Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots-Chapter 1429 - 248, Believe (45)

Hearing Xu Muqing’s words, several people almost blurted out, "Wasn’t it Yan Xiangkai who instigated it?"

Even Lin Yuan furrowed her brows in confusion. She had later inquired about those people’s affairs, so she was relatively clear about the situation. If these people had pointed the finger at Yan Xiangkai from the start, she might have found it odd. However, according to Sir Jingzhao, these people had only identified him under the agony of torture. Thus, she had come to believe it.

Looking at Yan Ruchun’s visibly exhausted and thinner face, Lin Yuan also began to wonder, could it really not be Yan Xiangkai? Was someone deliberately framing him?

At that moment, Yan Ruchun spoke up, "Magistrate Pingxi, I..."

"Miss Yan, just call me Lin Yuan. This title of Magistrate Pingxi makes me uncomfortable. Besides, there’s no one else around, so there’s no need to be so formal."

Hearing Lin Yuan’s words, Yan Ruchun paused slightly. Could it be that Lin Yuan considered her a friend?

"Well, Miss Lin, this matter truly wasn’t my father’s doing. I admit, your Dong Tian has indeed caused our Drunken Immortal Tower to lose much business, and Father was very distressed. But he’s not the kind of person to resort to underhanded tactics. If he were to truly compete, he would do so fairly in other aspects with your Dong Tian."

Pausing, Yan Ruchun glanced at Xu Muqing and continued, "I have already asked Young Master Wei of the Ministry of Appointments to help investigate this matter. Although he has only uncovered some superficial information, it’s sufficient to prove my father’s innocence. Miss Lin, if possible, I hope you can spare my father. He’s old and can’t withstand so much turmoil."

Remembering how her father had aged overnight, Yan Ruchun’s heart couldn’t bear it.

Lin Yuan slightly lowered her gaze. Compared to Yao Hanai, Yan Ruchun was not a scheming woman. Together with Xu Muqing and Young Master Wei, Lin Yuan was starting to have doubts as well.

"Miss Yan, to tell you the truth, at first, I did indeed suspect your father. After all, in this matter, if our Dong Tian were truly to collapse, then your Drunken Immortal Tower would be the biggest beneficiary. However..."

Lin Yuan looked towards Xu Muqing, who had even stopped eating grapes, and smiled slightly, "However, I trust Mu Qing and also the Brother Rong she spoke of. Since they were the ones who uncovered this matter, I believe that Old Master Yan is unrelated to it."

Yan Ruchun was stunned and looked up at Lin Yuan earnestly. To be fair, there wasn’t much rapport between her and Lin Yuan, and she had been extremely hesitant about coming to Lin Yuan to discuss this matter. But she was a decisive and straightforward person. Once she had set her mind on doing something, she would do it wholeheartedly, regardless of the circumstances.

Even if the occasion wasn’t right, she had come to find Lin Yuan with determination. She had even prepared herself to be mocked and ridiculed by Lin Yuan. Yet unexpectedly, after just a few words, Lin Yuan actually believed her.

"Do you really believe me? Aren’t you afraid I’m here to deceive you? And Fatty Xu, don’t be fooled by how much flesh she has on her; her wits are as scant as nothing at all."

"Hey, rude mouth! Don’t think I didn’t understand that you were insulting me! Humph, and I even asked Brother Rong to help you find the truth, and here you are, calling me simple-minded!" Xu Muqing actually managed to catch the meaning behind Yan Ruchun’s words for once and, feeling angry, stuffed several grapes into her mouth and turned her face away, ignoring her.

Everyone was amused by Xu Muqing’s silly demeanor, and the atmosphere in the pavilion relaxed considerably, with a rare smile appearing on Yan Ruchun’s weary face.

Lin Yuan shook her head in amusement, "Miss Yan didn’t mean that. She meant you’re not cunning, you’re kind-hearted, and we all like you just the way you are."

Lin Wei and Tian Xuan also teased, "Your Brother Rong likes you just the way you are."

Sure enough, upon hearing this sentence, Xu Muqing’s chubby face immediately broke into a proud smile, it seemed that everyone had already figured out her weak spot.

But all jesting aside, when it came to the matter of Yan Xiangkai, Lin Yuan was still powerless.

"Miss Yan, if just a word from me could make a difference, I would definitely go to the Yamen and explain it to Sir Jingzhao right away. However, you’ve been in the Capital city longer than me, and you should understand Sir Jingzhao better than I do. He’ll never give up on a case until he’s dug to the root of the matter. So even if I don’t pursue this, there’s nothing I can do about the Yamen’s side of things."

What Lin Yuan said was also clear to Yan Ruchun, which is why she asked Wei Boyu to help her find out who was behind the scenes.

"I understand. I came to you today because I wanted to clarify things and hope you won’t misunderstand us." As to why she hoped Lin Yuan wouldn’t misunderstand them, even Yan Ruchun couldn’t quite explain.

Lin Yuan smiled. The two of them did not discuss the matter further. Yan Ruchun was a smart person, and since she knew to ask someone to investigate, she should realize that only by bringing the person behind the scenes to light would they be able to restore Drunken Immortal Tower’s reputation. Otherwise, really, no matter what they said, it was useless.

"Eh? That’s odd, how come I haven’t seen Miss Su today? Could she not be attending today’s banquet?" Lin Wei suddenly looked around curiously, muttering in some confusion.

Seeing Lin Wei and Xiao He eagerly anticipating the drama, Lin Yuan was somewhat speechless. Although no one said anything, she could tell that these girls had come today aiming at Su Qiuyu, thinking about watching her pay respects to herself!

Tian Hui smiled and said, "Miss Su’s aunt is the current Empress, and after she enters the palace, she will go directly to the Empress’s palace to speak with the Empress for a while. She will come over with the Empress when the banquet starts. Weiwei, if you want to see her, you can once the banquet begins."

So that was the case.

Lin Wei said "oh" softly and discretely stuck her tongue out at Xiao He. They didn’t actually want to see Su Qiuyu at all. But for Su Qiuyu to be able to go to the Empress’s palace and not have to wait out here, she truly had luck on her side.

"Fatty Xu, can’t you eat a little less? You’re eating up everything on this table!"

Having resolved her past troubles, Yan Ruchun reverted to her usual demeanor, and she really couldn’t stand the sight of Xu Muqing gobbling down food with such gusto.

Yan Ruchun didn’t mention it, and none of them had noticed. The plates on the table were still brimming just a moment ago, but now, they were nearly empty. Looking at Xu Muqing’s space, it was now filled with a pile of grape peels and apple cores.

How much had she eaten!

Lin Yuan blinked, suddenly recalling the day after the banquet held by Yao Hanai, when this girl invited her to catch and grill fish on the mountain. Fortunately, she had been busy and didn’t have time to go. Otherwise, with Xu Muqing’s appetite, she might have been worked to death and it still wouldn’t have been enough for this young lady’s consumption.