Huge thank you to all the ko-fi supporters! An extra chapter for you guys - specially unlocked!

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Ling Shu had always suspected that Lu Zude was pretending to be crazy.

But being able to stare without blinking and laugh foolishly for half an hour straight was also a skill.

At least, upon close observation, Ling Shu couldn't find any flaws.

During the many days that Lu Zude had been imprisoned, various people had come to try and extract secrets from him.

Including the secrets held by Lu Tongcang, who held the secrets of others.

Lu Tongcang's death was sudden, but after dominating Shanghai for so many years and holding onto those shady secrets, he could probably bring down half of the political world and make many big shots panic.

As many people were eager to dig out these secrets from Lu Zude's mouth, there were just as many people hoping for his death.

Ling Shu had heard from Shen Renjie that in the few days since Lu Zude had been imprisoned, he had already encountered three instances of poisoned food and one attempted assassination by a fellow inmate.

The guards had no choice but to isolate him, but even that couldn't stop Lu Zude from self-harm. It was said that he would seize any opportunity to harm himself, such as using broken pieces of porcelain to cut himself and leaving small and large wounds all over his body.

The guards couldn't let him die, so they had to assign someone to watch him constantly, which was exhausting.

Ling Shu's gaze lingered on Lu Zude's neck and then traveled down to his exposed hands and feet, where he could see clearly the various wounds, some of which were still bleeding.

Lu Zude himself seemed completely unaware, staring blankly at a point in the corner of the room, lost in thought.

Ling Shu temporarily took over his guard, who was relieved and happy to have a moment of leisure. It was not a pleasant task to watch over someone like him. The guard would rather patrol the streets than face a madman. Over time, it could drive the person watching him crazy.

There were only Ling Shu and Lu Zude in the cell. In the distance, other prisoners were screaming and shouting, amplified in the dim and spacious room, echoing layer upon layer, but becoming less clear.

"Lu Zude, I know you don't want to die. Pretending to be crazy is your only way to survive," Ling Shu said, only audible to the other person, who was within arm's reach. "You know too many secrets. Those people won't let you live peacefully. But now, they can't distinguish between truth and lies. They won't kill you immediately, so you can survive a little longer. But have you ever thought about other ways to live?"

Liu Zude remained indifferent, and Ling Shu continued, "I can help you change your name and go to Hong Kong. As long as you leave Shanghai, those people can't harm you. They may have power here, but once you leave, their reach will be limited. This is your only way out, and I hope you seize it."

Ling Shu had no intention of helping Liu Zude escape by changing his identity, but his plan was genuine.

Anyone with a will to survive would not sit and wait for death here. Even if they pretended to be foolish, they would subconsciously show some reaction.

But he was disappointed.

Lu Zude had no reaction at all.

He still had a vacant look, a dull expression, not even a strand of hair moved.

At most, he was murmuring something in his mouth, singing a nursery rhyme that nine out of ten people couldn't understand.

Could he really be that stupid?

Ling Shu didn't want a truly foolish Lu Zude, that would make his trip meaningless.

Even Sister Rong and Sister Song combined didn't know as much as Lu Zude did.

If there was any news about Miss Feng's whereabouts, it must be on Lu Zude.

"Have you thought it through? Once I leave today, I won't come back. If you miss this opportunity, you won't be able to leave again. I'm only interested in Miss Feng's whereabouts, I don't want to know any other secrets. Are you sure you don't want to seize this opportunity?" He leaned in close to Lu Zude, enunciating each word.

The latter slowly shifted his gaze back to him, suddenly bursting into a silly laugh.

Ling Shu was about to stand up when the other party suddenly attacked, tackling him and even trying to bite him.

He kicked out directly, sending Lu Zude flying and crashing into the corner of the wall.

"Heh...heh..." Lu Zude gasped for air, sounding like an old, broken bellows. That kick was not light, and his stomach must be hurting badly now.

Ling Shu stood still, towering over him, staring coldly.

He actually spoke.

"Miss Feng...Feng Zhenzhu...round and smooth like a pearl, so white and shiny...heh heh heh!"

Lu Zude didn't mind whether Ling Shu spoke or not, he just kept laughing to himself.

But this laughter didn't sound silly, it was rather unsettling to listen to.

Ling Shu slowly said, "Do you remember her name is Zhenzhu? So where is she?"

Lu Zude blinked and smiled, "Zhenzhu, she's right behind you!"

The kerosene lamp in the corner flickered, its faint light unable to dispel the darkness.

A cold wind blew from an unknown direction, making Ling Shu shiver involuntarily.

Ling Shu took a step forward and approached Lu Zude.

"You better think it through. Feng Zhenzhu can be exchanged for your life. You won't lose out. Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit."

Lu Zude hugged his knees and shrank into the corner, as if something was really floating past him.

"Don't come near me! Don't come near me! You're not the one I killed, don't come looking for me!"

Ling Shu's heart sank.

He had a hunch that Lu Zude was talking about Feng Zhenzhu.

Could it be that Miss Feng had really died?

But is it really possible for ghosts to seek justice in this world?

"Don't come any closer! Everyone has their own debts to pay, go find them, go find them!"

Lu Zude was still muttering under his breath, his face twisted in fear that he couldn't hide.

Ling Shu asked, "Who are they?"

Lu Zude mumbled, but his voice grew quieter and quieter, making it impossible to hear.

Ling Shu tried to get closer, but the other person suddenly screamed and pressed their entire body against the wall, their back facing him.

Lu Zude was already small in stature, but now he curled up into a ball.

No matter how pitiful the human trafficker looked now, Ling Shu wouldn't let him go.

He reached out and pulled him over.

"Speak!"

Lu Zude trembled and shook his head vigorously.

"I don't know, I don't know. Don't come to me if you're looking for them. Go away, go away!"

He seemed to be driving Ling Shu away, as if he was driving away some unknown creature in the darkness.

"Did Miss Feng die? Who killed her? Was it you? If it was, you'll have another crime on your head, and even the gods won't be able to save you!" Ling Shu lowered his voice and threatened fiercely.

Lu Zude just shook his head, but didn't say anything.

Ling Shu stood up, took a few steps back, and coldly looked at Lu Zude for a long time.

Although he didn't show it on his face, he felt a bit helpless inside.

Staying here any longer would be meaningless, so he was ready to leave.

He thought Lu Zude was pretending to be crazy, but now it seems that he is really crazy.

If Lu Zude's acting skills are really so good to this extent, it's no wonder that those who are eager to get secrets from him can't tell if he's really crazy or not, and they keep him alive.

But what's the point of living like this?

Gasping for breath in the darkness, pretending to be crazy under surveillance, is this what Lu Zude wanted?

Behind him, Lu Zude continued to ramble on, "Pearls, pearls are so beautiful. I like agate, agate as red as fire, like the phoenix, the dragon, the tiger, the turtle!"

Ling Shu's footsteps halted.

"I also like turtles, their shells, I want to crawl inside... Where's my shell? Huh, where did my shell go?"

He listened for a while longer, realizing that the other person's words had no logical order, just whatever came to mind.

Ling Shu then went to check on Sister Rong and Sister Song.

As expected, the two women were normal, but they knew nothing. Sister Rong overturned her previous statement of seeing Miss Feng and insisted that she had made a mistake.

The patrol officer told him that among the women who were bound by the Chunshan Club, there was indeed one who looked somewhat similar to Miss Feng, but her surname was Chen, and she came from an ordinary family. She was also a female student and had nothing to do with the Feng family. It was just a coincidence.

Ling Shu gained nothing from the three of them and had to leave here completely.

The darkness of the prison contrasted with the sunshine outside, describing two different worlds.

Ling Shu let out a long sigh.

To be honest, staying inside may not have been noticeable at first, but over time, the oppressive and cramped environment was enough to drive a normal person crazy.

Perhaps this was how Lu Zude went insane.

But was he really insane?

Ling Shu was now somewhat uncertain.

No one could resist the temptation of escaping death to such an extent.

Outside, Yue Dingtang and Shen Renjie were waiting for him.

The Yang couple was also with them.

Yue Dingtang took charge and things went smoothly. After a phone call with Minister Feng, the Yang couple was granted parole, which meant they were under house arrest. The patrol station sent someone to live with them and keep an eye on them, and that person was Shen Renjie.

Upon hearing this, Ling Shu joked, "Old Shen, you're becoming quite the surveillance expert, aren't you?"

Shen Renjie sighed, "This job is really something. Honestly, I don't want to do it!"

Ling Shu patted his shoulder, "Come on! You live in the Yang family, enjoying good food and drink, and being taken care of. You don't even have to go back to the patrol station for roll call. Isn't it much more comfortable than before? If we can solve this case, we'll have another accomplishment. What else is there to be dissatisfied about?"

Shen Renjie couldn't pretend anymore and chuckled at Ling Shu's words.

"What about Lu Zude?" Yue Dingtang asked.

Ling Shu shook his head, "His mouth is tight. We can't get anything out of him. I even suspect that he's really gone crazy."

Shen Renjie said, "Now you believe me, right? At first, we also suspected that he was pretending to be crazy, but we tried all sorts of methods, like sticking stickers on his face and using the tiger bench, but we couldn't expose him. Instead, he became even crazier. Actually, if he's crazy, he's crazy. He deserves to be struck by lightning and die, but the higher-ups don't want to kill him, so we can only leave him be and see when he can't bear it anymore and stops pretending!"

Ling Shu sighed, "If he really is pretending, then I truly admire him. To be so ruthless to oneself, no wonder he was able to take Jiang He's position under Lu Tongcang."

Mr. and Mrs. Yang followed behind them, not knowing what they were discussing, but they looked fearful and tense, even though they were now back home, they didn't relax at all.

The prison in the patrol station was not something ordinary people could endure.

Although the couple did not suffer the same fate as Lu Zude, they definitely went through a lot of hardships. Coupled with the psychological torment, it was lucky that they didn't fall ill.

"Officers, we have arrived. Please come inside and have a seat. Whatever you want to investigate, we will find it for you," the woman pointed to a house in front of them.

It was an unremarkable residential building, no different from the other houses in the area.

As a local, Ling Shu knew that the people living in this area were not very wealthy. They were neither rich nor poor, and the area could not be considered a slum. However, they didn't have much money left over each year, and sometimes a serious illness could wipe out their savings completely.

Especially in times like these, it was not easy to maintain a peaceful life. Yang Chunhe was able to attend university in such an environment because their parents loved and cherished her as their precious gem.

"Mrs. Yang, is Chunhe your only child?" Ling Shu asked politely, dressed in casual clothes and more approachable than the police officer Shen Renjie.

"Yes, she originally had an older brother who passed away two years ago due to illness. Ah, now, we only have Chunhe, this one child. After school, she even helps us with chores and is especially sensible and lovable..." Mrs. Yang replied.

"Mrs. Yang, it's not about whether we trust Chunhe or not, it's that she's missing. Even if she's innocent, we need to find her first. We can't just let her disappear without a trace. Your family only has one child, and she's a university student and a future pillar of the country. We will do our best." Ling Shu assured her.

With a few comforting words, Ling Shu managed to calm down Mrs. Yang.

"Yes, yes, we must find her first... Officers, I beg of you!" Mrs. Yang wiped away her tears and headed back into the house, while her husband served them tea.

"I apologize, officers. We haven't been home for two days, and there's not much to eat. Otherwise, I would have asked my wife to buy a chicken and make chicken soup for you today!" He nodded and bowed, eager to please.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Yang came out of the house with a small package. Inside were a few silver coins.

"Officers, this is our savings from many years. It's just a small token of our appreciation. Please accept it."

Shen Renjie reached out to take it, but Ling Shu gave him a stern look and stopped him.

Ling Shu pushed her hand away and said seriously, "Mrs. Yang, we're not here for any benefits. We're here to investigate the case. I want to take a look at your daughter's room."

Mrs. Yang quickly replied, "I'll take you there. Please follow me."

The house was not big, and Yang Chunhe's room was even smaller.

But despite its size, it had everything one could need. It even had a touch of feminine charm, with small plants on the windowsill and wooden nameplates that Yang Chunhe had made for each one.

There weren't many books on the table, but there were stacks of notebooks that immediately caught Ling Shu's attention.

He picked up one and saw that it was a handwritten copy of "Les Misérables" by Yang Chunhe.

He flipped through another notebook and saw that it was "The Ball and the Cross."

Next to him, Mrs. Yang said, "Our daughter Chunhe borrowed books from the library and copied them herself when she got home. She said she didn't want to buy them, so she could save money for the family. Plus, when she copies them, she can remember the content better, making it easier for her to understand. Her father and I don't understand, so we just let her do it."

Ling Shu nodded in agreement. Chun was indeed a hardworking and diligent child.

He flipped through each book one by one.

Most of them were handwritten, some were essays and assignments. It was clear that Yang Chunhe took every assignment seriously and cherished her education.

Ling Shu noticed that in some of her free-form essays, her imagination was quite rich and she always had various whimsical ideas. Although she wasn't a history major, she was particularly interested in all kinds of strange events in history.

Underneath a book about stargazing, she even hand-copied a book called "Dream Pool Essays," and in the chapter about various strange objects and events throughout the ages, she wrote a reflection that was no less than the original text.

For example...

Shen Kuo once wrote that there was a translucent bronze mirror in his home, with ancient inscriptions on the back that no one could understand. As long as the mirror was placed in the sunlight, these inscriptions would be projected onto the wall, clear and visible.

Yang Chunhe added a note next to it, saying that the inscriptions on the mirror were a mystery from ancient times, recording the secret of eternal youth. It's a pity that no one today can decipher it. If I had this mirror, I would spend my whole life pursuing its secrets. With a tone of conviction and a childlike wonder, the young lady expressed his thoughts.

Young boys and girls always have boundless yearning and fantasies about the world, but for young ladies, they prefer pretty clothes and makeup that suit their age. People like Yang Chunhe, who focus their attention on astronomy and ancient mysteries, are few and far between.

Yue Dingtang saw Ling Shu engrossed in reading various notes left by Yang Chunhe, even sitting down and refusing to leave.

He patted Ling Shu's shoulder and reminded him, "Take what you want to read and go back. Don't delay others here."

Ling Shu suddenly recalled that the purpose of the police station releasing the Yang couple was to lure Yang Chunhe out.

With himself and Yue Dingtang here, Yang Chunhe would definitely not appear. However, after reading these diaries, he had already ruled out Yang Chunhe as a suspect in his heart.

This is at most a girl who loves to fantasize and daydream, she could never do something as heinous as kidnapping and killing out of jealousy.

Besides, there is no mention of the Fifth Young Master Wu in any of her many notebooks, which shows that even if she had a crush on him, it wasn't that deep.

But there were still has two notebooks that he hasn't finished reading, so Ling Shu decided not to draw any conclusions for now.

"Come to think of it, I'm actually a bit hungry now."

"What do you want to eat?"

"How about De Da Xi Vegetable Society?" He didn't beat around the bush, and went straight for the expensive option.

"Let's go." Yue Dingtang surprisingly agreed.

Ling Shu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

"Let's just find any place, I don't think we can wait that long."

Shen Renjie, who was listening on the side, couldn't help but interject: "I know that De Da Xi Vegetable Society's Portuguese chicken and pork chops are the best."

Ling Shu patted his shoulder and said, "To live up to your recommendation, we will order more food."

Shen Renjie: ...

He was still waiting for these two to invite him to join them, even if it was just a polite gesture.

He would have gone along with it, but they didn't even bother to ask!

Shen Renjie was itching with anger.

Mr. Yang approached him cautiously and asked, "Officer Shen, would you like some porridge?"

Shen Renjie replied irritably, "I'm not hungry!"

...

With Yang Chunhe's two notebooks in hand, Ling Shu finally had a whole evening to carefully read through them.

To his surprise, the last two notebooks were filled with poetry. The story included descriptions of the flowers and trees on campus, as well as a subtle admiration for someone - Ling Shu couldn't tell if it was referring to the Fifth Young Master Wu or not, as Yang Chunhe gave no clear indication, making it applicable to any young person of the opposite sex.

However, what was written about the most were the stars in the sky.

She was just like what the Fifth Young Master Wu had said, creating a story for every single star and writing it into a poem.

Although her choice of words and sentence structure were somewhat immature, her passion and rich imagination made up for any shortcomings, turning each poem into a celestial ode.

As Ling Shu read through the poems with a dual purpose of investigation and appreciation, he suddenly exclaimed and sat up straight in bed like a startled fish!

He had discovered something strange.

Yang Chunhe has written about the Eastern Azure Dragon constellation more than once, and the frequency of the word "Azure Dragon" is a bit too high. He opened his notebook and counted them one by one, and surprisingly found twenty-seven of them.

Why is Yang Chunhe so interested in the Azure Dragon constellation?

He seems to have heard about it somewhere recently...

Ling Shu frowned and searched his mind, but his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by his sister Ling Yao's voice outside the door.

"Little brother, Yue Dingtang is looking for you!"

'Yue Dingtang, even if he had missed him, it had only been one night. There was no need to worry so much. He couldn't possibly not come home every night.' Ling Shu narcissistically complained and didn't want to leave his bed.

"Sister, let him in!"

"That's not polite. You can't treat people like that. Don't be so calculative with him..."

Outside, there were faint complaints from my sister and a seemingly nonchalant response from Yue Dingtang. The door was quickly pushed open.

Ling Shu raised an eyebrow and patted the bed next to him.

But Yue Dingtang didn't move.

"Miss Feng is back."

"Ah?"