frightfiction Chapter 285 Murderer
Chapter 285 Murderer
As the crowd gradually approached, the steady and chaotic footsteps were like a heavy hammer, knocking hard on the door of Wu'an Hou's heart, waking him suddenly from his thoughts.
His eyes widened, his face filled with shock that was difficult to conceal, and his gaze quickly scanned every face in front of him—
The eyes of the Chu family's grandfather and grandson, filled with resentment and dissatisfaction, were like two burning flames, ready to devour him; his own son's gaze, as cold and ruthless as ice, without any warmth at all, made him feel a chill in his heart.
However, in this depressing atmosphere, the little girl who I had only met twice was like a ray of sunshine in spring. Her gentle smile was so kind and warm that it instantly dispelled some of the haze in my heart.
Suddenly, the business file that he had just secretly read flashed through Wu Anhou's mind. An indescribable feeling of embarrassment surged in his heart, making his already pale face become even redder.
At this moment, facing the gazes of these people, he felt uncomfortable all over and wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
Seeing that everyone was silent and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense as if it was about to freeze, Ru Yue had no choice but to step forward again and act as the person to break the deadlock.
She smiled slightly and said softly, "Please take a seat, everyone. Since we are gathered here today, I believe we are all thinking about solving the mystery of that year. Please open your hearts and speak frankly if you have anything to say."
She gracefully raised her hand to signal everyone to take a seat, and hurriedly ordered the servants to quickly bring fresh tea and snacks to ease the tense situation.
After everything was arranged, everyone took their seats.
Even so, a stifling silence still permeated the room, as if time had stood still. Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to speak first, no one wanting to be the first to initiate a conversation, as if afraid of falling into a trap set by the other person.
Ru Yue looked at these guys who used to work hard in the officialdom and were now so cunning that they were afraid to speak, and she couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
She knew very well that these so-called old foxes were all very calculating and no one was willing to easily reveal their true intentions.
However, in this seemingly calm but actually turbulent contest, who can truly stay out of it?
Thinking of this, Ru Yue raised the corners of her mouth slightly, snorted coldly, and a barely perceptible cunning light flashed in her eyes.
As the saying goes, "The person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it." The key source of all these problems undoubtedly lies with Chu Ning'an, the key person.
No matter what, he had to tell the whole story. However, since he kept his lips tightly shut and refused to utter a single word, she had to speak for him.
Ru Yue just coughed lightly, then nodded slightly towards Marquis Wu'an.
At this moment, she did not directly point out the relationship between herself and Chu Ning'an. After all, if she said these things in person, others might think she was too proactive and eager to get close to him.
Back then, when Chu Ning'an was in dire straits and down and out, many people laughed at her for being so stupid that she was willing to support such a gigolo. Sooner or later, she would end up losing both her money and her life.
But what about now? After Chu Ning'an passed the imperial examination and was admitted to high school, everyone accused her of being treacherous and cunning, taking advantage of others' difficulties to do her a little favor, and using this meager favor to try to marry such a high-potential wealthy husband.
Alas, it is so hard to judge what is right and wrong in this world! Being a human being is as difficult as ascending to heaven!
Ru Yue briefly recounted her first encounter with Chu Ning'an three years ago, emphasizing his disheartened state at the time. Then, she slowly explained the specific reasons for this situation and detailed the entire incident on the Canglan River that year.
She chose not to handle the matter in a succinct, hasty manner, but instead meticulously and attentively addressed every detail, neither omitting crucial information nor exaggerating to mislead others' feelings or judgment. She simply presented the events she had heard from Chu Ning'an in their entirety, striving for maximum objectivity and truth. Only in this way could these high-ranking officials, drawing on their own experience and wisdom, deeply analyze and deduce the complex web of interests hidden behind this matter.
Back then, when Chu Ning'an first met Emperor Chu's Master, he only briefly recounted what had happened.
However, at this moment, after listening to Ru Yue's detailed and vivid narration, the Chu family's grandfather and grandson finally realized, as if waking from a dream, that what happened back then was so thrilling!
Those dangerous plots made everyone present terrified, and even Chu Ning'an himself broke out in a cold sweat.
Thinking back, he'd experienced far more than a narrow escape. It was practically a near-death experience. A single misstep would have led to eternal damnation. It was truly only through the protection of God and his ancestors that he was able to survive.
Chu Ning'an didn't interrupt Ru Yue while she was speaking. Those people were his elders, and they all knew Chu Ning'an's personality well. Everything Ru Yue said must be absolutely true. Otherwise, given his usual personality, he would have been unable to restrain himself and interrupted the girl long ago.
Ru Yue sat on the chair with her eyes lowered, and did not go into detail about what had happened in the past three years.
Everyone present was a shrewd, experienced person, so how could they not understand the reason? Perhaps it was because of meeting this girl that Chu Ning'an put away his cold heart, began to calm down and study the books of sages diligently, and resolutely embarked on the road of imperial examinations.
Time passed minute by minute, and after a long time, Ru Yue finally finished recounting the long-forgotten past. However, the entire study once again fell into a suffocating silence.
After an unknown amount of time, Marquis Wu'an asked with difficulty: "Do you suspect that I ordered others to push you into the water?" Although this sentence was the one he resisted the most and was reluctant to mention in his heart, when he said it at this moment, his tone was extremely firm and unquestionable.
Facing Marquis Wu'an's questioning, Chu Ning'an remained expressionless, his eyes cold as ice. He slowly said, "Although there were many people watching the rain-praying ceremony, I was surrounded by many people, and those people were all carefully selected by you."
Having said that, Chu Ning'an paused for a moment, as if he wanted to observe Marquis Wu'an's reaction.
Time has passed, and Chu Ning'an has grown up and matured. After so many years of thinking and pondering, he has long understood the truth behind the incident.
In fact, given Marquis Wu'an's status and position, if he really wanted to harm him, there was no need to go to such great lengths, and there was no need to endure and wait until he came of age before taking action.
However, all the misfortunes he had experienced over the years - his mother's untimely death, and the open and secret struggles and ruthless persecutions of those in the backyard of the Marquis's mansion, all of these things were intertwined and deeply imprinted in his heart, making it difficult for him to forgive the man in front of him who was his father.
"My Lord, shouldn't you give an explanation to Ning An and my Chu family?" Chu Shengyan's face was stern, his eyes staring straight at Marquis Wu'an like cold stars, and his tone was so cold that it seemed to condense the air.
Marquis Wu'an sat there quietly, listening to every word Chu Shengyan said. He already understood the key to the matter in his heart, but at this moment he felt confused and had no idea how to respond to the questions of these people in front of him.
After a long while, Marquis Wu'an slowly spoke, "Brother, Tingqian is truly unworthy of you addressing me as Marquis! This time, it was indeed my negligence that caused Xuan'er to suffer so many years. Please believe me, I will do my utmost to find the murderer who murdered Xuan'er and give the Chu family and Xuan'er a satisfactory explanation."
However, Chu Shengyan's next words were like thunder from a clear sky, exploding in everyone's ears.
He said expressionlessly, "So, does this also include the old lady in your house?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned for a moment, their eyes widened and their faces were filled with astonishment.
Although this sounded a bit nonsensical, who among those present was not a clear-headed person? They knew very well that the old lady of Wu'an Marquis hated Chu Qingrou to the core, and this hatred even implicated Chu Ning'an.
It is very likely that this old lady secretly instructed others to harm her own grandson.
For a moment, the entire hall was silent and the atmosphere was extremely solemn.
Ru Yue frowned slightly, sighed inwardly, and gently pinched her eyebrows with her hands.
She couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, having such an unreliable family is truly a great misfortune for Marquis Wu'an!"
Her gaze turned to Chu Shengyan standing beside her, and she couldn't help but think that his behavior at the moment seemed a little aggressive.
However, just when everyone present was almost certain that they would not hear any definite answers, Wu Anhou suddenly spoke a word. This word was like a thunderclap, which instantly shocked everyone.
Marquis Wu'an's face was solemn, his eyes were firm and resolute as he said, "I will not kill my mother, but I will definitely give Ning An and the Chu family a satisfactory explanation."
Although his voice was not loud and clear, the tone contained in it was so firm that there was no room for questioning or negotiation.
Ru Yue looked quietly at the middle-aged man in front of her. From his unflinching expression, she clearly understood that Marquis Wu'an was definitely not just being perfunctory.
For some reason, at this moment she admired Marquis Wu'an even more.
She smiled slightly and said softly, "Actually, it's not difficult to get to the bottom of this matter. Who can gain the greatest benefit from Chu Ning'an's death? Then this person is very likely the real murderer behind the scenes."
After saying this, Ru Yue's lips curled up slightly, revealing an imperceptible smile, as if she had already foreseen the direction of how things would develop next.