Facing those unforgettable eyes, those cherry lips and pearly teeth, Ran Yan slowly said, "An Jin."

Whether it was Ran Yan or Xiao Song, or any official from the Ministry of Justice, none of them believed An Jin to be innocent. However, they all thought he was merely a eunuch doing errands for the Crown Prince! But now, could it be otherwise?

"Lady still remembers me." An Jin's eyebrows and eyes were full of smiles, so lively. Just like the first time they met, when he seemed like a sprite fallen into the mortal world.

"Your purpose for intercepting me," Ran Yan calmly asked.

To her surprise, An Jin let down the carriage curtain, turned his back to Ran Yan, and focused on driving. "Lady is a smart person, you mustn't think of crying out for help or attempt to attack me from behind. Lady has three lovely children, surely you wouldn't want anything to happen to them, right?"

Ran Yan coldly watched his back.

An Jin turned his head slightly, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Lady doesn't believe me? Is there someone named Ge Lan in your residence? The one Li Dejian likes, hmm, do you trust her?"

"Impossible!" Ran Yan declared firmly.

An Jin leaned against the carriage door, looking at Ran Yan through the narrow slits in the bamboo curtain, his smile devastating and incomparable. "Lady still doubts, otherwise you would've killed me immediately."

Ran Yan remained silent, for she was not someone who easily placed trust in others. Yet, once she trusted somebody, unless confronted with undeniable fact, she would trust unwaveringly. Therefore, she absolutely wouldn't suspect Ge Lan and felt this was just another one of An Jin's games!

The reason Ran Yan didn't take action was that she believed An Jin, having been able to quietly take down the official and carriage driver earlier and now so confident, must be highly skilled in martial arts, at least capable of instantaneously taking her life.

Without a word, Ran Yan silently twisted her handkerchief into a strip and then tied it up.

Feeling the calmness of the person behind him, An Jin's smile carried a touch of tenderness. "Lady surprises me more with every encounter."

Such tenderness was beautiful, as if coming from deep within the heart, easily moving one's soul. But when it appeared out of place, it only served to chill the heart.

"It was you." The person that appeared in the attic, Ran Yan had thought of everyone but him.

Without responding, An Jin looked back as the carriage entered a secluded alley. "Lady, please don't be hasty, step out of the carriage first."

Ran Yan glanced outside and upon standing to leave, casually threw the tied handkerchief under the carriage.

Soon An Jin would undoubtedly take the carriage away, unlikely to deliberately look under it. If by misfortune she didn't throw it well, it might be easily found, but she couldn't turn back to check now.

"Lady, after you." An Jin said.

Under the glaring sunlight, Ran Yan saw An Jin up close and couldn't help but feel startled. His skin was as white as congealed fat, without a single blemish, naturally not like an actor covered in makeup. His long eyelashes like black feathered wings cast shadows over his twinkling eyes.

Ran Yan had once helped him, but she dare not naively rely on past favors. So she stepped out of the carriage.

This was an abandoned alley, grass growing up to the waist, the fierce sunlight barely reaching inside, a rickety door at the very end. Despite the distance, Ran Yan could clearly see the red paint peeling off to reveal the rotting, blackened wood beneath.

"State your purpose, or I'd rather die at this crossing than enter," Ran Yan halted in her tracks.

What would she face inside that place? Would she be tortured and covered in wounds like the Crown Prince's illegitimate son and Liu Pinrang? Or would it be a test challenging her mental endurance?

"Rest assured, Lady, you've shown me kindness, and I wouldn't repay it with malice unless necessary," An Jin seemed to have run out of patience. "Please, Lady, enter. Do not force me to take action."

Ran Yan led the way, An Jin instructing her to walk close to the wall. She walked gracefully, occasionally brushing against the grass to the side, her skirt concealing her movements as she affected only a few blades of grass.

She knew that from a distance, these few trampled grasses were invisible, but with her handkerchief as a guide, she believed Xiao Song would definitely notice.

As they neared the dilapidated door at the end, Ran Yan suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck and darkness overtook her senses as she lost consciousness.

…

Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Justice, another Junior Minister, Xie Jing, and the Imperial Censor Li Shengchang, were guarding the room where the corpses were kept. One was kneeling on a mat with closed eyes, as if meditating, while the other paced back and forth with hands behind his back.

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