Zhong Li rushed out of the small eatery, only to find a massive crowd gathered outside Hua Man Lou.
She looked up. The woman was still standing there, her face ashen, muttering something unintelligible.
"Oh, my Jin Yi, please come down. Don't do anything rash. Tell Granny what's bothering you!"
The madam of Hua Man Lou called out to the woman on the building, and several other women standing beside her began to persuade her.
"Yes, Jin Yi, come down quickly. Let's talk things through. There's nothing that can't be resolved."
The woman on the third floor heard her name being called and her gaze slowly shifted downward, her confused eyes landing on those who were calling her.
After a long moment, she seemed to come to her senses, shaking her head. "It's too late, too late. There's no time. The time has come."
"What? What did you say?" The madam, apparently hard of hearing, tiptoed closer, trying to hear more clearly.
Suddenly, a stack of paper money, seemingly from nowhere, rained down from above.
The surrounding crowd gasped, followed by a loud thud!
Jin Yi, like a soft persimmon falling from a tree, plummeted straight to the ground. Blood splattered everywhere, with viscous fluids gushing from her body, drenching the madam from head to toe.
The madam stiffly turned her head to look at the unrecognizable figure on the ground. "Ah!" she screamed, rolling her eyes before fainting.
At the same time, many onlookers were terrified by the scene. The fainter-hearted ones fled in all directions along the street. Only the braver ones, unable to bear the sight of the gruesome mess on the ground, clutched their stomachs and vomited.
"Li'er!" Hua Yao also rushed out from the small eatery opposite, her eyes wide as she witnessed the scene.
"Quick, go inform the Dali Temple," Zhong Li urgently instructed Hua Yao.
Hua Yao nodded and hurried away.
Zhong Li took off her gloves from her waist, put them on, and walked through the crowd directly towards the body.
Just as she was about to crouch down for a closer look, a voice interrupted, "Who are you? Do not touch Jin Yi's body."
Hearing the voice, Zhong Li looked up. She saw a woman dressed in a ginger-colored silk shirt rush out of Hua Man Lou, glaring at her.
She straightened up, her hand reaching for the token at her waist. As she was about to pull it off, another voice chimed in, "Qiong'er, I think you've been in Hua Man Lou for too long and haven't been out? You don't even recognize the newly appointed Shaoqing of Dali Temple, Master Zhong."
Looking at the speaker through Qiong'er, Zhong Li recognized her – Tian Lianxue.
"Miss Tian, it's been a while," Zhong Li said, forcing a smile at Tian Lianxue. She then continued to crouch down to examine the body on the ground. She had no interest in whatever Qiong'er and Tian Lianxue said afterward.
After a while, having presumably finished her initial examination, she stood up and looked at Qiong'er and Tian Lianxue, who were still standing in their places. "I heard the madam call her Jin Yi earlier?"
"Yes!" Qiong'er nodded. Her face, which had been arrogant when she reprimanded Zhong Li, was now submissive. "She's been at Hua Man Lou for a year or two. Business has been good recently, and she's the most popular 'red sister' under Sister Tian."
"Do you know why she committed suicide?" Zhong Li asked.
Qiong'er frowned, as if about to say something, then seemed to reconsider and finally shook her head. She asked back, "If Dali Temple is involved, does that mean Jin Yi didn't commit suicide? But she clearly died in front of us."
Zhong Li shook her head. "Dali Temple doesn't just investigate murder cases or unnatural deaths. Sometimes we encounter small cases of suicide, but before that, we must rule out the possibility of foul play."
"I see," Qiong'er said, looking enlightened.
"Were there any unusual signs before she committed suicide?" Zhong Li asked again.
Qiong'er thought for a moment. Just as she was about to answer, a young girl standing beside Tian Lianxue suddenly spoke up, "There shouldn't be anything unusual. Yesterday, Sister Jin Yi even received a guest. I heard that gentleman gave her a lot of silver. She even said she would treat us to a meal today."
As the young girl spoke, she walked over to Qiong'er and nudged her. "Am I right, Sister Qiong'er?"
"Ah? Oh, yes, that's right." Qiong'er, nudged, finally came to her senses and repeatedly agreed.
"If she was planning to treat us, why did she suddenly commit suicide?"
"Li'er!" Just as Zhong Li finished speaking, Hua Yao's voice came from behind her.
She turned around and saw Hua Yao leading Ah Wu and a group of constables towards them.
"How tragic," Hua Yao exclaimed as she reached the body.
Zhong Li nodded, about to question Qiong'er further, when Hua Yao tugged her arm.
"Li'er, I saw the woman named Jin Yi jump from the building. Now, looking at the scene, there doesn't seem to be anything suspicious."
Zhong Li said, "Yes, I took a look before you arrived. There really wasn't anything unusual."
"Then..." Hua Yao said, pointing at Ah Wu, who was already re-examining the scene. "Ah Wu is new to Dali Temple. Why don't we let him investigate this case?"
Zhong Li smiled. "Since when did you start helping my subordinates to find work?"
Hua Yao sighed. "Isn't it for your own good? Ah Wu is already twenty-four and hasn't had a matchmaker yet. If he can rise quickly in Dali Temple, perhaps his lifelong marriage wouldn't be a worry."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li's smile grew wider. "Yao'er, although you're usually chattering, you never interfere in other people's private affairs. Who taught you to say this?"
Hua Yao, seeing through, lowered her head, not daring to answer.
Zhong Li turned back and looked at Ah Wu, who was still busy, and asked Hua Yao, "Did Ah Wu say this?"
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you," Hua Yao sighed. "On the way, Ah Wu asked about this case, and I gave him a brief summary. He said he finally managed to get an official position in Jincheng, but he still has parents and younger siblings to support. So, he asked if I could find you and let him take charge of this case. I thought about how Ah Wu has faced life and death with you, and he is loyal, so I agreed to help him."
Zhong Li heard this and tapped Hua Yao on the nose. "Actually, even if you hadn't said anything, I was planning to let Ah Wu handle this case. Tomorrow, the special envoy from Yingzhou, Shen Tuju, will arrive in Jincheng. The Emperor has entrusted me with his safety in Jincheng, and I fear I won't have enough time."
"So... it's settled then?" Hua Yao blinked at Zhong Li.
"Mm," Zhong Li nodded.
Hua Yao bowed to Zhong Li and said, "I thank you on behalf of Ah Wu," before hurrying towards Ah Wu.
Zhong Li watched Ah Wu's delighted expression from a distance, her smile slowly fading. Although she hadn't spent much time with Ah Wu, she knew his character. He wouldn't go through roundabout ways to ask her for a case and rush to achieve merit. If he wanted something, he would be direct. For him to have found Hua Yao, someone must have given him advice or instigated something. It seemed someone noteworthy had appeared around Ah Wu.
"Li'er, what are you thinking about?" Hua Yao, having finished her conversation with Ah Wu, skipped over to her side.
"Nothing. It's late, let's go back," Zhong Li said. She glanced back at Ah Wu, who was cupping his hands in thanks, and led Hua Yao in the direction of Dali Temple.