TPGA - 41

Chapter 41: Suspicion

Duan Zhihong paused, lowering his head to think for a moment. “Second Master said, ‘Break his teeth...’”

Li Shimin nodded. “Exactly. Though we couldn’t force him to let go, breaking his teeth would have achieved the same goal of freeing Big Brother. Moreover, I’ve interacted with Mei Xue before. She’s soft-spoken and timid, unwilling to argue even when wronged. Would someone like that suddenly take up a sword and kill someone? Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”

“That’s true,” Duan Zhihong agreed, his expression suddenly shifting. “Could it be that Miss Wu deliberately killed Shen Moping? But didn’t Second Master previously say that Miss Wu had nothing to do with the assassin?”

“At the time, our investigation was thorough. Based on her family background and usual behavior, there was no way Mei Xue could be an accomplice of the assassin. But now…” Li Shimin’s expression grew complex. “I’m no longer certain.”

Duan Zhihong thought for a moment. “If Wu Meixue really is an accomplice of the assassin, then her killing Shen Moping makes perfect sense. Not only did she sabotage our plans, but she also spared Shen Moping further suffering by ending his torment.” Pausing briefly, he asked, “Second Master, what should we do now? Shall we arrest Wu Meixue?”

Li Shimin raised his hand. “For now, let’s not alert her. Just keep a close watch on her. Our top priority is still finding Shen Yunyi—she’s the most dangerous one.”

“I understand. I’ll make arrangements immediately.” Then, recalling something, he added, “Second Master, since Eldest Master is injured, shall I report this to the governor to avoid keeping him waiting?”

Li Shimin thought for a moment. “I’ll handle it myself. Go check on Big Brother’s injury. I’ll visit Father first, then come over right away.”

Before leaving, he glanced at Shen Moping’s corpse and fell silent for a moment. Finally, he said, “Whatever wrongs he committed in life are now gone with his death. Don’t leave his body exposed. Find a place to bury him.”

After Duan Zhihong agreed, Li Shimin hurried toward Songtao Residence. Meanwhile, Yunyi and Jiang Caiping returned to their room. As soon as they entered, Jiang Caiping quickly closed the door, clutching her still-racing chest and muttering to herself, “That was terrifying earlier! So scary! That Shen Moping was like a madman, biting down on Eldest Master without letting go, even when Second Master chopped at his legs with a sword.”

After a brief pause, she turned to Yunyi. “And you, Sister—how did you have the courage to grab the sword and kill him? I thought I was seeing things!” Waiting for a response, she noticed that tears were silently streaming down Yunyi’s face, dripping onto the floor. Alarmed, she exclaimed, “Sister, why are you crying? What’s wrong?”

Yunyi didn’t speak, only continuing to cry. She knew everything. Moping didn’t want to implicate her, so he deliberately provoked Li Jiancheng into killing him, seeking death wholeheartedly! But Li Shimin was too calm—calm to the point of being terrifying. Even in that situation, he could think of breaking Moping’s teeth to force him to release his grip.

If the guards had followed his order, Moping would still be alive, enduring endless torment. She couldn’t bear to see Moping suffer like that anymore, so… she ended his life with her own hands!

She knew that doing so would inevitably raise Li Shimin’s suspicions, but she couldn’t bring herself to stand by and watch Moping endure such agony.

When the steel blade pierced Moping’s body, it felt as though her heart had been brutally torn in two. Though they were master and servant in name, in reality, they were like family. Over the years, Moping had stayed by her side without fail. Even knowing that her assassination attempt on Li Yuan could cost him his life, he followed her without hesitation—helping her hide, aiding her in stealing medicine. Without Moping, she would have died long ago!

Yet, the only thing she could do for Moping was to personally send him to his death—to kill the person closest to her, the one who would rather die than let harm come to her.

Jiang Caiping kept calling out to Yunyi, but the latter remained silent, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. One tear hadn’t dried before another fell, as if she intended to shed every last drop of sorrow.

Jiang Caiping, holding a handkerchief soaked with tears, said anxiously, “Sister, don’t scare me! Tell me what’s wrong. Please… please stop crying. Your crying… your crying is making me want to cry too.” By the end of her words, her eyes were red, and tears began to fall.

Seeing this, Yunyi finally spoke. “Why are you crying?”

Jiang Caiping sobbed as she replied, “I don’t know why, but… seeing you cry makes my heart ache so much that I can’t help but cry too. Sister, please stop crying, okay?”

Yunyi wiped away the tears from the corners of Jiang Caiping’s eyes, her voice choked with emotion. “You’re such a silly girl. Stop crying already.”

Jiang Caiping insisted, “Then you stop crying too. If something is troubling you, tell me about it. No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side. I’ll stay with you forever.”

Her words stabbed at Yunyi’s heart, and she murmured softly, “There was someone else who once promised to always stay by my side, but in the end… he left.”

Jiang Caiping shook her head vigorously. “No, no! My promise will never break. Whether we’re still in the governor’s mansion or not, we’ll always be the best of sisters!” Extending her little finger, she added, “If you don’t believe me, let’s make a pinky promise. Whoever breaks it will be a puppy!”

Yunyi took a deep breath, wiping away her tears, her voice hoarse. “What a silly girl you are. Who makes pinky promises at our age? People will laugh at us if they see.”

“Not at all!” With that, Jiang Caiping grabbed her hand and hooked her little finger with Yunyi’s, reciting the familiar childhood rhyme: “Golden hook, silver hook, a hundred years without change!”

“There. Now we’ve made a promise. For the next hundred years, we’ll be the best of sisters.” Then, curious, she asked, “Sister, earlier you mentioned someone who promised to stay with you but left. Who was that?”

Yunyi wouldn’t tell her it was Shen Moping, so she casually replied, “It was a close friend from the same village. We were very close, but she passed away from illness a few years ago. Thinking about her just now made me feel so sad.”

Jiang Caiping nodded in understanding, gripping Yunyi’s hand tightly. “Don’t think about the past anymore. From now on, I’ll always be here with you, and we’ll never part!” Then, she added, “By the way, you haven’t told me why you were crying. I’ve never seen you cry so bitterly before.”

Yunyi suppressed her grief and said, “It wasn’t sadness—it was… fear. After all, I just killed a person.”