"You..."
Before he finished speaking, he had already vanished down the passage.
Si Lili sat dazed on the straw mat, her face growing paler by the moment.
She hugged her knees and curled up on the mat, staring motionlessly at the dim oil lamp in the distance.
Early the next morning.
The morning light had only just crept onto the eaves of Prince Cheng's Residence when Fan Xian arrived at its gates.
He was invited into the study, where he recounted Si Lili's request exactly as she had given it.
Zhou Cheng listened without hesitation.
"Let's go."
Fan Xian froze. "Your Highness, you mean..."
"To the Overwatch Council."
Fan Xian's heart eased.
The carriage rattled down the long street and soon arrived outside the Overwatch Council's gates.
Zhou Cheng stepped out and stood with his hands behind his back.
As a party to the case, Fan Xian was forbidden from taking part in the interrogation. Helpless, he could only hide inside the carriage, lifting a corner of the curtain to steal a look outside.
Morning light spilled over the Overwatch Council's vermilion gates. The gold lettering on the black plaque above them exuded an imposing air of authority.
Two rows of guards stood at the entrance with their hands on their sabers, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
As Zhou Cheng approached the gates, before he could even step onto the stairs, a figure hurried out, descended in a few strides, and planted himself directly in his path.
It was Zhu Ge, head of the Overwatch Council's First Bureau.
He bowed deeply with his hands clasped in formal salute. Silent and respectful though he appeared, he remained firmly planted in Zhou Cheng's way.
Zhou Cheng stopped and looked down at him.
"You're that fellow, aren't you?" He frowned,