Chapter 279: Entering the Door

"Qiu Honglei?" Qin Wanru's expression instantly darkened. In all her life, she had never encountered such a son-in-law—not only did he fail to uphold a husband's virtues by flirting with other women, but now a woman had even come looking for him at their home?

Chu Chuyan's face was also far from pleased. No wife would be happy to hear that a famous courtesan from a brothel had come looking for her husband in the middle of the night.

"Who is Qiu Honglei looking for?" Chu Zhongtian, standing by, took a long moment to collect himself.

"She's looking for the young master," Cheng Shoubing blinked, recalling how he'd secretly heard the master praise Qiu Honglei's beauty in previous years. Could he be jealous of the young master?

Truth be told, the master was incomparable to the young master in almost every aspect, except when it came to attracting women—in that regard, he lagged far behind.

All these years, there hadn't been a single concubine in the household, and he himself had been banished to the woodshed precisely because of this.

Look at the young master; he'd only been here a few days, and already romantic interests were appearing left and right.

Master, oh master, you really need to learn from him!

Feeling the strange gazes of everyone, Zu An said sheepishly, "Perhaps she has some important business with me. I'll go out and see."

"Important business? What important business could a courtesan from a brothel possibly have, coming to our door in the middle of the night?" Qin Wanru snorted. "Perfect, I'll go with you and see what this is all about."

Chu Zhongtian nodded, "I'll go see as well."

Qin Wanru couldn't help but glare at her husband. Was he truly curious about the matter, or just eager to see Qiu Honglei herself?

However, in front of so many servants, she couldn't openly show her anger.

She could only shoot Zu An a furious glare. This fellow was the cause of all this!

Rage points from Qin Wanru +333!

Zu An was already numb to receiving her rage points. He thought, 'Let her be, she can't possibly eat me alive.'

The group hurried towards the entrance. Although Chu Chuyan said nothing throughout, her silently following them spoke volumes.

Upon reaching the main gate, they found a considerable crowd already gathered, all Chu family members who had come to watch the spectacle after hearing the news.

After all, Qiu Honglei's beauty was legendary throughout Moonlit City; from eighty-year-old men to young boys, no male was unaware of her.

Despite the Chu family's strict discipline, everyone couldn't help but be curious and gather to catch a glimpse of this legendary beauty.

After all, given their status and income, they usually had no opportunity to see the courtesan from Shenxian House.

"Look at that face, that figure, tsk tsk~"

"If I could have a wife like that... no, even if I only had her for a day, it would be worth dying for."

"She's truly beautiful, I feel like she's no less stunning than the young mistress."

"You're asking for trouble, comparing her to the young mistress... But the young mistress is too cold; Miss Qiu's smile is indeed more captivating."

"I heard she's here for the young master. How is that possible?"

"Your information is outdated. The young master is very skilled in this area."

***

Of course, not everyone was so excited. When Chu Hongcai heard that Qiu Honglei had arrived, he couldn't believe his ears. He rushed out so quickly that he even put his shoes on the wrong feet, and there she was, the figure that haunted his dreams.

Her every frown and smile captivated him, yet this perfect woman was now coming for another man in the middle of the night.

Chu Hongcai felt as if his heart were a porcelain vase dropped from a height onto a hard floor, shattering into countless pieces.

Forget it, he thought. As Yucheng said, it was better for Zu An to benefit than for any other man; at least the 'good fortune' was staying within the family.

But why did he still feel so much like crying?

***

Listening to the faint whispers around her, Qiu Honglei showed no emotional reaction. She remained standing there, smiling, quietly waiting for the person to emerge.

Soon, the main gate opened. Upon seeing Chu Zhongtian, the previously excited guards quickly ceased their smiling, standing tall and straight, looking ahead, no longer chattering idly.

Qin Wanru had emerged fuming, but the moment she saw Qiu Honglei, her anger seemed to catch in her throat.

How could there be such a beautiful woman in the world?

Her eldest daughter was also extremely beautiful, but her beauty was like an orchid in a secluded valley, possessing an ethereal, otherworldly quality.

This woman, however, possessed a beauty that was the epitome of worldly allure, exuding femininity from head to toe. Not just men, even women couldn't help but let their imaginations wander upon seeing her.

But in the next second, she snapped back to reality. Why was she praising this woman who was trying to steal her daughter's man?

Hmph, a vixen!

She was about to speak when she suddenly noticed her husband staring wide-eyed at the woman. Angered, she quickly walked over and discreetly gave him a hard pinch.

Chu Zhongtian's old face flushed, and he used a cough to cover his embarrassment.

"Greetings, Lord Moonlit, Madam Chu, Miss Chu." Seeing them emerge, Qiu Honglei was slightly surprised but not overly flustered. She smiled and bowed to each of them, her every movement graceful and flawless.

Chu Zhongtian glanced at his wife guiltily, but as the head of the household, he naturally had to respond. He cleared his throat and asked, "Miss Qiu, what brings you here at such a late hour?"

"Honglei has come to speak with Ah Zu, and I'm truly sorry to have disturbed Lord and Madam." Qiu Honglei curtsied apologetically, making the hearts of the surrounding men melt; they had no inclination to utter a word of blame.

"What do you want with Ah Zu?" Qin Wanru asked, displeased. She knew her daughter was usually reserved and might not bring herself to speak up, so as a mother, she naturally had to stand guard.

*Hmm*, she thought, *if this were before, I would probably have wished for this annoying fellow Zu An to be taken away. Why am I now worried about him being snatched by someone else?*

Qin Wanru pondered for a moment and finally convinced herself with the excuse that "if Zu An left, we would have to find someone else to fend off overtures from various factions, which would not only be troublesome but also harm my daughter's reputation."

*Hmph*, she thought further, *besides, even if he's a piece of trash, he belongs to our Chuyan. How can we let other women simply snatch him away?*

Hearing her question, Qiu Honglei instinctively glanced around, a hint of hesitation appearing on her face. "I'd like to speak with Ah Zu privately about these matters; it might not be convenient here."

"Oh~" The surrounding men watching the scene displayed knowing expressions. A man and a woman meeting privately in the middle of the night—was there any need to guess what they were up to?

Chu Hongcai had painstakingly managed to piece his shattered heart back together, but upon hearing the suggestive laughter of those around him, his already riddled heart instantly disintegrated into dust.

Reason told him to leave this painful place as soon as possible, but emotionally, he couldn't let go, feeling that even just staying there to steal a few more glances at that graceful figure would be worthwhile.

Qin Wanru suppressed her anger. "We of the Chu family always conduct ourselves with openness and honesty. There's nothing that can't be said. What is it?"

Qiu Honglei blinked, saying somewhat innocently, "But I'm not a member of the Chu family."

Those large, fluttering eyes were as pitiable as could be.

Qin Wanru gasped, thinking, *This vixen! If I were a man, I truly wouldn't have the heart to say anything harsh.*

Just as she was about to lash out, Qiu Honglei changed the subject. "However, what I have to say doesn't need to be hidden from Madam and Miss. Could we find a quieter place?"

Although she was answering Qin Wanru's question, most of her attention was fixed on Chu Chuyan.

Previously, she had felt a bit resentful that Chu Chuyan was publicly acknowledged as Moonlit City's most beautiful woman, attributing it solely to her being the Duke's daughter.

Seeing her today, no matter how critical Qiu Honglei might be, she couldn't find a single flaw.

Coldly elegant and noble, what she envied even more was the otherworldly, refined aura Chu Chuyan possessed, something she herself had always lacked.

She sighed inwardly. In a place like Shenxian House, constantly engaging with various men, it was inevitable that she would acquire a certain worldly air.

As Qiu Honglei assessed her, Chu Chuyan was also observing her.

Initially, when she heard that Zu An was closely associated with the courtesan from Shenxian House, although she appeared slightly displeased, she didn't genuinely care.

Among her peers, she had absolute confidence in herself, both in cultivation and appearance.

Even when she heard many people praise Qiu Honglei as the most beautiful woman in Moonlit City, she merely dismissed it with a smile.

But today, seeing this exceptionally beautiful woman with her own eyes, she suddenly felt a hint of regret, wondering if it had been a mistake to allow Zu An to interact with her earlier.

Zu An, who had been observing the scene, suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He couldn't help but glance around.

*Hmm*, he thought, *there's no wind blowing.*

Qin Wanru looked around. Indeed, too many people had gathered at the entrance. Although the Chu family guards were typically loyal, there was no guarantee that there weren't a few spies planted by other families among them.

"Then let's go inside to talk!" she said coldly, turning to leave and pulling her somewhat dazed husband along with her.

"Thank you, Madam~" Qiu Honglei smiled slightly, motioned for her accompanying maidservants to wait outside, and then lifted her skirt and followed them.

Qin Wanru thought, *Why is she thanking me?* Then, her expression suddenly froze as she realized something.

Had she, in a way, allowed her entry into the household by doing this?

This enchantress was truly cunning and impossible to guard against!

However, she glanced at Qiu Honglei, saw her expression was normal, and for a moment couldn't help but wonder if she was overthinking things.

After the group arrived at the study, Qin Wanru dismissed the servants and then looked at Qiu Honglei. "Now you can speak, can't you?"

Qiu Honglei smiled faintly and looked at Zu An. "Ah Zu, I heard you've been running around all day. Are you looking for Young Master Wang?"

Zu An nodded. "How did you know? Yes, that's right. Unfortunately, I've searched many places but haven't found a trace of him."

Qin Wanru, standing nearby, frowned, somewhat blaming him for divulging such important information to an outsider. If the news got out to Wang Fu, he would surely come to the mansion to cause trouble again.

But it was too late to stop it now. Could they really keep Qiu Honglei confined to the mansion for secrecy?

*Hmph*, she thought, *the men in this mansion would probably be overjoyed.*

At this moment, Qiu Honglei spoke. "I do have news about Young Master Wang. Concerned you might be anxious, I specifically came to inform you."

Meanwhile, in the Giant Whale Gang, the young gang leader asked the same question: "Where has the chieftain hidden Wang Yuanlong?"

Chen Xuan's expression turned cold. "What do you mean by that, Gang Leader?"

The young woman smiled faintly. "Chieftain, there's no need to be nervous. I just thought that the entire city must be searching for Wang Yuanlong's whereabouts right now, and since you're not in the city to oversee things, if he were found, wouldn't our transaction become unstable?"

"The Gang Leader needn't worry about that; he certainly won't be found by anyone," Chen Xuan said proudly.

"That's best," the young woman suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, I heard the chieftain has spread word that he intends to kill a man named Zu An?"