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墨書 Inktalez
“Uncle Zi Yi, why are you looking at me like that?” Ouyang Zixin smiled at Zi Yi, her crescent-shaped eyes sparkling like the moon in the sky.
Zi Yi's expression was serious as he stood up and bowed to Ouyang Zixin, saying, “If the young lady has any instructions, please feel free to speak.”
Although Ouyang Zixin was startled by Zi Yi's sudden action, she quickly responded by turning aside, refusing to accept his bow, and playfully scolded, “What are you doing, Uncle Zi Yi? You're embarrassing me!”
Rarely, a smile appeared on Zi Yi's face. Perhaps it had been a long time since he had smiled, so his expression seemed a bit stiff. “It’s getting late; let me escort the young lady back to rest.”
“Eh, Uncle Zi Yi, don’t you have anything to ask me?”
“The young lady is a clever person; there’s no need for Zi Yi to say more.”
Ouyang Zixin widened her eyes at Zi Yi, thinking it was really dull. She wished Uncle Zi Yi could be as entertaining as he was when teasing her father earlier.
Watching Ouyang Zixin leave for Yuexin Pavilion, Zi Yi’s originally dim eyes suddenly flickered in the night, and then he vanished into the darkness…
——————————
“What? You say Sito Rongyan is involved in a murder case?” Ouyang Zixin woke up to explosive gossip that made her drop half of her bun in shock, her mouth agape for a long time.
It turned out that this morning, Liu Lvy had returned from outside and happened to pass through the bustling market. She overheard many people discussing that a noble lady in the capital had committed murder. Normally, how could these common folks know about noble ladies? It could only be blamed on Sito Rongyan’s misfortune. Somehow, news of her torturing a maid had leaked out, and she had even been reported to the authorities. This explained the scene yesterday at the restaurant when officers came to take someone away.
“Torture?” Ouyang Zixin frowned and immediately lost her appetite. Although she knew Sito Rongyan wasn’t a good person, how could she be implicated in such cruelty? Even if she were behind it all, how could it come back to her so directly?
“Is there no one willing to take the blame?”
Liu Lvy shook her head mysteriously and said, “Young lady, this matter is strange. The maid who was tortured seems to have some backing we don’t know about. She actually dared to report Sito Rongyan. You must understand that even though she is married now, she is still a daughter of the Sidu Family and the wife of the Xu Family.”
Ouyang Zixin also found this aspect puzzling. A family that sold their daughter into servitude surely wouldn’t have any background; why would they suddenly cling onto Sito Rongyan?
Such matters are not uncommon in the Capital of the Departed Nation or even in other two empires; however, it’s rare for them to be brought into the open like this.
"What is the situation now?" With no appetite for breakfast, Ouyang Zixin waved her hand to have the items on the table cleared away and replaced with tea utensils.
"I heard that the Xu Family also wants to distance themselves from this matter, claiming that Sito Rongyan acted privately. They were completely unaware, and by the time they found out, the person was already..." Liu Lvy gestured with her hands, sticking out her tongue as she spoke vividly. "Now this matter has spread everywhere. The Sidu Family was actually the last to know. I heard they had already made a scene at the Xu Family early this morning, saying that they failed to protect Sito Rongyan."
"The Sidu Family doesn't have a matriarch; could it be that Lord Situ went personally?" Liu Ying, who was listening intently, couldn't help but interject.
Si Tu Rong Bao is a capable head of the family. The fact that he could bear to marry off Sito Rongyan shows that he is not only ruthless but also very strategic and decisive. If he were to confront the Xu Family directly for his daughter, it seems unlikely he would do such a thing. So who else could it be?
"How could it possibly be Lord Situ? I heard it was Young Master Situ's concubine who took advantage of the absence of the master of the house to try and get closer to her sister-in-law, which is why she took it upon herself to approach the Xu Family." Liu Lvy exclaimed in disbelief. This matter, let alone a concubine, even a maid like her knows better than to act so brazenly. There’s no way this could lead to anything but embarrassment.
Liu Ying sighed upon hearing this; Sito Rongyan truly was unfortunate.
"It seems someone is deliberately making things difficult for Sito Rongyan, or rather, for the Sidu Family," Ouyang Zixin said as she set down her teacup, staring thoughtfully into the clear tea. "Could it be you?"
She had once speculated whether Sito Rongyan's disgrace was something Yun Tianmo had arranged for her amusement, but now that things had escalated to a matter of life and death, she felt uncertain.
"Miss, what did you say?" Liu Ying didn't catch Ouyang Zixin's words and asked for clarification.
But Ouyang Zixin merely shook her head and instructed Liu Lvy, "Since you're back, you should keep an eye on things over there."
Liu Lvy nodded in understanding and asked, "If we see any strange birds again, should we...?"
"Yes."
Ouyang Zixin sat in the room for a while longer, her mind racing with thoughts before ultimately deciding to go out.
"Liu Ying, come with me; have someone prepare the carriage." She turned and entered another room. When she emerged again, she was dressed in a purple outfit that made her look quite heroic.
Inside the carriage.
"Miss, where are we headed?" Liu Ying asked.
Without a destination, the carriage did not know which direction to go and simply stopped in front of Ouyang Xuan's Mansion.
"Go to Feng Fei." Ouyang Zixin leaned back in the carriage, closed her eyes to rest, and quietly instructed. She needed to figure out who was manipulating everything behind the scenes and to what extent Yun Tianmo was involved. She believed that Yun Tianmo must have a base in the capital, but she did not know where it was. After thinking it over, the only place she could recall that he had mentioned was Feng Fei, so she decided to take a chance.
"Oh, isn't this Miss Ouyang? Please wait a moment; I'll have the Shopkeeper come right away." The waiter exclaimed as soon as he saw Ouyang Zixin just getting out of the carriage.
Before long, the Shopkeeper came out of the tavern, bowed respectfully, and asked, "What brings Miss Ouyang here unexpectedly?"
Ouyang Zixin intended to get straight to the point, but realizing they were still outside, she smiled at the Shopkeeper and said, "What's this? The Shopkeeper won't invite me in to talk?"
Without waiting for the Shopkeeper to respond, she stepped into the tavern first. After going up to the second floor, she pushed open the door of the middle private room and walked in.
"Where is he?"
"You mean..."
"I need to see him. If he is not here, have him come meet me." Ouyang Zixin looked around the empty private room with some disappointment; it was different from what she had imagined. "I'm leaving."
"Uh, Miss Ouyang... oh..." The Shopkeeper followed her a couple of steps but stopped, watching Ouyang Zixin's retreating figure with a serious expression. After a while, he turned around to attend to his duties.
(To be continued.)
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