Chapter 19

“Alright, alright! Big brother, second brother—we grew up together. There must be some misunderstanding!”

A delicate-looking young man in a white robe embroidered with gold trim quickly stepped forward and said, “Big brother, you were really too impulsive just now!”

“Impulsive?” Chen Hao let out a laugh, as though he’d heard something absurd. “If I were truly impulsive, I would’ve already had a knife at his throat, forcing him to reveal Xueqing’s whereabouts!”

Though emotions still ran high, it seemed neither man intended to resume fighting.

Yang Yuanyi eagerly leaned over and whispered to Yun Shuang, “That young man is Chang Zijun, the youngest of Miss Luo’s three child-grooms. Because his abilities aren’t on par with the other two, Master Luo didn’t rely on him as much growing up. They say Miss Luo always treated him like a younger brother, and they were very close.”

Yun Shuang was interested in what he said, but her attention was more focused on Goudan. She nodded absently, then turned to where Jiang Xiao was holding Goudan—who now sat stiffly in the crook of his arm, like a kitten caught by the scruff of its neck and frozen by fate.

Yun Shuang couldn’t help but laugh softly. She cleared her throat and said, “General Jiang, thank you for rescuing Goudan. Um, you can put him down now.”

Jiang Xiao seemed to remember the child, lowered his gaze to the tiny, statue-like figure, and gently placed him on the ground. Only then did Goudan snap out of his daze and quickly dash behind Yun Shuang, peeking out warily at Jiang Xiao. He had little experience interacting with adult men. The men in the village either completely looked down on him and Erya or pretended to be nice while keeping their eyes glued to his mother. To see a man so strong, yet free of any unpleasant intentions toward him—this was a first.

Yun Shuang didn’t quite understand Goudan’s reaction. She turned to coax him, “Goudan, General Jiang saved you. You should say thank you.”

But Goudan stubbornly refused to step out, his mouth pressed tightly shut.

Jiang Xiao withdrew his gaze and said coolly, “It’s nothing—just a small gesture.”

Yun Shuang had no choice. Even if her son didn’t understand courtesy, she, as his mother, certainly had to. She looked up at Jiang Xiao with a sincere expression and said, “Thank you, General Jiang.” This man might always carry himself like he’s above others, but he wasn’t bad.

Jiang Xiao’s eyes lingered on her face for a few moments before turning away again. He simply responded with a quiet “Mm,” as if unimpressed by her gratitude, and refocused his attention on the group in front of him.

Yun Shuang: “…” Forget it. If the situation weren’t so unusual, she wouldn’t want any interaction with him at all.

Meanwhile, the others continued arguing.

Chang Zijun said helplessly, “Big brother! We’ve all seen how Second Brother usually treats Sister Xueqing. How could her disappearance have anything to do with him? He’s been beside himself with worry!”

“Then tell him to explain what the coffin situation was all about!”

“Didn’t second brother already explain it was just a misunderstanding?”

Yun Shuang, standing nearby, couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

“Then after Xueqing went missing, why did he prevent anyone from entering their room?”

Chen Hao gritted his teeth and said, “Lianxin told me that after Xueqing disappeared, this guy was acting all sneaky. What were you doing in that room that you didn’t want anyone to see?”

Fan Youliang frowned deeply and sighed with a look of melancholy. “Big brother, even if Lianxin misunderstood me, how could you think that way… When did I ever stop people from entering our room? Right after Xueqing disappeared, county officials came to check the situation—they entered our room multiple times. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Magistrate Ding.”

Magistrate Ding, who had been hiding behind Jiang Xiao, was startled to hear his name. He quickly stepped forward, coughed into his fist, and nodded. “Yes, that’s true. Mr. Fan only told us that Lady Luo didn’t like others touching her belongings, so we searched carefully to avoid disturbing anything and making her upset if she returned.”

All of it sounded like the concerned instructions of a loving husband.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Fan Youliang’s lips. “Big brother, you heard it yourself. In the days after, I couldn’t stop thinking about Xueqing—worrying about when she’d return. So I asked the servants not to enter our room until she was back. I just wanted to preserve her presence a little longer.”

Then he turned toward Jiang Xiao, bowed deeply, and said, “I would never speak falsehoods before the General. I hope he will see clearly.”

Righteous and sincere, through and through.

Yang Yuanyi whispered again, “Tsk tsk, if Fan Youliang is putting on an act, then he’s doing a marvelous job of it. Ever since Lady Luo went missing, stories of his longing have spread far and wide. There was even a constable’s wife who got into a huge fight with her husband over it. She said if she disappeared, instead of preserving her scent, he’d probably be eager to marry someone new within days. To be honest, I was also initially suspicious of Fan Youliang. I secretly followed him around for a few days—but since Lady Luo disappeared, he’s been holed up at home. Nothing to investigate.”

Yun Shuang nodded to show she’d taken it in, then stole a glance at the man beside her.

Yang Yuanyi instantly beamed with a big, toothy grin.

Yun Shuang: “…” How starved for affection is this kid? All she did was tap into his intel network, and he’s acting like he was just handed ten years’ worth of candy.

Finally, Fan Youliang said helplessly, “There’s nothing indecent in our room. If you don’t believe me, big brother, you’re welcome to see for yourself.”

Magistrate Ding, eager to make a good impression in front of Jiang Xiao, stroked his goatee and declared seriously, “As it happens, I also intended to take a closer look at Lady Luo’s room today.”

After requesting permission from Jiang Xiao, he led the group in a grand procession toward Lady Luo’s quarters.

Yun Shuang quickly followed with Goudan in tow, and Yang Yuanyi trailed behind like a happy puppy.

At the rear, Yan Fang couldn’t help but mutter, “Miss Yun really is something. Half a day’s work and she’s got that kid Yang Yuanyi completely turned around. No wonder Wu Qi said yesterday, if she didn’t have those two little ones with her, she’d have suitors lining up at her door…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, because suddenly he felt a chill down his spine. Turning instinctively, he locked eyes with the General’s icy, penetrating gaze. Goosebumps instantly flared.

“Don’t gossip behind people’s backs.” Jiang Xiao spoke coldly and strode off. He’d been quietly watching the woman all along. And while he hadn’t drawn any firm conclusions yet, one thing was clear—she was genuinely investigating this case. Her clear, focused gaze hadn’t wavered since the moment she arrived, sweeping every detail and missing nothing. It was unexpectedly impressive. And for the first time, he studied the woman with genuine intent.

One could say she’s an ordinary village woman, yet her actions were nothing like those of a typical village wife. And if one suspects she’s a spy from Jinmeng Kingdom, her attention always seems to land on the strangest things.

Before long, the group arrived at the door of Lady Luo and Fan Youliang’s room. Fan Youliang himself stepped forward and opened the door, moving aside calmly and openly.

Yun Shuang gave him a subtle glance and followed the others in.

Perhaps because Fan Youliang appeared so forthright, the crowd entered the room with an air of caution, walking softly as if genuinely afraid of disturbing the lingering presence of Lady Luo. Even Chen Hao wore a trace of hesitation. Once inside, he stood rigidly in the small sitting room, lips tightly pursed.

A faint scent of orchids filled the immaculately tidy room. Soft pink curtains hung gently by the door—it was clear the room had been arranged to suit Lady Luo’s tastes. Yet with her gone for so many days now, a cold stillness had settled over everything.

Suddenly, from the inner chamber, Yang Yuanyi shouted, “General, Magistrate Ding—there’s something unusual in here!”