Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 36 The Last Chance
"Don't say anymore." Chaolu's voice was hoarse, with deep pain in her eyes.

Her appearance reminded Yan Ciwan of the precognitive dream. The Chaolu in the dream was somewhat similar to the current state, painful and helpless.

In the dream, Chaolu repeated Lanying's name at the last moment before her death, which shows that Chaolu cared about Lanying very much and she actually wanted to seek justice for Lanying.

Perhaps Chaolu is having some difficulties now and does not dare to find out the truth.

Or perhaps, it was her hesitation and retreat at this moment that led to the final tragedy.

Yan Ciwan slowed down his tone and asked softly, "Madam Chao said that you had already left Xiangzhou, but you are still hiding in Cixin Temple. Is it because you are worried about Madam Chao? Or are you worried about Lan Ying's death and unwilling to leave?"

Chaolu bit her lip and didn't answer.

Yan Ciwan said softly, "I can see that you must have your own difficulties. It's inconvenient for you to come forward to find out the truth. It doesn't matter. You can tell me everything you know. I will find out the truth and seek justice for the deceased Lan Ying."

Chaolu looked at her weak appearance and said softly.

"You can't even protect yourself."

Yan Ciwan knew that her miserable appearance was indeed unconvincing, but she did not avoid this point. Instead, she responded frankly: "Have you ever thought that it is precisely because I am in trouble and have no way out that I must find out the truth clearly? For this, I can risk everything."

Chaolu was stunned.

She just thought that Ning Ci was like a clay Buddha crossing a river, unable to save himself. However, Ning Ci was not defeated by the predicament, but instead faced it head-on.

She was shocked and impressed.

"I have been involved in a serial rape and murder case. The government has issued a wanted order for me. Those people outside think I am a murderer. I can't just sit there and wait for death. I can only find out the truth and catch the real murderer. Only in this way can I clear my name. Chaolu, this is our last chance to save ourselves. I don't want to give up. Please don't give up either, okay?"

Yan Ciwan's expression was extremely sincere, and her words touched Chaolu.

Lan Ying was Chaolu's personal maid. They grew up together and had a deep relationship. Chaolu had long regarded Lan Ying as a half-sister. Lan Ying's death was a great blow to her and she dreamed of Lan Ying almost every night.

In the dream, Lan Ying was covered in blood, crying and reaching out to her, begging her to save herself.

Chaolu's heart was filled with guilt and grief. A big part of the reason why she stayed in Ci Xin Temple and never left was that she wanted to see the real culprit of the serial rape and murder case be caught.

But she waited for a long time and didn't get the desired result.

Now the government has identified Ning Ci as the murderer, but Chao Lu knows very well that Ning Ci cannot be the murderer. The real murderer is still at large, and justice for Lan Ying is still a long way off.

Chaolu struggled for a long time before finally speaking with difficulty.

"I don't want to give up, but can we really catch the murderer with just the two of us?"

Yan Ciwan answered without hesitation: "Of course! You have to believe in me, and believe in yourself even more!"

Chaolu thought of Lanying's tragic death. Lanying lost both her parents when she was young and had no relatives. She was the person Lanying trusted the most. Now that Lanying was murdered, if even she was unwilling to stand up and help Lanying get justice, then no one would remember a little maid like Lanying.

Just as Ning Ci just said, this is their last chance.

If she missed this opportunity, Lan Ying would die with injustice, and no one would care who harmed her anymore.

Yan Ciwan saw that Chaolu was wavering, and decisively stretched out his right hand towards her with an extremely sincere look.

"Let's work together."

Chaolu silently told herself to trust her just once, not only for herself, but also for the innocent and tragic death of Lan Ying.

Zhaolu mustered up all her courage and slowly raised her right hand.

The two touched their fingertips, and then held each other tightly, as if they had reached some kind of contract. "Okay, let's do it together."

As soon as these words were spoken, a smile immediately broke out on Yan Ciwan's face.

"Great."

Chaolu sat down beside the bed and began to tell about what happened between her and Lanying.

Ten days ago, she had some unpleasantness with her family and felt uncomfortable staying at home. Coincidentally, at that time, the Ci Xin Temple took in a little girl who was seriously ill and abandoned by her family. The girl was named Afu.

Chaolu took Lanying away from home in the name of going to the Taoist temple to pray for blessings, intending to go to Cixin Temple to treat Ahfu. By the way, they could also stay in Cixin Temple for a few days to relieve some of their depressed mood.

They fell asleep soon after getting on the carriage. When they woke up, they found themselves locked in a dim room, with their hands tied behind their backs, their eyes covered with black cloth, and their mouths gagged.

Chaolu and Lanying shouted for help, but instead of rescue coming, they summoned the thieves instead.

The man tore off Chaolu's clothes and began to whip her body.

She was shaking with pain, and the shame of having her clothes stripped off made her feel worse than death.

The thief seemed to find this unsatisfying, so he reached out and ripped off the cloth stuffed in Zhaolu's mouth, pinched her jaw, and said in a malicious tone: "Scream, cry, the louder the better, I like to hear your cries, helpless and desperate, it really makes me feel excited."

Chaolu felt the other person's breath spraying on her face, and the other person must be very close to her.

This made her feel both horrified and sickened.

But she refrained from yelling, and instead spoke in a trembling voice with a tearful tone.

"I am the daughter of Xiangzhou Recorder and Military Officer Chao Yuanzhi. My fiancé is Xiao Jia Liulang. The current head of the Xiao family is Xiao Wenyi, who is the prime minister and the chief judge of the Dali Temple. He is my fiancé's grandfather. If I die here today, neither the Chao family nor the Xiao family will let you go."

The thief suddenly exerted force and almost crushed her jaw.

"Are you threatening me?!"

Chaolu's voice changed due to the pain: "I am just stating the facts. The girls who were killed before were just ordinary people, but I am different. The Chao family and the Xiao family are standing behind me. If you kill me, it will definitely lead to crazy revenge from the Chao family and the Xiao family. Are you sure you want to do this?"

The other party didn't answer for a long time.

Chaolu realized there was hope and mustered up the courage to continue lobbying.

"My appearance is just ordinary. It's not worth it for you to offend the Xiao family and the Chao family at the same time for me. As long as you let us go, I will treat what happened today as if it never happened. The Chao family and the Xiao family will never retaliate against you for this matter."

She waited for a long time, her heart gradually rising to her throat, and anxiety filling her entire chest.

Just when she was about to give up in despair, she suddenly heard the other party speak.

"I can let you go, but I have a condition."

……

When Chaolu said this, she seemed to remember something extremely terrifying. Her body kept shaking and her lips opened and closed. She wanted to continue speaking, but no sound came out.

Yan Ciwan's heart sank when he saw her like this, and he had a bad feeling.

"What are his terms?"

(End of this chapter)