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As soon as Shui Lingyun entered Wangyue Tower, she chose a seat by the window. After settling down, she said, "Tell the kitchen to prepare a plate of fresh grilled river shrimp and stuffed tofu. I was dragged out here after only having a few sips of tea this morning; I'm starving."
"Sure thing!" The waiter happily went to place the order, but then Zhao Xinqing instructed, "Have your boss come out and talk about that dead Boss Pei."
"Coming right up!" Shopkeeper Wang nodded and hurried out from behind the counter. "He just came to our establishment yesterday afternoon, asking Er Gouzi where our flower street is."
That rascal Er Gouzi, for some reason, told him about the new courtesan at Qi Xiang Tower, Ms. Liu Yun, who is exceptionally talented. The guy nearly drooled when he heard that!"
Zhao Xinqing scoffed dismissively and huffed through her nose, "Oh really? Er Gouzi, why don’t you tell us what makes that woman so special?"
The waiter named Er Gouzi scratched his head anxiously, his hands running through his hair in distress. "Miss Zhao, I swear on my conscience! I only relayed what I overheard from the guests at the inn..."
"Then repeat exactly what you heard."
"I only heard that Ms. Liu Yun has been in Jinyang for a short time and was once almost assaulted by a group of ruffians at Qiutang Lake because she’s so beautiful."
"Qiutang Lake?" Zhao Xinqing's eyes widened in surprise, filled with astonishment. "Wasn’t Ms. Tian drowned there before?"
"Exactly! But she's much luckier than Ms. Tian. Somehow, she returned unscathed. And they say Ms. Liu Yun's skill is absolutely mesmerizing; it lingers in the air for days and is beyond extraordinary. Many who hear her play become entranced, as if they were drunk..."
Er Gouzi spoke with a look of infatuation on his face, excitement shining in his eyes.
"He? He was banging on the table saying he had to meet this beauty tonight! Little did he know he wouldn't come back!"
Shui Lingyun furrowed her brow slightly, her eyebrows knitting together as she asked, "During his stay here, did anyone come looking for him? Or did he mention anyone who might have had a grudge against him or wanted to kill him?"
"No such thing! On that day, only two customers came to the shop, both of whom stayed in their rooms after checking in. That person named Pei didn't leave until the evening, dressed all flamboyantly and in a good mood, not like someone trying to avoid trouble!" Er Gouzi replied emphatically, shaking his head like a rattle.
"So, it seems the people from Qi Xiang Tower are the most suspicious!" Zhao Xinqing rested her chin on her hand, her fingers lightly tapping her cheek, appearing somewhat excited. However, she noticed that Shui Lingyun's brow, which should have been relaxed, was slightly furrowed.
"What’s wrong? Did you think of something?"
"You just mentioned that Ms. Liu Yun was once kidnapped at Qiutang Lake, and that Qiutang Lake is related to the previous case involving The Young Lady of the Tian Family. Is there some connection between these two incidents that we don’t know about? Also, for some reason, I keep linking Boss Pei's death with Wang Wu's death from a few days ago. Both had serene expressions yet died in gruesome ways. Old Qin seems to suspect that Wang Wu's death wasn't caused by Bai Yuanchun after all. If that's true, then Ms. Liu Yun is indeed a bit suspicious..."
Before Shui Lingyun could finish his sentence, Shopkeeper Wang personally brought over a steaming plate of river shrimp: "Miss Zhao, more for no extra charge! Enjoy!"
"Thank you, Shopkeeper Wang!" Zhao Xinqing nodded politely. When she turned back, she found Shui Lingyun carefully peeling the shrimp and placing the meat onto a plate in front of her.
Her heart suddenly felt as if it had been poked by something. Zhao Xinqing hurriedly said in a rough voice, "Wow, you're just peeling this for me? Have you washed your hands?"
"Don't worry about it; it won't poison you!" He rarely showed such earnestness and smiled gently instead, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting. "Try it and see if it's good. If you don't like it, next time I'll take you to the palace to eat what the chefs from the Imperial Kitchen make; it's definitely much more authentic than this!"
Zhao Xinqing lowered her gaze, her eyelids fluttering down. These two dishes were what she cooked most often.
Unexpectedly, this prince who never took anything seriously actually paid attention. He probably thought it was something she liked to eat; in reality, these were Qin Qixu's two favorite dishes...
Her heart warmed as she picked up a piece of shrimp and brought it to her lips, slightly parting them: "Brother Qixu wouldn't even tell me what his connection with that Liu Yun is..."
"Don't tell me about such things. If you want to know, go find him and interrogate him!" He turned away somewhat displeased, twisting his neck as he helped himself to some tofu.
Zhao Xinqing said half-seriously and half-jokingly, "If brother Qixu doesn't want me anymore, you can settle for marrying me!"
"Uh-huh!" His hand, peeling shrimp, trembled slightly, and when he looked up again, his smile turned mischievous, the corners of his mouth stretching wider. "You little brat, can't handle a test at all, can you? Just a bit of kindness and you've changed your mind. I should think it over. A woman so fickle doesn't seem very suitable for a man like me who values loyalty!"
"Go to hell!" Just as Zhao Xinqing was about to hit him, her arm raised high, she noticed Shui Lingyun was staring intently at a young man coming down the stairs.
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