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墨書 Inktalez
Liang sat beside Qi, lowering his head to munch on a watermelon. The watermelon, chilled in well water, was sweet and refreshing; one bite made him feel cool all over.
"This watermelon is really good—sweet and not overly ripe," Liang said with a grin as he picked up a second slice and casually helped Qi remove a seed that had stuck to her face.
Qi tilted her head back, waiting for her turn, then continued to devour her piece.
As for Bai Rong'er, she kept eating her watermelon, seemingly oblivious to Liang's words, offering no response.
Under normal circumstances, this would be a typical reaction. If it were any other day, Liang wouldn’t press her for an answer. However, this time he was deliberately testing her, so he pressed on.
Liang picked up a jar and said with a smile, "White Maiden, would you like some salt? It can make the watermelon even sweeter."
This was a method brought by Ye Xiaohan, and after trying it, the whole family had come to love it. Only Bai Rong'er had never tried it; given her situation, no one had thought to suggest such details to her.
As long as she was willing to eat without fussing, that was already a pleasant surprise.
After making his suggestion, Liang secretly observed Bai Rong'er's reaction. Her expression remained unchanged; she still ignored him.
Not receiving an answer, Liang persisted: "I'm not joking; it really does make it sweeter." He looked down at Qi for support. "Right? You like it this way too, don’t you?"
Qi nodded while chewing. "Yeah, it's really delicious! I like it!"
Then she raised her head earnestly and added, "But if Sister Bai doesn’t want to try it, then it’s not good. Second Brother shouldn’t bully people!"
It was something Ye Xiaohan always emphasized at home—not to force others to accept one's opinions. Qi had remembered that well.
Liang was momentarily taken aback; he had intended to find an ally but ended up with a little sister who threw him under the bus!
"But isn’t life about trying new things?" Liang quickly sought justification for himself. "If White Maiden gives up without trying, she might miss out on many interesting experiences!"
Qi was still too young and naive; she wasn’t a match for her cunning brother and got confused by his words, thinking there might be some truth in what Liang said.
"Sister Bai, why don’t you give it a try? It’s really tasty! Look, I’ll eat it in front of you," Qi said enthusiastically as she swiftly handed her piece of watermelon to Liang. He quickly sprinkled salt over half of the slice before taking a bite.
Then, Qi held the piece of melon, munching away happily, the sound indicating it was delicious and juicy.
Taking the opportunity, Liu Yang recommended to Bai Rong'er, "See? I told you it’s good! Look how happy Qi is eating it!"
He propped himself up, leaning closer to Bai Rong'er, smiling as he pretended to sprinkle salt on her watermelon.
Secretly, Liu Yang did not let his guard down at all; he observed every change in Bai Rong'er's expression.
When Liu Yang tried to get closer, a hint of panic flickered in Bai Rong'er’s eyes, as if she was frightened by his proximity. She couldn’t help but lower her head, avoiding eye contact with him.
From her demeanor came that familiar feeling he had noticed before—the reaction of someone startled. It was as if with just a little more closeness from Liu Yang, she would jump up and flee like a rabbit.
Liu Yang's gaze darkened; it seemed he wouldn’t be able to discern anything unusual today.
He sat back down, placing the jar back on the table, and said with a smile, "Since the White Maiden doesn’t like it, we won’t try it. Don’t be scared."
Bai Rong'er slightly lifted her head and timidly stole a glance at Liu Yang. Seeing his beaming smile, she gradually relaxed and slowly resumed eating the melon.
In the days that followed, Liu Yang tested the waters several times, each time receiving the same response. Bai Rong'er appeared just as she had before—still shy and awkward.
Liu Yang refused to give up; he decided to continue trying until he unraveled the mystery in his heart.
Meanwhile, things were much more complicated for Ye Xiaohan.
That morning, Ye Xiaohan reported to the authorities, and the Government Office quickly dispatched personnel. It wasn’t difficult to catch those men in black; experienced Constables soon followed the leads to find their hideout.
The scattered bloodstains on the ground were quite telling.
However, what happened next was not so smooth.
After those men in black were captured, the Government Office seemed to have been hit by a slowing spell; all actions became sluggish, and their previous efficiency vanished without a trace.
As time dragged on with no progress whatsoever, Ye Xiaohan grew anxious and went to the Government Office several times to urge them on. Yet still, there was no effect; everything remained slow and unresponsive.
Just as Ye Xiaohan was about to head to the Government Office again to urge them, she received shocking news.
"They're dead!" Ye Xiaohan couldn't believe it. "Those people were injured, but their wounds weren't life-threatening. They seemed fine when they were taken in; how could they have died so quickly?"
The officer impatiently replied, "They didn't die from severe injuries; they committed suicide! They knew they had committed crimes and took their own lives in prison out of guilt!"
"That's impossible!" Ye Xiaohan protested. "They didn't actually kill anyone, and we don't even have enough evidence to charge them with arson. The worst we could accuse them of is trespassing and causing harm to others. Those charges aren't severe enough!"
At least not severe enough to drive someone to suicide out of guilt.
"Don't ask me; I'm not one of them!" The officer began to shoo her away. "You should leave. Since they're dead, this case is closed. You haven't lost anything anyway, so don't come back!"
Ye Xiaohan was pushed out, standing in front of the Yamen, still in shock.
This was a setup.
She certainly didn't believe in the notion of guilt-driven suicide; those men in black were clearly killed or forced to die by someone else. And that person behind their deaths was the instigator of this whole affair!
Bastards! For their own selfish desires, they showed no regard for human life. Whether it was Ye Xiaohan or those men in black, they were nothing but ants in the eyes of those people.
Not even considered human.
The attitude of the Government Office made it clear that the instigator behind this was likely already colluding with them. It would be difficult to unravel this case.
Just as Ye Xiaohan thought, the case ended there without further mention. A few insignificant lives were lost, and no one cared.
This cold-bloodedness and cruelty reminded Ye Xiaohan that this place was no longer the same as the Peaceful World she once lived in.
She collected her emotions and threw herself into her work. The existing class and social systems were beyond her ability to challenge; she didn't want to foolishly jump out only to fall into someone else's trap, unaware of how she might meet her end.
Yang understood her feelings well; he was equally furious but felt powerless. This sense of frustration left him feeling miserable.
He quietly took action on his own, determined to investigate the truth.
Yang had a natural charm that made people want to befriend him. During his time in the capital, he had become quite familiar with the city and made some friends along the way.
One of them happened to be a Constable from the Yamen.
Yang found a reason to invite the Constable out, and after a few meetings, the Constable understood Yang's intentions, even though Yang hadn't asked him anything directly.
After another round of drinks, the Constable slurred his words, "Brother Yang, I know you brought me out here because you want to ask about that case involving your family. Sigh, it's not that I don't want to help as a brother, but this matter..."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "Since we're brothers, I'll let you in on a secret. This case can't be investigated further; someone is blocking it!"
Yang was not surprised by this answer; he only wanted to know who was interfering in the matter.
"Brother, it frustrates me! My family was living just fine when suddenly we were set on fire and hunted down—what is going on? Just thinking about it makes me uneasy!"
Yang leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Brother, please tell me who we have offended. I'm not looking for revenge; I just want to know so I can avoid trouble in the future!"
The Constable sighed and said, "The lives of the poor are worthless; only those of the nobility hold value! Just keep this in mind and don’t let it slip outside!"
"Of course!" Yang immediately agreed.
The Constable lowered his voice further and revealed, "The one behind those who set fire and committed murder is Liu Chancellor's daughter!"
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