Chapter 292: I Have Always Been Fair

Those who had previously been incensed by him were now even more thrilled, each eager to witness his impotent rage and the humiliation he would suffer before Miss Qiu.

To everyone's surprise, Zu'an showed no emotional reaction. He simply stated, "My wife asked you to invite Miss Qiu, but she didn't forbid you from inviting me, did she?"

The maid was taken aback. "No, she didn't, but..."

"There you have it then," Zu'an interrupted her. "It's perfect; we'll go together, lest she bully our Honglei."

The maid was speechless.

The servants were likewise speechless.

His logic was astonishingly clever; for a moment, no one could find a valid counter-argument.

The bewildered maid led the two toward Chu Chuyan's residence, leaving behind a group of whispering onlookers.

"Did you hear what he just said? He seemed concerned that the Young Mistress might bully Miss Qiu. Our Young Mistress is such a kind person; why would she ever bully Miss Qiu?"

"You haven't heard? I heard the Young Master-in-law plans to take Miss Qiu as a concubine."

"What? He's a live-in son-in-law; can he even take a concubine? And someone like Miss Qiu? Where did you hear such a preposterous rumor?"

"Wouldn't asking his pageboy confirm it?"

All eyes then turned to Cheng Shoubing, who was quietly reveling in the situation.

"Cheng Shoubing, is what they're saying true?"

Cheng Shoubing puffed out his chest, looking proud. "Of course, and Miss Qiu even threw herself at him."

"How is that possible?"

"That's absurd!"

"Perhaps it is true. I did hear that Miss Qiu previously sent an invitation to the manor, inviting the Young Master-in-law to the Immortal's Residence."

"But what makes him so special?"

Cheng Shoubing immediately took offense. "Our Young Master-in-law is handsome, dashing, and incredibly charming. Isn't it perfectly normal for Miss Qiu to like him? Forget Miss Qiu; I bet in the future, Miss Spring, Miss Summer, and Miss Winter will be falling all over him too. Don't compare your pathetic self to our Young Master-in-law; there's no comparison... Hey, why are you clenching your fists?"

"Damn it, we can't hit the Young Master-in-law, but we can hit you! Who told you to gloat!"

The group was already seething with anger at Zu'an, and Cheng Shoubing's relentless boasting only fueled their rage. Unable to contain themselves any longer, they finally pinned Cheng Shoubing to the ground and gave him a thorough beating.

Cheng Shoubing was on the verge of tears. *The Young Master-in-law gets all the enjoyment, so why am I always the one who gets beaten?*

"Achoo!"

On the other side, Zu'an sneezed.

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Did you catch a cold?"

"Not at all. It's probably just that I'm too handsome; someone must be thinking of me," Zu'an said with a grin.

Qiu Honglei smiled, "Ah Zu, you really are humorous."

The two continued chatting and laughing, while the maid walking ahead felt a surge of indignation, thinking, *What a pair of illicit lovers!*

Upon reaching Chu Chuyan's residence, Qiu Honglei didn't rush inside. Instead, she gazed at the plaque above the courtyard entrance and slowly read aloud, "Clear Sound Pavilion... This courtyard is so exquisitely designed, and it even bears such a tranquil name. Sister Chu truly possesses refined taste; merely seeing these words calms my heart considerably."

Zu'an was momentarily stunned. He had visited this place so many times, yet he had never truly noticed its name, forgetting it as soon as he read it. He mused that he truly was a rather unrefined person.

"Miss Qiu, you flatter me. I've long heard of your Sleeping Cloud Villa as well, though I've unfortunately never had the chance to visit." A cool, clear voice spoke. Chu Chuyan, with her graceful figure, was already standing at the entrance, clearly having been informed of their arrival beforehand.

Qiu Honglei's expression shifted to one of surprise. She observed that Chu Chuyan showed no signs of severe illness or frailty; on the contrary, her complexion was rosy, and a radiant glow emanated from her brows. She seemed nothing like the aloof woman described in the rumors.

Although she was puzzled, her response was quick: "I had originally intended to invite you, Sister, to be my guest. However, a place like the Immortal's Residence is quite sordid, and I wouldn't wish to trouble your esteemed presence there, lest it tarnish your pure reputation."

"Miss Qiu, you overstate it," Chu Chuyan replied, gesturing for her to enter. "Your ability to remain unsullied in such a place truly earns my admiration."

Zu'an, standing to the side, was dumbfounded. *What's happening? I expected a battlefield, but why are they chatting like sisters?*

At that moment, Qiu Honglei was equally perplexed. *Yesterday, she was clearly furious, so why is she so calm and amiable with me now? What exactly happened last night?*

Later, during their meal, the two women chatted casually about a wide range of topics, from music and chess to calligraphy and painting. Conspicuously, they avoided any mention of Zu'an.

Although Qiu Honglei consistently addressed her as "Sister," Chu Chuyan offered no reaction, neither rejecting nor accepting the term, and continued to politely address her as "Miss."

Zu'an attempted to interject several times, but neither Chu Chuyan nor Qiu Honglei responded. Both women were entirely engrossed in their conversation with each other, with no attention to spare for him.

"This reaction isn't right!" Zu'an muttered, thoroughly displeased that his plan to accumulate rage points had fallen through.

After they had chatted for a while, Chu Chuyan finally broached the main topic. "Miss Qiu, are you truly planning to marry Ah Zu?"

*Here it comes,* Qiu Honglei thought, offering a slight smile. "Of course, it's true."

Chu Chuyan's face remained unreadable. "Even if it means coming to live at the Chu family manor?"

Qiu Honglei sighed faintly. "Since Ah Zu cannot bear to leave you, Sister, I can only follow him wherever he goes. Truth be told, I am quite apprehensive about this, so I hope you will show me kindness in the future. However, I have always heard of your noble character, so I do trust you would not make things difficult for me."

Chu Chuyan shook her head slightly. "Sometimes rumors aren't entirely true. When it concerns one's husband, a woman's generosity can only extend so far."

Qiu Honglei's expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, immediately saying, "Rumors claimed that your relationship with Ah Zu was merely adequate, but now it seems outsiders have profoundly misunderstood the truth."

Zu'an finally found his chance to interject. He promptly sat down next to Chu Chuyan and embraced her, saying, "Exactly! Our marital bond is incredibly strong, wouldn't you agree, wife?"

Chu Chuyan immediately flushed deep red, instinctively wanting to push him away. However, the memory of him taking liberties with her the previous day suddenly flashed in her mind, and she instantly felt her body go limp, completely forgetting her intention to push him away.

Seeing the blush on Chu Chuyan's face and how she allowed Zu'an to embrace her, Qiu Honglei's expression finally shifted. The core premise of her plan was that Zu'an was undervalued within the Chu family, which would allow her to step in as his savior and initiate a series of subsequent events.

However, their current demeanor starkly contradicted her previous intelligence.

Noticing Qiu Honglei's somewhat displeased expression, Zu'an patted his thigh, gesturing for her to sit closer, and declared nonchalantly, "I'm always fair. From now on, you two sisters shall live in harmony, and I guarantee equal favor for both."

Qiu Honglei was speechless.

Chu Chuyan was equally bewildered.

Just as both women were about to react, a servant suddenly arrived with a report: "Young Mistress, the Master sent me to inform you that a large number of merchants are striking in the market today, and many salt merchants have gone to the City Lord's Mansion to cause trouble. It appears to be related to our previous arrest of the Zheng family steward."