Chapter 21 Cause of Death

"It really wasn't me..."

On the living room sofa, the maid just brought out, was now cowering in a corner, her face a picture of panic and fear, murmuring quietly under her breath.

After finishing his meal, Xu Shuo glanced at her and got up to walk over.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Ah!" The maid, as if startled, looked up and only relaxed slightly upon seeing it was not the butler, and then her face fell again as she stifled a sob.

Xu Shuo sat down beside her and said gently, "I saw there was a bit of a commotion over there, could it be that the butler thinks you are the one who killed the master?"

The maid's room had been sealed off, leaving her no choice but to wait outside for the investigation. Upon hearing this, she hastened to shake her head: "I didn't! I'm not! That thing wasn't mine at all!"

Xu Shuo asked in confusion, "What thing?"

"I, I don't know..." the maid whispered, "They found suspicious items in my room, but they are not mine at all, I really don't know how they got there, I didn't kill the master, I..."

"Alright, calm down, I'm not suspecting you," Xu Shuo reassured her, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

The maid pursed her lips and looked down, nervously twisting her fingers. Every now and then, she cast a glance toward the courtyard, fearing the detective would finish investigating and immediately come over to point her out as the murderer.

With physical evidence present, the maid, experiencing such an ordeal for the first time, didn't know what to do. She was the one who had handled the master's bowl, and she was the one with suspicious items found near her.

If she weren't truly innocent, she might even start to suspect herself.

Regrettably, there were no surveillance cameras in the manor, otherwise, she wouldn't feel so intensely anxious.

Xu Shuo offered her a few words of comfort: "Don't worry so much, I've heard about Detective Gu. His investigative skills are formidable; he will surely clear your name."

The maid nodded in gratitude.

Suddenly, the young man spoke again, "Speaking of which, the master's demise seems related to the mistress's death three years ago. I arrived late and didn't hear about it. Do you know anything? Sharing what you know could perhaps help with the investigation."

The maid's expression changed slightly at first, and she hesitated upon hearing his question. She looked around, making sure no one was nearby, before whispering, "Chef Zhang, have you heard the rumors about this place?"

Xu Shuo showed appropriate curiosity, "What rumors?"

The maid leaned in closer, whispering, "They say Madame Guo's ghost still haunts this manor. I've heard before that this mountain harbors misfortune. Many who have disappeared here are consumed by Resentment Energy and wander the mountains restless, and the mistress was driven mad by them."

"Wow, that sounds really scary," Xu Shuo feigned dread.

"..." Seeing his disbelief, the maid couldn't help but add, "It's true, the gardener even said he's seen the mistress's ghost return, resentful because the master destroyed all of her rose bushes."

At this point, the maid's face betrayed her indecision, but she continued, "They say that after the master died, roses were found on his corpse? So, I suspect that this time, the master was done in by the mistress..."

She made a snapping gesture at her neck and then swallowed with fear.

Xu Shuo couldn't help but laugh, consoling her, "There aren't any ghosts in this world. It could be that the murderer wanted to create that scene; you've been fine here for three years yourself."

"The gardener has been here even longer than me, and I think he is already starting to act crazy, especially lately, acting all strange every morning," the maid confessed, hugging herself with fear.

"Didn't the gardener leave when the estate changed hands three years ago?" Xu Shuo asked further.

"No, he was already here when I arrived, and every day he wears a frown, just like the housekeeper here." The maid's voice lowered again as she whispered, "You haven't been here long, so you may not feel it, but a couple years ago, both the master and the housekeeper were very scary. Nobody was allowed into the backyard at all. I suspect there are still some secrets hidden within this manor, perhaps relating to those rumors..."

"Eugh, if it hadn't been for the tempting salary that lured me into signing a long-term contract, I might have run away a long time ago." She muttered quietly in the end.

"That must have been tough on you."

Xu Shuo offered her a rather ambiguous consolation.

Behind the sofa where they sat, the photographer, who had entered unnoticed, had been eavesdropping. He had intended to come over and question the maid, but instead found the two prime suspects sitting together, chatting.

The photographer now had two suspects in mind who knew the manor's secrets. One was Mr. Guo, who suffered from depression, and the other was the gardener.

As for the housekeeper, he never considered that the man would reveal the truth to him.

That Mr. Guo was depressed due to past events suggested he likely harbored some grudges; with some guidance, one might be able to extract information from him, although it seemed difficult.

In the end, the photographer thought for a moment and then turned to find the cringing gardener instead.

Up to now, he had not completed either of his two main tasks. Although he expected the truth would come to light once the police arrived, the photographer had no intention of just sitting idly by waiting for a breakthrough.

After the photographer left, Zhan Qian, who had been out of sight, entered through the villa's main gate shortly thereafter, toying with a crucifix necklace in her hand.

Her shoes were smeared with mud, which prompted the maid to bring her a new pair. Then she walked towards the living room, her gaze curiously studying the young man on the sofa.

"You're not really planning to just sit here waiting to win by default, are you?" Zhan Qian approached him and said.

"You seem pretty confident. Did Miss Zhan find some reliable clue?" Xu Shuo looked at her and smiled as he spoke.

Zhan Qian sat down on the sofa, elegantly crossing her legs and said lightly, "Three years ago, Madame Guo committed suicide. Three years later, someone using her identity seems to be seeking revenge for her."

Xu Shuo raised his eyebrows.

She then continued, "It sounds that way, doesn't it?"

"So it wasn't like that, then?" Xu Shuo rested his chin in his hand, watching her with interest, "Have you managed to reconstruct the story of this play?"

"Three years ago, there was a major disappearance incident in these mountains, with eight girls going missing over the course of the year. The police couldn't find any leads no matter how much they searched," Zhan Qian said, looking at him, "After Madame Guo found out, she suddenly went mad without any apparent reason, and then she killed herself in the backyard rosebushes in just two or three days."

"Mr. Guo loved his wife deeply, so he buried her back there and planted the tomb full of roses."

"But three years later, in August, someone sent Mr. Guo a rose every night along with a threatening letter and finally murdered him last night."

Zhan Qian smiled faintly, a hint of mystery in her voice, "Sounds like revenge for Madame Guo, doesn't it? But it's strange, what exactly is the connection between Madame Guo's suicide three years ago and the missing girls, and what is the connection with Mr. Guo?"

Xu Shuo smiled gently as well, "Miss Zhan is as always keen on showing off a bit first, but do you know, many villains die because they talk too much."

Zhan Qian: "..."

Her face became stiff for a moment, and she silently moved a bit further away from the man before pulling an awkward yet graceful smile.

"My task has nothing to do with you."