Chapter 21 – Two Blooming Mulberry Flowers
The two soon arrived at Miss Zhou’s courtyard, one following the other. There was no one guarding the place apart from the lantern placed in the corner, causing the courtyard to be shrouded in an eerie atmosphere!
Creeeak~
A sound came from the bedroom! Then, a flicker of a candlelight in the window, revealing the vague silhouette of someone moving around.
Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong looked at each other and loudly pushed the door before proceeding inside. The mysterious person suddenly turned around and dropped the handkerchief in her hand in fright. Her body trembled as she stared at them in shock.
They could only see the thin outline of the woman’s figure. Skin stretched tight over bone, her shoulders didn’t seem to have any strength at all. She didn’t appear angry, just deathly pale. She looked around 16 or 17 years old, but how could she look so sickly?
“Are you… Suyun?” Ji Yunshu’s intuition sparked.
The young girl displayed an empty expression as she woodenly nodded.
“Why are you here?”
Suyun shook. In fact, her whole body quaked from fear. She lowered her head and whispered, “Miss said she didn’t like the room to be dark. I just wanted to light the candle for her, so I came to her room to light it.”
Indeed, she had lit the crystal sculpted candlestick!
Ji Yunshu nodded and no longer showed any interest. She introduced herself instead.
“Miss Suyun, my surname is Ji, and my purpose here is to investigate the cause of your miss’ death.”
“I know. Qiaoxin already told me.” Suyun’s manner of speaking lacked any energy.
“That’s good then.”
While she spoke, Ji Yunshu was looking at Suyun’s dropped handkerchief on the floor. Then, she stepped forward to pick it up.
There were two beautiful blooming mulberry flowers embroidered on the white handkerchief: one red, the other blue. The red blossom had a corner where the thread had been severed.
Ji Yunshu frowned. “The flowers are quite lovely. Did you embroider them yourself?”
“Yes.”
“You have a skillful pair of hands.”
“T-thank you.”
“Come here. Keep it properly, so you don’t drop it again. It won’t be pretty anymore if you dirty it.”
Ji Yunshu returned the handkerchief to Suyun. When Suyun’s lanky fingers came in contact with Ji Yunshu’s hand, she grabbed onto the handkerchief and immediately took it back. From the beginning to the end, she didn’t dare to lift her head, going so far as to lower it even more.
“Then I won’t disturb Teacher working.” Suyun curtsied, making for the door.
But Ji Yunshu deftly stretched her leg and tripped her. Suyun stumbled and directly fell forwards. Fortunately, Jing Rong was behind her and managed to catch her in time.
‘Oh! The hero coming to the rescue of the beauty!’
Jing Rong released her only after she regained her balance. After that, he retreated a few steps before sending a ferocious glare at Ji Yunshu.
Suyun covered her chest in panic. She raised her eyes and looked at Jing Rong.
“Thank you very much, young master.”
Jing Rong didn’t reply.
Suyun bit her lips until they discolored, and hurriedly left.
Jing Rong’s complexion turned dark from anger. He questioned Ji Yunshu in a harsh tone, “Preposterous! Even if you wanted to send a woman to me, did it cross your mind to take my opinion into consideration?”
However, Ji Yunshu didn’t object. “I don’t understand what your Highness is talking about.”
“This prince clearly saw that you deliberately tripped her.”
“Yes, I did trip her on purpose. So what?” Ji Yunshu played down her words, her tone neither light nor heavy. However, it contained hidden meaning!
Jing Rong failed to understand, and was about to question her further when Ji Yunshu turned her attention to searching the room.
“What are you searching for?”
Ji Yunshu, who was meticulously combing through the room, threw out a reply, “Something that could scare those maidservants.”
“Something that they are afraid of?”
Ji Yunshu didn’t spare the time to resolve his doubts since she was busy searching the room. Finally, she found what she was looking for on the deceased Miss Zhou’s bed.
It was wrapped within layer upon layer of beddings, making it impossible to guess the object inside. Ji Yunshu reached for the beddings and unwrapped the layers in an orderly manner until the item, a small and exquisite box nestled inside, was revealed.
She held the box in her cupped hand and opened it. When the thing inside was reflected in her eyes, all the previous doubts in her heart completely vanished!
She closed the box. Her expression was grave as she turned and walked back to Jing Rong.
“Prince, when tomorrow comes, we will solve this case.”
Her words caused Jing Rong to grow even more puzzled.