“Obstacle?” Xiao Jing was confused.
Yuan Ye sorted out his thoughts: “Let’s assume that this person is the murderer. If he left between 9 and 9:30, and his excuse was that he was repairing a necklace at the craftsman’s house, then if he wanted to leave, he must have tampered with the time. In other words, he must have left before 9 o’clock.”
“But, in this case, the craftsman must be an accomplice, right?”
“No, the craftsman may not be an accomplice, but time may be.” Yuan Ye’s right hand tapped the back of his left hand with his fingers. “I have always overlooked a detail. The craftsman’s home does not have a clock. He told me it was ‘second watch’, while the people of the Gu family told me the time on a Western watch. So, I guess if someone tampered with the night watch, the craftsman would believe it.”
No one would think much of the night watchman’s call, so it was natural for the craftsman to believe it. The second watch, which was supposed to be at 9:30, was brought forward to 9:00, so his alibi was sufficient.
Xiao Jing suddenly understood but then fell into another dilemma: “But the craftsman’s time was shortened by half an hour. Didn’t he notice anything? Besides, he’s been repairing things for so many years. He should have some sense of how long it takes to fix a broken necklace, right?”
Yuan Ye curled his lips: “This is another obstacle.”
“En?”
“What if the necklace the craftsman repaired is not the one that was actually broken?” Yuan Ye gave Xiao Jing a hint.
“What? I… I still don’t understand.”
“I just had this bold idea,” Yuan Ye encouraged Xiao Jing to think further. “Think about it, if you are going to take me to a place tonight in this car, but unfortunately the car is broken by you, and you don’t want me to find out and punish you, but you also don’t want to delay my work, what would you do?”
“Then I’ll rent a similar car and hide it first.”
“That’s what I mean!”
This metaphor was very appropriate and easy to understand. Xiao Jing’s brain worked quickly and lived up to Yuan Ye’s expectations. He came up with an idea: “You mean, the murderer used the excuse of repairing a broken necklace, but he prepared an identical necklace that was not as seriously damaged for the craftsman to repair in advance, which shortened the time spent with the craftsman and made the craftsman his own witness? Oh my God, this… this method is too ingenious.”
Yuan Ye nodded, his voice lowered: “It is ingenious. If I hadn’t been unexpectedly inspired by it at the Gu family’s mansion today, I would never have thought of it either.”
Xiao Jing slammed on the brakes and turned around: “Then we have to hurry back to Xiaotong Guan, this matter is…”
He regretted it as soon as he opened his mouth because he remembered that Yuan Ye was in a bad mood in the morning because the case had been hastily closed.
Yuan Ye didn’t think about whether the case would be closed or not. He shook his head and overturned his own conclusion: “But… I don’t have any evidence.”
“Wasn’t what you said just now very reasonable? Why is it wrong now?” Leaning heavily against the back of the car seat, Yuan Ye rubbed his temple, his voice a little hoarse: “You forgot that I have a premise, the premise is ‘assuming that this person is the murderer’. All the reasoning I have just done is based on the premise that I first assumed the identity of the murderer. This is actually not scientific. I don’t have any evidence to prove that this person really killed the Governor as I said. To put it bluntly, I convicted the person first and then drew a murder map for him to fulfill my idea.”
If they follow this line of thought, then even if Yuan Ye suspected the housekeeper, Craftsman Sun, the Gu family’s driver, or even Gu Fangfei, he could draw a reasonable murder map.
The reason why he suspected Xu Hang was nothing more than a feeling, and this feeling could actually be a kind of “obstacle”. After all, Xu Hang could help Ruan Xiaodie out of sympathy and could protect Ruan Xiaodie out of kindness, but he had no reason to kill Wang Ronghuo.
Based on his understanding of Xu Hang, he is not such an impulsive person.
Xiao Jing also fell into deep thought: “Is there no evidence at the scene that can directly identify the murderer?”
“If there was, it wouldn’t have taken so long.”
Yuan Ye was holding back a jar full of emotions and secrets, accumulating like aged wine. Now that the case was closed and Duan Yelin had shown no reaction upon returning and learning about it, it was clear that this matter would stir no further trouble. His lingering obsession had never been about consequences—it was simply the need to uncover the truth.
However, his father seemed to be implicated as well, so he couldn’t investigate it so easily.
He still wanted to ask Xu Hang in person. He regarded Xu Hang as a friend. As long as Xu Hang spoke, he would believe him. “Drive to the Japanese Consulate.”
——————
The banquet held by the Japanese consulate was extremely luxurious. Ironically, they used Chinese silver and auctioned precious antiques looted from China.
The collections prepared this time are not only those curated by Kuromiya Keiko but also include items from private collectors, who have been given the opportunity to submit their pieces for appraisal. If deemed valuable, these items will also be included in the auction.
When Xu Hang and Duan Yelin arrived, Kuromiya Keiko had just appeared.
She looked especially stunning tonight, dressed in a black fishtail gown with long sleeves, accented by black pearl earrings and bold scarlet lipstick. With effortless grace, she descended the stairs.
The most exquisite piece of jewelry was the butterfly pendant adorning her neck, featuring painted enamel and delicate floral patterns. It was said to be one of the items up for auction tonight.
As soon as she came down, she was like cotton wool soaked in warm water, melting into the group of fascinated men. Whether it was the wealthy president of the Chamber of Commerce, the police chief in police uniform, or the well-mannered special commissioner, at this moment, they all surrounded her like little birds, chirping and vying for attention.
Kuromiya Keiko seemed thoroughly entertained by the special envoy. She lifted her chin slightly, a bright smile playing on her lips. “Special envoy, you’re truly teasing me. There are so many noble ladies in Hezhou City—how could I possibly compare?” As she spoke, she leaned in gently, her breath carrying a sweet fragrance. Her eyes, sharp and playful like a cat’s, sparkled with mischief. “But I must admit, I’m quite happy to hear you say that.”
Even from a distance, one could feel that the special envoy had reacted. He coughed unnaturally and took two small steps on the spot.
Then, Kuromiya Keiko took the wine to another corner and smiled sweetly at a silent man in a suit who was watching her silently: “My shoes don’t fit me well, can I sit next to you?”
The man blushed and quickly stood up, pulled out a stool, and made a gesture of invitation. Kuromiya Keiko sat down, holding up her skirt.
Kuromiya Keiko sat down and gently took the man’s hand. From above, the cut of her dress revealed a teasing glimpse of her décolletage. The man in the suit blushed even more, his composure faltering. Biting her lower lip, Kuromiya Keiko spoke in a soft, playful tone, “Thank you, you’re so sweet. Be sure to invite me to dance later—don’t forget~”
That man nodded quickly like a steamed shrimp.
Just ten minutes after entering, Xu Hang saw this woman flitting about like a butterfly, effortlessly handling different men and capturing their hearts with just a few words. With a shy man, she was clever and proactive; with a bold one, she was coy yet inviting. When faced with a serious man, she carried herself with dignity and grace, while with a passionate one, she became lively and warm.
She has a thousand faces and is able to change into anything she wants.
If brothel prostitutes could tailor their words to different people as she did, then calling her one would be an insult. She was a true socialite of Hezhou City—intelligent, refined, and proud. Even when she made a seductive gesture, it never came across as vulgar, only as part of her effortless charm.
Of course, to men, she was sweet as honey, but in women’s eyes, she was pure poison.
Xu Hang turned his head to Duan Yelin and said, “She is interesting.”
Duan Yelin: “Have you seen her?”
“Yes, she’s different every time I see her.”
Duan Yelin turned around and whispered to Qiao Song, “There are all kinds of people here. If I’m not here, you must stay with Xu Hang.”
Qiao Song nodded: “Yes!”
Kuromiya Keiko had just finished greeting a Frenchman when she turned and walked toward Duan Yelin and Xu Hang. Xu Hang was curious to see how she would handle Commander Duan, the most renowned military figure in Hezhou City. To his surprise, Kuromiya Keiko shed all traces of her usual seductiveness. Instead, she extended her hand with a composed, respectful demeanor. “At last, I have the fortune of meeting Commander Duan. It is truly an honor to have you here.”
The tone was as plain as boiled water.
Duan Yelin touched her symbolically: “Nice to meet you.”
She turned and left without stopping, going straight to a wealthy businessman behind them to say hello.
“See? This is someone who has truly cultivated themselves into a spirit.” Duan Yelin whispered in Xu Hang’s ear.
Xu Hang also realized that Kuromiya Keiko wasn’t interested in Duan Yelin. She could easily tell that his composure wouldn’t be swayed by her flattery. Instead of wasting time on futile pursuits, she focused her energy on things that had a chance of success. She was a transparent and astute person, always aware of her surroundings.
With fifteen minutes left before the auction officially began, the guests were still toasting when a man hurriedly entered from outside. He was panting and had an unhappy expression on his face, clutching a brocade box in his hands. As soon as he spotted Kuromiya Keiko, he quickly made his way toward her.
