3298-chapter-206
Chapter 206
“Song Xianning died unexpectedly. Despite their estranged relationship, it’s natural for Luo Yuanming to preserve her former residence, considering they were married. Furthermore, everyone in the city knows their relationship was rocky, so where does this idea of jealousy from Luan Niang come from?”
Pei Ji couldn’t fathom the intricacies of a woman’s mind and silently held his sword, listening to her continue: “Moreover, from the descriptions given by the ladies at Nuanyu Pavilion, Luan Niang is a smart woman who knows how to please others. Now that she’s finally become the city lord’s wife, making such a fuss right after her marriage would only label her as petty, drastically lowering her standing in both Luo Yuanming’s and the public’s eyes.”
Following her reasoning, Pei Ji’s expression softened slightly: “So you think she has an ulterior motive for sealing off the courtyard?”
Ning Ning smiled and lifted her head: “Other parts of the residence might be exposed to prying eyes, but that place won’t be disturbed. We might find something useful in Song Xianning’s room.”
This was her initial hypothesis.
To Ning Ning, Luan Niang’s action of sealing off the courtyard was illogical. Based on the information they had, the only plausible explanation was that she had a secret agenda and was using the location as a hidden base.
What exactly Luan Niang did there would only become clear once they entered the room.
In terms of personality, temperament, and life path, Song Xianning was entirely different from Luan Niang. Having been raised in comfort, Song Xianning was introverted and gentle. Ning Ning didn’t know much about her and had no clear picture of her appearance, only imagining her as a delicate, sickly beauty with a serene disposition.
Ning Ning and Pei Ji easily scaled the wall into the courtyard. The garden, long untended, had grown even more lush and verdant. The shadows cast by the leaves swayed gently in the breeze and moonlight, like reflections on water.
The door was locked, but the window was open. As they climbed through the window, Ning Ning was first hit by the strong scent of old book pages.
Song Xianning’s bedroom looked more like a study, filled with books. The air was thick with dust, and to Ning Ning’s surprise, there were no signs of recent activity.
A thick layer of dust covered the floor, and as Ning Ning cautiously walked, she left clear footprints.
This is also the only set of footprints, suggesting that no one else has been here.
All that painstaking reasoning… Surely, it couldn’t be all wrong.
Feeling suffocated by uncertainty, Ning Ning looked around, deepening her confusion.
Could it be that Luan Niang truly never returned to this room? Would such a clever woman risk her reputation for such a petty reason?
This is too much of a love-brained wife!!
Unable to make sense of it, Ning Ning inspected the drawers, cabinets, and bed, finding nothing unusual. Just as she began to feel discouraged, she heard Pei Ji’s low voice: “Senior sister.”
“Hmm?”
Ning Ning turned around and saw him standing in front of the bookshelf.
He handed her a copy of “Ziwei Spells Record” and said, “Open it and take a look.”
His tone was calm, and Ning Ning obeyed without hesitation.
All the other books showed signs of frequent use, except this one, which remained pristine. Pei Ji had wiped it clean before handing it to her, so it was neither dirty nor difficult to handle.
As she flipped through the pages carefully, she heard Pei Ji beside her say, “Although there are many books on the shelf, they all show signs of having been flipped through many times. Only this one is still brand new. Perhaps it was purchased by Madam Song shortly before she passed away. If you open it—”
He stopped speaking.
Ning Ning’s expression froze.
Gently opening “Ziwei Spells Record,” she felt a change in the texture of the pages.
As Pei Ji suggested, this book showed no signs of previous reading and was perfectly flat. Between the pristine white pages was a thin, yellowed piece of paper.
She looked up at Pei Ji, wordlessly taking the paper, and, by the light of the moon, clearly saw the handwriting.
The characters were small and elegant, written in neat, bamboo-like strokes: “In the Hundred Flower Deep, Lingluo Lane, turn left at the corner and walk ten steps, behind the curtains.”
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“Lingluo Lane, turn left at the corner and walk ten steps—what kind of place is that?”
Late at night, Hundred Flower Deep was bustling, but the alleys within were dark and silent, with only the occasional dog barking breaking the silence.
Following the path on the paper, Ning Ning took a deep breath of the cool night air: “Pei Ji, who do you think Luan Niang was writing to after drugging Luo Yuanming and sneaking out at midnight?”