Chapter 12: Suspected Visitor 3
"Zhenzhen, the person has been taken out." Meng Fan walked in and asked Zhou Zhenzhen to go back quickly so that he could interrogate her earlier and rest earlier, otherwise he would have to work all night again.
Zhou Zhenzhen said goodbye to the Zheng brothers and sisters and left quickly with Meng Fan.
Zheng Xiangru stared at the two men's backs as they left, his expression indescribably lonely. Zheng Yan saw it and said directly, "Although Zhou Zhenzhen is now in the Dali Temple, if you really like Cheng Jue, no matter what, I will do my best to help you get together."
"Brother...why are you so nice to me?"
Zheng Yan rubbed her hair and said with a smile: "Because you are my only sister, if I don't treat you well, who else can I treat well? No matter what you want, I will give it to you."
Zheng Xiangrui smiled, looking still childish, like a delicate flower held in the palm of her brother's hand, never exposed to the sun, rain, wind or weather.
As soon as Zhou Zhenzhen returned to the Dali Temple, she went into the interrogation room to interrogate Ji Ling and Du Rufeng.
Du Rufeng had told everything he knew at Kuailu Villa before, and the focus of this interrogation was on Ji Ling. No one expected that Ji Ling, who seemed to have nothing to do with the case, would be related to this case, and even worse, he was the one who caused Du Ruyue's case.
The night was as cool as water, and this deep autumn night could best bring out the loneliness deep in one's heart. It was obvious that Du Ruyue was the best way to hypnotize Ji Ling. Cheng Jue and Meng Fan were outside the door, and soon they heard Ji Ling's choking voice.
"Three years ago, when I accompanied my mother to the temple to burn incense, I met Ruyue. She knelt in front of the abbot and wanted to become a nun and end her worldly ties..."
It was a sunny day in spring. Ji Ling saw the tears on the face of the woman who was so thin that she could be blown down by a gust of wind. She looked only thirteen or fourteen years old, but her eyes did not have the innocence that should be possessed by a person of this age, but deep despair.
"Your worldly ties have not yet ended. Forcing yourself to detach from the secular world will only deepen your worries." The host said "Amitabha" and stretched out his hand to help her up. "Is there nothing you love in the spring sun, summer wind, autumn rain, and winter snow?"
The woman was stunned and whispered softly: "Qiu..."
"With love comes support, so please take care of yourself."
"This Du family girl is also a pitiful person." Madam Ji sighed. Ji Ling's mind moved and she asked, "Does mother recognize her?"
"She is the youngest daughter of Lord Du, the Minister of Rites. Lord Du married Princess Qingyang as his wife, and Princess Qingyang gave birth to his eldest son, Du Rufeng. Du Ruyue was born to an unofficial concubine, who died early. Du Ruyue lost her mother, and Princess Qingyang is not an easy person to get along with, so it's hard for her to have such an idea."
Ji Ling suddenly understood: "Miss Du's biological mother passed away in the autumn?"
Madam Ji nodded and said, "Princess Qingyang said that concubines without official status cannot be buried in the Du family mausoleum and can only be sent back to Suizhou for burial. Every year, Miss Du goes to Suizhou to pay homage to her mother."
For Du Ruyue, she lost her mother in autumn, but she could also meet her mother briefly in autumn.
Ji Ling couldn't help but look over again. Du Ruyue didn't notice that there was someone else next to her. She covered her face and burst into tears.
Ji Ling had never known that a person's tears could have such a powerful force. They looked gentle, but when gathered together, they could rush into people's hearts like a tidal wave. Madam Ji went to the temple to burn incense, but Ji Ling couldn't help but walked back.
Du Ruyue was still crying, as if she was crying out about this miserable and hopeless life.
A hand passed a handkerchief to her eyes. She stopped crying and raised her tearful eyes to look at the owner of the hands.
There was a kind smile on his face and unconcealable pity in his eyes.
A man's pity for a woman gives rise to a myriad of emotions.
Du Ruyue later said many times that she was grateful to the master for not giving her the tonsure, otherwise she would never meet him again.
The person who drove away all the darkness in her world, the person who finally allowed her to pick up the light of life.
Du Ruyue was still young, so Ji Ling wanted to wait a few years before going to the Du family to ask for marriage. Although Du Ruyue had never mentioned her life in the Du family, Ji Ling knew it all. Since she didn't want to talk, he didn't ask, and just waited for the right time to marry her.
This wait lasted for three years.
Du Ruyue is introverted and timid by nature, and does not want anyone to know about her relationship with Ji Ling. Ji Ling takes care of her in everything, but this year he insists that she come back from Suizhou in advance to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together.
"My grandmother is coming to Chang'an this year. She must like your personality the most. As long as she agrees, my family will have no objection to our relationship."
Du Ruyue's background was there, and Ji Ling didn't want to confront his parents head-on. This time, he took his grandmother to Chang'an City to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which was also the result of long consideration. Du Ruyue hesitated but nodded: "Brother Ling, I will listen to you."
Ji Ling couldn't bear to avoid her this time, and he went to see her off on the day Du Ruyue left Chang'an City.
The sun in the sky inlaid a golden edge on the clouds. The carriage on the wide official road slowly drove out of sight. Ji Ling stood with his hands behind his back, a smile on his face.
In a few days, she will be back, and his three years of waiting will not be in vain.
…
Zhou Zhenzhen came out of the interrogation room with swollen eyes. Cheng Jue was prepared and handed her a handkerchief, and also stuffed the candy he had been carrying into her hand.
In fact, Zhou Zhenzhen never understood why Cheng Jue always gave her candy, but she realized that it was his way of coaxing her, so she held back her sobs, broke off a small piece and put it in her mouth.
Meng Fan, who saw the two people's little movements throughout the whole process, fell into deep thought.
"Meng Fan, what does your little sister like when she cries?"
"Why did you think of asking this, Master Cheng?"
"The case is relevant."
"Oh... Your little sister loves candy the most. Once she sees candy, she forgets everything else."
…
Meng Fan thought of the conversation with Cheng Jue in the past, and couldn't help but open his eyes wide. Could it be that from that time on, Master Cheng had been interested in Zhou Zhenzhen? Zhou Zhenzhen had just entered the Dali Temple at that time!
Cheng Jue turned around and glanced at him coldly. Meng Fan immediately pretended to look away: "Don't mention it, this interrogation room is quite beautiful!"
Zhou Zhenzhen: …
Cheng Jue: "Beautiful, you can stay here tonight!"
"No, no, no, I can't abandon Huo Chi and Doctor Yan. We have to live and die together. I'd better go back to the Detective Department."
Zhou Zhenzhen: ...Why does she feel that Meng Fan is becoming more and more shameless?
Zhou Zhenzhen followed Cheng Jue to his office, where she had gotten used to sleeping from time to time. As soon as she entered the room, she began to busy herself with putting together tables and laying out blankets. Cheng Jue watched her busying herself, and suddenly felt a sense of security in his heart.
It was as if she had become his little wife, taking care of his daily life virtuously.
Cheng Jue stood by the window, flipping through the file Zhou Zhenzhen brought back from the Ministry of Justice. In fact, there was nothing to look at in detail. What was recorded on it was not different from what Ji Ling said. He habitually read it from beginning to end. Zhou Zhenzhen obediently offered him a cup of tea: "Master Cheng, you have worked hard."
Cheng Jue closed the file and put it aside, then took the tea and took a sip, and the fatigue of the whole night was dispelled.
I don't know whether it was the tea or the girl in front of me that had the effect.
"What do you think of Ji Ling?"
Zhou Zhenzhen thought about it and met Ji Ling twice, and said: "He has deep feelings for Du Ruyue, but he is a calm person. Before in Hexi Tower, when he saw Du Rufeng, he did not show the slightest bit of abnormality. He just waited for Du Rufeng to be alone before taking action. He was really able to hold back. However, he was the only one who knew that Du Ruyue would rush back from Suizhou early... How did the murderer know?"
As she spoke, she tugged at Cheng Jue's sleeve, her eyes sparkling, "Master Cheng, don't you have any thoughts on this case? I haven't heard you talk about it much since the incident. This is not like you."
"motivation."
"What?"
"I'm thinking about the murderer's motive." Cheng Jue rubbed the edge of the teacup with his long fingers, his eyes dark, and said, "The murderer this time is not like the ones I encountered before. He may not have a clear purpose for revenge, to repay a favor, or to overturn a verdict, nor does he seem to kill people randomly to vent his anger. The murderer's targets have many similarities. They are all daughters of officials and have brothers. Before they kill, they use puppets to send messages and let their brothers make choices. In addition to these fixed requirements, Du Ruyue is introverted and does not interact with others. Liu Fang has a simple temperament. Neither of them has ever had an enemy, and the two have no contact. At this time, it is difficult to find any clues from the existing clues. We can only trace the source to find out the murderer's motives and the method of choosing the target. Stop him before he makes a move next time, so that we can hit him with one shot."
Zhou Zhenzhen opened her mouth slightly. She had never thought about this question before. When it came to investigating a case, Cheng Jue always made her realize the profound meaning of the phrase "there are always people better than you".
Cheng Jue raised her pointed chin in amusement, stood up and picked through the pile of things on the table beside her, and found a roster: "I asked Huo Chi to go to the Ministry of Revenue before, and checked the officials in Chang'an who had eldest sons and young daughters. Now I don't know the pattern of the murderer's selection of people. I can only ask Commander Liao of the Patrol Battalion to focus on these families during the inspection..."
He frowned, feeling a little headache. It was meaningless to wait passively like this, but there was no better choice now. It was better to do more than to sit and wait for death.
He felt a chill on his forehead. It was Zhou Zhenzhen who stood on tiptoe and gently pressed her fingers on it to massage him. "Although this case is a little difficult, I believe that Master Cheng will be able to solve it, because Master Cheng is more capable than everyone I have ever met. I will also do my best to share Master Cheng's worries."
She said this in a childish way, and Cheng Jue couldn't help but curl up his lips: "Are you treating me like a child?"
"When an adult gives me candy, isn't that just treating me like a child? It's only fair if there's give and take."
That night, Zhou Zhenzhen fell asleep in Cheng Jue's arms. She was in a daze and seemed to have a dream.
In her dream, she returned to the village where she lived as a child. At that time, there was no plague and the village was quiet and peaceful. The afternoon sun was golden and the sound of children reading could be heard from the wooden house at the east end of the village.
“Isn’t it a pleasure to learn and practice from time to time? Isn’t it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar? Isn’t it a gentleman to not be angry when people don’t know him…”
She was holding a book and reading along, nodding her head. Someone next to her bumped her arm and said, "Hey Zhizhi, do you have a handkerchief? My hand is stained with ink again."
"Why do you always get in on the act..." She complained, but still took out her handkerchief. The man took it with a smile and wiped his little fingers.
…
Zhou Zhenzhen woke up from her dream. In front of her was Cheng Jue's chest, which made her vision dark. She was a little dazed for a moment, not knowing whether it was day or night. The hand on her waist tightened, and Cheng Jue's hoarse voice sounded above her head: "Why did you wake up after only sleeping for an hour? It's still early, sleep a little longer."
"Master Cheng, I dreamed about my childhood."
"A nightmare?"
Zhou Zhenzhen shook her head. "I saw Zheng Xiangrui last night. She was like Qiu'er, who lived next door to me. She always had the habit of rubbing ink on her little finger when writing. Maybe I dreamed about Qiu'er, and we went to study at Wang Xiucai's house in the east end of the village together...but she is no longer here."
All the people she was familiar with, all the people she knew, seemed to be gone.
Apart from her, the only thing that remained during that period was Cheng Jue, who was unaware of everything and the Cheng Jue that she kept in her heart at that time.
"When I really had a nightmare before, I always dreamed of you coming to save me, just like before."
Cheng Jue suddenly opened his eyes and thought carefully about the past, but he never remembered such a past, nor did he remember having seen her.
Zhou Zhenzhen in his arms leaned closer to him, her voice muffled and full of uncertainty and nervousness: "When this case is solved, I will tell you everything."
She told him the real her from her own mouth.
