Qingyun's Love: Tiger Boy Falls in Love with a Pretty Lawyer

Back in the back hall, the magistrate discussed the case with Ranmo, Qingsheng, and the others. Ranmo pointed out the discrepancies between Lü Da's and Zhu's daughter-in-law's accounts, raising obvious doubts.

Qingsheng asked, "Zhu's daughter-in-law told us she couldn't remember telling Lu Da about the arsenic purchase, but Lu Da insisted he had no knowledge of it. Should we believe him?"

Ran Mo nodded and said, "This is indeed a key point. Everyone is deliberately avoiding this matter, and we need to sort it out. This needs to be judged in light of the circumstances. Lu Da's statement of ignorance during the interrogation in class seems more like an instinctive resistance. In reality, it's not ruled out that he accidentally heard someone talk about or saw the placement of arsenic."

"According to this reasoning, if it was really arsenic poisoning, who did it and how did it happen? Or did he take the poison himself? It's still a mystery," said the magistrate.

"Your Excellency is quite right. This is the dilemma we've been stuck in. We've always been obsessed with arsenic. If we're constrained by it, it's difficult to break out of our preconceived thinking framework."

"So, what new ideas or insights does Mr. Yun have?" "Not yet. Let's think about it in detail after we get back."

The magistrate nodded, saying that today's work had yielded some results. He then ordered the kitchen staff to prepare the meal. The group chatted for a while over the meal and agreed to discuss the matter again tomorrow.

After saying goodbye to the magistrate, they returned to the inn. They lay on the bed, lost in thought.

Ran Mo gently stroked Qingsheng's chest and asked him what he was thinking about.

The town is nestled against the mountains, so the nighttime temperatures are quite low, making it feel like wearing a fur coat at night and a gauze dress at noon. We both slept in our undershirts, and it felt quite cozy cuddling in each other's arms through our clothes.

Qingsheng sighed softly, "Why do men and women in this world betray their true feelings and even become enemies?"

Ran Mo heard this and patted him lightly, saying, "Hey, don't overthink it. The truth of that matter hasn't come out yet. It may not be what you think."

Qingsheng looked down at her and said, "That's not what I'm talking about. There are probably many more tragic love and human tragedies in the world than this. People can be willing to live and die together, but they can also be forced to live and die together. It's truly lamentable."

Ranmo didn't understand why such a grown boy suddenly became so melancholic. Just as he was about to give him some words of advice, he suddenly said, "It's better for us to be like this." He hugged Ranmo tighter.

Ran Mo thought to himself, "Can this be compared?" But thinking about it, it made sense. Sooner or later, a comparison would be necessary. He then said, "In fact, most people initially feel affection for each other, but later, due to various incidents, the relationship is no longer as sweet as it was at the beginning. Therefore, a poet once said, 'If only life could remain as it was when we first met, what a wonderful thing it would be.'"

Qingsheng listened to her explanation quietly, occasionally rubbing his cheek against her temples and forehead, like a friendly tiger-headed cat.

He suddenly asked, "Although the first meeting is beautiful, it is already helpless after all. Mo'er, I want to ask you a question." Ran Mo nodded slightly and let him speak.

Qingsheng took a deep breath, straightened his body slightly and asked, "What do you think our future will be like?"

Ran Mo nearly lost his soul. How could he ask such a question that was both deeply affectionate and philosophical? The problem was, even a beautiful lawyer like her couldn't answer it.

I was speechless for a moment. After a moment, I evaded him, "Don't think too far ahead. The most important thing is to live in the present." Seeing that he was silent for a long while, I couldn't help but look up.

In the hazy night light, Qingsheng's eyes flickered slightly, sparkling. It was hard to tell whether his eyes were originally clear or if they were filled with tears.

Ran Mo didn't know what he was thinking, nor did he know what to say.

Qingsheng didn't say anything, but instead nudged Ranmo upwards. Ranmo's face met his. Their eyes met, their lips pressed. Ranmo quickly tilted his face upwards slightly, avoiding direct contact with him.

Qingsheng reached out and gently tilted her head back up. Ranmo simply glared at him, almost ready to bite him if he dared to make the next move.

Just then, Qingsheng chuckled. Ranmo was startled, then he also chuckled while leaning on his shoulder blade.

After a few moments of playful play, Qingsheng gently moved her off his body and laid her down beside him. He then turned slightly to the side, facing the window. Soon, she began breathing evenly, clearly asleep.

Ran Mo looked at his sturdy figure and the clearly defined silhouette of his brow arch and nose bridge, and felt a little left out. She wanted to go over and hug his arms to sleep, but she felt it was not appropriate.

With a sigh, he turned over and fell asleep. He still had things to do tomorrow.

The next day, Ranmo and Qingsheng decided to visit the Zhu family and have another detailed discussion with the old woman to see if they could uncover any new clues.

The old woman looked better than the day before. Seeing Ranmo and the others, she hurriedly invited them in for tea. After thanking her, Ranmo asked if she could recall any of the child's activities before the incident.

The old woman said she was looking for them to tell them about some things. She first described some people her son had met before, including Zhao Si, Wang Wu, and Lü Da. However, she couldn't say whether they had any conflicts with her son.

Ran Mo and Qing Sheng looked at each other and nodded slightly. The old woman continued:

"What's strange here is that on the day my son died, I went to the market in town, and my daughter-in-law went to a distant place to do needlework. The neighbors heard quarrels and noises coming from my house. They thought it was just someone visiting and arguing about trivial matters, so they didn't take it seriously."

Upon hearing this, Ran Mo hurriedly asked, "Then when did you find out that your child had unfortunately passed away?" The old woman said sadly, "I found out after I came back from the market. I felt like the sky was falling. My son has always been filial. How could he have the heart to leave me alone?" As she said this, she started crying again.

After Ran Mo comforted her, he asked, "From the time your neighbor heard the noise to the time you came back and discovered the scene, were there any other suspicious circumstances?"

The old woman shook her head. She asked many neighbors, but they all said they hadn't seen anything unusual, and no one had seen anyone enter or leave her house that day.

At this point, the old woman said bitterly: "If I knew who killed my son, I would make him pay for it even if I had my own life!"

"Where is your son's body placed now?" Qingsheng asked.

Ran Mo suddenly perked up. This question had really been overlooked. The old woman replied, "If the death was simply caused by a family conflict, the body would be kept at home and buried on a chosen day.

But I insisted that something was fishy going on and that I could not rule out a frame-up. I reported the case to the authorities for investigation. The county government took it seriously and temporarily moved the body to the county government's warehouse for storage pending the investigation. It's a pity that my son still can't rest in peace."

Ran Mo looked at the sad old mother in front of him and could feel her inner pain, as well as her sincere determination to seek justice for her child.

After saying goodbye to the old woman, Ran Mo and Qing Sheng rushed to the county government office and asked the magistrate about the storage of the man's body. They also wanted to go and see it in person.

The magistrate looked at the two young men in front of him and said with some embarrassment, "You two gentlemen, there's no need to go into that dark basement with bodies that have been there for days. If you have any questions, just ask the coroner."

Ran Mo was also a little confused, but because he was busy investigating the case, he didn't care about anything else and insisted on going to take a look. Qing Sheng, after all, was a man who had just returned from the battlefield, so he didn't have to worry about seeing a body.

Seeing the two men's persistence, the magistrate personally led them to a basement next to a charity cemetery, accompanied by a coroner who was responsible for examining the injuries.

Entering the basement, a cool breeze hit me. Arriving at the table where the Zhu family's son lay, the county magistrate ordered the coroner to remove the white cloth from the deceased's face.

Several people looked over. The man's face remained unchanged, appearing to be sleeping peacefully. His eyelids drooped, his mouth slightly open, as if he had something to say.

Ranmo circled the body, examining it carefully. Besides a slightly dark mark on the man's lips, looking down from his jaw, he discovered a mark on his neck and throat that seemed slightly darker than the surrounding area.

Ran Mo lowered his head to examine it carefully. At first glance, the mark looked like a single mass, but upon closer inspection, he saw that the edges were forked, reminiscent of the shape of a finger.

Ran Mo was startled and reached out his hand to gently trace the mark. Seeing Ran Mo's movements, the others nearby guessed something. Ran Mo raised his head, and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.

The magistrate suddenly turned to the coroner and said, "I order you to examine the body. Besides the visible arsenic, have you checked for any other injuries?"

Despite the chill in the room, beads of sweat appeared on the coroner's forehead. He bowed and said hurriedly, "Please forgive me, sir. I was so focused on the poison that I didn't focus on checking for other external injuries."

"Is this how you usually perform your duties? Why don't you go and check it out!" the magistrate scolded. The coroner quickly said yes and went to examine the body carefully.