Chapter 100

Li Wenji lifted her smooth, porcelain-like little foot and slipped it into a pair of pink bunny slippers. Pattering, she walked in her cute pajamas to the balcony of the room, where there was an iron ladder that could be climbed to the rooftop.

She raised her head to glance at the red-tiled rooftop, her clear, pearly teeth lightly biting her cherry-red, soft lips. She stretched out her small hand, grabbed the cold iron vertical ladder, and slowly climbed up.

The wind on the rooftop was strong, howling. A figure dressed in a Tang suit with a black base and golden eyes of a red-blooded python stood alone, holding a large white telescope. His figure was thin, his clothes fluttering, as if he were about to ride the wind and ascend to immortality.

"Su Xing!"

Li Wenji climbed to the rooftop, staring at the figure, her eyes wide with anger and frustration.

"Li Wenji."

The figure turned around, revealing Su Xing, who had spent the night on the rooftop after removing his female attire.

Su Xing smiled, looking at the small girl with a thin figure, almost about to be blown away by the wind.

"What are you doing here!" Li Wenji scolded, demanding an answer.

"Little girl, didn't you issue a warrant for my arrest?" Su Xing countered, "Since you issued a warrant for my arrest, I came here on my own."

"Hmph!" Li Wenji bared a row of pearly teeth, wanting to bite Su Xing. The jade pendant on her chest floated, indicating she was about to attack.

"Don't, don't attack!" Su Xing stepped back, raising his hands in surrender, grinning, "I came here just to clear my name."

"What do you have to clear your name for?!" Li Wenji didn't believe Su Xing at all, about to attack, the jade pendant on her chest glowing with internal light.

"Would I be so foolish as to come here and turn myself in if I were the murderer? I, Su Xing, may not be exceptionally smart, but I'm not that stupid," Su Xing continued to explain, taking a half-step back with his right leg, ready to run if the negotiation broke down.

He had spent the night on the rooftop and had already planned his escape route, not just standing there in the cold wind for nothing.

Li Wenji showed a hint of hesitation, then her face turned cold, "Explain how you plan to clear your name."

"By catching the real murderer, and I already know who killed Dongmei," Su Xing said confidently, grinning.

"Then tell me, who killed Dongmei? Is it someone named Su Xing? A namesake?" Li Wenji said mockingly, her sharp tongue already well-honed.

Su Xing's eyelids twitched, and he opened his mouth to ask, "Before that, can you tell me the name of the master of Bai Xue Yuan?"

"Can't come up with a name, so you want to frame someone randomly?" Li Wenji continued her sharp-tongued attack, not showing any signs of being a literary girl who reads books.

"Oh..." Su Xing was speechless, a black line appearing on his forehead. He suddenly felt that the obedient and cute Li Wenji from last night must have been an illusion, or perhaps her second personality.

"Hua Xiru," Li Wenji suddenly said, her sharp tongue aside, she still informed Su Xing of the master's name.

"Hua Xiru..."

Su Xing stroked his chin, a victorious smile appearing on his lips, "Indeed, Hua Xiru is the murderer of Dongmei."

"Proof!"

Li Wenji's eyes flashed with coldness, asking coldly.

"The proof is the poem left by Dongmei!" Su Xing's arm trembled, and a scroll of paper unfolded, revealing elegant calligraphy.

"From afar, I know it is not snow, for there comes a faint fragrance?" Li Wenji read.

"Exactly, 'From afar, I know it is not snow, for there comes a faint fragrance,' it clearly points to the master of Bai Xue Yuan—Hua Xiru!" Su Xing said with utmost certainty.

"Ridiculous! Are you going to accuse the master of a courtyard of being the murderer based on your one-sided words?!" Li Wenji said, disappointed, "I thought you would find some evidence."

"Indeed, Dongmei's poem cannot prove that Hua Xiru is the murderer. I don't have solid evidence to accuse Hua Xiru. It's all based on my guess and intuition!"

"But!"

"Dongmei died in a state of soul dispersal, with no clear time or place of death, making it impossible to find any evidence! Even if we found evidence, what then? Hua Xiru is the master of a courtyard and a key official under the City God of Fengdu. Would anyone punish him for a mere ghost servant?"

Su Xing said, his voice firm and resolute.

"So what? You still haven't cleared your name. I've been listening to your one-sided words from the beginning," Li Wenji shook her head, her face showing a mocking expression.

"If I'm lying, I'll jump from here!" Su Xing, feeling cornered, said excitedly.

After all, he knew that with his abilities, even if he jumped from here, he wouldn't die.

"What are you doing here? Just to clear your name with one-sided words and then escape the law?" Li Wenji remained unmoved, her face calm and composed.

Su Xing was stunned, completely speechless. Smart kids are really hard to deal with.

"I came here hoping you would revoke the warrant for my arrest so I can thoroughly investigate 'Dongmei's death,' find the real murderer, and bring them to justice!" Su Xing said.

"So you have a plan?"

Li Wenji asked curiously, because as Su Xing himself said, Dongmei's death was a completely unsolvable mystery. First, there was no solid evidence to accuse the murderer, and second, if the murderer was indeed Hua Xiru, as the master of a courtyard, what would happen if he killed a ghost servant? Who would punish him?

"Putting myself at risk to lure the snake out of its hole!" Su Xing's expression suddenly became serious, and he said solemnly.

Li Wenji stared at Su Xing tightly, and after a long time, she slowly said, "I'll believe you one more time and give you three days. If..."

"I'll turn myself in!" Su Xing promised and prepared to jump from the rooftop.

"Wait, don't jump yet!" Li Wenji suddenly called out, her cold expression slightly softening.

Su Xing, who had just taken a step, immediately stopped, his face filled with gratitude.

After all, she was still a child, no matter how clever and fierce, her heart was still kind and couldn't bear to see him jump.

Su Xing thought happily.

Li Wenji lowered her head, hesitating for a long time before asking, "Was the maid last night you?"

"Huh?"

Su Xing was taken aback, nodded, and said, "Yes, it was me."

"Was it really you..." Li Wenji lowered her head, her expression flickering, as if making a difficult decision.

Could she have started suspecting me last night? Su Xing thought, re-evaluating the little girl in front of him. She was far from the weak and fragile appearance she showed, but rather very clever.

"If you fail, three days from now, right here, you will permanently become Charlotte Su Victoria, forever my personal maid, not the detestable Su Xing!" Li Wenji bit her red lips, her eyes staring at Su Xing, speaking seriously.

Permanently become Charlotte Su Victoria, forever my personal maid? That means I have to wear women's clothes for the rest of my life!

Su Xing's eyes widened, speechless.

"What? Not willing?" Li Wenji's expression instantly turned cold, her face darkening.

Permanently become Charlotte Su Victoria, forever Li Wenji's personal maid, should not conflict with being Duanmu Qing's 'mount,' not conflict...

Su Xing's left and right eyelids twitched, speculating in his heart. After a long time, he finally made a difficult decision and agreed.

"Alright, then you can jump now." Li Wenji turned coldly, leaving her small, thin back to Su Xing.

"Oh..."

Su Xing was stunned, feeling both shocked and helpless, and he drifted in the wind...

...

Li Wenji kept her word and indeed revoked the warrant for Su Xing's arrest. Su Xing, acting as if nothing had happened, wandered around the West Courtyard and found a set of women's clothes.

"Master, how did Su Xing manage to do that?"

On the Zhaixing Tower, the book boy looked up, curiously at Li Hanlin.

"Who knows?" Li Hanlin shrugged, looking at Su Xing through the telescope, his expression serious, feeling that something was off from the plan.

"Master, I feel like Su Xing suddenly looked over and smiled at me," the book boy said, shocked, knowing that he was currently on the Zhaixing Tower, ten thousand meters away, and it was impossible to see him with the naked eye.

"Stop looking!" Li Hanlin instantly put down the telescope, saying to the book boy, "Do you forget that we went to Bai Xue Yuan yesterday? A sniper with a Barrett rifle shot at him from a thousand meters away, but he used a bone to smash the entire pavilion. The unfortunate sniper's ghost body was completely shattered, impossible to reassemble."

"Ah!"

The book boy shivered, his hair standing on end, instantly putting down the telescope and grabbing Li Hanlin's hand, "Master, let's go quickly. I feel unsafe staying on the Zhaixing Tower."

"Don't worry." Li Hanlin patted the book boy's shoulder, smiling, "Is my Hanlin Academy so fragile?"

After a while, outside Bai Xue Yuan, the master Hua Xiru was on an outing, in a grand sedan chair, surrounded by white-clad golden boys and jade girls holding flower baskets, scattering plum blossoms.

Hua Xiru sat in the sedan chair, the white curtain fluttering in the wind, occasionally revealing his gentle and sinister face, with long, sinister eyes. He was on an outing today, invited by the masters of several other courtyards.

Perhaps fate is a fleeting encounter, and at that moment, it was not yet clear whether it was good or bad.

In that instant, a waterfall of black hair, like flowing clouds, passed by, dressed in a white, elegant, and simple plum blossom palace dress, with a touch of light pink at the edges, like a finishing touch. Her slender waist was wrapped in a beautiful flower bud, the whole outfit resembling a plum blossom.

The dress was beautiful, but the person was even more beautiful.

Dressed in a luxurious yet simple plum blossom palace dress, her black, beautiful long hair flowed like a gentle stream in the mountains, occasionally with snowflakes as big as goose feathers falling, white and pure, reflecting the woman's snow-white yet slightly pale face.

Her face was like a painting, her eyes beautiful and cold, with three plum blossom petals on her snow-white forehead, a straight nose, a face as smooth as jade, and red, plump lips like a plum blossom blooming in the cold winter.

The woman slightly lowered her head, extending a smooth, white arm, lifting a paper lantern, the flame inside flickering.

A fleeting encounter, a moment of beauty, in the snowy winter, full of surprise, as if spring were about to arrive.

Just a blink, an unintentional glance, Hua Xiru suddenly sat up from the reclining chair, quickly lifting the white curtain, and looked out, only to see the beautiful woman with the lantern gradually moving away.

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