The mystery begins to emerge
Cheng Yayin was caught off guard when her collar was grabbed, and her steps were unsteady. All she could hear was a woman's excited voice: "Give it to me, make me a wedding dress."
Cheng Yayin was wearing a light red waist-length skirt today, which made her skin look white. This touch of red seemed to ignite some obsession in the woman's eyes, making her hold on to it tightly.
The dean was horrified and came over to grab the woman's hand, shouting, "Lan Xin, don't offend the noble!"
Lan Yue and the nannies who were counting items in the warehouse heard the noise and came out to see the scene. They were all terrified. A group of people rushed over and pulled the woman away. Cheng Yayin got a chance to catch her breath. She touched her chest and looked at the woman who was surrounded by people in shock.
The woman seemed to be mentally unstable. She had just viciously tried to tear Cheng Yayin's clothes off. As soon as they were pulled away, she sat on the ground and cried, "I want to make a wedding dress! Without a wedding dress, my husband won't marry me. He doesn't want me anymore!"
The way he threw a tantrum made him look just like a mentally retarded child.
The commotion was so loud that many children were hiding behind the pillars and sticking their heads out to watch. They looked at the wailing woman with fear in their eyes, but not panic, which showed that this was not the first time they had witnessed such a scene.
Lan Yue helped Cheng Yayin tidy up her messy clothes. The director kept apologizing to her, but she waved her hands to indicate that nothing was wrong. She couldn't help but wonder how there could be a mentally insane woman in the orphanage.
The dean was relieved to see that there was indeed no blame in Cheng Yayin's expression. He first instructed the nannies to comfort the frightened children, and another group to coax and drag the woman away. He then took Cheng Yayin and Lanyue into the inner room, personally brought water and a comb, and helped her tidy up her appearance.
As she removed the loose hairpins and rings from Cheng Yayin's hairpins, she spoke softly, "Madam, please don't blame Lan Xin. This child is also a pitiful person. She is the daughter of the former director, Madam Du. Director Du lost her husband at a young age and raised her daughter alone. She also had to support the orphanage for many years. She worked hard physically and mentally, and passed away five years ago. Lan Xin was a sensible child from a young age. She followed her mother's wishes and stayed at the orphanage to take care of the children and teach them to read and write. In the past, the neighbors all called her 'Little Bodhisattva.'"
Cheng Yayin asked: "So, she was a kind-hearted and talented girl, how could she become like this?"
The director sighed deeply and said, "About two years ago, Lan Xin suddenly left the Salesian Home. No one knows where she went. There was only a farewell letter left in her room. It said she had found a lover and would stay with him forever. She didn't specify his name, his status, or where he was going.
"None of us thought that a sensible child like Lan Xin would do such a thing as elopement, and the identity of the other party is unknown, so how could we not be worried? It was also because I neglected to care for her on a daily basis, and I didn't even know when she fell in love. I immediately asked several nannies who were on good terms with her, and they all said that Lan Xin was indeed different from before. It was as if she had something happy hidden in her heart, and she smiled more often than before. When asked, she just said that God had mercy on her and let her meet a good man who didn't despise her because she was alone and helpless, and took care of her in every way. When asked in detail who that man was, Lan Xin just smiled and said nothing. The nannies just thought she was a young girl who was too shy to speak out, so they didn't ask any more questions.
"Although I don't know why Lan Xin hid this from us elders, I think about the difficult life she's had since she was little. If she could find a good husband, she wouldn't be helpless in the future. Dean Du has always been compassionate to the weak and orphans, and we all sincerely hope that her daughter can find a good home. But half a year ago, when the doorman got up early in the morning and opened the door, he saw Lan Xin fainted at the door. She was in rags, as if she had walked a long way alone. When she woke up, we found that she had gone mad, couldn't recognize people, and cried all day long, wanting to find her husband.
By the time the dean had spoken of this, he was choking with sobs, unable to hold the wooden comb steady. Cheng Yayin and Lanyue hurriedly helped her sit down beside him, with Lanyue fanning her. It took a while for the dean to calm down and continue, "Who wouldn't understand this situation? Lanxin must have met the wrong person, been deceived and then abandoned. Poor child, she's lost her mind after so many blows. Although she's now insane, we couldn't bear to see her wandering around, so we kept her in the courtyard to take care of her. I'm truly ashamed of myself for offending the madam today."
"That's not right, Dean." Cheng Yayin felt deeply sorry for the girl. "She didn't mean it. You taking her in is a kind act. I only respect her, not blame her."
At this moment, someone knocked on the door and said that the item had been found.
The cabin had been played with by the children for several years and was badly damaged. Not only were several corners of the roof eaves missing, but the windows and doors that used to move freely were also missing. It looked almost unrecognizable.
First, someone in the courtyard bumped into Cheng Yayin, and then the dean saw that the gift she had given him was not properly kept. When the dean sent Cheng Yayin out, he apologized repeatedly, with guilt lingering on his face.
Cheng Yayin had not had any hope at first, but she did not expect that the cabin was really found. This was a pleasant surprise. She said that it was rude to give first and then take. After thanking the dean, she left a lot of money and then left with Lanyue.
On the way back in the carriage, Lan Yue looked at the dilapidated cabin on Cheng Yayin's lap and asked, "Miss, can this thing really help my son-in-law regain his sanity?"
Cheng Yayin fiddled with the small waterwheel that could no longer turn and said, "We can only try our best. Let's not rush back and find a place to repair it."
Cheng Yayin knew the connection between the wooden house and Pei Songsheng, so regardless of the accident, she would return the items to him intact. Unfortunately, the wooden house was so badly damaged that even with the help of a renowned craftsman from Shengjing, it would still take several days to repair it.
When Cheng Yayin returned home, Pei Songsheng began to hide from her before she could. Perhaps because he had become so immersed in his identity as an adulterer, he felt awkward around her. In the past, he'd naturally come over and call her "sister-in-law," but now, in broad daylight, he wouldn't even dare look her in the eye, as if they'd truly done something shameful.
But as usual, he still had to climb through the window to sneak into the boudoir at night.
Cheng Yayin thought this was really strange - they were a legitimate couple, but when the husband came to see his wife, he actually had to climb through the window to get into the house when it was dark and windy.
She herself was also very puzzled. As soon as night fell, she sent Lanyue Yixing to rest early, lit a lamp, and pretended to read a book, but in fact, all her attention was focused on paying attention to the movements outside the window.
In fact, the people who served Pei Songsheng closely were not unaware of his current situation. They should have just told him the truth. However, she actually played a game of covering up with Pei Songsheng.
But her affair with Pei Songsheng was unusual. Pei Songsheng would sneak through the window every night, but after entering the house, he would accompany her to eat cakes, play chess, and discuss poetry.
Cheng Yayin held the chess piece in her hand, but her eyes fell on the man opposite her who was looking at the chessboard in deep thought. She wondered whether there was something wrong with her writing or with Pei Songsheng himself.
But she soon realized that no matter how detailed the words on paper were, they could not describe a person's every word and action in detail. These past few nights, when she discussed poetry and prose with him, it was Pei Songsheng who spoke, not Yang Zhilan.
This was the strangest part of the whole thing - Cheng Yayin and Pei Songsheng had known each other for more than ten years, counting the time when he was studying in the Cheng Mansion, not to mention that she had married him three years ago and was his legitimate wife. But this was the first time that she had discussed academic matters so deeply with this person, especially when there was a non-existent person living in his body.
A few days passed like this, and Pei Songsheng's condition still showed no improvement. Cheng Yayin calculated that it was already half a month away, and she didn't know when he would be better. She sent people to urge the craftsmen who were repairing the wooden house several times.
One day, Jian Zhu came to find Cheng Yayin and said that Lord Xue from the Dali Temple came to ask to see Pei Songsheng.
In fact, he had come several times. Before this, Jian Zhu had always refused people on the grounds that his master was unwell. But he came so frequently, and he was afraid that he was not just here to visit, and he was worried that he would miss out on important matters. Now his master really couldn't bear to see guests, so he had to ask Cheng Yayin for permission.
The Lord Xue he mentioned was someone Cheng Yayin knew. He was the Sizhi of the Dali Temple, named Xue Zhi.
The reason why she knew this person was not because he had always been good friends with Pei Songsheng, but because he was also her father's student.
Coincidentally, Xue Zhi was also from Huai'an, but his parents died when he was young. He took his younger sister to Shengjing to live with a distant relative. However, a few years later, the distant relative also passed away. Before leaving, he asked his old friend in Shengjing, Cheng Yayin's father, to take good care of the two children.
As they were both a friend and a fellow townsman, Cheng Hongyi took good care of Xue Zhi. He felt sorry for Xue Zhi's difficulty in studying and not only exempted him from tuition, but also often gave him some necessities of life so that the two brothers and sisters would not be left alone in Shengjing.
Because of this relationship, Cheng Yayin was more familiar with Xue Zhi than with her father's other students. She knew that he and Pei Songsheng had been good friends since they were classmates, and they often got together after they both entered officialdom.
Pei Songsheng naturally couldn't go to see him, but Cheng Yayin was worried that he had come to her house several times, and that there might be something really important. After thinking about it, she decided to go and see him herself.
Xue Zhi was waiting in the front hall. He had a handsome face and wore a simple green gown. When he saw the servants bowing, he turned around and saw Cheng Yayin. He was a little surprised, but he still straightened his hat and sleeves, bowed respectfully and said, "Sister-in-law."
After returning the greeting, Cheng Yayin explained, "Master Xue, my husband has been unwell for several days. The doctor said he cannot be exposed to the wind, so I have to meet the guests on his behalf. I apologize for my impoliteness."
"Sister-in-law, you're too kind." Xue Zhi shook his head and asked worriedly, "I just don't know how Brother Pei's condition is. Why hasn't he recovered in all this time?"
"It's okay. The doctor said I'll be fine after a few days of rest."
Cheng Yayin ushered the guests in and told the servants to pour tea. "Master Xue, you have come here several times. Is there something important? Although it is inconvenient for my husband to see guests, I can pass on the message."
Hearing this, Xue Zhi was stunned, with hesitation flashing in his eyes.
Cheng Yayin thought it might be an official matter that was inconvenient to tell outsiders, so she said apologetically, "I was rash in my words. If it's inconvenient to tell you, I'll send someone to your house to deliver a letter when my husband feels better in a few days."
Xue Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Never mind. There's nothing I can't let my sister-in-law know."
He pulled a notebook from his sleeve and placed it flat on the table between them. "To be honest, Brother Pei and I have been investigating a case for the past six months. This notebook contains the list of victims I compiled, and I was about to give it to Brother Pei for review."
"Case?" Cheng Yayin didn't expect such a thing to happen and couldn't help feeling confused.
Xue Zhi was an official of the Dali Temple, and investigating the case was his responsibility. However, Pei Songsheng was an official of the Censorate, in charge of supervision and impeachment. Investigating the case should have nothing to do with him. How could Xue Zhi join him in investigating the case?
She looked at Xue Zhi in confusion, only to see him staring intently at the note on the table, his expression tense, his gaze heavy as a dark cloud. Her heart sank unconsciously, and she asked, "What case?"
"Missing cases." Xue Zhi's brows furrowed, his tone seeming to suppress a heavy emotion. "For four consecutive years, across ten cities, multiple women have disappeared without a trace, with no news of them. I've verified there are at least seventeen of them."
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