The next evening at 8 p.m.
An Nuan, Qin Jiang, and Hu Feng set off together from Qing City in an unfamiliar Beijing-plated sedan.
As always, Hu Feng was driving.
Qin Jiang sat in the passenger seat, while An Nuan sat in the backseat.
"Once we reach the capital, we'll check into the Wenhao Elite Club, which is one of my family's properties. So we won't need any identification to avoid exposing our identities," Qin Jiang arranged. "I'm also having someone get Jun Mingche's schedule so we can try to meet with him once we arrive."
"Alright," An Nuan nodded.
Qin Jiang was quite thoughtful in many matters.
Despite appearing rough, he was actually quite attentive.
If he wasn't so attentive, he probably wouldn't have realized so quickly that Ye Jinghuai's mention of a birthday was a hint about their phones.
An Nuan pondered this calmly as she gazed out the window at the expressway to the capital and the dark night sky, lost in thought.
Her mind still wandered to Ye Jinghuai's emaciated appearance in prison, just skin and bones.
An Nuan bit her lip.
No matter what, she would rescue Ye Jinghuai safely.
No matter what, she would make sure Gu Yan Sheng died a gruesome death!
The car was quiet.
Qin Jiang leaned back in the passenger seat, seemingly not asleep.
An Nuan continued staring out the window.
Thanks to Qin Jiang's prior arrangements and precautions, the journey proceeded smoothly.
By 9 a.m. the next day, they had successfully arrived at the Wenhao Hotel in the capital and entered a luxurious suite through a private entrance.
"Sleep first or eat something?" Qin Jiang asked.
After a night in the car, they were all exhausted.
"Let's sleep first and eat later," An Nuan was equally fatigued.
Qin Jiang didn't argue.
The three of them quickly entered a room and fell asleep.
When An Nuan woke up, it was already 3 p.m.
She was truly famished.
As she left the room, she saw that Qin Jiang and Hu Feng were already awake.
Men did have better stamina than women.
Each time they were utterly drained, they seemed to recover faster than her.
"We've eaten already. I'll have someone bring food to your room," Qin Jiang told An Nuan when he saw her.
"Thank you."
Soon after, a server delivered a meal, and An Nuan ate heartily alone.
After finishing, she sat on the suite's sofa.
Qin Jiang directly handed her a file, "This contains Jun Mingche's preferences and daily schedule. Look it over and let me know when would be a good time for us to approach him."
An Nuan accepted the file.
She studied it carefully.
Jun Mingche, 31, unmarried but with a girlfriend.
His girlfriend Wendy was a diplomat, and they had been together since college. They were at the stage of discussing marriage and were likely to wed next year based on the information.
An Nuan read on quietly.
Besides mainly handling the Jun Family's affairs, Jun Mingche also worked at the Ministry of Politics in the capital, primarily overseeing the Prosecutor's Office. So it made sense for him to intervene in Ye Jinghuai's case.
An Nuan thought as she read.
After a while, Qin Jiang could no longer restrain himself. "When are we going to meet with Jun Mingche?"
"The day after tomorrow," An Nuan stated plainly. "It'll be Wendy's birthday."
"Will the couple have time for us on her birthday?"
"They'll be even less available at other times," An Nuan was certain. "Find out if Jun Mingche usually throws Wendy a birthday party and also takes her out for a candlelit dinner. Once we confirm, we'll figure out how to meet them naturally!"
"Got it," Qin Jiang didn't argue further.
He knew following An Nuan's lead was the right approach.
Qin Jiang stepped aside to make arrangements over the phone.
An Nuan continued studying Jun Mingche's personal information.
The more she read, the more she realized the Jun Family was no ordinary family.
Although the Jun Family kept a low profile, Jun Mingche's personal capabilities were far superior to any of the Emperial Family's offspring. With that being the case, there was no way the Jun Family would allow the Emperial Family to monopolize most of North Wen Country's territory. The only logical explanation was that the Jun Family was biding their time to catch the Emperial Family off guard!
If that were true, then their collaboration with the Jun Family this time would be a perfect match.
"I've found out," Qin Jiang returned to An Nuan's side.
An Nuan snapped out of her thoughts.
"The Jun Family has always kept a low profile, which is completely different from the Emperial Family's approach. So Jun Mingche doesn't make a fuss about anything, including celebrating Wendy's birthday each year with just a private dinner at the same place," Qin Jiang explained. "The Wenhao."
An Nuan's brows furrowed slightly.
"Exactly, this place," Qin Jiang couldn't help but laugh. "There's no such thing as a dead end!"
An Nuan smiled as well.
She suddenly realized how valuable good luck could be.
"So what's the plan now?"
"What else but to wait?"
Wait for Jun Mingche to come to them.
So the next day, An Nuan and Qin Jiang donned Wenhao server uniforms and appeared in the private high-end restaurant Jun Mingche had booked.
True to his low-key nature, even when reserving the entire venue, Jun Mingche chose the option with the least impact - a small restaurant that only accommodated a maximum of 5 tables per day. By booking the whole place for the evening, he caused minimal disruption.
The Jun Family clearly valued their reputation more than the Emperial Family.
At 7 p.m., Jun Mingche arrived with Wendy for dinner.
From a distance, An Nuan observed the man. He was tall with a scholarly appearance in his glasses, giving off an elegant and gentlemanly air.
Up close, his features were similar to the occasional media images, though the real person seemed warmer, likely due to being around his girlfriend. The media often portrayed him as overly cold and harsh.
An Nuan didn't dare stare too much.
She just stood there obediently with her head bowed.
Qin Jiang stood beside her, along with several other staff members.
Jun Mingche politely pulled out Wendy's chair for her and returned to his own seat before telling a nearby server, "You may all leave except for one."
Qin Jiang glanced at An Nuan.
An Nuan nodded slightly.
Since they knew Jun Mingche's preferences, they had already agreed An Nuan would stay.
Of course, An Nuan had also spent the past two days intensively studying how to be a server, much to Qin Jiang's dismay at times.
After all, for Ye Jinghuai's beloved woman to now be serving others was likely heartbreaking for him.
Qin Jiang pondered this as he waited by the entrance.
However, his greatest concern was whether An Nuan could truly persuade Jun Mingche.
