Gu Qianying and the other two waited in the main hall with the Yan family couple for a short while before a woman with her face covered by a light veil slowly approached.
This woman was Yan Zhuzhu. She wore a light green brocade dress and a popular hairstyle for ladies of the boudoir. The upper half of her face, not covered by the veil, was adorned with willow-leaf thin eyebrows and clear, almond-shaped eyes, exuding a gentle aura.
Upon entering the main hall, Yan Zhuzhu paid her respects in order.
"Greetings to Father and Mother. Greetings to all young heroes. Regards."
Old Master Yan and his wife nodded, while Gu Qianying, Su Cheng, and Jiao Long A Mu returned the greeting with clasped hands.
Old Master Yan initiated the conversation, "Zhuzhu, we have called you here because these guests wish to inquire about the mute man you rescued on the street last time."
Yan Zhuzhu understood and replied, "Zhuzhu understands. If the guests have any questions, Zhuzhu will tell them everything she knows."
She then paused slightly, curtsied, and continued, "However, as there is a distinction between men and women, I have not frequently paid attention to his specific situation, mostly learning about it from the servants."
Gu Qianying waved her hand, indicating she didn't mind, "It's alright. We are already very satisfied to receive Miss Zhuzhu's answer. May I ask how you rescued that man that day?"
Yan Zhuzhu thought back to the events of that day and described them to those present, "That day, I intended to go to South Street to buy some new jewelry. As I was passing by a certain spot, I saw a man lying on the street, covered in injuries, being mocked by a group of children. The man seemed unable to fight back, allowing the children to throw dirt and stones at him."
"I felt a pang of pity and went over with my maid and servant to drive away the children. I asked the man if he needed help, but he remained motionless, as if he had fainted. Leaving him there was not an option, so I had my servant find some wooden planks to carry him back to an empty room in our mansion and called for a doctor to treat him."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianying pressed for details, "Miss Yan, did the man exhibit any unusual behavior after he woke up?"
Yan Zhuzhu nodded and continued to elaborate on the man.
"Besides the fact that he couldn't speak, which was rather strange, his appetite was astonishing when he first woke up. After drinking two bowls of soup, he could still eat three large bowls of rice. All the small dishes, braised pork, and roast chicken prepared for him were finished, not even the chicken rump was left."
Gu Qianying, upon hearing this, continued to inquire of Zhuzhu, "Were there peanuts among the small dishes?"
Zhuzhu recalled and replied, "Indeed, there was a dish of Kung Pao chicken, which is usually made with peanuts."
"After eating those dishes, did the man show any other peculiarities?" Gu Qianying further asked.
Yan Zhuzhu recalled the situation from the past few days and shook her head slightly, replying, "No. After eating, he simply lay back down to rest."
At this point, Gu Qianying understood that this man was definitely not her dear friend Ouyang Qinglin, but an imposter. The real Ouyang Qinglin, after eating peanuts, would inevitably feel an uncomfortable heat throughout his body and require copious amounts of clear tea to find relief.
To learn more about this unfamiliar Ouyang Qinglin, Su Cheng asked Yan Zhuzhu, "Miss Yan, may I ask if that man has had any contact with you these past few days?"
"On the second day of his stay here, when the man saw me, he silently expressed his gratitude. It was then that I realized he couldn't speak. After that, there was no further contact until this morning, when a servant from our household came to inform me that he had quietly left."
After Yan Zhuzhu finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the hall.
Gu Qianying gestured for Jiao Long A Mu to take out some silver and place it on the table.
After Jiao Long A Mu placed a sufficient amount of silver on the table, he retreated behind Gu Qianying.
Old Master Yan, his wife, and Yan Zhuzhu were all surprised, "What is the guest doing?"
Gu Qianying clasped her hands and said, "This silver is partly to thank the Yan family for helping me understand the situation, and partly to repay the kindness of the Yan family on behalf of my friend."
As Old Master Yan was about to refuse, he was interrupted by Zhuzhu's words. Yan Zhuzhu took two steps forward and spoke before her father, "Since that is the case, we will accept it. Do the guests have anything else they wish to inquire about from Zhuzhu or my father and mother?"
Gu Qianying was quite appreciative of Yan Zhuzhu's action in accepting the silver.
Her objective for this trip had been achieved. She had confirmed that the man currently at the inn was not her friend Ouyang Qinglin.
Gu Qianying stood up and bid farewell to the three members of the Yan family.
"Thank you all for your generous explanations today. I am very grateful. I have other matters to attend to, so I will not trouble the Yan residence further."
Seeing this, Old Master Yan understood that they were about to leave and called for a maid to escort Gu Qianying and the other two out of the mansion.
As the three walked slowly along the path within the courtyard towards the main gate of the Yan residence, they heard a shout from behind.
"Guest, please wait!"
Gu Qianying, Su Cheng, and Jiao Long A Mu, who was slightly behind, all stopped and looked back. It was Yan Zhuzhu.
She walked over quickly, gave a slight bow, and said to Gu Qianying, "Guest, may I speak with you privately?"
Gu Qianying understood that Yan Zhuzhu had something she couldn't say in front of Old Master Yan and his wife, so she nodded slightly and turned to instruct Su Cheng and Jiao Long A Mu, "Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."
Both of them nodded and remained in place.
Gu Qianying followed Yan Zhuzhu to a corner of the corridor.
Yan Zhuzhu took out a pale green jade pendant from her sleeve and handed it to Gu Qianying, saying softly, "I found this near the man when I rescued him. Thinking it might be related to his identity, I picked it up and brought it back."
Gu Qianying took it and turned the jade pendant over, seeing the character "Yi" inscribed on one side.
She placed the jade pendant into her sleeve and thanked Yan Zhuzhu for the clue, "Thank you, Miss Zhuzhu. I am very grateful for your kind assistance."
Yan Zhuzhu waved her hands repeatedly, "I am merely following my family's teachings to be a person of integrity and act according to my heart. I only hope that after this matter, the subsequent story between you and that man will not involve the Yan family, young and old. Zhuzhu thanks you in advance."
Gu Qianying understood Yan Zhuzhu's concerns. Zhuzhu was afraid of being implicated in matters of the martial world or the court, and her family, as ordinary merchants, would find it difficult to protect themselves.
The clues obtained from the Yan family and this jade pendant with the character "Yi" would be of great help in analyzing the subsequent situation. Gu Qianying was not someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong, nor would she ruin a kind family because of her own grievances. She immediately stated, "Please rest assured, Miss Zhuzhu. Each matter stands on its own. The affairs between us and that man will definitely have nothing to do with the Yan family."
Yan Zhuzhu breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"That would be wonderful. Please take care, guest."
After bidding farewell to Yan Zhuzhu at the corner, Gu Qianying walked back to Su Cheng and Jiao Long A Mu. The three of them continued forward and left the Yan residence.