The lacquered wooden door was tightly shut, with no windows, showing no signs of what was happening inside.
Tang Xiaobai called a maid over and whispered a few words, to which the maid nodded and left.
When she looked up again, she saw the constables guarding the door saying something through it.
Then, the door opened, and out walked a young official.
"Second Miss Tang." The young official gathered his sleeves and bowed, polite and courteous.
Tang Xiaobai, not quite familiar with the etiquette here, mimicked the gesture and asked, "Are you County Captain Xue?"
The other nodded with a smile.
Tang Xiaobai glanced into the room and asked, "Has County Captain Xue not finished questioning?"
County Captain Xue hesitated for a moment, smiling cautiously, "Just a few more questions to go."
Though he was an official, he dared not act arrogantly in the Duke Yan Mansion. Even though Second Miss Tang was just a child, if she was displeased and decided to send him away, he would be helpless.
The little girl's dark eyes sparkled, and suddenly she smiled at him, dimples appeared, sweet and irresistible: "It's almost noon, County Captain Xue must be hungry. How about having a meal before continuing?"
County Captain Xue's expression relaxed, and he nodded with a smile, "Then I would not refuse such a kind offer."
Who could refuse such a reasonable, considerate, and kind request from a little girl? Even if Second Miss Tang's request was neither reasonable nor considerate, he wouldn't be able to refuse.
...
The young boy, who had been interrogated for nearly an hour, seemed even paler, with a hint of blue, causing Tang Xiaobai to feel a wave of compassion.
This child's life really is too difficult; everyone wants to bully him a little.
"They didn't make things hard for you, did they?" she asked while examining the boy.
Fortunately, apart from looking pale, there was no noticeable injury.
"I am merely a witness, not a suspect. How would County Captain Xue make things difficult for me?" the boy's tone was calm, showing no signs of being troubled by the interrogation.
Tang Xiaobai considered his words and asked softly, "County Captain Xue didn't trouble you, but what about the other person?"
There were two people questioning inside the room earlier, one was County Captain Xue, and the other one was unknown. Although he seemed only fifteen or sixteen years old, his gaze was much more aggressive than County Captain Xue's.
Moreover, when County Captain Xue came out to meet her, the other person remained inside, as if he was the main interrogator.
The boy looked at her fixedly, his gaze inscrutable.
Tang Xiaobai gave him an encouraging look.
"That was Chief of Evil Yao He from Wannian County," the boy said, "Commander Yao probably has too much experience with arresting thieves, getting a bit confused between witness and suspect."
Tang Xiaobai gave him a surprised glance.
Not bad, this boy knows how to complain subtly.
"What did they ask?"
"Inquired about the incident with the assassin yesterday."
"That took half an hour to ask?"
"Commander Yao was remarkably detailed in his questions but seemed to have a poor memory. Even with notes, he often repeated questions, thus delaying things significantly."
Tang Xiaobai felt a jolt inside.
Repeating questions? That's not poor memory; it's repeatedly asking to find loopholes!
No way! They can't keep focusing on Qin Xiao.
Not to mention anything else, what if they somehow uncover Qin Xiao's background? The Qin Family had been ordered by the current Emperor to be executed in total!
"Listen to me!" Tang Xiaobai glanced at the door, feeling pressed for time, "That assassin was already bleeding excessively. Even if you didn't hit him, he would have fainted. Otherwise, how could a little kid like you have enough strength to knock someone out?"
The boy looked at her in astonishment.
The little girl's round eyes shone brightly: "Just remember what I said!"
The boy slowly nodded.
"Moreover, he was talking to me at that time, not noticing you, giving you the chance to strike from behind! And—" she suddenly leaned in, nearly touching foreheads with him.
The boy uncomfortably leaned back a bit, seeing her eyes sparkling like jewels at such a close distance,
"When you saw me at the side gate, I also saw you…"
The boy's gaze narrowed.
She smiled with her eyes curved.
"To get your attention, I pulled off a pearl from my sleeve and threw it on the ground. Did you see it?" she said, bowing her head. From her soft smoke-like gauze sleeve, she pulled off a pearl the size of a pinky fingertip, holding it up in front of Qin Xiao, "See, just like this one!"
The boy looked at the pearl, his eyes flickering without answering.
Tang Xiaobai smiled with pursed lips, lifted his hand, placed the pearl in his palm, and wrapped his fingers around it.
"You noticed me because you must have picked up my pearl… Pearls sewn onto sleeves often fall off, if they ask me, I wouldn't know how many I've dropped…"
...
Once confirming Qin Xiao understood her meaning, Tang Xiaobai walked briskly out of the West Wing, intending to return to her residence for lunch—
Though she brought a food box to see Qin Xiao, she didn't plan to eat with him.
Considering their difference in status, eating together was unnecessary.
After only a few steps, she heard someone calling behind, "Second Miss Tang—"
Turning around, she saw a person leaning against the corridor pillar, half-sitting on the railing, one leg dangling and swinging lightly, with a roguish grin on his face.
Seeing her turn back, the person waved with a smile, "Second Miss, leaving already?"
Tang Xiaobai nodded at him, also asking, "Commander Yao is here now?" Saying this, she glanced behind him but didn't see County Captain Xue.
Yao He jumped off the railing, stood upright, and pointed at a room not far off, smiling, "Our County Captain is a gentleman, eating slowly. I couldn't wait, so I came out first."
Tang Xiaobai remembered Qin Xiao's words, feeling a bit wary of this young Chief of Evil.
Repeated interrogations indicate suspicion. What exactly is this Yao suspecting about Qin Xiao?
Tang Xiaobai's mind quickly turned, feigning unreasonable complaints: "It's such a small matter, how come it took an hour of questioning? The assassin came from outside, why aren't you investigating outside but keep focusing on people in my mansion?"
"Don't be angry, Second Miss, that assassin crashed into you. We're just trying to capture him quickly to make amends for you, so the questions were a bit more thorough," Yao He said with a child-coaxing tone and a grin, "Your mansion's servant Ding Shiqi was the last to come into contact with the assassin and would know more than others—" He suddenly stopped speaking.
His squinted eyes suddenly opened, staring at Tang Xiaobai intently, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Tang Xiaobai's heart skipped a beat.
"Second Miss," Yao He smiled again, casually approaching her, "Have you also spoken with the assassin?"
Tang Xiaobai's eyes flickered.
The last person to contact the assassin, besides Qin Xiao, was her.
Wouldn't a nine-year-old child be more convenient for extracting information than a twelve-year-old half-grown teenage boy?