Chapter 13: The Lights in the Skyhawk Pavilion Branch Office were brightly lit.
The lights in the Tianying Pavilion branch were bright.
Guo Yan walked into the hall at a brisk pace and reported to Fang Buyu anxiously.
"Bu Yu, news just came back that there's activity in the brothels we've deployed to monitor."
Hearing this, Fang Buyu gently closed the case file in his hand. His eyes were sharp as a torch, and he made a decision quickly.
"Go to Ningxiang Residence immediately."
*
The night was deep, like thick ink pouring down, shrouding the entire Weizhou city in darkness.
Outside Ningxiang Residence, when everything was completely silent, the sound of horse-drawn carriages broke the tranquility, as if it were a secret whisper coming from the depths of the earth.
In a short period of time, more than ten carriages with low-key decorations arrived one after another and stopped in front of Ningxiangju.
Guo Yan and Fang Buyu had already hidden in the dark, quietly observing all this.
When he saw the brothel owner Zheng Jinluan boarding one of the carriages after a busy period, and then the other carriages followed closely behind as if they had received an order, heading towards an unknown direction, Guo Yan lowered his voice and said to the other party,
"Buyu, you are right. Ningxiangju is the key hub of Weizhou's brothel network."
Fang Buyu nodded slightly, without showing much expression on his face. His eyes followed the departing convoy.
"Come on, let's follow."
After tracking for more than an hour, the convoy finally stopped in front of a magnificent mansion. On the lintel of the mansion were two large golden characters - "Wangfu".
At this time, a butler dressed in brocade clothes was waiting outside the door, as if he had already known their arrival.
As the carriages stopped one by one, the housekeeper and Zheng Jinluan worked in perfect harmony, directing the coachmen to carry the heavy boxes into the mansion.
Those boxes contained gold, silver and treasures from brothels all over Weizhou.
Seeing this scene, Guo Yan couldn't help but smack his lips.
"This Wang Gui is really showing off. Just by being reinstated, he has attracted such generous gifts. He has a really big appetite."
However, Fang Buyu frowned and shook his head slightly.
"Wang Gui is just a small accountant. How could he manage such a huge fortune on his own? There must be a bigger hand behind this."
Guo Yan nodded thoughtfully.
"Although Lin Bowen has lost his power, the brothel business is still in full swing. The power behind this is probably not simple."
Fang Buyu's attention was focused on the drivers who were struggling to carry the boxes.
Those seemingly ordinary wooden boxes actually required the combined efforts of four people to barely lift them. One can imagine the weight of the precious things hidden in them.
He stared at the scene and made up his mind.
He ordered in a deep voice:
"From today on, we will strengthen surveillance of this place. I want to see who is behind this huge force behind Wang Gui."
*
After enduring a long and tense night, when Fang Buyu dragged his heavy steps into the Fang Mansion, the dawn light had quietly appeared on the horizon.
He walked slowly along the cobblestone path towards his own courtyard.
In my mind, the mystery behind Wang Gui was like a lingering fog.
He wondered whether those unfathomable forces were inextricably linked to the court?
During the interrogation, Lin Bowen insisted that there was only dereliction of duty and no corruption in the broken bridge case. Was there an expert directing him behind the scenes?
And what does all this have to do with Ningxiangju?
Just as he was immersed in his complicated thoughts, a figure inadvertently broke into his sight——
Tang Suzi, wearing a clean white velvet coat, was bending over to sweep the snow in the yard.
The morning light penetrated the mist like a thin thread, gently falling on her body, covering her with a faint golden glow.
The silver embroidery on her velvet coat shone softly in the light, contrasting with the white snowflakes around it.
Snowflakes fell on her shoulders and blended with the silver embroidery on her velvet coat. She stood there like the purest fairy in winter, untainted by dust and otherworldly.
Fang Buyu stared at Tang Suzi quietly. The scenery before him should have been so peaceful and beautiful, but his heart was filled with layers of sour ripples involuntarily.
His thoughts drifted back to that snowy winter many years ago.
His first encounter with Tiaotiao.
At that time, they were still young children, but life had already shown its cruel side to them.
At that time, Guo Yan was often beaten for failing to complete the "missions" of the Beggar Gang.
He and Guo Yan had known each other since childhood and was well aware of Guo Yan's difficulties - he had been forced by the Beggar Gang to steal in exchange for leftovers.
He himself is also an orphan with no one to rely on in Zuiyue Tower, struggling for survival every day.
I remember that day, Guo Yan suffered cruel punishment from the Beggar Gang for returning empty-handed for several consecutive days. He came to Fengyue Tower to find him with scars all over his body.
The two of them huddled in the corner of Zuiyue Tower, looking at the snowflakes flying in the sky, their hearts filled with helplessness and despair.
Just then, a man named Tiaotiao carrying a basket on his back walked into their sight.
The exquisite brocade bag hanging around her waist attracted Guo Yan's attention.
Guo Yan suggested that he talk to Tiao Tiao to attract her attention so that he could take the opportunity to steal the brocade bag.
Fang Buyu hesitated. After all, Tiao Tiao was wearing a simple cotton and linen dress at that time, and her backpack seemed to contain Chinese herbal medicines. She did not look rich.
But at that moment, looking at the bloodstains on Guo Yan's body that even his clothes could not hide, he nodded after all.
Just as he mustered up the courage to approach Tiaotiao, something unexpected happened.
I saw Tiaotiao's face suddenly changed.
"careful!"
Her voice was sharp and rapid, and then she suddenly stretched out her hands and pushed him away violently.
Almost at the same time, a vase falling from upstairs brushed past his ear, shattered heavily to the ground with a sharp whistling sound.
Drunk guests often throw objects out of the window in Zuiyue Tower. If it weren't for Tiaotiao's timely reminder and rescue, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
He was stunned at the time, looking at Tiaotiao who was asking him about him with concern. Through her clear eyes, he saw the dirtiest and most despicable version of himself...
"Pavilion Master Fang!"
A crisp voice brought him back from his deep memories.
He looked up and his eyes met Tang Suzi who was walking slowly towards him. She was still holding the broom in her hand, and there were some unmelted snowflakes on her clothes.
Fang Buyu's gaze lingered on Tang Suzi for a moment, and he felt an urge to brush the snow off her shoulders, but reason quickly stopped him.
"Pavilion Master Fang... Good morning!"
There was a slight delay in Tang Suzi's voice, and it was obvious that he was at a loss about meeting again after their last separation.
She noticed the complex emotions in Fang Buyu's eyes, but couldn't understand the meaning.
"morning……"
Fang Buyu responded simply, his voice gentle but distant.
But when he noticed Tang Suzi's cheeks were red from the cold wind, he couldn't help but feel pity for her.
"Let the servants in the mansion do the rough work of sweeping snow. You haven't recovered yet, so you should rest more."
Tang Suzi lowered his head slightly, his eyes flickering.
"I... I just want to do something for the mansion. After all, I have always been grateful for your care. If I do nothing, I will feel uneasy..."
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something important and looked up at Fang Buyu.
"By the way! Pavilion Master Fang, I have washed and dried your cloak. Please wait a moment, I will go get it and return it to you."
After saying that, she turned around and ran away in a hurry, leaving Fang Buyu standing there alone.
Fang Buyu stared at Tang Suzi's figure running away in a daze.
He knew that he was also despicable now.
Although he knew that Tang Suzi was not Tiao Tiao, he always crossed the appropriate boundaries when dealing with her.
His longing for and reluctance to part with Zhou Tiao made him unconsciously regard Tang Suzi as his emotional support.
"I can't go on like this..."
He warned himself silently in his heart,
"If Tiao Tiao is still alive, she would definitely not want to see me sink into such depravity."
When Tang Suzi returned with a clean cloak, Fang Buyu was no longer there.
She watched him walk towards the courtyard from a distance, and could not help but quicken her pace, chasing him while shouting,
"Pavilion Master Fang!"
But Fang Buyu in his sight did not even turn his head back, but walked back to the depths of the courtyard without stopping.
Tang Suzi's heart sank, and he finally stopped and didn't go forward to disturb her.
She looked down at the cloak in her hand that she had not yet returned. The soft touch seemed to remind her of the warmth and care she once had.
However, at this moment, this warmth seems to be out of reach...
*
In a quiet and ancient house, Lin Xiangli sat quietly on a pearwood chair, stroking the docile kitten "Furui" in her arms, and recalled Chen Weiyu's accusation that day over and over in her mind.
"Ling An, Chen Weiyu said the other day that it was my father who condoned Wang Gui's inappropriate behavior behind the scenes..."
After a moment of contemplation, she resolutely looked up at Ling An.
"I decided to go find Wang Gui and ask him for clarification."
Ling An heard this, and a look of worry flashed across his brows. He softly consoled,
"Xiang Li, your father's case is still unresolved. If you rashly visit Wang Gui at this time, I'm afraid you won't get any substantive answers."
However, Lin Xiangli's eyes flashed with unshakable determination.
"How can I sit idly by while my father is imprisoned? Even if this trip proves fruitless, I will still give it a try."
Faced with Lin Xiangli's determination, Ling An finally compromised and agreed softly.
"Okay, I'll go with you."
Ling An and Lin Xiangli were preparing to go out to the palace, but when they approached the gate, the faint noise coming from outside made them suddenly feel confused.
When the door opened, a noisy sound came towards him, mixed with exclamations of "She is Lin Bowen's daughter."
"Look, Lin Bowen's daughter, Lin Xiangli, has appeared!"
"It's hidden here!"
"So she escaped from the Lin Mansion and hid here!"
Lin Xiangli was stunned. Faced with the sudden condemnation, she was at a loss for a moment. The families who lost their loved ones in the broken bridge case flocked to the scene again, their eyes full of anger and dissatisfaction towards the Lin family.
Since her father's misfortune, such scenes have almost become the norm in her life.
Whenever it was late at night and everyone was asleep, she could always hear the faint abuse and curses outside the door, which haunted her dreams like ghosts.
During one violent demonstration, she was thrown to the ground by an angry crowd.
At that moment, she felt as if she had been abandoned by the whole world. She could only kneel helplessly on the ground, crying and apologizing for her father, but her voice was soon drowned out by more intense abuse and accusations.
In the moment of despair, Ling An stepped forward like a guardian angel and pulled her back from the abyss.
Later, she followed Ling An's advice, dismissed most of the servants in the Lin Mansion, leaving only a few loyal attendants, moved out of the place full of memories and pain, and lived in the mansion arranged for her by Ling An.
She thought that the endless crusades might finally be over.
However, fate did not seem to let her off easily.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
