Chapter 264: This Chu Family Is Not Worth Staying For

Upon hearing it was Qiu Honglei’s invitation, many men in the vicinity showed expressions of envy. Even as guards for the Chu family, everyone was well aware of Qiu Honglei's reputation for beauty. The most sought-after woman in all of Brightmoon City—no, in the entire Linchuan Commandery—what man wouldn't dream of getting close to her?

“The son-in-law certainly has wild ways, to think he could even get involved with Mistress Qiu.”

“Before, I couldn't understand why someone as divine as our Eldest Miss would take an interest in the son-in-law. Now I see I was just too naive.”

“It's a shame Madam caught him red-handed; the son-in-law is in deep trouble today.”

...

While some were pleased and others troubled, most guards merely watched the unfolding drama. Chu Hongcai, however, hearing that Qiu Honglei had specifically sent an invitation to Zu An, was filled with intense envy and resentment. As a devoted admirer of Qiu Honglei, he couldn't recall a single instance in all these years where she had actively sent an invitation to someone. Typically, people would send her invitations, considering themselves extremely honored if she agreed to perform or even just make an appearance at their estates.

Although nothing happened between the two last night, given Miss Qiu's proactive approach, it seemed inevitable that something would eventually transpire. After all, in his estimation, with Qiu Honglei's unparalleled beauty and charm, no man could possibly resist her allure. The thought of his dream goddess eventually being intimate with Zu An made him feel like crying tears of despair.

Damn it, if he had known, they might as well have been intimate yesterday. This slow, agonizing wait for that day to arrive felt like being cut by a blunt knife, only prolonging the torment.

Chu Hongcai's anger value: +233!

Zu An glanced at him with a hint of surprise, understanding that he couldn't do anything about such a situation. Don't blame your brother for being heartless; it's simply that your goddess is too captivating.

“I'm speaking to you, where are you looking?” Qin Wanru was already annoyed. Other live-in sons-in-law were typically subservient at home, fearful of offending their wife's family. Yet, this man displayed no such meekness whatsoever. Furthermore, he dared to openly flirt with women from brothels, and now they were even showing up at their doorstep. The Chu family was a prestigious and prominent household, while he was nothing more than a street vagrant before this. Where did he find the audacity to behave this way? If word of this spread, what reputation would the Chu family have left?

Qin Wanru's anger value: +404!

Zu An snapped back to attention. Why was this woman in such a terrible temper today? As he watched her about to speak, his gaze suddenly settled on her, and he involuntarily recalled the sensation of accidentally touching her last night, making his expression incredibly peculiar for a moment.

“Let's discuss this inside!” Seeing him offer no reply, merely staring fixedly at her, Qin Wanru frowned slightly. She preferred not to deal with him at the entrance, to avoid becoming a public spectacle.

The group of guards gave him sympathetic looks, and even Cheng Shoubing subtly retreated to the background. Zu An mused, couldn't this fellow have delivered the invitation to him privately? Did he have to announce it at the entrance for everyone to hear? Hmph, I really need to find an opportunity to replace him with someone more discreet.

Following her all the way to the study, Qin Wanru sat at the head of the table. After dismissing the others, she slapped the adjacent table. “Do you know what you did wrong?” she demanded.

“I don't know what wrong I've committed. To be frank, isn't it far more inappropriate for Madam to have privately opened my personal mail?” Zu An retorted, his brow furrowed. This woman constantly harassed him without cause. No one could endure that.

Qin Wanru: “???”

For a moment, she wondered if she had misheard. This fellow actually dared to talk back? She had initially intended for him to admit his error, allowing her to then punish him appropriately and let the matter pass. Who would have thought he would be so audacious as to openly defy her?

“Insolent! Utterly insolent!” Qin Wanru trembled with rage. “You are nothing but a lowly live-in son-in-law. By all rights, your entire being belongs to the Chu family. What concept of 'your private correspondence' could you possibly have?”

Qin Wanru's anger value: +530!

Zu An then realized that this world was similar to his previous life's ancient times. Live-in sons-in-law, along with fugitives and peddlers, belonged to the lowest social stratum. Whenever the nation required service, such as conscription for border defense, they were always the first to be selected. While the Chu family's son-in-law was undoubtedly different from common live-in sons-in-law, his status wasn't significantly better. In such a world, to demand human rights was utterly wishful thinking. Yet, how could he, a dignified man, possibly endure such an unjust accusation!

“Since Madam looks down on me, I might as well not remain in the Chu family!” Zu An stated coldly. In truth, this woman had repeatedly caused him trouble. Had it not been for Chu Chuyan and Xiao Zhao, he would have ceased to endure it long ago. During this time, he helped the Chu family win the clan competition, thereby retaining their market share in weaponry. This single accomplishment alone saved the Chu family an immeasurable amount of silver. Later, he also gave the extremely valuable Traceless Illusion Lotus to Chu Chuyan, enabling her to reach the threshold of the seventh rank at a young age. In the entire world, she was considered a top-tier genius. In this realm, the honor a core genius brought to their family was utterly immeasurable in monetary terms. Not to mention the exhausting efforts he made to save her daughter during this time!

She offered no kind words all day; instead, he was met with constant hostility and criticism. Today's incident was merely the last straw; he finally lost his temper. Perhaps it was the experience of life-or-death battles with Ninth Rank and even higher-level experts in the secret realm that had made his mentality incredibly resilient now. Upon returning to Brightmoon City, he viewed these people as if they were in a beginner's village—though there were numerous masters in the city who could easily crush him, it didn't stop him from mentally perceiving them this way. After all, he had survived such dire circumstances in the secret realm; what did the current situation amount to in comparison? It was merely a matter of moving out of the Chu family. In any case, his cultivation was now sufficient for self-preservation, he had money, and there was still accommodation available at the academy. At worst, he would simply find opportunities to return daily and treat Chuyan's injuries.

It must be said that this is human nature. Previously, when he lacked any capital, he would silently endure any grievances he suffered within the Chu family. But now, with sufficient resources, his confidence had significantly increased.

After hearing his resounding declaration, Qin Wanru was speechless. Had she heard correctly? What had suddenly come over this man?

Qin Wanru's anger value: +999!

Chu Huanzhao, standing nearby, had already turned pale with fright. She rushed to her mother's side, explaining, “Mother, Brother-in-law didn't mean it that way; please don't take him seriously.”

Qin Wanru finally registered what was happening. She pushed her daughter aside and sneered at Zu An, “This is truly outrageous! So, your wings have grown strong, and you think you can just leave the Chu family now? It's not that simple. If the Chu family doesn't agree, do you truly believe you can just walk away whenever you wish?”

Zu An paused, startled. He then recalled hearing similar cases during a criminal law class at Brightmoon Academy, where it was explained that a live-in son-in-law couldn't simply abandon his status without the consent of his wife's family. But why would a wife's family ever agree to such a thing? Allowing the live-in son-in-law to leave would brand their daughter as a divorcee, making it difficult for her to remarry. The realization made his face darken considerably. Could it be that he was stuck with this identity for the rest of his life? Although he didn't mind being a kept man, he preferred the kind of arrangement where he had the freedom to come and go as he pleased, rather than being bound to a single family with no personal liberty.

Chu Huanzhao, standing by, was as agitated as an ant on a hot pan, trying to persuade first one, then the other. But both were in a heated argument, and neither was willing to yield. Just as she was at a loss for what to do, Chu Chuyan arrived, having heard the commotion:

“Mother, Azu, what's going on here?” *cough cough*...

Hearing her daughter's cough, Qin Wanru rushed to support her. “Why are you out here? The wind is strong; be careful not to catch a cold.”

Chu Chuyan offered a faint smile. “Mother, I'm not that weak yet.”

Qin Wanru grew anxious. “But your injury is remarkably strange. When Doctor Bao examined it before, it was clearly very serious, yet for some unknown reason, it suddenly improved. There's no telling when it might worsen again, so it's best to be cautious.”

Bao Youlu had served the Chu manor for many years; everyone was intimately familiar with his medical skills, and he would certainly not make such a basic error. So, after their initial panic, the couple quickly realized that it wasn't that Ji Dengtu was truly miraculous, but rather that their daughter's condition had unexpectedly improved somewhat. But the more they understood this, the more concerned they became, for if it could inexplicably improve, it could also unknowingly worsen, entirely beyond human control.

At this point, Chu Huanzhao, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but interject, “It didn't just suddenly improve; Brother-in-law was the one who cured it.”

“He?” Qin Wanru cast a disdainful glance at Zu An, her tone filled with scorn, clearly disbelieving he possessed such ability.

“It truly was Brother-in-law.” Chu Huanzhao grew anxious, worried that if she didn't reveal this today, she might not get another chance. What if Mother, enraged and humiliated, truly expelled Brother-in-law from the Chu family? What would happen then? Unfortunately, her usual demeanor meant that her words carried little weight, making it difficult for her mother to believe her. Thus, she could only look to her elder sister for help.

Chu Chuyan then spoke up as well. “That's right, Azu was indeed the one who treated me, pulling me back from the brink of death.”

Qin Wanru's face was filled with suspicion, thinking, “My daughter wouldn't intentionally say this just to save him, would she?” However, noticing the serious expression on her daughter's face, she finally registered it. “It truly was him?”

Chu Chuyan affirmed with a hum.

“But I've been with you these past few days. How could he have saved you?” Qin Wanru's brows furrowed deeply; she still found it utterly unbelievable.

“Because I gave Mother a sleeping potion,” Chu Huanzhao said weakly from the side.

Qin Wanru: “???”

Chu Huanzhao then quietly recounted the earlier events. Concerned for her brother-in-law's safety in the manor, she no longer held back. After hearing her younger daughter's words, Qin Wanru nearly fainted from rage. “Is this truly my biological daughter? Could a daughter truly betray her mother like this? I knew it! No wonder I've been feeling so drowsy these past few days and have no memory of many things at night. So, this girl was responsible for it all!”

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She pulled Chu Huanzhao over, pressed her onto her lap, and gave her a thorough spanking, intending to teach her a lesson about filial piety! She was genuinely furious, showing no mercy as she spanked Chu Huanzhao until the girl cried out for her parents.

Chu Chuyan quickly interjected from the side, “Mother, my younger sister was only trying to save me. In fact, it wasn't just her; last night, I also sealed your acupoints.”

After hearing her elder daughter's words, Qin Wanru blinked in disbelief. “???” For a moment, she didn't grasp the meaning. Chu Chuyan, to alleviate the pressure on her younger sister, had to explain: “Because Azu was coming to treat me at night, and Mother, you insisted on staying with me. Last night, he didn't know you were present and secretly slipped into the room. Fearing you would discover him, I... I sealed your acupoints.” After she finished speaking, her previously pale skin, even her neck, had flushed deep red. As a well-behaved girl since childhood, she had never done anything so outrageous before.

After hearing all of this, Qin Wanru was utterly dumbfounded. “What sins did I commit in my previous life to give birth to two such characters?”