Finally managing to leave Dan Linghai's room, Wei Shuxuan heaved a sigh of relief. Dealing with this young miss was quite tiring.
She had little interest in the secret of that treasure map. All she wanted was to know the truth of this case.
Since there were no leads from Pan Leping for the time being, Wei Shuxuan decided to put the investigation on hold for a while. Now her task was to observe if there were any other suspicious points around.
That night, when Wei Shuxuan was lying in bed trying to rest, suddenly someone tapped on the window. She immediately lifted her head warily and looked in the direction of the sound. Through the bright fire in the room, she could clearly see a dark figure outside the window. Just as she was hesitating whether to go and open the window, she heard Wei Wei's voice from outside.
"Miss, don't worry. It's me."
The uneasiness in Wei Shuxuan's heart subsided. She stroked her chest. She was really scared. It was just Wei Wei. She thought someone had come to assassinate her.
She picked up the coat on the bedside and put it on, then walked over to open the window. "Wei Wei, what's up?"
"Miss, be careful. Just now there was a sneaky figure lying in front of your room. As soon as it saw a maid coming, it quickly left."
"Are you saying that someone wants to assassinate me?" Wei Shuxuan really had a wild imagination.
"… Your subordinate won't let them succeed. I will protect you well. Please rest assured, miss."
Sometimes, Wei Shuxuan thought Wei Wei was too rigid. "I'm just joking. By the way, Wei Wei, keep an eye on Jin Yan'er's and Pan Leping's every move recently."
"What about you, miss? I'm worried about your safety."
"It's okay. I bet they won't dare to do anything excessive to me in the Pan Mansion. After all, I have the prime minister backing me up. When I go out, I'll try to go with Xin Zizhao. You don't have to worry. For now, just keep a close eye on Pan Leping and Jin Yan'er for me."
"… Yes, miss."
Wei Shuxuan closed the window and returned to her bed. What Wei Wei just said about someone spying on her made her think that the person behind it must be somehow related to this murder case.
Early the next morning, Wei Shuxuan got up very early and went to knock on Xin Zizhao's door. If she didn't get up earlier than him, he would surely go out, and then she wouldn't be able to find him.
"… Why are you up so early?" Xin Zizhao obviously had just changed his clothes and came to open the door for her. His belt wasn't even fastened properly.
"Because I'm afraid you'll go somewhere without telling me. I need your help with something."
"Do you really need my help?" As he said this, Xin Zizhao turned around and walked back into the room to fasten his belt.
"What are you talking about? Of course I need your help!"
Xin Zizhao sat down at the table, and Wei Shuxuan sat down opposite him. "Come out with me today."
Hearing this, Xin Zizhao frowned. "Why should I go out with you? We're not that familiar."
"What? Aren't we already friends?" Wei Shuxuan looked towards the door of the room, then turned around and whispered to Xin Zizhao, "I just want to check out Pan Anping's industries. I've got no clue recently."
Seeing the slightly aggrieved look on Wei Shuxuan's face, Xin Zizhao's heart skipped a beat. He coughed lightly. "Let's go then."
Wei Shuxuan was quite surprised that Xin Zizhao agreed so readily. She glanced at him, and Xin Zizhao turned his face away and walked out of the room first.
Seeing that he had left the room, Wei Shuxuan quickly came to her senses and chased after him.
Pan Anping was in the silk and tea business. Pan's Silk and Pan's Tea were not only well - known in Quan'an Town but also famous nationwide, attracting many people to come to Quan'an Town.
There were three Pan's Silk Stores and three Pan's Tea Houses in Quan'an Town. Wei Shuxuan and Xin Zizhao decided to visit the silk stores first.
"Gentlemen, what kind of silk do you want?" As soon as they walked into the silk store, the shopkeeper came forward to inquire.
"Shopkeeper, do you have white cloth?" Wei Shuxuan smiled.
"Of course we do."
While the shopkeeper went to get the white cloth, Wei Shuxuan looked around the store. The store was well - managed. Standing in front of the counter, she accidentally caught a glimpse of the opened ledger. It clearly recorded every day's transactions. The business was really good.
"Sir, how do you like these two kinds?" The shopkeeper took out two kinds of white cloth for Wei Shuxuan to see.
Wei Shuxuan felt the texture of the cloth. It was smooth and soft, very comfortable. She quite liked it.
"Then I'll take this one."
"I've heard that your Pan's Silk is very famous."
While the shopkeeper was packing the cloth, Wei Shuxuan took the opportunity to chat with him. The shopkeeper didn't notice that she was trying to get information from him. "Yes, our big boss is very capable."
"Hey, who is your big boss?" Wei Shuxuan pretended to be very curious.
"Don't you know? It's Pan Anping. He was a successful candidate in the imperial examination, but later he came back to do business. Unexpectedly, his business has grown bigger and bigger. Both the silk store and the tea house were built up by our big boss step by step. Even the second boss can only be a small supervisor."
"I see."
Suddenly enlightened, Wei Shuxuan took the packed cloth from the shopkeeper and hurriedly pulled Xin Zizhao away.
"What did you find out?" Xin Zizhao watched her pull him along several streets.
"Let's go to the Pan's Tea House."
In the Pan's Tea House, Wei Shuxuan used the same method to get information from the tea - house shopkeeper. The clues she got were not much different from what the silk - store shopkeeper had said.
However, the tea - house shopkeeper told Wei Shuxuan that although the second boss was in charge, the real power was still in the hands of the big boss. The big boss only came to inspect in the morning, and the second boss came even less frequently. He always left after staying for a while.
Walking out of the tea house, Wei Shuxuan lowered her head, thinking and analyzing what the two shopkeepers had said. Xin Zizhao glanced at her but didn't interrupt her. He knew she was digesting the information.
When they got back to the front gate of the Pan Mansion, Wei Shuxuan looked up at Xin Zizhao. The light in her eyes startled him. "What are you doing?"