Chapter 168: A Thousand Doubts
However, good things often come with difficulties, and things rarely go as planned. Just because someone wants to see another person doesn't mean they can. Similarly, the progress of a case will never be smooth sailing.
Once again, the pavilion is shrouded in golden autumn rain. The fragrant blossoms have faded, a sight to behold; but the lush summer air is truly delightful.
"I'm truly sorry, Chief Constable, for making you come all this way for nothing." Shaman smiled apologetically, though she rarely made this expression, so her smile was faint, like a flower just emerging from the water, its tip still above the surface. She said, "Miss is still handling official business and is afraid she won't have time today. If Chief Constable has something urgent, I can inform the Deputy Director, who might be able to help you."
He looked indifferently at the towering Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion, which pierced the sunlight, seemingly without any gloom, bathed in the light of day, as if it stood horizontally in flight. Since Su Mengzhen fell seriously ill, Xie Huailing had assumed the role of acting pavilion master, so it was only natural that he was busy. However, upon hearing Shaman's words, he did not accept the plan she offered. He gave a deep look at what should have been Su Mengzhen's bedroom, then turned away and said, "No need. I came here specifically to see Miss Xie. Please ask Miss Shaman again when Miss Xie has time."
He paused for a moment, then asked, "How is Master Su's illness? Is he alright?"
The relationship between the Divine Marquis's Mansion and the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion is not bad. Although it is not as intertwined as other court forces and Jianghu gangs, their interests are so intertwined that it is difficult to distinguish between them, but at least it is a relationship that is absolutely acceptable on the surface. Moreover, Wuqing has a good personal relationship with Su Mengzhen, so there is nothing wrong with him asking this question.
But despite asking, Shaman really didn't know.
Even if you asked Doctor Shu, he wouldn't know Su Mengzhen's condition. In the entire Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion, only Xie Huailing knew the extent of Su Mengzhen's illness. Fortunately, although Shaman didn't know the specifics, she knew that Su Mengzhen's serious illness was just an excuse; he was actually receiving treatment. After a moment's thought, she replied, "He's been a little better these past few days, but he's still bedridden. Thank you for your concern, Chief Constable."
Ruthless asked again, "May I visit him?"
Shaman shook her head and said, "Please don't make things difficult for me, Chief Constable. With the Lord in such a state of health, he can't see anyone except Miss and the doctor."
She had already said those words, and it would be too heartless to ask again. This was a kind of art of speaking. Sure enough, after a moment's thought, Wuqing did not press the matter, perhaps because he was not one to force people. He simply said, "Then please convey my wishes to Master Su for a speedy recovery. Also, please ask Miss Shaman to inquire with Miss Xie whether it would be convenient for us to meet at another time."
Shaman, as alert as a cat, asked, "It's alright. But I wonder what business the chief constable has with you, Miss? I must tell you first so you can give me a reply."
A ready-made excuse indeed came to mind. He replied, "Last year at the Golden Breeze and Drizzle Pavilion, I received a bouquet of flowers from Miss Xie, but I was always delayed by other matters and never returned the favor. I feel guilty about that. This year, seeing all the flowers in bloom again, I would like to return another bouquet to Miss Xie and invite her to enjoy them."
This was something Shaman didn't know. She didn't want to know about Xie Huailing's private life, nor did she want Xie Huailing to tell her about it.
But given his ruthless nature, he wouldn't use such a clumsy lie to deceive her; it's most likely true. From this perspective, it's really not something that Bai Feifei can do for him; he can only ask Xie Huailing himself.
She said, "I understand. I will inform Miss in a moment. Please rest assured, Chief Constable, just go back to the Divine Marquis's residence and wait for a reply."
Wuqing replied, "I have no official business today, so I can just wait. There's no need for the brothers from Jinfeng Xiyu Tower to make another trip."
Shaman was unsure what "ruthless" really meant. She glanced at him a few more times, but then decided that she didn't need to think about it. After all, Xie Huailing couldn't make a mistake, so she left the decision to Xie Huailing. She then sent a message: "Please wait a moment, Chief Constable." With that, she turned and left, walking down the Yellow Tower.
Looking into the distance, Wuqing saw Shaman's figure appear outside the window again in a short while, heading straight for the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, which represented the pavilion owner. She must be going to find Xie Huailing, which can only mean one thing: Xie Huailing, who was busy with official duties, was also there.
The "Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion" truly symbolizes the authority of its owner.
Su Mengzhen only resides here, issuing orders within the brothel; why then can she stay there? Wuqing pondered silently. He knew he knew nothing about Xie Huailing; their few encounters amounted to nothing. But now he realized that he was more than just ignorant; he seemed to have been far too negligent.
Both he and Zhuge Zhengwo have given Xie Huailing extremely high praise. In particular, Zhuge Zhengwo's words about Xie Huailing are so high that among all the people Wuqing has heard him mention, there are fewer than a handful who have received such praise.
But if what they see is only a part of her beauty, not the whole of her intelligence, and his guess comes true, then these evaluations will seem conservative, just like the riverbank of a long river, which is substandard from the day it is measured, and will be washed away in an instant when the flood comes.
Wuqing had once felt fortunate that Xie Huailing was Su Mengzhen's sister, standing on the righteous path, and without any ill intentions. But now, he was unwilling to think of her in a negative light. He still remembered that she was someone who could say, "Everything that has happened in this world for the past thirty years has been the suffering of the common people."
Ruthless is not exactly an optimistic person.
If there were someone in the world with a background like his, a heart like his, and a sensitivity like his, he wouldn't be a very optimistic person either.
But sometimes, he would rather think about better developments.
Before leaving home today, the news that Zhui Ming brought back resurfaced in his mind. Staying in Bianjing made it inconvenient to investigate anything. He had only just found out that Zhu Qiqi, who had said she was going back to find someone to back her up, was still in the Bianjing area and hadn't left yet. Even so, it was quite obvious who she was looking for to back her up.
In addition, there was Bai Feifei, who returned with Xie Huailing. There had been no news of her in the martial arts world before, but after learning about her appearance, Wuqing remembered that he had seen her before—by Xie Huailing's side during the Li Xunhuan case.
He didn't doubt her or suspect her of doing something wrong; there were just too many suspicious points, and he needed a starting point.
What role did Xie Huailing play in Fu Zongshu's death? What did she encounter and do at the end of spring?
Is there any hidden reason behind Su Mengzhen's illness? What does Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou look like now? What does this change and development mean?
Why did Cai Jing go to such lengths to conceal Fu Zongshu's whereabouts before his death, even at the cost of being used by Li Taifu? Did Xie Huailing know the answer to this question?
These three factors combined make it a case that absolutely must be solved. He cannot rest easy until he gets the truth, and Xie Huailing's face is also constantly on his mind.
After waiting a while, Shaman, who had gone to inform Xie Huailing, returned. Her expression had changed somewhat since she left; her eyebrows furrowed and then immediately relaxed, as if she had encountered something she couldn't understand and couldn't fathom. But in the end, she chose to let it go and not dwell on it, so it all seemed like a cruel illusion.
With that expression, she walked up to Wuqing: "Chief Constable, Miss said she's been too busy lately, preoccupied with the Master and the affairs of the building, and has no leisure for flower viewing. She'd rather not go out to admire the flowers. But since you sincerely wish to reciprocate, she doesn't want to disappoint you. If you don't mind, you can bring her another bouquet anytime. She'll invite you for tea and a chat, which will also count as flower viewing."
"Miss also said..."
That explanation is a bit of a stretch, but it's probably the source of Shaman's change in expression. Although she concealed it well, Wuqing could still notice the clues. She said, "Miss also said that if the Cold-Blooded Constable isn't busy, could he come with the Chief Constable?"
Ultimately, it was her strong mental fortitude that prevailed, and she had long since run out of ideas about Xie Huailing's mental state. Shaman actually spoke Xie Huailing's last words in a coherent and complete manner, without any expression: "'Since our last parting, I have come to think that the cold-blooded constable has an interesting personality and I miss him very much. I would like to make friends with him. Please convey this to me, Chief Constable.' These are the young lady's exact words."
Ruthless's eyelids twitched: "..."
He was starting to not quite understand. Putting aside the question of what the relationship was between a cold-blooded nature and what a woman found interesting, what exactly did she mean by "interesting"?
If Wuqing remembered correctly, he recalled Lengxue saying that his meeting with Xie Huailing was just a normal exchange of information about the case, without even room for polite words. Lengxue only knew what Xie Huailing's hairpin looked like, and didn't even glance at her face.
Wait a minute, recalling some awkward memories, Xie Huailing's personality is indeed different from that of ordinary women. Wuqing seems to know which aspect of "interesting" she is referring to.
Then a new problem arises.
"I will pass on the message, but my junior brother is busy with official duties and I'm afraid he won't have time." Wuqing laid the groundwork before speaking, not making any definitive statements, and said calmly, "In any case, I will choose the flowers as soon as possible and will definitely come to visit within three days. I won't keep Miss Xie waiting."
.
“The Divine Marquis’s Mansion must have already found out something.”
In another corner of the high tower, beneath the eaves and behind the red pillars, Bai Feifei turned her head toward Xie Huailing beside her.
"Let them investigate. I haven't done anything wrong. In fact, that's good. Only when they find out can I feel at ease." Xie Huailing said this, yawning at the sky. A few sleepy tears welled up in her eyes, but they quickly dried. "If they find out, my preparations won't be in vain."
There wasn't enough time to do anything then; time was too short, and it would be difficult to wrap things up, so she simply left this game behind. Anyway, these things would have to come to light sooner or later.
"Oh, what have you prepared for the Divine Marquis's Mansion?"
"What a surprise!"
"Just a surprise?"
"To make friends, you should give surprises."
Bai Feifei chuckled, finding it somewhat amusing. Raising an eyebrow, she added, "It's strange that you didn't see him today, even though you were all ready."
Xie Huailing glanced quickly, but Wuqing had already left, leaving only his back as a speck of ink in the world: "Because I am ready. The Divine Marquis's Mansion is not yet ready, so it is not appropriate to see him today. A clever opportunity is very precious."
Bai Feifei saw through her riddle and said directly, "Just say you're playing hard to get."
A hot breeze swept by, but Xie Huailing wasn't ashamed of being exposed. She sighed softly, "Look at what you're saying. It's not that straightforward. I just wanted to wait until everything was just right before having someone come and play with me. I'm so bored."
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Ms. Xie: I'm afraid of girls, it's funny!
Ruthless: Dame
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