Chapter 252

"Pfft!"

Pei Mianman, who was drinking tea, could no longer hold it in. The tea she had just brought to her lips sprayed out.

What on earth had this guy experienced since childhood? He was unbelievably shameless, wasn't he?

At this moment, the people in the hall also reacted, and the place instantly erupted:

"Holy shit, don't stop me! I'm going to chop him to death!""Where's my knife?""How can there be such a despicable person in this world?""Miss Qiu, do you know what he's saying? How could you choose such a scoundrel?"...

Rage points from Chen Xuan +999!Rage points from Jiang Fan +999!Rage points from Chu Hongcai +999!...Watching the rage points frantically refresh in the background, Zu An was laughing like crazy.

Indeed, to become an extraordinary person, one must do extraordinary things.

As for those who wanted to rush up and fight him, why would he be foolish enough to stay put and let them hit him? By the time those people realized it, he had already made his escape, and the enraged crowd was held back by the staff of the Immortal's Abode.

Sister Hua, while directing her subordinates to stop the agitated crowd, turned back and gave him a resentful look, thinking that this guy was truly a troublemaker, leaving such a mess for her to clean up.

Zu An whistled as he followed the maid, contemplating whether he should frequent such entertainment venues more often in the future. "Of course, with my upright and noble character, I wouldn't come here to flirt with women; it's just that rage points are so easy to earn in this place!" He roughly estimated that he had earned more at the Immortal's Abode this time than on any previous occasion. "If I could just 'harvest' some every day, achieving ascension in broad daylight wouldn't be a dream."

Suddenly, his vision darkened. He realized he had left the Immortal's Abode, and before him lay the sparkling Moon River. It was late, and the lights were just coming on, reflecting in the water as if there were countless moons in the river.

"Only the prosperity of this red-light district could create such a magnificent scene," Zu An mused, then asked, "Miss, where are we going?" Looking at the surroundings, it didn't seem like Qiu Honglei's boudoir.

"Miss?" The maid was startled; she had clearly never heard such a novel address. However, compared to how others often dismissed maids, simply barking orders at them, this "Miss" sounded quite pleasant. A hint of a smile appeared on her face: "My lady is waiting for you on a boat."

"A boat?" Zu An was surprised. How did they end up on a boat? The maid crouched down and lifted a wooden door on the balcony floor, revealing a ladder. Faintly, a small boat could be seen docked nearby.

"Sir, please," the maid said with a smile, gesturing for him to proceed.

"So many tricks," Zu An chuckled. He wasn't worried about anything else and climbed down the ladder.

As soon as he boarded the boat, it slowly began to glide towards the middle of the river. Zu An frowned slightly. "Could this be a trap?" But after thinking it over, he didn't seem to have anything worth plotting against. Moreover, with his improved cultivation, he was bold due to his skill, and he quickly relaxed.

"It's a pity that 'Miss' didn't come along. I actually forgot to ask for her name just now," Zu An said with some regret.

"Indeed, Sir, you are unlike ordinary people; there isn't a hint of fear in you." At this moment, a soft, enchanting female voice came from inside the cabin—it was Qiu Honglei's unique voice.

"What am I afraid of? Are you going to eat me?" Zu An chuckled.

"Sir, you are truly a joker. I'm afraid you'll eat me instead," Qiu Honglei replied, her words smooth and melodious, as if every syllable could stir a man's heartstrings.

"Please come in quickly; it's windy outside."

Meanwhile, back on the balcony from which they had descended at the Immortal's Abode, a curvaceous figure appeared. Watching the small boat drift away, Pei Mianman stamped her foot: "What a cunning vixen!" With the other party on a boat in the river, there was nowhere for her to eavesdrop. "Forget it. I'll go check her room first. Hopefully, I'll find something." Pei Mianman snorted, and her figure quickly vanished.

On the small boat, hearing the beauty's invitation, Zu An went and lifted the curtain. He found that although the cabin was small, it was decorated very warmly. There was a small carved table with several exquisite dishes, and Qiu Honglei was kneeling beside the table, smiling as she looked at him.

Her eyes seemed to speak, always exuding tender affection. Anyone unaware might have thought it was a wife waiting for her husband to return home.

A small, exquisite lantern hung nearby, casting a soft yellow light on her, making her skin appear as if it were covered in honey.

"Sir, why are you staring at the lantern? Am I not as pretty as it?" Qiu Honglei asked in a chiding tone, but there was no hint of annoyance in her expression.

"I've just never seen such a yellow lantern," Zu An said, sitting down opposite her at the table. Given his personality, he would normally have sat right next to Qiu Honglei, as close as possible. However, the small boat was tiny, and placing a table was already the limit; there was simply no room for anyone to sit beside it, so they had to sit facing each other.

"This woman isn't doing this on purpose, is she? Who is she guarding against?" Zu An thought, looking displeased.

"If you don't like this lantern, Sir, I can extinguish it," Qiu Honglei said, making as if to rise, revealing the exquisite curve of her waist.

"No need. Although this lantern is yellow, it looks warm," Zu An stopped her. "Moreover, if the lamp were extinguished, it would be a great pity not to see Miss Qiu's peerless beauty."

"Sir, your words are truly sweet. No wonder you managed to charm my little maid and delight her heart with just a few sentences," Qiu Honglei remarked.

"Do you have clairvoyance and omni-hearing?" Zu An was startled. Did she know about his playful teasing of the maid on the way, even from this distance?

Qiu Honglei smiled, pressing her lips together, and didn't explain. She simply pointed to two pots nearby: "Sir, would you prefer tea or wine?"

"Wine, of course," Zu An replied without hesitation.

"I thought so. Someone who can compose such an inspiring piece as 'Swordsman's Journey' must naturally be a free-spirited person who enjoys wine," Qiu Honglei said, picking up the wine pot and pouring wine into his cup.

Concerned that her long sleeves might touch the dishes on the table, she gently pushed them up, revealing a segment of her arm as smooth as mutton-fat jade.

Zu An couldn't help but sigh. Some people were simply blessed by heaven; every part of their body seemed like a work of art.

"I didn't choose it for that reason. It's simply because after drinking, one can legitimately act promiscuously," Zu An quipped.

Qiu Honglei's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered: "If this were before, I would certainly have considered you a lecher, and might even have thrown you out."

"Why is it different now?" Zu An asked curiously.

"Because someone who can compose such a piece must be a highly talented and noble person. Those unrestrained words and actions must simply be a deliberate disguise," Qiu Honglei said, smiling as she raised her wine cup. "Thank you, Sir, for the gift of your music. I, your humble servant, toast to you."

Feeling the subtle fragrance wafting through the air, Zu An couldn't help but remark, "Who says a talented person can't be a lecher?" Ji Dengtu's lecherous smile flashed in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine. He quickly banished the image from his thoughts: "Besides, that song isn't my original work; I merely conveyed someone else's achievement."

Thinking that he might never return to his previous life, a wave of disappointment swept over Zu An's heart. He picked up his wine cup and drained it.

Qiu Honglei set down her wine cup, a faint lip print left on the rim. "You are too modest, Sir. Although I am foolish, I am familiar with most ancient melodies. Today is the first time I've heard 'Swordsman's Journey.' If it wasn't composed by you, who else could it be?"

Zu An hesitated, wanting to speak, but finally gave up on explaining. He couldn't exactly say he was a transmigrator, could he? "Something is wrong with this world. Every time I tell the truth, no one believes me, but when I lie, they believe it without question. What the hell!"

"May I ask you a question, Sir?" Qiu Honglei asked, her autumn-water-like eyes quietly gazing at him.

"Don't call me 'Sir' so formally all the time. Just call me A'Zu from now on," Zu An replied. "What would you like to ask, Miss?"

Qiu Honglei then said, "To be honest, before today, I had heard many rumors about you, Sir, and none of them were very good."

"That I'm a good-for-nothing? Don't bother trying to save my face," Zu An chuckled indifferently. "I'm used to it anyway."

Qiu Honglei's face flushed slightly as she looked at him with some curiosity: "But after meeting you today, I've realized that you are actually a very outstanding man. So why do you usually pretend to be so... carefree and aimless?"

She couldn't find the right words to describe his behavior. The word "shameless" would have been fitting, but it was too impolite to say to his face.

"I'm not pretending at all. This is just how I am normally," Zu An said with a relaxed expression.

Qiu Honglei, however, didn't believe him. She said with a hint of resentment, "It seems you still don't consider me one of your own."

Zu An grumbled internally: "Are we husband and wife? Or lovers? We haven't even been to bed, and you have the nerve to say I should treat you as 'one of my own'?"

"Is it perhaps that you worry about revealing too much of your talent and causing concern among the Chu family?" Seeing his silence, Qiu Honglei probed.

Zu An paused: "What would the Chu family be concerned about?"

Qiu Honglei smiled faintly: "Lord Mingyue currently has two daughters and one son. His son is too young and is in the capital acting as... studying. And the second daughter is a recognized..."

"...a recognized playful and pleasure-seeking person, completely useless when it comes to family affairs." Zu An chuckled secretly. "You probably wanted to say 'recognized good-for-nothing,' and almost blurted it out because you're used to saying it. Don't tell me, Little Zhao and I are quite a match: a good-for-nothing and a useless person. Haha!"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Qiu Honglei's face as she continued: "Currently, nearly half of the Chu family's affairs are managed by Miss Chu. Miss Chu is beautiful and highly capable; she would naturally be the most suitable heir for the Chu family. Unfortunately, she is a woman."

"This puts her husband in an awkward position. If he were too capable, the couple could easily undermine the Chu estate together, like a magpie taking over a dove's nest."

"That's why Miss Chu specifically chose... chose someone like you, with no background and seemingly no redeeming qualities, to be her husband. I originally thought I had guessed Miss Chu's intentions, but after meeting you today, I suddenly feel puzzled."

"Did you deliberately deceive Miss Chu, or did Miss Chu know your true nature all along when she chose you as her husband?"

Zu An lightly twirled the wine cup in his hand, leaning casually against the cabin wall. With a half-smile, he said, "These don't sound like questions a courtesan should be concerned with. Who exactly are you?"