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On the jade screen, a gossamer garment hung, as thin as a cicada's wing. The moment the door was pushed open, the garment danced in the breeze, instantly capturing Xing Ruyi's attention. Without any hesitation, she walked towards the clothing. Its smooth and slightly cool texture felt like early spring river water gliding over her skin, awakening her senses while simultaneously making her reluctant to part from this enchanting sensation.
"Fox Demon!" Chang Tai noticed that Xing Ruyi stood motionless in front of the garment and approached her. "Is there something strange about this clothing?"
"Oh, it's nothing!" Xing Ruyi snapped back to reality and quickly released her grip on the garment, appearing somewhat embarrassed. "I just thought the fabric was quite unique, so I couldn't help but take a closer look. This room, could it be the crime scene you mentioned, Brother Chang?"
Xing Ruyi carefully examined the bedroom before her; its furnishings were no different from those of an ordinary woman's boudoir. It was evident that the owner was not particularly patient or organized, as many items were carelessly placed around, creating a somewhat chaotic atmosphere. Like most women, the owner favored various styles of clothing and jewelry; just beside the dressing table hung several new outfits for the year. However, compared to the one on the screen, those garments were made of very ordinary materials.
As she thought this, Xing Ruyi seemed enchanted and unconsciously walked back to the screen. "Such a light and translucent yet soft and smooth fabric; I fear one wouldn't find a piece like this even in the finest brocade shops in the capital."
"Miss has a good eye! This garment was also found by our lady when she happened to pass by a shop. The shopkeeper told us that this type of fabric is extremely rare; it might not yield even one bolt in a year, and even fewer garments can be made from it. Thus, our lady had to bite the bullet to purchase it at a considerable price. Because of this garment, she was scolded by our lord for quite some time; he said she didn't know how to save money or manage household affairs."
"And you are?"
"I am Hong Liu, the lady's personal maid!" Hong Liu curtsied. "Our lady has met with misfortune and is currently missing; our lord fell ill yesterday due to worry for her safety. He instructed that when Lord Chang comes again, I should accompany him and answer any questions truthfully regarding our lady."
Xing Ruyi then recalled that upon entering earlier, a girl dressed in a pink shirt had been following closely behind her and Chang Tai. She hadn't paid much attention to her appearance at that time. Now hearing her speak, she took a closer look at her. The girl appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old and stood about 155 centimeters tall. Although she claimed to be a maid, her hair was styled in an elegant updo adorned with a fine red hairpin—likely either a gift from her lady or given by the lord of this household. Unlike typical maids who spoke cautiously, Hong Liu carried herself with a hint of pride. It was likely that Hong Liu was one of the lady's dowry maids and had become a concubine of sorts—barely more than just an unofficial wife.
"So it's Miss Hong Liu! May I ask if you could tell me where this garment was purchased? And could you share more about this fabric? You know how it is; every woman loves these things regardless of their status, especially something so exquisite that one can't help but be captivated after just one glance."
"Ruyi is being polite; look at what you're wearing—it's hardly common stuff either. If you truly like it, why not visit that shop? You might find some other treasures there. As for this garment? I'm afraid you won't be able to buy it this year."
"Why is that? Is it because of its rarity?"
"Oh! Miss misunderstood; that's not what I meant. What I meant is that this fabric is extremely rare; it might not yield even one bolt in a year, and even fewer garments can be made from it. Even common people or those in the palace—like concubines or princesses—might not have the chance to wear such fine clothing."
As Hong Liu spoke, she deliberately shot Xing Ruyi an eye roll.
Chang Tai noticed this and frowned slightly, feeling displeased. He was about to speak when he felt Xing Ruyi tugging at his sleeve subtly, signaling him not to say anything.
"This silk brocade is typically worn only by wealthy families; however, this particular garment before us would likely surpass even court tributes." "Ruyi," he asked curiously, "have you ever raised silkworms?"
"No, I have always been particularly afraid of those round, plump things. However, I have seen one of my younger brothers play with them, and he ended up winning quite a bit of Cocoon."
"Do you know how this Cocoon is transformed into Silk to make clothing?"
"I have a general idea, but not in detail."
"From Cocoon to clothing, there are at least four processes involved. The first is boiling, the second is pulling, the third is opening, and the fourth is stretching. Among these four processes, the most important is the first one: boiling. Boiling silkworms, also known as cooking silkworms, requires great care; not only must the timing be precise, but the heat must also be just right. If you're not careful, you might end up overcooking the silkworms.
Additionally, the common Silk is made from silkworm cocoons left behind after they transform into butterflies. Even if the process is perfect, the resulting Silk will be broken and incomplete. However, the Silk used for this garment is different; it was made from the finest Silk available."
"The finest Silk?" Xing Ruyi laughed. "This Fox Demon truly does not know. May I ask you, Red Willow, what do you mean by the finest Silk?"
"This perfect Silk comes from cocoons that are steamed whole before they turn into butterflies until the silkworm inside turns to liquid. This way, the cocoon does not transform into a butterfly, and during the extraction process, the Silk will not break. The Silk obtained this way is considered the finest."
Xing Ruyi was taken aback; she could almost visualize the steaming process of the silkworms. Her hand that had been touching the Silk Garment fell instantly. But when she looked at Red Willow again, she found that there was not a hint of compassion in her eyes; instead, she seemed to be relishing it with great interest and even showed signs of excitement and eagerness.
Xing Ruyi lost all interest in inquiring further about this garment.
She walked around the Screen Divider and entered the Bedroom.
The missing lady's surname was Yun, and her maternal family was from Yun Village. Her husband was also a native of this Yun Family Gathering. Their family was in the pawn business and had connections in both legal and illegal circles. Even when the Hu Family Brothers were still around, they would give some face to this family's Master; they were never troubled in business dealings.
Madam Yun went missing three days ago.
According to maid Red Willow, that day was supposed to be when Madam returned to her maternal family for a visit. Early in the morning, Red Willow had come outside to ask when they would set off. As a result, she was scolded by Madam for being too early; she needed more time to get ready and told Red Willow to go arrange breakfast first.
Having been scolded by Madam so early in the morning left Red Willow feeling wronged despite not daring to say anything. After discussing what Madam wanted for breakfast and her preferences for these two days with the Chef, Red Willow returned to her room until the Chef came to inform her that breakfast was ready. She then went back to ask Madam again but called out three times without receiving a response before she tried pushing open the door.
"Did you manage to push open the door?" Xing Ruyi asked.
"If it could be opened with just a push, at least it would indicate that our lady went out on her own." Red Willow glanced at Xing Ruyi. "At that time, the door was locked from the inside. I pushed several times and called out to the lady many times, until I had to summon Master and the butler, yet we still couldn't get the door open. In the end, it was Master who ordered it to be broken down. After it was forced open, aside from some unpleasant odors in the room, there was no sign of the lady."
"Brother Chang?"
"That's right. After Yun Madam went missing, Lord Yun reported it to the Government Office immediately, and the County Magistrate personally brought people here. At that time, the latch was found right here; based on its distance and position, it must have fallen here when the door was slammed. Fox Demon, look, there is a new mark on this latch, and its position matches perfectly with where it would be inserted behind the door. It is certain that this latch has never been used before; these new marks were made only in recent days, and the insertion is quite shallow. This indicates that when the lady was inside, she simply did not want to be disturbed, so this item serves more as a facade."
"The lady indeed did not have this habit before!" Red Willow added, glancing at the latch as well. "After Master married the lady, they were very affectionate; this Bedroom was their wedding chamber. Since Master and Madam got married, this Bedroom's door has never been locked from the inside. First, because our Yun Family Gathering has relatively good security; second, because Master is accustomed to staying up late, and the lady always leaves the door open for him. Over the years, it has become a habit; third, although there are no guards stationed at this door at night, there are servants patrolling in the courtyard in two shifts. Even if there are some night prowlers, they wouldn't dare come into our residence."
"So when did the lady develop this habit?"
"In recent days. To be precise, it started after that dress was bought. You noticed too; this dress is very expensive and was bought by the lady at a high price, so it naturally holds a special place in her heart. However, because of this dress, a dispute arose between her and Master. Later on, in a fit of anger, Master moved to another courtyard while the lady stayed behind with this dress and stubbornly locked the door out of spite. Ever since that dress was bought, she has rarely gone out."
"Did your lady ever wear this dress?"
"What do you mean by that? Since it's a dress, of course she wore it." Red Willow shot another glance at Xing Ruyi without thinking. "She tried it on in the shop and immediately loved it. After returning home, she even wore it for Master to see; however, Master was angry at that time and didn't even look at it before leaving. The lady cried in frustration and wanted to tear off the dress but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do so. On the day she went missing, she originally intended to wear this dress but decided against it due to the cold weather; although beautiful, it is as thin as a cicada's wing and could only be worn underneath. After much deliberation, she abandoned that thought.
Oh, I personally hung this dress on the Screen Divider just the night before she went missing. That night, she seemed enchanted as she walked back and forth in her room wearing this dress while mumbling about wanting to show it to Old Master and Old Matriarch at home. After much persuasion from me, I finally got her to take it off; however, I couldn't resist her insistence and ended up hanging it here."
"What about the window? Did you check if it was open when your lady went missing?"
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