Epilogue 5 – The Top Student and The Bookworm (Part 6/17)
Mu Qing’s boyfriend was naturally Chen Lan.
Even if Mu Tianyuan and Liu Xiuzhi refused to accept it from the bottom of their hearts, they still couldn’t help but feel shocked when they heard Uncle Ning.
Chen Lan?Everything Liang Liang did today was because of that bookworm who didn’t know what was good for him?
Mu Tianyuan and his wife were quite stunned. After all, it was too strange and didn’t conform to reason at all, so they felt that it was beyond absurd.
However, when they gazed at Liang Liang, they didn’t see her deny it, and they couldn’t help but feel surprised and bewildered.
Uncle Ning had a rather good understanding of Liang Liang. So, when he saw her seated there and drinking tea on her own without denying it at all, he was clearly aware that his guess was very close to the truth.
"Looks like that young man’s background really isn’t simple." Uncle Ning seemed to be lost in thought.
"Big Brother Ning, why are you so sure of that?" Mu Tianyuan frowned as he spoke in a low voice. "I asked some of my friends within the Imperial Special Tasks Force to help me investigate that young man’s background and origins, and they didn’t notice anything unusual."
As he spoke, he turned around to a bookcase at the side, withdrew a thick dossier, and then placed it before Uncle Ning.
The dossier had detailed information on Chen Lan’s birthday, family details, results, appearance, and even his character, hobbies, flaws, where he grew up, where he studied, who his teachers were, his fellow classmates…. Everything related to Chen Lan was clearly recorded in detail.
The Special Tasks Force of the empire was a mysterious department that specialized in dealing with private and secret matters for the powerful figures of the empire.
Mu Tianyuan believed that since this dossier about Chen Lan had come from there, then it was definitely not fake!
That was why Mu Tianyuan had resolutely denied Chen Lan and his daughter’s relationship.
As far as he was concerned, Chen Lan was a stubborn young man from the outskirts, and he was the epitome of a bookworm. After all, Chen Lan had no status, no background, and no exceptional skills. So his daughter would definitely suffer for her entire lifetime if she got together with Chen Lan.
If that really were to happen, then the entire Mu Clan would probably instantly be reduced to a huge joke of the upper class society in the empire.
Uncle Ning flipped through the dossier while his gaze frequently glanced at Liang Liang. Obviously, he was quite distracted.
"Stop flipping through that! It’s too damn noisy!" Liang Liang glared at Uncle Ning, grabbed the dossier from him, and then tossed it into the air, causing sheets of paper to flutter down throughout the surroundings.
"I couldn’t be bothered to rush over here during the night reunion dinners are held if that piece of junk was true." Liang Liang seemed to be experiencing a slight headache. She rubbed her forehead with her fingers while her icy cold and beautiful face revealed a race trace of exhaustion.
"It’s fake?" Mu Tianyuan and his wife exclaimed with surprise, and then their expressions changed slightly. After all, they’d obtained it from the Imperial Special Tasks Force, so even the top ranking officials of the military who possessed monstrous authority in the empire or the small group of top-rate officials weren’t able to affect the work of the Special Tasks Forces at all.
Because it was a mysterious department that was directly controlled by the royal family, and it was the one and only Emperor of the empire who was in charge of them!
Yet now, Liang Liang said that the dossier was fake….
That was quite astounding, and it made both Mu Tianyuan and his wife feel extremely horrified. After all, they had extremely keen political understanding after years of dealing with officials, so they’d instantly noticed that something was unusual.
If the dossier was fake, then there were only 2 possibilities.
Either the Imperial Special Tasks Force had given them a fake dossier on purpose, or… even the special tasks force had been deceived when it gathered the information on the dossier!
Regardless of which situation it was, it was absolutely not good news to them.
What did it represent?
It represented that Chen Lan’s identity was absolutely not that simple!
"How could this be…?" Mu Tianyuan seemed as if he’d been driven to distraction, and he sat down on his chair as he muttered.
He’d always been rather shrewd and skillful, and regardless of whether he was facing officials
But at this moment, it was the very first time he felt that he was slightly unable to see through the situation before him.
After all, a young man who could only be described as ‘normal and mediocre’ no matter what had suddenly been covered by a mysterious and horrifying veil. This caused Mu Tianyuan to be utterly unable to digest all of this in a short period of time.
It was even to the extent that he slightly doubted the authenticity of Liang Liang’s words. After all… if it were true, then the implications of it would be extremely severe!
"Liang Liang, what… what’s going on?" Liu Xiuzhi’s heart couldn’t help but hurt when she saw her husband in such a state. Her husband usually commanded great authority and was full of high spirits. Even if he was at the middle of his life, he was still always confident and seemed to have everything under control.
But at this moment, he seemed like he’d been driven to distraction, and it made Liu Xiuzhi realize how mysterious and severe this problem was.
"I can’t tell all of you the specifics. Because even my royal family… can only choose to remain silent before it." Liang Liang stretched her body lazily and sighed lightly.
The royal family can only choose to remain silent!
Mu Tianyuan’s entire body stiffened while his expression changed indeterminately. It simply seemed like he’d been struck by lightning. If he hadn’t been extremely skilled in maintaining his calm, then he would have almost lost control by now.
Liu Xiuzhi exclaimed with shock instead, and then she covered her mouth and was struck dumb on the spot with her eyes wide open.
Uncle Ning smiled bitterly and sighed instead. He finally understood why Liang Liang, the 16th princess, would have rushed over here on such a night….
Since even the royal family on the empire could only choose silence, Zhao Zhicheng was really courting death by offending such a ‘mysterious’ figure.
"Alright, I’ve told you everything I can. You can decide on the rest." Liang Liang stood up. At this moment, she’d recovered her proud and icy cold demeanor that was filled with wild beauty.
"Aren’t… aren’t you going to stay for a while longer?" Liu Xiuzhi gazed at Liang Liang with a practically pleasing gaze. She’d been rendered completely helpless by this string of unexpected events, and she urgently needed a clear answer to stabilize her mental state.
Liang Liang raised her head and gazed at Mu Tianyuan who was staring blankly ahead, and then she glanced at Liu Xiuzhi. She seemed to have thought of something and said, "Chen Lan will return to his hometown to reunite with his family on new year’s eve. I suggest that all of you can secretly follow him and have a look."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and left.
New year’s eve?He’ll be returning to reunite with his family?
Liu Xiuzhi’s eyes lit up. Is she trying to tell us that this is our opportunity if we want to figure out that young man’s background?
Mu Tianyuan had clearly realized that as well, and he couldn’t help but look at Uncle Ning, "Big Brother Ning, do you think Liang Liang was telling the truth?"
Uncle Ning thought for a moment before he said, "It should be true. That little girl, Liang Liang, would disdain to act in such a way. Not to mention that there’s no reason for her to come here herself tonight with the status she possesses."
Mu Tianyuan’s body shook. He finally realized that he’d really made a mistake tonight because merely Liang Liang’s arrival here was sufficient to explain a great deal.
At this moment, he started to faintly believe Chen Lan’s background wasn’t ordinary.
"If it’s really like that, then should we warn the Zhao Family?" Mu Tianyuan took a deep breath and forcefully restrained the horror and anxiety in his heart as he spoke in a low voice.
Uncle Ning sighed, patted Mu Tianyuan on the back, and then said, "Brother Mu, this banquet tonight can’t be said to have any goodwill in the eyes of that young man. One has to pay the price for some mistakes. We frequently do that to others, but the situation now is clearly completely different. So, who do you think should pay the price?"
Uncle Ning laughed bitterly and shook his head as he spoke these words, and then he placed his hands between his back and bid farewell to them.
Only Mu Tianyuan and his wife remained in the room. Both of them were silent as they thought about the things that were weighing down on their minds, causing the atmosphere here to be heavy and deathly silent.
"I’m still unable to fully believe that young man isn’t ordinary." A long time passed before Mu Tianyuan spoke, and a wisp of determination appeared on his face. "Perhaps we really should go take a look ourselves."
Liu Xiuzhi asked, "You… really intend to head to that young man’s hometown to have a look?"
Mu Tianyuan nodded and said, "We must. We have to put everything aside, and we have to figure this thing out even if we skip our new year’s celebration."
Liu Xiuzhi said, "Alright, then I’ll go make preparations."
Mu Tianyuan thought for a moment and said, "Remember that we’ll be following him in secret. Don’t let anyone else find out."
He stood up as he spoke and wore his coat.
"Where are you going so late at night?" Liu Xiuzhi was surprised.
"To pay a visit to some old friends and see if I can confirm what Liang Liang told us." Mu Tianyuan took a deep breath and spoke calmly. "Stay at home and wait. If Qing’qing returns, then we’ll be able to inquire about everything related to Chen Lan from her. This matter isn’t ordinary at all, and it might bring misfortune to our Mu Clan if we don’t handle it well. I don’t want anything like that to happen…."
Mu Tianyuan left hastily once he finished speaking.
Liu Xiuzhi gazed at her husband’s disappearing figure while her heart couldn’t help but feel heavy. How could so many twists and turns have arisen just from my daughter’s relationship?
Could it be that… I was really mistaken?