Chapter 24

Chapter 24

“She killed someone?”

Ren Fengjue’s brows furrowed slightly. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, which was usually as calm as still water.

“Xia Ximo” lowered her head, her voice haunting. “Yes. She killed her own half-brother-my uncle’s only son, Mu Zheng.”

“When my aunt learned the truth, she nearly collapsed. Knowing she couldn’t face my uncle or Mu Zheng’s biological mother, she took the blame for my cousin and reported herself to the authorities. Afterward… she hanged herself in her cell.”

Such a tragic turn of events was truly distressing; even Lady Rong felt a pang of pity listening to it.

Ren Fengjue, however, seized upon the key point of the matter and asked, “And your cousin? Where is she now?”

“Xia Ximo” shook her head and continued, “After my aunt’s death, my cousin vanished. Strangely, the Mu Family sent people to search all of Xiling County, but they never found a trace of her.”

“Some say they saw her at a wonton stall by the street entrance. At the time, she was covered in filth, looking as if she had just crawled out of the earth.”

“Others say they saw her board a merchant ship bound for the Capital…”

“But I knew I couldn’t stay with the Mu Family anymore. Whenever I close my eyes, I feel like my cousin is right beside me. I’m so scared; I have nightmares every night…”

At this point, her thin shoulders began to tremble. “I’m terrified. I’m afraid that, just like that night, my cousin will burst into my room with a dagger and claim she’s going to kill me…”

As she finished speaking, her tears began to fall like pearls from a broken string.

Seeing this, Lady Rong felt a deep ache in her heart. She hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe the girl’s tears, comforting her. “It’s all right now, it’s all right. Now that you’ve come to the Marquis Mansion, you naturally don’t have to fear that madwoman anymore…”

She then asked softly, “How did you sleep last night?”

“Xia Ximo” slowly stopped her tears and nodded. “Thanks to your care, my lady, I slept very soundly. I only woke up once during the night.”

Lady Rong sighed, then turned to glare at her son. “This is all your fault. Why did you have to bring these things up?”

Ren Fengjue remained indifferent. Instead, he glanced toward the window, his gaze thoughtful. He said, “According to Miss Xia’s words, this daughter of Vice Minister Mu is indeed a dangerous individual. She must be found as soon as possible; otherwise, it would be bad if she had another episode and hurt someone.”

As he spoke, he took his cloak from a maidservant. “In that case, Miss Xia should stay here at the Marquis Mansion with peace of mind for now. I have some official business to attend to, so I shall take my leave.”

Lady Rong said with displeasure, “Isn’t today your day off? What official business could you possibly have? Can’t you stay at the mansion for one day and keep Ximo company?”

Having donned his cloak, Ren Fengjue gave “Xia Ximo” a meaningful look.

“Miss Xia needs quiet rest. I shouldn’t add to the chaos. Otherwise, if I can’t help but ask more unpleasant questions later, I’m afraid Mother will blame me again.”

“…”

Watching her son stride away, Lady Rong was left speechless. She could only comfort “Xia Ximo,” saying, “That child… when he’s not buried in official business at the yamen, he’s out investigating cases.”

“Once you’ve recovered, I’ll definitely drag him back to accompany you on a proper stroll.”

“Xia Ximo” nodded understandingly. As she caught the receding figure of the man out of the corner of her eye, the corners of her lips curled slightly.

***

After leaving the Marquis Mansion, Ren Fengjue took a carriage directly to the Yusheng Teahouse.

This teahouse was near the Dali Temple; from the tea room on the third floor, one could even overlook the Dali Temple’s backyard.

Upon arrival, he immediately sent Axia to bring word to Yu Lang.

A short while later, Vice Minister Yu, dressed in his official robes, made his way up to the teahouse.

“It’s a rare occasion indeed for Lord Ren to have the leisure to invite me for tea.”
Setting down his official hat, he called over a waiter and ordered two portions of his favorite pastries. At the same time, he grumbled that the Junshan Silver Needle tea Lord Ren had ordered was far too bitter, turning back to request a cup of White Peony instead.

Ren Fengjue took a sip of his tea and said, “I just came from the Marquis Mansion.”

Yu Lang’s interest was piqued immediately. “Was it regarding Miss Xia’s matter?”

“Yes, and no.”

Ren Fengjue deliberately left him hanging.

Knowing only that Xia Ximo wanted to break off the engagement, Yu Lang guessed, “Did Miss Xia have a change of heart and decide not to break the engagement with you after all?”

“In my view, if this matter were brought to the Marquis and the Marquise, they certainly wouldn’t agree to it anyway.”

Ren Fengjue shook his head with a smile. “I didn’t tell them, and Miss Xia hasn’t changed her mind.”

Yu Lang picked up a pastry and took a bite. “Then what is it?”

“There is an extra ‘Xia Ximo’.”

At those words, Yu Lang nearly choked on his pastry. He took a frantic gulp of tea, his eyes wide with shock.

“What do you mean, an extra ‘Xia Ximo’? Do you have two fiancées now?”

Ren Fengjue leaned back, stretching out comfortably, before leisurely recounting everything he had seen and heard at the Marquis Mansion today.

By the time he finished, Yu Lang’s face was a mask of astonishment.

“How can this be? Between the two of them, who is the real one and who is the fake?”

Ren Fengjue remained noncommittal, simply asking, “In Vice Minister Yu’s opinion, who seems more authentic?”

Yu Lang didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stood up to close the slightly ajar door of the private room, as if terrified the secret might leak out.

“You said before that in your household, only the Marquise has ever seen Xia Ximo. That would make the one at the Marquis Mansion seem more credible.”

Ren Fengjue smiled again. “So you’re saying the one at my residence is the fake?”

Yu Lang continued his analysis. “I’m only speculating. If the ‘crazy female cousin’ mentioned by the Miss Xia at the Marquis Mansion is real, then is it possible the Miss Xia at your residence is that cousin?”

“But that explanation feels a bit too forced, like a story someone made up specifically to cover the truth.”

“Besides, the Miss Xia at your manor is merely a bit cold in temperament. In terms of courage and presence, she actually fits the image of a general’s descendant much better.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Fengjue showed a look of approval and nodded. “Not bad. Go on.”

“I’ve said my piece. I’m afraid I can’t be more specific; after all, I’ve only met the one at your residence.”

Having finished his analysis, Yu Lang felt relaxed enough to return to his tea and snacks. He then asked, “I am quite curious, though-which one is Lord Ren leaning toward?”

Ren Fengjue clearly had his own thoughts on the matter, but he deliberately avoided answering. He simply said, “I can’t say for sure yet. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble Vice Minister Yu with this.”

“…”

What did that mean?

Yu Lang quickly set down his tea and pastry. He knew Lord Ren wouldn’t treat him to food for no reason.

“What are Lord Ren’s orders? As long as it is within my official duties and does not violate the Three Bonds and Five Virtues…”

Ren Fengjue gave a thin smile. “It’s simple. I just want you to go to the Mu Family in Xiling County and conduct a deep investigation into Xia Ximo’s life over these past few years.”

“While Yaoguang is skilled at scouting and tracking, their personality isn’t suited for dealing with people. That happens to be your strength. If the two of you cooperate, you’ll certainly achieve twice the result with half the effort.”

Yu Lang felt a headache coming on just hearing the name “Yaoguang.”

But since Lord Ren had personally given the order, how could he say no?

He could only cup his hands with a bitter, helpless expression. “This official obeys your command.”