"Constable Yan, as you can see, there are many young women on this street with a similar build to me. Moreover, you just said that the witness only saw from a distance - how can you be sure that his description was accurate?"
Qi Huan smiled and added, "As for the black dog, it's very picky. It eats freshly boiled bones every day, so I don't believe it would be hungry enough to randomly bite someone."
"But you're the only one who had a conflict of interest with the two victims that day," Constable Yan stubbornly insisted.
Seeing this, Li Shuchen stepped forward and nonchalantly shielded Qi Huan behind him, coolly saying, "Questioning is fine, but baseless speculation is unacceptable."
"Ah, it's the former Crown Prince. My apologies, Your Highness," Constable Yan sarcastically bowed with little respect in his tone. "Since the former Crown Prince also knows Miss Qi, the two of you are even more suspicious. The blinding weapon used on Chen Shu's right eye is indeed rare, and the dagger that slit his throat is exceptionally sharp - difficult for an ordinary person, but child's play for Your Highness, no?"
"Constable Yan flatters me - as you said, I'm merely the former Crown Prince," Li Shuchen tugged on Qi Huan's sleeve to leave, but was blocked by Constable Yan's drawn sword.
"In Chen Shu's case, the two of you are under grave suspicion. Please come with me to the County Office for questioning," Constable Yan said coldly and resolutely.
Previously when the logging camp foreman was killed, Constable Yan was bedridden due to illness. Chen the county magistrate hastily closed that case, angering the foreman's family who sought Constable Yan's help. After reviewing the files, Constable Yan also developed suspicions about Li Shuchen, but Chen the county magistrate refused to reopen the case, leaving him frustrated.
When the Chen Shu case came in, Constable Yan tirelessly examined the crime scene and interviewed neighbors, uncovering scattered evidence pointing to Qi Huan. He just didn't expect the two were acquainted.
Constable Yan's instincts told him that Chen Shu's murder and Ding Accountant's accidental death were related to the pair before him.
He blocked their path, confident that as an officer of the law, Li Shuchen wouldn't dare attack him.
But what he didn't expect was for Li Shuchen to suddenly sweep Qi Huan into his arms and leap over Constable Yan's head with light martial arts.
Whipping around to glare at the two who had moved behind him, Constable Yan's face turned black with rage.
Just as he was about to give chase, Chen Jinyou suddenly grabbed him from behind.
"Constable Yan, this case has nothing to do with Ah Huan, stop bothering her!"
"Let go!"
"No way, I won't let go!"
Enraged, Constable Yan pried Chen Jinyou's arms off and flung him to the ground, then hurried after Li Shuchen and Qi Huan.
"Stop! You can run for now, but you can't run forever. You might as well come with me to the County Office for questioning."
Li Shuchen halted and coldly glared at Constable Yan. "I advise Constable Yan to find real evidence before speaking."
"That's right, Constable Yan is arresting us based solely on guesses - isn't that too rash?" Qi Huan looked straight back at him, then continued, "What kind of place is the interrogation room at the yamen? If we go, can we leave without being flayed alive? ... Constable Yan, don't always think you can beat confessions out of us. If you suspect us, you're welcome to question us anytime. But if you want to take us to the interrogation room, I won't comply unless you provide some real evidence."
Angered by her defiance, Constable Yan's lips twitched as he was about to say something, but suddenly felt a tug at his waist.
It was that pesky Chen Jinyou again.
Chen Jinyou panted heavily, quickly saying, "Constable Yan, don't push me away yet, let me catch my breath. I haven't finished speaking - my father has already closed this case, it has nothing to do with Ah Huan.
Coroner Zhu ruled that Ding Accountant was struck unconscious by an external force and froze to death in the snow. Since he froze to death, it was heaven taking his life. What can we do about the will of heaven? So we can only blame his ill-fate for his accidental death.
As for Chen Shu, that son of a bitch was addicted to gambling and owed the gambling den two hundred taels of silver. He was probably killed in retaliation by the gambling den. My father has already fined them five hundred taels of silver, so this case is now closed.
The New Year is coming soon - instead of hounding Ah Huan, Constable Yan, why don't you stay home and rest?"
"What did you say? The case is closed?" Constable Yan furrowed his brow in disbelief. "Have the murder weapons been found? Have the killers been caught?"
Chen Jinyou shook his head as he released Constable Yan. "Those things aren't important. What's important is that the gambling den has obediently paid the five hundred tael fine. They must be the culprits, otherwise why would they pay?"
"You say why? It's because they're afraid of your father causing them trouble! Those idiots think your father is deliberately looking for an excuse to extort money, so they hurriedly paid the silver."
Growing angrier by the minute, Constable Yan rushed towards the County Office. He couldn't let the case be closed so carelessly.
Seeing him leave, Chen Jinyou quickly took credit, saying, "Ah Huan, I told you I would protect you, and I definitely will. ... Heh heh, it was me who reminded my father that Chen Shu was a gambler, and me who reminded him to send New Year's gifts to the higher-ups soon since the holiday is coming. Clever of me, right?"
"Very clever indeed," Qi Huan gave him a thumbs up and sincerely praised him.
Thanks to Chen Jinyou, this case had been lightly brushed aside.
After returning home, Qi Huan casually felt the underwear hung up in her room - it was almost dry. In the package she had opened before, besides women's underwear, there were also men's underwear which she washed together. Now that they were dry, she took them down one by one, folding and putting them away.
At this moment, the system lamented desperately: "Host! How can you be so unambitious? Instead of letting the men's underwear take up space in your space, why don't you gift it to Li Shuchen? You could earn credits!"
Qi Huan rolled her eyes: "Giving away undergarments, do you think that's appropriate?"
"One pair of underwear is worth a hundred credits, four pairs is four hundred credits!"
...Darn it! It was trying to corrupt her with credits!
It was offering too much!
Taking the folded stack of four pairs of men's underwear, Qi Huan knocked on Li Shuchen's door.
"What is it?"
"Li Shuchen, I've brought you some clothes!"
Gazing into her lively eyes, Li Shuchen felt like his heart had been gently scratched by a kitten. "Did you make them?"
"Of course not, how could I make clothes?"
Qi Huan handed him the stack of underwear she had hidden behind her back, explaining, "These are for wearing underneath."
Taking the underwear, Li Shuchen shook out one pair, his brow furrowing slightly. "They're so short?"
"Just try them on!"
With that, Qi Huan turned and scampered back to her own room.
Not long after, Li Shuchen came and knocked on her door.
Before she could react, Li Shuchen lifted his outer robe, frowning, "They're a bit tight."
Qi Huan was instantly dumbfounded - of course they would be tight if he wore them over his leg wrappings!
"Li Shuchen, do you think you're Superman? Wearing underwear on the outside. These are meant to be worn against the skin, as a replacement for loincloth leggings."
"Oh." Li Shuchen suddenly felt his throat go dry, then said, "I'll put them on properly."
After a while, there was another knock on Qi Huan's door.
Li Shuchen told her, "I've put them on properly as you instructed. Is it right now?"
Qi Huan looked him up and down, but when her gaze passed a certain area, it seemed to get burned and quickly averted. "Since you're wearing them underneath, I can't see. As long as you have them on properly, you don't need to tell me."
Looking down at his robe, Li Shuchen rubbed his brow, concealing the awkwardness from just before. He had forgotten that with the underwear on underneath, she couldn't see them - which was why he had blankly come to have her inspect them again.
But there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Li Shuchen curved his lips into a meaningful smile. "No rush, we'll talk about it another day."
