The willow leaves are slowly

Inside Zhuqing Academy.

"Alian still hasn't come today?" Mr. Zhang asked the servant in the yard while stroking his beard.

"No, Sister A-Lian hasn't come these days."

Mr. Zhang returned to his study thoughtfully, locked the door, opened the lock of the ice room, took out the box, and carefully observed the hands. There was no doubt about it, the red painted nails looked exactly like the ones he had painted on them.

The skin of these hands is delicate and white, and a thin layer of frost is covered under the blessing of the ice room. The red painted nails have a layer of misty beauty. The two hands are lightly overlapped, Zhang Wenshi's face is flushed, and he is breathing slightly...

He took his hand and rubbed it gently, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid...

Ding ding ding! Ding ding ding! There was a rapid knock on the door.

"Dean, Dean, are you okay?" Ayi, the servant in the courtyard, shouted anxiously.

Mr. Zhang was frightened and quickly put his hand into the box and put it back into the ice room!

"How disgraceful it is to yell and shout!" He flicked his sleeves, opened the door angrily, and hit Ayi hard several times with a ruler.

"I called you many times, but I couldn't hear anything from you, so I thought something happened..." The servant Ayi shrank back, tears welling up in pain, and said aggrievedly.

"Why are you so anxious?" asked Mr. Zhang in a stern voice.

"It's Yingge. Someone from Yingge is here to see you." Ayi was very nervous.

Zhang Wenshi's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface. After all, he was so old, and he still had some psychological strength.

He straightened his sleeves and stroked his silver-white beard. "Please ask them to go to the front hall. I will be there soon."

Liu Qingyin looked around the front hall. It was simple and elegant, with the four treasures of the study and classical books. The antique blue and white porcelain vase added a touch of elegance, and the asparagus fern potted plant embellished the table perfectly.

The most distinctive feature is the mural on the main background wall, a splash-ink painting of snow-capped mountains. In the picture, the snow-capped mountains are towering into the clouds, with peaks upon peaks, and snow-capped tops. In the distance, the continuous mountains connect with the sky, and in the near distance, a few green pines and cypresses stand proudly in the snow, and a hint of green can be vaguely seen in the snow-covered areas.

"The mountains are covered with snow, like jade dust; the clouds open up the endless green valleys.

The wind in the sky blows up the cold mist in the evening, and the sun hangs high in the sea in the cold green morning. "

"Dean Zhang's poem 'Snow Mountain Song' is indeed profound, showing that the dean is as detached from the world as a snow mountain, and the students of the college should stand proudly in the world like the boundless green pines and cypresses."

Liu Qingyin thought to herself: "I have to say, Ye Hansheng's poetry reading comprehension is quite good!"

"Sir, you are so kind. I am honored to meet you, Mr. Ye!" Scholar Zhang walked over slowly, clasped his fists and bowed, his clothes were loose and his sleeves were wide, giving him a Taoist and immortal look.

"President Zhang, there's no need to be so polite." Ye Hansheng said with a smile.

"Ayi, go and present the Biluochun bestowed by His Majesty to Master Ye."

"Yes!"

The servant was probably too nervous and trembling, and broke the teacup when serving tea. Although Mr. Zhang appeared calm on the surface, his eyes were filled with anger.

"Dean, please calm down. Young master, please forgive me!" The servant kowtowed and knelt on the ground to beg for mercy. His movements were so large that some mottled red scars could be seen on his arms.

Ye Hansheng shook his gown and said softly, "It's okay."

"How disrespectful of you to be so reckless! Why don't you thank Master Ye right away?" Zhang Wenshi said sternly.

"Thank you, Mr. Ye, and thank you, Dean!" The servant was still trembling.

"Your hand is injured." Liu Qingyin squatted down to check Ayi's hand, took out a handkerchief and wrapped his wound.

"Thank you, young lady." Ayi said in a low voice.

"Go down quickly!" Zhang Wenshi scolded.

"Yes, Dean!"

Liu Qingyin stood up and took a sip of the tea on the table. Zhang Wenshi was immediately attracted by her hand and asked, "Who is this?"

"I'm Liu Qingyin, nice to meet Dean Zhang!" Liu Qingyin bowed slightly.

"It turns out to be Miss Liu. There's no need to be so polite." Mr. Zhang stroked his beard and fixed his eyes on Liu Qingyin's white hands.

Liu Qingyin's hands were extremely beautiful, white as jade, soft and slender. Each finger looked exceptionally delicate, and her nails were neatly trimmed, revealing a light pink sheen, as if they were pink petals with crystal dew in the early morning.

There is not a single blemish on the back of her hand, and her delicate skin exudes a soft luster.

Zhang Wenshi's mind was swept by these hands. He couldn't help imagining that these hands were wandering on his body. He tightly grasped these hands, biting, ravaging, and trampling them, greedily feeling the desire brought by that tenderness.

When Liu Qingyin stretched out her hands to hold the teacup, her hands looked even more alluring, as if carrying a mysterious power that made him intoxicated.

She was frightened by Zhang Wenshi's stare, and exchanged glances with Ye Hansheng. Ye Hansheng had already keenly noticed Zhang Wenshi's strangeness, and at this moment he said, "Ayin's hands are very beautiful."

"Yes, it's so beautiful!" Zhang Wenshi's eyes were blurred.

Ye Hansheng came closer and whispered, "Such a beautiful hand, would you like to cut it off and take it away?"

The cold voice pulled Zhang Wenshi back, "Oh no, how could I be distracted in such a situation!" He retracted his gaze and blamed himself in his heart.

"Hahaha, Master Ye, you are joking." He laughed awkwardly twice, "Master, why are you visiting today?"

Ye Hansheng paused for a moment and smiled, "Does Xue Ailian work in the academy?"

"Yes, Xue Ailian is the maid who sweeps my study, but she hasn't come for several days and she didn't ask for leave."

"She is dead. She was found outside Beijing." Ye Hansheng stared at Zhang Wenshi and said softly.

"Ah??!! How could this be possible? The deceased in the suburbs of Beijing was Xue Ailian?"

Zhang Wenshi himself didn't know that the expression on his face was not so perfect at this moment. His tone showed shock, but his expression was indeed as if he had "guessed it long ago", mixed with a bit of regret and sadness. It can be said to be very wonderful, and it is difficult for an actor of Liu Qingyin's level to perform it.

Ye Hansheng took a sip of tea and said calmly: "Yes, her hand was chopped off." He deliberately emphasized the word "hand".

"Who... who is so cruel!" Zhang Wenshi was a little nervous.

"Dean, don't panic. I came here just to find out if anyone in the hospital has had any grudges against Xue Ailian?"

"This... this, I spend all my time writing and managing students and teachers, and I really have never paid attention to Xue Ailian's affairs, so it should not be the case."

"Would you mind calling over the servants who worked with Xue Ailian? I have some questions to ask."

"There are also many students and teachers who need to be consulted."

"Of course, of course. Ah Ren, go and arrange it." Mr. Zhang asked the servant to ask the other servants to gather in the front hall and notify the classroom to suspend classes.

Ye Hansheng sent Zhang Wenshi away, and the other dozen servants went into the front hall one by one to be interrogated. Bufeng and Zhuiying took the others to question the students and the teacher.

"Sister A-Lian gets along well with us, and we never have any conflicts on a daily basis." Ayi lowered his head and said in a low voice timidly.

"Ms. Lian gets along very well with us old ladies. She even gave us handkerchiefs that she embroidered herself."

"I don't have much interaction with Sister A-Lian on a daily basis. We are just nodding acquaintances."

More than a dozen servants said that they had no conflicts with Xue Ailian.

Mr. Zhang, who was listening attentively next door, stroked his beard with satisfaction.

"If you remember anything, go to Yingge and report it." Liu Qingyin said.

"Yes!" All the servants dispersed.

Ye Hansheng took the handkerchief embroidered by Xue Ailian on the table and examined it carefully. "The embroidery is really good."

Liu Qingyin leaned in to take a closer look, and the two looked at each other. She quickly put the handkerchief into her pocket.

"Mr. Ye, Miss Liu, thank you for your hard work. I will ask the kitchen to prepare some wine. Please share a drink with me." Mr. Zhang said with a smile, stroking his beard.

The two of them glanced at Mr. Zhang's belt inconspicuously. The embroidery on the belt was exquisitely crafted, and the stitching was exactly the same as the stitching on the handkerchief.

"You are welcome, Dean. I am busy with official duties, so I will take my leave first."

"Then I will not delay your official duties. I will definitely host a banquet for you two some other day."

Zhang Wenshi bowed and said goodbye. Ye Hansheng and Liu Qingyin left Zhuqing Academy with their shadow guards.

Bufeng and Zhuiying summarized the information from the interrogation and found that there was nothing unusual on the side of the teacher and the students.

"This Dean Zhang seems to be deliberately distancing himself from Xue Ailian." Liu Qingyin said.

“How come you see?”

"Most of the servants call Xue Ailian 'Sister A Lian' or 'Miss Lian'. The dean doesn't call other people by their given names, but only calls Xue Ailian by her given name."

"As the cleaning lady in his study, the dean should be familiar with her. He was too deliberate. He was very deliberate when he mentioned Xue Ailian's name." Liu Qingyin thought.

"What Ayin said makes sense."

Not far away, a head popped out from behind the wall, shivering and not daring to raise its eyes.

"Ayi?!" Liu Qingyin called out to him and quickly stepped forward.

Ayi lowered his head, secretly looked up at Liu Qingyin, and then quickly looked away.

"Is your hand okay? Have you applied medicine?" Liu Qingyin said, looking at his hand.

Ayi shook his head slightly, "A servant like me is not worthy of administering medicine." His voice was as low as a mosquito.

Liu Qingyin gently grabbed his hand and slowly lifted his sleeve, revealing a red, swollen and scarred arm.

"I noticed that you were injured. Were you beaten by the dean?" Liu Qingyin asked.

Ayi nodded gently with tears in his eyes.

Liu Qingyin glanced at Ye Hansheng and frowned.

"Ayi, do you have something you want to tell me?"

"Sister, can I have a word with you?"

Ye Hansheng and Liu Qingyin followed Ayi to the back of the wall, "Sister, I know about the matter between the dean and Sister Alian..."