Qian Bowen trying to kill Old Man Qian?
Impossible!
Qian Jinglan was the first to challenge Ye Qiu, “Qiu’er, what nonsense are you spouting?”
Qian Weidong added, “Ye Qiu, stop talking rubbish.”
Governor Han said, “Bowen’s filial, he’d never harm his teacher.”
Qian Bowen straightened, “Born into a scholarly family, I’ve known loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness since childhood—how could I hurt my own father?”
Ye Qiu sighed, “Uncle, I’ve got to say, your acting’s top-notch, almost fooled me, but you slipped up big time just now.”
A slip?
Qian Bowen’s eyes flickered, “What slip?”
“Aunt said she hid the puppet well, yet you walked right in, opened the wardrobe’s secret compartment, and pulled it out,” Ye Qiu said. “How’d you know it was there?”
“Didn’t you say the cursed object was in her room?” Qian Bowen countered.
Ye Qiu smiled, “Yes, I said it was in her room, but did I specify where?”
Qian Bowen replied, “What’s strange about that? This is my house, finding something’s easy for me.”
“Nonsense!”
This time, it wasn’t Ye Qiu but Cao Chunmei who snapped.
“The compartment’s so hidden even Rong’er didn’t know,” she said. “You’re rarely home, hardly ever in my room—how could you know?”
Qian Bowen snorted, “If you don’t want it known, don’t do it. One night, I came back and saw you open it from the window.”
Ye Qiu pressed, “When? Give me a specific time!”
“About half a month ago, I think.”
As soon as he spoke, Ye Qiu grinned, and Qian Bowen backtracked, “Maybe a month ago.”
Ye Qiu’s smile widened, “Half a month or a month?”
Qian Bowen gritted his teeth, “A month!”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Uncle, you’re lying again.”
Ye Qiu said, “When we entered Aunt’s room, I noticed the window lock’s rusted—hasn’t been opened in at least six months.”
Qian Bowen’s face twitched.
“Aunt, am I wrong?” Ye Qiu asked Cao Chunmei.
She said, “It’s been a while since I opened it, but I don’t recall exactly how long.”
Ye Qiu continued, “And if you saw Aunt plotting against Grandpa a month ago, why didn’t you stop her?”
“I only saw the compartment, not what was inside,” Qian Bowen argued.
“Fine, let’s say you didn’t know. Here’s another flaw.”
Ye Qiu said, “When you went into Cousin’s room, you didn’t hesitate—straight to the bed, flipped out the box, found the puppet.”
“How’d you know it was there?”
Qian Bowen said, “One day, I saw Rong’er hiding something under her bed…”
“Uncle, can you come up with a better excuse?”
Cutting him off, Ye Qiu said, “You saw Aunt open the compartment and Cousin hide something—don’t you think that’s too convenient?”
“Aunt and Cousin plotting against Grandpa would be cautious, careful not to be seen, yet you caught both. Are you that lucky, or are they that dumb?”
Qian Bowen fell silent.
“Uncle, back in the main room, I told you my friend’s the head of Longhu Mountain.”
“Qian Duoduo can vouch for that.”
“He saw me with Longhu’s Master Changmei in Beijing.”
All eyes turned to Qian Duoduo, who nodded.
Ye Qiu went on, “Master Changmei’s a sage, the world’s top diviner, skilled in mystic arts, and he taught me plenty—including aura sight!”
“Aura sight reveals unclean things.”
“Cursed objects are evil, and anyone who’s touched the puppets carries that wicked aura on their hands.”
Instantly, everyone stared at Qian Bowen’s hands.
Cao Chunmei and Qian Rong glanced at their own.
“You can’t see it without aura sight,” Ye Qiu said. “Here, only Aunt, Cousin, and you, Uncle, have it.”
Qian Bowen said, “I just handled the puppets, of course I’ve got it.”
“You’re different,” Ye Qiu replied. “Their aura’s lighter than yours, meaning you touched them before they did.”
Qian Rong shook her head, “No, I bought those puppets from a Taoist—they were freshly made, no one else had seen them.”
“How do you know that Taoist didn’t meet Uncle before you?” Ye Qiu’s words stunned her.
Qian Bowen’s face shifted again.
“Uncle, still denying it?” Ye Qiu asked.
Qian Bowen said, “It’s all your word—nobody else can see this so-called aura.”
“Uncle, what’s the point of arguing now?”
“I don’t know why you wanted Grandpa dead, but it must be because he knew your secret.”
“Now that we’ve found the cursed objects, I can wake him soon, and the truth will come out.”
“Say it now, or wait for Grandpa to speak.”
Qian Bowen’s expression wavered, then he exhaled long and slow, “Jinglan, your son’s sharp!”
Qian Jinglan’s heart jumped, “Big Brother—”
“Don’t call me that!” he snapped. “I don’t deserve it!”
“Ye Qiu’s right—I’m the real culprit!”
What?
The crowd erupted.
No one saw this coming.
Qian Weidong couldn’t accept it—his brother, his role model—roared, “Big Brother, tell me it’s not true! It’s not!”
Qian Jinglan, reeling, asked, “Why, Big Brother? He’s your father!”
Qian Bowen’s face twisted, “I didn’t want to, he forced me!”
“That stubborn old fool wouldn’t listen, insisted I go to prison.”
“Because… I killed someone!”
