Chapter 367: Found a Clue

Mu Youyu's gaze drifted between Jun Chenling and Qing An, always feeling that the atmosphere between the two was a bit subtle.

She placed the cake on the table, breaking the brief silence: "Brother Ling, you came all the way early this morning—aren't you tired?"

Jun Chenling withdrew his gaze from Qing An, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly: "Seeing you makes me not tired."

"Huh," Qing An let out a strange cry from the side, leaning back and almost falling over: "Jun Chenling, aren't you disgusting?"

Jun Chenling didn't even lift his eyelids: "What's it to you?"

Qing An: "Oh."

Song Lujing, who had been leaning against the table, seeing this, spoke up to smooth things over: "Ah Ling, how long do you plan to stay this time?"

Jun Chenling pondered for a moment, his voice flat: "It depends on the situation."

Song Yan rarely interjected: "What situation?"

Jun Chenling gave no response, turning his gaze toward Qing An.

Qing An sat up straight again, his face wearing the expression of "I know but I refuse to say."

Jun Chenling let out a light snort: "Childish."

Song Yan understood: this was about waiting for Qing An.

Mu Youyu, fearing they'd start arguing again, lifted her head: "Brother Ling, do you have something to take care of?"

Jun Chenling withdrew his gaze, looking at her, his tone softening considerably: "Nothing major, mainly I came to see you."

Qing An scoffed lightly from the side: "He's always liked to put on an act since he was little; sis, don't believe him."

Jun Chenling gave him a chilly glance: "Why do you have so much to say? Weren't you the one who asked me to come over in the first place?"

"I'm happy to." Qing An leaned back into the rattan chair, hands behind his head, legs casually crossed, appearing relaxed and carefree, utterly indifferent.

Jun Chenling said coldly: "Pointless troublemaking."

Song Lujing had seen how the two interacted domestically before; it wasn't like this, and now he felt they were about to start arguing.

Song Yan had thought he'd say something like "you're sick," but didn't expect such a cultured remark.

Qing An sat down beside them, casually picking up a snack, and seemingly offhandedly said: "Hey sis, the royal family plans to hold a gathering in a few days—will you come?"

Mu Youyu tilted her head: "What kind of gathering?"

Qing An waved his hand, tone light: "Mainly to celebrate that some things have been resolved smoothly."

Mu Youyu sensed there was more to his words, didn't press further, and simply agreed: "Sure, Brother Qing An, just call me when the time comes."

Jun Chenling glanced at Qing An, his eyes holding a hint of scrutiny.

Qing An returned a meaningful look.

Neither spoke further.

Mu Youyu started playing a little offline game.

After about half an hour, the surroundings remained overly quiet; she finally put down her phone, her gaze sweeping over the few people, and couldn't help but ask: "Why are you all acting weird today? Not saying a word."

"Really?" Qing An opened his eyes, wearing an innocent expression.

Jun Chenling lay on another chair: "Maybe I'm just tired from rushing over, not in great shape."

Mu Youyu tilted her head slightly, full of confusion: "Huh? Brother Ling, you just said seeing me wouldn't tire you, right?"

Before Jun Chenling could find an excuse, Song Yan jumped in: "Honey, you see they're just fooling you; only my feelings for you are truly sincere!"

Song Lujing took off his headphones, unwilling to be outdone: "Don't listen to their nonsense; mine is the real deal."

Qing An clapped his hands, eager for chaos: "Let's fight, let's fight—whoever wins gets to speak."

Mu Youyu stood up in silence, patted her skirt: "I'm going to find A Jin."

Jun Chenling immediately rose to his feet: "I'll go with you."

Mu Youyu said with a smile: "Brother Ling, rest a bit; A Jin is just inside."

Jun Chenling's motion paused slightly, as if recalling something, and he finally agreed: "Okay."

Watching his sister's back disappear at the garden's end, he then sat back down in the chair.

Qing An turned his head to look at him: "Don't worry, this is my home; it's very safe."

Jun Chenling tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest, glanced back at him: "Your home? Qing An, don't forget that I came early this time—what was it for, exactly?"

Qing An also dropped his carefree posture, sat upright, his tone sinking a few degrees: "You found something?"

Jun Chenling didn't rush to speak, his gaze falling on the distant palace's window sill, as if weighing his words.

Song Yan saw his solemn expression, brows slightly furrowed, stood up and asked: "Do we need to step aside?"

"No need, Brother Yan." Jun Chenling withdrew his gaze, tone calm: "It's about my sister; just sit and listen."

Song Yan sat back down.

Since the matter concerned his sister, Song Lujing also moved closer.

"Did you really find something?" Qing An's voice urgent.

Jun Chenling nodded: "I found some things."

His gaze swept over the three, voice clear: "Those kidnappers split into two groups—one aimed at Qing Wei, remnants of the old nobility; the other… were hired thugs."

Qing An frowned: "Tell me something I don't know."

Jun Chenling ignored his impatience and continued: "That old-nobility remnant was indeed purged by your father back then, but they managed to lie low for ten years, secretly building up strength, relying on more than just themselves."

Song Yan instantly latched onto the point: "Someone's been funding and feeding them intel?"

"Yes." Jun Chenling gave an affirmative answer.

"Who?"

"People from Y Guo."

As soon as that was said, the few of them exchanged glances, the air freezing for a few seconds.

"Y Guo?"

Song Lujing frowned, "Youbao wasn't made a princess in Y Guo? How dare someone still move her there?"

Jun Chenling didn't beat around the bush, speaking bluntly: "It's not aimed at Youbao; it's aimed at the Peiweika family."

Qing An blinked, "What do you mean?"

Jun Chenling took out his phone from his pocket, pulled up an encrypted file, and handed it to him, saying, "Have a look yourself."

Qing An took it and skimmed through quickly.

The file was lengthy, recording the secret dealings during M Guo's political upheaval ten years ago between the purged old nobility and a certain Y Guo family.

After reading it all, Qing An's face gradually darkened.

Jun Chenling passed the phone to Song Yan and Song Lujing, then said, "That batch of old nobles managed to hold out for so long only because someone on the Y Guo side was backing them behind the scenes."

He looked at Qing An, "Later your brother won, those people fled or scattered, and the Y Guo side also promptly withdrew, wiping away all traces."

Song Yan's face grew grave, "How did you find out?"

Jun Chenling lifted his eyes to him, "The Peiweika family has been rooted in Y Guo for hundreds of years—did you think the Duke's Mansion was just for show?"

No need to say more, Song Yan understood instantly.

The Peiweika family's influence in Y Guo runs far deeper than outsiders see; the grandfather who'd controlled the Duke's Mansion for decades had planted favors and laid hidden lines, not only in M Guo's underground forces but also in Y Guo.

Jun Chenling and Mu Xin have been close for years; if he truly needed to investigate something, the Duke's Mansion's connections would naturally open up for him.

Song Lujing's face shifted repeatedly, "So you're saying people from three countries want to kidnap Youbao?"

In M Guo, the royal family's enemies mistakenly took his sister for Qing Wei's younger sister and sent people to kidnap her.

The person who provided the false information had an IP address showing Z Country.

Now it's also been discovered that behind that noble in Y Guo there is someone.

Jun Chenling's eyes turned cold, "Yes, but speaking separately, it's four groups of people."