A new junior brother?
As the group sorted through the case files, they found that the confessions in Lanzhou's case were few and brief. At first glance, they were pleased, but after a while, they felt something was amiss.
In just one month, the sheer number of cases is staggering.
She immediately reported this to Lord Zhu, who then questioned her.
Zhu Fei glanced at it a few times, "Without any evidence, it's not appropriate for us to interfere."
"Sir, you see, most of the dead are women, and their surnames all contain the character for water."
What does this mean?
"You may not know this, but in Lanzhou, human traffickers have a code. Those who are abducted from the south often have surnames containing the water element, and they are mostly sold to the north. And those abducted from the north often have surnames that are related to cold."
To be honest, Lanzhou is a rather remote place, and these cases, taken individually, are not problematic. Zhu Fei was still hesitant, but Qi Guanlan volunteered to help.
It turns out that the help he was referring to was finding Gu Ying.
That's how things are today. Gu Ying was unusually quiet, perhaps because he had taken on extra work. I could feel a chill running down my spine.
Wen Ruo shuddered inwardly and slowly retreated to the door.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew by, and it felt as if two invisible hands had appeared inside the room, closing the door tightly.
He leaned forward slightly, revealing his strong and beautiful physique. A soft chuckle escaped his chest, and his deep voice gained a touch of magnetism. "I heard you admire me?"
He doesn't speak when he's silent, but when he does, he's astounding!
Wen Ruo was caught off guard and pressed against the door. Gu Ying was getting closer and closer. She began to regret not keeping her mouth shut. Now she was in a dilemma. She forced herself to say, "It's just a rumor."
"Between me and Qi Guanlan, who would you choose?"
Wen Ru blinked. She was just joking. Surely her luck with men couldn't be that good? Including today, the two of them had only met twice.
"Young Master Gu is too kind. My ambition lies in officialdom, and I do not concern myself with personal matters."
"So, you're just flattering Qi Guanlan too?"
Wen Ruo frowned and remained silent.
"Am I right?"
Gu Ying became even more audacious, his domineering and cold aura teasing her ear, while wisps of fragrance wafted into her nose, like the weeping crabapple trees laden with blossoms swaying in the sunlight.
As Wen Ruo turned her head, her nose twitched slightly. "Tao Yan?"
Gu Ying lifted her chin, deliberately misinterpreting her meaning, "Is this flirting?"
"Really not?" Wen Ruo's eyes darted around, and her right hand quickly swept across his face. As expected of someone from the general's command, he reacted even faster, and with just a slight shift in his body, his fingertips missed their mark.
"Someone's there!"
The moment he turned his head, his long-dormant left hand unexpectedly reached for his chin. The next moment, both hands were slammed against the door, and Wen Ruo held his empty palms.
"Master, I'm going to get angry if you keep making a fuss."
The room was silent. The fragrance was cooling and gradually blended with a familiar scent. Just as Wen Ruo was about to lose her temper, Gu Ying suddenly laughed out loud, "Junior Sister, I've heard so much about you!"
Tao Yan's newly accepted disciple?
He released her hand, and Wen Ruo slowly calmed down. "Since you're my junior brother, we're practically family. Why don't you take off your mask and introduce your family?"
Gu Ying shook his head lightly, "Master said that a man's face should not be easily shown to others. I must obey Master's orders, otherwise he will expel me from the sect."
Wen Ru clenched her fists. "To hell with your master's orders!" she thought. She still hadn't seen Tao Yan's true face, and now this junior brother had appeared—it was truly infuriating. Suddenly, she remembered another precious junior brother she had taken in on behalf of her master.
Gu Ying and Qi Guanlan are so close, could it be...?
"If Senior Sister really wants to see it, I, as her junior brother, will naturally comply."
"Really?" Wen Ruo raised an eyebrow. "Then take it off."
Beneath the black leather suit, a long, powerful hand slowly landed on the mask. Wen Ruo held her breath, her eyes widening instinctively. Her long eyelashes didn't blink, and her pretty face suddenly became even more adorable.
"If you look at my face, you'll have to take responsibility for me."
"We cannot renege on our debts."
"etc!"
One person, Qi Guanlan, is enough to keep pestering him.
Wen Ruo pressed down on his mask, "Let me calm down."
What kind of ridiculous and absurd rules are these? Where did Tao Yan find such a weirdo?
Some books say that the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier has the ability to manipulate insects and poisons, but she also has many strange rules, such as this one.
She used to want to learn more about Gu worms, but all the books she found were just anecdotes and stories, not even enough to amuse her. She would read them once and then put them aside. Now they're probably covered in a thick layer of dust.
"You're from southern Xinjiang?"
He laughed again, "I really do like you a little."
Do other people know how much you love to laugh? Ever since his identity was exposed, he's dropped his pretense. Who exactly is Gu Ying pretending to be?
Wen Ruo rolled her eyes at him. "Lots of people like me, you can get in line."
You mean Qi Guanlan?
Wen Ruo paused for a moment, then said, "Yes."
"You don't even like him!"
"Who said that?"
Gu Ying suddenly clutched his chest dramatically, remaining silent for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. His already unpredictable tone became even more erratic, "Your way of refusing is quite tactful."
Wen Ruo didn't say anything; it's fine to take it as a joke, as long as you understand it.
I don't believe it.
Believe it or not, it's up to you. Heaven and earth know, but I have a clear conscience.
"Then why don't you stay with him?"
"Liking someone doesn't necessarily mean being together. I don't want to experience the pain of losing something I once had a second time."
She just didn't expect Qi Guanlan to be so stubborn. Over the past few days, the Dali Temple's file room has not only been completely renovated, but it has also been filled with his belongings.
He was even there when she went out to handle cases.
"Your mother also lost something, so why give her another chance?" He straightened up and asked casually, "I heard you cried a lot back then."
He knows who she is and from which nook and cranny he's hiding, and even that. Although everyone knows about her sadness, it would be incredibly tactless to bring it up now.
"That was a last resort; she did it for me."
"My mother would never betray me."
Fate always seems to play tricks on her when she's at her happiest.
Rather than this, it's better not to do it at all. Why should she be played like a fool?
"Are you sure Qi Guanlan will betray you?"
"What's the most common thing in the world? It's resentful couples! It's couples who can't stand each other, and mothers who swallow their anger for the sake of their children. Knowing the outcome, why should I make myself suffer?"
"I will pass on your message."
"Junior brother, too much talk is not a good thing."
"It's okay, it's enough that I like you."
Wen Ruo rubbed her nose, finally managing to get rid of the scoundrel, and returned home to hear Chi Xu's messy footsteps. "A thief has broken into our house!"
Wen Ruo instinctively picked up the wooden stick, holding her breath to concentrate, "What's missing?"
Chi Xu scratched his head. "We don't have anything valuable, just a little bit of vegetables, fruits, fish and meat."
Wen Ruo threw away the stick and breathed a sigh of relief.
Wen Ruo walked to the entrance of the main hall, took a gentle sniff, and realized it was food, still warm, with a faint aroma. "Did you buy this?"
Chi Xu frowned, pushed open the door, pointed to a few bowls and plates on the table, and said, "These are the missing ones; I dare not eat them."
Wen Ruo lifted the dust-covered lid, revealing the dishes. After a moment of surprise, she said calmly, "It's nothing, my mother made it."
She turned around and suddenly said, "Have you offended someone?"
Lately, she's been so tired that she falls asleep as soon as she gets home, and she has no energy to care about Chi Xu's affairs. If she doesn't ask, Chi Xu certainly won't bother her.
After a moment's hesitation, he said tactfully, "We only uncovered a few old issues, which offended some people."
"If someone hadn't come to your rescue, you would probably be seeing a corpse today."
The thrill and lingering fear were glossed over with a joke. But when she imagined what might happen in the future, Wen Ruo's eyes darkened, and worry welled up in them.
Chi Xu sighed, "To be an official, you either need money or your life. To speak up for the people depends on the firmness of your heart. I think I understand what the dean is saying."
No wonder those two arrogant fellow students returned to the academy after only two years, without mentioning anything about becoming officials.
Wen Ruo found a silver needle and checked them one by one. The needle was still intact. They lingered for a moment, while the food was still slightly warm.
We haven't found her home yet.
Chi Xu's expression relaxed a bit, and she said apologetically, "I'm sorry to have dragged you into this."
"What harm? I see you every day, I'm used to it."
Wen Ruo thought for a moment, "Don't bring up these old grievances directly."
He then leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words. Chi Xu was confused at first, but after a moment she suddenly understood and said, "I'll listen to you."
Wen Ruo lay in bed, feeling uneasy about Chi Xu's matter. Then Qi Guanlan popped into her mind again, along with Gu Ying's words. She suddenly covered her head, "So annoying."
He probably didn't say that.
What difference does it make whether you say it or not!
The customers in the bookstore looked up and saw a man carrying a wine pot. They immediately put down their books and left in twos and threes.
Qi Guanlan downed a mouthful of wine, then poured himself another glass, feeling utterly frustrated. "She likes me, but she won't be with me."
Zhao Heng calmly saw off the last guest, then sat down opposite him with a sigh. "So what? Not going to the Dali Temple, just leaving her hanging for a while longer?"
With a snap, wine splashed everywhere. Qi Guanlan put down his glass, his face falling as he let out a sneer, "No wonder you're just a mere male confidant."
Zhao Heng laughed angrily, "How are you any better than me!"
Qi Guanlan laughed twice, "It's better than someone who's full of tricks but still hasn't tasted meat when he comes back."
Strangely, he found it perfectly reasonable to hear, so much so that he couldn't laugh.
Zhao Heng immediately put down his wine glass. "Shut up!"
"Why are you so lucky!"
The person who shared a night with Qi Guanlan was actually Wen Ruo!
"Why don't you tell Cao Xi? Maybe she'll agree then?"
"You have no right to talk to me. You've been holding the imperial decree of marriage in your hand for ages and haven't been able to utter a single word."
Qi Guanlan slammed his hand on the table, his eyes flashing, and said, "I don't want to force her."
"They're afraid she'd rather die than submit!"
"If you're so capable, why don't you get her to agree to marry you!"
"I will definitely give you a big gift when the time comes. You wanted this shop, so I will give it to you."
"She likes Leng Hualou!"
"It's a deal!!"
"If you lose, give me the Floating Cloud Hairpin. Wen Ruo will be disloyal for helping her for nothing."
Why are all of Cao Xi's things in Qi Guanlan's hands?
Qi Guanlan shook his head. With such meager abilities, how could he possibly win?
As soon as it was light, Wen Ruo got up, picked up a piece of paper and a pen, and prepared to find a guard to watch over the house. She couldn't leave Shiliu Niang alone at home.
The notice was posted at the entrance.
A gust of wind blew by, and it was peeled off.
She didn't even see who it was.
A hint of wariness crept into Wen Ruo's eyes, and her brows furrowed slightly. Who was watching her door so early in the morning?
"Are you in danger?"
Ah Chu?
Wen Ruo rubbed her eyes; it was actually true.
"Meals and accommodation included?"
Wen Ruo nodded.
"I accepted it."
"benefactor!"
The moment Chi Xu pushed her away, she opened her mouth wide in surprise, "Wen Ruo, it was this hero who saved me."
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