Miss Truth
Chapter 349 - 220: Take Ran Yun Down Now

Chapter 349: Chapter 220: Take Ran Yun Down Now

Even though Li Wanshun was born of high nobility, she was ultimately raised as a commoner. Her tumultuous life in the palace taught her how to endure and be resilient, but it did not make her heart strong. Facing Xiao Song’s imposing presence, she pursed her lips slightly and lowered her gaze to the silver hairpin, declaring firmly, "I have never seen it before."

"In that case... thank you for your help, Princess." Xiao Song took back the item, wrapped it up, and put it back in the box.

Li Wanshun nodded, her gaze vaguely drifting back to Ran Yan. They really did look a lot alike, especially the eyes and brows. If it weren’t for the fact that Ran Yan’s eyes lacked the vivacity of a young girl, they might have looked even more similar.

"This lady is..." Li Wanshun couldn’t resist asking in the end.

Ran Yan glanced at Xiao Song before replying, "Responding to the Princess, I am the seventeenth daughter of the Ran family from Suzhou."

"The Ran family." Li Wanshun felt a sense of melancholy. She was very young when her family was broken, and she hardly remembered any relatives from her mother’s clan, let alone now that she and the Zheng family were already strangers.

The Zheng family of Xingyang, although a noble and powerful clan, had no reason to stand against a lone woman and the Imperial Family.

"The matters I needed to inquire about are finished, we have intruded enough for today, I hope you will forgive us," Xiao Song said as he straightened and bowed.

Seeing that he intended to leave, Chai Xuanyi said, "Assistant Minister Xiao, you’re too polite. If there are any developments in the case, please also inform me."

"Of course," Xiao Song smiled and rose to his feet, "I take my leave."

Li Wanshun and Chai Xuanyi stood up to see him off.

Only then did Ran Yan notice that Chai Xuanyi was almost as tall as Xiao Song, appearing lean and tall. His wide-sleeved green robe and carelessly tied black hair made him look even more detached and otherworldly.

Once out of the Chai residence and on the carriage back, Xiao Song said, "You see, having you perform the autopsy was very useful; you noticed more details, facilitating my determination of the victim’s identity."

"After the event," Ran Yan humphed.

Xiao Song chuckled, noticing Ran Yan seemed to be in a better mood, so he asked, "Are you able to tell if Chai Xuanyi is really suffering from memory loss?"

"Do you suspect he killed someone and then pretended to have amnesia?" Ran Yan caught on immediately.

"I wish it were that simple!" Xiao Song sighed, leaning back on the couch. If it were indeed Chai Xuanyi who committed the murder, he could deal with it justly, and Chai Xuanyi’s death would not pose too great an obstacle. The Princess of Wenxi could remarry once and could do so again. There was no need to go around in such circles to solve the case.

Ran Yan recalled every little detail from earlier and said, "I can’t be sure about whether Chai Xuanyi has lost his memory, but their marital relationship seems very indifferent."

The two of them really were like strangers, showing little interest in one another. If one said that Chai Xuanyi felt estranged toward Li Wanshun due to his memory loss, that could be plausible. However, Li Wanshun’s distant attitude made one wonder.

Usually, couples don’t act too affectionate in public, but a long-term relationship creates an unspoken understanding that reflects in their every action. Even if their relationship is not great, they wouldn’t go so far as to not even glance at each other.

Xiao Song closed his eyes in thought, his fingers rubbing his temples, uncertain whether he took in Ran Yan’s words. These past few nights, he had only managed about two hours of rest, and the previous night, he had slept for merely half an hour, feeling fatigued by the afternoon.

Suddenly, Xiao Song felt his hand being moved away, and then two soft and warm hands were placed on his temples. His spirit was instantly revived, all the fatigue dissipated, and his body tensed up slightly.

Ran Yan immediately felt his reaction and said, "Why are you tensing up? Relax."

Relax... easier said than done.

At first, Xiao Song couldn’t ignore the sensation of skin contact, but Ran Yan had the skills of a medical massage therapist, and soon he felt comfortable, gradually adapting to the touch.

"Ah Yan..." Xiao Song’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

Ran Yan interrupted him matter-of-factly, "There’s no need to thank me; I’m merely returning the favor."

...

After a moment of silence, Xiao Song said, "Shouldn’t the saying be to repay even a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude?"

Ran Yan paused in her actions, "How would you like me to do that?"

"Haha!" Xiao Song was amused by her words, "You truly live up to the standard of one who crafts timeless verses, even your words are uniquely distinctive."

Ran Yan pressed down a few more times before letting go and sitting back in her seat, her face cold as she glared at him.

Xiao Song got off the couch and sat close to her, taking out a handkerchief from his chest, "Ah Yan, I only have one, and it’s not enough for me. How about you embroider another one for me?"

"Use your white folded cloth!" Ran Yan responded coldly.

"It’s easy to transition from frugality to extravagance but difficult the other way around. You won’t lose out; consider it giving a favor," Xiao Song said after a few attempts to gauge Ran Yan’s character. Simply put, it was all about reciprocity with her. Whatever others did for her, she would return in kind.