A misunderstanding
A notebook was quietly placed on the table. It was only the size of a palm, with a blank cover and slightly curled pages. It would be inconspicuous wherever it was placed, but because of Xue Zhi's words just now, it seemed to have a great weight.
Cheng Yayin was surprised and asked, "How could so many women disappear for no reason? Who are they?"
Xue Zhi said in a deep voice, "Among these women, there are zither players, cooks, and painters. They come from different backgrounds and have different identities, but they all have one thing in common—they all come from isolated backgrounds, most of them have lost their friends and family, and are left without support. However, they all possess a special skill, whether it's their unrivaled zither skills, their renowned cooking skills, or their unparalleled paintings. In short, they are all women who have faced difficult lives but have persevered in striving for self-improvement."
"These women were unrelated and lived several cities apart, yet they disappeared one after another over the course of four years. Their reasons for disappearance were similar: they claimed to have found their ideal husband and would return home to marry him. But I asked those close to them, and no one had ever seen their ideal husband, nor did they know his identity. They left without a word, leaving behind only handwritten letters stating they were following their husbands back home, but not where they were going.
"Over the past six months, I've traveled extensively while investigating cases. I've recorded the names, life stories, and disappearances of all the victims I've uncovered in this booklet. I hope my sister-in-law will give this to Brother Pei once he recovers."
Cheng Yayin nodded, her heart heavy. She picked up the notebook and asked, "Can I see it?"
After getting permission, Cheng Yayin opened the notebook and read through it page by page. She ran her fingers over the unfamiliar names one by one, and saw that each of the lively women was finally marked with "whereabouts unknown". Her heart became heavier.
Turning to the back, Cheng Yayin saw a familiar name - Xue Wan.
She was startled and suddenly looked up at Xue Zhi.
Xue Zhi's gaze fell on the page she paused on, a wry smile spreading across his lips. "If my sister hadn't also been missing, I wouldn't have investigated this matter, and I wouldn't have known that there were so many other women with the same experience."
Cheng Yayin remembered that the last time she saw Xue Wan was before she got married.
She hadn't known her much, but her impression of her was that she was petite and sweet-tempered. Like her brother, she was someone who, despite living in poverty, was always grateful. Grateful for the care the Cheng family had shown her and her siblings, she made a dress for Cheng Yayin, offering nothing in return. The dress was embroidered with exquisite craftsmanship, rivaling even the finest embroiderers in Shengjing. Cheng Yayin loved it so much that even after she outgrew it, she couldn't bear to throw it away. She kept it in a closet, examining it from time to time.
Because of her excellent embroidery skills, Cheng Yayin heard from her father at the beginning of last year that Xue Wan was preparing to participate in the selection of the Palace Clothing Bureau. With her ability, she would definitely be selected. In the future, if the brother and sister made progress on their own, they would finally be able to succeed.
I didn't expect that when I heard from Xue Wan again, she was missing.
Cheng Yayin's throat was dry for a moment, and after a long while she finally asked, "When did she disappear?"
"A year ago." Xue Zhi looked up at the bright sunlight streaming in through the carved window, his expression revealing the numbness of someone who had been sharpened a thousand times by a blunt knife. "As a brother, I was so focused on my own career advancement that I didn't even know when my sister found a lover. By the time I realized something was wrong, all I could find was a handwritten letter saying she was getting married."
"But I don't believe it." Xue Zhi suddenly slammed the table, his voice no longer able to remain calm. "My sister and I have depended on each other since we were young. I know her character. Even if she really wants to get married, she can't not tell me, her brother. She will never do something like leaving me without saying a word and leaving a letter.
"I didn't believe Wan'er left voluntarily, so I asked around, but couldn't find any trace of her. Instead, I discovered similar cases in many places in Shengjing, where orphaned women would leave a letter and run away. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that this wasn't limited to Shengjing. There were also cases of missing women in nearby Ganchuan and Tongzhou, as well as in more distant places like Huai'an and Yanghua."
Xue Zhi's expression was filled with rage, his eyes nearly blazing with anger. Cheng Yayin, hearing such a thing for the first time, was horrified, but for now, she had no choice but to calm him down. "Don't blame yourself for this. As you said, the man who seduced your sister and these other women must be a seasoned philanderer. He came prepared. All he needed to do was feign sincerity and offer a few sincere vows to deceive these women who had lived half their lives in poverty and were helpless. Have you reported this case to the Dali Temple? With the court's help, the case will surely be solved soon."
Xue Zhi heard this and a hint of irony appeared on his lips. "My sister-in-law, you don't know this, but I reported it to the higher-ups when I found out that more than ten women were missing. But Wan'er at least has a brother like me to help her. Those women are the ones that are really ignored. They don't even have parents or relatives, and they only have casual acquaintances around them. No one really cares about their whereabouts, and they just assume they have eloped with someone. I can't find any solid evidence to prove that they were abducted, and I can't join other victims in filing a complaint with the Dali Temple. There's no sign of this case being investigated, and the Dali Temple has a huge backlog of cases, so they don't take it seriously at all.
"I am a lowly person with little influence, unable to persuade the Temple Lord, so I had no choice but to seek help from Brother Pei. Fortunately, Brother Pei is a man of integrity. He agrees with me and believes that these women definitely did not disappear on their own initiative. For the past six months, we have been secretly investigating, hoping to catch the culprit as soon as possible."
"I understand." Cheng Yayin put the note into her sleeve and said solemnly to Xue Zhi, "Don't worry, Master Xue. I have taken your words to heart. I will definitely pass on your message and I will also make sure to give this note to my husband properly."
After hearing this today, Cheng Yayin felt heavy in her heart. When she sent Xue Zhi out, she saw that he looked melancholy with wrinkles between his brows. She thought that since his sister disappeared, he had not smiled again and was worried every day.
After all, Cheng Yayin had some friendship with the Xue brothers and sisters. She couldn't bear to see him so depressed, so she comforted him, "Master Xue, there's no need to be so sad. No matter where I am, I am always thinking of you. I can only feel at ease if you are doing well."
Xue Zhi forced a miserable smile, nodded to Cheng Yayin, and turned to leave.
Until he walked away, Cheng Yayin was still staring in the direction he left in a daze.
The handwritten note in her sleeve was light, but every page was stained with blood and tears, reminding her that in this glorious and bright world, there were wicked people roaming around doing evil, seducing innocent and strong-willed women. Just thinking about it made her shudder.
After standing there for an unknown amount of time, Cheng Yayin felt another heavy gaze looming behind her, tightly wrapping up her entire body. She immediately felt an inexplicable pressure.
She turned around and looked towards the source of the gaze, and saw Pei Songsheng standing not far behind her. Unlike the previous few days when he blushed and dodged when he saw her, he stared at her without blinking, with a gloomy expression.
Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she felt a little uneasy. She didn't know how long he had been standing there, but judging by his expression, he had clearly witnessed her farewell to Xue Zhi. She naturally didn't recognize Xue Zhi now, but she wondered who he had mistaken him for in his confused mind.
Cheng Yayin walked towards him and explained calmly: "He is my friend..."
"I know who he is." Pei Songsheng interrupted her.
Cheng Yayin opened her eyes wide in surprise: "You know?" Could it be that he has regained his consciousness?
Before she could even ask, Pei Songsheng spoke again, his tone even lower: "Isn't he my sister-in-law's childhood sweetheart, the cousin she almost got engaged to?"
Cheng Yayin: “…Ah?”
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