Chapter 504: Calling for Reinforcements

Chapter 504: Chapter 504: Calling for Reinforcements

Chen Shaobei remembered.

When he and Jiang Zhi were talking in the Warm Pavilion, someone had been eavesdropping outside.

When he chased after them, he only caught a glimpse of a goose-yellow skirt hem.

And today, Qi Xiuwei was wearing a goose-yellow dress. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Chen Shaobei’s expression instantly darkened.

He questioned Vice General Zhang closely, "Be clear. Who exactly told you?"

Vice General Zhang pointed at the young maidservant behind Qi Xiuwei.

"It was her."

Qi Xiuwei started, turning to look.

Her personal maid, Caiyun, lowered her head guiltily.

"Caiyun, you..." Qi Xiuwei was stunned.

Shen Ningning’s gaze was complicated. She remembered that when she told Qi Xiuwei the truth that day, Qi Xiuwei had this same maid with her.

’Perhaps Caiyun was the one who eavesdropped, not Qi Xiuwei?’

Shen Ningning just didn’t think Qi Xiuwei was that kind of person.

Caiyun saw the heavy, dark gazes of the crowd fall upon her.

Terrified, she immediately knelt on the ground and burst into tears.

"I learned of this by accident! It has nothing to do with my lady."

"By accident?" Chen Shaobei’s voice was heavy with pressure. "Why don’t you explain exactly how it was an accident."

Caiyun’s eyes darted about in panic. "One time, when I was out on the street, I saw... I saw Miss Jiang enter an inn."

Chen Shaobei sneered. "What day? What time?"

The simple questions made Caiyun tremble.

Just as she was hesitating, suddenly! Caiyun violently slammed herself into a nearby pillar.

With a dull THUD, blood splattered everywhere.

The noble ladies watching from the sidelines screamed in alarm.

Mo Lingwei immediately covered Shen Ningning’s eyes.

But the young girl had already seen Caiyun dash toward the pillar, and her own small face turned deathly pale.

"Brother, did she really...?"

Beside her, she heard Qi Xiuwei’s terrified, sorrowful cry, "Caiyun! Caiyun, wake up!"

Shen Ningning heard the helplessness in Qi Xiuwei’s voice and hurried to help.

But Mo Lingwei grabbed her wrist.

"Don’t go," he said, his voice steady with a hint of coldness. "The maid is already dead. Chen Shaobei confirmed it."

A shiver ran through Shen Ningning.

’It was such a small thing. Why would Caiyun kill herself?’

Lady Shu was ashen-faced, and even Su Zhirou was too frightened to blink.

In the simple, elegant courtyard, only Qi Xiuwei remained, kneeling by Caiyun’s body and crying her heart out.

This was the maid who had served her for ten years.

No matter how many more questions Chen Shaobei had, he could no longer ask them.

With her death, Caiyun had silenced everyone and shouldered all the blame.

In the end, it was Lady Shu who pulled herself together and stepped forward to end the banquet early.

However, the way everyone looked at Qi Xiuwei had changed somewhat.

Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Caiyun had chosen this path to protect her mistress.

Qi Xiuwei was grief-stricken. The family servants she had brought with her carried Caiyun’s body.

Watching her leave the residence alone, Shen Ningning thought for a moment and couldn’t stop herself from running after her.

Qi Xiuwei heard the footsteps behind her. She glanced to the side, her fair face filled with endless sorrow.

"Ningning... I didn’t betray you. I really didn’t say anything."

Shen Ningning’s dark eyes glimmered. "I believe you, Xiao Wei. Even if no one else does, I believe you wouldn’t do this. I’ll find the person who framed you and let everyone know you’re innocent."

Qi Xiuwei lowered her eyes as a tear fell.

Her lips moved, as if to say "thank you."

Shen Ningning watched her desolate figure board the carriage and depart.

The young girl stood there for a long time, her heart aching for her friend.

Mo Lingwei had come up behind her at some point. "Let’s go. The sun is about to set. I’ll take you home."

Shen Ningning couldn’t bring herself to be happy and just nodded.

Seeing her like this, Mo Lingwei tried to cheer her up by first cursing Chen Shaobei a few times.

"He’s too impulsive. He wanted to get justice for Jiang Zhi, so he interrogated Qi Xiuwei on the spot. I’ll be sure to scold him for you."

Shen Ningning shook her head. "Forget it, Brother. Chen Shaobei didn’t do anything wrong either. Someone must be stirring up trouble."

At first, she had suspected Su Zhirou.

But when the incident occurred just now, Shen Ningning had made sure to observe Su Zhirou’s expression.

She looked completely surprised, as if wondering, ’Besides me, someone else knew about this?’

The two of them headed back together, planning to say goodbye to Lady Shu and then leave.

Unexpectedly, they ran into Chen Shaobei and Jiang Zhi waiting for them on the way.

"Ningning," Jiang Zhi came up, looking anxious. "My affair has implicated Miss Qi. I’m so sorry."

Chen Shaobei also frowned and said, "I was too hasty in my questioning just now. I forgot to move the investigation to a private place, which led to this tragedy. My deepest apologies, Princess."

Shen Ningning waved her hand. "What’s done is done. The most urgent thing now is to figure out what’s really going on between you two. General Chen, why did you also think it was Xiao Wei who spread the secret?"

Chen Shaobei’s eyes darkened as he told Shen Ningning about the glimpse of the goose-yellow skirt he had seen on the eavesdropper.

Shen Ningning was doubtful. "Countless noble ladies attended the banquet today, and many of them were wearing dresses of that color. Based on that alone, you can’t definitively say it was Xiao Wei."

There was one thing Shen Ningning couldn’t understand.

Caiyun was Qi Xiuwei’s personal maid. Shen Ningning had seen her serving by Qi Xiuwei’s side since they were children.

’If someone had really bribed her, Caiyun would never have betrayed Qi Xiuwei. And then to kill herself in such a violent way on top of that.’

Fortunately, Vice General Zhang and his wife also felt guilty, feeling they had caused a young lady’s demise, so they hadn’t left yet.

Mo Lingwei had them come back to clearly describe to Shen Ningning how Caiyun had spoken to Vice General Zhang.

"I remember," Vice General Zhang said, "when Caiyun approached, she kept her head down and spoke very softly. Her eyes kept darting left and right. She was alone at the time, and she seemed terrified that someone would overhear her."

Vice General Zhang stroked his beard, recalling the scene.

Mrs. Zhang thought for a moment, then quickly added, "She also kept looking back toward the festooned gate over there."

Shen Ningning looked in the direction Mrs. Zhang was pointing.

That festooned gate connected the outer and inner courtyards.

Shen Ningning quickly lifted her skirts and went over, carefully and cautiously observing her surroundings.

Pushing aside some grass, she discovered a footprint in an inconspicuous corner behind the festooned gate.

Mo Lingwei narrowed his eyes. "It rained not long ago. This area is in the shade, so the soil is still damp and held the print."

Everyone squatted down to look.

The footprint was large, not like a woman’s.

"Strange. Could the person who bribed Caiyun have been a man?"

With so many questions piling up, Shen Ningning went to see Lady Shu and asked her to arrange for a few trustworthy servants to guard the scene.

She was going to get reinforcements to thoroughly investigate the matter.

「The next day.」

Shen Ningning arrived with her second brother, Xie Ming’an, and her Black Wolf King.

Lady Shu gave them a warm reception while Su Zhirou hid behind a door, watching.

The Black Wolf King lay at Shen Ningning’s feet, its lupine eyes glowing faintly, frightening Su Zhirou too much to enter.

Lady Shu served them hot tea, and Xie Ming’an said, "Thank you, Lady Shu, but my sister invited me here today to investigate an urgent matter. I’m the type who can’t sit still when there’s a case. I have to go investigate it right away."

With that, he raised an eyebrow and smiled, looking quite dashing and carefree.

Xie Ming’an said to Shen Ningning, "You sit here and drink your tea. I’ll go take a look at the place you mentioned."

Shen Ningning blinked her large eyes as she held her teacup. "Don’t you need me to show you the way, you stinky second brother?"

"No need. Some of the most suspicious details are hidden in places you’d never expect."

After saying this, Xie Ming’an first apologized to Lady Shu. "I’m afraid I’ll have to impose upon your residence."

Lady Shu didn’t seem to mind. "Please investigate as you see fit, Mr. Xie. This concerns Ningning’s friend and it happened in my home. How could I possibly stand by and do nothing?"

And so, Xie Ming’an clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and turned to leave.