Xiao Jinxing’s fingers, hidden under his restraint, seed to tremble slightly.
His expression remained unchanged as he listened to Xiao Wu continue.
"Then just now, I specifically went to see the innkeeper, saying that I had important matters to discuss with their boss. The innkeeper outright refused, saying their boss never ets anyone, not even the current Emperor. If there is anything, we can talk to their Second Master. The Second Master will directly respond if he can make a decision; if not, he will report to our boss and then reply to you," Xiao Wu added in his report.
"Good, arrange a eting with their Second Master," Xiao Jinxing agreed imdiately.
"Yes," Xiao Wu hurriedly accepted the command and left.
It wasn’t long before.
Xiao Wu ca back, saying, "The housekeeper said that to et their Second Master, they need to report to him first before arranging the eting. He also said that the reason for the eting must be stated clearly, and if it is not necessary, as the Second Master is very busy managing so many of An’s shops, he cannot spare the ti just for us. I even thought about offering more money, but the housekeeper, it seems, is simply not interested."
"How much?"
"A ingot of silver," Xiao Wu replied.
"Go and offer more," Xiao Jinxing instructed.
"Yes."
After Xiao Wu left, it wasn’t long before he returned again.
This ti he returned, his expression was not good, and he reported, "The housekeeper said they cannot accept bribes. If the boss finds out, he cannot keep his job, asking not to make things difficult for him. No matter how much silver, he dares not accept."
"..." Xiao Jinxing’s expression darkened slightly.
Is eting a businessman this difficult?!
"How about, my lord, you reveal your identity? Once you do, they must et you," Xiao Wu suggested.
"No," Xiao Jinxing refused outright.
One reason is he does not want to cause chaos.
Second is...
Xiao Jinxing pursed his lips tightly.
He was afraid, if it really was her, she might not want to see him.
"I have a way," Xiao Jinxing suddenly spoke.
"What way?" Xiao Wu was curious.
Just knowing the Emperor, cunning and astute—no, no, no, wise and intelligent.
...
Qingfeng Building.
After saying goodbye to An Luming and An Youyou, An Ning imdiately headed here.
For her.
This place was the safest.
Yan Jinyao reported, "Boss, I’m reporting the information we gathered. The guest you asked us to investigate did indeed stay at Guilai Inn, then went to Lingxiao Building for a al. There, he inquired about the cooking thod of shredded potatoes from the chef, and the chef responded with the ancestral secret recipe we discussed earlier. However, the guest seed skeptical, he had soone check the chef’s family background, even had the chef’s parents make shredded potatoes too."
An Ning gritted her teeth.
She knew, Xiao Jinxing must have noticed.
Really has a nose sharper than anyone’s.
"Just received word that the guest asked Guilai Inn’s housekeeper to notify you that he wants to et. The housekeeper directly refused, and now he has asked the housekeeper to et , and I had the housekeeper make excuses," Yan Jinyao said, "That’s all we have found out so far."
"Keep an eye on them, and inform if they go out or anything. Also, have you arranged everything else I asked you to arrange?"
"Don’t worry, boss, everything you entrusted with has been done," Yan Jinyao nodded.
"After the young master and young miss arrive safely, let know."
"Yes."
"Go attend to your duties," An Ning said, then added a reminder, "Be careful."
"Yes."
Yan Jinyao left.
An Ning watched Yan Jinyao’s departing figure.
Yan Jinyao used to be the top courtesan of the brothel here. After An Ning bought the brothel, she chatted with her for a bit. Just the ntion of ’top courtesan’ brought Xie Ruotong to mind, also adding a sense of kinship. After talking, realizing her aptitude was good, articulate and adaptable, sharp in observing others’ expressions, and importantly, intelligent, An Ning redeed her and kept her by her side as her most capable assistant.
She could completely trust her with the tasks assigned to her.
Her eyes slightly shifted.
Now, she needed to think about how to successfully deceive Xiao Jinxing.
Five years had passed.
Her hard-earned peaceful and carefree days must not be shattered again by this despicable man.
...
Nightti.
The housekeeper from Guilai Inn hurriedly ca looking for Yan Jinyao.
He said that a guest had gotten a stomach upset, suspecting that there was sothing wrong with the inn’s food, and was making a fuss about eting her; otherwise, he would take the matter directly to the authorities.
Yan Jinyao’s eyes tightened.
She naturally could not go directly.
She followed the housekeeper out.
Just as she was about to look for An Ning, her heart suddenly trembled.
She suddenly rembered what the owner had specifically instructed.
He had said that if anyone ca looking for her, to follow them directly and not to report back.
Yan Jinyao now also realized that the owner had anticipated in advance that having the housekeeper co find her might an the housekeeper was being followed, aning, if she rashly went to Qingfeng Building now, she’d expose the owner’s location.
She made up her mind.
She took the housekeeper directly to Guilai Inn and had the housekeeper call the doctor from An’s dical Hall as well.
The figures clad in black following them were, of course, right behind them.
Yan Jinyao entered Guilai Inn.
She hurriedly went to the guest’s room.
Little Wu held his stomach, in so much pain on the bed that his face was contorted.
Xiao Jinxing looked at the person who ca, sizing up the woman in front of him.
From the figure, she was identical to the one he glimpsed yesterday.
Also dressed in blue-violet attire, gracefully poised.
"Guest, I am Yan Jinyao, the Second Master of An’s dical Hall." Yan Jinyao introduced herself and said with a friendly face, "The housekeeper ntioned that you wanted to see ?"
"He ate your chicken legs tonight, and then he started having stomach troubles. We suspect there’s sothing unclean in your food," Xiao Jinxing stated bluntly.
"Impossible, our food is strictly sourced and supervised by personnel. If the guest is not reassured, you may inspect our kitchen," Yan Jinyao replied calmly and composed, "Before that, I have asked the doctor to diagnose your condition first."
Xiao Jinxing nodded slightly.
Yan Jinyao promptly asked the doctor to treat Little Wu.
Little Wu was, of course, pretending.
This was a strategy devised by the Emperor, asserting that with An’s prominent reputation, certainly they cared deeply about their reputation, hence the sabotage.
Little Wu truly admired the Emperor’s wisdom.
He had humbly insisted he wanted to see their Second Master, his mouth dry from talking.
And the Emperor hit the nail on the head with just one guess.
After a while.
The doctor retracted his hand.
"How is it?" asked Yan Jinyao.
"No serious issues, and it’s not gastrointestinal discomfort causing the abdominal pain," the doctor bluntly stated.
"Then why am I in so much pain?" Little Wu continued with his act.
The doctor glanced at Little Wu, then respectfully said to Yan Jinyao, "Second Master, I just examined the guest’s abdon, and with decades of my dical experience, it is highly likely that the guest’s abdominal pain is feigned."
"..." Little Wu’s face turned red.
He was acting so convincingly, how could they tell?!
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