Chapter 215 Investigation

The furnishings in the room were the height of luxury—every piece, from the zitan hardwood canopy bed to the Persian rug spread across the floor, screamed the immense wealth of the Zhen’nan Prince Mansion.

Yet, beneath this lavish display lay a thick layer of gray-white dust.

The clash of bright crimson and dull gray, of life and decay, gave the room an indescribable sense of eeriness and desolation.

Yu Qing couldn’t help but shiver, feeling a chill creeping up her spine.

【Wow! This isn’t a bridal chamber at all—this is straight-up an immersive ancient haunted house experience!】

【This is so intense! But… why does it feel so creepy? I’m kinda scared!】

She muttered anxiously to herself, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms while instinctively edging closer to the side.

Walking beside her, Lu Yan’s steps paused slightly.

The next moment, the man’s broad, warm hand came down decisively, resting on her delicate shoulder.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Lu Yan leaned slightly, his low, cold, and hard voice almost brushing against her ear.

“Stay close to me. Don’t wander off.”

Yu Qing obediently shrank her neck and nodded repeatedly.

By now, the Crown Princess Consort had already been laid to rest.

But to prepare for any potential inquiry from the court, everything in the room was deliberately left exactly as it had been on the night of the incident.

Reaching the far end of the room, Lu Yan released his hold on Yu Qing and walked steadily to the window.

He examined the wooden lattice inch by inch.

His sharp gaze swept over every gap as he inspected the brass bolts inside the window and the hidden lock on the door.

“Both the door and windows were locked from the inside, bolts fully engaged, with no sign of being forced from the outside with a tool.”

Turning around, Lu Yan’s voice was as cold as ice.

“Without a doubt, this is an extremely perfect sealed room.”

Meanwhile, Shen Jue was far from idle, checking every piece of furniture meticulously.

With delicate precision, he lifted the tea set on the table and the porcelain on the display shelves, examining each item carefully.

Su Hewan, without hesitation, headed straight for the disheveled marital bed.

As these three experts carried out their rigorous searches, Yu Qing—the atmosphere specialist—began her own immersive exploration.

Although scared, her boundless curiosity drove her to poke and prod at everything in the room.

She glanced at the paintings on the wall, touched the incense burner on the table, and in her mind, a little commentary scroll ran like a live stream.

【Whoa, how did the red silk quilt on this bed end up twisted like a braid?】

【With this mess, you’d think the newlyweds fought on the bed on their wedding night!】

【Wait…】

Yu Qing’s gaze was suddenly drawn to an object on the dressing table.

【Why is this zitan jewelry box open?】

【Could it have been broken into by a thief?】

【No, that doesn’t make sense. The golden hairpins, the ruby necklace—everything valuable is still neatly in place.】

【Weird… so why is the box open? To air it out?】

Lu Yan, while inspecting the marks in the corner, caught the lively chatter running through her head, and the corners of his otherwise cold lips twitched imperceptibly.

Yu Qing’s attention then shifted to the Persian rug on the floor.

【Huh? This rug… looks wet?】

She bent slightly, craning her neck to get a closer look.

Too absorbed in examining it, she completely ignored the floor beneath her feet.

As she took a step forward, her toe slammed solidly into a round huanghuali embroidered stool.

“Ah!”

Her body instantly lost balance. Yu Qing cried out as she uncontrollably toppled forward.

In a flash!

Shen Jue, closest to her, instinctively extended his long arms and securely caught her slender waist.

With a gentle twist of his wrist, he smoothly drew the nearly falling figure into his embrace.

Yu Qing tilted her head back, and when she saw it was Shen Jue who had caught her, she gasped.

Not only embarrassed, but thoroughly startled!

Before she could push away, Lu Yan, who had been focused on checking the window frames, sharply sensed the movement behind him.

He snapped his head around.

The moment his gaze landed on the hand of Shen Jue resting on Yu Qing’s waist, and on Yu Qing’s flushed, crimson face, his eyes darkened suddenly, and a terrifying coldness mixed with violent intent surged in their depths.

Almost instantly upon seeing it, Lu Yan’s figure flashed forward!

With an expressionless face, he grabbed Yu Qing by the back of her collar as if she were a helpless little chick.

Without any hesitation, he yanked her out of Shen Jue’s embrace.

“Hey—hey—hey—”

Yu Qing felt her feet leave the ground for a brief moment, and the next second, she was pressed firmly against Lu Yan’s side.

“Stand still.”

Lu Yan glared down at her from above.

Yu Qing immediately tensed up, standing perfectly straight like a schoolchild being scolded by the head teacher.

After settling the restless “rabbit,” Lu Yan finally turned his attention.

He met Shen Jue’s teasing phoenix-like eyes with a cold glare, his tone carrying an unmistakable warning.

“Shen Du Zhu, your hands are getting a bit too forward.”

Lu Yan’s hand rested on the hilt of his embroidered spring knife, his thumb unconsciously stroking the scabbard.

“Focus on the investigation, and please, Du Zhu, restrain yourself—no need for any hands-on antics.”

Shen Jue paused slightly at first, then suddenly let out a low, melodious laugh.

It was a pleasant sound, yet full of mischief, irritating enough to make one want to punch him.

Slowly, he opened his folding fan and shook it lightly, putting on an exaggeratedly aggrieved posture.

Shen Jue then turned to look at Su Hewan, who was inspecting the bedding nearby.

“Wan Wan, you must testify for me.”

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, feigning innocent grievance in his tone.

“I acted with nothing but goodwill to help, and yet I’ve been met with complaints.”

He pointed the fan toward Lu Yan, sighing in mock sorrow.

“If I had known, I shouldn’t have gone to help Miss Yu just now—I should have let her crash properly to the ground.”

He paused, a more wicked curl forming at the corner of his mouth.

“This way, certain people wouldn’t be eating vinegar over nothing, turning good intentions into donkey liver and lung.”

The moment Lu Yan heard the phrase “eating vinegar over nothing,” his face went as dark as the bottom of a pot.

His normally cold expression tensed slightly in anger.

“Nonsense!”

He ground out through clenched teeth, his voice unconsciously rising.

“Who’s eating vinegar?!”

“Oh? Really?”

Shen Jue raised an eyebrow, mischief sparkling in his fox-like eyes.

“Do you really believe what you just said, Lord Lu?”

“Shen—Jue!”

Lu Yan stepped forward, the murderous aura around him almost solidifying.

“Lu—Yan!”

Shen Jue didn’t back down, and the smile vanished instantly from his lips.

It looked as if these two were about to draw blades over a mere hug in a mansion where people had died.

Yu Qing and Su Hewan, standing nearby, exchanged a knowing glance.

They both rolled their eyes in unison.

【This is too much! These two immature idiots—together, are they even three years old?!】

【And now, at a time like this, they’re still playing elementary school squabble games?!】

Su Hewan shook her head helplessly, rubbing her aching temples.

She decided to completely ignore these two men, who seemed capable of arguing at any moment.

Turning her attention away, she focused on the mansion’s steward, who was standing nervously at the door, wishing he could sink into the floor.

She brushed off the dust on her hands, ignoring the two pairs of eyes trying to draw her attention, and walked straight up to the steward.

“Steward, may I ask—what exactly is the background of this Shizi Fei?”

She paused slightly, her tone now carrying an air of authority that brooked no refusal.

“Who is she really, and what is her full name?”