Chapter 1591: Stealing Chickens and Losing the Rice

Zu'an also hadn't expected Chu Chuyan to appear here. He was immediately filled with both joy and worry. The joy was from their reunion, but the worry stemmed from reuniting with her while the other woman was present.

At this moment, the King of Yan had spotted everyone and said with a smile, "You've arrived just in time. Please, come and sit."

Zu'an offered a slight smile and walked directly towards the two women.

A hint of a smile appeared in Chu Chuyan's cool eyes, while Yan Xuehen was quite flustered. She transmitted her voice telepathically: "Don't come over! If you dare to expose our relationship in front of everyone, I... I..." For a moment, she didn't even know how to threaten him.

Zu'an's lips curved slightly into a smile. "What are you going to do about it?"

Yan Xuehen was a little exasperated. "This brat is getting more and more outrageous! I'll never forgive you!"

"To be remembered by you for a lifetime doesn't sound bad," Zu'an said, watching her appear flustered but unable to react, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

As the two exchanged telepathic messages from a distance, Xie Daoyun and other acquaintances only saw it as Zu'an and Chu Chuyan exchanging glances, completely unaware that he was actually teasing the renowned Abbot Yan.

Ultimately, Zu'an decided against sitting at their table. Instead, he went directly to the table next to the two women, where there were already bowls, chopsticks, and utensils, clearly indicating someone was already seated there.

As if he hadn't noticed, Zu'an directly instructed a nearby maid, "Please bring me a fresh set of bowls and chopsticks."

The maid looked troubled and glanced at Zhao Huang, the Crown Prince of Yan, who was nearby. Clearly, the seat was originally his.

Zhao Huang's expression also soured, but he couldn't speak directly. He could only subtly remind Zu'an, "Abbot Yan of White Jade Capital doesn't like meeting strangers. She probably isn't accustomed to unfamiliar people sitting beside her."

Zu'an casually replied, "It's fine, I'll just ask her directly." With that, he turned to Yan Xuehen and asked, "Abbot Yan, do you mind if I sit here?"

Yan Xuehen's teeth itched; she wished he would just roll as far away as possible. However, she also realized that the King of Yan's residence seemed to be deliberately trying to embarrass Zu'an. How could she bear to kick him when he was down? So, she said with a stern face, "This humble one is not so petty."

Zu'an had an "I knew it" expression on his face, then turned to Zhao Huang and said, "See, Crown Prince? Abbot Yan doesn't mind."

Zhao Huang was speechless. He felt a surge of frustration. He had long heard of Yan Xuehen's ethereal reputation, and this time she even had a disciple as beautiful as a celestial fairy. He had gone to great lengths to arrange this opportunity to sit beside them. Even if he couldn't get close, just being near them and catching a whiff of their subtle fragrance would have been a delightful experience. Yet, he had just gone out to greet someone, intending to show a gentlemanly side to the two women, only to return and find his seat gone. Even more infuriating was that once the words were out, he couldn't easily backtrack.

Rage points from Zhao Huang: +678, +678, +678...

Just as he was about to sit down nearby, Zu'an waved to Xie Daoyun and said, "Miss Xie, please come sit over here." In front of so many people, it wouldn't be appropriate to use her nickname; that was a young woman's private matter.

Xie Daoyun's heart sank. In front of Chu Chuyan, he had become distant with her.

Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan simultaneously cast sharp gazes at Xie Daoyun. In this setting, Zu'an was afraid of neglecting her, which suggested their relationship was perhaps unusual. However, Yan Xuehen quickly realized, "What does this have to do with me?" She hastily turned her head away, resuming her previous calm and detached demeanor. Chu Chuyan, who knew Xie Daoyun, looked thoughtful for a moment.

In that instant, Zu'an felt several waves of killing intent and secretly groaned. They say one monk carries water, two monks carry water together, but three monks get no water. He seemed to be in such an awkward situation right now.

Watching Xie Daoyun sit down, and his own seat somehow displaced, Zhao Huang's face twitched uncontrollably; he nearly lost his temper on the spot.

Rage points from Zhao Huang: +699, +699, +699...

Fortunately, the King of Yan spoke up then: "Huang'er, arrange seats for Lord Zhang and the others."

Zhao Huang took a deep breath, composed himself, and proceeded to arrange seats for Zhang Jie and the others one by one. He then simply found a seat at the very end, hoping to display his extraordinary composure before Yan Xuehen and her disciple. But he was still quite annoyed.

Rage points from Zhao Huang: +55, +55, +55...

Officials from Yi Commandery, like Zhang Jie, observed coolly, realizing they had underestimated Zu'an. He had merely been suppressing his true nature before; he was indeed a bit maliciously clever. But this only made things more interesting.

Sun Xun frowned. Had this fellow been deliberately feigning weakness earlier? However, with the King and other important figures present, it wasn't his place to speak.

The King of Yan's laughter echoed: "Lord Zu is truly a young hero; his courage is admirable." Though he was laughing, there was a chilling undertone in his voice.

Zu'an remained unfazed. "The King of Yan flatters me." In truth, Sun Xun's aggression towards him on the road initially seemed like misplaced grief over his son's death. But later, Zu'an understood: he represented the imperial court this time. Without the King of Yan's instruction, Sun Xun wouldn't have dared to be so audacious. It must have been the investigation and crackdown on the Flying Horse Chamber of Commerce in Yunzhong Commandery, which ruined the King of Yan's plans to extend his influence there. So, he had already held a grudge against Zu'an.

The King of Yan frowned slightly. This young man seemed much more troublesome than expected. Just then, a woman's voice rang out: "A young hero? Exceptional courage? Has the King of Yan not overstated it this time?"

At her words, the entire hall fell silent. Because she was clearly looking for trouble with Zu'an, and she hadn't even given face to the King of Yan. Who could be so brazen?

Zu'an was also surprised. He looked up at the young woman sitting at another table opposite him. She was indeed delicate and beautiful, but there was an overbearing arrogance on her face that made people subconsciously uncomfortable. Overall, of course, she was definitely a beauty. Her purple and white attire was particularly unique, and with the special design on its edges, she looked like a beautiful butterfly. In any other setting, she would undoubtedly have been the star attraction, but with Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan present, she seemed somewhat eclipsed.

At this moment, Yan Xuehen, Chu Chuyan, and even Xie Daoyun all cast suspicious glances at Zu'an, wondering if this was a woman he had abandoned, whose love had turned to hate. After all, everyone was well aware of his flirtatious nature.

Zu'an was also questioning life at this point. He clearly didn't know her, so why did her gaze toward him seem so full of hatred?

"Xiao Die, Uncle doesn't quite understand what you mean?" the King of Yan asked, feigning confusion without any hint of anger, clearly intending to see Zu'an embarrassed.

"Uncle?" Zu'an's heart skipped a beat. Could it be...

At this moment, Zhang Zijiang's telepathic voice transmission reached his ear: "Lord Zu, she is Princess Caidie of the Qi King's residence. I heard she was sent to an immortal mountain to study many years ago. I didn't expect that sect to be the Lihantian." Having served in the imperial palace for a long time, he was much more familiar with members of the royal family than others. He had finally recognized the woman's identity and quickly informed Zu'an.

"The Qi King's daughter?" Zu'an understood. No wonder she was so unfriendly.

Zhao Xiaodie then readily replied, "This man has shifty eyes, and he gravitates towards women as soon as he arrives. I don't see any 'young hero with exceptional courage,' only boundless audacity driven by lust."

Yan Xuehen pursed her lips, nearly bursting into laughter. This young girl had truly spoken her mind; this little rascal certainly deserved to be scolded. Chu Chuyan, however, frowned slightly, naturally disliking someone scolding her beloved.

Zu'an remained unfazed. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then casually remarked, "Since you say I'm a lecher, yet I didn't come to sit by you, shouldn't you perhaps reflect on yourself?"

Pfft!

Someone nearby couldn't help but snicker, almost choking on their wine. Wasn't that just a roundabout way of calling her ugly?

Zhao Xiaodie: "???"

Rage points from Zhao Xiaodie: +444, +444, +444...