Do Not Mention My Younger Sister

Liu Zhenghao couldn’t vent his anger on his father, so he naturally had to find a different person. Courtesans might have happened to become a new part of his life then and became the perfect avenue.

After Qi Yan had finished reporting everything, he slammed the table hard. “What a useless guy! If he’s got guts, he should kill his dad! This was all clearly Liu Qinian’s fault! Why did he go about killing other people instead?!”

“Because his existence and everything he has was given to him by his father,” snorted Zhao Zhi. “Without his father, he is nothing.”

To deny Liu Qinian’s existence was to deny Liu Zhenghao’s as well.

“Also,” Song Caitang looked down at the teacups, “he might be angry with his father, but he might not really think that his father was in the wrong.”

After all, the masters were the ones who decided whether their servants lived or died. As for his sister…

That was an accident.

If his father hadn’t been drunk, or if his sister hadn’t snuck out of the needlework workshop that day, this wouldn’t have happened.

His father did not have special feelings for his younger sister, so he wasn’t targeting her in particular.

“In any case, they’re an entire family of shitty people! Trash!” Qi Yan slammed the table again and again in anger. “The Lius and the Mis are all psycho, twisted families! They shouldn’t exist in this world!”

Song Caitang suddenly remembered the butterflies. “Did the maid and younger sister both like butterflies?”

“Oh about that,” Qi Yan nodded, “I went to ask especially about that. The two girls both died in spring, when the flowers were in full bloom, which is the time of the year when you see the most butterflies. The maid had butterfly hairpins in her hair when she died, while the younger sister held a small painting in her hands, which was a painting of butterflies from Liu Zhenghao.”

That explained Liu Zhenghao’s thing about butterflies.

He liked women who wore butterfly hairpins in their hair, because that reminded him of happy times, or perhaps unhappy memories that were deeply etched in his mind.

“Since we’ve got everything sorted out, let’s put a plan together,” Song Caitang’s gaze burned brightly, “A plan to make Liu Zhenghao confess.”

Qi Yan immediately had an idea. “The maid and the sister are clearly trigger points, so let’s capture him and keep talking about them until he breaks down and confesses in order to stop us from talking!”

Zhao Zhi shook his head. “Liu Zhenghao might be a psychopath but he’s not stupid.”

Song Caitang shook her head too. “Pushing him into a corner might not work, and trying to trap him in his own words might not be a good idea either. He might notice and become more guarded.”

“Why don’t we just go straight to the point and tell him what we want,” Zhao Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly, “and at the same time…”

Song Caitang’s eyes lit up. She knew what he was thinking about. “At the same time, tell him that we’ve got something that HE wants!”

They looked at each other and that was enough to communicate the rest without speaking.

Qi Yan couldn’t believe this. Couldn’t they just talk normally?! He had no idea what was going on!

Song Caitang explained, “In other words, this is not an interrogation but a negotiation.”

“A negotiation?” Qi Yan was even more confused.

Zhao Zhi continued, “For most people, in order to form an alliance, they would exchange their secrets and trump cards to prove that they are sincere about it.”

If Liu Zhenghao thought that the discussion was going in this direction, he wouldn’t start overthinking the situation. And if they set up the place in a particular way, this plan would definitely work!

The three of them quickly chipped in to craft a plan and got more and more excited, as though victory were right before their very eyes!

But the person who had to talk to Liu Zhenghao was a very important person. They had to choose carefully.

Song Caitang looked at Zhao Zhi and shook her head. “You won’t do. You’ve had too many clashes with him, so even if you just stand in front of him without talking, he would automatically go into a defensive mode.”

Qi Yan quickly raised his hand. “Me! Me! I’ll go!”

Song Caitang turned to look at him but shook her head again. “You won’t do either.”

Qi Yan looked upset. What did she mean by that? Did she think he was too dumb?

Song Caitang explained, “You went to confront him a few times too, right? He’s too familiar with the sort of person you are.”

They needed a face who was more distant from the case, but knew some details, and was intelligent enough to control the situation.

Zhao Zhi looked at Song Caitang.

His stare was quite intense.

It was as though he was telling her not to mention a particular person’s name.

When it came to such things, Song Caitang was always on the same wavelength. Her gaze relaxed as her lips parted and she uttered the three words he didn’t want to hear.

“Wen Yuansi. He’s the most suitable.”

Zhao Zhi pursed his lips tightly, so much so his usually arrogant and snobbish expression looked a little aggrieved and pitiful.

Song Caitang raised an eyebrow.

Qi Yan almost did a facepalm. Brother Zhi, the emperor isn’t here! Nobody here cares if you look cute!

He was very reluctant, but Zhao Zhi eventually nodded. Wen Yuansi was definitely the most suitable person for this situation.

Zhao Zhi was an efficient man, so once the plan was confirmed, he immediately started contacting the necessary people.

The next day, Liu Zhenghao ran into Wen Yuansi on the streets.

Wen Yuansi smiled faintly as he politely greeted the other man with a palm over his other fist, his demeanor as elegant and pleasant as ever. “Since we’ve happened to run into each other, why don’t we sit down and have some tea together?”

Liu Zhenghao was feeling quite annoyed, actually. The food he ate today was a little too salty for his liking, and he was tired from walking but all the teahouses he walked past were full. Everywhere was bursting with people. But if Wen Yuansi was asking him to have tea with him…

“You’ve reserved a table somewhere?”

Wen Yuansi nodded. “I had an appointment with someone else but something cropped up and he can’t come anymore. It would be a waste to have tea alone, and I remembered I had something I wanted to discuss with you, so… would you be willing to have tea with me?”

Liu Zhenghao agreed and walked toward the teahouse with Wen Yuansi.

After he started walking, the servants behind him found a hand over their mouths as they were dragged away silently.

Liu Zhenghao was too thirsty to notice.

After they entered the teahouse, Liu Zhenghao didn’t even remember them because it was customary for the servants to wait downstairs while their master dined with guests, so he didn’t notice anything amiss.

The tea expert came to their table to introduce the teas available and made tea for them. The atmosphere was quiet, peaceful and very comfortable, so it was especially easy for one to feel relaxed.

After making one pot of tea, the tea expert excused himself so that his customers could have a private conversation.

Wen Yuansi smiled faintly, “Your father has been very successful in the capital and you must be feeling rather stifled in such a small place. I wanted to get to know you earlier, but I didn’t get the chance to. I’m so glad we got to meet today.”

“You’re an up and coming official yourself, so you don’t have to be so humble. If you wanted to talk to me, you could have just said so and I wouldn’t dare to turn you down.”

Liu Zhenghao smiled politely and spoke humbly, but there was nothing humble about the way he carried himself.

Wen Yuansi had been observing him all this time. The man was very happy with the family he was born into and had a sense of superiority as a result. But upon closer look, he also seemed a little sensitive, a little lacking in confidence and disapproving of himself, because this pride did not come from his own capabilities.

This man was full of contradictions.

Song Caitang and Zhao Zhi were right.

He had been given this task the night before and had gone through the case notes countless times, along with commentary from the two of them…

Wen Yuansi glanced at the wall to calm himself down, then continued.

“Since you already know who I am, then I’m sure you also know that my grandmother has some connections in the capital. I’ll be direct with you – my grandmother knows Salt Vice Commissioner Zheng, who’s the grandfather of Zheng Kanghui.”

Wen Yuansi spoke slowly as though he was trying to lead Liu Zhenghao on, but also as though he was trying to throw a few hints, “If you want to dabble in the salt business, you would stand a higher chance if you got to know Zheng Kanghui’s grandfather rather than if you got close to Zheng Kanghui.”

Liu Zhenghao narrowed his eyes. “How did you know…

“How did I know?” Wen Yuansi smiled. “In this line of work, if you want to climb the career ladder, you’ve got to look out for opportunities. I’ve got my own ways.”

Well, that made sense.

Liu Zhenghao did not pursue the matter further, but there was a flicker in his eyes. “Since you have such a connection, why don’t you use it for yourself?”

“Because I’m not interested in the salt route,” Wen Yuansi tapped a long and slim finger against the table. “I’m sure you’ve heard about my contributions at work. I’m more interested in taking on criminal cases.”
Liu Zhenghao got it immediately. “So, you’re hoping to enter the Ministry of Justice? Or the Supreme Court?”

Wen Yuansi’s smile brightened. “That would depend on what you, or rather, your father can arrange for me. Your father dotes on you so much, so I’m sure he would agree to anything you want.”

Liu Zhenghao’s lips curled upward into a smile.

He got it now. Wen Yuansi was here to strike a deal. A win-win deal.

His silence and standoffish demeanor seemed to have caused Wen Yuansi to misunderstand.

“You don’t have to be worried, Mr. Liu,” Wen Yuansi picked up his cup and took a sip. “I know all about the recent courtesan murders that have been the talk of the town…”

His voice trailed off, as if he was hinting at something.

Liu Zhenghao immediately became wary when he heard mention of this case.

When his gaze grazed past the window, he happened to see a young lady sitting in the courtyard right outside the room.

She was very young, and looked very sweet and pleasant. Her skin was extremely fair and her fingers long and slim. She was trying to learn how to make tea.

From his angle, he could only see her side profile. Her smile was bright and warm, a smile that could comfort hearts. She even had a butterfly hairpin in her hair, its antennae quivering like a real butterfly as the young lady moved…

For some reason, she reminded him of his late younger sister.

Was it because… this young lady resembled her?

Wen Yuansi noticed that Liu Zhenghao had stopped at the window, but he pretended not to have noticed and went on.

“You’re a really lucky man. Your father dotes on you so much, so I’m sure he’s wonderful to you most of the time. After all, you’re the son who will take over the family, not a woman to be married to another man… How does it feel to commit murder? Is it fun?”

Liu Zhenghao’s guard was up immediately. “Are you trying to trick me into saying something?”

Did Wen Yuansi think he was stupid? That he was going to spill the beans just like that?

“Oh no, no, I wouldn’t dare,” Wen Yuansi’s smile was relaxed. “We’re both men and I was just curious. Besides… I heard about some things that happened in the past, and I was saddened to hear about your younger sister who passed away at such a young age.”

Liu Zhenghao couldn’t help but get distracted by the young lady in the courtyard and kept glancing out of the window from time to time. When Wen Yuansi mentioned his sister, he subconsciously looked out again.

A breeze suddenly started blowing, causing the young lady’s skirt to move and the tassels on it tinkled softly. The butterfly on her hair looked like it was about to fly away.

Just like…

Just like that person he once knew, but would never be able to hold again.

Wen Yuansi did not stop, “I heard that your younger sister was a very sweet and pretty girl who was very good natured, plus she listened to everything you said and was very close to you. Also, she died… very tragically.”

As he continued staring at the profile of the young lady with a pure beauty unique to one who was too young to use makeup, he suddenly flew into a rage. “You are not allowed to talk about my sister!”

Of course Wen Yuansi wasn’t going to obey that command. Not only was he going to mention her, but he was also going to talk all about her. “Did your sister really die because your father raped her to death? That makes your father’s character very questionable. You didn’t avenge your sister?”

“Then again, that makes sense,” said Wen Yuansi as he verbalized his thought process, “If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t dare to do that either. Without a backer like your father, I wouldn’t be able to live a life of luxury. Not only would I not dare to exact revenge, but I would only be able to kill other people to vent my frustrations, because I wouldn’t dare to tell anybody about this matter, regardless of time and place.”

“WEN YUANSI!”

Liu Zhenghao suddenly leaped up and grabbed Wen Yuansi by the neck as he pressed Wen Yuansi against the chair, his gaze sinister. “What are you trying to do?!”

“Relax, relax…” Wen Yuansi coughed a few times but did not struggle. He merely raised and lowered his hands to try and calm Liu Zhenghao down. “I’m just trying to strike a deal with you. As you know, I’m not a foolish man. If I want to climb the career ladder, I’ve got to be able to judge the situation and people well, and I’ve got to be capable too. I can help you, not only now, but in the future too. You will find me a valuable partner. You can ask anything of me and I’m willing to share that with you to prove that I’m sincere in trying to strike this deal. But at the same time…”

“You’ve got to offer something too, Mr. Liu.”

Liu Zhenghao narrowed his eyes.

Wen Yuansi smiled at him and continued to speak slowly, “I’m right here and I can’t escape. And you’re powerful enough to deal with me anytime you like. So, it’s hard for me to trust you if you don’t tell me anything at all.”

“It’s just the two of us here in a private space. Anything you say will be heard by me alone. Would you dare to tell me about this matter in detail?”

After Wen Yuansi said those words, the entire room fell silent. Liu Zhenghao had a flicker in his eyes and did not speak for a long time.

Meanwhile, in the room next door that shared a wall with this room…

Or rather, the wall was actually just a screen that looked like a wall. Zhao Zhi and his men had brought Governor Li and Liu Qinian to this room and they were all listening quietly.

Everything had been arranged beforehand. Both Governor Li and Liu Qinian were tied securely to the chair with robes and their mouths stuffed. Martial artists were holding them down, so they didn’t even dare to move in case their movement made a noise. Besides listening to the conversation next door, there was literally nothing else they could do.

Governor Li was trembling so hard, his eyeballs were about to fall out of their sockets. This had nothing to do with him! Why did he get carried here in this fashion too?

Liu Qinian’s eyes were even wider than Governor Li. There was no space in his mind left to reprimand Zhao Zhi for having no regard for him and daring to actually kidnap a court official. All he could think of was the faint shadow behind the screen, and he wished he could shout out to his son…

You two aren’t the only ones in the room! Son, watch what you say!

Wen Yuansi was offering to strike a deal, but his words were also tempting.

Liu Zhenghao’s eyes trembled slightly as he hesitated.

“So…” Wen Yuansi’s neck hurt from being grabbed but he wasn’t afraid at all. He even asked curiously, “you were seriously the one who killed those courtesans? How did you do it? And your younger sister and your father really…”

“Hurhur…” Liu Zhenghao let out a low laugh.

He let go of Wen Yuansi, but his smile was sinister.

Wen Yuansi rubbed his neck and stretched his arms now that he was free again. “Seriously though, I really admire you. Your younger sister…”

“Do NOT talk about my younger sister!”

Liu Zhenghao threw the tea in his cup at Wen Yuansi. “Since you like talking about courtesans so much, I’ll tell you about them.”

This was a safe place. Wen Yuansi was here to strike a deal, not to trick him into a confession.

Also, he didn’t want this guy to keep talking about his younger sister.

He had done so many clever things, but so few people knew about it.

Liu Zhenghao was not stupid, as the investigation team had ascertained. He considered all aspects of the situation and thought through everything carefully before deciding that it was fine to talk about it.

He killed without even batting an eye, so he was a man who did not hesitate once he had decided.

Only one side of his lips were curled upward and only half his face was in the sun, while the other half was shrouded in darkness, which made his smile especially distorted.

“There’s nothing to hide, really. My father can protect me, so the courts can’t do anything to me!”