Chapter 15 Investigation and the Host's Purity 999
"Investigate my ass." Ling Yuanyuan just wanted to run away as soon as possible, but Jing Xuanyue immediately caught the scent of the female lead and came over.
"Insolence! How dare you be so disrespectful to the Vice Minister of the Censorate!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
The guards beside the man were the first to stand in front of Shen Zhi.
Hearing the other person's words, he withdrew his scrutinizing gaze. Shen Zhi was dressed neatly and cleanly, but that couldn't hide his aura.
Ling Yuanyuan quickly recalled the character in her mind.
It's rare for a protagonist in the novel not to treat Xia Yuan'er as his "white moonlight" (ideal love). The main reason is that he was in seclusion in the divine realm and wasn't familiar with Fairy Yuan'er.
The original owner was a divine bird in his previous life, but later mistakenly entered the Yin Chong River and became a bird demon.
Ling Yuanyuan apologized: "Oh, then I was the one who disturbed you."
She turned her head and secretly asked Shen Zhi how much he liked her.
[Chen Zhi's favorability towards you: 50.]
Ling Yuanyuan's eyes lit up.
Reaching 100 will be quick.
[Sorry, host, Chen Zhi's purity towards you is 999. His past life relationship with you has been detected: closer than brothers.]
Ling Yuanyuan: "..."
What is purity?
[The host can try to eliminate this value. Once the purity level drops to zero or a negative number, you can then conquer the character.]
Ling Yuanyuan: "..."
Just then, Xia Yuan suddenly remembered the murder case in town.
A glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.
She wiped her face with her sleeve, got up, and walked to the wanted poster. A reward of one hundred taels of silver would be given to whoever caught the murderer.
Xia Yuan turned around and looked at Ling Yuanyuan and the man.
She gritted her teeth and tore down the wanted poster.
Ling Yuanyuan, who had initially looked down on her, exclaimed, "Oh?"
As expected of the original female lead, she has some backbone.
The women who died one after another in the town were all ordinary women. At first, their families reported the case to the police, but there was no result for a long time.
Local officials, fearing reprimand in the capital for their incompetence, quietly suppressed the news.
This time, a reward is offered to find the murderer.
It is because at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) today, the renowned philanthropist, Master Liu, was found dead at home.
Master Liu had connections with various prominent families in the capital.
A thorough investigation is the only option.
"A great philanthropist? So philanthropic that even the murderer wanted to kill him so early in the morning? That early, I couldn't get up."
Ling Yuanyuan crossed her arms and complained.
Shen Zhi chuckled, charmed by Ling Yuanyuan's adorable words.
Ling Yuanyuan turned her head.
Seeing Xia Yuan'er's haggard appearance.
Ling Yuanyuan took out some loose silver from her purse: "Take this and settle your father down first. We can't let him lie on the street like this."
Xia Yuan'er was stunned.
Her expression changed slightly. She had thought the girl in front of her would continue to ignore her as before.
Ling Yuanyuan cleared her throat.
He also said, "You must return what you borrowed."
Shen Zhi glanced at him sideways, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Thank you, young lady. May I ask who you are with..." Xia Yuan'er paused for a moment.
Their gazes fell on the man.
"How should I address this young master?" Xia Yuan'er asked, clutching the silver coins tightly.
“Stop.” The man smiled.
His gaze, however, was fixed on Ling Yuanyuan.
For some reason, his gaze felt familiar. Ling Yuanyuan inexplicably thought of Jing Xuan Yue, who had also looked at her like that.
She often reminisces about another person through Ling Yuanyuan's face.
Ling Yuanyuan stepped back.
She almost lost her balance, but the man reached out and supported her.
"Is something the matter?" Shen Zhi asked Ling Yuanyuan.
Ling Yuanyuan calmly withdrew from the man's embrace. It was just a matter of removing her purity; who could be more filthy than her?
Ling Yuanyuan blinked twice: "Young Master Shen, would you like me to help you find the murderer?"
It was just a polite gesture.
Who knew—
Shen Zhi gently placed his hand on Ling Yuanyuan's shoulder, his gaze tender. Even Ling Yuanyuan was drawn to the man's dark, unseen pupils.
He said, "It is an honor."
Ling Yuanyuan touched her nose.
After settling her father in, Xia Yuan'er joined them.
The three of them went together to the residence of Liu, the wealthy man.
*
When people in the town talk about Master Liu, they all praise him highly.
Many years ago, Master Liu would distribute porridge to impoverished villagers suffering from hunger and cold. Master Liu had two wives, but his first wife was unable to conceive. He and his second wife had a daughter, whom Master Liu doted on.
Everyone knows this.
Ling Yuanyuan had heard a lot about Master Liu's good reputation along the way.
With Chen Zhi present, investigating the case became much easier. The servant who opened the door was from the manor; white slips of paper were hanging from the outside of the door to the inside of the house.
Everyone in the mansion was dressed in mourning clothes.
They were immersed in grief over the death of Master Liu.
Xia Yuan'er couldn't help but speak up.
"The previous cases all involved women, indicating that the serial killer only targeted women. But why was the last victim, Liu, a wealthy man? Did the killer try to escape by killing Liu and robbing him?"
Ling Yuanyuan: "You have quite a vivid imagination."
Xia Yuan'er: "..."
They waited in the lobby for a while.
The second wife of Master Liu came over, still wiping away tears.
I heard that it was the Vice Minister of the Censorate who was investigating, and he treated Shen Zhi very well.
She is very open and honest, but she starts to cry after only a few words.
Ling Yuanyuan looked at her, her face trembling with tears. Everyone in town said that Master Liu and his first wife had married young and were deeply in love.
Why do I only see the second wife?
"Sister? She has been in low spirits since learning of the master's passing and has not wanted to greet guests. She should have been the one to receive you all. Please forgive me if I have been inadequate in my hospitality."
Second Madam Zishuang wiped away her tears with a handkerchief again, her words carrying a hint of disparagement.
Two tigers cannot share one mountain.
Moreover, there are two ladies.
"Second Madam, could you take us to the scene of Liu Yuanwai's death?" Shen Zhi was too lazy to watch her pretend to be a loving husband and wife.
He spoke up to stop them.
The second wife nodded.
She was probably dizzy from crying for too long, and her daughter next to her held her hand.
Liu Yuanyuan glanced at Ling Yuanyuan and the others.
“My mother is too heartbroken. Let me take you there. Mother, you should go back to your room and rest for a while.”
Zishuang nodded and instructed Liu Yuanyuan to take good care of them.
"It seems that this Master Liu is indeed a very kind man. Not only is his second wife so devoted to him, but he also has such a beautiful daughter. Good people don't live long."
Xia Yuan'er sighed.
Liu Yuanyuan didn't say anything after hearing Xia Yuan'er's words.
Master Liu died in his room. His body had been placed in a coffin in the main hall. There was still half a bowl of soup on the floor, completely cold.
There was a lot of soup spilled on the floor, and it hadn't been cleaned up yet.
According to the coroner of Qiliang Town, the soup had been poisoned. At the time, Master Liu was foaming at the mouth, and traces of poison were found in his body.
Who served the soup to Master Liu?
Chen Zhi asked.
Liu Yuanyuan frowned: "It's my mother. But she has always been very fond of my father and would never harm him."
Xia Yuan'er retorted, "Who can say for sure?"
Liu Yuanyuan: "..."
Seeing the displeasure flash in the eyes of Liu Yuanwai's daughter, Ling Yuanyuan stepped forward.
"Besides the second wife serving it to Master Liu, was anyone else involved in making the soup?"
Fortunately, Ling Yuanyuan changed the subject.
Otherwise, Liu Yuanyuan would throw the female lead out the next second.
Liu Yuanyuan's expression changed.
Gritting his teeth, he said, "There was a dedicated cook, but he's already been arrested and thrown in jail. But that damned cook refuses to admit that he poisoned the food; it's utterly despicable."
nonsense.
If the chef confesses, then there's no point in looking for the murderer.
The ending is straight ahead.
Ling Yuanyuan observed the scene, but got tired.
She pulled out a chair and was about to plop down when Liu Yuanyuan called out, "Miss Ling, wait a minute!"
Ling Yuanyuan was stunned for a moment.
Liu Yuanyuan stepped forward, took a clean handkerchief, and wiped her face.
Ling Yuanyuan was somewhat puzzled.
Upon hearing Liu Yuanyuan's reply, "When Dad died, soup was spilled on this chair, and some oil stains haven't been wiped off yet."
Ling Yuanyuan nodded, while Liu Qianjin was quite attentive.
Shen Zhi glanced at her thoughtfully.
Then I asked.
"Do you have files for all the servants in the manor? Where does that cook come from, and does he have any grudge against Master Liu?"
Liu Yuanyuan was stopped by a question.
The reply was: "You've reminded me, Lord Shaoqing. The cook who makes soup for my father was hired by the First Madam's family because the First Madam doesn't like the food from Qiliang Town."
Xia Yuan'er was pleasantly surprised.
Is the case about to be solved? It's obvious that the first wife is unhappy with Master Liu's remarriage.
He also doted on the second wife's daughter.
He killed out of resentment.
After all, the First Madam and Master Liu had been married for many years without having any male heirs.
Xia Yuan'er was the first to walk out of Liu Yuanwai's room.
They demanded that Liu Yuanyuan take them to see the First Madam.
Xia Yuan'er spoke her mind, and Liu Yuanyuan shook her head in shock.
"Although my mother was my father's second wife, she and the first wife got along fairly well. She wouldn't have killed my father out of jealousy."
Liu Yuanyuan denied it immediately, but suspicion was already in her eyes.
I just kept telling myself it was impossible.
Xia Yuan'er comforted her, "Miss Liu, don't be anxious. We'll talk about everything after we meet with the Madam."
Liu Yuanyuan nodded.
Knowing that the First Madam was unwilling to receive guests at this moment.
They were taken to the First Madam's room.
"Does the First Madam and Master Liu sleep in separate rooms?"
Ling Yuanyuan discovers a blind spot.
Liu Yuanyuan was taken aback.
As if deliberately concealing something: "Oh no, the First Madam and my father have always had a very good relationship. She was afraid that the sight of my father's room would trigger some painful memories, so she moved to the second room this morning."
Xia Yuan'er interrupted, "But this house doesn't look like it's newly moved into; the flowers in the corridor are quite well-maintained."
Liu Yuanyuan: "..."
He choked.
Liu Yuanyuan responded: "The First Madam sometimes argues with my father, so she stays here. But this doesn't affect their relationship."
After listening to Liu Qianjin's words, Xia Yuanwei became even more determined in her thoughts.
The First Madam either committed murder or dared not sleep in her original room.
Or perhaps the couple has no feelings for each other and has been sleeping in separate rooms for a long time.
After Liu Yuanyuan led them to the First Madam's room, she claimed she was going back to check on the Second Madam and then left.
The First Madam had already heard the commotion outside.
"Did that slut Liu Yuanyuan send you here?"
Madam Bai Ling was displeased, her eyes slightly red. But she stood up, her glare menacing.
“Madam, the cook who makes the soup for Master Liu is someone your family hired.”
Xia Yuan'er was furious at the First Madam's fierce appearance.
She spoke.
Bai Ling laughed: "So, you think I killed my bedmate of over ten years?"
Xia Yuan'er was taken aback by the question.
The previously firm idea began to waver after it was questioned.
Ling Yuanyuan, who had been slacking off and following them around in their investigation, had no choice but to walk over.
Ling Yuanyuan: "Madam, please don't panic."
Bai Ling flicked her sleeves.
He turned his back, his tone icy.
“I’ve been with Liu Zeng for so long, if I wanted to kill him, I would have done so long ago. Why wait until now? I suspect that bitch Zishuang and Liu Yuanyuan. Zishuang probably wants to become the first wife, so she sent her slut daughter to frame me.”
Ling Yuanyuan: "..."
Both sides shifted the blame.
Ling Yuanyuan felt that Master Liu might not be as good as outsiders said.
Tired of listening to their mutual suspicions, Shen Zhi turned and left. Ling Yuanyuan blinked twice and followed his leg.
I also wanted to test this deity.
Ling Yuanyuan: "Lord Shaoqing, who do you think the murderer is?"
The man suddenly turned around, catching Ling Yuanyuan off guard.
The person crashed into his chest.
She instinctively wrapped her arms around the man's waist, then looked up in grievance.
Her eyes were clear.
Shen Zhi didn't move away from Ling Yuanyuan, but instead reached out and rubbed the girl's nose.
"Did you hurt yourself?" The man's voice was gentle, his eyes filled with concern.
No, he always looks at her with that expression.
How did the original owner manage to endure it in their previous life?
Ling Yuanyuan stood there stunned for a moment. Thinking of this, Ling Yuanyuan's wicked thoughts began to stir.
She shook her head.
"No."
He simply hummed in agreement.
He then said, "Let's go check on Master Liu's body first."
Xia Yuan'er runs slowly.
Only then did they chase after him.
"Didn't the coroner already examine the body and say it was poisoning? There's no need to look at the body again." Xia Yuan'er couldn't help but cover her nose; she could feel that Master Liu was definitely emitting the stench of a corpse.
Shen Zhi ignored her.
He pushed the coffin open with one hand and looked at Liu, the wealthy man, lying inside.
White cloth opens.
The middle-aged man's face was contorted in agony, clearly indicating that he had died in agony.
His lips were deathly pale, just as others had described.
“He wasn’t poisoned.” Shen Zhi glanced at him briefly.
Opening.
A note from the author:
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