PDLP Chapter 2225 Fabric Inspection
Chapter 2225 Fabric Inspection
A moment later, the noise disappeared again.
Only the sound of silver ingots breathing remained inside the cave.
He dared not be careless, slowly pulled out the small flashlight from his waist, turned it on and held it in his hand. The light dispelled the darkness and illuminated the road ahead.
Under the light, the walls inside the cave were wet and glistening with water, and some withered weeds and pebbles were scattered on the ground.
He continued walking forward, and after about twenty more steps, the cave suddenly opened up, forming a small stone chamber.
The stone chamber was empty, except for a simple stone table and a few stone stools. On the stone table were several empty pottery jars and some torn strips of cloth, suggesting that someone had lived there for a long time but left in a hurry.
Yin Ding carefully examined every corner of the stone chamber, but found no one or any valuable clues. Only the soil under the stone table still had a faint mushroom scent, consistent with the smell of the mushrooms he had previously found in the fresh produce shop.
He immediately turned around, retraced his steps back to the cave entrance, and shook his head at Huo Changhe and Jin Ting who were waiting outside.
"Your Highness, the cave is empty, with only some daily necessities and lingering mushroom scents. It seems the person has left, but they shouldn't have been gone long."
Huo Changhe frowned, dismounted, and walked to the cave entrance, observing for a moment: "It seems this man in black is quite wary."
He slipped into the cave, with Jin Ting following closely behind.
Huo Changhe walked to the center of the stone chamber, his gaze sweeping over the pottery jars and strips of cloth on the stone table, and then he bent down to examine the marks on the ground.
"The soil on the ground was still very wet, and although the footprints were blurry, it was clear that they were left recently."
He reached out and touched the stone table, his fingertips covered with a thin layer of dust. "There's not much dust, which means someone wipes it regularly. It's just that I left in such a hurry this time that I didn't have time to clean it up."
Jin Ting carefully searched around the stone chamber, then suddenly stopped at a corner and called out to Huo Changhe, "Your Highness, there's something here."
Huo Changhe and Yin Ding immediately went over and saw a small piece of black cloth buried in the soil in the corner of the wall, as if it had been torn from a piece of clothing.
Jin Ting carefully dug out the cloth and handed it to Huo Changhe.
The edges of the fabric were jagged, as if it had been forcibly torn, and there were some dark red marks on it. When I smelled it closely, there was a faint smell of blood.
"The material of this fabric doesn't seem to be what ordinary people wear."
Yin Ding looked at the fabric, his brow furrowing slightly: "And the bloodstains on it don't seem to have completely dried yet."
Huo Changhe gripped the fabric between his fingers, his eyes darkening. "It seems that when he left, something might have happened, or he might have had a conflict with someone."
He carefully packed the fabric away: "Think you can get away with it by running away? Absolutely not! Let's go back to the manor!"
"Yes!" they both responded in unison.
In the First Madam's courtyard, the morning sun slanted in through the carved window lattice, falling on the brocade-covered bed and making the lotus pattern on the bedding appear even more lustrous.
A faint medicinal fragrance filled the air. Yan Ruyu sat by the bed, her fingertips resting on the First Madam's pulse. Her expression was focused, her brows slightly furrowed, as she carefully felt the rise and fall of the pulse.
The First Madam slowly opened her eyes, her eyelids fluttered, and it took her a moment to adjust before she could clearly see the person in front of her.
Although her face was still a little pale, she was in much better spirits, and her voice was hoarse from just waking up: "Ruyu... are you still watching over me?"
Yan Ruyu withdrew her finger, a gentle smile appearing on her face. She picked up a thin blanket from the side and gently covered the First Madam with it: "Mother is awake? How are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"
"Much better," the First Madam nodded gently, her gaze falling on the dark circles under Yan Ruyu's eyes. She felt a pang of heartache and reached out to touch her cheek, but felt somewhat powerless.
"You must have stayed up all night again, kid."
Look at those dark circles under your eyes, they're practically hanging down to your chin! Your body can't take this kind of abuse.
"I'm fine, Mother, don't worry." Yan Ruyu held the First Madam's hand. "Your being able to wake up is more important than anything else."
The kitchen just cooked some congee, would you like some to tide you over?
The First Madam nodded obediently, and the maidservant quickly brought over some warm porridge. Yan Ruyu personally scooped a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and then brought it to the First Madam's lips.
The First Madam drank the porridge slowly, and after finishing the bowl, her complexion improved a bit.
Watching Yan Ruyu's busy figure, she couldn't help but remind her again, "You must take care of yourself. You are the backbone of our family. If you collapse from exhaustion, how can I rest easy?"
"I understand, Mother," Yan Ruyu put down the bowl, picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped the corner of the First Madam's mouth. "Your speedy recovery is the best comfort for me."
Just then, steady footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, and Huo Changhe walked in, looking travel-worn, with bits of grass still clinging to his black brocade robe.
He saw the First Madam awake on the bed, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Mother's awake?"
"You're awake," the First Madam said, looking at him with a smile. "Much better."
Huo Changhe walked to the bedside, his gaze lingering on the First Madam's face for a moment, and only after confirming that her complexion was still acceptable did he feel slightly relieved.
The First Madam took his hand, pointed to Yan Ruyu, and said solemnly, "Changhe, Ruyu has been working tirelessly day and night for me and for the patients in the city. You must take good care of her."
"Don't worry, Mother, I will." Huo Changhe nodded, his gaze falling on Yan Ruyu, full of heartache. "I've already asked the kitchen to prepare food, so Ruyu can rest well later."
The First Madam nodded in satisfaction. Perhaps because she had just woken up and was still not fully awake, she soon closed her eyes again and fell into a deep sleep.
Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe tiptoed out of the room and came to the tree in the courtyard.
A tree in full bloom, its fiery red petals adorning the branches, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled patterns of light on the ground.
Yan Ruyu spoke first, her tone tinged with urgency: "How is it? Did you find anything in the cave?"
Huo Changhe rubbed his temples and slowly said, "The cave is indeed as the waiter said, secluded and small, with a stone chamber inside, furnished with a stone table and stone benches, as if someone has lived there for a long time."
When we arrived, the house was empty except for some personal belongings, indicating that the person hadn't been gone long.
He took out the blood-stained black cloth from his pocket and handed it to Yan Ruyu: "This was found in the corner of the cave. There are some dark red marks on it, like bloodstains. It is not completely dry yet. Perhaps it was left by the man in black when he left."
Yan Ruyu took the fabric, her fingertips caressing its texture, her gaze slightly narrowed.
She waved her hand, and the fabric disappeared into her palm, entering her spatial dimension: "I'll take it to do a blood sample test; perhaps I can find some clues from it."