Chapter 210: Psychological Shadow

Xie Xiu frowned, wondering why the guy had such a horrified expression.

Then he saw Pan Long and Fu Feng return, both pale and seemingly greatly startled. Unable to contain his curiosity, Xie Xiu quietly followed them.

Soon, he understood why Hong Xingying and the others looked that way. He saw Zu An changing clothes under a tree, completely shedding his tattered garments, revealing his masculine and well-built physique.

Xie Xiu didn't think much of it. He knew many women didn't actually prefer muscular men, but rather slender and refined types like himself, so he felt no jealousy.

Until his gaze dropped, and then his whole body trembled.

"How is this possible!" he unconsciously rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things. However, when he got a clear look again, he fell silent. He finally understood why those people had such strange expressions.

Involuntarily, he compared it to his own arm, and Xie Xiu instantly felt utterly depressed. This guy was definitely doing it on purpose!

A normal person changing clothes would put on pants first, then a shirt. But this guy put on his shirt first, and throughout the process, he took his sweet time, constantly swaying...

What an animal! That was Xie Xiu's assessment. Recalling how Zu An had deliberately told them not to peek earlier, it became clear that he had intentionally dug a huge pit for them to fall into.

Meanwhile, the remaining girls noticed the men returning one by one, pale-faced and hollow-eyed, which sparked their curiosity.

Wu Qing, being guileless, directly asked Pan Long and Fu Feng, "What's wrong with you two? You all look like you've seen a ghost."

"Worse than seeing a ghost!" Pan Long and Fu Feng replied with a bitter smile.

"What happened? Don't keep us in suspense," Wu Qing said impatiently.

Pan Long and Fu Feng usually followed her every word, but this time, they shook their heads in unison, refusing to answer. *What a joke, how could they possibly say! Didn't they have any dignity?*

The other female students also questioned their male acquaintances about what happened, but the male students, who usually bickered and disliked each other at school, had miraculously united this time, not a single one revealing anything.

Seeing Xie Xiu, who had entered with an air of nonchalance, return looking utterly dejected, Pei Mianman couldn't help but ask, "Xiu'er, what happened? You look completely broken."

She was originally part of Prince Qi's faction and frequently interacted with the Xie family, being on good terms with his sister Xie Daoyun, so she felt no restraint with him.

Xie Xiu forced a smile and replied, "Nothing, just musing that there's always someone better out there." After saying a few incoherent words, he had no desire to converse further and went to sit under a large tree, his pupils dilated and his expression vacant.

"What's wrong with these men?" Pei Mianman couldn't help but look at Chu Chuyan.

Chu Chuyan's face flushed slightly. "How would I know? Maybe we can ask Ah Zu later."

"Good idea," Pei Mianman replied with a smile.

From a distance, the men saw the two girls whispering intimately and had a sudden realization. Many previously perplexing matters now made sense. *No wonder the exalted Chu Chuyan would choose such an untalented nobody as her husband. At first, everyone thought that guy had no strengths, but how could outsiders know his true strength? No wonder the unremarkable Zu An could win the favor of so many stunning beauties. It turned out it was all thanks to that. What woman wouldn't love a man like that? No wonder these proud and beautiful women, who usually treated each other with polite reserve, had such a good relationship in private. After all, something that exaggerated couldn't possibly be handled by one person. They must have been cooperating...*

The men's imaginations ran wild. Especially thinking of these normally delicate and exquisite beauties being conquered by that guy's "talent," a mixture of envy, inferiority, and jealousy morphed into pure rage directed at Zu An.

Hong Xingying had always looked down on Zu An, believing the scoundrel was inferior to him in every way. Even after Zu An's brilliant performance in the family competition, he hadn't taken it to heart, convinced that with his own talent, he would eventually surpass him at Brightmoon Academy. But that recent sight was a truly devastating blow. He could never catch up to that in his lifetime. Pursuing Miss Chu alongside a man like that instilled an inherent sense of inferiority; he probably wouldn't be able to look him in the eye again.

Rage value from Hong Xingying +999!He wasn't the only one with similar thoughts:Rage value from Pan Long +999!Rage value from Fu Feng +999!Rage value from Xie Xiu +999!Rage value from Wei Hongde +999!

Seeing the constantly refreshing rage values in the background, Zu An grinned from ear to ear. He secretly sighed, *I warned you beforehand not to come and get traumatized, so who's to blame now?*

Fully dressed, he emerged to see a group of male classmates looking utterly devastated. Zu An found his old classmates endearing; they gave him rage values the moment he saw them.

Suddenly, he noticed a name in the background: Wei Hongde? Old Man Mi seemed to have told him to get close to this person. So he walked directly towards him. Compared to Wei Suo's scrawny, mousy appearance, Wei Hongde looked much more dignified, making one wonder if they were even born of the same mother.

"Brother Wei!" Zu An enthusiastically walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "I've heard much about you for a long time but never had the chance to meet. What a pleasure!"

Wei Hongde hadn't expected him to walk straight over to him and was caught in a hug before he could react. His expression instantly stiffened. "Do we know each other?" *Speaking of "heard much about," who in this school could compare to you? You've only been here a few days and you're already known by everyone!* As he thought, his gaze involuntarily darted towards Zu An's crotch. The image he had just seen reappeared in his mind, and his face grew even paler.

"Wei Suo and I are deskmates," Zu An explained. "We hit it off immediately as good brothers. I knew he had an older brother here at school and always wanted to meet you, but never had the chance."

"Oh, it's Wei Suo," Wei Hongde finally managed a smile, his chipped front tooth particularly noticeable, which finally dispelled Zu An's doubt about whether they were truly brothers.

The two chatted for a while longer, but Zu An didn't gain any useful information. From every angle, Wei Hongde didn't seem special at all; aside from barely making it into the Heaven Class, he showed no remarkable qualities. He truly didn't understand why Old Man Mi wanted him to specifically get close to him.

"Ah Zu, come here~" a soft, alluring voice called out. Pei Mianman, with her captivating eyes, beamed a sweet smile and gently waved him over.

"Coming!"

Zu An scurried over gleefully. Being with these smelly men was no match for being with sweet-smelling girls. Witnessing this scene, the male students instantly felt a pang of bitterness. Some were initially indignant and wanted to say something, but the highly impactful image from moments ago kept replaying in their minds, and they instantly deflated.

Rage value from Hong Xingying +666!Rage value from Pan Long +666!Rage value from Fu Feng +666!Rage value from Xie Xiu +666!Rage value from Wei Hongde +666!

"What exactly happened in there? Why have they all been acting so strange since then?" Pei Mianman asked curiously.

Chu Chuyan, standing nearby, pretended not to care but secretly perked up her ears.

"They probably took a hit," Zu An said with an embarrassed expression. "I told them not to come, but they insisted."

The other male students were speechless. *Did you really not want us to see what you said earlier? You clearly lured us in! What a sin! We need to find water and wash our eyes thoroughly later.*

Rage value from Hong Xingying +233!Rage value from Pan Long +233!Rage value from Fu Feng +233!

"What 'took a hit'?" Pei Mianman looked bewildered, instinctively glancing at the male students on the other side. Ordinarily, these male students would leap at the chance to gaze longer into the alluring Pei Mianman's eyes, but now, everyone felt inexplicably guilty, their eyes darting away, fearing she might call on them.

"Oh, nothing much, just some men's secrets," Zu An said with a mysterious smile. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn't very well brag about such a thing. Fearing she would press further, he quickly said a couple of vague words and hurried back to Ji Xiaoxi's side.

Pei Mianman couldn't help but stamp her foot and playfully pinch her friend. "Is that your husband or someone else's? Why is he running off to another woman?"

"If you're upset, just snatch him back yourself," Chu Chuyan said, turning away. She had vaguely guessed what had happened from the men's earlier conversation, especially since she had been a recent participant herself. Images from the underground palace flashed through her mind, and her face was already burning hot. How could she possibly continue this topic?

Pei Mianman watched, utterly bewildered. *Why is everyone so strange today?*

At this moment, Lu De stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Alright, alright. Since they are all fine, everyone can continue their exploration. This trip to the secret realm is a rare opportunity, and there are still three days left, so don't waste time."

Hearing his words, the male students cheered in unison, then bolted like rabbits. Being near Zu An was simply too much psychological pressure.

Lu De and Bai Susu exchanged glances, then divided their responsibilities and went to find their respective teams. Zu An stayed behind to look after Qiao Xueying, and Ji Xiaoxi, who had an injured foot, also remained.

Zheng Dan had many questions for Zu An, but with so many women around, it wasn't convenient for her to act. So she quietly gave him a knowing smile and turned to leave. Chu Chuyan, due to her recent embarrassment, had wandered off somewhere. Pei Mianman hesitated for a while, clearly sharing Zheng Dan's concerns, then turned and headed back towards the underground palace ruins, hoping to find something good.

"Was Zheng Dan flirting with you just now?" Qiao Xueying subtly pinched Zu An.

Zu An was startled. "When did you wake up?"

Qiao Xueying snorted. "What, did I see something I shouldn't have?"

"No, you must be mistaken. How could she have anything to do with me?" Zu An immediately said, deadpan. *Are you kidding? How can I admit something like that in front of two girls?*

Qiao Xueying hesitated, then warned him, "You'd better watch yourself. That woman is probably approaching you because of that 7.5 million tael IOU." She had dealings with Zheng Dan when she was under Shi Kun, so she could more or less guess her motives.

"I didn't realize you cared about me so much," Zu An chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not that easily fooled. I'll make sure she loses both her troops and her general."