Chapter 222: Wanting Not to Regret Is Difficult

Zu'an: "???"

"What did you say?" he asked again, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"My mother is prejudiced against you and would definitely not allow you to treat my sister, so I drugged her," Chu Huanzhao added, "with a sleeping powder."

Zu'an's brow furrowed in exasperation: "You're just a little girl, where did you get all these strange things?"

"For fun, of course! Not just sleeping powder, I have laxatives and aphrodisiacs too. It was so much fun playing tricks on the maids and servants in the manor back then. It's a shame they started running away whenever they saw me later," Chu Huanzhao said with a look of regret.

Zu'an then remembered that this girl was the manor's little terror. He still vividly recalled being chased and bitten by her giant dog and whipped with her leather whip when he first arrived. It was only recently that they had grown closer, making him unconsciously forget this fact.

"I took a big risk helping you this time. If you can't cure my sister, hmph!" Chu Huanzhao raised a fist, showing a completely unthreatening expression.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Zu'an nodded.

Just then, Cheng Shoubing returned: "Young master-in-law, young master-in-law, I've found everything you asked for! Oh, Young Miss Chu is here too."

Chu Huanzhao couldn't be bothered with him. She moved directly next to Zu'an, craning her neck to see: "What are these things?"

"Things to save a life," Zu'an said, putting the items away. "Let's go, we need to hurry."

"What are you doing, young master-in-law? Is there anything I can help with?" Cheng Shoubing offered a fawning, servile smile.

"Yes," Zu'an replied after a moment's thought.

"Anything, young master-in-law, young miss, just say the word! I'll go through fire and water!" Cheng Shoubing patted his chest, guaranteeing his loyalty. He thought to himself that playing up to Zu'an was the right move. Given how close Young Miss Chu and the young master-in-law seemed, even if the Eldest Young Miss didn't want him in the future, he could still become the second son-in-law, ensuring he'd still have a powerful patron in the manor.

"Close your mouth and stay in your room," Zu'an said. Chu Chuyan's critical condition was a top secret in the Chu family, known only to a select few.

If word got out to other families, it would be a huge blow to the Chu family. And Cheng Shoubing, notorious for his loose tongue, certainly couldn't be allowed to know.

"Understood!" Cheng Shoubing showed no sign of dejection. He made a zipping motion over his mouth and then scurried back to his room.

A hint of a smile finally appeared on Chu Huanzhao's previously anxious and serious face: "Your servant is quite interesting."

Zu'an was also surprised that he was so obedient this time: "He's probably been beaten by life too many times; he's finally learning his lesson."

The two hurried towards Chu Chuyan's boudoir. Along the way, some guards were preparing to block them, but they let them pass after recognizing Chu Huanzhao.

Zu'an felt a surge of irritation. What was this? As the respectable master-in-law of the Chu family, he couldn't simply pass by virtue of his identity.

They soon arrived at Chu Chuyan's boudoir. He found no one else in the room, not even a maid. Only Qin Wanru lay slumped by the bed, seemingly in a deep sleep. Her figure was far more mature and voluptuous than that of the Chu Chuyan sisters, yet without any hint of unnecessary bulk.

Gazing at her graceful and alluring curves, Zu'an had to admit that the woman was indeed beautiful. It was just a shame she had a mouth, just like Xue'er back then.

Zu'an thought to himself that this girl, Xiao Zhao, was truly carefree. Drugging her mother and leaving her alone here, wasn't she worried someone might take advantage of her?

"Where's that Physician Bao?" Zu'an asked, withdrawing his gaze and looking around.

"I sent him away," Chu Huanzhao huffed. "Since he didn't know how to treat sister, keeping him here would just be a waste of time."

Zu'an looked suspicious: "Are you sure it's not because you were worried he'd figure out you drugged her?"

Chu Huanzhao's face flushed slightly: "Well, that was one reason. Oh, stop dwelling on these details! Go and treat sister quickly."

Just then, Chu Chuyan's weak voice came from inside the bed curtains: "Xiao Zhao, is that you?"

Chu Huanzhao rushed over and drew back the bed curtains. With no outsiders present, there was no need to hide anything: "Sister, it's me."

As the curtains opened, a piercing chill wafted out. Chu Chuyan lay on the bed, her face pale.

When she saw Zu'an, a faint hint of color returned to Chu Chuyan's cheeks: "You... you came too?"

Zu'an hummed in affirmation: "You don't need to worry. I can save you."

Chu Chuyan shook her head slightly: "I know my own condition. Alas, if I had known this, the Trace-less Phantom Lotus shouldn't have been wasted on me. If you had eaten it, you'd probably be at fifth rank by now."

Zu'an sat by the bed and gently brushed a strand of hair from her temple: "Don't worry. I brought you back even with such severe injuries in the secret realm. This time won't be a challenge either."

Chu Huanzhao, standing nearby, was surprised. She knew her sister's temperament and was astonished that she reacted so calmly to such an intimate gesture from a man. Had something happened between them that she didn't know about?

Chu Chuyan, meanwhile, recalled the situation in the secret realm when he had saved her. Her heart pounded violently, aggravating her internal injuries, and she couldn't help but cough.

Zu'an quickly helped her sit up, gently patting her back.

"Wah~"

Chu Chuyan spat out another small mouthful of fresh blood, mixed with several icy particles. Even the warmth of her blood couldn't melt them, and they emitted wisps of cold air.

Chu Huanzhao, deeply devoted to her sister, saw her condition and her eyes immediately reddened: "Sister~"

"I'm fine, this kind of thing has happened before," Chu Chuyan forced a smile. Suddenly, her gaze fell on Qin Wanru, who was slumped nearby, and she gasped in alarm: "What happened to Mother?"

Chu Huanzhao wiped away her tears and said a little awkwardly: "Well... no matter what I said, Mother wouldn't let brother-in-law come to save you, so I... I drugged her."

"Drugged?" Chu Chuyan instantly sat bolt upright, then started coughing violently again.

Chu Huanzhao also felt wronged: "What else could I do? She wouldn't listen to reason at all."

Chu Chuyan: "..."

She gave her sister a complex look: "Why do you trust him so much to save me, even to the point of... drugging our own mother?"

Chu Huanzhao bit her lip: "I think you all misunderstand him. I believe that since he said he has a way to save you, he naturally does. You should believe him too."

Zu'an felt touched. His sister-in-law truly was a thoughtful little darling. With her here, the Chu family didn't seem so cold.

Seeing her sister's excited expression, Chu Chuyan sighed: "He probably does have a way... But you two should move Mother to that divan over there so she can lie down properly. What kind of decorum is this, leaving her slumped here?"

Chu Huanzhao nudged Zu'an: "Brother-in-law, she's all yours."

She was small in stature, so carrying Qin Wanru wasn't very convenient.

Zu'an wanted to say it wasn't appropriate, but seeing that Chu Chuyan had no objections, and the two sisters were whispering about something, he held back.

He reluctantly walked over and picked up the unconscious Qin Wanru, who was slumped by the bed. He slipped one arm around her body and the other under her knees, lifting her horizontally into his arms.

Because she was unconscious, carrying her was a bit more difficult than carrying someone awake. However, this was a world of cultivation, and Zu'an's strength now far surpassed that of ordinary people, so this slight difficulty was negligible.

He hadn't realized it before, but with this close contact, he discovered Qin Wanru's body was remarkably full and mature. Her skin felt incredibly soft to the touch, and a rich scent of rose perfume wafted from her.

Zu'an vaguely recalled some research he had seen online in his previous life, which seemed to suggest that women who liked rose perfume, especially stronger scents, tended to have a more vigorous desire.

He couldn't help but secretly grumble to himself. No wonder Chu Zhongtian often had dark circles under his eyes and looked somewhat weak. With a wife like that, it would be hard *not* to feel drained.

However, her identity prevented him from having any other thoughts. He carried her towards the nearby divan. Midway, he even felt like simply dropping her onto the cold floor, to get back at her for all the times she had bullied him.

But after glancing back at Chu Chuyan and her sister, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it.

He casually placed her onto the divan, not looking at her again, and returned to the inner room.

"Brother-in-law, how exactly do you plan to treat her?" Chu Huanzhao asked anxiously.

Zu'an was about to speak when he suddenly realized something and chuckled awkwardly: "Well... I need to discuss this with your sister privately."

Chu Huanzhao froze, then finally realized: "Oh, you! You're burning bridges! I helped you, and now you're just sending me away!"

Zu'an looked embarrassed: "It's not that I want to send you away; it's just that there are some things your sister might not want others to know."

Chu Chuyan's heart skipped a beat beside him, as if she understood something. A hint of shyness appeared between her brows, and she spoke up: "Xiao Zhao, please go outside and stand guard for sister. It would be good if you could warn us if anyone comes."

Seeing that she was still a little reluctant, she added: "What if Father happens to return and sees that you drugged Mother?"

Having been an older sister for so many years, she knew her younger sister's thoughts perfectly.

"He went to the neighboring county; he won't be back that quickly," Chu Huanzhao grumbled. However, she genuinely worried about her father returning early, so she still went outside to keep watch.

Once her sister had left, Chu Chuyan looked at Zu'an: "Tell me, how do you plan to save me?"

Zu'an gazed into her beautiful eyes: "You already know, don't you?"

Chu Chuyan's pretty face instantly flushed, and her eyes darted away: "No, absolutely not!"

"Why not? It's not like it's our first time..." Zu'an said with a hint of grievance.

Chu Chuyan turned her face away. From behind, one could see the flush extending all the way to the base of her neck: "It's just no, absolutely not. This time is different from last time. Last time, I couldn't resist; I couldn't move a muscle. Now, if you dare to be disrespectful to me, I... I'll kill you!"

Although the cold qi had invaded her internal organs and she was gravely ill, her cultivation remained. After all, she was a master nearing the seventh rank; even a momentary burst of power would be enough to kill him.

Of course, if she rashly used her vital energy, her injuries would worsen, and she would reach the end of her life even faster.

"Do you hate me that much?" Zu'an also frowned.

"It's not because I hate you, but... but... I'm not ready..." Chu Chuyan's heart was flustered, unsure how to explain. "It's just no, that's all."

Zu'an knew that if he dared to act as he did in the underground palace, she would most likely turn against him.

However, he hadn't intended to use that method to begin with: "Alright, I have another method here. If you're still unwilling, then there's nothing more I can do."

"What method?" Chu Chuyan quickly pressed, thinking to herself that anything was fine as long as it wasn't that shameful incident from the underground palace.

Zu'an pulled out a gleaming silver needle: "Acupuncture. I'll use a special technique to pierce the acupuncture points in your body, releasing the cold qi within you little by little."

Chu Chuyan looked doubtful: "If it were really that simple, Physician Bao surely would have known how."

"Indeed. Only I can do it in this world. Anyone else wouldn't be saving you, but harming you," Zu'an replied.

"Why?" Chu Chuyan's delicate brows furrowed slightly, clearly perplexed.