GHLCS Chapter74

Yuan Ye’s shouting was enough to wake everyone in the mansion.

 

Old Madam Yuan and Madam Yuan turned from sadness to joy. Duan Yelin also rushed over and felt his pulse. As expected, he was still alive.

 

Good people don’t live long, but evil people live for thousands of years.

 

So he ordered a few soldiers, “Hurry up and take him to the hospital! Use my car.”

 

Everyone hurriedly carried Yuan Sen out of the Military Control Commissioner’s mansion. Just then, Duan Yelin whispered in Qiao Song’s ear, “Take two teams to keep a close eye on him the whole time. Don’t let anything go wrong with him, and don’t let anyone else do anything. Even if the doctor is going to perform an operation, you have to watch from the side!”

 

“Yes!” Qiao Song knew the seriousness of the matter and did not dare to relax.

 

The crowd immediately made way for them to pass first.

 

As the car drove away, they heard a soldier yell twice and ran over and said, “It’s bad, Commander!”

 

Duan Yelin was really angry: “What again? Did someone die again?”

 

“No, no… that Young Master Yuan went crazy. He beat me up and ran out the side door with his men! He said, he said he wanted to catch the murderer!”

 

“He knows who the murderer is?!”

 

“I don’t know…”

 

Duan Zhanzhou slapped the soldier with his palm, causing him to spin half a circle: “Idiot! If he runs away, I will kill you first! What are you standing there for? Go and chase him!”

 

When the soldiers saw that Duan Zhanzhou was very angry, they were so scared that they ran away with their guns in hand, fearing that they would be killed if they were a step late.

 

With so many people coming in and out of the Military Control Commissioner’s mansion, even the red curtains on the wall fell to the ground and were trampled to pieces.

 

The curtains were attached to the plaque and were pulled by brute force, half of them tilted, making the whole mansion look ridiculous.

 

All the women of the Yuan family accompanied him to the hospital. The guests felt that it was bad luck and ran away. Some servants took advantage of the chaos to steal the property in the mansion and ran away. Only a few loyal ones returned to the servants’ rooms and hid in silence.

 

The banquet was in chaos—tables and chairs overturned, shattered porcelain scattered across the floor. It was as if a tree had fallen, scattering the world, turning heaven into hell. Where can the rich and powerful be seen in this place now?

 

How noble he was today, how miserable he is now. The door went from being crowded with people to being deserted in just a moment.

 

Duan Yelin glanced back, a hint of irony in his voice. “This scene feels like déjà vu—like I’ve been thrown back a few months to witness Wang Ronghuo’s downfall all over again.”

 

Duan Zhanzhou’s expression was not as steady as Duan Yelin’s. Months of hard work had made him so thin that his cheekbones protruded and his eye sockets were slightly sunken, making his eyes look particularly sharp.

 

The corner of his mouth twitched: “Yuan Sen will be even worse than Wang Ronghuo. I hope he won’t wake up in the hospital!”

 

There was murderous intent in his words.

 

“Zhanzhou, it’s not time for him to die yet.”

 

If the murder hadn’t happened today, Yuan Sen likely wouldn’t have met a good end even through procedures. But now, with this incident on top of the previous cases, it’s something people can’t ignore anymore.

 

Duan Zhanzhou replied coldly, “I will do what I should do, and the rest is yours.”

 

With a flick of his cape, he left with his people.

 

This little brother ah, he has become too much, and he can no longer control him.

 

It is not advisable to stay here any longer. Duan Yelin assigned tasks to the remaining people: “Take your team and search the mansion again—gather every suspicious clue. Then contact the Security Department to verify everything and seal off the property. As for the rest of you, comb through the city. Yuan Ye isn’t someone who acts without cause. The killer might still be nearby.”

 

“Yes!” They agreed with full energy, and everyone went their separate ways to do their own things.

 

Thinking that Yuan Sen should have been rescued, Duan Yelin planned to go to the hospital to check. As soon as he stepped out of the door, he saw a slightly sad figure sitting on the steps at the entrance.

 

There were a few old people standing next to the figure, trying to persuade her earnestly, then they shook their heads and left her.

 

It was the fifth watch of the night, and the night watchman’s call echoed clearly in the stillness. That distant sound carried a chill, leaving people feeling cold and adrift in the darkness.

 

Duan Yelin slowed his steps, took off his coat, and gently draped it over her shoulders from behind. “Miss Gu, why don’t you go home with your parents?”

 

Gu Fangfei looked grim, but she did not cry like other girls. She just lowered her head and looked at the lantern in front of her, seeming to be dazed and thinking.

 

According to Hezhou City’s old customs, if misfortune struck the groom’s family before the wedding, it was considered a bad omen for the bride and thought to bring misfortune to the husband. Even if the Gu and Yuan families didn’t care, after today, she would undoubtedly become the laughingstock of the entire city.

 

How could a daughter of a wealthy family ever suffered such a misfortune?

 

Behind her was a desolate and empty mansion, in front of her was only a broken lantern, and her future was like a candle in the wind, with no telling when it would go out.

 

“Commander Duan…” Gu Fangfei’s soft voice startled Duan Yelin. It was frail, laced with overwhelming sorrow. “I just want to ask you one thing—was today’s incident a deliberate setup, or was it handled openly and fairly?”

 

Duan Yelin met her burning gaze without any evasion and said righteously, “It is indeed deliberate, but it is not a frame-up.”

 

“Heh… so that’s why you guys chose today?”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Gu Fangfei stood up, her body swaying slightly, but she still stood firm, with her chin slightly raised. Although there was bloodshot in her eyes, she still showed strength in her bones.

 

She said, “I should blame you—any woman in the world would. I want to hit you, curse you, pour out all my anger on you. I know you wouldn’t fight back, that you’d let me do it. But what right do I have? Deep down, I know you did nothing wrong—in fact, you were right. And besides… I once owed you a favor. No matter how I look at it, this isn’t your fault.”

 

Although it was not surprising, but the tone and manner were full of deep complaints.

 

The night wind was very cold. She touched her arm, gritted her teeth to hide the chill, and sat back on the steps.

 

“Why did your parents leave you here alone?”

 

“It’s me who didn’t go with them, they asked me to cancel the marriage.”

 

It turns out that Gu Fangfei loves Yuan Ye so deeply.

 

Duan Yelin picked up the fallen coat and wanted to put it on her again, but she blocked his way with one hand.

 

“Commander Duan, I appreciate your kindness, but it is a bit ridiculous that you have given me this situation and then you pity my end.”

 

She bit her lower lip, stubborn to the core, and refused to accept even a little bit of Duan Yelin’s kindness.

 

Duan Yelin took back his coat and said, “Although it’s almost dawn, it’s not safe for you to be here alone.”

 

“I’ll wait here for him to come back,” Gu Fangfei put her chin on her knees, curled up in a small ball, and watched the lantern. “When he comes back and sees that this place is empty, he will be sad.”

 

The night watch stopped.

 

————

 

Yuan Ye, who had injured a soldier and led his men away, chased back and forth in the alleys of the city, sweating profusely.

 

Xiao Jing followed him, not daring to lag behind.

 

But Yuan Ye just ran by himself without saying anything, so Xiao Jing had to ask, “Young Master, we can’t just look around like a headless fly. You have to tell us what that person looks like and where he went.”

 

Yuan Ye replied quickly as he ran, “I don’t know what he looks like, but he couldn’t have gone far—I saw him leave the house!”

 

“What?!”

 

Xiao Jing raised his voice, but Yuan Ye didn’t answer. He suddenly turned right and went into the alley, ran a few steps, and squatted down again.

 

The place where he squatted was a short shrine dedicated to the dog-headed god. There was a small brazier inside. This was where some old ladies came to beat the evil spirits during festivals.

 

He examined it closely, then suddenly overturned the entire brazier, stomping it out with his feet. He sifted through the ashes and discovered that much of the red cloth had not been fully burned.

 

“It’s that person!” Yuan Ye pounded the ground hard.

 

The murderer was so close to him, but he let him go!