Dream on
Zhu Qinghe gave a brief explanation, and Uncle Mu didn't ask any further questions. He glanced at the two people behind Zhu Qinghe and said, "Since they are the young master's friends, I'm relieved."
"Uncle Mu, if anyone comes to inquire later, just make excuses." Hearing this, Uncle Mu didn't say much, but nodded and bowed skillfully before leaving. Turning back, he felt a little gratified. The young master had really grown up. He was decisive and commanding, no longer the little girl he used to be.
He does indeed have some of that person's spirit.
After Uncle Mu left, Shen Wumei removed her face mask thoughtfully: "Young Master? As far as I know, the Zhu family is a family of civil officials who do not engage in commerce. Who is this master?"
Zhu Qinghe hadn't expected him to be so perceptive. Her heart tightened, but she smiled and said, "These are servants from my mother's family. They are very reliable. Lord Shen, you don't need to worry."
"Is Miss Qingchen alright?" Zhu Qinghe approached and asked with concern, naturally changing the subject.
Qingchen had just escaped a life-or-death ordeal and her face still showed signs of shock. Upon hearing Zhu Qinghe's question, she trembled slightly and lowered her voice, saying, "Thank you for your concern, sir. This servant... is fine."
Shen Wumei was not so gentle, and went straight to the point: "Why did Madam Xiao send someone to kill you?"
After a moment's thought, Qingchen realized that the two of them had been eavesdropping at the back window for a long time, so it was no surprise that they had heard the assassin's confession and knew that it was Madam Xiao who wanted to kill her.
But—she bit her lower lip, looking troubled. As the saying goes, family scandals shouldn't be aired in public; should she really tell them about the Xiao family's private secrets?
If the young master could know from beyond the grave that these things had been exposed, would he really be happy?
Seeing Qingchen's hesitant expression, Shen Wumei impatiently shouted, "This matter involves a murder case. If you conceal anything and delay the investigation, do you know what your punishment will be?"
Dressed in black, he resembled a demon of the night. Though handsome, his years of public service imbued him with a ruthless decisiveness. His fierce gaze and stern questioning were truly chilling. Qingchen had never seen such a terrifying man before. Her legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground with a thud. "My lord, spare my life! This servant dares not conceal anything."
Zhu Qinghe exclaimed "Oh!" and quickly bent down to help Qingchen up. Qingchen kept her head down, not daring to look at Shen Wumei opposite her. Zhu Qinghe sighed inwardly, thinking that Lord Shen really didn't know how to cherish a woman at all.
If it weren't for her today, he could have scared the young girl to death; what a terrible thing to do.
Qingchen sat in the chair and, guided by Zhu Qinghe, recounted the secrets behind the Xiao family. The two of them were finally able to glimpse the true reasons behind the strange behavior of the people in the Xiao family.
Xiao Yuanzhou, the eldest son of the Xiao family, was frail and sickly from a young age. He was born with a deficiency in his body, all because his then-mistress, now Madam Xiao, had given his mother a slow-acting poison during her pregnancy. She intended to cause her to have a difficult childbirth and die along with her unborn child, but the eldest son was strong and actually survived. However, Madam Xiao died.
Years later, Qingchen still had tears in her eyes and gritted her teeth when she talked about this: "The madam was killed by her, but she sat comfortably in the position of the mistress of the Xiao family. From childhood to adulthood, she also made things difficult for the eldest young master."
"The eldest young master has always been patient and reserved, rarely venturing out of his room. But this time, she... she actually killed the eldest young master."
Shen Wumei frowned and asked, "Did Madam Xiao kill Xiao Yuanzhou? Do you have any evidence?"
Qingchen's gaze turned ruthless: "Of course, it was the eldest young master who told me himself that he overheard a conversation between Madam Xiao and the steward and learned their secret. After that, the eldest young master was murdered. It must have been them!"
"Their secret? What secret?"
"Xiao Yuanyou, the second young master of the Xiao family, is not the biological son of Master Xiao at all. He is the child of the current Madam Xiao and the steward through an affair."
Zhu Qinghe was drinking tea when she heard this and almost choked to death. What? That arrogant and domineering second young master was actually an illegitimate child?
That's unbelievable.
Shen Wumei tapped her fingers on the armrest, her face remaining calm: "How did Xiao Yuanzhou hear this secret?"
“The young master didn’t tell me the details,” Qingchen said, “but he looked strange when he came back from outside that day, so I asked him a few more questions and that’s how I found out about it.”
Zhu Qinghe suddenly interjected, "Qingchen, are you the closest person to the eldest young master in the Xiao family?"
Qingchen's eyes flickered slightly: "I was sold to the Xiao family when I was young. At that time, I was sallow and thin and no one wanted me. It was the eldest young master who chose me as his maid. Otherwise, I don't know if I would still be alive now."
"Young Master taught me to read and write, and to be a good person. To me, Young Master is the closest person to me in this world."
"Oh, so your young master feels the same way about you?" Zhu Qinghe rested her chin on her hand and looked at Qingchen. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked down, as if she was a little nervous.
"I am not the young master, so I naturally do not know his thoughts. The young master is gentle and refined. I suppose he only helped me because I was in a worse situation."
"So, the poem on your young master's desk wasn't written for you?" Zhu Qinghe asked with a smile.
Qingchen's fingers tightened around the hem of her skirt above her knees, while Chen Wumei looked at Zhu Qinghe and asked, "What poems?"
Zhu Qinghe slapped her forehead, realizing how forgetful she was; she had forgotten to talk to Shen Wumei about poetry, but it wasn't too late to bring it up now.
"I found an acrostic poem on Xiao Yuanzhou's desk. It contained Qingchen's name. I originally thought the two of them were in love, but now it seems uncertain."
Qingchen looked embarrassed; the fierce expression she had just displayed was gone, replaced by a shy and awkward demeanor, like that of a young girl.
Shen Wumei didn't waste any words. Since there was a new clue, she continued to ask questions, still in the tone of interrogating a criminal: "So you and Xiao Yuanzhou had an affair?"
If that's the case, and assuming what she said before is true, then she is a prime suspect in the housekeeper's death.
Qingchen shook her head frantically: "No, it's just that I secretly admire the young master and begged him to teach me how to write that line of poetry. The young master has no feelings for me at all."
Qingchen looked distressed: "I am just a lowly servant girl. How could someone like the young master possibly look up to me?"
Shen Wumei, not understanding the subtleties of a girl's mind, asked directly, "Since that's the case, after your young master died, did you harbor resentment? Was the death of the butler also your doing?"
Qingchen was startled and waved his hands and shook his head repeatedly: "My lord, please understand, this really wasn't me. Although after the young master was murdered, I did think about taking a pair of scissors to find them and die with them, I only thought about it and didn't put it into action before the butler died."
Shen Wumei frowned slightly, seemingly considering whether Qingchen's words were credible.
Zhu Qinghe spoke up at the right moment: "Lord Shen, I don't think Qingchen is the murderer who killed the steward."
"If I were Qingchen, as a weak woman, I would target Madam Xiao first, since Madam Xiao is the biggest culprit, rather than the butler who is a man."
Qingchen nodded vigorously: "Yes."
Although the steward was over forty, he was a real man, and Qingchen was no match for him, let alone push him into the pond.
Moreover, Zhu Qinghe recalled what she had seen on the pond wall and looked at Shen Wumei: "Furthermore, the steward was not pushed into the water by someone."
"But if it's said that it was an accidental fall into the water, something doesn't feel right."
Shen Wumei: "Madam Xiao told me that the steward was an expert swimmer, which is why she was certain that the steward's death was no accident."
Qingchen hurriedly said, "That's right, the steward can swim, and he's an excellent swimmer. He was the one who went down to save the young master when he fell into the pond."
That makes things even stranger. The butler could swim, so even if he fell into the pond, he wouldn't have drowned. Besides, he hadn't been drinking or losing his mind that day, so how could he have drowned in the pond?
It was a complete mess. The light in the room flickered for a moment, and Zhu Qinghe realized that the candle was almost burned out, and that it was already too late.
With only two hours left until dawn, he said, "It's getting late, let's rest first."
Shen Wumei stood up: "Then I'll take my leave."
“Lord Shen,” Zhu Qinghe called to him, “it’s too late to go back to the government office now, so you can sleep here.”
That's true, the curfew has long passed, but—Shen Wumei turned around and asked, "Do you have room here?"
This shop is not even as big as her main shop where she usually works. Is there any room for them to stay?
Zhu Qinghe paused for a moment, then called out, "Uncle Mu—"
"Hey, you're here." Uncle Mu walked in, wearing an overcoat. "What's wrong, young master?"
"Uncle Mu, do we have any extra rooms to accommodate my two friends?" Zhu Qinghe asked.
"Yes, yes," Uncle Mu nodded. "There are two more rooms."
"That's good," Zhu Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief. "Uncle Mu, then please arrange for them to stay."
"Alright." Uncle Mu nodded, then looked at Zhu Qinghe and asked, "Young Master, where will you be staying?"
Zhu Qinghe: "..."
Oh yeah, where does she live? She forgot about herself.
Qingchen, with innocent eyes, said, "Wouldn't it be better if the two of you slept in the same room?"
Since they are both men and act in a very tacit way, they must be friends who have known each other for many years. Isn't it normal for them to live together?
Uncle Mu looked at Shen Wumei with surprise, his eyes scanning her for a long time, his expression changing in countless ways. Did Miss find a suitable husband so quickly? He is quite good-looking, but did they develop their relationship so fast that they are already living together?
These days, young people are really something else.
Zhu Qinghe interrupted Uncle Mu's speculation, holding her breath, "Uncle Mu, why don't you go and tidy up the room first?"
After Uncle Mu left, Zhu Qinghe felt a headache coming on. Shen Wumei raised the corners of her lips and approached, saying, "Well, would you like to share a room with me, Lord Zhu?"
Zhu Qinghe turned her head and glared at him: "You wish!"
Shen Wumei's smile remained unchanged: "So, Lord Zhu is planning to sleep in the woodshed himself?"
Hmph, how could that be? At worst, she'll just lose face today.
Zhu Qinghe took a deep breath, smiled sincerely at Qingchen, and said, "Miss Qingchen, can I discuss something with you?"
Qingchen said timidly, "Please speak, sir."
Zhu Qinghe smiled and tore off the mustache from the corner of her mouth. She then let down her high bun, her dark hair flowing freely. A delicate fragrance wafted in the air, highlighting her fair skin, beautiful face, and crescent-shaped eyebrows, making her stunningly beautiful.
Qingchen stared in surprise.
"Actually, I'm a woman, so can I share a room with you tonight?"
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