Fu Zhen couldn’t bear any losses and was about to stab at him with a few words. But when she saw the bowl of tofu pudding covered with thick walnut crumbs and dried osmanthus, she paused: "You like this too?"
Pei Zhan held the bowl in one hand and the spoon in the other, eating slowly. Then he glanced up: "’Too’?"
The shopkeeper beside them had apparently been holding back but couldn’t anymore: "General, Miss Fu just had four bowls of tofu pudding, all with sesa oil flavor!"
Pei Zhan glanced across, pulled out a handkerchief to lightly wipe the corner of his mouth: "Is that so? What a coincidence. Shopkeeper, give each of my guards behind three bowls. Add more if it’s not enough. Miss Fu will cover the bill."
Fu Zhen followed his gaze—oh great!
A row of burly n stood not far behind him, each with arms thicker than the thighs of ordinary people, all staring straight ahead with expressions as taut as their master’s, as if standing there as competent human posts was their mission!
Fu Zhen had seen teams like this before!
These were specially trained guards from the General’s Mansion. Zhang Cheng and the others, though skilled, were the best she could find at the mont, and even they hadn’t received this high level of training; they were already more than sufficient for the task.
But Fu Zhen was in dire need of guards right now, and here Pei Zhan had so many high-quality and experienced ones!
Unfair!
"Fu, Miss Fu..."
The shopkeeper clearly saw that she was also soone not to be trifled with and, having received Pei Zhan’s order, timidly asked her.
Fu Zhen’s eyes were fixed on the Pei family’s guards, she waved her hand without even thinking: "Listen to the General! Let them eat to their heart’s content! Ask if they want anything else? Be it delicacies from the mountains or the sea, bring it over!"
Pei Zhan had rely wanted to tease her and make her pay for a few bowls of tofu pudding.
Unexpectedly, she was now eyeing his guards like a cat fixated on dried fish.
He chuckled: "Miss Fu, you really are easygoing."
Fu Zhen was indifferent to this comnt. It’s not like they didn’t know each other; she had known his nature since childhood. He didn’t even regard Aunt Liang Ning seriously, so there was no way he would be polite to her, Fu Zhen!
Besides, she was here to recruit him to join the investigation of the alleyway murder case. Whatever image she had in his eyes, or how he perceived her, she didn’t care!
She retracted and called out to the owner to bring another bowl of sesa oil tofu, then tried to ingratiate herself: "The General was right earlier—it really is a coincidence. The General and I even share the sa taste in tofu; what a stroke of fate, truly."
When she was still Liang Ning, she ca here almost every day to eat tofu and only ate the tofu covered with thick walnut crumbs and dried osmanthus; back then, she never saw this guy co to eat!
He had always been so lofty that it was surprising he would dine at a place like this, and he had even ordered the sa tofu pudding as her. How could she not take the opportunity to comnt on it?
Hearing the words "sa taste in tofu," Pei Zhan imdiately choked on the tofu he was about to swallow.
The person in front of him had a proper appearance, yet their words carried a hint of incongruity...
"Slow down, General!" Fu Zhen got up wanting to pat his back, but withdrew her hand sharply when he glared at her.
She cleared her throat, while taking the tofu served by the shopkeeper, mixing it with walnut crumbs, and observing the empty space around, then moved to the main topic: "General Pei, I’m here to respond to your ssage. Surely you haven’t forgotten?"
How could Pei Zhan forget?
If she hadn’t ntioned it, he might not have realized it had already cost him so much ti. He kept a cold face: "Speak."
From a distance, the guards had already swiftly dispersed and retreated when he sat down, surrounding the hut and creating an invisible space for their conversation.
And when the shopkeeper served the tofu, Fu Zhen gestured to keep them from getting too close. She chose the most secluded corner, ensuring no one could overhear them.
Fu Zhen said "good," then omitted the part about Mrs. Fu staying at the inn to await Mr. Ning’s acquaintance, rely stating that Mrs. Fu was doing accounts in the inn. She then explained in detail how Mrs. Fu discovered the murder downstairs, how Liang Ning entered the alley and found the body, and how the n in black cleaned the cri scene and searched for items.
"After Miss Liang went upstairs, those below started cleaning the site. My mother said Miss Liang also avoided those people at that ti, suggesting they were not to be trifled with.
"With such a bloody case, the execution was swift, and the retreat was decisive, including the thorough cleaning of the site.
"Moreover, there’s been no word about it afterward—General Pei, isn’t this really strange? Do you know who it could possibly be?"
Pei Zhan certainly wouldn’t know.
He wasn’t even in the capital city those years, so how could he know?
But Fu Zhen had to pretend to be soone hearing about it from secondhand sources and being unrelated.
She had considered it, only soone like Pei Zhan could uncover the truth behind the case, thereby revealing Xu Yin’s connection to the dagger, or the people behind this case.
Fu Zhen actually didn’t want to drag anyone unrelated into her revenge against Xu Yin.
Pei Zhan was not closely related to her; she had no right to make him do anything for her.
However, the case involved two deceased individuals whose nas remain unknown. Even if they weren’t Mr. Ning’s acquaintances, they were still Great Zhou citizens—didn’t their travel permits prove their clear identity?
Exonerating two wrongfully killed civilians would be an act of goodwill.
Their families have almost exclusively perished for the sake of the common people over the years. She was confident that no one in the Pei family would consider such matters ignorable.
Moreover, the murderer of that father and son duo was clearly not an ordinary person. People who secretly slaughter others must be apprehended as well!
Involving Pei Zhan in this investigation was not a guilty action.
While Fu Zhen was explaining this, Pei Zhan sat steadily, his eyes fixed ahead.
Even after she finished speaking for quite a while, he still did not respond.
Just as Fu Zhen was about to wave her hand in front of his eyes, he finally slowly focused his gaze on her: "The map you drew last ti, where did it co from?"
"That was a dagger Miss Liang found at the scene."
"And where is the dagger?"
"Miss Liang took it with her. Only Miss Liang underground knows its whereabouts now."
Since Fu Zhen hadn’t retrieved the dagger yet, she had to be cautious about this matter. After all, she couldn’t outright say Liang Ning placed the dagger under the Buddhist shrine, could she?
Pei Zhan lowered his eyes, again slowly picking up the bowl. Yet just as it approached his lips, he paused.
His eyebrows and eyes were profound and lancholy—he was truly grown up now, full of depth, and Fu Zhen could no longer discern what he was thinking.
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