Chapter 325: Raising One's Head Proudly

Xu Qinshong calmly responded, "Then give me your riddle!" He had been thrown off balance at first, but now he felt confident in a defensive counterattack. As long as he could match just two more lines, he could regain the upper hand. "Given my knowledge, what could a mere live-in son-in-law possibly know? I refuse to believe he can stump me!"

Zu'an cast a glance at Sang Qian, thinking, *He who strikes first deserves what he gets. Since you started this today, don't blame me for what happens next.* He then looked at Zheng Dan and recited, "One Mouth Ri, One Ri Dan, One Dan Zao, One Zao Han, One Han Sheng Tian!"

Xu Qinshong breathed a sigh of relief. *A live-in son-in-law is just a live-in son-in-law,* he thought. *This is merely a simple character-decomposition couplet: 'One plus mouth makes Ri,' 'One plus Ri makes Dan,' 'One plus Dan makes Zao'…* Just as he was pondering his response, he heard Sang Qian erupt in fury, "Why are you staring at Miss Zheng?!"

(Sang Qian's rage increased by 666 points!)

Xu Qinshong was suddenly startled. *Miss Zheng's given name is Dan,* he realized. *Doesn't that upper couplet also carry a hidden meaning?* A cold sweat instantly broke out on him. The couplet, which he had initially found easy to counter, now seemed impossible to address.

Shrugging at Sang Qian's roar, Zu'an replied, "Miss Zheng is exceptionally beautiful. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to glance at her a few times? General Sang, surely you can't strip the rest of us of the right to appreciate beauty just because you two are engaged?"

"The meaning in your words clearly implies… it clearly implies…" Sang Qian stammered, unable to voice the implication without tarnishing his fiancée's reputation.

(Sang Qian's rage increased by 250 points!)

Even Xie Daoyun cast a chiding glance at Zu'an, feeling he had gone a bit too far in his wordplay involving Zheng Dan.

"I merely rattled off a character-decomposition couplet," Zu'an scoffed. "It wasn't aimed at anyone. Besides, even Miss Zheng isn't bothered, so why are you getting so worked up?"

Sang Qian leaned closer to Zheng Dan and whispered, "Don't be afraid. Just say the word, and I'll teach this brat a lesson today, even if it means offending the Chu family."

To his surprise, Zheng Dan's face flushed slightly, and she shook her head. "Student Zu's couplet is remarkably clever; I even find myself admiring it." In fact, among everyone present, she was probably the only one who truly understood the deeper meaning of the first line—it perfectly described the two weeks they had spent together in the cave. Recalling those memories, she felt a flush spread through her body, leaving her feeling somewhat weak. To be teased by him with such suggestive language in front of so many people, Zheng Dan found it not only unoffensive but incredibly thrilling.

Sang Qian stared at her blankly. For a moment, his fiancée seemed like a stranger. But then, he reconsidered: her reaction was indeed the correct one. If she had admitted anything, wouldn't she have fallen straight into his trap? That would have caused far greater damage to her reputation. With that thought, he felt himself instantly relax a little.

Zu'an noticed the newfound sparkle in Zheng Dan's large eyes, and a thought sparked within him: *Should I assign her a few tasks in the future…?*

At this point, Wang Yuanlong, as the host, finally spoke up: "Since Young Master Xu has been unable to complete the couplet for so long, we will proceed upstairs first. Of course, if Young Master Xu should think of the matching line later, he is welcome to join us directly on the top floor. All his expenses will be my treat."

Zu'an listened, secretly impressed. *Truly worthy of a scion from a prominent family,* he thought. *His words are impeccable, even managing to save Xu Qinshong's pride.*

Beside them, Wei Suo excitedly applauded Zu'an. "Boss, you're incredible! You're good at everything! I'm completely in awe of you now."

Zu'an chuckled, "Oh, hardly!"

Xu Qinshong's eyelid twitched. Every word of praise directed at Zu'an felt like a direct affront to him. He quickly interjected, "It's one thing for Zu'an to go up, but what merit or ability does *this* fellow possess?!" He had already noticed the close relationship between Wei Suo and Zu'an; they appeared to be friends. Since he couldn't get the better of Zu'an himself, humiliating his friend would at least salvage some of his pride. He pointed at Wei Suo, drawing everyone's attention to him.

A chill ran through Wei Suo's heart. *It's over,* he thought. *I don't have the Boss's talent. If I get kicked out of the Four Directions Pavilion now, I'll be utterly disgraced.* He wanted to slap himself. *Wouldn't it have been better to just stay low-key? Why did I have to jump out and draw attention just now?*

Xie Daoyun's delicate brows furrowed slightly, but she remained silent. She was not well acquainted with Wei Suo; were it not for Zu'an, she would likely never have found herself in the same company as him.

Wang Yuanlong also said nothing. He hadn't originally intended to invite Wei Suo today; he had only done so at Zu'an's request. For Zu'an's sake, he might have been willing to risk the Four Directions Pavilion's reputation by forcing Wei Suo upstairs. But for Wei Suo alone, there was no such necessity. Although the Wei family had relatives who served as officials in the capital, they were merely court functionaries who might not even visit Bright Moon City once a year. The Wang family had never shared any particular connection with them.

Wei Suo himself clearly understood this. Not wanting to put Zu'an in a difficult position, nor wishing to stay and suffer further humiliation, he said to Zu'an, "Boss, I'll head back first then."

Seeing his forced cheerfulness, Zu'an frowned and immediately pulled him back. "You're my friend. How could I possibly let you leave?" He then stepped forward and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, the top floor of the Four Directions Pavilion is open to talented individuals from all fields, isn't that right?"

Wang Yuanlong nodded, "That is indeed the case."

Zu'an continued, "Are there any specific regulations on which fields qualify?"

"No, there aren't," Wang Yuanlong replied, "though generally speaking…"

He was interrupted before he could finish. Zu'an chuckled, "In that case, my friend certainly qualifies for the top floor!"

At his declaration, everyone was stunned. It was hard to imagine what talents this rather unseemly-looking man possessed. Even Zheng Dan and Xie Daoyun looked at Wei Suo with curiosity. Wei Suo himself was somewhat bewildered. *Do I possess talents even I'm unaware of?*

Xu Qinshong snorted, "Words alone prove nothing. What exactly is this gentleman's talent? Let's hear it so everyone can judge."

Zu'an gently pushed Wei Suo forward and introduced him. "My brother here has a nickname: the Little Prince of Gossip. In the entire Bright Moon City, when it comes to rumors and scandal, no one is better informed than him." He then prompted, "Tell me, what kind of stockings does Principal Jiang prefer to wear?"

Wei Suo's eyes lit up. Without a moment's hesitation, he replied, "She wears black and nude stockings with almost equal frequency, but I personally prefer the black ones."

Everyone stared, dumbfounded. *This* counted as a talent?

Zu'an then asked, "How long are Principal Jiang's legs?"

At this question, all the men present suddenly perked up. While Principal Jiang's preference for black stockings was no great secret, no one had ever heard a precise measurement of her leg length.

Wei Suo blurted out, "Three chi and seven cun, with an absolute error of no more than one cun!"

Everyone was utterly convinced now. This man truly had a unique talent! Immediately afterward, many in the crowd turned their curious gazes towards Xie Daoyun and Zheng Dan.

Responding to the unspoken curiosity, Zu'an began, "Then, Miss Xie's chest…"

Before he could finish, Xie Daoyun quickly rushed over and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Alright, alright, that's enough! I can vouch for him; he is indeed a rare talent in this particular field and certainly qualified for the top floor. Young Master Wang, wouldn't you agree?"

Xie Daoyun's face was crimson. She certainly didn't want her personal measurements to become common knowledge throughout the city. *What kind of friends does Zu'an surround himself with?* she wondered.

With the City Lord's daughter herself vouching, Wang Yuanlong naturally went with the flow. "Certainly, certainly! Please, everyone!"

With that, no one dared to object further.

Wei Suo dramatically flung the sides of his robe back, then strutted upstairs with his head held high and chest puffed out, like a proud rooster. From the moment he was born, he had always harbored a sense of inferiority, but never before had he felt such a surge of pride and vindication. All of this was thanks to his Boss. As he thought of it, his eyes welled up slightly.

The top floor's decor was undeniably luxurious, yet it lacked any hint of a flashy, nouveau riche ostentation. Clearly, the Wang family had invested considerable effort in its design. The group took their seats one by one. Not long after, Qiu Honglei also arrived.

Zu'an, mindful of his relationship with Qiu Honglei, had intended to go over and speak with her after such a long time. However, to his surprise, her expression was extremely distant, treating him no differently than she treated anyone else. Feeling somewhat dejected after the snub, Zu'an wondered, *What's this girl up to? Is she playing hard to get?*

Zheng Dan had initially felt a pang of jealousy seeing him approach Qiu Honglei; after all, Qiu Honglei's beauty was so striking, evoking a strong sense of insecurity in her as a woman. However, seeing him rebuffed, her lips curled into a slight smile. *Serves him right!*

Sang Qian, who had been secretly pleased by the exchange, spoke up. "Miss Qiu, you arrived a step too late. You missed Brother Zu's magnificent display of literary prowess and his impressive feat of defeating Spark City's great scholar."

Zu'an's heart filled with suspicion. *This guy is clearly my adversary, yet he's suddenly speaking up for me? Something's definitely fishy!*

"Oh, is that so?" Qiu Honglei sounded surprised. *Is A'Zu's literary talent also excellent?* "It's a great pity Honglei missed it."

"Actually, it's simple enough to witness," Sang Qian said, his gaze fixed on Zu'an with ill intent. "Why not have Brother Zu display his literary talent once more? I'm sure he wouldn't want to disappoint a beautiful lady, would he?"