Chapter 1020: Under the Skirt

The snow and wind, which had fallen all night, had now stopped. Vendors throughout the city had emerged to set up their stalls, and everyone began a new day of bustling activity. A layer of mist gradually permeated the streets of Cloudcounty City.

Zu An sent a soldier to the inn outside the city to retrieve the horses he had previously left there, while he himself walked to the Yu Manor. Although a lot of the accumulated snow on the ground had melted, it was still clearly not suitable for riding a horse.

He soon arrived at the Yu Manor. Having learned from his previous visit, the guards at the manor entrance did not stop him this time.

After entering, a beautiful maid quickly came to greet him. "Is this Young Master Zu?" she asked. "I was instructed by Madam to welcome you. Madam is currently dressing; please wait a moment."

"No problem, I did arrive a bit early," Zu An replied with a bow. He quickly appraised her: she had a beautiful face, a full figure, and was slightly older than an average maid, exuding an aura of maturity. "Are you Madam Yu's personal maid?" he asked.

"Young Master, there's no need to be so formal; you can just call me Xingnu," the maid said with a slight smile. "I do serve by Madam's side."

"How come I didn't see you last time I visited?" Zu An casually chatted, having nothing else to do. It was always good to gather more information.

"Last time, Madam sent me on an errand, so I didn't see Young Master," Xingnu replied.

"I see." Zu An wasn't so imprudent as to ask what kind of errand it was. He simply pondered to himself that he hadn't seen her outside Brightmoon City, nor in the capital, suggesting her duties were different from those of a typical maid.

As the two walked towards the inner hall, many young maids were hiding nearby, ostensibly doing housework, but constantly stealing glances in their direction:

"Look, look, this is the person Madam is meeting."

"It's been so long since Madam met an outside man, and she's even making exceptions to see him repeatedly."

"He really is handsome. No wonder Madam let him in."

"Bah, what kind of person is Madam? How could she be a lovesick fool like you?"

"You're right. So, do you think Madam will arrange a maid to serve him in bed later?"

"Do you want to go?"

"If it's this young master, it wouldn't be so bad."

Given Zu An's current cultivation level, even though the maids' voices were low, they couldn't escape his ears. Hearing these whispers, he couldn't help but feel bewildered and amused. It seemed the Yu Manor had too much yin dominating yang, to the point where even the maids were feeling amorous.

At this moment, a faint blush appeared on Xingnu's neck, who was leading the way. She then quietly glared at the gossiping maids, scaring them into immediately shutting their mouths and pretending to focus on their work.

Zu An's eyes narrowed slightly. To be able to hear such low voices, this Xingnu's cultivation must be quite high.

After a while, the two arrived at a courtyard. Xingnu stood at the doorway and bowed slightly inside, "Madam, Young Master Zu has arrived."

"Let him in."

Yu Yanluo's unique voice rang out. It was soft, delicate, and pleasant to the ear, inspiring countless thoughts with just its sound.

"Please enter, Young Master. If you need anything, just call out from inside." Xingnu curtsied with her hands at her waist, then slowly retreated.

Zu An pushed the door open and entered. A familiar warmth greeted him.

"Are you feeling warm again?" A soft chuckle sounded, and Zu An looked towards it.

Seeing that she was not lying in bed today, he was initially a little disappointed.

However, his eyes soon lit up. Yu Yanluo was wearing a snow-white jacket with a fiery red fox fur vest draped over her shoulders, paired with a vibrant red skirt. All of it made her appear even more radiant and captivating. Her beautiful hair was meticulously styled into a hanging cloud bun, adorned with a beautiful phoenix hairpin. The tassels on it swayed gently, enough to make any man's heart sway along with them.

After all, Zu An had just spent an entire night with Pei Mianman and was still in a "sage mode" state. After a brief moment of distraction, he looked at her with clear eyes and said, "Greetings, Madam."

Yu Yanluo's eyes showed a hint of surprise. She had even dressed up specifically today. However, she took no offense and said with a smile, "You've come so early, you probably haven't eaten yet, have you? How about we eat together?"

Only then did Zu An notice several small dishes, various local pastries, and two sets of chopsticks and bowls on a small table nearby.

"Thank you, Madam, I am indeed a bit hungry." He didn't stand on ceremony, directly sitting down at the table. His efforts from the previous night had indeed consumed a lot of energy.

Seeing his natural demeanor and unconstrained actions, Yu Yanluo's eyes showed a hint of appreciation. She also slowly sat down opposite him. Reaching out, she smoothed her skirt forward, revealing the breathtaking curve of her hips.

"Young Master, there's no need to be formal," Yu Yanluo said with a slight smile. "These are the most authentic delicacies from Cloudcounty. Since you've come from afar, I'm simply fulfilling my duties as a hostess."

"Oh, I haven't tried these before." Looking at the dazzling array of food before him, Zu An didn't quite know where to start.

Seeing this, Yu Yanluo began to introduce the dishes to him: "This is called Aimanke, delicious when dipped in milk tea and broth. This is Samusa, baked until golden brown with flour and sesame on the outside, and containing the tenderest lamb inside. This is rice sausage... and this is called 'Western Regions Soul-Shattering Slice'."

"'Western Regions Soul-Shattering Slice'?" Zu An was momentarily stunned, looking at the pastry wrapped with various nuts and preserved fruits.

Yu Yanluo pursed her lips: "This wasn't its original name. It's just that despite its exquisite appearance, its actual weight is much heavier than it looks. Many people, even if they only cut a small slice, find the final price far exceeds their expectations. So everyone started calling it 'Western Regions Soul-Shattering Slice,' and over time, its original name was forgotten."

"There's such a thing?" Zu An's expression was strange. He couldn't help but think of something similar from his previous life.

"Although the name is a bit unrefined, it's quite delicious and combines various specialties of Cloudcounty. You should try it," Yu Yanluo said, breaking off a piece and offering it to him. "People in Cloudcounty tend to eat with their hands more often, so please don't mind if my hands aren't clean."

Looking at her translucent, glowing skin and her nails painted a vibrant red with rouge, Zu An thought to himself, *What man in this world would mind your hands being dirty?* Even if your hands were truly dirty, if you just spoke the word, countless men would line up to lick them clean for you. At the very least, Pei You certainly would.

"Madam, you jest." He naturally wouldn't rudely take it with his mouth; instead, he took it with his hand and put it into his mouth, his eyes lighting up. "It really is delicious."

A hint of a smile appeared in Yu Yanluo's eyes. "If it's delicious, eat more. There are also various other delicacies here."

Zu An was truly hungry and didn't bother with appearances. He simply grabbed various delicacies and stuffed them into his mouth, quickly displaying a satisfied expression on his face.

"It truly has a unique flavor," Zu An exhaled slowly. "Madam, why aren't you eating? Are you perhaps disgusted by my rudeness?"

Yu Yanluo had only moved her chopsticks a few times, merely taking small bites to accompany him. Hearing his words, she shook her head: "Of course not. It's just that my appetite hasn't been good lately, and I've always eaten very little."

"Madam, even with a poor appetite, you prepared so much for me," Zu An said after thinking for a moment. "Another day, I'll go back and prepare something; perhaps it can improve your appetite."

"Thank you then." Yu Yanluo smiled faintly. She clearly didn't take it seriously; what could possibly improve her appetite?

"Madam, are you going out today?" Zu An asked, looking at her exquisite and luxurious attire.

"Not really," Yu Yanluo shook her head. "After sleeping for so long, one needs to get up and move around a bit. I was bored in the room, so I put on some makeup. And now that you're here, it wasn't a wasted effort."

Zu An was momentarily stunned; her words seemed to carry a hint of ambiguity. She seemed to have been subtly teasing him from the start. Was she truly using her beauty to make men her loyal followers and then use them for her own purposes? Thinking of this, he felt a slight displeasure. He no longer wished to chat idly, so he got straight to the point: "I've come this time because there's something I wish to ask for your advice on, Madam."

"Young Master, feel free to speak. As long as I know, I will naturally tell you frankly." A gentle smile remained on Yu Yanluo's face.

Zu An hesitated for a moment. Then he asked, "Madam, do you know about Wuyang Jade?"