A drizzling rain began in the middle of the night.
The spring rain in Jiangling was a fine, silent mist, yet it fell in a dense, continuous drizzle. As Ye Chutang went to close the window, a few drops splashed onto her cuffs.
She glanced up, and in her periphery, she saw the candlelight in the opposite room was still burning, outlining a tall, elegant silhouette.
'Young masters from wealthy families sure burn through money…'
'He even burns more candles than other people, and they're brighter too.'
Ye Chutang murmured, closing the window.
And so, she didn't see the candle in the opposite room go out just a moment later.
Lian Zhou asked, puzzled, "Master, are you retiring this early today?"
Shen Yanchuan let out a light laugh.
"When you're living under someone else's roof, you naturally abide by their rules."
...
The rain fell all night.
The next day, while Ye Chutang was still asleep, she heard Ye Yunfeng's voice from outside. "Sister! Sister!"
Ye Chutang rolled over, her voice thick with sleep.
"Don't shout. Xiao Wu is still asleep."
Xiao Wu, who had been sitting up and playing by himself for a while, blinked. He then obediently plopped back down, bottom in the air, and snuggled up beside Ye Chutang.
Ye Yunfeng hesitated for a second before continuing, "It's important! Sister, you have to come out!"
Lian Zhou watched the scene unfold in the courtyard, finding it a little strange.
'What's all this about, so early in the morning?'
'That kid looks so excited. Could it be good news?'
Shen Yanchuan was changing his dressings. The two wounds on his chest and abdomen were already beginning to heal.
He arched a brow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
The injuries had persisted for half a month. Because they were poisoned, they had repeatedly festered and refused to heal. Even the doctors in the capital had been at a loss.
He hadn't expected to see such clear improvement after just two days at this small medical hall.
'This Doctor Ye… truly has some hidden talents.'
Hearing Lian Zhou's murmur, he didn't look up, remarking casually, "It seems they've found the killer."
Lian Zhou started. "So fast!?"
Yesterday, when the Cao Family came to cause trouble, he hadn't gone out to look, but he had heard everything clearly with his profound Inner Strength.
'Dying from an allergic reaction is a difficult case to investigate. It's even harder to find evidence and uncover the truth when it's intentional.'
'How could they possibly find the real culprit overnight?'
But in the next moment, Ye Yunfeng's voice, brimming with unconcealed excitement, drifted over.
"Sister! They said they found the person who secretly fed river shrimp to Cao Chengwu!"
Lian Zhou was shocked. He turned to see his master's expression was still calm and composed, without a hint of surprise. He had clearly anticipated this.
'This—'
CREAK—
The door was pushed open, and the girl, awakened by the noise, stepped out.
Shen Yanchuan lifted his gaze and glanced over, his eyes narrowing slightly.
She had a gentle and refined beauty. Now, her delicate brows were tinged with a lazy weariness from having just woken up. Her jet-black hair was simply gathered with a wooden hairpin. In the drizzling spring rain, she looked like a Haitang blossom yet to awaken.
Hazy, and yet inexplicably alluring.
"So they found him. What's there to be so excited about?" She raised a hand to cover a soft yawn. "A Feng, you're being so loud."
Shen Yanchuan impassively retracted his gaze. The lazy drawl in her voice drifted to his ears, like the light, tickling brush of a feather.
Ye Yunfeng scratched his head sheepishly. "Sister, I know I shouldn't have woken you, but I'm just so happy!"
He pulled Ye Jingyan over. "Third Brother! You tell her!"
Ye Jingyan had planned to wait for Ye Chutang to wake up, but their fourth brother was too impatient, and he hadn't been able to hold him back.
Meeting Ye Chutang's gaze, he collected his thoughts and recounted the story. "This morning, I was on my way to the market when I heard people on the street saying they'd caught Cao Chengwu's killer. It wasn't a stranger, but Liu Si from the Cao Family's own household. He was Cao Chengwu's personal servant. Last night, he secretly added river shrimp to Cao Chengwu's midnight snack. Then, he made an excuse to send the other servants away. That's why no one was around when Cao Chengwu had his attack, and he died so quietly."
Ye Chutang raised a delicate brow. "They figured all that out in just one night?"
Ye Yunfeng couldn't contain himself, his expression animated. "Sister, you'll never guess! The people from the government office were so fast because someone sent them an anonymous letter last night!"
A small smile played on Ye Chutang's lips. "Oh?"
Ye Yunfeng punched his fist into his palm, thrilled. "I heard they went to Liu Si's house during the night and found the clothes he wore to the lake the day before, along with some river shrimp shells! He secretly went to the lake to catch shrimp the night before last and got a big cut on his leg, but he didn't dare tell anyone! To think they still found him out!"
Ye Chutang looked at the misty sky.
"A single letter isn't enough to serve as evidence."
"Exactly! That's why the men from the government office went to the lake first thing this morning. And they found it—a scrap of fabric torn from Liu Si's clothes! The evidence was irrefutable. Liu Si's knees gave out, and he confessed on the spot!"
Ye Chutang nodded. "Going to the lake to search for evidence in the rain... that must have been difficult. We should properly thank the government officers later."
'I thought I'd have to wait at least another half a day.'
'Still, high efficiency is good. The rain would have washed away many of the clues. If they had delayed any longer, they might not have found anything so easily.'
Ye Yunfeng asked, somewhat surprised, "Sister, aren't you surprised at all?"
He hadn't slept well all night. Even though he'd been cleared of suspicion, a life had still been lost. How could a twelve-year-old boy just pretend like nothing had happened?
Ye Chutang flicked his forehead.
"We didn't kill him. We were just unlucky enough to get implicated. Now that the truth is out, isn't that for the best?"
'Why overthink things?'
Ye Yunfeng rubbed his forehead. He felt his sister was right, but at the same time, something seemed off.
To him, this whole affair was a huge mess. But in his sister's eyes, it seemed like nothing at all—not even important enough to make her miss out on sleeping in.
And that calm confidence, as if she took it for granted that everything would be resolved... he'd never seen anything like it in anyone else.
It was as if this was how things were always meant to be.
It was strangely reassuring.
Ye Jingyan met Ye Chutang's eyes and asked, "Sister, what should we do now?"
Ye Chutang said, "We're going to the government office."
Ye Yunfeng's eyes went wide. "We still have to go? But isn't this over for us?"
Ye Chutang asked, "Liu Si was Cao Chengwu's servant. Why would he kill him?"
Ye Yunfeng hesitated. "I think... I think it's because Cao Chengwu always used to beat and curse his servants. Liu Si had resented him for a long time and decided to kill him!"
"A life for a life." Ye Chutang opened an oil-paper umbrella. Raindrops splashed against the ground, kicking up a thin white mist. "I imagine Liu Si's family feels like their world has just collapsed."
"Now they're a widow and an orphan. How pitiful," she said softly.