“Yes, on the surface, it does seem like the case has returned to square one.” But Ning Yan shook her head. “However, it hasn’t.”
The others looked puzzled and waited for her to continue.
“What did the victim do after Xu Yao left?”
Qiao Lu let out a cold snort. “Obviously she cleaned up the room.” He had been to the crime scene himself, so he knew it was spotless. Even the teacups had been neatly arranged.
“That’s right,” Ning Yan said. “But cleaning up wasn’t the only thing she did.”
Yu Daolin asked excitedly, “What else?”
“She committed suicide,” Ning Yan replied.
The room fell silent.
Everyone stared at her in shock. Their thinking had been centered entirely on murder; none of them had considered the possibility of suicide.
“Impossible!” Qiao Lu blurted out, unable to believe it. His face flushed with agitation. “She’s a courtesan. Why would she kill herself? She didn’t have to worry about food or clothing, so what could she possibly be troubled about?”
Ning Yan had no intention of debating whether a courtesan could commit suicide or whether she had reasons to be distressed. These were the kinds of topics that were impossible to discuss with people like him.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Pei Yan said coldly. “She’s a human being. Human beings have worries. Do you think everyone is like you, heartless, drifting through life just waiting to collect a salary?”
Qiao Lu immediately lowered his head in fright.
The corner of Ning Yan’s lips curled upward slightly.
“Commander, she’s saying it was suicide, but there’s no evidence,” Qin San said.
“There is evidence.” Ning Yan looked at Jin Shu. Carrying a bundle, Jin Shu stepped forward and opened it for everyone to see, revealing a pile of women’s jewelry, gold, silver, and other valuables.
“I went to Mudan’s bedroom before and found it strange that all her jewelry was gone. I asked the people in the brothel, but nobody knew where it had gone,” Ning Yan said, pointing at Jin Shu. “Not until I met Jin Shu.”
She then explained Jin Shu’s relationship with Mudan.
“Jin Shu didn’t know Mudan was going to kill herself. He never even realized that she had left money for him.”
With reddened eyes, Jin Shu said in a muffled voice, “The boss told me to think carefully about the last thing Sister Mudan said to me.”
“Then I remembered. She told me to visit my parents’ graves in a few days. She said a little sapling had grown there and asked me to dig it up. After I was reminded, I went there and found this bundle buried beneath the tree.”
Ning Yan nodded. Mudan had prepared everything in advance, leaving all her valuables to Jin Shu before taking her own life.
“Why did she commit suicide?” This time, Xu Yao asked. “She… she was always cheerful. And that night she was even…”
He felt that Mudan had been carefree and lively as usual, laughing when she wanted to laugh and making merry when she wanted to. Nothing about her behavior seemed unusual. She had looked nothing like someone planning to kill herself.
Looking at him, Ning Yan said quietly, “She wanted revenge on you. You and Second Master Zhang should go see a doctor as soon as possible.”
Yesterday, she had taken a physician to examine Mudan’s body again. The physician concluded that Mudan had contracted a venereal disease, but no one at Chunhua House had known about it. She knew she could never leave Chunhua House, and none of her patrons would ever take her away.
Driven to despair, she conceived a plan for revenge and carefully set this trap. After her death, it wouldn’t matter whether the constables ultimately identified Zhang Heyu or Xu Yao as the killer. Either way, her objective would be achieved.
“What?” Xu Yao collapsed onto the ground with a thud, his face turning deathly pale. “She was sick?”
Ning Yan nodded expressionlessly.
Xu Yao looked utterly devastated and muttered, “S-So that’s why she asked me to come see her that night.”
A shiver ran through him. He had always craved thrills, and Mudan was adventurous and uninhibited. Whenever they were together, he had never once considered her feelings. “That bitch. That damned bitch,” he cursed.
Ning Yan cut him off. “She wasn’t innocent, but you’re even less innocent. What’s the point of saying that now, Fourth Master Xu?”
“How am I not innocent?” Xu Yao protested. “She was a courtesan. Paying for her company was supporting her business. She earned her living from people like us. Yet she still harbored malicious intentions and tried to harm us.”
“What you’re saying isn’t wrong,” Ning Yan replied. “But you shouldn’t have deceived her. Why make false promises and sweet-talk her about redeeming her freedom? Wouldn’t it have been enough to simply pay for pleasure and be done with it?”
She stared at him. “Besides, where did Mudan contract this disease in the first place? For all we know, you might have been the source.”
Xu Yao’s face went white with terror as he stared at Ning Yan.
The people around him instinctively stepped farther away.
“So,” Ning Yan said as she rose to her feet and looked toward Pei Yan, her voice ringing clearly through the room, “Mudan’s case has no real murderer. She took her own life.”
Pei Yan looked at her expressionlessly.
The crowd erupted like water in a boiling pot.
Clapping his hands, Yu Daolin shouted, “Excellent! Brilliant!”
“Miss Ning may be young, but her abilities are outstanding. You’ve truly opened our eyes,” several constables gathered together called out.
As he spoke, Yu Daolin glanced at Qin San and the others and deliberately raised his voice.
“She’s far more reliable than the people in the yamen.”
Qin San’s and Qiao Lu’s expressions turned extremely ugly. They shot Ning Yan a resentful glance and stormed off.
“So does this mean I can go bring my second son home now?” Zhang Xingben asked Ning Yan.
Ning Yan nodded.
“Thank you, thank you. I was right about you. Thank heavens for your help.” Zhang Xingben bowed repeatedly. He had never expected Ning Yan to solve the case in exactly three days as she had promised. If he hadn’t gambled on her and instead had muddle-headedly found someone to take the blame, his son would have carried that stain on his name for the rest of his life.
Overjoyed, Zhang Xingben hurried away.
Xu Yao and his father, Xu Zhicheng, were both so frightened that they had collapsed to the ground.
Ning Yan clasped her fists and greeted everyone present one by one. They were all members of the merchants’ guild. If she decided to go into business in the future, building connections with them could only be beneficial.
“Miss Ning, if there’s an opportunity in the future, let’s work together and make some money.”
“Certainly, certainly,” Ning Yan replied with a smile.
“Miss Ning.” Yu Daolin pushed through the crowd and handed her a calling card. “Would you be interested in joining our escort agency?”
Ning Yan took the card and read the name carefully: Xinglong Escort Agency. Chief Escort Master: Yu Daolin.
“However, escort agencies transport escorts and goods. I’m an outsider when it comes to that line of work.”
Everything Ning Yan knew about escort agencies came from martial arts dramas she had watched in her previous life. In her mind, their business was limited to escorting shipments and delivering cargo.
“You may not know this, Miss.” Yu Daolin had only gotten halfway through his explanation when someone suddenly grabbed Ning Yan’s arm.
“Let’s go.” Before Ning Yan could say anything, Pei Yan had already pulled her away.
“Let go.” Ning Yan brushed his hand aside.
With his usual arrogance, Pei Yan said, “Why are you so fierce? A bet is a bet. The loser must accept the result.”
Ning Yan was speechless. If one only looked at his expression, they would think he had been the one who won.
“Of course I know. Commander, you lost.” Ning Yan showed him no courtesy whatsoever.
Pei Yan ground his teeth.
“Still, I don’t need you to be my attendant. How about this? Let’s just be friends. In the future, while I’m in Zining County, you can look after me now and then.” As she spoke, she cupped her hands in a greeting.
“Who wants to be friends with you?” Pei Yan said, stopping directly in front of her. With his hands clasped behind his back, he bent slightly at the waist and stared at her. They were so close that they could hear each other’s breathing.
Instinctively, Ning Yan stepped back a small step. Seeing the fleeting embarrassment in her eyes, Pei Yan felt even better.
“What?” Ning Yan asked, confused.
“A loss is a loss,” Pei Yan said. “From now on, the entire Qiantan Garrison belongs to you. I’m your subordinate, and I’ll take orders from you.” As he spoke, he suddenly seized her hand and placed half of a tiger tally in her palm. “With this, you can mobilize troops and issue commands. Keep it safe.”