The couple had once shared a strong bond, but after a sudden quarrel, they stopped sharing the same room. Now, the Third Young Lady was unexpectedly pregnant and sought to terminate the pregnancy discreetly. As Qin Nan processed the unfolding events, his mind veered towards melodrama. He speculated that the couple's relationship had deteriorated, possibly due to infidelity on the Third Young Lady's part, and even wondered if a family member might be involved.

  Given the circumstances, it seemed the couple had uncovered the truth about the deceased but felt powerless against them. They likely feigned a troubled relationship while secretly maintaining contact. Upon realizing the pregnancy, they might have planned to terminate the child, but it appeared they were reluctant to go through with it.

  This scenario gave them a strong motive for murder—much more compelling than any financial incentive.

  Mu Xin was not the murderer; she had a motive, but if she had chosen to stay in her own courtyard that first night, she might have indeed become the killer. The Third Young Master, however, was highly suspicious. Qin Nan believed he must have known the deceased's secret, which led him to deliberately arrange the body in a Tai Chi formation—perhaps as a way to provoke the deceased.

  Regardless of the reason, the Tai Chi arrangement indicated that he was aware of the deceased's hidden truth. Among their group, the most likely suspect was indeed the Third Young Master.

  Yet, Qin Nan frowned.

  What did this have to do with castration? The victim was already dead, and why would someone harbor such disdain for the deceased? Moreover, Qin Nan felt that such an act would likely be committed by a woman, with Lin Junru currently at the top of the suspect list.

  But Lin Junru was the beloved daughter of the family. Why would a pampered young lady, unaware of these secrets, confront her father and even resort to such drastic measures as to cut off his manhood?

  Qin Nan found himself perplexed.

  As he pondered, the deceased finished his soliloquy and left the room.

  After the deceased exited, the Second Master, drenched in sweat, took a long time to rise from the floor. He glanced at the body in the coffin before hastily making his way toward the secret passage.

  With the deceased still in the house, the Second Master couldn't leave just yet.

  It wasn't until the next morning, when the deceased went out for business, that the Second Master seized the opportunity to emerge from the passage and stealthily exited the deceased's courtyard, quickly returning to his own residence.

  The time rewind had not ended there, but the subsequent events did not unfold scene by scene; instead, they were presented to Qin Nan in text form.

  After the incident, the Second Master fell ill, bedridden for an entire month.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  When he finally recovered, he sent a letter through his nephew, completely severing any chance with his beloved. He couldn't risk revealing the secrets, fearing he might harm others, and so he pretended to be a scoundrel, abandoning the one he loved.

  His nephew seemed to have a close relationship with that girl, leading to a complete break in communication between the Second Master and his beloved.

  The Second Master, unable to dwell on his heartbreak, knew that even without a beloved, the deceased would still insist on marrying him. Thus, he began to seek out remedies and eventually succeeded in rendering himself infertile.

  Qin Nan couldn't help but admire the ruthlessness of the Second Master upon learning this.

  After consulting several doctors, all concluding that he was incapable of fathering children, he sought out the deceased.

  The deceased, having consulted numerous physicians who confirmed there was no hope for the Second Master, ultimately gave up on him.

  This explained why the Second Master had never married; it wasn't due to a poor relationship but rather because the deceased had no interest in someone who could not produce heirs.

  What a tangled web of secrets!

  Qin Nan sighed in amazement.

  At this point, the time rewind finally concluded.

  Qin Nan returned to the present timeline, sitting in a daze on the chair, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information. He needed time to process everything.

  However, once he regained his composure, he felt that this adventure had been worthwhile, as he had uncovered a wealth of information.

  Based on his earlier analysis with Jian Fan, combined with the new information, it was becoming clear which of the two suspects—Accountant or Third Young Master—was more likely to be the murderer.

  The Third Young Master.

  Qin Nan exhaled softly, feeling that he was on solid ground.

  He wondered what clues Jian Fan might uncover on his side.

  At that moment, Jian Fan was also experiencing a time rewind, but this time, the rewind was tailored to individual circumstances, occurring at different points in time.

  Jian Fan found himself a year in the past.

  Like Qin Nan, he was merely an observer this time.

  He was in a room, and the identity he corresponded to in the script, the Faceless Man, was lying in bed, apparently sleeping.

  After surveying his surroundings, Jian Fan quickly confirmed that he was not in the deceased's residence.

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

  The person in bed quickly got up to answer it.

  Outside was a young servant.

  The servant held out a box, saying, “Sir, someone just arrived outside and asked me to deliver this to you.”

  The Faceless Man received the box and asked, “Who was it?”

  “I don't know, but they looked like a Taoist priest,” the servant replied, adding, “I have other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you further.”

  After seeing the servant leave, the Faceless Man looked down at the box, closed the door, and returned inside.

  He placed the box on the table, contemplated for a moment, and then opened it.

  Inside, Jian Fan saw a dagger. He raised an eyebrow—was this the origin of the toy dagger? This toy dagger had come from a Taoist priest.

  This development was entirely unexpected for Jian Fan.

  The Faceless Man didn't seem surprised, as if he had known all along that this was not a real dagger.

  He reached out and thrust the dagger into his palm.

  When the dagger touched his skin, it quickly disappeared inside, but unlike Jian Fan's earlier experience, this dagger oozed a red substance that appeared to be blood, making it look incredibly realistic.

  After testing it, the Faceless Man put the dagger away and went to wash his hands.

  At this point, Jian Fan had yet to encounter a situation requiring him to make a decision.

  The scene shifted, and Jian Fan saw the Faceless Man putting on a medical box, becoming a doctor in that area. He was later invited to the deceased's home, becoming the resident physician.

  The next day, the Faceless Man unexpectedly met the Young Lady at the deceased's home.

  Jian Fan raised an eyebrow; after all that buildup, they were finally getting to the crux of the matter.