Chapter 18

“Husband candidate?”

Yun Shuang hadn’t yet voiced her question when Yang Yuanyi—ever casual—chimed in, shaking his head. “Miss Yun, since you’re new to the case, I’m guessing you don’t know the full story. Master Luo’s greatest concern in life was his daughter, Lady Luo. So, from when she was very young, he adopted three boys, planning to select one of them as her future husband. A child raised by himself, after all, would be far more trustworthy than a man from the outside.”

Yun Shuang frowned slightly and instinctively glanced down at Goudan, who obediently held her hand, silently walking beside her. Sensing her gaze, he looked up, as if asking—Mother, what’s wrong?

She gently pressed her lips together and squeezed his tiny hand. She hated the thought of her child encountering such messy things at such a young age. But she was on her own now, with no one else to entrust him to. Feeling his mother’s grip tighten, Goudan also instinctively clutched her hand more firmly.

Yang Yuanyi went on, head still bobbing. “Master Luo had Lady Luo grow up alongside those three boys and taught them personally. After Lady Luo came of age, he let her choose her favorite among them to become her husband. The one she picked was Fan Youliang.”

Lianxin nodded, jaw clenched and eyes full of resentment. “That’s right! Fan Youliang joined the household when he was eight, always acting obedient and gentle, never defying Lady Luo. But it was all an act! If she hadn’t gone missing, everyone else would still be fooled by him! After our lady disappeared, he pretended to be distraught, even wrote a hundred missing notices himself. But I bet deep down, he’s grinning from ear to ear!”

She then turned to Yun Shuang. “And you, Miss—”

Yun Shuang replied calmly, “My surname is Yun.”

“Miss Yun, don’t take it the wrong way, but I must warn you. That Fan Youliang may be offering a thousand taels as reward, but if he’s truly behind our lady’s disappearance, then that silver is just a smokescreen.”

“No problem.” Yun Shuang suddenly arched her brows with a confident smile. “The missing notice is posted publicly. The reward is clearly stated in black and white. As long as I find Lady Luo, no matter what kind of person Fan Youliang really is—he’ll have to pay up.”

Lianxin looked at her, somewhat stunned.

This woman was truly peculiar. The way she spoke, it was as if she already knew where Lady Luo was. Even the county office had found nothing—could she really uncover the truth?

As they spoke, the Luo residence came into view. Grand and imposing, its high walls and green-tiled roof loomed overhead. Even the crimson lacquered gates, adorned with beast-head carvings, left Goudan wide-eyed. He had never seen such a large house before. It must have been dozens of times bigger than their own.

It was located on Anping Street in Shanyang County, where most of the county’s powerful and wealthy families resided.

At that moment, the gates of the Luo residence were wide open. The gatekeeper paced anxiously at the entrance. Seeing Lianxin and her group approaching, he paused in surprise before hurrying up to them and saying, “Officials, you’re just in time! Young Master Chen rushed inside moments ago, his face full of fury. As soon as he entered, he began beating the young master—punching and kicking him! No one in the household can stop Young Master Chen. If this continues, the young master will be beaten to death!”

“What!” The attendant who had come to the county office with Lianxin was shocked and rushed inside without even bothering with Jiang Xiao and the others.

Earlier, Lianxin had told them that this attendant was Fan Youliang’s long-time servant, named Chang Ping.

Lianxin looked startled. “Young Master Chen is here?” She spoke as she quickly made her way inside.

Yun Shuang followed closely behind, glancing at Yang Yuanyi beside her inquiringly. She didn’t know how capable he was, but he seemed familiar enough with the case.

A sense of recognition stirred within Yang Yuanyi, making him feel wonderfully validated. His eyes lit up oddly as he spoke excitedly, “Young Master Chen’s full name is Chen Hao. He’s one of three child-grooms Master Luo selected for Miss Luo. He’s quiet and not good at socializing, but he trained in martial arts from a young age and grew up transporting goods across the country for Master Luo…”

Before Yang Yuanyi could finish, a burst of fierce fighting and the panicked voices of servants trying to intervene echoed from the main hall ahead.

Yun Shuang, holding Goudan’s hand, reached the gate and was about to step in when suddenly two fighting figures crashed into her path. Instinctively, she stepped back, but their scuffle swerved unexpectedly, heading straight toward Goudan.

Startled, Yun Shuang reached out to pull the frightened child into her arms, but another pair of hands moved even faster. In the next moment, Goudan was lifted off the ground and safely held in a broad, solid chest.

Then a low, commanding voice rang out, “Yan Fang!”

Yan Fang, who had been following closely behind, immediately stepped forward. He barged into the middle of the fight, roughly grabbing one man by the collar and slamming the other to the ground. In a stern voice, he roared, “How dare you make a scene in front of the Commander!”

Everyone present was stunned and hurriedly bowed to Jiang Xiao. “Greetings, Commander!”

The two fighters, now frozen, glanced at the imposing man at the doorway and awkwardly followed suit.

Jiang Xiao glared coldly at them. “What’s going on here?”

“I… I’d like to know too!”

The man who had just been pinned down wore a fine sapphire robe. His handsome, scholarly face was now bruised and swollen, his right eye barely open. He snarled at the man beside him, “Chen Hao attacked me as soon as he entered! Like a complete madman…”

Standing beside him was a tall, rugged man, eyes blazing with fury. He had barely managed to suppress his rage until now—but it exploded again.

“Am I mad—or are you the mad one?! Fan Youliang, she chose you—you! Why didn’t you cherish her? Why!”

“Chen Hao!” Fan Youliang took a deep breath. “I know you’ve loved Xueqing since you were young. But my feelings are just as true. I love her too! How could I ever hurt her?”

“Liar! If you truly loved Xueqing, how could you—just five days after she went missing—be asking about coffins? Tell the truth. Is her disappearance somehow connected to you?!”

A flicker of panic crossed Fan Youliang’s face. “I…”

T/N: People addressed Yun Shuang as ‘niangzi,’ a term that could be used for both married women and single women. I prefer to refer to Yun Shuang as ‘Miss’ because she is unmarried.