Chapter Twenty: The Most Ideal Helper

Everyone’s expressions changed at once, and they all hurried over.

Fan Youliang, who had been standing calmly at the doorway, was momentarily stunned, a look of disbelief flickering across his face.

Yun Shuang, worried that what lay inside might be inappropriate for children, instructed Gou Dan to wait outside and quickly followed the others. However, the scene before her eyes was far less strange or bizarre than she had imagined. Yang Yuan was standing beside the intricately carved Thousand Crafts Bed, holding a piece of soft yellow… was it a handkerchief?

Everyone was gathered around him, their gazes fixed on that handkerchief.

Yang Yuan said, “I remember that when I searched here a few days ago, I didn’t see this handkerchief.”

Chang Zijun frowned. “What’s so special about a handkerchief? Perhaps it belongs to Sister Xueqing…”

“No!” Lianxin’s voice suddenly rang out, filled with gritted fury. “My lady usually uses pink or light green handkerchiefs, never yellow! That is absolutely not my lady’s handkerchief!”

Everyone was startled.

A handkerchief is an intimate belonging. For such an unfamiliar handkerchief to appear in Madam Luo’s room after her disappearance naturally stirred suspicion.

Yang Yuan added, “Though I don’t know what kind of handkerchiefs Madam Luo usually uses, I guessed from the start that this is not hers. In the lower right corner is a tiny character for ‘Zhen’ embroidered, and the handkerchief carries a strong scent, entirely different from the fragrance in the room…”

“The fragrance still lingering means that this handkerchief was with its owner not long ago.”

Yun Shuang’s voice suddenly joined the discussion. She walked forward and said calmly, “No matter how strong a fragrance may be, it can’t remain on clothing for too long. It always fades with time.”

The crowd had no time to marvel at how this unfamiliar woman had so effortlessly joined their investigation, for Chen Hao erupted. He swung around to Fan Youliang, who had just rushed in, and roared, “Fan Youliang! You said you never wronged Xueqing! How long has it been since she disappeared, and you’re already bringing another woman’s belongings into her room!”

Worse yet, who knew if he had even brought that woman here himself!

Fan Youliang saw the handkerchief in Yang Yuan’s hand, and all color drained from his face. “Impossible… Impossible…”

“This handkerchief was found on your bed with Xueqing. What more do you have to say?”

Chen Hao’s veins bulged on his forehead as he was about to lunge forward. “Did you and that harlot harm Xueqing together?”

At this critical moment, Yang Yuan and Chang Zijun both stepped forward and restrained him.

Chang Zijun said, “Brother, calm down! I still don’t believe Second Brother would harm Sister Xueqing. There must be some misunderstanding here!”

Yang Yuan added, “Mr. Chen, whether or not Mr. Fan is involved in Madam Luo’s disappearance, our yamen must investigate thoroughly. Your impulsiveness will only hinder the case!”

Yang Yuan’s words eventually calmed Chen Hao. His body stiffened, and though his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked, he stopped himself. After a long pause, gritting his teeth, he said, “Let me go.”

Chang Zijun hesitated, glanced at him, and released him. Yang Yuan also let go.

Chen Hao’s shoulders trembled as he fought to control himself. In a low voice, he said, “Fine. I’ll trust the yamen once more. But if you fail to give me a satisfactory answer again…”

He looked up, his eyes cold and vicious as he glared at Fan Youliang. “Then I’ll avenge Xueqing in my own way!”

With that, he turned and strode out without looking back.

As soon as he left, Magistrate Ding turned a dark, thunderous gaze on Fan Youliang. “Mr. Fan, what is the meaning of this?”

He had trusted him so much before, even speaking up for him in front of the general!

If Madam Luo’s disappearance truly involved him, where would he put his old face?

“I… I don’t know anything about this handkerchief! I have no idea how it ended up on my bed!” Fan Youliang was no longer calm. His face pale, he pleaded, “Magistrate Ding, someone must be framing me! I’m innocent!”

No matter how they questioned him, he insisted he had nothing to do with the handkerchief. Yang Yuan and Magistrate Ding exchanged a look before Magistrate Ding finally said, “Enough. We’ll take this handkerchief back to the yamen and investigate its owner first.”

“That’s right. Since the handkerchief was recently with its owner, that person must still be in Shanyang County,” Yang Yuan said, casting Fan Youliang a sidelong, half-smiling glance. “Shanyang isn’t large. With some effort, it won’t be hard to find the owner of this handkerchief.”

Fan Youliang’s face turned even paler, visibly so.

Yun Shuang watched him for a while, then shifted her gaze to Lianxin. She noticed the girl’s lips curled in a faint smile, her expression an odd mix of hatred and satisfaction, which made Yun Shuang’s eyes flicker thoughtfully.

Just then, a deep, mellow male voice sounded beside her, unexpectedly striking her ears. “I noticed you’ve been paying close attention to Madam Luo’s maid. Do you have something in mind, Lady Yun?”

Yun Shuang paused and turned her head slightly, only to realize that Jiang Xiao had somehow come to stand beside her, his eyes dark and deep as a lake, fixed intently upon her, holding nothing back in his scrutiny.

She looked at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “You could say so. Whether the General believes it or not, I’ll say it plainly right here…”

She paused, then enunciated each word: “The yamen’s people will never find Madam Luo.”

Because they had never searched in the right direction from the start.

Yun Shuang knew that getting too close to this man might bring trouble, but there were things she simply could not accomplish alone. She needed a reliable helper.

Whether she liked it or not, the most suitable candidate now was Jiang Xiao.

Besides, from what she’d observed, Jiang Xiao wasn’t the sort to be inflexible or unreasonable.

As for Yan Fang? Though he seemed to admire her, their acquaintance was too shallow for him to bypass Jiang Xiao and help her directly.

Looking at the confident, faintly audacious smile on the woman before him, Jiang Xiao’s eyes narrowed slightly.

It seemed this woman had dropped all pretense.

She was no longer hiding her emotions or feigning gentleness. Only the cool vigilance and aloofness in her gaze when facing him remained, just as before.

She continued to watch him. Jiang Xiao understood what she wanted him to say. After a moment’s silence, he went along with her and asked, “Why?”

Yun Shuang’s eyes curved, sly as a fox in the woods. She suddenly spoke softly, “General Jiang, I’d like to make a deal with you.”

By now, most people had left the room. With everyone’s attention on the handkerchief, few noticed the interaction between Yun Shuang and Jiang Xiao.

She led Jiang Xiao to a secluded corner outside and said, “General Jiang, I’d like to borrow a reliable person from you.”

Jiang Xiao’s eyes narrowed slightly, one hand clasped behind his back as he looked down at her, his voice cool: “Why should I?”