Pei Zhaolin's expression changed slightly. With a glance, the maids in the room immediately understood his meaning. They didn't forget to take Su Rongyu with them and left Cui Jintang's room.
Cui Jintang also became patient and calmly stared at him.
After everyone left, Pei Zhaolin sat down opposite her.
His fingertips unconsciously rubbed against each other.
Cui Jintang glanced at them.
—Whenever Pei Zhaolin was irritated and hesitant, he would unconsciously do such actions.
"You've reached the pinnacle of officialdom," Cui Jintang said calmly, with a hint of imperceptible inquiry and temptation. "Why bother?"
Pei Zhaolin stopped rubbing his fingertips and suddenly looked up.
He slowly said, "This is my choice."
Cui Jintang squinted her eyes.
Then the man in front of her suddenly stood up. The rosewood armchair scraped across the floor backward due to his abrupt movement, making a harsh screeching sound.
The air pressure around him suddenly turned cold. His pair of pitch - black eyes stared fixedly at Cui Jintang in front of him.
"Since last night," Pei Zhaolin seemed to suddenly realize. "Tangtang, you've been deliberately provoking me."
He took a step forward, and his wide sleeves stirred up a gust of wind.
"According to your nature, you would have driven that person out as soon as Su Rongyu opened her mouth. But you didn't."
Hearing this, Cui Jintang glanced at him and remained unmoved.
Pei Zhaolin suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist. The force was so great that she frowned, and her breath became disordered.
"I just understood it until now."
"You've done all this. Isn't it just for this moment? Isn't it just to see me emotionally unstable and lose my composure, so that in this urgent situation..."
He leaned forward, and Cui Jintang immediately turned her head to avoid him.
Pei Zhaolin's warm breath, full of oppression, slowly blew past her ear.
He gritted his teeth.
"To make me tell you everything?"
"Dream on!"
His attitude was overly arrogant.
Cui Jintang raised her hand high, but before it could fall, it was grabbed by Pei Zhaolin in his palm.
The force was almost enough to crush her bones.
This was the first time he no longer obediently endured her slap.
"Let me go!"
Cui Jintang tried to break free. She used her other hand to help, but was easily intercepted by Pei Zhaolin again.
Pei Zhaolin's fingers were as firm as iron pincers, and the tips of his fingers turned white due to the force.
He took another step forward, trapping her between himself and the wall.
The clear scent of pine on his body enveloped her powerfully.
"Just as you said just now."
Pei Zhaolin's voice was low, with a hint of dangerous hoarseness.
"My face is not so easy to be slapped!"
Cui Jintang looked up at him angrily, with raging flames in her eyes.
Pei Zhaolin looked down at her. There was also displeasure in his eyes for being concealed and used.
The air seemed to freeze, as tense as a fully - drawn bow.
Their gazes were tightly locked together. One was burning with anger, and the other had a frosty face. Neither was willing to back down first.
Just when they were in a stalemate, as if they would be frozen like this forever—
"Bang!"
The door of the room was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
Fu Li stumbled in. His face was as white as a sheet, and he was sweating profusely. He didn't care about the etiquette rules at all, and his voice trembled badly.
"Sir, Sir! Something's wrong! Big, big trouble!"
This sudden change was like a drop of cold water falling into a hot oil pan.
Both Pei Zhaolin and Cui Jintang were startled and turned to look at him at the same time.
Even so, Pei Zhaolin still tightly held Cui Jintang's wrist and showed no sign of letting go.
They still maintained the entangled posture from before.
Fu Li quickly lowered his head and repeatedly said, "I didn't mean to disturb you, Sir and Miss! It's just that Lord Du, who came to Qinghe to take office with us from the capital, he... he suddenly died violently!"
"At this moment, the magistrate of Qinghe... is waiting outside for your summons, Sir."
Hearing this, Pei Zhaolin let go of Cui Jintang's hand. He had a splitting headache because of these sudden changes.
"Got it. Let them wait outside first."
Just thinking of Chu Yingfeng, Pei Zhaolin's face became extremely ugly.
Just as he was about to step out, he suddenly remembered Cui Jintang, who was not an easy - going person, and his steps suddenly stopped.
Pei Zhaolin turned around and stared fixedly at Cui Jintang. His words were a merciless threat.
"We haven't finished our conversation today. If you leave, I'll have to go to the Cui family to find you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a fine white jade glazed cup was thrown at his feet.
Along with Cui Jintang's impatient voice to drive him away: "Get out."
Pei Zhaolin gave her a deep look and then turned to leave.
As soon as he left, Cui Jintang heard footsteps outside.
It was those guards just now. After Pei Zhaolin left, they surrounded her courtyard again.
Cui Jintang opened the door, and the guards immediately came forward.
They lowered their heads extremely low, as if they didn't even dare to look at Cui Jintang: "If Miss has anything to do, you can just order us. Miss doesn't need to worry about anything!"
"Bang!"
Cui Jintang closed the door behind her.
Wasn't Pei Zhaolin's behavior just like imprisoning her?
—
"I really didn't lie, sir. If Lord Chu doesn't believe me, you can send someone to arrest the others for interrogation!"
The young servant kept kowtowing and begging for mercy. There was even blood on his forehead.
The other officials who came with Chu Yingfeng in the hall were gently persuading one after another.
"This is the young servant that Lord Du brought to Qinghe himself. What he said should be correct."
"Besides, both the witness and the evidence are complete. What Lord Chu should do now is to arrest that woman as soon as possible to restore Lord Du's reputation!"
One said after another, and Chu Yingfeng couldn't even get a word in.
He frowned and didn't agree with what they said just now: "Since all of you want to talk about the witness and the evidence. So many common people can testify for that brothel woman that she was not willing but coerced by Du Heng. Why didn't all of you help that woman at that time?"
Everyone was stunned for a moment and said awkwardly: "After all, she is a brothel woman! We are court officials and scholars. How can we have too much compassion for that kind of woman?"
"Since she is a brothel woman, what's the point of talking about whether she is willing or not?"
Just as Chu Yingfeng's anger was rising, he heard a domineering scolding.
"I have to take care of all these messy things. Is there no one in your county government?!"
Everyone was startled. Before they could look up, they all bent down in unison.
They respectfully said, "Your subordinate pays respects to the prince!"
Pei Zhaolin strode in with a cold face.
The hem of his black python - patterned daily robe swept across the threshold as he walked in slowly.
He didn't immediately look at the people in the room. Instead, he slowly took off the suede gloves on his hands.
"Prince Pei."
Chu Yingfeng took a step forward, followed by the pale - faced and trembling young servant just now.
"I've disturbed the prince's rest. Your subordinate deserves to die."
Chu Yingfeng paused for a moment and then said embarrassedly, "It's just that the matter of Lord Du is really..."
Only then did Pei Zhaolin look up. His eyes casually swept over the young servant who was shaking like a sieve and finally landed on Chu Yingfeng's face. The corner of his lips curled up in a sneer.
"Where did Du Heng die in his gentle den that you don't even dare to bring his body here?"