Sachet
Xu Lanxin felt a lightness in her palm, a familiar, refreshing scent, and she was already in Cen Yan's arms.
The sachet in her hand fell to the ground, and its contents spilled out, looking like dried flower petals.
Qinglu wrapped the sachet in a brocade handkerchief, picked it up, and examined its contents.
"Madam, can you smell the sandalwood scent in this room?"
"Hmm, what's wrong?"
"That's right. The contents of this sachet are petals of the Dream Lotus. The scent of sandalwood can trigger the toxins in the Dream Lotus, causing hallucinations and death in fear. No toxins can be found in the body after death."
Xu Lan thought of reaching out to take the sachet from Qinglu's hand, but her hand was instantly enveloped in a warm, moist touch.
Don't touch it.
Cen Yan's voice rang out, and she obediently nodded.
"This Lord Wei appeared to have died of an acute myocardial infarction, but in reality, it was due to poisoning."
Xu Lanxin looked up at Cen Yan and said, "We need to check where this sachet came from first..."
A crisp, clear voice broke through the silence.
"This sachet."
The newcomer was dressed in plain clothes, as if she were a maid. She put down the tray she was carrying, walked over, and looked at her carefully.
“This sachet belongs to Lord Wei. I saw him wearing it when he came to our young lady’s place that day.”
"Your daughter is..."
“Of course it’s Sister Hongfu. She treats me like a younger sister and never makes enemies. She couldn’t possibly kill someone.”
As she spoke, she began to cry. As her tears accumulated, she became increasingly agitated. She knelt down in front of Cen Yan and kowtowed.
"I beg Your Honor to grant justice to Sister Hongfu."
Xu Lanxin gave Qingyu a wink, and Qingyu stepped forward to help her up.
"Don't rush, get up first and tell us in detail what you know."
Hong Fu was the top courtesan in the Red Mansion. She didn't like to show off, was aloof, and kept a respectful distance from the other patrons. She also didn't fawn over high-ranking officials or nobles.
Such a cool beauty is so popular because she has a beautiful voice.
The delicate and soft language unique to Jiangnan is like a warm and lustrous piece of jade, making one's ears feel soft and soothed.
When Xu Lanxin first came here, wasn't she also attracted by her voice? Presumably, anyone who comes here and hears that voice will be unable to resist wanting to catch a glimpse of the beauty.
"I can smell the scent in this house. Does your sister Hongfu like the smell of sandalwood?"
"Yes, the other girls in this building love all kinds of strong floral scents, but Sister Hongfu is the only one who loves sandalwood."
According to her, Hongfu doesn't like to socialize and shouldn't have made enemies.
Since Lord Wei's accident happened at her place, the person who knew that Hong Fu often used sandalwood must be someone familiar with Hong Fu's habits, which reduces the possibility that the person who harmed Lord Wei was an enemy.
Xu Lanxin looked at her and asked, "Then think about it carefully again. Has Hong Fu done anything different from usual these past few days?"
The maid lowered her eyes, as if deep in thought, and then shook her head.
Has anything unusual happened at the Red Mansion recently?
"The building is usually just a place where people come and go, nothing special happens..."
The maid suddenly looked up and tapped her palm, as if she had just realized something.
"I wonder if the competition for the most beautiful courtesan in the building will count in a few days?"
Tell me about it.
It turns out that the Red Mansion held a competition for the most beautiful courtesan every three years. The Red Mansion invited high-ranking officials and nobles to participate, and the one with the most votes was elected the most beautiful courtesan. At that time, her value would increase, and her treatment would be incomparable to that of ordinary girls in the Red Mansion.
Which girls are participating in the election?
“The three of us. Fairy Fairy, with her graceful figure; Sister Hongfu with her melodious voice; and Wan'er with her delicate hands.”
"During this period, did Xian'er and Wan'er do anything unusual? Did they have any private contact with Hong Fu?"
After thinking for a moment, the maidservant said no.
Hong Fu usually doesn't like to get close to anyone, and he stays at home unless he's welcoming guests.
The maid remembered that a year ago, she thought Hongfu had come to her senses and would go out once a month. But for some reason, half a year ago, she reverted to her old ways and seemed even colder.
After listening, Xu Lanxin looked at Cen Yan.
"Now that we have a better understanding, we need to find out whose sachet it is. Let's split up. I'll go ask Hong Fu again, and you can send someone to inquire at the Red Mansion."
After she finished speaking, she turned to look at the little maid who was staring at her.
"Little girl, don't make a fuss about the sachet yet, lest you alert the enemy. The adults and I will investigate and find out the truth."
Overwhelmed with emotion, the little girl knelt down again and began kowtowing, repeatedly saying thank you.
Xu Lanxin had no choice but to have Qingyu help her up.
The group left the room and walked along the corridor, where a familiar figure appeared.
"Hey, that's..."
The Crown Prince of Yan'an.
Xu Lanxin looked at Cen Yan with a puzzled expression, only to see that the man smiled faintly and shook his head gently.
A warmth emanated from the back of my hand, enveloped by his gentle touch, and I was led away.
As the group left the Red Mansion, they saw that it was getting late and the sunset was almost over, with lanterns being lit everywhere.
The streets were bustling with people, unusually lively, as if there was some joyous festival.
Qinglu pulled the pedestrian aside and asked.
It turns out it's Girls' Day; no wonder most of them are in pairs.
Xu Lanxin looked at Cen Yan. The two of them hadn't celebrated the holiday together yet, so she suggested that they go out and have some fun.
In the blink of an eye, I fell into a deep pool where stars twinkled—a light of deep affection.
She felt a little flustered and lowered her eyes.
However, she despised herself. Why was she hiding? She pulled Cen Yan's hand over and linked arms with him.
"Zijin, let's go on a date!"
He then instructed the bluefish and the greenfish to disperse and go swim to their own ends.
Of course she wanted to enjoy some time alone with Cen Yan. For so long, she had been either on the road or investigating cases, and hadn't had a proper time alone with him.
The streets, which felt spacious during the day, were now somewhat crowded due to the festival. The two held hands and brushed past the tourists.
The stalls on both sides of the street were filled with all sorts of festival-related items: pairs of lanterns, pairs of ornaments, pairs of masks, as well as hairpins and face powder that girls like.
She browsed through many stalls and, to suit the occasion, carefully selected a pair of hairpins.
Xu Lanxin turned around with a happy expression, took a hairpin, and wanted to put it on him.
"Zijin, lower your head a little."
Although she considered herself to be of average height, she still appeared slightly petite compared to Cen Yan.
Cen Yan lowered his head slightly, and she took the opportunity to insert the hairpin into his hair bun.
A white gardenia blossom bloomed amidst his dark hair, instantly dispelling some of his usual dignified air and adding a touch of refined elegance.
It looks good no matter how you look at it.
A look of satisfaction almost overflowed from her eyes.
"Here, please put this hairpin in my hair."
She handed him a similar gardenia velvet hairpin with slightly smaller blooms.
A pale, well-defined hand took the hairpin. The warm, jade-like fingers touched her fingertips, sending a jolt through her heart like an electric current, making her heart beat faster.
The scorching heat on her forehead forced her to look down at his chest.
Her hair was tightened, and the flower hairpin was successfully inserted.
Xu Lanxin raised her hand and touched it; the gardenia was soft and warm.
Is it pretty?
"She is more beautiful than the flowers."
A warm, moist touch touched his forehead, and Cen Yan's lips lingered for a moment.
This time, it was his turn to pull her forward.
However, on this bustling street, amidst so many people, after being touched by someone, he chose to embrace her, avoiding being touched again.
Just as I reached the bridge, some wealthy family in the distance started setting off fireworks.
Brilliant fireworks burst in the sky.
"Zijin, let's go up to the roof and take a look!"
Xu Lanxin's eyes were full of anticipation.
Cen Yan embraced her, and with a few leaps, they arrived at the rooftop of the tallest building.
The view of fireworks from this vantage point is more three-dimensional, with thousands of lights below, a unique visual experience for them.
Cen Yan's waist tightened, and her slender arms wrapped around him. He saw her smiling face, and the distant fireworks were reflected in her pupils.
His heart was filled with joy, and a smile crept onto his lips.
The night wind gently blew, and the hems of their clothes tangled in the wind as they embraced, savoring the romance.
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