TSFLIP Chapter 798

Shu Qiu paused, the smile on his face turning a little forced. “I merely chose to serve at the grassroots level—to contribute directly to the common folk. A government official is a government official, no matter where he serves, don’t you think?”

“Lord Shu’s open-mindedness is admirable—beyond what most men could achieve.” Mufeng’s voice was calm and sincere, with not a hint of mockery in it.

Shu Qiu chuckled modestly. “You flatter me, young master. You flatter me.”

Mufeng’s eyes, however, never left Fengguang. He bent slightly toward her, his voice soft with concern. “Fengguang, are you feeling better?”

She had run so fast that her cheeks were flushed and her forehead beaded with sweat. His worry for her was written plainly across his face.

Fengguang nodded and stood quietly at his side, saying nothing. Her expression was composed, but inside, she was uncertain.
If this man named Shu Qiu truly was the county magistrate, then what had happened to Chen Hongdou’s father?
Or perhaps… that part of the story simply hadn’t happened yet—maybe a few years later, Shu Qiu would be reassigned, and Chen Hongdou’s father would take his place. That would make everything line up again.

The thought brought her a small measure of relief.

Just then, Lianzi finally came running in, late as always. “Miss!” she cried breathlessly, rushing to Fengguang’s side. But the moment she noticed the unfamiliar men in the room, she fell silent and stood there awkwardly, blending into the background.

Mufeng naturally reached out and took Fengguang’s hand, then turned back to Shu Qiu with a faint smile. “So, Lord Shu—may I ask what brings you here today?”

“Well…” Shu Qiu rubbed his nose, clearly caught off guard by the direct question. “To tell the truth, I just came to… look around.”

No one believed that for a second.

The usually silent Qi Yuan finally spoke, his tone cool and unbothered. “Since you came to ask whether Madam Liu’s death has anything to do with my lord, why not just say so?”

Being called out so bluntly left Shu Qiu feeling awkward—he’d hoped to bring it up casually, but now his intentions were laid bare.

Fengguang said at once, “Madam Liu’s death had nothing to do with Shufeng.”

“Oh? And how do you know that?” Since his purpose was already exposed, Shu Qiu dropped the pretense. Better to get it over with quickly. He adopted a half-teasing tone as he addressed the young girl—an easy way to smooth over the tension.

“I just know,” Fengguang said stubbornly. “Shufeng would never kill anyone.”

“That’s not necessarily true…” Shu Qiu smiled meaningfully. “How old are you, little girl? Before you were even born, Young Master Shu might’ve already been roaming the world.”

“You—!”

“Lord Shu is correct,” Shufeng interjected calmly.

“Shufeng!” Fengguang snapped, furious that he’d interrupted her—worse yet, agreeing with something that only made him look guilty.

But when he lowered his head and smiled at her, her anger melted away. That gentle look of his carried a quiet reassurance that made her feel utterly safe.

“Oh?” Shu Qiu arched a brow. “Now that’s interesting.”

“I only arrived in Tong County six years ago,” Shufeng said mildly. “As for my life before then, Lord Shu knows very little. It’s only natural that you would make assumptions. Perhaps I’m not exactly a good man—but since you have no proof that I’ve done anything wrong, for now, you could say I’m a good man after all.”

Shu Qiu’s expression twitched slightly. Having heard rumors about this man’s past, he thought grimly that if someone like Shufeng could be called a good man, that label might just scare someone to death.