In the afternoon, after leaving the palace, Qing Muyed drove, and Meng Jingwei sat in the passenger seat, lost in thought.
Qing Muyed said, "He Kaqingtang is truly an old fox. At the Hunting Festival, all officials of the Hidden Clan will be invited. He Kaqingtang inviting He Xiaolanya to attend and bring you along is an excellent opportunity to introduce you to everyone in the Hidden Clan, which will help you in your future bid for the Hidden Lord and lay a foundation."
"Why would He Xiaolanya refuse? There's no reason at all," Qing Muyed sighed, filled with melancholy.
Meng Jingwei also sighed, "So, He Kaqingtang's plan is to lure the tiger into its lair. To have me participate in the hunt and eliminate me during the event. After all, participants in the hunt must sign a life-and-death contract."
She sneered, shook her head, and mused, "He Kaqingtang has a perfect plan. He'll entice He Xiaolanya to have me attend the festival. By then, I'll be known to everyone. How could I then refuse the hunt? If I refuse, I'll lose public support that very day and disgrace the He Xiao clan. If I want to compete for the position of Hidden Lord in the future, I fear He Xiaolanya's supporters will all defect."
It was an unwritten rule of the Hidden Clan that Hidden Clan princes and young lords must participate in the Hunting Festival unless there were special circumstances.
Only the brave could be the overlords of the Hidden Clan and lead them to prosperity.
This was a deep-seated belief in the hearts of the Hidden Clan people.
Since many in the Hidden Clan practiced martial arts, they inherently looked down upon those who were weak and scholarly.
"Not only do you have to participate in the hunting event this time, but you must also win first place," Qing Muyed said worriedly.
The danger had arrived sooner than he had anticipated.
The participants in the hunting grounds were all the elite. How many of those individuals were assassins sent by He Kaqingtang? And how many people could He Xiaolanya arrange to protect Meng Jingwei?
It was a situation with a nine in ten chance of death.
Both fell into silence.
Upon returning to Yishanyuan, as they walked into the hall, they saw He Xiaolanya sitting in the hall.
Meng Jingwei glanced at the coffee table in the living room. On it were five or six tea cups that had not been cleared away. It was obvious that many people had visited before their return.
She glanced at Qing Muyed, who nodded, "Elder Bei, Madam Lanya, I'll go up now."
As a chef and a part-time bodyguard, Qing Muyed still did not have the qualifications to overhear their conversation.
"Mm, go ahead."
Old Chen Tou nodded.
Meng Jingwei walked to the sofa and sat down. Before He Xiaolanya could speak, she said, "We should hire a new chef later. With more things happening, you can't expect him to prepare three meals a day and also ensure my safety."
She truly cared for Qing Muyed, but to avoid suspicion from Old Chen Tou, she had held back her suggestion until now.
"Although Tie Zhuer's cooking is exquisite, it's indeed not ideal for him to be a chef and a bodyguard at the same time."
He Xiaomingjin agreed with Meng Jingwei's statement and then chuckled, "So, from now on, Tie Zhu won't be with you. He'll focus on being a cook. Otherwise, it would be a waste of his culinary skills."
After the previous fight with He Kalingchuan, Old Chen Tou had ordered He Xiaomingjin to stay at home and reflect. He was also worried about retaliation from He Kalingchuan and had arranged for Qing Muyed to protect Meng Jingwei.
During this period, no matter how much He Xiaomingjin pleaded with Old Chen Tou, the latter refused to let her accompany Meng Jingwei again.
After He Xiaomingjin finished speaking, she asked Meng Jingwei, "Sister Weiwei, just agree to me, okay? I've been begging Grandpa lately, but he absolutely refuses to let me protect you, and he says Tie Zhuzi will protect you with his life. Hmph, he just looks down on me."
Meng Jingwei, who was feeling a bit thirsty and was pouring herself some water, froze the moment she heard He Xiaomingjin's words. She instinctively looked up at Old Chen Tou.