Chapter 58: Farewell When Zhou Jin came out of the interrogation room of the imperial guards, the sky...
When Zhou Jin came out of the interrogation room of the imperial guards, the sky was dark and the streets were deserted. He had no idea what time it was.
So much happened that day. First, Chen Weiyu's remains were discovered, then Liu Yiyi's testimony was unexpectedly obtained in Four Seasons Valley, and later that day, a special letter from the Eagle Pavilion, obtained from Lin Bowen's daughter, was received.
Each clue pointed to Tuoba Xuan. Although he denied it, the chain of evidence was gradually becoming more complete and clear. With further investigation and verification, he would be unable to deny it.
Let the imperial guards handle the rest. As the prefect, his desk was already piled high with days of backlogged official business waiting for him to process. He had to hurry back.
In front of the gate of the prefectural yamen, a thin figure was squatting on the steps, his hands tightly hugging his knees, his head lowered, and his face buried in his arms.
Although he couldn't see the face clearly, Zhou Jin recognized who it was at a glance.
He quickened his pace and walked in front of the figure. "Miss Tang, why are you here?"
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Tang Suzi raised her head and saw the person she had been waiting for. She immediately stood up, "Master Zhou! Wei Yu..."
Perhaps because she had been squatting for too long, her legs were numb and weak. She staggered and almost fell. Zhou Jin was quick to catch her.
Tang Suzi didn't care about these things. She anxiously grabbed Zhou Jin's hand and asked, "How is Wei Yu?"
After Zhou Jin helped Tang Suzi stand steadily, he did not let go of her hand immediately, because he knew in his heart that she might not be able to bear the answer he was about to give.
"Hurry up and tell me, what happened to Weiyu?"
"She...she's dead." Zhou Jin said with difficulty.
Sure enough, upon hearing the news, Tang Suzi's body instantly went limp. Fortunately, Zhou Jin held her tightly and prevented her from falling.
A tear fell on Zhou Jin's arm with a "pa" sound. He looked at the face in front of him with tears, which looked very much like his elder sister. In a trance, he seemed to see his elder sister crying sadly in the past, and his heart was involuntarily covered with a layer of mist.
Tang Suzi couldn't accept this reality. She kept asking, "How could this happen... How could this happen... What on earth is going on?"
"The specific situation is still under further investigation, and there are some things I can't tell you."
After a long time, Tang Suzi's emotions gradually calmed down. She wiped away her tears, slowly broke free from Zhou Jin's support, and then asked, "So... has she been buried?"
Zhou Jin made sure she was standing firmly before releasing her hand and replied, "Don't worry, she has been buried."
"Can I go see her?"
Tang Suzi looked at Zhou Jin with pleading eyes, and that look almost made him soften his heart.
However, he couldn't let her go, whether from a business or personal perspective. So he had to persuade her,
"Ms. Tang, Miss Chen's case is very complicated. Various forces are involved. The situation is very sensitive. You'd better not go..."
Under the cover of night, Tang Suzi's departing figure was like a lone leaf swaying in the wind, frail and helpless, as if a slightly stronger gust of wind would completely blow her down into the endless darkness.
Zhou Jin stood there and watched her leave. The pity in his heart grew stronger, but he still couldn't bear it. He took a deep breath and shouted at the thin figure that was gradually moving away, "Miss Tang, don't worry! Fang Buyu will probably be fine soon!"
In fact, he shouldn't have said these things to Tang Suzi before a conclusion was reached, but he couldn't care less!
When Tang Suzi heard the shout, he stopped and slowly turned around.
Her face did not show the joy that Zhou Jin had expected. Her eyes were still empty and confused. She just said thank you in a dazed and weak voice.
She was still immersed in the sorrow brought by the news of Chen Weiyu's death. When she heard that Fang Buyu was fine, a certain string in her heart that had been taut for a long time finally loosened. The huge sadness and the sudden relief blended together, stirring up a complex emotion in her heart, which was replaced by a huge sense of emptiness...
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Tang Suzi did not return to the Fang Mansion. She walked aimlessly on the street like a puppet with its strings cut off. She didn't know how long she had walked before her legs felt heavier and heavier, as if they were filled with lead. Finally, she was exhausted and squatted against a wall, falling into a deep sleep.
"Girl, wake up! Girl!..." In a daze, it seemed like someone was gently pushing her shoulder and calling her.
Tang Suzi slowly opened her eyes. The glaring sunlight shone directly at her. She squinted and raised her hand to block the strong light. After her eyes gradually adjusted to the light, she slowly turned her head and looked towards the source of the sound.
It was the face of an unfamiliar young woman.
Seeing her wake up, the woman breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank God, you finally woke up... Girl, are you okay?!"
"I...why am I here?" Tang Suzi was still a little confused, and slowly stood up with his hands supporting the wall.
The young woman quickly held her other hand. "I saw you lying here when I came out this morning. It's a cold night with heavy dew. Why did you sleep here? Look at your hands, they're freezing cold. Go back and take a hot bath. Don't get sick."
After thanking the kindhearted person, Tang Suzi gradually regained consciousness. She looked around and found herself at the door of Chen Weiyu's house.
The door of Chen Weiyu's house was half-open, creaking in the morning breeze. Morning dew trickled down the worn door panels like tears.
Chen Weiyu was one of the few friends Tang Suzi had made since returning to the human world. She had thought about how to say goodbye to Chen Weiyu properly when she returned to Tanshan Temple, but she had never imagined that the farewell would be so cruel.
Tang Suzi stood at the doorway, peering in. From afar, he could see red and blue flowers swaying in the breeze in a corner of the courtyard. The flowers swayed in the breeze, their tender green buds seemingly emerging.
Spring has come, everything is reviving, and everywhere is filled with vitality and hope, but Chen Weiyu and his daughter left forever in this beautiful spring.
Tang Suzi gently closed the door.
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"Miss Chen, that girl has left. We shouldn't stay here for long. Let's leave quickly."
At the corner of Chen's house, a young maid lowered her voice and reminded the woman beside her. The woman wore a plain veil on her head, and underneath the veil was a thin veil that covered her face tightly. Her figure was also obscured by the loose robe, making it impossible to tell who she was.
The woman did not respond to the maid's words, but just stared at Tang Suzi's figure through the veil quietly. She did not withdraw her gaze until Tang Suzi's back completely disappeared at the end of the street.
She had once thought that after she left, no one in this world would remember her. Now, as she was about to leave the place where she had lived for decades, a lingering sense of reluctance still welled up in her heart. So, before leaving, she couldn't help but come back, wanting to take one last look at this familiar place.
I didn't expect to see Tang Suzi.
Tang Suzi looked very sad, probably because she knew about her death, but she couldn't go up to her and recognize her, and couldn't tell her what happened. After all, some truths were too heavy, and knowing too much was not a good thing for Tang Suzi.
At this moment, she could only say goodbye silently in her heart: Goodbye, Tang Suzi, thank you for saving me, thank you for treating me as your good friend.
The maid helped the woman into the carriage.
"Miss, there's no need to be so sad. Madam Zhao has already arranged accommodations for you in Jiangnan. She also said she's already contacted her friend who owns a rouge shop there, so you can go and help out when you get there. Jiangnan is a wonderful place, with picturesque scenery and pleasant views. I'm sure you'll love it when you get there."
The carriage jingled out of Jiusu County, and the conversations in the carriage gradually disappeared in the spring breeze of Jiusu County...
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On the other hand, the story of Jiusu County continues.
When Tang Suzi returned to Fang Mansion, he immediately saw the man leaning against the pillar with his arms crossed on the steps.
He was dressed in a fiery red robe, shining brightly in the sunlight.
"Ling'an"
Almost at the moment Tang Suzi saw Ling An, Ling An also caught sight of her. He walked down the stairs and headed straight towards Tang Suzi.
"Where have you been? Why did you come back just now?"
Tang Suzi waited for Zhou Jin at the prefectural government office for a whole night, and Ling An also waited for Tang Suzi at the Fang government office for a whole night.
Tang Suzi was obviously surprised that Ling An appeared here, "I...why are you here?"
Ling An leaned down slightly, carefully examining Tang Suzi's face. Seeing that she looked a bit tired, but otherwise normal, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He straightened up, looked into Tang Suzi's eyes, and said seriously, "I'll go back with you."
Upon hearing this, Tang Suzi's tiredness disappeared. "What? What did you say?"
"I said I would go back with you." Ling An repeated it seriously.
Tang Suzi frowned slightly, "Come back with me, what about Miss Lin? What should we do with her?"
When Ling An heard Tang Suzi mention Lin Xiangli, an indescribable emotion flashed across his eyes, a complex emotion that was difficult to fathom. Just then, a breeze blew, lifting his red headband. It brushed against his cheek, and he tilted his head, skillfully concealing the emotion.
Seeing that Ling An didn't answer for a long time, Tang Suzi took a step forward, bent down, and looked up at him, "Ling An, what happened?"
When Ling An looked back at Tang Suzi, his expression had returned to normal, as if the strange emotion he'd felt earlier had never occurred. He said casually, "Nothing... well, let's not talk about it. Don't worry about Lin Xiangli; I've made my own arrangements."
Seeing that Ling An didn't seem to want to say more, Tang Suzi stopped asking questions. However, all this happened too suddenly, catching her off guard.
"Then...when do you want to go back?"
"Anytime is fine, we can go now." Ling An answered decisively without any hesitation.
Tang Suzi exclaimed in surprise: "Now!"
Tang Suzi's reaction actually made Ling An a little confused. Hadn't she been persuading him to go back before? Now that he was willing to go with her, why was she resisting?
"You don't want to go back"
Tang Suzi's heart was in a turmoil. Of course she had to go back, and she should go back, but if she went back like this, would she ever be able to see A Yu again?
Tang Suzi bit her lip and finally made a decision.
She said to Ling An, "Give me two more days, the day after tomorrow! The day after tomorrow, let's go back together."
Let’s wait for two more days. After two days, no matter whether she can see A Yu or not, she will go back to Tanshan Temple with Ling An.
"Okay, I'll wait for you outside the city gate at noon the day after tomorrow."
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