Chapter 547: I Want You to Comb My Hair Too

"Brother, help me comb my hair."

In the early morning, having played the role of the cold and aloof goddess all night, Xiao Wu finally returned to her usual appearance as a little sister.

She sat before the vanity, her expression soft and content.

In her hand was that purple wooden comb passed down by her mother, which had always been kept well by Qin Jian.

Qin Jian took the comb from her palm, stood behind her, and helped her comb her long hair bit by bit.

Actually, it didn't really need much combing, because she was no ordinary person; her hair wouldn't tangle after a day without combing, nor would it sound like a pig being slaughtered if left uncombed for a week...

Her long hair was always smooth and soft, with every strand distinct.

But Qin Jian did not just go through the motions, because he knew that combing her hair was not something Xiao Wu had to do every day; it was merely a manifestation of her intimacy with him.

Waking up in each other's arms, getting up together, sitting by the window, and combing hair in the faint morning light—this was the life she had always dreamed of.

"Brother... will we be together forever..."

A breeze blew in from the window lattice, lifting a few strands of her hair, which brushed lightly across Qin Jian's face, making him unable to help but close his eyes for a moment.

"We will... I promise..." he said deeply.

"Creak."

When the two of them were ready and walked out of the room, they saw Zhu Zhuqing leaning against the doorpost all alone, arms crossed, watching them.

Before Qin Jian could even greet her, she suddenly raised her hand, took down the two hair buns on her head, and then looked at Qin Jian and said, "I want you to comb my hair too."

Xiao Wu's expression instantly turned milk-fierce: "Combing hair is my exclusive right!"

As it turned out, Zhu Zhuqing ignored her completely, walked straight up to Qin Jian, and tilted her cold, delicate face: "Qin Jian, can you help me comb my hair too?"

Qin Jian's cheeks twitched: "Zhuqing, I don't know how to do these hair buns of yours..."

"I'll teach you."

She directly took Qin Jian's hand, led him into her room, and closed the door behind her.

Xiao Wu: "......"

This hair-combing session lasted another hour.

As for why it took so long, it was probably because the little kitten was too tempting, making Qin Jian unable to resist pinning her down for a morning workout, which even caused them to be a little late for the Head of Family succession ceremony...

"Interesting, they actually didn't try to hinder you; it looks like they don't intend to openly hollow out your authority..."

After attending the ceremony, the group returned to the courtyard.

Qin Jian toyed with the gold and jade Head of Family Token, lost in thought: "It seems they are very confident in their control over the family, wanting to ensure your orders can't even leave the room... Paying lip service while acting in opposition; on the surface, you are the Head of Family, but in secret, Zhu Youling is still the one in charge..."

"What should I do next?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.

Qin Jian smiled: "There are many things a Head of Family's title can accomplish. When everyone's interests are tied to yours, no one will dare to pay lip service while acting in opposition anymore... So, first go and announce your appointment as an inspection teacher for the entire Star Luo Empire Spirit Hall Academy."

"Mm."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and was about to walk out, but was grabbed by the hand by Qin Jian: "Wait, there is one more thing to do first."

"What?" she asked, turning her head.

Qin Jian chuckled: "Eat lunch."

Zhu Zhuqing: "......"

"Commander, this is the lunch they sent over."

At the large table, Guibao Douluo had already directed the maids to set out the lunch.

It was increasingly starting to feel like a head maid's presence...

"Any discoveries?"

Qin Jian gestured for them all to sit down and asked: "Is there any problem with this food?"

Guibao Douluo shook his head and said: "I haven't found any."

"Normal. They wouldn't stoop to something as low-level as poisoning. If something happened to me here, it would truly trigger a war immediately, and the Zhu family cannot afford that responsibility..."

Before he had even finished speaking, he saw that Xiao Wu had already picked up a radish with her chopsticks.

"Wait..."

Qin Jian hurriedly grabbed her hand, then reached out himself and tasted every dish.

Seeing his actions, a flash of warmth crossed the eyes of Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.

"Huh?"

Qin Jian suddenly frowned: "I didn't expect there to be combination poisons in this world too..."

"Combination poison? What is that?" Guibao Douluo asked blankly.

"It's mixed poison..."

Qin Jian pointed to the two plates of food in front of him: "These two dishes are fine if eaten separately, but there's a problem if eaten together..."

"Ah?!"

Xiao Wu couldn't help but exclaim.

"Did they really poison it?"

A cold, icy look flashed across Zhu Zhuqing's brows.

The last shred of family affection was severed.

"Guibao, send a signal and have the Star Luo Imperial City Spirit Judgment Hall come to investigate," Qin Jian said coldly.

"Yes."

Guibao nodded.

Half an hour later, the entire Zhu family was plunged into chaos.

Theoretically, the Spirit Judgment Hall certainly had no right to enter, but at such a sensitive moment, with an assassination attempt on a Spirit Hall Chief Judge, the Zhu family, being in the wrong, had no reason to oppose Qin Jian mobilizing his own forces to investigate.

It was quite simple for Spirit Masters to investigate cases; there were many people with special martial souls—some with dog-like noses, some with tracking snakes, everything one could imagine—so they quickly traced the source based on the scent in the food.

Apart from the Maids who handled it, the source of it all was unexpected, yet within reason.

Zhu Zhuqing's third sister, Crown Princess of the Star Luo Empire, Zhu Zhuyue.

"Third Sister..."

In the great hall, Qin Jian sat on a high seat, surrounded by subordinates from the Spirit Judgment Hall, with members of the Zhu family standing on both sides.

Zhu Zhuyue knelt in the center of the great hall, her expression dead and listless, waiting for judgment without a trace of emotion.

Zhuqing stood before her, clenching her fists, and said with a slight choke in her voice: "Why... the Third Sister I was closest to... would want to kill me..."

Hearing this, Zhu Zhuyue slowly raised her head and said indifferently: "There is an Antidote; I would have given you the cure... The one I wanted to kill was only that Chief Judge..."

"Because of Dai Mubai?"

Zhuqing lowered her eyes: "Is the bond between Third Sister and him really that deep?"

"Zhuqing..."

Zhu Zhuyue also lowered her eyes, no longer looking at her: "You know, I have always just drifted with the tide in this life; I have no dreams or goals, I have simply lived in obedience..."

"I am a woman who follows her husband; having married him, it is not a matter of whether it is good or bad, nor of whether I like him or not, but he is my husband..."

She revealed a sorrowful smile: "Then if he is dead, naturally I should avenge him, shouldn't I..."

Zhuqing could not understand such a sentiment: "But this matter was Dai Mubai's fault; he was the one who attacked Qin Jian first, which is why he ended up dead."

"Zhuqing, we have both grown up... stop saying such naive things..."

Zhu Zhuyue closed her eyes and said slowly: "In this world, where are there so many rights and wrongs? There is only where one stands... He is my husband, he is dead, and I want to avenge him; the matter is just that simple. Even if he was wrong, so what..."

"I will only ask you one thing: if this Chief Judge you have chosen were to die, would you avenge him?"

(End of chapter)