows what rumors will spread outside."
Zhang Xiande stared at You Jiale for a while, then suddenly said, "If you're really afraid of people talking about it, then don't dress like that next time."
You Jiale ignored him, saying, "It's none of your business if I dress like this to keep cool."
Zhang Xiande snorted coldly, said nothing, and stood up to take his leave. As he left the courtyard, the scene he had just witnessed still lingered in his mind, leaving him unable to calm down for a long time.
You Jiale watched Zhang Xiande's departing figure, oblivious to the strange look in the other's eyes. He simply felt that the night sky was exceptionally quiet, and that he seemed to be one step closer to the truth.
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