Chapter 291: Pull it out for a walk

Qin Wanru said gravely, "But this is like dancing on a tightrope; a slight misstep could lead to our complete ruin."

"There's no other way. Unless we completely abandon the Chu family's legacy, we can only grit our teeth and persevere," Chu Zhongtian said solemnly, gazing at the Chu residence shrouded in the night outside the window. "Moreover, the experience of past dynasties tells us that as long as we have the power to resist, we still have choices. If we were to give up prematurely, not only would we lose the Chu family's foundation, but even we ourselves, and countless people who rely on the Chu family for their livelihood, would be at the mercy of others. That's why I must hold on."

Qin Wanru patted her husband's shoulder. A pang of sympathy struck her when she noticed faint strands of white hair at his temples. She knew that despite his profound cultivation and being in the prime of his life, constant worry over the Chu family's affairs had prematurely aged him.

Fortunately, Chu Chuyan had helped him a great deal in recent years. She just hoped Chuyan wouldn't follow in her father's footsteps when her time came.

She hoped that in the future, he could help Chuyan bear some of the burden.

But at the thought of Zu An, an image involuntarily appeared in her mind, and her cheeks instantly flushed.

She silently scoffed, driving away those wild thoughts, then turned to her husband and said, "But helping the Wang family this time is still too risky. Sang Hong is already desperate to find a reason to deal with us; aren't we just handing him leverage?"

Chu Zhongtian also wore a worried expression. "But we can't not help them either. The Wang family has been an ally of the Chu family for many years. They've had too many problems this year; if we don't help, the Wang family will truly be finished."

"In Brightmoon City, the Yuan and Zheng families are already against us. We rely on the Wang family as our cornerstone; if they fall, our situation will become even more difficult."

"Moreover, if we stand by and watch our allies suffer without helping, who would dare cooperate with us in the future? Wouldn't that indirectly push everyone towards Sang Hong?"

Qin Wanru nodded. "I understand all that, but diverting the advanced salt revenue carries too much risk. If even a hint of it leaks, we'll be in serious trouble."

Chu Zhongtian took his wife's cold hand, feeling her inner apprehension. "Don't worry, most of the Salt Transport Commissioner's office are our people; there shouldn't be any problem."

The Salt Transport Commissioner's office, from top to bottom, had excellent relations with the Chu family, which was why Wang Fu had dared to propose such a scheme earlier.

"I hope so," Qin Wanru sighed deeply. Though her husband's hand was warm, her heart remained cold with apprehension.

The next morning, Zu An woke up feeling completely refreshed. After washing up, he suddenly noticed many maids and servants running in a certain direction outside his window, which piqued his curiosity.

His sharp eyes spotted Cheng Shoubing among them, and he quickly grabbed him. "What are you all doing?"

Cheng Shoubing excitedly replied, "Of course, we're going to see Miss Qiu! I heard she's combing her hair by the window, and she looks absolutely stunning!"

In fact, not only male servants but also many maids were going. After all, they would never have the chance to visit a place like Shenxianju, and Qiu Honglei's fame for her beauty was too widespread. They were all curious to see how truly beautiful the courtesan queen of Shenxianju was.

"Perfect, let's go together," Zu An thought to himself. Qiu Honglei had been so proactive yesterday, offering information and showing affection. Even though he knew she had ulterior motives, it would be too unkind not to reciprocate in some way.

Cheng Shoubing couldn't help but grumble, "Master Zu, what's the hurry? She's already yours; you can see her every day from now on."

Zu An's face darkened. "What, am I too slow for you? Am I holding you back?"

Cheng Shoubing immediately put on a fawning expression. "How could this humble one dare? This way, Master Zu."

When they arrived at the small building where Qiu Honglei was staying, a crowd had already gathered outside. Sounds of swallowing and envy filled the air, ultimately converging into the most sincere admiration for Qiu Honglei's charm.

"Oh my, oh my, she's truly beautiful."

"Perhaps it's because she smiles so much; she seems even more beautiful than our Young Miss."

"How can there be such a beautiful woman in the world? Look at her beautiful red lips; our faces are merely tools for eating."

"Alas, that's why we're destined to be nothing more than maids."

"Back when Sister Xue'er was here, she could at least bring some prestige to us maids, but sadly, Sister Xue'er is no longer with us."

...

"Master Zu, come here, this spot is perfect!" Cheng Shoubing had already scurried around like a nimble rabbit and quickly found the best vantage point. He beckoned Zu An over, as if presenting a treasure.

"What a display!" Zu An said with disdain, then swaggered directly through the crowd and headed inside.

Only then did Cheng Shoubing realize that given Master Zu's relationship with Miss Qiu, he naturally didn't need to sneak around and peek like the others.

"Ah, Master Zu really has it good!"

"But why do I feel like crying?"

As Zu An made his way inside, many people who were jostled immediately showed their displeasure:

"Who is this, so arrogant?"

"Oh, it's Master Zu."

"What Master Zu? Everyone in this household knows what's going on between him and the Young Miss."

...

Hearing the whispers around him, Zu An remained completely unfazed. His standards had long since risen; he wouldn't stoop to the level of these people.

"Hmph, Master Zu is truly audacious, daring to openly curry favor with Miss Qiu. Who is Miss Qiu? How could she possibly pay him any mind?"

Although many people knew that Qiu Honglei had come to the Chu residence yesterday, most were actually unaware of the specific reason or for whom she had come.

Everyone in the Chu family speculated that she had either been invited by the Young Miss or by the Master and Madam for some performance; they wouldn't have considered any other possibilities.

Just as they were pointing and whispering, Qiu Honglei, who was by the window, had already spotted him. A smile of pleasant surprise instantly appeared on her face, and she joyfully ran out, lifting her skirt.

The previous whispers among the crowd instantly ceased. The sight before their eyes was truly too shocking.

Qiu Honglei, renowned as the most beautiful woman in Brightmoon City, was actually running towards Zu An with the shy demeanor of a young girl seeing her beloved?

"Why him?"

"Damn it."

Rage points from the male servants +66, +66, +66...

"A'Zu, you're here." Qiu Honglei stopped in front of Zu An, revealing a radiant, blossoming smile. Although she had fought with Pei Mianman last night, there was no trace of fatigue on her face; she still shone with dazzling beauty.

"I should have come to find you last night, but I was afraid it was too late and you wouldn't open the door for me," Zu An said with a mischievous grin.

Qiu Honglei looked at him with her large, fluttering eyes. "I certainly wouldn't entertain other men if they came looking for me in the middle of the night, but if it's you, A'Zu, I'd welcome you anytime."

Gazing at her flawless, stunning face, Zu An felt a moment of daze. Although he knew her words were insincere, seeing such a beautiful woman with such a genuine expression still couldn't help but move him.

However, his trance lasted only a moment. He quickly snapped back to reality and, taking the opportunity, put his arm around her waist. "Haha, since we're here, let's introduce you to everyone."

When his hand wrapped around her waist, Qiu Honglei stiffened. After a moment's hesitation, however, she didn't resist and instead said with a smile, "Aren't you afraid your wife will get jealous, hugging me like this in the Chu residence? She was furious yesterday. Is Miss Chu alright?"

She secretly mused that if anything truly happened to Chu Chuyan, it would actually be more beneficial for her own plans.

Of course, she shouldn't die immediately. It would be best if she lingered in bed for a year or two, so that after she helped Zu An establish a firm footing in the Chu family, her death would allow her to legitimately take control of the Chu family.

As if reading her thoughts, Zu An chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, she won't die."

Then, amidst her astonished expression, he led her before the crowd, his arm still around her. "Let me introduce everyone: this is Qiu Honglei from Shenxianju. Isn't she beautiful enough?"

Seeing him holding her waist tightly while Qiu Honglei leaned against him submissively, not resisting at all, the hearts of everyone around them shattered.

"This guy must be doing this on purpose, deliberately coming here to show off to us."

Rage points from the Chu family's male servants +99, +99, +99...

Qiu Honglei found it somewhat strange and didn't understand the meaning of his actions. She surmised he might have been suppressed in the residence for too long and was simply seizing this opportunity to assert himself.

With that thought, she felt a sense of relief and smiled as she greeted everyone. "Hello everyone, I am Qiu Honglei."

Although her smile and words were quite formulaic, having been trained for a long time in a place like Shenxianju, how could these male servants and young maids possibly resist her charm?

Each one of them was utterly captivated.

"A'Zu, shouldn't we go see Master Chu and Miss Chu now?" Qiu Honglei whispered, clearly having no interest in these ordinary male servants and maids.

"No hurry," Zu An smiled, pulling her to continue standing before the crowd. How could he possibly pass up such a good opportunity to earn rage points? "Oh, by the way, Honglei, I haven't introduced you to the handsome men and beautiful women of our residence yet. This is our... hey, buddy, what's your name?"

Rage points from Male Servant A +666!

The people around them were dumbfounded. So he didn't even know their names himself, yet he was talking about introducing them to Miss Qiu.

"He's probably just intentionally bringing her here to show off to us, isn't he?"

Rage points from the male servants +99, +99, +99...

Zu An beamed, having gained tens of thousands of rage points in the time it took to brew a cup of tea.

"It seems finding more female confidantes to earn rage points is indeed a shortcut. How clever am I?"

Qiu Honglei, standing beside him, was also somewhat speechless. She didn't understand why he was doing this. In her opinion, such behavior seemed a little like a small-minded person getting carried away, and she couldn't help but feel a touch of disdain.

"Never mind. For the great cause of the cult, I'll tolerate this man for a while longer."

Just then, a maid ran up to announce, "Miss Qiu, the Young Miss requests your presence for a meal."

"It would be my pleasure to accept Sister Chu's invitation," Qiu Honglei said with a smile, though inwardly she was quite surprised. Yesterday, Chu Chuyan had been so enraged that her qi had attacked her heart, clearly suffering severe, potentially life-threatening injuries. How could she have recovered in just one night?

"Well, no matter. This meeting is a good opportunity to ascertain her true condition."

At this point, Zu An also said, "Oh, so my wife is inviting us for breakfast. I'll join too then."

Qiu Honglei's background was unknown, and Chu Chuyan was now newly recovered from serious injuries. He truly didn't feel comfortable with the two meeting alone.

The maid looked troubled. "But the Young Miss didn't say to invite Master Zu; she only asked me to invite Miss Qiu."

Many of the male servants and maids around them watched him with thinly veiled amusement.

"Hmph, let him show off. He forgot he's just a live-in son-in-law."

"Now he's been exposed in front of Miss Qiu, hasn't he?"