VFMESR Chapter 44

“Aren’t you going to train with your team today? Aren’t you afraid your team won’t perform well anymore?” Chu Wenyu raised an eyebrow, looking at Jiang Ling, who was still sitting beside him as if nothing happened.

 

Between the brows, there was a sweet yet troubled expression.

 

It seems accompanying Alpha to the concert outside the palace was indeed a wise move; now, this guy seemed even more attached.

 

However, Chu Wenyu was merely happy on the inside. In reality, Jiang Ling sticking to him like glue made things a bit tricky. Many things couldn’t be handled in Jiang Ling’s presence.

 

His steward, discreetly summoned over, had been waiting at the palace gate for quite a while. Normally, at this hour, Jiang Ling wouldn’t stay so quietly by his side for so long.

 

“I don’t feel like it,” Jiang Ling lazily shook his head, completely uninterested. He casually played with Chu Wenyu’s sleeve when idle.

 

He wasn’t lying. It wasn’t just to observe Chu Wenyu’s actions at this point, he had no mood to join some points-earning competition. His own household matters weren’t settled yet, and he was feeling all messed up inside. 

 

Chu Wenyu felt somewhat helpless. Last night, he had secretly ordered the steward to command the cracking of the social software Jiang Ling used. The software belonged to a giant enterprise within the Burkes, not an easy nut to crack. However, just after the royal family informed them, the management personnel promptly sent over top-notch programmers. They could basically find any information; private secrets were a joke in front of the royal family.

 

So, today, he had planned to have the steward and programmers come over to extract Jiang Ling’s account information and check it thoroughly.

 

Yet, watching the young man lean on the table, glancing occasionally at the documents on his desk, then leisurely taking a few steps to change the lukewarm water in the cup to perfectly warm, Chu Wenyu couldn’t bring himself to shoo him away.

 

It dragged on until noon, and when Chu Wenyu noticed Alpha yawning, he decisively patted Jiang Ling’s shoulder and softly suggested, “Feeling tired? How about taking a break? I have some urgent matters to discuss with the steward today.”

 

Jiang Ling blinked his somewhat weary eyelids, snapping back to attention.

 

“Alright, my presence here does seem inappropriate.” Jiang Ling showed no signs of drowsiness, offering a small, amused smile.

 

Is Chu Wenyu really going to discuss state affairs with the steward? Jiang Ling had some doubts.

 

Worried that his words might be misunderstood, Chu Wenyu hesitated before explaining, “It’s not about avoiding suspicion due to your status; it’s just that it’s dull and uninteresting.”

 

Jiang Ling shrugged, indicating it was fine. In fact, he had been waiting for this moment.

 

Perhaps, not long from now, he would find out if everything he thought was being manipulated by Chu Wenyu was true.

 

“I’ll go rest then,” he said, rising from his seat and leaving the study with long strides.

 

The palace was vast, almost the size of a modern football field, and the distance between their bedrooms and the study was considerable. Combined with impeccable soundproofing, even standing just outside the study, Jiang Ling couldn’t hear a thing.

 

However, there was a small, easily concealable device implanted near Chu Wenyu when he stood up.

 

It was Chu Wenyu’s idea. If Jiang Ling hadn’t known that the other had secretly installed surveillance in his room, he would have never thought of placing such a thing in his living space.

 

The interstellar era was more advanced than the modern age; at least, these inconspicuous gadgets were hard to detect.

 

However, ordinary people wouldn’t usually need them.

 

Perhaps Chu Wenyu didn’t anticipate this.

 

Closing the study door, Jiang Ling didn’t feel any relief, even a bit lost. His actions now clearly indicated a lack of trust in Chu Wenyu. The probing seemed unnecessary; he might be setting himself up for disappointment, realizing that his assumptions were wrong.

 

Back in his room, he put on headphones and waited quietly for the sound of approaching footsteps.

 

“Your Majesty, I’ve brought the person over.” The steward closed the study door and respectfully pointed to a man before Chu Wenyu.

 

“Let’s begin. I want all his chat records from the last six months,” Chu Wenyu nodded.

 

When Jiang Ling’s specific information played in his earphones, there was no surprise on his face. For a villain, these were basic maneuvers. He just wanted to pry into privacy, not take his life.

 

“Turn your head away,” Chu Wenyu commanded the two men. 

 

Naturally, these things were for his eyes only.

 

After an unspecified amount of time, Chu Wenyu calmly spoke, “Is this everything? Could there be any omissions?”

 

He meticulously went through each scene. Alpha didn’t fancy using this app much, and the chat content was meager. Apart from some contacts who might be members of that so-called therapist group he didn’t recognize, there wasn’t anything noteworthy.

 

Of course, he focused on the chat records between Anna and Jiang Ling. It aligned with what Jiang Ling had said, nothing peculiar. Still, encountering some intimate terms from Anna, he wasn’t entirely pleased.

 

“Your Majesty, this is all there is. Unless the user deleted the chat records themselves, it’s impossible for there to be omissions, except requiring additional time to trace and recover if needed,” the steward reported.

 

Jiang Ling tightened his fingers for a moment, but then released them, self-mockingly smiling. What did he have to worry about? If Chu Wenyu knew, then he knew.

 

Thinking about it, it was like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse. His intention to delete crucial content was out of concern that Chu Wenyu might check his phone when he wasn’t paying attention. It seemed he was too low-level.

 

“No need, he wouldn’t have a reason to do that,” Chu Wenyu shook his head. Mainly because such an operation would take more time, and if Alpha woke up and found something amiss, it wouldn’t be good. Moreover, he knew Jiang Ling’s character well; he wouldn’t hide anything.

 

Considering something, Chu Wenyu gestured to dismiss the programmers. Only the steward remained in the study with him.

 

“By the way, is that person still alive?” Chu Wenyu casually clicked into Jiang Ling’s friend list, opening individual profiles one by one as he asked.

 

The steward didn’t immediately catch on to whom he was referring, hesitating for a moment.

 

“The one who impersonated him last time,” Chu Wenyu furrowed his brow. In one night, he had forgotten the guy’s name again. If Jiang Ling hadn’t brought it up, he would have probably dismissed it from his mind. Besides, there was no need for him to remember such matters constantly.

 

“Your Majesty is referring to Zheng Ziang?” The steward suddenly understood.

 

“The slave obeys Your Majesty’s orders. After enduring punishment daily and being attended to by physicians afterward, he is barely clinging to life,” the steward replied with utmost precision.

 

“When does Your Majesty plan to release him?” The steward curiously inquired.

 

The fact that he was still alive indicated that the man still had a chance of survival in front of the king. He probably hadn’t fallen completely out of favor. However, the steward had no inkling of the subtle change in Chu Wenyu’s temperament.

 

“What’s the matter? Did his family offer you some benefits?” Chu Wenyu raised an eyebrow coldly.

 

The steward immediately shook his head, which was indeed the case. The young man’s mother was from a wealthy merchant family, uninvolved in the scandal. She tried to find him and inquired about the situation. Of course, he did not dare to say anything and only revealed the news that Zheng Ziang was still alive.

 

After all, he also has a family that needs to survive.

 

“Don’t harbor any ideas about getting him released. He’s strictly forbidden from leaving the palace. Some matters need to rot in his stomach,” Chu Wenyu remarked, thinking about Anna finding a way to contact Jiang Ling without his knowledge. He couldn’t allow a repeat of such incidents.

 

“Keep your mouth shut too. Don’t let Prince Jiang Ling discover that I’ve used Zheng Ziang. And don’t let a little bribery lead you to defy me and make his life easier,” Chu Wenyu warned nonchalantly. Some things he found troublesome if he opened his eyes, so he closed them.

 

The steward hadn’t quite figured out the source of this sudden hatred toward Zheng Ziang from the king, only knowing that it was related to Prince Jiang Ling.

 

“Yes, Zheng Ziang has committed the crime of deceiving the monarch, and I am determined not to treat him kindly,” the steward replied to the latter part.

 

With no one else present, Chu Wenyu relaxed his guard and chuckled, “He thinks he can deceive me with that? Quite amusing.”

 

Despite the steward being much older than the king, his scheming and city-raised nature were no match for even one finger of the king. At the moment, he was particularly puzzled. However, he never dared to pry into the affairs of the king.

 

“Let the programmers leave the palace, leaving no trace behind,” Chu Wenyu closed the interface, satisfied that there were no significant issues, and then closed his eyes to rest.

 

News spread fastest among palace servants, and Chu Wenyu detested those who gossiped the most.

 

Soon after, Jiang Ling heard the faint sound of the door closing through his earphones, followed by another silence.

 

He remained silent for a long time.

 

Jiang Ling didn’t expect to hear more conversations afterward. Perhaps Chu Wenyu himself didn’t anticipate revealing these things from his own mouth.

 

However, Jiang Ling didn’t quite understand the hidden secrets in the conversation. The only thing he confirmed was that what he initially thought about Chu Wenyu being influenced by Zheng Ziang wasn’t as simple as he believed.

 

Jiang Ling didn’t have the energy to dwell on it further; he felt mentally and physically exhausted.

 

He removed the earphones, and his head felt like it was about to explode.

 

He indeed hadn’t misunderstood Chu Wenyu. The other showed no change at all, and Jiang Ling confirmed that he couldn’t outsmart Chu Wenyu.

 

After the steward left, Chu Wenyu didn’t plan to stay alone in the study. He crossed the long corridor and arrived at the bedroom door, knowing that he would see someone once he opened it. The satisfaction in his heart was unparalleled.

 

So, he pushed open the door. Jiang Ling was indeed lying on the bed, but not with closed eyes as he had imagined. Chu Wenyu felt a moment of disappointment. He thought he could succeed in gazing at Jiang Ling’s sleeping face, perhaps wake him up with a few kisses.

 

“Things have been taken care of. Now I can be with you again,” Chu Wenyu raised an eyebrow.

 

Jiang Ling nodded lightly, not particularly eager to talk to him, feeling as if all his strength had been drained.

 

He was contemplating a question: should he directly confront Chu Wenyu about everything he had just heard? Perhaps, the other would come up with some incredibly clever reasons and excuses, but Jiang Ling wasn’t in the mood for explanations.

 

Chu Wenyu wasn’t entirely at fault; he had merely played the role that seemed appropriate for his persona, and as an Alpha, willingly submitting to him was already a great show of love and accommodation.

 

But Jiang Ling didn’t want that accommodation anymore. He didn’t want to keep guessing if Chu Wenyu had used some tactics today and didn’t want to feel sad because the affection he received might just be for a pet rather than him.

 

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