Miss Truth
Chapter 374 - 236: Sweet Nothings_2

Chapter 374: Chapter 236: Sweet Nothings_2

Ran Yan no longer dwelled on it, she lifted her feet and stepped over the threshold, walking inside.

The room had a brazier burning, warm and toasty, with not a single servant around. Ran Yan looked around and said, "Please have a seat."

Xiao Song did not sit down immediately, but waited until she was seated before taking a place next to her, "How are you feeling?"

"Very well." Apart from feeling unhappy, Ran Yan’s body indeed had no other peculiarities. Although she had taken her anger out on Ran Meiyu, what had happened had already occurred, and knowing Ran Yunsheng’s character, there would inevitably be a knot in his heart. She needed to figure out a way to untangle it. She couldn’t allow her close kin to feel ashamed to see her for the rest of their lives!

Looking at Ran Yan filled the void in Xiao Song’s heart that he had felt for the past few days. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yan, I want to marry you as my wife."

Ran Yan’s hand, as she was pouring water, paused slightly, and she looked at him in surprise.

Xiao Song’s face showed a hint of blush, but his eyes were firmly fixed on Ran Yan. He had been through many life-and-death experiences and maneuvered through the perilous court politics, but no moment had made him as nervous as now, filled with both anticipation and fear.

"I... I’ll think about it." Ran Yan finished pouring water and pushed the cup in front of him.

The disappointment in Xiao Song’s heart was indescribable, but at the same time, he felt a sense of relief because he had not been outright rejected.

"I spent a night with Li Ke, does that not bother you?" Ran Yan still had to ask about the issue that was stuck in her heart. Before she finished speaking, she saw the veins on Xiao Song’s forehead suddenly bulge, only to slowly subside a moment later.

Xiao Song calmed down and pondered how to respond to this question. To say it didn’t bother him? How could he not care? If not for Li Ke’s special status, he would have wished to eliminate the man in the most brutal way possible. But to say it did bother him—would Ran Yan misunderstand his intentions?

Moreover, Xiao Song had thought about this matter for a long time. Li Ke was of noble blood, proud and not lecherous, and there were countless ladies who desired to climb into his bed. Even though Ran Yan was beautiful, he should not debase himself to insult a woman of good family.

However, Xiao Song did not want to ask Ran Yan about this. He just stared at her and said, "I want to marry you, no matter what."

"I want to marry you, no matter what"... A phrase that didn’t quite sound like a declaration of love, yet it made Ran Yan’s heart skip slightly, her cheeks flushing with a rush of color.

Seeing the faint pink on her fair cheeks, Xiao Song’s heart rejoiced, and he mustered the courage to reach out and take her hand. Her delicate skin felt soft and smooth, like silk and warm jade, extremely comfortable, which made him want to go even further. But fearing the abruptness would ruin everything, he forced himself to hold back.

Ran Yan stared blankly at the long and strong hand. Xiao Song’s hand was large enough to completely envelop hers, with what seemed to be calluses in his palm, warm and firm, making Ran Yan suddenly recall that warm embrace.

The person in her dream had tucked her frozen feet into his embrace to warm them up and had said many comforting words.

She had been in a coma for many days, and she didn’t know whether it was dreamt while being rescued or just before waking up; the timeline was somewhat confused, but in this moment, the feeling Xiao Song gave her was genuinely reassuring.

The room was quiet, awkwardly so. Ran Yan lowered her eyes, searching for a topic, and said, "Did something happen to Pei Jing and the others, is it related to you?"

Xiao Song’s rough fingertips gently caressed Ran Yan’s palm, his voice hoarse, holding a bewitching power, like the whisper of a lover, "Just a little lesson to teach him that aphrodisiacs should not be misused recklessly."

Ran Yan felt ticklish from his strokes on her palm and tried to pull away, but Xiao Song held her tightly.

"Let go." Ran Yan was annoyed and embarrassed.

"Just a little longer," Xiao Song said softly. Just hearing his voice made her heart melt, especially when his always mature and steady face wore a teasing smile.

Helpless, Ran Yan allowed him to hold on, casually warning, "Don’t scratch any more."

"Okay," Xiao Song was somewhat better behaved for a while before he began toying with Ran Yan’s fingers again. To prevent her from getting angry, he deftly changed the subject, "You mentioned last time that the Princess of Wenxi might have a double personality; I have had people watching her day and night, and there seems to be some clues."

"Really?" Ran Yan was very interested in double personality — strictly speaking, she was interested in the human brain. Typically, brain abnormalities could be spotted during an autopsy of the skull, but such mental splits weren’t something that dissection alone could ascertain.

"Yes, the Secret Guard once saw her savagely stomping a rat to death," Xiao Song suddenly kissed the hand he was holding and then said, "With the Princess of Wenxi’s temperament, such behavior seems unlikely, doesn’t it?"

Ran Yan felt a burning sensation where she had been kissed before she heard him speak of serious matters, and her response was somewhat slow. It took her a moment to say, "That’s not necessarily the case, perhaps she has hidden her emotions. Regardless... whether it is a double personality or hidden emotions, it increases the likelihood of her committing the crime."

"Hmm, but we haven’t identified the victim’s identity yet; it seems she was not a prostitute. Those missing persons matching the description and appearing suspicious have all been investigated, but unfortunately, to no avail." This case was indeed a headache for Xiao Song; with a population of a million in Chang’an and markets everywhere, and with no one coming forward to claim the body, identifying the real identity of the deceased was not going to be possible in a short time.

Ran Yan thought for a moment and said, "If you can get me the skull, I might be able to help."

"What do you have in mind?" Xiao Song stopped his flirtatious behavior and looked at her seriously.

"Facial reconstruction from the skull, which means using clay to restore the face based on the thickness of the facial soft tissues and anatomical characteristics on the skull." Ran Yan had specifically learned painting and sculpting for this, so her skills were naturally not an issue. However, a gypsum model of the skull was used in later times, and current conditions were limited, so the restoration had to be done on the actual skull.

Xiao Song was surprised, "You can do this?"

Ran Yan understood from his tone that he might have heard of facial reconstruction from the skull. Seeing her confusion, Xiao Song explained, "Three years ago, when I collaborated with the Ministry of Justice on a case of an abandoned corpse, Liu Qingsong casually mentioned it." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)