Chapter 280: Redemption

"Excellent!" Chen Xuan's face twitched at the mention of Zuan's name. The blood feud for his brother's murder was already irreconcilable. He couldn't believe he hadn't recognized his enemy at the Divine Immortal Residence, and had been repeatedly frustrated by the man. A wave of anger surged through him.

Rage points from Chen Xuan +404!

Suspicious by nature, Chen Xuan couldn't help but glance at the woman. "Why did the Gang Leader suddenly bring up this person?"

The woman smiled slightly. "Mainly, I'm just curious. In all these years, I've never heard Chief Chen make a public declaration about killing someone, and he still hasn't managed to do it after all this time. Does that fellow have three heads and six arms?"

Chen Xuan huffed unhappily. "He doesn't have three heads and six arms, but he has a good wife and a good father-in-law. As the son-in-law of the Chu family, he's not that easy to kill." Thinking of the previous times that fellow had brazenly paraded through the city, Chen Xuan suspected an ambush and merely tracked him covertly. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything. This made him even more hesitant to act rashly. The Black Wind Fortress had been able to operate freely for so many years, not because of his high cultivation level, but because he was sufficiently cautious. Fortunately, although he failed to kill Zuan, he managed to apprehend Wang Yuanlong.

"Regarding that new son-in-law of the Chu family, I also know a thing or two. Not only does he have the Chu family's protection, but he also has ties to Brightmoon Academy. I wonder what method Chief Chen plans to use to kill him?" the woman asked curiously.

"After I kill him, the Gang Leader will naturally know." Chen Xuan, of course, couldn't reveal his plans and also grew somewhat wary.

Sensing the change in his gaze, the woman smiled slightly. "Chief Chen, there's no need to be nervous. I was just wondering if you needed any assistance from the Giant Whale Gang, as this is not Black Wind Fortress, after all."

Chen Xuan shook his head and said coldly, "No need. If I want to kill someone, I don't need anyone else's help."

"That's good then. I wish Chief Chen immediate success." A smile appeared in the woman's eyes, truly enough to melt any man's heart.

Chen Xuan stared at her intently, feeling a strong urge to tear off her veil, but in the end, reason prevailed. He stood up and said goodbye, "Since our previous discussion is settled, I'll take my leave." He had been out long enough and was somewhat worried about changes in the city. It was better to return early. As for this woman, he would have her sooner or later.

"Chief Chen, travel safely. I won't see you off far. We'll meet again." The woman curtsied slightly.

"With Gang Leader Guan being so beautiful, we'll definitely meet again." Chen Xuan chuckled and turned to leave.

After his figure completely disappeared, the woman in red removed her veil and sneered, "A toad lusting after a swan!" If Zuan were here, he would be very surprised, as this woman was an acquaintance. Even more surprisingly, her current attire, appearance, and demeanor were completely different from the person he knew.

Meanwhile, the Chu family members were all greatly surprised when they heard Qiu Honglei's words. Chu Zhongtian exclaimed, "What? Miss Qiu knows where Wang Yuanlong is?"

Qiu Honglei smiled shyly. "I'm not entirely certain, but someone saw a person resembling Young Master Wang being taken to a certain area."

Qin Wanru grew anxious. "Since you know his whereabouts, why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Just now, there were too many people, and I was worried that if I said it, someone with ill intentions would hear and spread the news. Also, I was worried about Chen Xuan retaliating afterward..." As Qiu Honglei spoke, her eyes reddened, as if she had been frightened.

Chu Zhongtian glanced at his wife, then gently said to Qiu Honglei, "Miss Qiu, you don't need to worry. We will definitely send people to protect you afterward. But could you first tell us the address so we can rescue him before discussing anything else?"

Seeing her husband glare at her because of another woman, Qin Wanru was furious inside, but rescuing Wang Yuanlong was paramount at the moment. She had to suppress her temper and wait for Qiu Honglei's answer.

To their surprise, Qiu Honglei pursed her lips and shook her head.

"What do you mean, Miss Qiu?" Chu Zhongtian asked, puzzled.

Qiu Honglei hesitated, then said, "I only want to tell Ah Zu."

Seeing everyone's gazes turn to him, Zuan was stunned. "What's the difference? Telling me is no different from telling them; I'll tell them anyway."

"It's different," Qiu Honglei shook her head, her usually charming expression now inexplicably firm.

Zuan was completely baffled, truly unable to figure out what the difference was.

Chu Chuyan, however, seemed to understand. "Why is Miss Qiu so special to Ah Zu?"

Qiu Honglei secretly glanced at Zuan, then said with a shy expression, "Because I like him."

Chu Zhongtian, who was drinking water, nearly spat it out when he heard that. Qin Wanru looked utterly shocked, her first reaction being that she had misheard. Chu Chuyan's star-like eyes also widened, clearly not expecting to hear that answer. Zuan, too, was bewildered, wondering what this woman was trying to do.

After the initial shock, Qin Wanru was the first to recover, her expression instantly turning cold. "Miss Qiu, do you know what you're saying?"

Qiu Honglei nodded. "Of course I know. From the first moment I saw him, I was captivated by his talent, wit, and character, and I fell irrevocably in love with him."

Chu Zhongtian rubbed his ears. Was the image of the perfect lover that Qiu Honglei described Zuan? Although he hadn't particularly disliked this son-in-law, to be fair, while Zuan wasn't the 'waste' everyone called him, wasn't he still miles away from being perfect?

Qin Wanru also frowned, looking at Qiu Honglei. This woman seemed quite beautiful and clever, but when did her eyes go blind? The least surprised among them was Chu Chuyan, because she knew Zuan's capabilities better than anyone else. But why this woman? Did she also recognize his extraordinariness at first glance? The thought that a secret she had thought only she knew was now known by someone else made her feel instinctively uncomfortable.

At this moment, Qiu Honglei spoke again: "Of course, I know that with my status, I'm certainly not qualified to compete with the young mistress. All I ask is to be able to quietly stay by Ah Zu's side. Whether as a concubine, or even as a slave or maid, I'm perfectly willing."

Chu Zhongtian was speechless.Qin Wanru was speechless.Chu Chuyan was speechless.

Qin Wanru hadn't quite recovered. Was there such an amazing live-in son-in-law in this world? He had only been married for a few days, and not only was a woman coming to their door, but she was also loudly proclaiming she wanted to be his concubine? If it were an ordinary woman, she might have just sent people to kick her out. But Qiu Honglei's reputation in Brightmoon City was too grand, and she was too beautiful, making it difficult for Qin Wanru to bring herself to deal with her in the usual way for a moment. By the way, why would a woman so beautiful that even Qin Wanru admired her, fancy that Zuan fellow?

Even Zuan himself was a bit baffled. The two had been somewhat ambiguous at the Divine Immortal Residence, but it was nowhere near the point of marriage, was it? And weren't they both secretly plotting against each other? Why wasn't she playing by the rules?

Chu Zhongtian lightly coughed. "Miss Qiu, you said you wanted to be... Zuan's concubine?" He naturally wouldn't take words like 'being a slave or maid' seriously. Given Qiu Honglei's status, how could she possibly become a slave or maid? But he still couldn't understand. Over the years, countless officials and nobles had been captivated by her beauty, all wanting to take her as a concubine, but each had been politely refused. Everyone privately speculated about what kind of man would finally catch her eye. Within Brightmoon City's upper circles, it was even speculated that she most likely wanted to be a proper wife and would invest in a promising but not yet established young talent. But after all her choosing, she ended up wanting to be a concubine to a live-in son-in-law? What on earth was this?

"Indeed," Qiu Honglei lifted her head, her tone firm, as if she were stating something she was immensely proud of.

Qin Wanru could no longer hold back. "Stop joking! Miss Qiu, with your stature, what kind of husband couldn't you find? Why would you come to be Ah Zu's concubine!"

Zuan, standing nearby, immediately became annoyed. What kind of thing was that to say? Was she implying he was trash?

Qiu Honglei smiled slightly. "Yes, I have many choices, but when I choose a person, I only value talent and character. For all these years, Ah Zu is the only man who has moved my heart. From the first moment I saw him, I knew he was the man destined for me."

Zuan thought to himself, 'I don't believe a word you say. When you first saw me, you were clearly full of schemes.' But the others were still in shock and hadn't recovered. They were all native Brightmoon City residents and naturally knew how famous Qiu Honglei had been over the years. No matter how much they racked their brains, they couldn't figure out what was going on.

Qiu Honglei continued, "Of course, I also know that Ah Zu's status is a bit sensitive. Over the years, I've also gained some minor fame and accumulated some wealth. If Master and Madam don't mind, I would like to redeem Ah Zu, to restore his freedom."

Zuan almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Who was redeeming whom?!