CH 17

What new findings?

Ling Shu had already laid back down, but upon hearing the last words, he sat up again.

Yue Dingtang didn't mince words either, taking out a gun and several bullets from the leather bag.

At this point, not only was Ling Shu involved, but even Yue Dingtang was no longer able to be a bystander.

The other party obviously did not want them to uncover anything, but since they failed to kill him tonight, this move was obsolete, and instead it had confirmed the direction of their investigation.

"The gun and bullets were left behind by the other party."

Ling Shu accepted the gun.

"1906, commonly known as the Heart Thunder, is light and delicate, and easy to carry. From what I know, Nanjing's officials, even some ladies for the sake of self-defense, also like to use this pistol. It is easy to buy through foreign firms, although it is a bit expensive, but there is no problem."

Yue Dingtang raised his chin slightly. "Look at it again carefully."

He must have made some discovery. Ling Shu was serious and picked up the bullets one by one, looked at them, then put them down, and then picked up the gun. In a short while, he frowned.

"What is this?"

The gun itself was intact, maybe it had not been used a few times, at least it was still ninety percent new.

However, Ling Shu found black powder sticking to the trigger.

He scratched it slightly with his fingernail, took a few and smelled it under his nose, and his expression changed slightly.

Ling Shu looked towards Yue Dingtang, and the latter nodded.

"It turns out to be cigarette ash."

When they searched Du Yunning's room before, they accidentally found cigarette ash under her bed.

It was this kind of cigarette ash.

"Too many coincidences are no longer coincidences. Can I assume that the two people who attacked us tonight are likely to be the people who lured Du Yunning to smoke?"

Yue Dingtang said, "Du Yunning has always been deeply disgusted with cigarettes, because her grandfather and father were addicted to smoking. Her grandfather even died tragically. She was also an educated woman who had gone to school, and under normal circumstances, she would never touch these things.

Ling Shu continued naturally: "After marriage, Yuan Bing may have been fascinated by her beauty at first, but the good times did not last long. Everyone in Shanghai knows that Yuan Bing, the young master, likes to take dancing girls out to play, and there are several wives outside. Even though Du Yunning was dressed in gold and silver, and she would not lack food and clothing, her heart was definitely not happy. The more she indulged in the splendor and wealth, the more empty her heart became. It can be understood that she started smoking under the inducement of Hong Xiaoguang.

Yue Dingtang: "We still don't know what Hong Xiaoguang's people are plotting with the Yuan family, but if he can completely control Du Yunning, it will not be difficult for them to achieve their goals."

Ling Shu: "Why didn't they start from Yuan Bing? This person is weak in character and greedy for beauty. Isn't it easier to attack? And as the master of the Yuan family, he knows what Du Yunning may know, and he may also know what Du Yunning certainly does not know."

Yue Dingtang: "How do you know they haven't tried it?"

Before the voice fell, both of them were stunned.

Looking each other in the eyes, they seemed to think of something crucial.

At this time, knocking on the door sounded.

The two had to temporarily put the conversation on hold.

Yue Dingtang put away the bullets and the gun.

"Please come in."

The one who pushed the door in was Yue Chunxiao.

She was carrying a bag and a basket in her hand, and a male servant was following her with a meal box in both hands.

"Are you alright? I brought you something to eat."

She put down the fruit basket and glanced over Yue Dingtang to make sure that he was not seriously injured except for external injuries, and finally her eyes stayed on Ling Shu.

"Are you Ling Shu? Do you remember me?"

Ling Shu smiled: "Sister Chunxiao, how can I not remember? In the past, Du Yunning and I went to the Yue family as guests, and you personally went to the kitchen to make us some snacks, and I also complimented them to Yue Dingtang at that time."

His head and neck were wrapped in gauze and he was wearing hospital gowns, but he still smiled softly like an innocent little animal, which made people feel that he was especially pitiful.

Yue Chunxiao had already liked him, and now that she had seen him in person and found that he was even better-looking than her memories, she was immediately charmed by his laughter and her feelings of pity and love exploded in an instant.

“How did you get hurt like this? What did the doctor say? This hospital doesn’t seem very good, should I find someone to change rooms for you guys?”

She stepped forward to check Ling Shu’s injury and felt her heart ache the more she looked.

“Such a good head, and it’s been injured. How can there be no scar left behind? Are you dizzy now? Can you move?”

“It’s nothing, Sister Chunxiao, I just got hit on the back of my head, my forehead isn’t hurt.”

“That’s even worse! Things concerning the head can’t be taken lightly, unlike broken hands and feet. I brought some food and drinks here for you. There’s Chinese food and Western food, but it took some time to get here so the taste may not be as good as when it was just made. Take a look and see what you like to eat!”

Yue Dingtang looked at the two of them joking and laughing, with a speechless face.

He didn’t know if perhaps the two of them were brother and sister, and he was actually the one picked up off the street.

“Don’t the two of you remember that there’s a living person here?”

Yue Chunxiao shot him a look.

“You don’t have any big problems, it’s just an arm injury, it will heal soon. Ling Shu’s injury is to the head, he needs to make up for it so he won’t have any troubles in the future.”

Yue Dingtang: ...

He felt like Ling Shu’s cause and effect had been reversed, but he had indeed saved his life, which was without a doubt.

If it wasn’t for Ling Shu’s kick, he would probably be lying in the mortuary now facing his elder sister’s tears.

When Yue Chunxiao heard this, she was truly shocked.

“What’s with the gunmen again? What’s going on here, did you guys offend someone? Should I send our elder and second brothers a telegram and let them hurry back?”

Yue Dingtang said in a low voice: “We can solve it ourselves, there’s no need for our brothers to worry.”

Yue Chunxiao looked into his eyes, stayed silent for a moment, then looked towards Ling Shu with a face full of pity.

“You’re a good kid, you’re Dingtang’s lifesaver and from today on you’re also a lifesaver of our Yue family. I’ve been treating you like my little brother before, and from now on you don’t have to be polite with me. If you have anything, just say it. Come and see what elder sister brought for you guys to eat!”

She instructed the maidservant who came with her to open the food boxes one by one.

The aroma of steamed pork and sweet and sour fish came out first and occupied the entire room, followed slowly and orderly by chicken soup with ginseng.

Although Ling Shu had just drunk the chicken soup sent by Ling Yao, he couldn’t help but move his fingers when he saw the sweet and sour fish.

Yue Chunxiao smiled when she saw this and quickly took out the chopsticks and handed them to him.

“Sweet and sour fish tastes the best when it’s just out of the oven, the skin is crispy and the meat is tender, with a sweet and sour taste. If it’s been sitting for too long, the skin will become soft and the sweet and sour sauce will become thick, and it won’t have that taste anymore.”

Yue Dingtang preferred the pig’s feet.

The pork trotters were stewed until they were soft and all the bones had been removed. The vinegar sauce that had been seasoned with soy sauce glistened on the pork skin.

The meat wasn't just fatty, but the perfect mix of fat and lean that melted in your mouth.

Yue Dingtang could finish a bowl of rice with this dish of stewed pork trotters.

Just as the two of them had started eating, Ling Yao came back, carrying a bag of oranges.

Yue Chunxiao just happened to turn around, and the two of them were stunned. But when Ling Yao saw the smile on his face, she stiffened.

Yue Dingtang had heard his sister's complaints back at home, and he was afraid she would be sarcastic if she spoke up, so he was about to smoothen things over when Yue Chunxiao spoke first.

"You're here to see Ling Shu."

Her tone was fairly even.

Ling Yao nodded and gave a polite response, then saw Ling Shu eagerly eating sweet and sour fish with chopsticks, and her smile immediately disappeared.

Ling Shu quickly put down her chopsticks, fawning over her, saying, "Big sister, you're finally here! I've waited so long for these oranges you bought!"

Ling Yao raised her eyebrows and said, "You're already eating fish, and you can still eat oranges? You just banged your head, and you want to ruin your stomach too?"

Ling Shu: "No way, I love the oranges you bought!"

Ling Yao coldly said, "I'll take the oranges back. You should drink some water."

Yue Chunxiao couldn't take it anymore.

"What are you getting mad at the kid for! He's already hurt like this, and you won't let him eat something good to nourish him? It's winter, what are you going to do with oranges, this cold thing can't be eaten, why don't you buy canned oranges instead? You can't afford it yourself, so you let Ling Shu suffer with you?!"

Ling Yao angrily said, "He's my little brother, not yours. What does it have to do with you?!"

Ling Shu: "Big sister, Sister Chunxiao, I asked for the oranges myself, it's my fault, you guys don't fight."

Yue Chunxiao: "Look at how sensible the kid is! He's not my brother, but I treat him like one. I feel for him. All you ever do is scold and teach him, what else do you do?"

Ling Yao: "That's still better than you! Since you started school, you've been like a peacock, making noise here and there, I know who's been badmouthing me behind my back, and it's always you!"

Yue Chunxiao: "I said bad things about you? You don't need me to tell you who among the girls in school had a good impression of you, you wear a different set of clothes everyday, more extravagant than a butterfly, and you still have the nerve to say I'm like a peacock?!"

Yue Dingtang was stunned.

He was known to be eloquent and never ran out of words, but he couldn't find any now.

——Finally understanding what it meant that a woman's war is not for bystanders.

He couldn't help but turn to look at Ling Shu.

The latter had already lain on the bed, covered in a blanket, in an "I'm sleeping, please don't disturb" state.

Yue Dingtang:......

He hurriedly came up with an idea, and ran to Ling Shu's bedside.

"Ling Shu, what's wrong, wake up!"

The two women immediately stopped talking, and looked over with tension.

"Little brother, are you okay!"

"Hurry, go call a doctor!"

The doctor came quickly, followed by a nurse.

"Where do you feel uncomfortable?"

Ling Shu held her head, looking pale and helpless.

"I don't know, I just feel dizzy and I can't sit on the bed, I can only lie down."

From an angle no one was paying attention to, Yue Dingtang gave Ling Shu a thumbs up for his performance.

Ling Shu felt his life was too difficult.