Chapter 57 Musk
Xiao Jingchi was still introducing excitedly: "And this! Sweet and sour spare ribs! Sour and sweet! Sister He, have some!"
He attentively extended his small chopsticks and picked up some food for Chen He.
Zhou Yan'an and his companions were already starving, and they didn't care about etiquette at the moment.
Guyu was the first to pick up the chopsticks. He picked up a large piece of chicken slices in lotus sauce and put it into his mouth. He gasped because it was so hot, but he squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
“Mmm…delicious!”
Chu Yue's movements were more polite, but she also quickly ate two mouthfuls of rice before picking up some vegetables.
Zhou Yan'an looked at the dishes on the table, then looked at Xiao Jingchi who was looking at Chen He expectantly, and finally his gaze fell on Chen He who was eating quietly and naturally.
He also picked up his chopsticks.
For a moment, the only sounds in the small room were the slight chewing sounds and the clattering of dishes and chopsticks.
They were all starving. They first swallowed in big gulps, quickly filling their empty stomachs with food and suppressing the hunger that was almost burning.
After eating the hot meal, my cold limbs gradually warmed up and my tense nerves seemed to relax a little.
After eating about half full, everyone gradually slowed down.
Seeing that Shen He was eating with relish, Xiao Jingchi also happily held up his small bowl and ate in small bites, but his eyes were always glued to Shen He.
Chen He took a few more bites, felt his stomach settle, and put down his chopsticks.
She wiped the corners of her mouth gently with her napkin, her movements graceful, as if the person who had been eating in a hurry just now was not her.
Then, under the slightly puzzled gazes of the others, she reached into her arms.
After a moment, she took out something and placed it gently on the table.
It was a booklet with an ordinary dark blue hardcover and no logo.
It was the account book that the silver-faced man had stuffed into her hands outside the fire scene.
Only with food in my stomach can I have the energy to think about serious matters. This account book is the biggest mystery and clue at the moment.
Xiao Jingchi leaned over to take a look curiously: "Eh? Sister He, what is this? A comic book?"
Shen He touched his head and didn't answer.
Chu Yue looked at the booklet, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, a hint of solemnity flashed in her eyes, but she did not speak immediately.
"This," she pointed at the account book, "was given to me by a man in black wearing a silver iron mask outside the fire scene of Renxinzhai."
She gave a brief description of the situation.
"The situation was chaotic at the time. The man dragged Mr. Zhou and me out of the window, stuffed this into me, and then disappeared."
Guyu was stunned when he heard this: "The masked man in black? He saved you?"
Her face was full of confusion: "So... is he a good guy or a bad guy?"
Chu Yue also looked at Chen He, obviously having the same question.
He appeared out of nowhere, mysteriously and unpredictably, and also brought an account book that seemed to be key evidence. This person's purpose was really hard to fathom.
Chen He shook his head, his expression calm: "I don't know."
She paused, but her tone was firm.
"But I wonder, if they really are enemies and want to take our lives, why would we bother saving them?"
The life-saving grace she had received, even if the purpose was unclear, prevented her from classifying him as an absolute enemy. Furthermore, this account book might be the key to breaking the deadlock.
As these words fell softly, the teacup in Zhou Yan'an's hand trembled slightly, the movement so subtle that it was almost impossible to detect.
Chen He's words "going to great lengths to save people" just now inadvertently touched a chord in his heart.
As his memory went back, the moment when the flames shot up into the sky and seemed to engulf the world, that thin figure resolutely broke through the obstacles and ran towards him appeared before his eyes again.
She stepped forward...
It seemed as if a gentle breeze was blowing across the lake of my heart, stirring up subtle ripples.
However, his expression remained carefree, a playful smile playing on his lips: "Oh?"
"In that case, I should say thank you to Miss Shen?"
There was a subtle hint of teasing in his words, as if he was teasing the mysterious masked man, and as if there was something else behind his words, with profound implications.
Chen He did not catch the subtlety in his words and just thought it was an ordinary courtesy.
She smiled softly and replied, "That's too much."
"The situation was critical, and lending a helping hand was our duty."
For her, whether it's the imprint of past life memories or the beliefs she upholds in this life, those bottom lines and moral principles are deeply engraved in her heart. Standing idly by in the face of danger is definitely not her style.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan'an lowered his head and took a sip of tea. The hot steam from the tea obscured the complex emotions that flashed across his eyes.
He muttered something in a low voice, so that only he could hear it.
"That's not what should happen..."
The sound was very light, like a feather brushing across the water, and disappeared in an instant.
Shen He was about to open the account book and did not hear clearly.
She raised her head and looked at him in confusion.
"Um?"
Zhou Yan'an immediately raised his head, and that familiar, slightly ruffian smile appeared on his face again.
He leaned in slightly, moved closer, lowered his voice, and spoke in an ambiguous and teasing tone.
"I said..."
"Miss Shen, you..."
He deliberately dragged out the ending tone and looked into Chen He's clear but wary eyes.
"You are really brave."
"You dare to force your way into a fire scene? Next time, are you planning to reach for the moon in the sky or catch turtles in the five oceans?"
He used a joke to mask his momentary emotion and successfully diverted the conversation away from the whisper. However, there seemed to be something else in the joke.
Chen He raised her eyes and glanced at him, smiling, but did not respond to his words.
She returned her gaze to the account book on the table.
She stretched out her slender fingers and gently opened the dark blue hardcover.
Under the light, the paper is yellowed and the ink is clear.
The three people's attention was instantly attracted by the ink on the account book.
Chen He, Zhou Yan'an, and Chu Yue all subconsciously moved closer, their expressions focused.
Guyu, with his chopsticks still busy, his cheeks bulging with food, mumbled incoherently: "Hmm... this fish is delicious too..."
To her, eating is the most important thing in the world, and this account book is obviously not as attractive as braised fish.
At first, Xiao Jingchi poked his head out curiously, his round eyes staring at the densely packed words.
After taking a few glances, he seemed to find it boring and quickly lost interest.
He yawned a little and rubbed his eyes.
For someone with a child's mind, this boring account is far less attractive than a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs, so it is only natural to feel sleepy.
Shen He's eyes quickly scanned the entries in the account book.
The more she looked, the more her breath became almost imperceptibly held.
Her pupils contracted slightly, the color drained from her face, and her fingers gripping the edge of the account book were so tight that they turned pale.
There's no mistake! This record... turns out to be the Queen! That dignified and virtuous woman, the mother of the nation!
Every stroke, every line clearly records how the Queen secretly manipulated some of the medicinal material transactions in the Imperial Hospital and enriched herself!
What's worse, they even took advantage of the convenience of escorting official medicinal materials to smuggle contraband and smuggle it out of Beijing!
audacious in the extreme!
The last few pages of the account book clearly recorded something that was repeatedly sent to the palace through extremely secret channels—
Musk!
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