Chapter 297: Close Friend

Feeling the warmth of his palm, Zheng Dan trembled. Her expression constantly shifted, and several times her red lips parted, but for some reason, she couldn't speak.

Zu An, too, didn't understand why she wasn't resisting. If this was a honey trap, it was an incredibly high-stakes one. In that case, he'd see what trick she was playing! Thinking righteously, Zu An stopped holding back and boldly reached into her embrace.

Feeling the man's brazen invasion from behind, Zheng Dan's eyes were nearly brimming with tears. She also didn't understand why she wasn't resisting. She knew that if she wanted to, the man behind her couldn't possibly hold her back. Yet, this novel experience ignited an inexplicable longing deep within her soul.

From childhood, she had been meticulously trained in the strictest etiquette for young ladies. She always excelled, being a well-behaved girl in her youth and later becoming synonymous with elegance and grace in her social circle. Every word and action of hers was beyond reproach. As she grew older, her family arranged a marriage for her. Her fiancé was handsome, charming, and accomplished, hailing from a prominent family—the dream man of countless young ladies.

Although she never raised any objections, for some reason, she could never truly feel happy about it. Was she dissatisfied with her fiancé? Probably not. While he was a bit foolish and reckless, he was exceptionally good in all other respects. Given the Zheng family's status, finding such a fiancé was already the best option. But deep down, she never liked it. She disliked this life that had been arranged for her since childhood. She felt as though she had never lived a single day for herself in over a decade.

It wasn't until she took on the mission to get close to Zu An that she suddenly felt something different. That cautious dance on the edge of morality and etiquette made her heart race. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in over a decade. Before, although she smiled gently and appropriately in front of others every day, her daily life had simply been a mechanical repetition. There was no anticipation. But after meeting Zu An, she woke up every morning feeling full of expectation and energy. That feeling made her feel years younger—though she wasn't old, her heart had prematurely aged from a life where she could see the end.

Zu An was different; unlike any man she had encountered before. Rogue, despicable, shameless... It seemed all negative words could be applied to him. Despite her upbringing teaching her to despise such men, everything changed when it came to Zu An. Instead, she found him genuine and free-spirited, unlike the hypocritical men around her. Moreover, a fundamental life force attraction emanated from him. She couldn't describe the feeling, only that he possessed a vibrant flame of life, and being with him made every cell in her body feel alive.

Therefore, she tacitly allowed some of his impolite actions. Before, this would have been unimaginable. Not only could no ordinary man touch even the hem of her clothes, but she wouldn't even allow her fiancé to hold her hand. Yet, she let this man treat her this way every time. After several such encounters, she sometimes wondered if she had a masochistic streak; the more he "humiliated" her, the more she felt an inexplicable anticipation.

Suddenly feeling his next move, she quickly reached out to stop him: "Not there. I can't compromise my body before marriage." She was, after all, not an ordinary person, and rationality ultimately prevailed. She knew that if her body was compromised and the Sang family found out, it would lead to an unending conflict between the two families. The consequences were too severe; no matter how daring she was, she wouldn't truly risk that.

Zu An was instantly dumbfounded. What was going on with this woman? Everything else was fine, but not the final step? What kind of game was this?

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Zheng Dan seemed to startle awake, pushed him away, quickly straightened her clothes, and then, covering her face, ran out. After just one step, her legs went weak, and she nearly fell to the ground. Her heart had been racing, and her body felt completely weak. If Zu An hadn't been pressing against her, she probably would have already slid down the wall. As a result, she ran too fast and forgot about her weakened state. Zheng Dan turned back, bit her lip, and gave Zu An a resentful glare before opening the door and rushing out.

"Ah Zu, Ah Zu~"

Shang Liuyu was standing at the door, knocking. Suddenly, the door opened, and she expected Zu An, but instead, a woman shot out from inside. "Oh, who are you?" Shang Liuyu was puzzled, but the woman acted as if she hadn't heard, disappearing into the distance without a backward glance.

Only then did Zu An step out: "Ah, it's Teacher Shang. Please come in quickly."

Shang Liuyu looked in the direction Zheng Dan had disappeared, her expression a little strange: "Who was that just now?"

Zu An chuckled: "That was just a student who came to ask me for help with a math problem. Ah, students nowadays are so eager to learn, and I've always been a kind-hearted person."

A knowing smile played on Shang Liuyu's face: "That was Zheng Dan, wasn't it?"

Zu An: "..."

He couldn't help but feel a little deflated: "Sister, if you recognized her from the start, why did you bother asking me?"

"She was covering her face, so I didn't recognize her at first. But I'm quite sensitive to people's scents, and then I remembered it was Zheng Dan's smell," Shang Liuyu said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Zu An: "..." If Zheng Dan knew others could identify her by scent, she probably wouldn't have fled so frantically just now. After all, covering her face would have been pointless.

At this point, Shang Liuyu's smile faded, and she spoke with some hesitation: "Ah Zu, I probably shouldn't be saying this. But... as a friend, I must give you some advice. As far as I know, Zheng Dan is already engaged. It would be best if you two were more careful sometimes."

Zu An looked awkward: "Sister Shang, we're just ordinary friends." By the end of his sentence, his confidence wavered.

Shang Liuyu smiled sweetly: "If you're just ordinary friends, that's best. Consider me to have spoken out of turn."

Zu An felt uncomfortable. After all, she genuinely meant well for him, but he truly didn't know how to respond to that topic. He could only say, "What brings you to see me today, Sister?"

"Oh dear, I almost forgot the main reason I came!" Shang Liuyu slapped her forehead, revealing a charming naivete that would drive any man wild. "Principal Jiang sent me to help you take over the Plum Blossom Gang's assets. If you're free, let's head out now."

"The beautiful principal sent you?" Zu An was a little surprised.

Shang Liuyu huffed: "What, do you think I'm that unreliable?"

"Not at all," Zu An quickly replied. "It's just that in my mind, Sister Shang has always been a person of pure and noble character, someone who wouldn't bother with such mundane affairs. I thought about it, and I really couldn't imagine the principal sending you."

Shang Liuyu also looked a bit downcast: "I didn't want to come either, but I couldn't refuse Luofu when she asked me, so I had to help her out."

"Luofu?" Zu An was momentarily confused.

Shang Liuyu then explained: "Actually, Principal Jiang and I are very close, like best friends in a way. She's usually quite aloof and doesn't have many truly trustworthy friends, so when she came to me, I had no choice but to help her."

"Best friends, huh..." Zu An couldn't help but think of Pei Mianman and Chu Chuyan's relationship, and for a moment, he couldn't quite look at the word directly. It took him a while to collect himself. "But... but..."

Seeing him struggle to find words, Shang Liuyu smiled: "Are you worried I can't handle the situation?"

Zu An gave an awkward smile but said nothing. He knew that among the teachers at the academy, Shang Liuyu was renowned for her beauty, but certainly not for her cultivation.

Shang Liuyu, however, saw his concern: "Don't worry, I can handle something this small."

Zu An chuckled: "Of course! With Sister Shang on the job, any trouble will be sorted out!" He thought to himself that since Mei Chaofeng was dead, he could handle the remaining minor thugs himself and wouldn't need to trouble someone like Shang Liuyu with such mundane affairs.

Noticing his expression, Shang Liuyu had already figured out most of his thoughts. She smiled slightly and offered no explanation.

"Shall we go now?" Zu An had been a little annoyed that his private moment was interrupted, but if Shang Liuyu was accompanying him, his irritation instantly vanished.

Shang Liuyu, however, shook her head: "Wait, we still need to find someone else."

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Unconsciously, we've reached Chapter 300. I wanted to say something, but after thinking for a long time, nothing came to mind. So, I just wish everyone finds their ideal partner soon.