bayedsolid Chapter 35 Autopsy
Chapter 35 Autopsy
The moonlight at night spilled onto the ground like water.
When Xie Yan returned under the moonlight, reeking of alcohol, Chu Ling had already been waiting for her in the hall for a long time.
As he walked, he removed his disguise and couldn't help but burp again, feeling that his belly was full of alcohol, and he could hear the water splashing as he swayed.
"how?"
Upon seeing the newcomer, Chu Ling's lips curled up slightly, and he gently flipped his folding fan, making a crisp sound.
His gaze swept over the empty seat beside him, then he tapped it lightly with his fan, inviting Xie Yan to sit down.
Xie Yan looked over and saw a bowl of steaming hangover soup on the table next to Chu Ling.
Xie Yan sat down abruptly in the chair, frowning and rubbing her temples.
"The girls said that Hua Ran was strangled to death by Tang Shicheng when he was drunk. After strangling her, he not only didn't run away, but also slept in Hua Ran's room. When the sun was high in the sky, someone went to call Hua Ran and found her unresponsive. That's when they went in and discovered her."
Chu Ling seemed to be deep in thought, tapping his hands with his folding fan repeatedly. "Why are you so certain that he was drunk before committing the murder?"
"Because they don't keep wine in their rooms; if they want wine, they have to ask the servants to bring it. No servants brought wine that night. Besides, Tang Shicheng had already gotten drunk in the building the night before."
"So, you're saying it's murder while drunk?"
Xie Yan stirred the soup. "Possibly, but not necessarily."
A newly crowned Flower Goddess would undoubtedly be highly regarded. Under such circumstances, how could a completely drunk man manage to sneak into her room undetected?
Logically, the investigation of a murder should be the responsibility of the local government.
However, the two encountered many things along the way, and they were unsure whether Hua Ran's death had another hidden story or was another conspiracy.
"No rush, we'll find out the real cause of Hua Ran's death soon."
Chu Ling stopped what he was doing and gave a meaningful smile.
The night watchman, carrying a lantern, strolled slowly down the street. Passing the government office, he suddenly remembered the murder that morning, sighed inwardly in regret, and struck the gong again: "Dry weather, be careful with fire—"
Behind him, someone carrying something emerged from the government office.
Uya yawned while lying on the table.
As she passed through the hall, she saw the two people chatting late at night instead of sleeping. They even told her that there was something fun going on later, tricking her into coming along to wait.
"Is it ready yet?!"
She rested her head on the table, drawing out the last syllable.
Chu Ling glanced at her with amusement and immediately said, "You're here."
The newcomer was Xuanfeng, dressed in a neat night outfit, carrying something tightly wrapped in white cloth on his shoulder as he swung in.
"what is this?"
Uya immediately perked up and went over to check. She could smell it even before the white cloth was lifted.
"A dead man?"
Xuanfeng placed the items on the ground, lifted the white cloth, and revealed the corpse of Hua Ran, which Xie Yan and the other person had seen that morning.
It's like she's asleep.
That's what everyone would think at first glance.
Hua Ran's face showed no sign of ferocity. Her makeup was perfect, with small floral decorations on her forehead and her hair neatly styled in a bun, the flowers on it still vibrant and fresh.
Her clothes were perfectly neat and tidy, and her gorgeous attire shone brightly, as if she were dressed up for a performance.
The only flaw was the ligature marks on her neck.
Upon closer inspection, the group noticed something amiss.
A horrifying bluish-purple hue stretched across her slender neck. Beneath it, instead of finger marks, lay a fine, clearly visible gash that had penetrated deep into her flesh.
"This is……"
Xuanfeng hesitated for a moment, then looked at it more closely. "Is it from the rope?"
It was pulled too tight, leaving a gap around the flesh.
Xie Yan reached out and touched Hua Ran's neck, concluding, "It was a rope; her neck bones have been broken."
"Tsk, that was pretty ruthless."
To be so ruthless, one must either be a vicious murderer or someone who harbors a deep grudge against Hua Ran.
But in either case, they would never let Hua Ran die so "peacefully," not even a single strand of her hair was disheveled, as if they cherished her extremely.
And given this, it's even less likely that Tang Shicheng was the one who succeeded.
This morning, both of them saw him completely drunk and unconscious. How could a drunkard who had drunk so much, who couldn't even sober up the next day and had trouble walking, possibly be so meticulous as to not mess up Hua Ran's outfit?
As for the girls in Xunfang Pavilion repeatedly saying that Hua Ran was strangled to death by Tang Shicheng, it was probably because they misread the situation in their panic.
In the silence, a Gu worm crawled out of Hua Ran's mouth. Wu Ya reached out and took it, examining it closely for a moment.
"This woman was given a very strong drug, which she ingested through alcohol."
More alcohol?
First, Hua Ran was murdered after drinking, and then Tang Shicheng died drunk in her room.
What exactly happened that night?
Since Wuya and Xie Yan couldn't find anything more on Hua Ran's body, they had Xuanfeng send the body back.
"It's not fun at all, I'm going back."
Wuya yawned and went back to her room to sleep, leaving Xie Yan and Chu Ling still lost in thought.
"There are many suspicious points in this matter."
Chu Ling's gaze remained fixed on the open space where Hua Ran had just been lying.
"really."
Feeling that she had digested a bit, Xie Yan finally finished the bowl of hangover soup that had already cooled down.
"It seems we'll have to investigate further tomorrow."
After a night of turmoil, Xie Yan was finally able to go back to her room and get some rest.
He washed up and was about to go to bed when there was a sudden knock on the door.
Xie Yan paused, then raised her hand and covered her face with a piece of skin.
"it's me."
It was Chu Ling's voice coming from outside the door.
The door opened, and soft moonlight bathed Chu Ling. He seemed to have already washed up, his long, damp hair disheveled, as he looked up at her.
Seeing that Xie Yan was already wearing her undergarments and looked like she was about to rest, his eyes lingered on Xie Yan's face a few times.
Is this your true face?
Xie Yan raised an eyebrow. So this guy came over late at night to see what he looked like?
"Probably not."
Chu Ling smiled, then revealed his true purpose, "I noticed you seemed a little unwell just now?"
Xie Yan didn't expect him to notice. He had drunk too much alcohol. Although he could remain mentally alert, he did have a bit of a headache.
"That's true, but surely Your Highness doesn't know any medicine?"
Before Xie Yan could refuse, Chu Ling stepped closer, "If it's a headache, I've learned a massage technique from Tao Xian that can alleviate it."
Xie Yan was forced to take a step back, and then Chu Ling, who had squeezed in, continued, "If left untreated, her headache will worsen when she wakes up tomorrow."
Xie Yan: ...Just seeing you gives me a headache.