"prison Break"
"Strangely enough, I saw someone on my way here." Xie Chengnan, no longer bothered by the filth and mess of the prison, casually sat down on a flat patch of dry grass.
Lin Yi, who was brushing the grass clippings off his leg, paused upon hearing this, stopped, and asked, "Who is it?"
Knowing she was eager to ask, Xie Chengnan deliberately kept her in suspense. "That person was acting suspiciously and hesitant to approach. He looked very guilty." He had a perfectly timed smile on his lips, not one that seemed offensive, but one that revealed his amused thoughts.
Looking at the corners of his lips curling up, Lin Yi thought inappropriately that the author should write a separate story for this character; he might be more likable than Gu Shu'an.
"Then what?"
“I told Cang Xie to follow that man, and then I found that he had entered Renjitang.”
Lin Yi secretly pinched his hand hidden in his sleeve to remind himself to bring his thoughts back to the important matter at hand.
"Renjitang... So there really is someone pulling the strings behind the scenes?!"
"Are you so surprised? Could it be that your confident demeanor this morning in the hall was all an act?"
Lin Yi licked his lips guiltily; he had actually guessed right.
She always has a habit of calmly dealing with important matters. This is not because she is truly fearless, but because she knows that being anxious is useless. So, as the textbook says, she suppresses all panic, makes rational deductions, thinks calmly, and appears unperturbed.
But there are always moments when those inner weaknesses will surface unexpectedly through the cracks.
Just as she knew that in this Mingzhou city, Qiu Qing, who had changed his ways and was unconventional, would be a target for many, and that the increasingly successful Xinglin Medical Clinic would inevitably affect the interests of others—even knowing this, she still couldn't help but wonder: if there really was a one in a thousand chance that it was because of her own problem, or if this whole incident, though seemingly illogical, was precisely that one in ten thousand possibility that the tragedy was caused by improper treatment by Xinglin Medical Clinic? If that were the case, what should she do? What should Xinglin Medical Clinic do?
Though she appeared resolute, she was still afraid. She feared that her negligence might have contributed to the deaths of two innocent people. She couldn't bear the responsibility, even if this wasn't the rule-of-law society she had lived in for over twenty years, even if the world these people existed in was merely a story.
Her heart had been pounding, stuck in her chest, unable to rise or fall. When she learned Xie Chengnan had arrived, that feeling subsided, and after confirming that there was indeed a force behind it all, her heart finally settled back into place.
“But that’s not right… Renjitang is the most famous medical clinic in Mingzhou City. The clinic has only been open for half a month. No matter how promising it is, it can’t threaten its position.”
Wang Chunsheng chimed in, “Indeed, not to mention Mingzhou City, even within Da’an, the reputations of Nan Qiancao and Bei Renji have already spread far and wide. It would be a waste to put a century-old brand in danger for a small clinic that has just started out.”
Lin Yi's mood, which had just been floating, sank again. The matter was far more complicated than they had imagined, and they had very few clues.
Moreover, Master Liu's attitude was also very strange...
How can someone who has just unjustly killed his wife and children advocate not pursuing the matter? Judging from his demeanor in the hall during the day, it seems more like he's trying to cover something up.
Xie Chengnan clearly thought of this as well. He lowered his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "If it were me, even if I didn't die with my loved ones, I would still skin them alive if they died."
“It’s not just you, young marquis; any man would be unable to say he wouldn’t pursue the matter,” Wang Chunsheng said.
Lin Yi hesitated for a moment, then spoke again with a resolute air of desperation: "...I need to see the deceased. Can you help me?"
Xie Chengnan did not answer her.
The prison was dimly lit, and only the faint light of an oil lamp on the opposite wall could be seen in those dark eyes.
The flickering light was unsettling.
“I know it’s difficult, but…”
She couldn't continue. How could she explain it in a way that would make people believe that Qiu Qingye, this rich heiress who had suddenly become interested in medicine a month or so ago, was now imprisoned and wanted someone to help her escape, just to see if there were any clues on the corpse?
Is there anything that a coroner can't see, but she, a layperson, can?
Her voice grew increasingly hesitant, "Can you help me? I'm thinking maybe I can find some clues; I read in a book before—"
“I can.” Xie Chengnan suddenly interrupted her.
Lin Yi's voice abruptly stopped. The unreasonable request had been agreed to so easily, the process was unexpectedly swift. "Really?"
"Really. I'll take you to see it tomorrow night." As Xie Chengnan said this, he stood up, strode out of the cell, turned around, closed the door, and locked it. The whole sequence of actions was fluid and seamless, without even a word of farewell.
The chains clanged and jingled, and Lin Yi knew that he was angry.
Yet she couldn't understand what he was angry about. Perhaps it was because she had caused him trouble. Taking someone out of prison and then examining the body was not an easy task, even for a young marquis; it would require considerable effort.
But she had no doubt that Xie Chengnan would keep his promise.
The suspect's treatment is unlikely to be good, even if she is a wealthy heiress.
Five people were crammed into the small cell. Apart from Lin Yi, a young lady from a prestigious family, they were all rough men. Such an unreasonable arrangement could only be attributed to the prisoners' lack of human rights or the carelessness of the prison guards in charge of the supervision.
Even though she knew the backgrounds of the people in her room, the lack of a same-sex environment still made her feel insecure.
Just then, Wang Chunsheng's loud snoring completely dispelled any lingering drowsiness she might have felt.
She simply stopped sleeping and closed her eyes to rest. Despite being physically and mentally exhausted, Lin Yi felt an unprecedented clarity in her mind amidst the snoring.
[Hello host, the system has detected that you may need assistance.]
Lin Yi suddenly opened her eyes. She was sitting directly opposite a ventilation hole carved into the stone wall. Suddenly opening her eyes, what she saw was like a small patch of night on a black canvas, with a few stars entering this palm-sized frame.
These past few days, she's been so busy with the medical center that she's almost forgotten about the system.
[Host, you seem quite surprised?]
"Are you here to issue a mission? What part of the story are we at?" Lin Yi completely ignored its attempt to get close to him.
[...The next plot point has not yet been reached. To fully demonstrate the system's humanistic care, it appears when the host feels confused, providing humane assistance.]
"What can you do for me? Clear my name, or tell me the answer to this game?"
[What the host has said is extremely difficult to help with. Even the system cannot foresee the course of events caused by the host's choices.]
Lin Yi didn't speak, but stared blankly at the void in front of him.
His eyes seemed to say: Then what are you doing here talking nonsense?
The system, which knew perfectly well that it had no physical form and would not be discovered by its host, suddenly felt a sense of panic from being locked in.
After detecting that it was being disliked by the host again, the system decisively disappeared.
After the stars were obscured by dark clouds and disappeared from sight, they reappeared after a while—this happened two or three times in a row—footsteps could be heard again in the passageway.
Erhei wasn't sleeping soundly either. In his drowsy state, he saw what seemed like someone coming and taking away the enemy's young lady, and he woke up instantly. "What happened?"
The jailer who came to fetch her glanced at him and actually patiently explained again: "My master is kind-hearted and feels it is inappropriate to lock Miss Qiu, a young lady, with you. He wants to move her to a single room."
"Really?" Erhei still looked at Qiu Qingye with unease, but seeing her nod slightly, he felt somewhat relieved, thinking he had been overthinking it. Even if someone really had to take the blame, it could only be someone like them with no connections. The Qiu family, a third-rank household, should be fine.
But he still clung to the wooden bars, wanting to see where the jailer would lock her up, but even after the two of them had passed the corner and could no longer see her, they did not hear the sound of the locks being opened.
The jailer led Lin Yi a long way, passing several empty cells without even glancing at them.
Lin Yi didn't realize anything at first, assuming that the man surnamed Yue had suddenly remembered him when he got up in the middle of the night and made some arrangements.
But the situation was clearly not right. She immediately stopped and refused to go any further.
Which cell would be the most appropriate for them to be locked up?
The man didn't answer, but just pulled on the chain and walked forward. Lin Yi was pulled so hard that he stumbled and fell to the ground. When he looked up again, the jailer was gone, and in front of him was a pair of familiar shoe tips.
"You've got some nerve, haven't you?"
These words came out of nowhere, and Lin Yi, knowing his fickle nature, remained silent in a huff.
She lay on the ground, maintaining the angle at which she had raised her head halfway, without moving.
After waiting for a while, the man sighed softly and reached out to pull her up. "Isn't it to avoid being seen? It's never good if someone sees us. Is my lady still angry with me?"
Xie Chengnan resumed his smile, which was neither genuine nor fake.
"I wouldn't dare," Lin Yi said.
"Let's go." Xie Chengnan didn't let go of her hand, and naturally led her forward, seemingly not finding anything wrong with it.
Yes, what's wrong with that? Even if they didn't consummate their marriage, they did go through the proper rituals of marriage, and in the eyes of outsiders, they were already a legitimate couple.
Lin Yi felt herself adapting to this world more and more effectively. She didn't pull away, but instead gently squeezed his hand back. "Where are we going?"
"Didn't I promise to take you to do an autopsy?" He seemed puzzled as to why she asked a question she already knew the answer to, but after turning around, he realized she genuinely didn't know. Xie Chengnan smiled mischievously, tightening his grip on his fingers. "Or have you changed your mind and want your husband to just take you away from prison?"
"I have no regrets."
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