Who in the world does not know you?

Chapter 11 Mutual Joy

A dead person is naturally unable to move.

Even if Mu Li committed suicide, it's impossible for her to put the hairpin back in its original position after her death.

Although the Ning father and son had no clue how to solve the case, neither of them believed in ghosts or gods.

Yun Luobai looked at the white jade hairpin in her hand. It was as white and flawless as solidified cream. Near the hairpin head, there were two natural floating flowers that were like tiny ribbons intertwined and spiraling, in red and purple colors respectively. It was very exquisite and precious at first glance.

"This hairpin does not appear to be an ordinary object."

"Second brother, you also know about women's hairpins? But since Mu Li is the most beautiful courtesan in this Rouge Pavilion, and she usually rakes in countless amounts of gold and silver for the madam, it's understandable that she would spend a lot of money on some luxurious ornaments. Women love beauty, and she has to present herself in her most beautiful form every day. It's a pity she never imagined that she would die because of this hairpin..."

Ning Qi let out a soft sigh, as if he was lamenting the loss of a young life.

Yun Luobai observed the subtle changes in his facial expressions and concluded that it did not seem fake.

"Brother, you may not know this, but the raw material for this jade hairpin is Heavenly White Jade, which is rare in the Central Plains. Heavenly White Jade is more crystal clear than ordinary jade hairpins, and it is even more obvious under sunlight. The two naturally formed red and purple floating patterns on top further prove that this jade hairpin may be the most precious part of the raw material. Coupled with this unique polishing technique, its value must be considerable. This type of hairpin is called 'Two Pairs of Joy' among Heavenly White Jade."

"How do you know everything... Second brother, I just told you, since Mu Li is the top courtesan, she must have plenty of money, and she can afford to pay exorbitant prices..."

Yun Luobai blinked lightly, and then said something that left everyone present looking at each other in bewilderment.

"If she could come up with 100,000 taels of silver, she wouldn't be selling her body here."

"One hundred thousand taels of silver?"

Ning Qi's eyes widened suddenly, and for a moment, he even doubted his own ears.

"Second brother, you're saying this hairpin is worth 100,000 taels of silver?"

"It would cost at least 100,000 taels of silver, but judging by the quality, I'm afraid even 100,000 taels wouldn't be enough."

Yun Luobai turned to look at the stunned people of Rouge Pavilion who had just heard this. The older one among the girls was heavily made up, making it easy to recognize her as Liu Niang, the madam of Rouge Pavilion.

"None of you knew this hairpin was worth so much silver?"

Liu Niang was inherently greedy, and her mind went blank when she heard Yun Luobai mention the astonishing number. Only after being questioned by him did she belatedly come to her senses and look at the girls around her.

Several girls shook their heads, and Liu Niang knew that they, like herself, were unaware that the white jade hairpin in Mu Li's hair was so valuable.

"have no idea……"

"Since this hairpin was given to Mu Li as a token of mutual affection, and Mu Li is the most beautiful courtesan in the Rouge Pavilion, it must have been a gift from a guest. Does anyone know who gave this hairpin to Mu Li?"

Under Yun Luobai's meticulous questioning, Liu Niang could no longer maintain her feigned ignorance.

"I overheard Mu Li mention it before; it was a gift from Young Master Qing..."

When the words "Young Master Qing" appeared in the room, the atmosphere, which had become somewhat relaxed due to Yun Luobai's appearance, froze again.

Yun Luobai and Ning Qi looked at each other, the former with clear eyes, as if waiting for the latter to speak first.

Ning Qi certainly knew who this young master was.

Throughout the entire Ningzhou Prefecture, this young master is known to everyone.

"The third son? If it's the third son... he really can pull off something this extravagant..."

Ning Qi lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then looked up at Yun Luobai, his voice much lower.

"Even if the third brother is carefree and loves to seek pleasure, and often acts crazy, that doesn't justify killing someone..."

In the end, only Yun Luobai and Ning Mu, who were standing beside him, could hear Ning Qi's voice.

Yun Luobai knew who Ning Qi was referring to as the third brother, and Ning Mu knew the same.

"His identity is special after all. If he really committed this murder, it might be difficult to handle..."

Ning Mu's expression was serious, and to anyone else, it didn't seem like he was joking.

"Father, let me and the second son go ask the third son first. If it wasn't him, then we can all be at ease..."

"Well, it's good to ask. I'll ask them if any suspicious people have been in or out of this place, but I'm afraid we won't find anything. I asked them earlier, and they said they hadn't seen anyone who could be the murderer..."

"The murderer wouldn't have 'I'm the murderer' written on their face. I suppose the Rouge Pavilion is bustling with activity every day, and they're all busy attracting customers, so they haven't noticed this. The third floor of the Rouge Pavilion is definitely not a place where most customers gather on ordinary days. Mu Li's reputation as the courtesan is a treasure trove for Liu Niang. If just anyone could see the beauty's face, then the courtesan wouldn't be worthy of the title."

Yun Luobai glanced sideways at Liu Niang, a faint smile on his lips, but Liu Niang was terrified at just one look.

"My lords, I, Liu Niang, swear to heaven that I absolutely did not withhold information!"

Liu Niang held up a green handkerchief and pointed upwards, her expression and movements extremely exaggerated, but no one paid any attention.

Ning Qi raised his hand and patted Yun Luobai's shoulder, his words full of comfort.

"Second brother, let's go find the third brother first and ask him what's going on. You haven't met the third brother since you returned to Ningzhou Prefecture. Although he can't be called heartless, he's crazy and doesn't act like a normal person. Don't take him seriously."

"Brother, it's only natural that childhood friendships can't last this long. After all, he's different from us, so it's understandable that our feelings have gradually faded."

"Hey, what nonsense are you talking about? Third brother isn't that kind of person."

Ning Qi frowned and glared at Yun Luobai, whose face showed a hint of surprise, but it quickly disappeared.

This was the first time Yun Luobai had seen Ning Qi show such an expression since returning to Ningzhou Prefecture.

He didn't understand why Ning Qi could persist in such childish words until now, and always act as the eldest brother. Ning Qi should be mature and steady in both age and appearance, and there was no need for Yun Luobai to explain things clearly.

"Let's go, let's meet with the third brother first."

After Ning Qi finished speaking, he was about to leave with Yun Luobai, who did not object.

Just as the two were about to leave, an unusual scene suddenly appeared in the boudoir where the courtesan Mu Li had died.

"Liu Niang, I beg you, please spare my life!"

Ye Zi suddenly reached out and grabbed Liu Niang's sleeve, her pleading voice reaching the ears of everyone present.

She was already having difficulty moving around because of her limp. She originally wanted to kneel down and beg, but her legs reacted slowly, and her knees bent with difficulty. She was still a long way from the ground when she was helped up by several girls around her.

Ning Qi and Yun Luobai, who were about to leave, stopped and looked at each other in bewilderment.