There is a god in the sky

Chapter 242 Beauty Bones 2

Watching the procession disappear into the distance, Shen Lan composed herself and returned to the Xiao family home.

Zhao Huan has already left. According to Sui Feng, he was kicked out by Xiao Ji, and the two had a very unpleasant argument.

"Why are you arguing?" Shen Lan asked, sitting opposite Xiao Ji.

There was still tea brewing on the low table in front of me, and broken cups on the floor.

The servant wanted to go in and tidy up, but Xiao Ji stopped him.

He looked sullen and didn't answer Shen Lan's question directly, instead looking at the picture book she was holding.

"You've seen it, I will give you an explanation for this!"

"Why are you the one explaining this to me?" Shen Lan placed the picture album on the coffee table.

Xiao Ji turned his face away and said awkwardly, "This was Zhao Xuan's doing. Although I don't know her purpose, this is not good for you, so I will talk to her."

Shen Lan hadn't expected that he had already found out the truth, which saved her some time.

But... does he know that this whole thing started because of him?

“Miss Zhao doesn’t like me following the adults around. Even though we are innocent, it still bothers her.”

However, putting myself in her shoes, if my fiancé were with a woman of unknown origin, I would also be jealous.

Xiao Ji stared at her in astonishment.

She was so straightforward in explaining the whole story that he thought she was unaware of it.

"I understand, but I cannot accept Ms. Zhao's way of handling things and her malicious behavior towards me."

"Lord Zhao, if I hit her, will you arrest me and put me in jail?"

“This is no joke.” Xiao Ji knew her temperament; she meant what she said and was not afraid of Zhao Xuan’s identity.

However, this incident is different from the previous killings of Tong Juntao and Liu Xianyang.

Shen Lan had no public interaction with those two people, so no one would suspect her of murder.

But if something happens to Zhao Xuan, she can't hide it from her.

"Don't underestimate the daughters of wealthy families. Sometimes they are smarter and more cautious than playboys like Tong Juntao."

Several of Zhao Xuan's maids know martial arts; one of them might not be a match for you, but you can't fight off four hands even with two fists.

Moreover, he didn't want to see that happen.

Rationally, Xiao Ji knew how to appease his fiancée and that the best way to protect Shen Lan was to make her leave him.

But he brought Shen Lan from Jianzhou Prefecture to Bianjing and promised to investigate the case in Guli Town for her, and he kept his word.

Moreover, Zhao Xuan's actions have crossed his bottom line.

Even if she was his betrothed, such methods were still rather insidious.

As noon approached, Xiao Ji stood up and said, "Let's go, come with me to see Miss Zhao."

On the way out, Shen Lan insisted on not riding in the same carriage as him, so Xiao Ji changed to two sedan chairs.

Shen Lan rarely rode in a sedan chair, and found the ride somewhat bumpy and swaying, which was not comfortable.

She lifted the curtain to let in some fresh air, and her gaze fell on a maidservant on the side of the street. The maidservant was facing away from her and was following behind an old woman.

Shen Lan naturally remembered her; she was Yan Ni, the maidservant of the wife of the heir of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion.

However, the clothes she wore did not resemble those of the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence; she was hunched over and lacked the cheerful demeanor of her former self.

I wonder if Xiao Ji has continued investigating Wu Qing's case.

It might just fade away, since even the Wu family didn't want to continue the investigation and requested that it be closed as an accident.

When the sedan chair stopped, Shen Lan got out and looked up to see Zhao Xuan sitting by the window on the second floor.

Their eyes met, and neither gave the other a friendly look.

When Xiao Ji looked up, Zhao Xuan put on a smiling face and waved to them, looking completely innocent and unconcerned.

Xiao Ji led Shen Lan upstairs and saw Zhao family guards standing outside the room, while inside the room, Zhao Xuan had brought four maids with her.

What a grand display!

"I have something to discuss with Miss Zhao privately. Please ask them to leave first," Xiao Ji said, standing at the door with his hands behind his back.

Zhao Xuan was secretly resentful, but she still gave him this much face.

Once only three people remained in the room, Xiao Ji sat down directly, while Shen Lan stood on the other side of the two.

When Xiao Ji placed the picture album on the table, Shen Lan noticed that Zhao Xuan's expression changed, but she quickly regained her composure.

"What does Xiao Lang mean by this?"

"You painted this, didn't you? I've received your paintings before, and I recognize your style." Xiao Ji's words silenced Zhao Xuan's attempt to refute him.

She smiled slightly, touched her hairpin, and said softly, "I painted them. I was inspired by Shen the coroner's skills that day and painted these pictures. I never expected that they would disappear the next day."

"So, someone stole your painting and had it printed and sold extensively by Qiwen Bookstore, and you were completely unaware?"

Zhao Xuan covered her face and said, "It's not that I was completely unaware. I saw the painting the day it appeared, and I was very angry, but I can't prove that the painting is mine."

Shen Lan smiled but didn't say anything.

Xiao Ji didn't come today to hold Zhao Xuan accountable, but rather to stop her from taking the next step.

"Now that things have come to this, there's no point in saying more. Miss Zhao, how do you intend to resolve this matter?"

"Why should we resolve this? I just sketched this on a whim, and the figure isn't Miss Shen. Does Miss Shen herself admit that she is the person in the painting?"

Shen Lan remained silent.

Her silence infuriated Zhao Xuan, as if she were only negotiating with Xiao Ji.

Why is Xiao Ji protecting her so much?

Does he not value his fiancée as much as a subordinate?

Zhao Xuan dug her fingernails into her palm and chuckled awkwardly, "What exactly does Xiao Lang want me to do to satisfy him? Do you expect me to kneel down and kowtow to Miss Shen to apologize?"

“Miss Zhao, there’s no need for this kind of talk between us. If you have any complaints, you can speak up directly. I will do my best to comply, but please don’t hurt the people around me.”

"Ridiculous! Last time you killed my maid, and I didn't even pursue the matter. This time it's just a few paintings, yet it makes you so indignant. Do you think I'm not even as good as this coroner?"

"Just a few paintings?" Xiao Ji's face showed anger.

He called out to someone outside, and Sui Feng came in carrying a person in his hand.

The man, who had a lewd appearance, knelt before Xiao Ji and begged for mercy: "My lord, spare my life! I was just following orders!"

Zhao Xuan suddenly stood up and stared intently at the man.

She certainly didn't know the man, but she could guess who he was.

"you……"

Xiao Ji even captured him, so he must know what he's about to do.

It turns out this meeting was to interrogate me; all that pretense and pretense!

Xiao Ji must be secretly laughing at himself.

And then there's Shen Lan, she hasn't said a word, she must be laughing at herself in her heart.

"Miss Zhao, ruining someone's reputation is no different from murder. Do you have a deep-seated hatred for her? Why would you go to such lengths?"

Zhao Xuan dropped the pretense, sneered a few times, and pointed at Shen Lan, saying, "You're questioning me because of her?"

Shen Lan took a step back, trying to diminish her presence.

“I am your fiancée, and ever since you brought this woman back to the capital, you have been inseparable from her. Have you ever cared for me as much as you have?”

Xiao Ji rubbed his forehead and said, "She is a legitimate coroner of the government, and she only accompanies me when examining corpses."

"But you let her move into the Xiao residence."

Zhao Xuan found out this information herself; otherwise, she doesn't know how much longer she would have been deceived!

From the moment she learned that Shen Lan had moved into the Xiao family home, she even began to hate Madam Xiao.