"You flatter me, Madam." Unlike Nan Qi's hot-tempered outburst, Baili Moqing remained completely unaffected. The corners of his lips curved into a faint, ambiguous smile. "Since Madam wishes to keep her secrets, I shall press no further."
Wind from outside the window blew a few snowflakes into the study, landing squarely upon his dark, glossy topknot. Clad in white robes as pure as snow, he sat quietly by the window. Lush, vibrant pine branches stretched out behind him, almost reaching past the window frame to steal a glance at the winter snow. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful.
Shu He put down her bowl, her gaze fixed upon that face—the face that had haunted her dreams through countless sleepless nights. For the first time, she realized how utterly a stranger the man before her truly was.
Previously, Shu Yue had told her that Prince Dongli was the worst at hiding his emotions, prone to flying into a rage at the slightest provocation and executing servants on a whim—a thoroughly tyrannical prince! Yet looking at him now, he clearly wore no emotions on his face, and his depth of mind and calculation were terrifyingly profound.
Indeed, how could her fourth sister, Shu Yue, who had once plotted against her heart and soul, possibly tell her the true disposition and preferences of Prince Dongli? It was even possible that whatever Shu Yue thought she knew was merely the facade he wished outsiders to see!
No, this man was too dangerous! She still ought to leave as soon as possible. In the event that he truly discovered her real identity, she feared that no matter how well he concealed his emotions, he would not be able to resist killing her!
Shu He offered her farewells, intending to take Xiao Yi'er back to the courtyard next door. Although a good many people had died there, fortunately the compound was large enough; by avoiding the second courtyard, she could find a side room in the front courtyard for her and Xiao Yi'er to stay in temporarily. Once Xiao Yi'er's health improved, they would leave.
"Lady He, are you leaving just like this?" Seeing Shu He open the door, Uncle Zhang immediately stepped over to help.
Shu He nodded with a smile. "Thank you for your trouble today, Old Uncle."
Upon seeing this, Uncle Zhang quickly grabbed her arm and asked, "There's no one next door, the stove is cold and the hearth is dead, and you're traveling with a sick, frail child. Why not stay here for now? Wait until the child is better before leaving."
Fearing that Shu He would refuse, Uncle Zhang hastily added, "Rest assured, Lady He, our young master has a very soft heart; he won't drive you away."
Shu He's mouth twitched slightly. Uncle Zhang said he wouldn't drive people away, which she could believe, but to say he had a soft heart? That was pushing it a bit!
However, before she could reply, several figures appearing outside the door made Shu He's expression turn cold.
Noticing her sudden change in expression, Uncle Zhang looked puzzled. "Lady He, did this old man say something wrong?"
Shu He handed the little girl in her arms over to Uncle Zhang, a smile instantly returning to her face. "Uncle Zhang, please help me find a room to settle Xiao Yi'er in first. I have some matters to attend to."
Uncle Zhang was completely baffled. Before he could ask any further, Shu He gently pushed him toward the interior of the house.
He carried Xiao Yi'er back into the study. At that moment, Nan Qi was righteously indignant, making sarcastic remarks about Shu He, calling her an ungrateful wretch who bit the hand that fed her.
Yet despite his endless chattering, Baili Moqing did not dignify him with a single word.
Growing somewhat anxious, Nan Qi marched right up to Baili Moqing and demanded, "Master, aren't you angry at all? We saved her, after all!"
Baili Moqing continued flipping through his book, his handsome brows carrying that eternal, tranquil serenity. "She is merely a passing stranger. Why do you care so much?"
"I—I don't care about her! I just feel sorry for little Xiao Yi'er! With injuries that severe, who knows if that woman can take proper care of her."
"If she can't take proper care of her, could you? Why don't you go and help, then?"
"Me? I'm not going!" Besides, he had no experience with such things! Couldn't he just be worried?
Uncle Zhang walked into the room with a chuckle. "Nan Qi, the job you wanted to do has arrived."
Nan Qi turned his head and froze at the sight of Xiao Yi'er in Uncle Zhang's arms. Weren't—weren't this child and that woman supposed to have left? "Uncle Zhang, why did you snatch the child away?"
Uncle Zhang scolded him playfully, "What kind of way is that to talk?"
As Nan Qi stepped out of the study, he happened to see Shu He waving at a youth standing outside the gate. "Well, well, isn't this Brother Xiao Duo? What brings you here?"
"Lady He, why are you here?" Xiao Duo looked thoroughly bewildered to see Shu He appearing in the neighboring courtyard.
And what did Lady He mean by that question just now? Hadn't they agreed yesterday that he would come today? Why did she act as though she had no idea?
"I live right here!" Shu He smiled at him, then waved toward two figures standing behind him. "Are these two officers? Come inside and rest your feet. Traveling on official business in such heavy snow is truly not easy!"
A flash of surprise crossed Qin Yi'an's face. He kept walking until he drew close to the gate, at which point he recognized the woman waving at him—this was precisely the married woman he had seen at the medical clinic yesterday.
Catching sight of Qin Yi'an, Xiao Duo instantly understood why Shu He had pretended to stumble upon him by surprise.
As he looked at Qin Yi'an, his eyes widened in disbelief. "Head Constable Qin? Why are you here? You're following me!"
Qin Yi'an wore an amiable smile. "Out on official business and happened to take the same route. Brother Xiao Duo, there's no need to be nervous."
"Hmph! What a coincidence, then!" Xiao Duo let out a cold snort. That ghost story was probably only believable to a three-year-old child!
Qin Yi'an raised his gaze to the lintel, where three large characters were inscribed: "Anhe Residence".
"Does Madam recognize me?" Qin Yi'an brushed the snow from his clothes, his gaze toward Shu He seeming casual while actually full of scrutiny. He was mentally comparing the woman before him with the portrait he possessed of the female suspect in the West Suburbs murder case.
"We met outside Shourentang yesterday. Have you forgotten?" Shu He helped Xiao Duo brush the snow off his shoulders, her expression entirely natural. "What official business brings Head Constable Qin out to this desolate East Suburbs? Do you need our help?"
Before Qin Yi'an could speak, Shen San at his side grew impatient. "Zhang Xiao Duo! Didn't you come here to find this woman? Miss Zhang denied knowing her whereabouts yesterday, yet today you've tracked her down. What on earth are you two hiding?"
"Official, this humble person has no idea what you're talking about! My young miss said she wanted to come to the courtyard in the East Suburbs to relax recently, so she told me to come ahead and tidy it up. Once the snow stops in a couple of days, she plans to come here and enjoy the snowscape." Xiao Duo's expression remained completely calm and composed as he pointed to the neighboring estate. "That right there is the Zhang Family's estate; that's where I'm headed. Still, running into Lady He here is quite a surprise to me!"
With that, Xiao Duo looked at Shu He with a hint of genuine delight. "Lady He, it turns out you're our neighbor! Yesterday, when you used acupuncture to save our young master, our General even said he wanted to thank you. Now that I know where you live, I'll go back shortly and report this to the General!"
Shu He smiled and waved a hand. "It was a mere trifle. Anyone who came across it would have done the same; there's no need for special thanks."
She had to admit, Xiao Duo's on-the-spot improvisation was truly top-tier. Based entirely on her casual remark, "I live right here," he had seamlessly justified the purpose of his own trip.
"Madam, once I finish tidying up next door, I'll return to the residence to report to the Young Miss and Young Master. If they find out you live right next door to us, they'll be thrilled!"
Without even giving Qin Yi'an a chance to press further, Xiao Duo hurried off toward the neighboring house.
A flash of worry crossed Shu He's eyes. She wondered if he would venture into the second courtyard; if he saw that room full of corpses, she hoped he wouldn't be frightened out of his wits. "Brother Xiao Duo, I'll come help you clean up in a moment."
Their back-and-forth had been completely natural, and the conversation was virtually watertight—even Qin Yi'an found himself doubting his suspicions. Could it really be a coincidence?
A blast of wind and snow swept in. Shu He shivered, pulling in her neck and rubbing her hands together as her voice took on a slight, cold tremor. "Head Constable Qin, would you care for a cup of hot tea to warm up?"
Reluctant to give up, Qin Yi'an nodded and brushed past her without ceremony, stepping into the courtyard, with Shen San closely following behind.
Out of the two men's line of sight, the smile on Shu He's face vanished instantly. A worried glance swept toward the gate next door before she hurried after them.
At that moment, prompted by a gesture from Baili Moqing, Uncle Zhang also came out to greet them. "Lady He, who are these two?"
Just as Shu He was fretting over her unfamiliarity with the place and wondering where to take them for tea, Uncle Zhang arrived. She hastily explained, "Oh, Uncle Zhang, these two are officers from Yuancheng out on official business. Seeing that the wind and snow outside are too harsh, I invited them in for a cup of hot tea to warm up."
Understanding instantly, Uncle Zhang walked ahead of Qin Yi'an and the other man, leading them toward the side parlor on the right. "In that case, please take a seat in the side parlor."
Uncle Zhang's appearance managed to dispel much of Qin Yi'an's suspicion. "Thank you, Old Sir."