Given that they needed to investigate the case, the primary focus was naturally Zheng Wan, the Right Assistant Minister of Fengzhou, who was the first victim. Chang'an City was not far from Fengzhou County. Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu were not the types to indulge in extravagance, and since they had no heavy luggage to bring along, they simply handed over their official duties to their subordinates, changed into their regular clothes, and left the city each with a horse, traveling lightly. They made quick progress, passing the rushing waters of the Tangtang River and through the quiet desolate mountains. As night fell, they spotted the silhouette of an inn, estimating they would enter Fengzhou County by the next day.
It was mid-autumn, a time when travelers returned home. The inn was brightly lit and bustling with noise, the server bustling between tables, busy and seemingly happy. Upon seeing the two newcomers, the server hurriedly welcomed them. After hearing that they wanted to stay, he wiped his forehead with the towel over his shoulder and said with some difficulty, "Gentlemen, as you can see, we have many guests today, and there's only one premium room left..." His gaze shifted between Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu, suggesting, "The room is quite spacious. Since both of you are gentlemen, would you mind sharing it?"
Being out meant they were prepared for the possibility of inns being fully booked. Since they would have to face each other all night anyway, did they really have a choice?
The guest room was well-appointed. Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu looked at the bed for a long while, until finally, Chu Mingyun broke the silence, "Forget it, I'll just sleep on the floor tonight."
Su Shiyu frowned slightly, "There's no need to treat me like a lady. We are of equal status; it would be inappropriate for you to sleep on the floor."
Chu Mingyun, sitting at the table and pouring himself a cup of tea, glanced sideways with a half-smile, "As the Imperial Censor responsible for overseeing officials, I've never heard of the need to extend that oversight to the bed. If I don't tell anyone, who would know about such trivial matters?"
Su Shiyu turned to look at him, "The principles of propriety dictate otherwise, even if no one knows, we should not overstep."
"…Why do I feel like there's more to your words?" Chu Mingyun, who usually didn't care much for propriety, retorted.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"…" Su Shiyu glanced at him, smiled lightly, and said, "You're overthinking it, Lord Chu." He paused, then added, "Regardless of propriety, Lord Chu, you are under suspicion. If another unfortunate death occurs tonight, and I am not here to testify, you might find it troublesome."
Tapping the wooden table lightly, Chu Mingyun leaned his chin on his hand and laughed softly, "Oh? Are you worried I might run off in the middle of the night?" His tone paused, his gaze deepening as he looked at Su Shiyu, his voice lowering softly, "Then you're not worried about what I might do to you in the middle of the night?"
"If Lord Chu truly believes I would let myself be easily handled," Su Shiyu laughed.
Chu Mingyun then looked away, spreading his hands with a somewhat innocent tone, "I'm merely aware of my poor reputation and didn't want to implicate you, Lord Su. It's rare for me to be so considerate, yet you're not appreciative."
Su Shiyu, seemingly agreeing, nodded, then looked up at the ceiling beam with a gentle smile, "Since Lord Chu is sincerely concerned, I won't refuse. However, I must trouble Lord Chu to sleep on top, so I don't accidentally step on you if I get up for tea in the night."
"…Lord Su has a habit of getting up for tea at night?"
Su Shiyu glanced at him with a smile, "Not previously, but who knows about tonight."
"…" Chu Mingyun unfolded his fan to cover his face, holding his robe with one hand, sighing softly, "I didn't expect Lord Su to insist on sharing a room with me. Well, I shall oblige then."
"…" Su Shiyu said, "Let's go downstairs for dinner."
The guests downstairs had thinned out, making it quieter. After the server served their meal and yawned away, the inn quieted down to just the sound of drinking.
Suddenly remembering something, Chu Mingyun swallowed his tea and said, "Right, the newly appointed Right Assistant Minister of Fengzhou, Su Hang, what's his relation to you?"
"He's my uncle."
"Your biological uncle?"
"Yes," Su Shiyu said, "my father was the eldest, followed by my uncle, and Ayue's mother was the youngest."
"But I remember it was your father, Su Jue's, idea to demote Su Hang without much discussion," Chu Mingyun inquired.
"Indeed, that's true," Su Shiyu pondered, "but as to the exact reason, I'm still not quite clear. I only know that some disagreements arose between my father and uncle afterward. Since then, my uncle has been in Zhenjiang, and we've had little contact over the years. When my parents passed away due to illness, he couldn't come, only sending a mourning letter through my aunt."
Chu Mingyun, feeling it inappropriate to comment on another's family matters, simply nodded without further comment.
As the night deepened, the inn fell into complete silence. Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu also stood quietly beside the bed for a long time, neither making a move.
Although they had decided and prepared for sharing a bed, the actual moment brought an inevitable discomfort. After a long silence, Chu Mingyun spoke up again, pointing at the bed, "Lord Su, how do you think... we should arrange this?"
Su Shiyu withdrew his gaze, trying to sound indifferent, "How I've shared a bed with others in the past, we can do the same now. There's no need to overthink it."
"But I've only slept with women before," Chu Mingyun laughed, "They usually curl up in my arms. So, Lord Su, will you also...?" He left the sentence unfinished, his eyebrows slightly raised, his smile carrying a somewhat meaningful look.
"..." Su Shiyu gave him a deep look, then turned away and sighed, drawing an imaginary line in the air, "I usually wake up early, so you sleep on the inside."
Chu Mingyun agreed without objection.
To think that after years of being adversaries, barely exchanging a few words over the years, they would now share a room, undressing and letting down their hair, showed how unpredictable and indescribable the world could be.
But the hands that removed the outer robes hesitated to go further. Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu shared a silent glance, blew out the light, and lay down fully clothed. An indescribable awkwardness enveloped the entire room.
Chu Mingyun, who always found it difficult to fall asleep, was even more restless with another person beside him. Time passed, yet his mind remained clear. Just as he was about to get up quietly, not wanting to disturb Su Shiyu, he suddenly smelled a faint fragrance.
A hint of light, mild fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, like flowers silently blooming under the night sky. He concentrated for a moment to identify it—it was the scent of calming incense. Chu Mingyun slightly leaned in towards Su Shiyu's direction, indeed smelling a clearer scent. It was calming and soothing, smoothing over one's emotions, still bringing warmth and moistness into the cool night, slowly seeping into the night.
Chu Mingyun lay back down, turning to rest his head on his arm, his gaze naturally falling on Su Shiyu's face.
As the moon rose high, its light filtered through the windows, casting a layer of silver frost on the edge of the bed. Su Shiyu was lying next to him with closed eyes, his breathing steady. The moonlight lightly dusted his eyelashes, casting a small shadow on his face, revealing a gentleness and peace Chu Mingyun had never seen before.
He stared intently at Su Shiyu, suddenly and silently raising his hand, bending his fingers into a harsh arc and slowly reaching towards Su Shiyu's neck.
It was an excellent opportunity to let this person die silently, unnoticed by anyone. It would be okay as long as people thought he was assassinated like those five others. It didn't matter, after all, he was lying here defenseless...
—Defenseless?
Chu Mingyun's movement halted, just inches away from grasping Su Shiyu's neck.
Su Shiyu's breathing remained stable, without the slightest change. Chu Mingyun narrowed his eyes slightly, then gently tugged at the corner of his lips, relaxing his fingers and instead brushed them across Su Shiyu's smooth forehead, moving a few strands of hair to the side of his face. Chu Mingyun withdrew his hand, looked for a moment, then turned over and closed his eyes to sleep.
It wasn't until there was no more movement from his side that Su Shiyu opened his eyes. He raised his hand to his forehead, turned his head in confusion, and glanced at Chu Mingyun.
When he woke up the next day to find the space beside him empty, Chu Mingyun was momentarily stunned, surprisingly finding that he had slept quite well last night, perhaps thanks to the calming incense beside him. He slowly got out of bed and went downstairs to have breakfast with Su Shiyu, who had been waiting, and then they set off without delay.
These days were clear and brisk, with a vast blue sky, just a bit chilly. They finally arrived at Fufeng County before noon. Upon receiving the news of their entry into the city, Su Hang, the Right Assistant of Fufeng, came out with his people to welcome them in front of the government office, quickly walking towards Su Shiyu with a beaming smile from afar.
Su Shiyu dismounted, turned around, and bowed to Su Xing, smiling, "Uncle."
"Ah, good," Su Xing patted his shoulder, then frowned, "Yu'er, having not seen you for these years, how come you've lost so much weight?"
"Perhaps I've been occasionally busy. I haven't really noticed it myself," Su Shiyu gestured to his side, "That is Grand Commandant Chu Mingyun. He came with me this time to investigate a case. Uncle should have seen him a few times before."
Su Xing looked over and greeted him properly.
Their horses were already taken away, and the yamen runners led them to the living quarters inside.
Su Xing, pulling Su Shiyu slightly behind, picked up the previous conversation, "It's one thing not to take care of yourself, but I've always heard in Zhenjiang that there's nobody by your side to look after you."
Friends and relatives in Chang'an all say that I am still unmarried.
Su Shiyu smiled, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle, I..."
"Don't give me that," Su Xing interrupted him, "With your conditions, you could pick any girl in Chang'an if you wanted. Just tell me honestly, what are you really thinking?"
Su Shiyu sighed, "The situation in the court is unstable. I have no desire to be distracted by these matters, and in this way, I can avoid the burden of a family. Acting alone is after all..."
"Nonsense!"
"..." Su Shiyu fell silent.
"Having a family is what brings stability," Su Xing expressed his frustration, "Yu'er, you are older than those of your generation, but now others have children three or four, while you just have a position."
Su Shiyu remained silent for a moment, looking ahead at the back of Chu Mingyun, attempting to console, "Why should Uncle be overly concerned? There are many like me in the capital. Grand Commandant Chu also holds a high position and has yet to have any children."
Su Xing had heard of what kind of person Chu Mingyun was, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but scoff disdainfully, "With his character, it would be justified if he were cut off from progeny."
"..." Walking in front, Chu Mingyun indicated he had heard everything, then stopped, turned around leisurely with a smile in his eyes, and softly said, "Why are you walking so slowly? Did I tire you out last night? Should I come over and carry you?"
Everyone else on the scene was struck as if by lightning at these words.
Su Shiyu stared deeply at him, "Grand Commandant."
Chu Mingyun smiled at him, then turned back around, continuing on as if nothing had happened.
Su Shiyu turned to face the shocked Su Xing, helplessly saying, "It was a joke, please don't take it seriously, Uncle."
"You... he..." Su Xing's hand trembled as he pointed, unable to speak.
Su Shiyu met Su Xing's gaze, calmly asking, "Do you think you should believe me, or him?"
"…Oh."
Su Xing struggled to regain his composure, momentarily forgetting what he had intended to say. After opening his mouth a few times, he finally said, "Forget it, I won't nag you anymore. Just be careful. I came here for my assignment, and when I passed by Jinling, I saw your aunt. She said your mourning period is almost a year now, and since Du Yue is also in Chang'an, if you delay any further, she will come to make arrangements herself, and also take the chance to see her son."
Su Shiyu was slightly startled, "Did my aunt really say that?"
Su Xing looked at him with a smile, "Every word was exactly what your aunt said. Think it over for yourself."
Su Shiyu nodded, his gaze deepening.