Why am I, a cook, always involved in cases?

Lin Zhiruo's mood was like a flower blooming in spring, gorgeous and unconcealable, and her heart was filled with indescribable joy.

Behind her, Caiwei stood like a glaring statue, her eyes as sharp as a blade, seemingly able to penetrate people's hearts; Susu's eyes were as cold as ice, like the severe cold of winter, chilling.

"Head maid, do you really want me to stay in this lonely place?" Lin Zhiruo asked softly, her voice trembling slightly, revealing uneasiness.

"That's right, you need to reflect on yourself here." Caiwei's answer was firm and unquestionable.

Tears welled up in Lin Zhiruo's eyes. She gently held Caiwei's hand, as if looking for a little comfort.

"Thank you, head maid." Lin Zhiruo bowed deeply to express her gratitude.

Caiwei and Susu both looked surprised, while Lin Zhiruo had already rushed into the small warehouse quickly, like an arrow from a bow.

From now on, this narrow space will become Lin Zhiruo's new home.

"Is this too harsh on her, Susu?" Gui Wei poured tea gracefully and asked Susu softly.

She handed the exquisite snacks and hot tea to Susu, her movements revealing nobility and elegance.

"I originally thought so, but all of this is Lin Zhiruo's own fault." Su Su pouted slightly and tasted the fermented tea from afar. The fragrance of the tea was overflowing and the sweetness was refreshing.

"Who told her not to listen to my advice and to play with those strange ingredients again?" Su Su half closed her eyes, anger and dissatisfaction in her eyes. She seemed to be so angry that she reported Lin Zhiruo to Caiwei.

Lin Zhiruo frowned. She didn't want to upset Susu, so she stopped collecting lizard tails.

"I don't understand what Susu means. I haven't done that kind of thing for a long time." Lin Zhiruo looked at Susu sincerely, her eyes full of confusion and grievance.

"But I heard that there was a palace maid in the harem who was catching turkeys while laughing." Guiyuan's face began to become gloomy.

What kind of misunderstanding is this?

Lin Zhiruo firmly denied all this.

"I would never do such a ridiculous thing." Lin Zhiruo's tone was firm and powerful.

It is true that she had caught many moths before because of the needs of her mission, but it was a helpless act and she never did it again.

As for lizard tails, she had long since given up collecting them.

"Even if there is, it's just picking food, not catching turkeys." Lin Zhiruo hurriedly explained.

"So, it's true that you did things while laughing?" Susu and Guiyuan both showed expressions of disbelief. They seemed to have finally seen through Lin Zhiruo's true nature, and their eyes were full of scrutiny and questioning.

Lin Zhiruo knew very well what their expressions meant—they didn't believe her.

But in fact, the reason why Lin Zhiruo laughed was because she found precious ingredients, not turkey.

Lin Zhiruo was a palace maid with some experience after all. How could she not know the consequences of catching a turkey in a small room?

Especially in this hot summer, it will undoubtedly lead to disastrous consequences.

Lin Zhiruo frowned and clenched her fists. This was a difficult problem that needed to be solved urgently.

However, a suspicious figure had already emerged in her mind.

"Has Hu Lan'er been here recently?" Xiao Cui asked casually while savoring the longevity peach with relish.

Lin Zhiruo handed her the bamboo tube filled with sweet tea and nodded slightly.

As usual, they were chatting while enjoying snacks behind the laundry area.

In order to understand Xiao Cui's learning situation in school, Lin Zhiruo would occasionally ask her to write something.

This is not an act of laziness, but an act of care and teaching.

"Hu Lan'er, you are always mysterious." Xiao Cui said after swallowing the food in her mouth.

Perhaps because of her recent studies, there were some unfamiliar words in her words.

"Do you know where Hu Lan'er has been recently?" Xiao Cui jumped down from the wooden barrel she was sitting on and ran to find the palace maids who were chatting around the well.

Lin Zhiruo followed closely behind.

"That strange girl, I seem to have seen her, but I also seem not to have seen her." Xiao Cui talked to the three palace maids.

Although they greeted Xiao Cui, they seemed a little nervous and uneasy when they saw Lin Zhiruo coming.

Apart from Xiao Cui and Hu Lan'er, there were almost no other palace maids willing to talk to Lin Zhiruo.

This is understandable. After all, Lin Zhiruo's clothes are different from those of other palace maids. Although they are also simple and convenient for work, they are not the uniforms distributed to palace maids in the harem.

Maids who had their own rooms or served concubines of higher status received clothes and accessories from the concubines.

Therefore, one can roughly tell whether a palace maid serves a concubine from her clothes.

This invisibly formed an indescribable boundary and barrier, making the palace maids feel awe and alienation towards Lin Zhiruo.

Lin Zhiruo felt a surge of regret and helplessness in her heart. If she had known earlier, she should have watched from afar.

Some palace maids were jealous and competitive towards the concubines' personal maids; some palace maids kept their mouths shut for fear of rumors.

There are very few palace maids like Xiao Cui who are innocent and simple-minded in this harem. They are so rare and precious!

What should I do now?

All the snacks have been given to Xiao Cui, so this trick can no longer be used to attract people.

Lin Zhiruo touched her arms, trying to find some alternative bait to lure these palace maids into telling the truth.

She took out an item.

"If you can provide some useful information, this thing will be yours."

It was a piece of cloth with a soft texture and a delicate feel! It even had a faint lingering fragrance.

It may be just a handkerchief, but the material is extremely high-quality and quite precious! It can also be used for other purposes, making it a great value for money!

This is the handkerchief that Quan Wushuang gave to Lin Zhiruo when her cheek was injured!

Lin Zhiruo originally planned to go to the food shop later and sell it to Wang Dahai.

She didn't want to think too badly of Wang Dahai, but if it was the handsome eunuch's personal property, she thought that Wang Dahai would be willing to pay some money to buy it.

"This is..." A palace maid staggered and put her nose close to the handkerchief. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she showed a look of surprise!

"This fragrance... could it be..." Lin Zhiruo almost rolled her eyes at the palace maid! But she still managed to squeeze out a fake smile!

"Let the girl guess and speculate."

Lin Zhiruo felt that if she mentioned Quan Wushuang's name directly, it would appear suspicious and abrupt.

She thought that if she gave some hints and guidance like this, the other party would start to make associations and guesses on their own!

The palace maid with a keen sense of smell murmured to herself, "Could this be... No! Could it be that master's personal belongings?..."

Although I don’t know who she was thinking of, it looks like she’s taken the bait!

Seeing this, the other two palace maids also put their noses close to the handkerchief and sniffed it non-stop!

Lin Zhiruo folded the handkerchief neatly and put it away properly! She looked at the palace maids and said respectfully, "Could you please tell me the whole story and the details of what happened?"