Chapter 233: Spoiled Daughter Maniac

"What do you mean, 'improper things to say'?" Zu An tilted his head, looking at her.

Qin Wanru gasped, then slowly regained her composure. "You can't be so foolish as not to know even this, can you?"

Zu An spread his hands. "Second Uncle and Third Uncle are Chu Chuyan's uncles. Can't I tell them?"

"You told them?" Qin Wanru's phoenix eyes widened.

"I didn't say anything, I was just curious why I couldn't tell them," Zu An replied. He wanted to take the opportunity to see what was really going on inside the Chu family.

"That's good," Qin Wanru's expression softened slightly. "This matter concerns the future of the Chu family, so it naturally cannot be easily revealed."

Thinking that they would be living under the same roof in the future and he would inevitably interact with the second and third branches, she added, "Although they are Chuyan's uncles, they are not from the same direct lineage. Everyone has their own agenda, so you still need to be a little wary."

Zu An nodded. "Understood."

It seemed that Chu Zhongtian's branch was only outwardly friendly with the second and third branches, but inwardly at odds. This was normal, though; in large families, with various power struggles, even blood brothers could turn against each other, let alone Chu Tiesheng, Chu Yuepo, and Chu Zhongtian, who were only cousins.

As they spoke, the two had already arrived at Chu Chuyan's room, where the butler, Hong Zhong, stood guard at the door.

Seeing Qin Wanru bring Zu An, Hong Zhong showed a fleeting look of surprise before stepping aside to let them enter.

The two entered the bedroom. Chu Zhongtian was seated solemnly at a distance, while Ji Dengtu was outside the screen. Three thin threads connected his fingers to Chu Chuyan's wrist as he closed his eyes, stroking his beard while taking her pulse.

Bao Youlu stood by, watching him with envy. He had never learned this method of 'suspended thread pulse diagnosis' in his entire life; indeed, Ji Dengtu was truly worthy of his reputation as a divine physician.

Chu Hanzhao sat by her sister's bed behind the screen, looking anxious. Although Zu An had told her yesterday that everything was fine, she still felt a persistent unease.

Noticing their arrival, Chu Zhongtian merely nodded slightly, then continued to ponder, clearly preoccupied.

Ji Dengtu, however, turned and winked at Qin Wanru, a frivolous expression on his face.

Qin Wanru frowned slightly but did not react outwardly. Instead, she quietly sat next to Chu Zhongtian and gently held his hand.

Witnessing this, Ji Dengtu pursed his lips, his expression clearly displeased.

Zu An observed dispassionately. It seemed the rumors about Ji Dengtu having pursued Qin Wanru in his youth were true, though Qin Wanru remained devoted to Chu Zhongtian.

It made sense. Chu Zhongtian was handsome and a distinguished duke; in any world, he would be a prime eligible bachelor. Although Ji Dengtu wasn't bad-looking, he was too slovenly and merely a doctor. Ultimately, he couldn't compare to a respected duke.

It was obvious who a woman would choose.

Zu An secretly sighed. A beautiful wife certainly attracted admirers. First Chu Tiesheng, now Ji Dengtu, and even Shi Lezhi's gaze yesterday – in such a short time, he had noticed so many people coveting her.

His father-in-law should be careful about troubles brewing in his own household.

Just then, Ji Dengtu retracted the three threads. The Chu family members quickly stood up and eagerly asked, "Divine Physician Ji, how is she?"

Ji Dengtu replied, "I just diagnosed Miss Chu's pulse. Although the cold energy has entered her body and she appears to be critically ill on the surface, I can faintly detect a trace of vitality. It's not as exaggerated as you previously described."

Watching him speak, seemingly radiating a certain brilliance, Zu An standing nearby couldn't help but sigh. This fellow was usually so laid-back, but when it came to his professional field, his demeanor was indeed completely different.

He probably relied on this to win over Ji Xiaoxi's mother back then. Otherwise, given his usual appearance, it was hard to imagine that a woman capable of giving birth to such a beautiful and lovely daughter as Ji Xiaoxi would have fallen for him.

Speaking of which, he had never heard Ji Xiaoxi mention her mother, nor had he noticed any mistress of the house during his previous visits to their home. He wondered what her mother's situation truly was.

"Is that really true?" Chu Zhongtian exclaimed, jumping up with a mix of surprise and joy.

Bao Youlu, standing by, also looked skeptical. He knew that when he had taken Chu Chuyan's pulse yesterday, she was beyond help. However, Ji Dengtu's reputation was too great, so after a moment's hesitation, he didn't say anything.

Ji Dengtu glared at him grumpily. "Lin Dan Da, are you questioning my professional competence?"

Being called by his old nickname in front of the younger generation, Chu Zhongtian's face flushed crimson. Normally, he would have started an argument with Ji Dengtu, but this time, concerned for his daughter's safety, he suppressed the urge to retort. "Then how should we treat her?"

"Don't celebrate too soon," Ji Dengtu's expression turned serious. "Your daughter's condition is quite peculiar. Although there's a faint trace of vitality in her pulse, it's like rootless duckweed, as if it could vanish at any moment. The cold energy has infiltrated her internal organs, and attempting to extract it with external force is almost impossible. Those areas are too fragile; any slight mishandling by an outsider could cause irreparable damage, potentially leading to immediate death."

Behind the screen, Chu Chuyan's expression stirred. What Ji Dengtu said was exactly the same as what Ah Zu had told her last night. Where on earth had that fellow learned such miraculous medical skills?

"What if we let her use her cultivation to expel the cold energy herself?" Chu Zhongtian tentatively asked. "Chuyan's cultivation is already outstanding among her peers."

He looked proud as he mentioned this.

Ji Dengtu scoffed, "Lin Dan Da, what do you know? Chu Chuyan herself practices ice-element cultivation. Her vital energy is also ice-attributed. Using ice to force out ice will only worsen her injuries and make her die faster."

Sprayed with spittle all over his face, Chu Zhongtian couldn't retort, as it was indeed he who had proposed a bad idea.

Seeing Chu Zhongtian's face flush crimson, unable to argue back and forced to endure his scolding, Ji Dengtu felt an extreme sense of satisfaction. He had never felt so good.

Seeing her husband being bullied, Qin Wanru couldn't help but secretly grow angry. She said coldly, "Then, Divine Physician Ji, if you don't know how to treat her, what is your expert opinion?"

Ji Dengtu's expression stiffened, and he gave an awkward laugh. "I'll have to ponder this carefully. However, even if she recovers, Miss Chu's cultivation will likely not be preserved, or at least will be significantly diminished."

"What!" The moment he said this, everyone was astonished, and Qin Wanru's reaction was particularly strong. "No, absolutely not! Chuyan has always been the best among her peers. If... if..."

She couldn't finish her sentence.

Ji Dengtu said earnestly, "You must understand that given Miss Chu's condition, simply preserving her life is a success. There's no such thing as perfection in this world."

Bao Youlu, standing by, also chimed in, "Indeed. It's a pity my medical skills are inferior; I couldn't even save Miss Chu's life. The fact that Divine Physician Ji can save her now is already quite surprising to me. To preserve her cultivation, I fear even immortals would be unable to do so."

Zu An's expression was strange. He thought to himself, *I really want to step out and show off.*

Behind the screen, Chu Chuyan and Chu Hanzhao evidently had the same thought, and both turned their gaze towards him.

Feeling their admiring gazes, Zu An puffed out his chest even more.

*Never mind, never mind. With Queen Sister currently asleep, it's better for me to keep a low profile, lest I attract too much attention and invite a heap of trouble.*

Next, Ji Dengtu spoke about a few more precautions, then said he needed to return to deliberate on the treatment method.

Although Chu Zhongtian was inwardly displeased, the other man had saved his daughter's life, so he had to stand up and see him off no matter what.

To his surprise, Ji Dengtu waved his hand dismissively. "You annoy me when I see you. Don't bother seeing me out."

Chu Zhongtian's face instantly darkened like charcoal. Qin Wanru, standing by, gently patted his hand to comfort him, then instructed Hong Zhong to see Ji Dengtu out.

"No need, no need. Just let this young man see me out," Ji Dengtu said, casually pointing at Zu An.

Everyone in the room was immediately surprised. They hadn't expected the esteemed divine physician to think so highly of Zu An.

Only Zu An vaguely guessed why Ji Dengtu wanted him.

Qin Wanru frowned slightly, then said to Zu An, "Since Mr. Ji wants you to see him out, then do so properly. Mr. Ji is an honored guest of our manor, so you must not neglect him."

Zu An grumbled internally, *If you'd just lend me two sets of underwear, I could probably spit in Ji Dengtu's face and he still wouldn't be offended.*

Of course, he dared not say this aloud. He simply bowed and affirmed, then looked at Ji Dengtu. "Divine Physician Ji, please follow me."

"Hmm," Ji Dengtu strode ahead arrogantly, not even glancing at him.

Soon after they left the courtyard, Chu Tiesheng and Chu Yuepo emerged from nowhere, calling out "Divine Physician Ji" repeatedly, while simultaneously handing him valuable gifts, trying to extract information about Chu Chuyan's condition from him.

Ji Dengtu was no fool; he cheerfully accepted everything, but then spouted a great deal of nonsense, ultimately revealing no actual information.

The two were left standing in disarray, continuously pondering what Divine Physician Ji's words had meant.

Zu An secretly admired him. This fellow took money without doing anything, yet managed to avoid resentment from people. He wondered how many gifts it took to develop such a skill.

Noticing that they were alone, Ji Dengtu's aloof expression instantly transformed into a fawning smile. He put his arm around Zu An's shoulder intimately. "Hey, little brother, what about the rest of that book you wrote last time?"

"I didn't write it, I don't have it, don't talk nonsense," Zu An denied, a triple negation.

"I understand," Ji Dengtu said, giving him a knowing look. "The way you depicted that Headmistress Gao in the book, heh heh, if Xiaoxi's aunt ever saw it, you'd be in serious trouble."

Zu An's face was lined with exasperation. *I'm even more wronged than Dou E! If I had known I'd encounter the beautiful headmistress later, I would have found you a different book back then.*

"What's the rest of the story? Hurry up and update it! I promise I won't tell anyone else," Ji Dengtu urged. The previous book had indeed made his blood boil, but using it too many times had made it stale. He needed new stimulation.

"I'll find some time to see if there's a next volume," Zu An said, feeling a headache coming on. He hadn't wanted to bother with these things anymore, but he also didn't want to offend a powerful divine physician.

"Hahaha, that's good! It's strange, though, your thing didn't work before, yet you wrote such excellent material. Is it that virgins are better at imagining these things?" Ji Dengtu asked, laughing.

Zu An: "..."

*Where the hell is my knife?*

"Oh, right, I heard from the Chu family that you gave the Vanishing Mirage Lotus to Chu Chuyan. You really are generous, aren't you?" Ji Dengtu said with a strange smile. "Has *your thing* recovered yet?"

"Go ask your daughter, she'll know," Zu An retorted grumpily.

Ji Dengtu: "..."

"What did you say?" a grinding, teeth-clenched voice demanded.

Rage value from Ji Dengtu +999!

A powerful oppressive aura enveloped Zu An, instantly rendering him immobile.

Recently, I've had a bit of a writer's block. The main plot has been set for a long time, but the recent smaller plotlines have been stuck. So, there's only this one chapter for today's update. I don't want to just pad the content; I'll make it up later.