Chapter 362: Collision

Qin Wanru was seething. Officials could twist their words however they pleased, always finding a way to justify anything. They could find a noble reason to investigate him, and an equally valid reason not to. It was truly sickening! Although she often complained that Chu Zhongtian was too upright and lacked worldly shrewdness, she knew that if he ever became a cynical, seasoned official like that, she would be the first to find him unbearable. Given the current circumstances, however, she could only suppress her anger and say coldly, "Then we truly must thank Lord Sang!"

Sang Hong noticed her emphasis on "truly thank," but he didn't mind. Instead, he looked at Zu An and remarked, "Madam, you've found yourself a fine son-in-law."

Zu An paused, unsure what Sang Hong was trying to achieve or why he was suddenly praising him. Knowing the old fox likely had ulterior motives, he replied, "Lord Sang has also found a fine daughter-in-law."

Sang Hong froze, a secret anger simmering within him. He believed Zu An was subtly implying that his son, despite being on the verge of death, still insisted on marrying Zheng Dan.

Rage from Sang Hong +399!

"Young man, don't be so arrogant," Sang Hong snorted before turning and walking away. He thought to himself that this fellow wouldn't be around for much longer anyway, and he could settle accounts with him later.

Seeing the rage value in his system, Zu An mused that Sang Hong was quite petty to get angry just from being congratulated on finding a good daughter-in-law. Besides, Zheng Dan really was good. He had personally experienced it; she was excellent in every way. It wasn't an ungrounded evaluation.

Watching Sang Hong and his entourage file out, Chu Hanzhao excitedly ran to Zu An, hugging his arm. "Brother-in-law, you were amazing today! You even made the Prefect leave!"

Qin Wanru also mused that it was indeed good to have a man in the household. Just as she was about to praise Zu An, she saw her second daughter run over and intimately embrace him. Her brows furrowed instinctively, but remembering how much they owed him today, she couldn't bring herself to reprimand her and simply pretended not to notice. However, this scene conveyed more to the other onlookers. Cheng Shoubing glanced triumphantly at Jiao Shanhe and the others, his expression clearly saying, "Didn't I tell you so?" Jiao Shanhe and the others had already mentally prepared themselves to lose the bet, so they didn't feel much. They were simply genuinely happy for their son-in-law.

At this, Zu An smiled slightly. "How could a mere commoner like me drive away the Prefect? Ultimately, he was deferring to the Chu family and to Madam. I was merely riding on their coattails."

"It's rare to see you being humble; I'm quite unaccustomed to it," Qin Wanru couldn't help but remark.

"When have I ever not been humble? That's just a common misconception about me," Zu An replied with a straight face.

"Alright, alright, don't get carried away," Qin Wanru chuckled teasingly. "Was that remark just now a roundabout way of calling me a tigress?"

Zu An paused, realizing he truly hadn't meant it that way. However, since he hadn't received any rage value from her, he assumed she wasn't actually angry. Growing bolder, he said, "How could that be? I've never seen such a beautiful tigress."

Qin Wanru's face flushed. She gave him an exasperated glare. "You're so disrespectful!" she retorted, then turned and walked away.

The surrounding guards were all dumbfounded. They had truly underestimated their son-in-law; he even dared to flirt with the Madam. Even more surprising was that the Madam, usually so strict and unyielding, hadn't gotten angry! It seemed their son-in-law had finally secured his position in the Chu family.

After the day's upheaval, the Chu family quickly settled into calm. Servants and maids tidied up the scattered items, and before they knew it, night had fallen. Qin Wanru, meanwhile, was busy handling the accumulated affairs with her trusted confidantes, including Steward Hong Zhong, and discussing their upcoming plans. She had even specifically summoned Zu An to join them. She had realized during their recent interactions that Zu An was not as useless as she had once thought; on the contrary, he showed great potential. She therefore decided to seize this opportunity to train him, hoping he could alleviate some of Chu Chuyan's future burdens and become a valuable asset to the Chu family. Unfortunately, Zu An began to yawn instantly upon hearing about the Chu family's complicated business dealings and the comings and goings of goods. He soon slumped onto the table and fell asleep. Qin Wanru frowned, feeling a touch of disappointment. Yet, in front of so many people, it wouldn't be proper to reprimand him, so she simply let him be.

While the group was gathered in the main hall for their meeting, a figure dressed in black stealthily entered Qin Wanru and Chu Zhongtian's room. He appeared to be intimately familiar with the outer guards and the internal traps, navigating smoothly and avoiding all defensive measures along the way. Once inside, he began rummaging through every conceivable hiding spot in the room. During the day, Sang Hong had searched most areas with his men. Only this room, along with those of Chu Chuyan and Chu Hanzhao, remained unsearched. Everyone in the Chu manor knew Chu Hanzhao's disposition; the ledger could not possibly be in her room. Qingyin Pavilion was initially a strong possibility, but Chu Chuyan hadn't been home recently, and the pavilion was mostly deserted, making it unlikely that such an important item would be stored there. That left only the family head's room, which was the most logical deduction!

Before arriving, he had already speculated on several of the most likely hiding places in the room. Unfortunately, despite searching for a long time, he found nothing. He was growing anxious. The ledger was critically important; it was the condition for Sang Hong's support and fundamental to his future control over the Chu family. Without it, everything would become incredibly difficult. He then searched a second time, practically turning the entire room upside down, but still came up empty-handed.

"Why? Why!" He hissed in a low voice. Had he schemed for so many years only for it to fail because of this? Yet, despite his outburst, he couldn't change the unyielding reality.

It was time to leave! He realized time was running out, but leaving empty-handed after coming all this way would be a significant loss. He glanced back at the bed, and a sudden warmth spread through him. He went straight to the bed and lay down. Qin Wanru usually lay on this bed, didn't she? That Chu Zhongtian was truly fortunate, getting to sleep with such a beauty every day. If he had such an opportunity, he wouldn't ever want to get out of bed. Inhaling the faint lingering scent on the bed, the unique fragrance of Qin Wanru's powder, he felt utterly intoxicated. He lay on the bed, greedily sniffing the scent, as if by doing so he could somehow bring his dream goddess beneath him. He clutched Qin Wanru's pillow, sniffing desperately. Ordinarily, he would never have had the chance to get close enough to smell her hair.

As he was sniffing, he suddenly had a thought. He quickly sat upright and fumbled around the pillow. At last, he found a hidden compartment and pulled out a small booklet. Seeing the word "Ledger" on its cover, he quickly flipped through the contents, noting the detailed entries. This was exactly what he was looking for!

"Hahaha, I finally found it! It's destiny!" The man laughed wildly, feeling as though he were destined for this moment.

"Who are you!" At that moment, a sharp cry came from nearby.

His heart lurched. He looked up to see Qin Wanru standing not far away, watching him warily. Damn it, he had wasted too much time on the bed, so much so that she had already returned. At that moment, Qin Wanru also recognized the item in his hand, and her face drained of color. "Thief, how dare you!" She didn't even bother to call for help; her figure flashed as she launched herself at him.

The black-clad figure also moved, desperately trying to jump out the window. Unfortunately, he was half a step too late and was intercepted by Qin Wanru right at the window. Qin Wanru was a sixth-rank cultivator, after all, and seeing the ledger stolen, she showed no mercy in her attack. In just a brief moment, the two exchanged over a dozen blows. Holding the ledger in one hand, the black-clad figure was at a clear disadvantage. Soon, he failed to dodge a move, and Qin Wanru ripped off his mask.

Recognizing the person's face, Qin Wanru froze. "It's you?"

---

Yesterday, I even dreamt I was writing a novel, envisioning the upcoming plot. I distinctly remembered devising two incredibly thrilling major plotlines that moved me to tears. Yet, when I woke up this morning and tried to jot them down, I suddenly realized I'd forgotten everything. Damn it.