Chapter 332: Gu Hai Is Really Amazing

If Zu An had seen him, he would have immediately recognized him as the mysterious master he had encountered at the Wei family yesterday.

The old man had heard from Wei Dabao yesterday that Zu An had learned a lot at Mingyue Academy, so he came here to investigate.

Naturally, Rude was the first to suffer. However, after testing him for a long time, the old man found that Rude's skills had no connection whatsoever to the person he was looking for.

So he began searching for his next target.

Soon, Bai Susu, that effeminate man, caught his eye. For some reason, he had always detested unmanly, unwomanly people.

He quietly made his way towards Bai Susu's dormitory. The academy had many overt and covert guards, but they were as nothing to him.

Unaware that he was being targeted, Zu An was playing a breath-holding game with Zheng Dan, seeing who could hold their breath longer.

A moment later, Zu An seemed unsatisfied. He lifted her by her thighs, pulling her whole body up and pressing her firmly against the wall.

Zheng Dan's face flushed crimson. She urgently whispered, "Someone will come!"

Although the spot was secluded, it was still within the academy, and there was always a chance that students might pass by.

"We can make a bet," Zu An whispered into her ear.

Zheng Dan's heart fluttered. Biting her lip, she murmured, "Then hurry..."

...

When Zheng Dan returned to the classroom, Xie Daoyun looked at her curiously. "Why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?"

Zheng Dan shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

Far from feeling unwell, the truth was quite the opposite.

Beneath her quiet exterior lay a daring, adventurous heart, but what had just happened was truly too risky. Her heart had been in her throat the entire time, terrified that a classmate might see them and ruin her reputation.

Yet, the more intense the tension, the more thrilling she found it, and her body felt much more sensitive than usual.

She could no longer maintain her usual dignified, upright posture. Instead, she lay languidly on her desk, feeling too lazy to move a single finger.

Many male students also noticed she was more alluring than usual, secretly glancing at her and swallowing hard.

But that was all. Everyone knew her fiancé was the General of the River Defense Camp and the Prefect's son. No one dared to show any disrespect, fearing they would offend the Sang family.

That evening, as school ended, Zheng Dan encountered Zu An again at the school gate. However, she merely offered a faint smile and a slight nod of acknowledgment.

To outsiders, they seemed to be mere acquaintances, as Zheng Dan was always so gentle and polite to everyone.

Zu An had to admit that women were natural actresses, capable of such a precise difference between their public and private personas.

"Brother-in-law, what are you thinking about? You're smiling so lewdly," Chu Huanzhao exclaimed as she excitedly ran out. Seeing him waiting for her, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Was I smiling?" Zu An touched his cheek, wondering if he had gotten too carried away.

"Hmph, you were smiling like..." Chu Huanzhao suddenly said with a surprised "Oh," "Why did you change your clothes?"

"Oh, I accidentally got them dirty just now, so I went to the dormitory to change," Zu An replied.

What a joke! Chu Chuyan had already smelled another woman's perfume on him before. How could he make the same mistake twice?

"Oh~" Chu Huanzhao didn't seem suspicious.

At that moment, Zu An suddenly noticed Ji Xiaoxi not far away. She was truly so well-behaved it made one's heart ache with affection. No wonder that guy Ji Dengtu had become such a doting father.

If I had such a cute daughter, I'd probably become like him too.

"Hi, Xiaoxi." Zu An waved at her, wondering if he could buy some healing elixirs from her.

Pei Mianman's injury last night served as a reminder; he couldn't always rely on instant recovery potions from the system. He needed to stock up on other healing medicines.

In all of Mingyue City, whose healing medicines could compare to the Ji family's?

Who knew that upon hearing his voice, Ji Xiaoxi would speed away like a startled rabbit, not even looking back?

Zu An: "..."

"Xiaozhao, do I look like a bad guy?" He was a bit displeased.

Chu Huanzhao looked him up and down, then nodded heavily. "Yes, and the especially bad kind!"

Zu An: "..."

Chu Huanzhao snorted. "Who told you to see her completely naked? It would be strange if she didn't avoid you."

After his previous extensive explanations, and considering Ji Xiaoxi's past reputation, she finally believed that what happened last time was just a coincidence.

But the thought of her brother-in-law embracing a naked Ji Xiaoxi still annoyed her greatly. It felt like her own carefully grown vegetables had been picked by the neighbor.

Zu An said awkwardly, "Keep your voice down! Keep your voice down!"

Then he turned around and glared fiercely at his attendants. "What did you just hear?"

Feng Danu and the others were still shocked that their young master had seen Ji Xiaoxi naked. Now, seeing his threatening gaze, they immediately shook their heads. "We didn't hear anything, didn't hear anything."

Cheng Shoubing, standing by, foolishly flattered him, "Young master, you're truly amazing, to even..."

Before he could finish, Jiao Shanhe and the others clapped a hand over his mouth. "This guy misheard, he misheard."

After spending so much time together, they had grown fond of him; they couldn't bear to see him make a fool of himself.

"Hmph!" Chu Huanzhao finally retracted her murderous gaze, pulling Zu An along as they continued.

Upon returning to the entrance of the Chu Residence, Zu An was surprised to spot a familiar carriage in the distance.

Soon, a maid ran over. "Young Master Zu, my mistress requests your presence."

"Who is your mistress?" Chu Huanzhao, standing nearby, blocked Zu An with a wary expression. She didn't know why, but more and more women were appearing around her brother-in-law these days.

The maid smiled sweetly. "Young Master Zu will know once he goes."

As if sensing Chu Huanzhao's displeasure, she added, "It's just over there, it won't take long."

Zu An patted Chu Huanzhao's head. "Xiaozhao, don't worry, I'll go see."

Chu Huanzhao huffed begrudgingly. She wanted to follow and see, but the maid was standing there, making it clear only Zu An was invited, and she couldn't bring herself to intrude.

"I'm not waiting for you!" Chu Huanzhao declared defiantly, then walked towards the house. However, upon reaching the main gate, she couldn't resist stopping and secretly watching from the shadows.

Meanwhile, Zu An approached the carriage. A pair of delicate hands opened the door. "Ah Zu, please come in."

Zu An smiled faintly. After getting into the carriage, he looked at the incomparably beautiful woman before him. "Honglei, why didn't you wait inside?"

Qiu Honglei pursed her lips and smiled. "The people inside probably wouldn't welcome me much; I prefer not to invite awkwardness."

Zu An gave an awkward laugh. The chaotic scene from her last visit to the Chu family was still vivid in his mind. "By the way, did you come to see me about something today?"

"Can't I come to see you unless there's something wrong?" A hint of resentment flashed in Qiu Honglei's eyes.

Zu An had to admit, sometimes he couldn't tell if she was being sincere or pretending.

Qiu Honglei handed him a neat set of clothes. "Thank you for the clothes last time. I haven't had a chance to return them until now."

"Honglei, you're too polite. It's just a piece of clothing; there's no need for you to make a special trip." Although Zu An said this, he was secretly wondering if he should lend her another book.

Isn't that how relationships work, borrowing and returning, back and forth, to deepen feelings?

"Oh, and there was this conch in the clothes last time." Qiu Honglei took out a delicate conch from beside her. "This item seems very interesting. Can I keep it?"

Zu An looked awkward. "This..."

If it were anything else, he would have given it to her without hesitation, but this was something Shang Liuyu had lent him, and he hadn't had time to return it yet. How could he just give it away?

Qiu Honglei thrust the conch into his arms, pursing her lips into a smile. "Another girl gave it to you, didn't she? Don't worry, I was just teasing you."

Zu An awkwardly took the conch back. "Another day, if I have the chance, I'll get you a different musical instrument."

"I'll remember that then," Qiu Honglei smiled, then suddenly said seriously, "I came to see you this time because there's something important I need to tell you."