Ji Lingchuan also followed Qi Lei's gaze and looked at the swaying pendant.
It was obviously a sachet. Both the fabric and the embroidery thread were very old, but the embroidered patterns on it were still as delicate as ever.
He couldn't help but think of the money - bag with a chi dragon pattern that Song Yihuan had held in her palm and offered to him yesterday.
That should be the gift from Qi Lei's deceased "wife", right?
Gu Yunzheng had never seen Qi Lei before, but from the relationship between Qi Lei and Song Yihuan and Qi Lei's words just now, he guessed something.
He remembered that Song Yihuan had told him in the Duke Jiang's Mansion that if Concubine Rou hadn't been forced to stay in the Marquis Ding'an's Mansion, she should have already lived the life she wanted.
Moving his lips, Gu Yunzheng finally didn't continue to ask the obvious question. Instead, he sighed and said, "I didn't expect there would be a infatuated man like Uncle Qi in the world."
He couldn't help but think of himself.
Qi Lei, a commoner with no background, could do so much for his beloved. What about him?
Should he just give up Song Yihuan and hand her over to Ji Lingchuan?
As if sensing something, Ji Lingchuan looked at Gu Yunzheng and met his suddenly determined gaze. The look of determination in that gaze was a blatant provocation to Ji Lingchuan.
Before this, Ji Lingchuan didn't take Gu Yunzheng seriously at all. After all, the other man was inferior to him in both family background and talent.
But at this moment, he felt a threat from Gu Yunzheng.
Ji Lingchuan squinted his eyes slightly, putting pressure on the other man. But the other man stared back at him without showing any weakness. The two men were silently competing with each other with their eyes in this small courtyard.
Until the light footsteps of a woman came from behind. Only then did they restrain their hostility towards each other and looked at Song Yihuan walking towards them together.
Seeing the two men looking at her at the same time, Song Yihuan stopped in her tracks. Instantly, she felt as if she was being targeted by two wild beasts, which made her scalp tingle involuntarily.
She couldn't help asking herself if she shouldn't have gone out today and shouldn't have come to Uncle Qi's place.
But it was too late to turn back.
Steeling herself, Song Yihuan ignored the two men and said to Qi Lei, "Uncle Qi, I've cleaned all the things and put them back in their original places."
Qi Lei smiled lovingly. "It's not easy for you to come here, and you still do work for me. I really feel bad about it."
Song Yihuan said, "Uncle Qi has helped me so much and gave me such a precious gift. It's only right for me to do these things."
After having lunch at Qi Lei's place, Ji Lingchuan and Gu Yunzheng had no excuse to stay any longer. After Song Yihuan came back, they proposed to leave, and Song Yihuan left with them.
"Girl Huan, you're not strong. When you work on cases with these two gentlemen, don't be reckless. Always think about yourself."
Before they left, Qi Lei exhorted earnestly. His worried look was as if Song Yihuan was really his own daughter.
"Don't worry, Uncle Qi. I know what I'm doing." Song Yihuan smiled.
Ji Lingchuan saw the deep affection between the two and said seriously, "Uncle Qi, don't worry. I won't let anything happen to her."
His sudden change of address attracted everyone's attention. Qi Lei looked even more amused.
To be called uncle by such a noble person, it was really... too much of an honor for him.
After bidding farewell to Qi Lei, the three of them walked out of the alley together.
Song Yihuan put on her veil hat again. Considering her status and Ji Lingchuan's, she deliberately walked a little slower, two steps behind him.
Gu Yunzheng also deliberately slowed down two steps in order to talk to her more. He lowered his voice and said, "Yihuan, why didn't I ever hear you mention Uncle Qi before? If I had known his noodles were so delicious, I would have gone to the dock of the painted boat to support his business earlier."
Song Yihuan took a small step aside and said indifferently, "Uncle Qi has a special identity. Mentioning him rashly will only cause trouble for him. Moreover, we weren't very familiar back then, so I never mentioned him to you."
Gu Yunzheng didn't mind her avoidance. He smiled and asked with concern, "How's your younger brother's health now? I remember you once said he would turn four this year. He should be at the age of enlightenment. If you're willing, I can teach him to read and write."
Song Yihuan sighed softly in her heart.
She didn't know what had gotten into him. He suddenly stuck to her again, even though she had made things clear to him again in the Duke Jiang's Mansion.
She said indifferently, "Thank you, Lord Gu, but I can handle teaching a four - year - old child enlightenment on my own."
The two were talking in a low voice behind, and the wind carried their voices to Ji Lingchuan's ears. He had better hearing than ordinary people and heard their whole conversation.
Although Song Yihuan wasn't enthusiastic about Gu Yunzheng, a surge of anger welled up in his heart.
Stopping in his tracks, he turned around and looked at the two people whose shoulders were almost touching. He said coldly, "Song Yihuan, what are you doing hiding behind? Do I have to invite you?"
Hearing this, Song Yihuan quickly stepped forward and closely followed behind him, leaving Gu Yunzheng alone behind, gnashing his teeth.
But he calmed down soon and followed up as if nothing had happened.
After the three of them walked out of Yongding Alley, they got on the carriage that had been waiting outside.
But Song Yihuan was in a dilemma when it came to taking a seat.
The seats in the carriage were on both sides. But under the current situation, it seemed inappropriate for her to sit in either place.
Finally, she steeled herself and sat down beside Ji Lingchuan, but deliberately kept a distance from him to avoid suspicion.
Seeing this, Ji Lingchuan didn't say anything. Instead, he asked, "Next, where shall we go?"
The murderer would strike again tomorrow. They had to figure out who his next target would be before he did.
Apart from the places where the murders had already happened, they now had to check all the places in the city where there were old water inlets.
For others, it would be an impossible task to cover the whole route in such a short time.
But Song Yihuan had memorized the map of the old and new water channels after just one look. She only thought for a moment and then chose the order and route.
"Prince, let's start the investigation from Heshui Alley in Ping'an Square."
Song Yihuan said to Ji Lingchuan.
Her charming face was hidden behind the light veil of the hat, but just by thinking about it, Ji Lingchuan could picture her serious expression in his mind.
His eyes darkened and his Adam's apple rolled. He lifted the curtain of the carriage and said to the coachman outside, "Go to Heshui Alley in Ping'an Square."
The carriage shook slightly and then started moving.
To avoid Ji Lingchuan, Song Yihuan was only sitting on a small part of the seat. When the carriage shook, her body couldn't help swaying and she fell backward.
The expected pain didn't come. A familiar big hand landed on her shoulder, steadying her body.