VFMESR Chapter 41.2

Chu Wenyu hadn’t forgotten the information Anna leaked to Jiang Ling when she left the palace. So, using the excuse of giving Alpha time to prepare for the therapist competition, Chu Wenyu, with a cold demeanor, summoned all the guards and relevant personnel who were present at that time into a secret chamber.

 

Compared to his well-behaved attitude of admitting his mistakes in front of Jiang Ling, Chu Wenyu now displayed a ruthless side. Gazing at the frightened crowd, he narrowed his eyes.

 

“Can you guys tell me how Prince Jiang Ling found out that Princess Anna didn’t leave willingly?” Chu Wenyu held his chin and asked, appearing calm.

 

“Was it leaked by you?” Chu Wenyu first turned his head to the steward standing nearby.

 

The steward hadn’t expected to be implicated so quickly. He exuded a bleak aura of misery, realizing that calamity had befallen him unexpectedly. He had sealed his lips tightly; how did Prince Jiang Ling learn about it?

 

Ever since he discovered the secret relationship between His Majesty and the prince last time, the steward could now understand the king’s current mood. Worried about implicating himself, he immediately denied any involvement. Then, with utmost seriousness, he inquired, “His Majesty is asking you a question. Who leaked it?”

 

The guards exchanged glances, confused.

 

“Your Majesty, we never mentioned it in front of Prince Jiang Ling!” the guards exclaimed one after another.

 

“If everyone keeps arguing, be prepared to find a way to deal with your bodies afterward,” Chu Wenyu’s tone dropped below freezing.

 

He couldn’t stand their voices, sweeping his gaze over each of them. Today, he must identify that person. Chu Wenyu disliked having people around who gossiped and stirred up trouble.

 

“None of you will confess, huh? Then, we’ll interrogate one by one,” Chu Wenyu said, gesturing to the steward.

 

“Within a day, I want to find that person,” he issued the order.

 

He didn’t have the energy to drag this out with them.

 

The guards understood the monarch’s implication and watched the steward anxiously as Chu Wenyu left.

 

“Steward, we really didn’t say anything,” the guards pleaded.

 

“Speak a few good words for us in front of His Majesty. Spare us, please!”

 

The royal torture was unbearable for ordinary people; many with poor physical conditions couldn’t endure an afternoon.

 

The steward, having served as such for many years, had learned a lot under His Majesty, at least toughening his heart more than an average person. In any case, their fate wasn’t his concern. The palace guards were replaceable; for every batch that left, another would arrive. Moreover, since His Majesty mentioned this matter, it meant someone leaked the information, and it had to be one of them.

 

The steward couldn’t be bothered with them, summoning another group of guards to press them down for questioning.

 

It’s just that they knew too much.

 

But the guards, having undergone endurance training, weren’t easily coerced into confessing. Thus, after a day of questioning, there was still no result.

 

Unable to extract information, the steward had to report this to Chu Wenyu.

 

“Your Majesty, perhaps it really wasn’t them, or else they wouldn’t resist even under such intimidation,” the steward cautiously suggested.

 

He was also worried because of his mishandling of things, fearing that His Majesty would lay blame on him. In the past couple of days, he was even more cautious when meeting Prince Jiang Ling than usual. He could almost confirm that His Majesty had been upset in front of the Prince, leading to their current predicament. Now, it seemed that Prince Jiang Ling was not in the best spirits either. In case he accidentally provoked him, it would undoubtedly be a dead end.

 

“Isn’t it them? Is it you?” Chu Wenyu touched his neck, feeling the mark still lingering. Next time, he definitely wouldn’t allow that person to kiss his neck. Wearing high collars every day was already quite annoying.

 

The steward shivered and cautiously spoke, “Why doesn’t His Majesty ask Prince Jiang Ling where he got this information?”

 

Chu Wenyu sneered, almost amused by the steward’s foolishness. “Even if they were wrongly accused, I’d rather kill a hundred by mistake than let one go. Are you suggesting that I should arouse his suspicion just to prove the innocence of these guards?” Chu Wenyu said, clearly irritated.

 

The steward finally realized the absurdity of his suggestion. The current situation probably indicated that His Majesty couldn’t gain trust from Prince Jiang Ling anymore, making it impossible to extract answers from him.

 

“If you keep being so foolish, you’ll end up accompanying them,” Chu Wenyu said impatiently, crossing his arms. He didn’t like talking to foolish people.

 

Suddenly, he remembered Jiang Ling’s disappointed look from before and felt a bit uneasy. After a moment of contemplation, he changed his tone, “Forget it, keep an eye on them for now. Spare their lives.”

 

He feared that if Jiang Ling found out about his true nature, he would be frightened. Due to this concern, he decided to give them a chance. However, if there was a possibility of Jiang Ling knowing without the guards’ information, where did Jiang Ling get it?

 

The only person who knew about this was Anna, the involved party. However, Jiang Ling hadn’t left the palace at all, and from his observations, Anna had been dutifully participating in matchmaking, with no chance of contact between them.

 

Perplexed, Chu Wenyu decided to set aside this matter for now.

 

As a compromise for his mistakes, Chu Wenyu reluctantly allowed Jiang Ling to continue video chatting with his teammates but insisted on wearing a mask.

 

Although he felt very uncomfortable, Chu Wenyu also understood that the threat was relatively low, especially now that those people knew Jiang Ling had someone by his side and wouldn’t act recklessly.

 

If something happens, it’s better to handle it remotely without alarming Jiang Ling.

 

Turning around, he noticed Jiang Ling had already left the room, leaning against the door, observing him.

 

Approaching with large strides, Jiang Ling asked thoughtfully, “Is His Majesty discussing something with the steward again?”

 

He wasn’t as naive as before, no longer assuming they were always discussing official matters. Presumably, the steward had played a role in those past events.

 

However, after careful consideration, Jiang Ling realized there were no more tricks to use. He was practically alone now.

 

“Prince Jiang Ling, His Majesty instructed me to handle the improvement of the welfare and treatment of the palace guards and staff,” the steward calmly explained, barely pausing as if he had instantly thought of an excuse.

 

Chu Wenyu appreciated the steward’s gesture with a glance and nodded with a genuine smile, directing his sincere gaze towards Jiang Ling. Jiang Ling, unable to discern any hidden motives, chose to believe his words.

 

It seemed that Prince Jiang Ling had likely reconciled with His Majesty. No wonder His Majesty was so merciful just now, for the first time. Sensing the shift, the steward wisely withdrew.

 

“Your Majesty is truly a wise king. I also feel that the guards and palace servants are working very hard.” Jiang Ling was a little surprised but also very happy when Chu Wenyu suddenly showed his positive side. Doesn’t this mean that His Majesty has taken action?

 

Unfazed, Chu Wenyu accepted the compliment without a hint of embarrassment, steering the conversation, “Would you like to train mechas with me today? Or perhaps, you have other preferences; I won’t object.”

 

Though Jiang Ling was no longer holding grudges, a few days of smooth sailing wouldn’t hurt.

 

While he did have an interest in mechas, he felt that to fundamentally change the villain’s mindset, Chu Wenyu needed to see beyond political matters and training sessions. 

 

“Not today. His Majesty is very powerful. I can’t improve much in a short time,” Jiang Ling declined.

 

Chu Wenyu, upon hearing this, thought that Jiang Ling often lost to him and felt discouraged from training. He didn’t want to witness such a scenario, so he suggested, “Perhaps my previous methods were wrong. This time, I’ll adjust to a suitable level and spar with you. Progress should be faster that way.”

 

Chu Wenyu subtly hinted at letting Jiang Ling win to uplift his spirits.

 

The main reason is that he doesn’t know what else he can do besides being useful to Jiang Ling in this regard. He thinks of ways to stay with Jiang Ling, but he’s also afraid that the other party will find him boring and think he is too clingy.

 

Unaware of Chu Wenyu’s intentions, Jiang Ling smiled and shook his head, “Your Majesty, there is no need to accommodate me. Let’s do something else.”

 

“Since the weather is so nice, why not try learning ancient Go?” Jiang Ling proposed.

 

Thinking Alpha was trying to distance himself, Chu Wenyu shook his head in frustration, “I’ve mentioned I’m not interested in such things. I’ve tried to change for you. Can’t you stay with me for even a short while?”

 

“What are you saying? I’ll accompany Your Majesty,” Jiang Ling, feeling a bit sorry for Chu Wenyu, replied.

 

Chu Wenyu paused and then nodded, “Well, I can give it a try.”

 

In a nearby pavilion, Jiang Ling set up a Go board, taking advantage of the warm weather. Pushing Chu Wenyu gently towards the pavilion, they began a new activity.

 

Looking at the Go board, Chu Wenyu felt a twinge of curiosity. Since the discovery of his spiritual abilities, he had immersed himself in mecha training day and night, barely exploring any leisure. Back then, revenge and power were the only thoughts in his mind. This was a novel experience for him.

 

While Jiang Ling had only a superficial understanding of Go, given the rarity of enthusiasts, coupled with the game’s complexity, he had learned a bit from tutorials during his leisure time.

 

Chu Wenyu attentively absorbed the basic rules Jiang Ling explained. Despite his strong learning ability, he couldn’t deny that this required a certain innate talent to master.

 

He did start to get interested, a desire to conquer slowly ignited within him. And with this kind of atmosphere, plus having Jiang Ling by his side, everything made him feel so wonderful.

 

Chu Wenyu watched as Jiang Ling’s slender fingers placed the Go piece, so graceful that it stole all his attention. He felt a certain allure in Jiang Ling that he longed for.

 

Chu Wenyu was initially clumsy, his posture awkward and somewhat laughable, yet endearing.

 

At least in Jiang Ling’s eyes, it was quite adorable. He observed Chu Wenyu contemplating, making moves, and being earnestly involved, experiencing an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

 

Lost in the moment, time passed swiftly, and the sky unknowingly darkened.

 

“Go is quite interesting,” Chu Wenyu revealed a light smile.

 

What made him happy was primarily spending the entire afternoon with Jiang Ling.

 

Jiang Ling was also pleased; he had worried initially if Chu Wenyu would enjoy it. But now it seemed they could explore new interests together in the future.

 

“All right, in the future, I will accompany Your Majesty to find other more interesting things,” Jiang Ling promised.

 

His focus was on developing Chu Wenyu’s hobbies, gradually cultivating his character, addressing his extreme personality flaws. However, in Chu Wenyu’s ears, what he heard was Jiang Ling promising to always explore new things together.

 

“Yeah,” Chu Wenyu earnestly nodded, ensuring Jiang Ling wouldn’t find him boring, willing to do anything with him.

 

“You’re not really mad at me now, right?” Chu Wenyu intended to confirm again, especially since the atmosphere was so good, making him feel like there was no tension between them.

 

Jiang Ling thought for a moment and nodded, “As long as Your Majesty doesn’t hide anything from me, then I’m truly not angry anymore.”

 

Chu Wenyu’s face paled a bit, but he knew he absolutely couldn’t confess now, or there wouldn’t be days like today again.

 

“Yeah,” Chu Wenyu sincerely agreed, implying he had no hidden agendas.

 

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