"My Lord." Liu Xiang'er finished playing a tune and stood up, walking to Lu Wuxie's side. Seeing him with his back still to her, she called out softly.
Lu Wuxie didn't move, as if he hadn't heard her.
Liu Xiang'er bit her lower lip, thought for a moment, and with a slight frown, slowly shed the thin outer garment she was wearing, revealing the undergarments and camisole beneath.
"My Lord!" she called again, her voice now carrying a hint of coyness.
Lu Wuxie still made no move.
Liu Xiang'er closed her eyes as if making a decision, took a few steps forward, and prepared to embrace him from behind.
Just as she was about to throw herself into his arms, Lu Wuxie finally reacted. He suddenly turned around, looking at the woman before him with an almost disdainful gaze.
Liu Xiang'er, already shy, blushed fiercely under his stare. She covered her chest with her hands, on the verge of tears.
Lu Wuxie glanced at her indifferently and asked in a cold tone, "If you didn't wish it, why did you act so shy just now?"
Liu Xiang'er froze. She had never imagined that her true intentions could be seen through by this man who appeared so unrestrained.
She bit her lips, her vibrant red mouth showing a hint of blood. After a long moment, tears began to fall down her cheeks.
Lu Wuxie had never liked delicate women. Seeing Liu Xiang'er like this now, his patience completely ran out. "Get out!"
Startled by his sudden ferocity, Liu Xiang'er choked back her tears, hurriedly picked up her clothes from the floor, gathered her zither, and quickly left.
As her hand reached for the bolt, she remembered something. Turning back, she looked at Lu Wuxie, who was sitting alone at the table drinking sake, and asked,
"I heard My Lord is a Judicial Inspector from the Ministry of Justice. Is that true?"
Lu Wuxie, who was plotting how to leave the establishment unnoticed, was momentarily stunned by Liu Xiang'er's question.
Liu Xiang'er, thinking he was displeased, fell to her knees with a thud. "Does My Lord perhaps find me unclean?"
Lu Wuxie's brow furrowed even tighter.
Liu Xiang'er took out an embroidered handkerchief and wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes. "In Xiangsi Garden, I have always only sold my art, not myself."
Lu Wuxie remained silent.
Liu Xiang'er swallowed a few times, then, mustering her courage, continued, "Although my status is undoubtedly lowly, I consider myself to be someone who has kept herself pure. I know that having entered this profession, the only thing of value I have left to offer is my body, and therefore, I would never break this boundary.
Today, my actions were for a reason. I simply wished to meet the Judicial Inspector!"
"Meet me?" Lu Wuxie finally responded.
Liu Xiang'er's face lit up with joy, and she nodded eagerly. "I am willing to sell myself just to meet the Judicial Inspector because... I have a matter to implore of you!"
As she spoke, feeling it might not be sincere enough, she began to kowtow before Lu Wuxie.
Lu Wuxie's expression became somewhat strained. "I am not your ancestors, so please do not perform such a grand ceremony. Stand up and speak."
Liu Xiang'er blushed at his words and obediently stood up, not forgetting to bow. "I wish to see My Lord because I want you to help me find someone!"
"Who?"
"My close confidante, Zhu Yin!"
Lu Wuxie had never heard this name. After a moment of silence, he said, "Miss Liu, you may have the wrong person. If someone is missing, one should report it to the authorities. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the adjudication of cases; we do not handle finding people."
"No, no!" Liu Xiang'er quickly waved her hands. "My Lord misunderstands. I have already reported this matter to the authorities."
"And what was the outcome?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Liu Xiang'er shook her head. "No results."
"Then this is not..."
"I believe Ah Yin was murdered." Liu Xiang'er said.
"Murdered?" Finally, Lu Wuxie's interest was piqued.
Liu Xiang'er nodded emphatically. "Ah Yin, like myself, was a woman in the Yongcheng brothel. Last year, Ah Yin suddenly told me she had found someone she loved. At first, I was happy for her, as it is truly rare for women like us to find someone who cherishes us.
Later, Ah Yin borrowed a large sum of money from me, saying she wanted to buy her freedom. Within two days, Ah Yin had disappeared. So, I believe..."
She looked at Lu Wuxie as she spoke.
Lu Wuxie, somewhat confused, asked, "You believe Zhu Yin owes you money and hasn't returned it..."
"No!" Liu Xiang'er quickly shook her head. "My knowledge is limited, and perhaps I haven't explained it clearly to My Lord.
After Ah Yin borrowed the money from me to buy her freedom, she told me she was getting married. I was waiting for her wedding invitation at Xiangsi Garden, but after several days, I heard no more from Ah Yin. At first, I thought something had happened to her. Then, I went to the brothel to look for her, only to find..."
The madam at the brothel said Ah Yin had given her the money and would come to collect her deed of sale the next day, and then she vanished into thin air."
"So you believe Zhu Yin is dead?" Lu Wuxie inquired.
Liu Xiang'er nodded, then frantically shook her head. "Actually, whether Ah Yin is alive or dead is only my guess. But I know Ah Yin's character; she would never leave without saying goodbye like this. Moreover, for people like us, born into low status, a deed of sale is more important than life itself.
Furthermore..."
Her voice took on a hesitant tone at this point.
"Furthermore, what?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Liu Xiang'er bit her lip, as if engaged in an internal struggle. After a long moment, she gritted her teeth and said, "Last year, a headless female corpse with no hands or feet was recovered from a lake in the southern suburbs. I had previously identified it, and I thought the body resembled Ah Yin's.
However, the prefect of Yongcheng dismissed me, claiming I was speaking nonsense without evidence. It was only then that I... resorted to this."
"You previously identified that female corpse?" Lu Wuxie seized on the key point in her words.
Liu Xiang'er nodded, her body trembling involuntarily as if recalling the incident of identifying the body last year. "The body had been stripped clean. I saw the build and thought it was Ah Yin's, but I never had any proof to confirm it was Ah Yin's body."
"And where is that body now?" Lu Wuxie asked again.
Upon hearing this, Liu Xiang'er's tears, which had just receded, welled up in her eyes again. She sobbed, "The body is still in the morgue! This case remains unsolved, and no one is handling it. I know that investigating the matters of a mere brothel girl diminishes your status, but... *sniffles*...
But I truly had no other choice, which is why I resorted to this. I beg Your Lord's forgiveness."
Lu Wuxie now understood why Liu Xiang'er had risked her reputation just to see him. It turned out her friend might have died unjustly, and Dong Qing of Yongcheng was being negligent.
"Please rise!" Lu Wuxie said to the woman who was sobbing uncontrollably, "I will investigate this case thoroughly for you."
"Thank you! Thank you, My Lord!" Liu Xiang'er, overjoyed to hear Lu Wuxie was willing to intervene, wept with gratitude.
Lu Wuxie glanced around, knowing that Dong Qing and Meng Yuan were in the next room. After some consideration, he said, "Does this elegant room have another exit? I am tired and wish to leave."
Upon hearing this, Liu Xiang'er quickly stood up, uttered, "My Lord, please follow me," and hurried into the side room.
Lu Wuxie looked at Liu Xiang'er's slender retreating figure, then casually took out a gold ingot and placed it on her zither. As she looked at him in surprise, he casually said, "Don't do anything so foolish again in the future," before entering the small secret door within Liu Xiang'er's room.