The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night-Chapter 129: Lu Zhan: Are You Afraid?

"Cousin, there’s one more thing..." Zhi Wan began, hesitating.

Lu Zhan looked up. "What is it?"

"The ledgers contain detailed evidence of Liang Qixian’s corruption, don’t they? Can’t we use them to convict him directly?" Zhi Wan asked cautiously.

Lu Zhan paused before replying flatly, "Convicting him is simple. But for your parents’ deaths, there’s no evidence to prove he was the one who killed them. I’ve checked the case files from Jurong County back then. The records state your parents were killed by bandits, and all the bandits involved were captured and executed that same year."

Hearing this, Zhi Wan grew anxious. "Those bandits must have been sent by Liang Qixian! He’s the one who had my parents killed!"

"What proof do you have?" Lu Zhan asked, his tone unhurried.

Zhi Wan was speechless.

"Of course, I also believe Liang Qixian is connected to your parents’ deaths, but there’s no evidence to directly prove he was the mastermind," Lu Zhan said with a frown. "In the eyes of the law, what matters is evidence, not personal speculation."

Zhi Wan wrung her handkerchief, unable to find the words to refute him.

Lu Zhan paused again, then softened his tone. "Rest assured, I will get to the bottom of your parents’ case and bring the true killer to justice."

"Thank you, Cousin," Zhi Wan said gratefully, though she was still worried. "But everyone involved has already been executed. There’s no one left to question. How can we possibly investigate what happened all those years ago?"

"Investigating this will be difficult, but not entirely impossible," Lu Zhan said.

Zhi Wan’s face lit up. "You have a plan, Cousin?"

Lu Zhan hummed in affirmation, his gaze landing on her face. "For this matter, I’m afraid I’ll need your help, Cousin."

"Me? What could I possibly do to help?" Zhi Wan asked, surprised.

Instead of answering directly, Lu Zhan brought up something else. "Yesterday, when you revealed your surname to Liang Qixian, I’m afraid he already decided he wanted you dead."

Zhi Wan froze. "How do you know that, Cousin?"

"Last night at Hongyun Restaurant, do you really think Zeng Gong’s wife and daughter would have dared to lay a hand on you without Madam Liang’s deliberate indulgence?"

Hearing this, a realization dawned on Zhi Wan. "Are you saying that Madam Liang acted that way on Liang Qixian’s orders? Just because I revealed my surname, Zhi, in front of the restaurant, he grew restless and wanted me dead? But he was wary of you, Cousin, so he didn’t act immediately. Instead, he had Madam Liang test how important I am to you?"

Lu Zhan’s fingers curled slightly. "Yes."

A cold sweat broke out on Zhi Wan’s back.

’When I saw Liang Qixian, I couldn’t control my emotions. I deliberately stated my surname to test his reaction, never imagining it would make him want to kill me.’

’I’d overlooked one thing. Since I suspected Liang Qixian was my parents’ murderer, if he really *was* the killer, then hearing my surname, Zhi, would naturally make him feel guilty and afraid. He’d rather kill an innocent person than let a potential threat go.’

’After all, he must have killed my parents back then for the ledgers.’

’Thinking back now, the fact that our home was ransacked by thieves after my parents’ death must have also been connected to him. He must have been searching for the ledgers.’

’But he never expected that my parents would entrust the ledgers to Nanny Chen for safekeeping.’

’So many years have passed. He probably thought the truth was buried and forgotten. But then I suddenly appeared. His guilty conscience would naturally lead him to connect me with the ledgers, so how could he possibly let me live?’

’So, if it weren’t for Cousin, I would probably be dead by now.’

At this thought, Zhi Wan clenched her fists, only to realize her palms were slick with sweat.

She composed herself and looked at her cousin again. "So, you want me to act as bait to lure Liang Qixian into revealing his true colors?"

Lu Zhan’s eyes showed a hint of approval. "It’s the fastest and most effective method." He paused, then asked, "Are you afraid?"

Zhi Wan tightened her fists. "As long as I can avenge my parents, I’m not afraid."

Seeing the young woman’s determined facade, a flicker of amusement appeared in Lu Zhan’s eyes. "Good."

Though her heart was pounding with apprehension, Zhi Wan was also eager to see Liang Qixian brought to justice sooner. "I’ll head back now."

"Alright," Lu Zhan nodded.

When Zhi Wan returned to her courtyard, she remembered the Jade Pendant she had meant to give her cousin. She had forgotten all about it.

Preoccupied with her cousin’s plan for her to act as bait, she was in no mood to paint. Instead, she got some silk thread and asked Shuang’er to teach her how to weave a tassel. She planned to attach it to the Jade Pendant.

She spent the entire afternoon on it and finally finished the tassel, which she then tied to the Jade Pendant.

"Wanwan, you made such a beautiful tassel," Ouyang Zhenzhu said with praise as she came over and saw it.

Zhi Wan was pleased to hear that, but as she looked at the blue tassel on the Jade Pendant, she wasn’t entirely satisfied.

’Somehow, the color just doesn’t seem to match.’

’Cousin will probably find it tacky, won’t he?’

Seeing her conflicted expression, Ouyang Zhenzhu urged her, "Hurry up and take the Jade Pendant to Mr. Lu."

Zhi Wan hesitated. "I-I think I’ll just give it to him tomorrow."

"You definitely won’t give it to him tomorrow either. I’ll take it for you!" With that, Ouyang Zhenzhu suddenly snatched the Jade Pendant from her hand, put it in a box, and dashed out with it.

Zhi Wan was stunned.

When she came to her senses, she scrambled to her feet and chased after her. "Zhenzhu...!"

"Mr. Lu, Wanwan has something for you!"

Zhi Wan had just reached the courtyard gate when she heard Ouyang Zhenzhu talking to Lu Zhan. Her expression changed, and she rushed out, only to see Lu Zhan standing right in front of the gate.

Seeing this, she hastily reached out and snatched the box back from Ouyang Zhenzhu’s hands.

’Thank goodness, I was just in time.’

Clutching the box, Zhi Wan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Noticing the man’s gaze on her, she cleared her throat and explained with forced composure, "Zhenzhu was just joking with you. This... isn’t for you."

Ouyang Zhenzhu stared at her, dumbfounded. "What do you mean, it’s not? It totally..."

"Zhenzhu!" Zhi Wan cut her off, speaking rapidly.

Ouyang Zhenzhu faltered, then said resentfully, "I’ll just go inside then."

Once she was gone, Zhi Wan glanced at Lu Zhan. "Cousin, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go inside too."

"Not so fast," Lu Zhan said.

"What?" Zhi Wan asked, confused.

Lu Zhan glanced at her, then suddenly extended a hand. "The box in your hands, isn’t it for me?"

Zhi Wan hid the box behind her back and said awkwardly, "It’s not for you..."

"Then who is it for?" Lu Zhan inquired, his voice deliberate and slow.

Zhi Wan: "..."

Lu Zhan lowered his gaze to look at her, then suddenly took two long strides toward her.

His sudden approach startled Zhi Wan, and she lost her grip on the box, which fell from her hands.

Just then, the man’s long arm shot out, and he caught the box in his hand.

When Zhi Wan realized what had happened, she immediately tried to snatch it back. But the man simply raised his arm higher. Instead, losing her balance, Zhi Wan stumbled uncontrollably into his arms.

Lu Zhan paused for a moment, then instinctively wrapped an arm around the girl’s slender waist.