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

The exhausted Lin Zhiruo deeply felt the difficulty of getting along with strangers.

After placing the fox-eyed man, who was drunk as a pile of mud, in a resting place, she staggered on her way home.

Since Quan Wushuang and Gao Zhongcheng were tied up with urgent matters and unable to accompany her, Lin Zhiruo had to stay with other officials on the way.

This official was Wu Muqi, who had explored the mystery of fish stew with her a few days ago. After several meetings, Lin Zhiruo finally remembered his name.

Although Wu Muqi doesn't talk much, he acts steadily and reliably, giving Lin Zhiruo a relaxed feeling.

He didn't initiate conversation, and Lin Zhiruo didn't need to force herself to socialize, and an unspoken understanding formed between the two.

When Lin Zhiruo met Wu Muqi again, she was overwhelmed with emotion.

People in the world have all sorts of different personalities, and some people just can't get along with each other no matter how hard you try, even if they mean no harm.

Just as Lin Zhiruo was walking unsteadily, a mighty team came into her sight.

Concubine Shuwan was dressed in dazzling clothes, and the palace maids held up a huge umbrella for her. She was like the brightest star in the night sky, attracting everyone's attention.

Someone next to Lin Zhiruo made a dissatisfied clicking sound. She turned around and saw Wu Muqi squinting his eyes, revealing a hint of displeasure, staring at the team.

When Lin Zhiruo was wondering about his mood, she caught a glimpse of a plump official standing in the distance. He was followed by a man who looked like his assistant, and there were several people following behind him.

As soon as Concubine Shuwan saw the official, she covered her mouth with a fan and had an intimate conversation with him.

Even though she was surrounded by maids, her behavior still seemed inappropriate.

When Lin Zhiruo was feeling confused, she suddenly heard a malicious whisper:

"A cunning father and daughter."

She understood everything immediately.

It turned out that the official was the father who sent Concubine Shuwan into the harem. He had been an important official in the court since the time of the previous emperor. For the current emperor who values ​​strength, he is undoubtedly a thorn in the side.

Back to the topic, Lin Zhiruo looked at Wu Muqi. Although she was the only one who could hear it, she still hoped that he would not comment on the right and wrong of high-ranking officials casually.

If someone heard it, they might mistake it for a conversation between her and Wu Muqi.

Tonight, Lin Zhiruo did not plan to return to the harem, but went directly to Quan Wushuang's residence.

Quan Wushuang had already returned to his residence before her, with his arms crossed over his chest, and said solemnly:

"I thought you harbored resentment towards the military advisor."

Lin Zhiruo was enjoying the porridge that Henghua had carefully prepared. Although she knew that talking while eating was impolite, it was more urgent to replenish the nutrients she had lost in the Liuli Palace.

Seeing that Lin Zhiruo was getting thinner, Henghua not only cooked porridge but also prepared other delicacies.

This place is no different from the Zixiao Palace, and the maids do not have many restrictions on their work.

Lin Zhiruo said frankly:

"I don't hate him. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this world."

When Quan Wushuang heard this, he was surprised and surprised by Lin Zhiruo's straightforwardness.

Lin Zhiruo thought that this was the fact and could not be changed.

"I don't know what misunderstanding the steward has, but how could a child be born without a tacit understanding with the prostitute?"

Prostitutes take contraceptives or abortion drugs for a long time, and even if they get pregnant unexpectedly, there are many ways to terminate the pregnancy.

Only if the prostitute herself is willing can the child be born.

"I think he was the one who really fell into the trap."

As long as a woman understands her menstrual cycle, she can roughly calculate the days when she is most likely to get pregnant.

A prostitute simply needs to send a letter requesting a visit at a suitable time.

"Are you talking about the military advisor?"

Quan Wushuang asked as he tasted the dim sum brought by Henghua.

"Women are so cunning."

Therefore, when their schemes fail, they may become enraged and even hurt themselves, or worse...

A few days ago, Lin Zhiruo had a dream, which was a forgotten memory.

The prostitute who gave birth to her not only gave her finger as a token of trust, but also sent her little finger in a letter.

The people in the brothel never mentioned her biological mother to Lin Zhiruo, so Lin Zhiruo naturally knew that it was the brothel owner who blocked the news.

But she gradually understood the matter from the surrounding atmosphere and a hint of curiosity.

She learned that Hongxialou almost went bankrupt because of her, she learned that the strange man who was obsessed with Go and chess was her father, and she learned that the fault lay with the indulgent prostitute.

She also learned the identity of the long-forgotten prostitute and the woman who had been so ashamed of losing her nose that she had alienated her until she became insane.

That extremely foolish man could have had a better partner than that prostitute.

It would have been great if I had redeemed her earlier.

"Manager Quan, have you ever noticed that the gentleman seems to have only communicated with you in the study?"

Lin Zhiruo's question made Quan Wushuang tilt his head slightly, as if he was reminiscing.

"Looking back, it was true."

Quan Wushuang was in deep thought. Whenever he met General Zhimou unexpectedly in the corridor, he would just nod slightly, but in the study, General Zhimou would always chat with him incessantly.

"Some people seem to have difficulty recognizing faces, and that may have been the case with that gentleman."

Lin Zhiruo shared an anecdote her father once told her.

At first, Lin Zhiruo was skeptical and didn't believe that such a strange phenomenon could exist, but when she learned that General Zhimou did have such a problem, she felt that this might be understandable.

"Can't recognize faces? What the hell is going on?"

"Yes, for some reason he seems unable to put people's faces together. He supposedly can identify eyes, mouths and so on, but to him everyone looks like they're wearing the same mask."

Her father once said with emotion that he was also an unfortunate man and had been troubled by this problem.

Despite this, her father had his own principles and never stopped the madam from driving General Zhimou out with a broom, because he understood that doing something wrong was doing something wrong.

"He seems to only have clear memories of me and my adoptive father. Perhaps that's where his unusual persistence comes from."

Lin Zhiruo recalled the strange man who had suddenly visited her and tried to take her away without any explanation.

When she saw the man being beaten with a broom by the brothel owner until his head was bleeding, her heart was filled with fear.

Imagine a person with blood all over his face but still smiling and extending a trembling hand. How can one not feel scared?

As the man came to her house again and again, performed some unexpected actions and left injured, Lin Zhiruo gradually learned to face small things calmly.

The man claimed to be her father, but in Lin Zhiruo's heart, her father Lin Xiang was her real father, and that stranger was definitely not.

From a role-playing perspective, he can only be considered a sperm donor at best.

He tried to push his father Lin Xiang aside and play the role of father himself, but this was absolutely impossible and Lin Zhiruo would never give in.

In Hongxia Tower, all she heard was the news that the woman who gave birth to her had met with misfortune and passed away.

Even if she were still alive, it would be meaningless to Lin Zhiruo, because she was already the daughter of her father Lin Xiang, and she felt that this was a great happiness.

The fault was not entirely the man's. From this perspective, she was actually grateful to him.

Most importantly, Lin Zhiruo has no memory of the woman who gave birth to her as a mother, only the image of that terrible shrew.

Lin Zhiruo didn't like him, but she didn't hate him.

This is how Lin Zhiruo feels about General Zhimou.

It’s just that Lin Zhiruo had only encountered things that she was not good at dealing with in the past, and had never felt any dislike for anyone, so she might have been a little extreme in her response.

If you ask her whether she forgives him, there are people who hate him more than Lin Zhiruo.

(Maybe Mammy should forgive him.)

Did the man notice the letter in the cauliflower box?

That was the biggest concession Lin Zhiruo could make to the sperm donor.

If he didn't understand, he could have redeemed the docile prostitute, and perhaps he would have been happier.

"You say that, but I don't think you have a good impression of him."

"Manager Quan, you haven't truly understood that man yet."

When Lin Zhiruo was in a hurry to rush to the venue of the Zhongsa Sacrifice, it was General Zhimou who extended a helping hand to her.

Lin Zhiruo speculated that he might have already sensed that something was going to happen.

Unlike Lin Zhiruo who inferred the situation by collecting the conditions or evidence left at the scene, that man would not do that slowly.

He relied on his intuition to judge that something seemed to be fishy, ​​and he was very accurate in his predictions.

"Has the steward ever investigated something at the behest of that man?"

Faced with Lin Zhiruo's question, Quan Wushuang fell silent.

He murmured to himself:

"So that thing is..."

It seems her speculation was correct.

The reason why Liu Wu was able to launch an investigation into the dietary and medical officer so early, and the Ministry of Justice took quick action, might all be due to that man.

However, the man was extremely afraid of trouble and always asked others to do things while he himself refused to take action.

Had he personally and publicly taken action, the situation today might be very different.

(At this moment, the Thirteen Spices...)

Perhaps it was already in her hands, which made Lin Zhiruo feel deeply regretful.

That man had no idea what an extraordinary talent he possessed, a talent that his father highly praised, and it would be difficult to find a few people in the whole country who could match him.

Lin Zhiruo knew that this emotion was called jealousy.

"Although we can't fight alongside him, it's best not to become his enemy."

Lin Zhiruo only said this with contempt.

Furthermore—Lin Zhiruo raised her left hand and stared at the tip of her little finger.

"Does Chief Minister Quan know?"

"Know what?"

"Even if the fingertips are cut off, they will grow back."

"...Is it appropriate to bring up this topic during a meal?"

Quan Wushuang rarely stared at Lin Zhiruo with half-open eyes, which was very different from his usual attitude.

"Then let me ask another question."

"What kind of problem?"

"If the man with the monocle said to the butler, 'Call me Daddy,' what would the butler think?"

Quan Wushuang was speechless for a moment, and showed a rare look of displeasure.

"Oh My God."

Henghua covered his mouth and looked at him, smiling.

"I'll definitely want to smash those glasses."

"Yes."

Quan Wushuang seemed to understand what Lin Zhiruo wanted to express, and murmured:

"Being a father is such a hard job."

Gao Zhongcheng, who was serving on the side, exuded a sense of sadness for some reason. Had he encountered something?

"What happened to the guard?"

When Lin Zhiruo asked, Gao Zhongcheng looked up at the ceiling and said with emotion:

"No father in this world wants to be hated by his own children."