Using Every Trick to Win Your Favor

The female corpse found in the west of the city was ultimately identified as Zhong Qin, the daughter of Zhong Younian, the minister of rites.

Zhong Qin had gone missing ten days ago, and her disappearance had been reported to the Capital Prefecture at once. The Capital Prefecture had searched desperately for days, but to no avail.

The Capital Prefecture had previously handled the serial female corpse cases. Zhong Qin's disappearance had not been linked to them, chiefly because of the victims' identities.

The killer was extremely cunning. The victims had all been daughters of ordinary families or maidservants from wealthy, powerful households.

The killer knew full well that if the cases dragged on, wealthy households would not go to great lengths to hunt down the murderer for dead maidservants, while ordinary families were constrained by the rules of propriety governing women and lacked the time and energy to devote to the matter.

In the end, such matters often came to nothing.

Lu Jingsi had noticed the cases because he had once happened to hear a colleague mention that a female corpse had been found somewhere. Later, Su Luoqian told him about Peilan's death. He checked the case files and, sure enough, discovered similarities among several cases.

As the number of victims grew, the matter reached even the emperor's ears. The cases were secretly transferred from the Capital Prefecture to the Prison Administration, where Lu Jingsi led men in a private investigation.

But now Zhong Qin's appearance seemed to overturn their previous assessment.

When Lu Jingsi arrived at the mortuary, the coroner had just finished examining the body.

Zhong Qin had been dead for five or six days, but her body had been dumped farther away, in a more secluded spot, and had only been discovered today.

Like the other victims in the female corpse cases, she had been strangled to death and subjected to inhuman abuse before she died. The methods had been utterly cruel.

Including Zhong Qin, the number of victims had reached five. The emperor was furious, and Lu Jingsi was once again summoned to the palace.

In the days that followed, Lu Jingsi left early and returned late every day. Sometimes he did not even return to the residence.

The string of murders stirred much discussion among the common people, but everyone was busy making a living. They merely took the opportunity during idle chats to remind the women they knew to be careful when going out, then returned to their daily lives.

Six days passed like this.

On this day—

An inconspicuous carriage stood on the lane by the eastern side gate of Prince Cheng'an's Residence.

Su Luoqian wore a dress adorned with twin butterflies and jeweled flowers, her hair arranged in an ordinary bun and her delicate brows lightly drawn. The thin veil covering her face made the upturned corners of her eyes look even more exquisite.

As she walked with light steps, her graceful, curvaceous figure revealed all its enchanting allure.

Lu Jingsi followed her into the carriage.

The wheels rolled forward, and about half a shichen later, the carriage stopped outside Lin Yonghong's country estate.

Lu Jingsi lowered his voice, his tone deep, stern, and cold. "Today, you are a performer at my side. You should know what you ought and ought not to do..."

"Understood." Su Luoqian nodded and leaned her upper body slightly toward him, her beautiful eyes fixed on his. "And I have to use every trick I have to win your favor."

At her choice of words, Lu Jingsi frowned almost imperceptibly. He told her to watch her words and actions, then swept his sleeve aside and stepped out of the carriage.

The scenery inside the estate was no different from the last time: pavilions and towers, ponds and waterside terraces, every spot crafted with considerable care.

Lin Yonghong stood at the entrance to the main hall. When he saw Lu Jingsi, he came forward with a smile. "Brother Lu, that you were willing to grace me with another visit is a most delightful surprise."

He turned his gaze, openly looking Su Luoqian up and down. A lewd gleam appeared in his eyes. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. It seems I was too slow to make my move. I never knew there was such a peerless beauty in that opera garden."

His smile grew more direct as he looked at Lu Jingsi. "Brother Lu, you have quite the luck with beauties."

Lu Jingsi's gaze shifted slightly. "Why have you not greeted Young Master Lin?" he said in a low voice.

Su Luoqian took dainty lotus steps and dipped into a slight curtsy. Her voice was soft and sweet to the ear. "This humble woman greets Young Master Lin."

Lin Yonghong took a few steps forward and raised a hand to lift her veil.

Su Luoqian's breath caught. She instinctively moved behind Lu Jingsi, her fingertips digging nervously into her palm.

Was he really going to be so direct right from the start?

Unexpectedly, a large, strong hand reached out and intercepted Lin Yonghong's arm halfway. "Young Master Lin, what are you doing?"

Lin Yonghong chuckled, his gaze roguish. "Brother Lu, she's such a beautiful woman. Let me feast my eyes too."

Lu Jingsi glanced sideways at Su Luoqian.

She wore a veil, her eyes lowered, her crow-feather lashes casting small shadows beneath them.

Her skin was fine and porcelain-white, and she looked almost impossibly well-behaved and docile.

Though her face could not be seen clearly, it was precisely that hazy, half-hidden glimpse that made one's heart itch all the more.

The man swept a long arm around her, clasping her slender waist and holding her captive against him. His long fingers gently caressed her cheek through the veil, and his gaze took on a touch of rakish pride as he looked at her. "That's what makes it enticing. Lift the veil and the fun is gone. Surely you understand, Brother Lin?"

As the grand princess's only son and the reigning emperor's own nephew, Lu Jingsi, if he wished, could be more noble and splendid, more dashing and rakish, than anyone else in Yujing City.

But besides being the grand princess's son and the emperor's own nephew, he was also Prince Cheng'an, Lord Lu, who was in charge of the Prison Administration.

The imposing authority he had acquired through long years in officialdom, and his deep, inscrutable scheming, made him appear all the colder and more formidable.

Today, however, he had deliberately restrained and hidden those qualities, leaving him looking somewhat more proud and dashing.

Standing before them, Lin Yonghong saw how intimate they were. He withdrew his hand with a meaningful smile. "Hahahaha, I was too forward. I shouldn't have spoiled your fun, Brother Lu."

With that, he stepped aside. "After you, Brother Lu."

When Lu Jingsi clasped Su Luoqian's waist, her heart suddenly began to race. The man's expression was dark, and a faint, obscure light lurked in his eyes as he watched her.

The warm hand at her waist made its presence keenly felt. Her cheeks flushed red in an instant, but she quickly recovered, relaxed against his chest, and called softly in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Lord Lu~"

At the sound, Lu Jingsi's steps faltered slightly, but he immediately returned to normal.

Even after they entered the main hall and sat down at the banquet Lin Yonghong had arranged, Su Luoqian remained nestled against him.

They had barely sat down when three or four women were led in, all with striking faces and figures, dressed in extremely revealing, daring clothes.

Lu Jingsi knitted his brows almost imperceptibly.

Lin Yonghong glanced at his expression and smiled. "With such a peerless beauty at your side today, Brother Lu, you surely wouldn't spare a glance for the common powder and rouge at my estate."

He raised a hand and patted the seat beside him. "Come, all of you."

The women gathered around him, some pouring wine, others massaging his shoulders.

As Lin Yonghong enjoyed the beauties' attentions, he ran his hands all over them.

Su Luoqian had never seen such a wanton, lewd scene. Her ears burning red, she turned away, putting it out of sight.

She cursed several times under her breath.

To Lin Yonghong, her turn looked like an eager attempt to please Lu Jingsi.

Lin Yonghong gave them several teasing, unrestrained looks. "If you truly like her, Brother Lu, you could take this performer into your residence and grant her the place of a bedchamber concubine. That would already be an enormous favor."