Chapter 380: Close Protection

At the edge of the apron, a row of low-key cars waited quietly.

Le Ke La personally opened the door of the middle car, "Youbao, get in."

Mu Youyu meekly got in, Jiang Liangjin closely followed and sat down, while Mu Xin entered from the opposite door.

Mu Xi, quick-eyed and quick-handed, snatched the driver's seat before the older brothers.

Le Ke La shut the door and, turning to Mu Xianqi and the others, said, "You sit in the cars behind."

Mu Xianqi withdrew his hand and led the group toward the rear car.

Qing An was about to squeeze into the back seat of the middle car with Mu Xin when Jun Chenling grabbed him by the collar and said, "Come sit with me."

"Why?" Qing An struggled twice, couldn't break free, his golden eyes full of resentment, "I want to sit with my sister!"

"Because you talk too much." Jun Chenling gripped his wrist, pulled him over to the other vehicle, "Besides, if you crowd in, Youbao won't have room for her legs."

Le Ke La glanced at the two, Qing An immediately reined in his aura, fell silent, and turned to follow him to another car.

As a prince, he was magnanimous…… and didn't quarrel with his childhood friend.

The motorcade headed for the Duke's Mansion in Y Guo.

Inside the car, Mu Youyu leaned against the seat, placed her hand on the cool window, and casually drew a round little sun; the lines blurred in the mist, the edges softened.

Jiang Liangjin glanced sideways, his gaze landing on her slender index finger; he adjusted his posture, reached out, and dotted two tiny points beside the fluffy outline to make eyes.

Mu Youyu turned her head to look at him, her voice tranquil: "What did you draw?"

"What you drew, I drew the same." Jiang Liangjin withdrew his hand, his fingertips rubbing the seat.

"I didn't draw the eyes."

"That was me adding them for you."

Mu Youyu stared at the little sun with added eyes for two seconds, let out a soft "hum," and rubbed out those two dots.

Jiang Liangjin wasn't annoyed either, just watching her tinker.

Mu Xi in the passenger seat withdrew her gaze from the rearview mirror.

Arriving at the Duke's Mansion, everyone got out; Le Ke La walked at the front, silent the whole way.

Mu Youyu kept close to Jiang Liangjin's side, after a few steps she quietly edged nearer, "A Jin, I always feel Grandpa is a bit unhappy."

Jiang Liangjin put an arm around her shoulder, leaned in, and coaxed, "Maybe he's tired—seeing you, how could he not be happy?"

Walking on the other side, Mu Xin knew without being told why Grandpa was unhappy.

The news that his sister had been ennobled as a princess by the M Guo royal family had already spread worldwide via the internet, even Y Guo's social media platforms were flooded.

They had originally planned to leave after the banquet ended, but then this happened.

Qing An's approach…… from another angle, they could use the banquet as cover, making Y Guo's people think they were in M Guo, then secretly return to Y Guo to handle old aristocratic affairs—much the same……

After all, hardly anyone could have predicted that Princess Mingxi, the princess of both countries, would leave M Guo at the height of her fame; even without any trace of her movements abroad, people would only assume the royal family deliberately erased her tracks.

Having said that, the biggest problem now is that Qing An didn't consult them beforehand.

Earlier, the major clans had set a rule: anything involving Mu Youyu must be reported in advance.

Le Ke La remained silent all the way; only when the group took their seats in the main hall did he sit in the chief seat and gesture for the servants to serve tea.

Mu Youyu was led by Jiang Liangjin to sit on one side of the sofa, with Mu Xin sitting beside her on the other side.

Mu Xi and Mu Xianqi took the two sides, while Song Yusui, Song Yan, Song Lujing, Jun Chenling, and Qing An sat down in that order.

All the servants instinctively withdrew.

Mu Youyu sat up a bit straighter; still, Grandpa was kind—he wouldn't make her leave.

Song Yusui and Song Yan also sat up straight; the Mu and Song families, when meeting separately, do not allow those under nineteen to attend major meetings, excluding Mu Xin and Mu Xi.

One of them is still a minor, the other only recently came of age; in fact, they didn't attend the two M Guo meetings held a few days ago……

Still, Grandpa values them.

Mu Youyu looked around, sensed the subtle tension, tugged Jiang Liangjin's sleeve, and lowered her voice: "Grandpa, are you really angry?"

Jiang Liangjin likewise replied in a low voice, "Not angry at you."

Le Ke La had already spoken: "Qing An."

Qing An, who had been sitting upright, straightened his spine instinctively upon hearing his name and quickly responded, "Grandpa."

"What do you call me?"

Qing An quickly corrected himself: "Duke."

Le Ke La said nothing more.

Qing An shifted his gaze guiltily, stealing a glance at Jun Chenling, who kept his head down, showing no intention to intervene.

Mu Xianqi and company gave him a helpless expression.

Mu Xin sat silently for half a minute, then spoke to smooth things over: "Grandpa, regarding the ennoblement, Qing An really didn't consult us beforehand, but it's not all bad."

Qing An immediately went along with it to defend himself: "I just wanted to give my sister a surprise, I didn't think of anything else."

"A surprise?" Le Ke La's tone still gave nothing away, "You pushed Youbao onto the position of M Guo royal heiress—have you considered what this identity will bring her?"

"I……" Qing An opened his mouth, he had thought his older siblings all agreed, that this was only good for his sister, but Le Ke La's question left him unsure where to begin.

"M Guo royal princess," Le Ke La, seeing his continued silence, went on, "This identity is a talisman in M Guo, but what about abroad?"

"Youbao is already a princess ennobled by Y Guo; now adding the M Guo heiress title, you think it's just an extra safeguard? Of course not."

"In the eyes of those with ill intent, this gives them another reason to attack her."

Qing An was momentarily speechless; he had only wanted to give his sister the best, never considering……

Seeing Qing An lower his head under Grandpa's words, Mu Youyu couldn't bear to speak: "Grandpa, Brother Qing An means well for me too."

Le Ke La looked at her, his gaze softening a fraction, yet his tone remained stern: "Youbao, Grandpa knows he means well for you, but some things can't be done on good intentions alone—no matter what, he must consult us."

Last year, the Y Guo king took similar action without consultation, and afterward he was sternly warned; meanwhile, Jun Chenling was told off by Mu Xin.

Equally, Qing An also deserves a warning.

Jun Chenling nodded involuntarily, 'Right, right.'

Qing An, who had mocked Jun Chenling not long ago, became honest.

Mu Youyu quietly sat up straight, let out a sigh of relief in her heart; evidently Grandfather wasn't really going to blame Qing An, merely worried about her safety, unable to attend to anything else.

Jiang Liangjin grasped her hand beside her, 'Grandfather, don't mention Qing An brother; after this matter is settled, I will arrange people… I will also do my best to personally protect Youbao, and won't let those people have an opening to exploit.'

Le Ke La's mind flashed with that part of the troublesome people his third uncle had handled, and his expression eased a bit.