roccoschili Chapter 362 Peach Crisp
Chapter 362 Peach Crisp
After saying that, Shen Fuhan started to put on his clothes.
Wen Jiayue was a little confused and advised him, "It's so late, Fourth Brother should be asleep by now. Why don't we go tomorrow?"
"It's nothing, I just asked him a few questions."
Wen Jiayue thought for a moment: "Should we ask him where he bought the peach shortbread?"
He went to Wuyou Courtyard right after finishing his peach shortbread, so it seems the peach shortbread was really delicious.
Shen Fuhan nodded in response.
Wen Jiayue snorted: "Why didn't you save one for me just now?"
“You’ll get indigestion if you eat this,” Shen Fuhan patted her head. “If your fourth brother has any more, I’ll bring them to you.”
It was too late, and he didn't want her to worry, so he simply didn't mention anything.
Stepping out of his bedroom, the cold night wind made his mood even heavier.
Scenes from the past that he had deliberately forgotten flashed through his mind, but now they appeared before him with unparalleled clarity.
If I do the math, it's already been almost six years.
Shen Fuhan walked heavily into Wuyou Courtyard.
Shen Fuyou was still awake when she heard the sound of bowing outside. Her heart skipped a beat. Why was her elder brother here?
He instinctively felt that this was definitely not a good thing, so he quickly blew out the light and pretended that he was already asleep.
But then he suddenly remembered that once his older brother had barged in before dawn, looked at him, and left. He was sure his brother would wake him up this time too.
Shen Fuyou sat up and looked towards the window. Just as she was hesitating whether to climb out the window, she heard footsteps approaching the bedroom.
He gritted his teeth and didn't move.
Honestly, he hasn't done anything wrong, what's he afraid of... ugh, what's he afraid of when his older brother knocks on the door?
Thinking of this, Shen Fuyou immediately threw off the covers and turned the lamp back on.
Just as the room was filled with light, Shen Fuhan entered.
Shen Fuyou observed his expression, which remained indifferent, revealing nothing.
He tentatively asked, "Brother, why are you here so late?"
Shen Fuhan glanced at the three packs of peach shortbread placed on the round table without making a sound.
"Your sister-in-law said the peach shortbread was delicious, and she asked me to ask you where you bought it."
Shen Fuyou fell silent for a moment. He had already told his sister-in-law the origin of the peach shortbread, and it was definitely not something his sister-in-law wanted to know.
Why is my brother asking about this?
He changed the subject and praised, "Brother is really good to sister-in-law, coming all this way so late."
Shen Fuhan sat down, straightening his slightly wrinkled cuffs as he said, "It's my duty."
“Brother, you’re right to think that way,” Shen Fuyou flattered. “You must let your sister-in-law see what you do, so that she will like you even more.”
Shen Fuhan nodded slightly and then asked, "So, where did the peach shortbread come from?"
Shen Fuyou swallowed hard.
We've come full circle back to the same old topic, but the older brother has changed his wording; he's changed "where it came from" to "where it was bought from."
He casually remarked, "Oh, it's just something I bought on the street."
Which street?
Shen Fuyou felt sweat beading on his forehead and hesitated before saying, "I can't remember, it seems to be... Qingyun Street?"
He remembered that there were peach shortbreads sold on this street.
"Really?" Shen Fuhan looked up at him. "I'll go take a look tomorrow."
Shen Fuyou breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, is there anything else, brother?"
Shen Fuhan pondered for a moment and then said, "Yes."
Shen Fuyou nervously rubbed the corner of his clothes, inwardly cursing himself for being crazy. Why did he have to ask that extra question?
He could only bite the bullet and ask, "What is it?"
"Give me another pack of peach shortbread."
Shen Fuyou: "..."
He didn't even bother to save some for himself and quickly grabbed a bag to hand to his older brother.
"Brother, walk slowly."
Shen Fuhan carried the snacks out of Wuyou Courtyard, but instead of returning to his bedroom, he went to the study.
He summoned two guards and instructed them, "Go and find out who Shen Fuyou has met in the past two days, and find out their identities."
As the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he could easily tell that his fourth brother had been nervous all along, but he didn't ask directly because he didn't want to alert the enemy.
Moreover, he had always known that his fourth brother had been acting strangely over the past year, as had Wen Jiayue. They seemed to be harboring a shared secret that they didn't want him to discover.
He had no intention of investigating. As long as he didn't cause any trouble, he didn't want to get involved. He was already tired enough with the affairs of the court.
Moreover, he didn't really want to monitor his family. Even though he had ways to keep them from noticing, he didn't want them to lose their freedom and have their every word and action monitored.
But since this matter concerns the Xie family, he had no choice but to make an effort.
He stared at the bag of peach shortbread in silence. The Xie family of Jinzhou had been wiped out. Were there really any survivors?
When Shen Fuhan returned to the bedroom, Wen Jiayue was already asleep.
He gently put down the peach shortbread, lifted the blanket, and lay down inside.
Perhaps he had just been exposed to a cold wind and was feeling a bit chilly. After snuggling against him for a moment, Wen Jiayue shrank back away.
Shen Fuhan was amused by her actions, and he tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he didn't laugh. He closed his eyes with a heart full of sorrow.
The next day, Shen Fuhan was absent-minded all day, but fortunately nothing major happened.
If all goes well, the guard will report to him tonight. He doesn't know how he feels right now; he's experiencing a mix of emotions.
As Shen Fuhan was about to leave for the end of his shift, he suddenly heard a report from his subordinates that a murder had occurred.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing he had no choice but to proceed with the interrogation.
Unexpectedly, Pei Huaiying was among them.
“I already said I was just passing by,” Pei Huaiying said angrily. “Why did you arrest me? I am the heir of the Duke of Qi! If I tell my father, you’ll be in big trouble!”
He still considered himself the heir apparent. Shen Fuhan used to scoff at this, but now he realized that the position of heir apparent should indeed be his.
Shen Fuhan briefly learned about the case and asked Pei Huaiying a few questions to clear her of suspicion.
“I already said it wasn’t me,” Pei Huaiying said, crossing his legs as he sat down and pointing at the people from the Dali Temple. “You, you, and you, all of you, apologize to me!”
With no new developments in the case for the time being, Shen Fuhan said, "Second Master Pei, please move to the side hall so I can apologize to you in person."
He wanted to ask about Pei Huaijin, but there were too many people here, so he had to go somewhere else.
Pei Huaiying snorted, stood up with her nose in the air, and followed him.
After closing the door, Shen Fuhan poured him a cup of tea.
"Stop with the flowery language," Pei Huaiying waved his hand dismissively. "Apologize, I'm listening."
Shen Fuhan pondered for a moment, then asked, "Second Brother Pei, do you have any evidence that Pei Huaijin is not the heir apparent?"
Pei Huaiying was taken aback when he brought up the matter, and looked Shen Fuhan up and down.
He remembered that Shen Fuhan was in cahoots with Pei Huaijin, who was impersonating him, so why would he tell him that?
"What evidence do you need?" Pei Huaiying asked warily. "I have eyes. Do you think I can't tell whether he's my older brother or not?"
Knowing that he was wary, Shen Fuhan revealed all the information he had.
“After you mentioned this matter that day, I began to investigate in secret, and finally found out that this person was indeed not your elder brother.”
Pei Huaiying's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "Then what are you waiting for? Go and catch him!"
“It’s not that simple. We lack crucial evidence,” Shen Fuhan said. “Tell me what you know, and it might make the investigation easier.”
Pei Huaiying narrowed her eyes: "You're not lying to me, are you? You and that fake prince are clearly friends. Are you going to help him destroy the evidence once I tell you?"
"A friend?" Shen Fuhan took a sip of tea and said slowly, "He coveted my wife. Ever since I learned about this, I have stopped considering him a friend."
Caught off guard by the gossip, Pei Huaiying gaped: "Really?"
Shen Fuhan said indifferently, "Pei Erlang may not believe it, I can investigate it myself, it will just be slower."
Pei Huaiying scratched his head, unsure whether he should tell him.
After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "How about this, I'll go and test whether the fake prince really has ill intentions towards your wife. If what you say is true, I'll tell you right away."
Shen Fuhan frowned and advised, "He is very cunning; don't test him."
Pei Huaiying scoffed: "Then what do you suggest? Wouldn't it be foolish of me to just trust you like this?"
Shen Fuhan glanced at him; he did indeed seem rather dim-witted.
Forming an alliance with him was clearly a mistake.
"Forget it, just pretend I didn't say anything," Shen Fuhan stood up. "Pei Erlang, forget about it too."
After he finished speaking, he turned and left, but Pei Huaiying remained motionless for a long time.
He watched Shen Fuhan's retreating figure and silently thought that if he could really bring down the fake prince, it wouldn't hurt to test him.