Chapter 2584

"Zhu Lian, is the biological son of Count Aoerge."

The next morning, Jin Chen returned from outside to the round tube room, he took off his coat, and said to A'eruike who was sitting on the sofa reading the morning newspaper.

I had a few little beggars who regularly operate in the nearby streets and are well-informed help inquire a bit.

They are young, not conspicuous, and in the past often helped those noble ladies or gentlemen with secrets run errands, deliver letters, and show the way.

Jin Chen walked over to A'eruike, sat on the sofa armrest, and said, "Spending just a few pennies, I got quite a few interesting rumors; overall, Zhu Lian is very likely the child born from Count Aoerge's mistress."

A'eruike put down the newspaper, and looked at Jin Chen meaningfully for a while.

He put his arms around Jin Chen's waist, gently pulled him closer, lowered his head and kissed his blond hair, saying, "Do you think this is also one of Zhu Lian's motives for acting? Then he must have known in advance that Qiao Shuya Kelainen would also poison Wensente on the evening of April 10, and the dosage would not be lethal."

Jin Chen then leaned into his embrace, lazily stretched his body, and kissed A'eruike's chin, saying, "That's how he could shift the suspicion onto Qiao Shuya."

A'eruike leaned back into the sofa, legs spread arrogantly, letting Jin Chen lean against his embrace.

He gently played with the bangs on Jin Chen's forehead, smiling at him, and said, "Your deduction is splendid; how do you plan to verify this guess next?"

"Do you have to go see Young Master John again to chat?"

Jin Chen chuckled, his fingers nimbly slipped into A'eruike's open shirt collar, feeling that warm, firm patch of skin, his fingertips tracing circles lightly.

"Then we'll have to call on our omnipotent Scarlet Gentleman again,"

"Go to the black market to check whether Zhu Lian also bought black orchid poison, and how much dosage he purchased."

A'eruike enjoyed his small movements, letting out a comfortable hum from his throat, but deliberately brought up Qiao, raising his eyebrows at him.

"The black market is hardly a safe place, and information is even more expensive, my detective sir, how do you plan to bribe me so that I'm willing to take this risk again for you?"

It seemed as if the investigation had nothing to do with him.

Jin Chen lifted his head, a smile playing in his blue eyes, his fingertips sliding down the seam of the shirt, stroking the firm abs, and said, "Between us, do we still need to talk about bribes, baby?"

A'eruike: "……"

He let out a hum, his ears quietly reddening, yet refusing to admit defeat, saying, "Sweet talk."

——

A'eruike's actions were quick, hardly taking much trouble, and he obtained what Jin Chen wanted.

He placed a thin sheet of paper, its edges slightly curled, on the desk of the round tube room, pressing his fingertip onto it.

"The clues you want, do you want them?"

Jin Chen sat behind the desk, looked up at him, put down his pen, and smiled, saying, "Then lower your head."

Having received a kiss, A'eruike released the paper, and naturally squeezed together with Jin Chen onto the single-person sofa, tilting his head to watch him reason through the clues.

Jin Chen picked up the paper, "Indeed, Zhu Lian also purchased it."

Even miraculously, just two days after Qiao Shuya's purchase, everything happened just right.

A'eruike looked at Jin Chen and suddenly said, "Prince Peige's side has sent urgent news, demanding that I immediately cooperate with the task force he dispatched to take advantage of the chaos and dismantle the Griffin Gang."

"The black market will be very unsettled from now on."

This means he will not participate in the follow-up investigation of Zhu Lian.

Jin Chen understood and nodded, carefully putting away the paper.

"Rest assured, I'll handle this side; you stay safe."

A'eruike gave him a deep look, as if he wanted to say something.

"You must resolve this quickly, and then…… stay away from those dangers a bit further."

——

A few days later, a letter sealed with Miss Ailinuo's emblem wax was delivered into Zhu Lian's hands.

In the letter, Eleanor wrote in a sorrowful yet resolute tone that she was about to be sent by her family to a distant northern convent; before leaving, she hoped to meet him one last time at "the place they often went, filled with memories," to put an end to this inappropriate relationship and speak clearly.

After receiving the letter, Julian paced back and forth in his room for a long time.

He arrived at a rather secluded bookstore on the back street of the post office, which offered discreet services to upper‑class gentlemen and ladies.

Here there were many private booths and small reading rooms for confidential conversation, making it an ideal spot for secret rendezvous.

Julian pushed open the door and, following the instructions in the letter, walked toward the booth.

Inside, the person waiting for him was not only Eleanor.

Also present was Inspector Cyril, leisurely leaning back in an armchair, slowly turning the pages of a book.

Jin Chen heard the movement, lifted his head, and looked toward Julian.

He closed the book and gently placed it on the table.

"Good afternoon, Young Master Julian."

Julian turned around intending to leave.

The door behind him was locked from the outside; Duo Xi, holding a book, knocked on the door panel and said, "No need to thank me, Cyril—I really like this new bookstore; the owner's collected botanical atlas is truly lovely!" After saying that, the sound of her humming a tune and skipping away could be heard outside.

Jin Chen curled his lip, gesturing for Julian to sit down.

Eleanor lowered her head, still fearful, shifting slightly to the side, looking at him through blurred Tears.

"Julian, my Julian…… I never imagined…… you are actually the killer who murdered Vincent!"

"How am I to face you…… what is between us……"

She choked back sobs, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as tears streamed out, her body trembling as if about to collapse.

She obviously still did not know Julian's true origins, assuming he had ruthlessly attacked Vincent out of jealousy to win her love.

Jin Chen laid the evidence on the round table.

"Miss Eleanor, you need not blame yourself excessively," Jin Chen glanced at the weeping Eleanor, "I believe that Julian's motive for acting was largely not because of you."

"More importantly, it was for the power of the Orlagh family—after all, if young Vincent were not dead, this unacknowledged illegitimate son would have to wait who knows how many years before the Orlagh count could openly and rightfully take him back to the Zhuang Yuan and make him the sole heir."

Eleanor was stunned, looking at Julian in disbelief.

After a long while, Julian said, "You really found this out…… Inspector Cyril, you are far more capable than I imagined."

Jin Chen gave a slight nod, calmly accepted his praise, then immediately raised the most crucial question.

"Well then, answer me, Young Master Julian."

"How did you find out that Qiao Shuya·Klein would buy that special black orchid poison on the black market, and determine his dosage was insufficient, thus deciding to act personally and administer a second poison to Young Master Vincent, ensuring his death beyond doubt?"

Julian asked an irrelevant question with an eerie calm, "If I admit it, I'm the murderer."

"I would lose everything I've struggled to obtain, the position of heir, the surname of the Count… and I'd be sent to the gallows, right?"

Jin Chen shrugged, "It's regrettable, but according to the kingdom's law, murdering a noble heir indeed leads to that outcome. Yes."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing that answer, Julian's face instead showed a relieved smile, and he even began to chuckle softly, his laughter sounding especially chilling.

"No, you don't need to feel regret, Detective Cyril."

Julian lifted his head, gazing straight at Jin Chen, "Because I never poisoned Vincent—not even once."