Chapter 55: Wearing Clothes and Refusing to Take Responsibility

Zu An thought for a moment and reminded him, "Oh, right. Remember not to tell anyone in the manor about this."

Cheng Shoubing patted his chest and vowed, "Young Master, have you forgotten my name? I am Cheng Shoubing, the one who keeps secrets."

Zu An frowned, feeling a faint sense of foreboding.

"Go and inquire first. I'll rest for a bit. Oh, and before you leave, please bring me a basin of water to wash my face." Zu An waved him off, thinking about the wave of Rage points he had just gained from Plum Blossom Thirteen. Wouldn't it be great to wash his face and then draw a prize?

"I can tell you're in a good mood," a dry, aged voice suddenly remarked.

Zu An jumped, turning to find Old Man Mi standing behind him. He couldn't help but complain, "Old man, why do you walk so silently? You'll scare someone to death!"

Old Man Mi ignored him, asking instead, "You didn't skip class today, did you?"

"Since you reminded me, how could I dare?" Looking at the expression revealed by the large eye bags on the old man's face, Zu An felt that if he had truly skipped class today, his fate would likely have been similar to Plum Blossom Thirteen's.

"That's good," Old Man Mi chuckled grimly twice. "Do you know Wei Hongde?"

Zu An felt a chill, thinking, *Please don't laugh anymore, it's creepy.* He replied, "Not yet."

Seeing Old Man Mi's brow about to furrow, he quickly added, "But I know his younger brother."

"He has a brother?" Old Man Mi looked somewhat bewildered.

"Yes, his brother is Wei Suo..." Zu An described him briefly.

"I didn't expect him to have another son all these years. Heh heh, he seems to be living quite comfortably," Old Man Mi murmured to himself.

Zu An paused, "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Old Man Mi shook his head and casually tossed him a pouch of silver. "Take this money. Treat the two brothers to some food, drink, and entertainment to build a closer relationship with them."

Zu An cautiously asked, "May I ask why we need to get close to them? Could you perhaps reveal a little, so I can be more targeted?"

Old Man Mi revealed a chilling smile. "You'll naturally find out later." After speaking, he walked away unsteadily.

Zu An was utterly confused, thinking, *You're not going to ask me to steal some 'Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters,' are you?*

Quietly counting the silver in the pouch, he found it contained a full hundred taels. Zu An couldn't help but wonder, how could an old gardener in the manor have so much money?

Zu An shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside, and focused on the lottery draw. He calculated that after drawing a prize this afternoon, he still had 54 Rage points left. Now he had a total of seven thousand... oh, no, a total of 8305 Rage points.

In just a short time, Plum Blossom Thirteen alone had contributed over eight thousand points.

Zu An, however, was still somewhat unsatisfied. "Shearing one person's wool is never as fast as shearing a flock," he thought, wishing for more villains like her to appear.

After meticulously washing his face with a sense of ritual, Zu An was just about to start the lottery draw when a young servant suddenly ran up to report, "Young Master, the Master and Madam are calling for you?"

Zu An was startled. Could they know about him leading Chu Huanzhao astray?

Full of doubt, he followed the servant, winding through the manor. Zu An even suspected the fellow might be deliberately leading him into a trap.

It wasn't until they arrived at a large hall, seeing many maids standing at the entrance, that he finally relaxed. With so many people around, nothing untoward should happen.

Noticing one of the maids in a green dress, with a slender waist and numerous delicate braids, Zu An's heart stirred. A smile spread across his face as he walked over. "Oh, Xue'er, it's been a few days, and your waist has gotten even thinner. Are you not eating well outside? Come, let your Young Master give you a rub." As he spoke, he reached out to embrace the maid.

Rage points from Qiao Xueying +256!

Zu An was surprised. So Xue'er wasn't her real name. It was rare for maids these days to have a proper full name, let alone such an elegant one. It seemed this maid was somewhat mysterious.

Although he had previously infuriated Xue'er, the Rage point system hadn't been activated then, so this was the first time he learned her true name.

The young woman merely turned and easily dodged his lecherous hand, then looked at him with an icy expression. "It's been a few days, and you're still as repulsive as ever."

Zu An's expression became serious. "That's going too far! At least, they say 'one night as husband and wife, a hundred nights of kindness.' Why do you deny everything once you're dressed?"

Xue'er's small face instantly flushed crimson. "You!" The memory of her innocent body being seen by this vulgar man that day was an eternal pain in her heart.

Rage points from Qiao Xueying +999!

"Go on, hit me if you dare, hit me~" Zu An taunted impudently. He had been kicked into a pond by her before, but back then, he wasn't a cultivator and couldn't assess her strength. Now, however, he could try.

Rage points from Qiao Xueying +1000!

Xue'er was almost dizzy with anger. She never imagined such a shameless fellow existed in the world. She felt like she could barely suppress the surging power within her, on the verge of turning him into a pig's head regardless of the consequences.

"Stop fooling around and come in!" At that moment, Chu Chuyan's distinctly rhythmic, indifferent voice came from inside the room.

Xue'er took a deep breath, calming her emotions, and said coldly, "The Master, Madam, and Young Mistress are waiting for you inside. You should go in quickly."

Zu An sighed with regret, then straightened his clothes and strode inside.

In the great hall, Chu Zhongtian and Madam Chu, along with Chu Chuyan and Chu Huanzhao, were seated around a large round table. The table was already laden with an assortment of exquisite dishes.

Chu Huanzhao gave him a wink, silently warning him to be careful.

*This little girl is truly loyal,* Zu An thought, *I didn't dote on her for nothing.*

Madam Chu's face was grim. "Oh, Zu An, how dare you flirt with a maid in our manor, right in front of us? Where does that leave Chuyan? Where does that leave us?"

Rage points from Qin Wanru +447!

How could she not be angry? She was already displeased that her daughter had married such a good-for-nothing, and now he was so quickly starting to flirt with the manor's female staff! This was outrageous, simply defying heaven!

"It's a misunderstanding! I wasn't flirting with her!" Zu An protested.

Qin Wanru snorted coldly. "Still trying to argue? Do you think we're deaf?"

Rage points from Qin Wanru +522!

Chu Zhongtian, standing by, cleared his throat and added, "Xiao An, you're not a cultivator, so perhaps you don't know that for us, from this distance, we can hear everything that happens outside perfectly clear."

*This cheap father-in-law has a good temper,* Zu An thought. He replied, "Father-in-law, I truly wasn't lying, because Xue'er is already mine."

These words stunned everyone in the room. Chu Chuyan, who had been leisurely sipping tea and watching the show, choked directly, frantically using her handkerchief to wipe a water stain from the table, almost soaking her dress.

Chu Zhongtian looked at him in disbelief, his shocked gaze seeming to hold a hint of admiration.

Madam Chu's mouth fell open, as if her brain had momentarily short-circuited.

Chu Huanzhao, who had been secretly eating, couldn't help but give him a silent thumbs-up upon hearing this. *My brother-in-law is truly something,* she thought, *no wonder he made Plum Blossom Thirteen suffer so much earlier.*

"What nonsense are you spouting, Zu!" Xue'er rushed in, both angry and anxious, and began to scold Zu An furiously.

Cultivators could hear sounds from outside the door even when inside, so Xue'er, who had been eavesdropping with her ears perked up outside the door, naturally heard the conversation inside.

When she heard Zu An claim she was "his woman," she nearly went mad!

Rage points from Qiao Xueying +999!

Bang!

Madam Chu slapped the table. "Is there no longer any decency in this house? Get out!"

Xue'er looked wronged. "Madam, I..."

Chu Chuyan, who was nearby, spoke up. "Xue'er, you can go out first."

With no other choice, Xue'er retreated, glaring fiercely at Zu An as she left.

Rage points from Qiao Xueying +400!

Zu An smiled faintly. *Damn, I really am a talent,* he thought. A casual remark had brought in another batch of Rage points.

After Xue'er left, Madam Chu's gaze turned murderous. "Zu An, what exactly is going on? As a live-in son-in-law, you're privately flirting with a maid in this manor. Do you know we have the authority to beat you to death with a stick?"

Rage points from Qin Wanru +587!

Zu An had to admit that the status of a live-in son-in-law truly afforded no human rights. He calmly replied, "I wasn't flirting privately. Chuyan gave her to me. She personally said Xue'er could be my concubine maid."

Madam Chu frowned and looked at her daughter. "Chuyan, is this true?" *What's wrong with this girl?* she thought. *What kind of wife gives her husband women? Look at me, your mother, all these years—have I ever let your father bring any disreputable women into this house?*

Chu Chuyan's face slightly flushed. She gave Zu An an annoyed glare before replying, "Mother, I did say something like that back then, but it was just a joke. You don't need to listen to his nonsense."

"Really?" Madam Chu was skeptical.

"Of course it's true," Chu Chuyan said, glancing at Zu An. "Sit down and eat. Don't speak carelessly in the future, or you won't even know how you died."

Zu An immediately protested, "That won't do! I live by my mouth."

Chu Huanzhao, who was nearby, chuckled. "Didn't you say before that you live by your looks?"

Zu An's face didn't betray him. "I rely on both, and I excel at both."

"Alright, enough of this nonsense, hurry up and eat!" Seeing her second daughter chatting and laughing with that fellow, Madam Chu felt an inexplicable irritation welling up in her heart.

After sitting down, Zu An secretly glanced at Chu Chuyan. This woman was genuinely good to him; even after all this, she hadn't revealed the secret of his hidden illness. Otherwise, Madam Chu wouldn't have taken his affair with Xue'er so seriously.

"Why are you looking at me?" Chu Chuyan said indifferently without turning her head, while picking up some food.

"Because you're beautiful," Zu An replied with a smile. "The books say 'beauty is a feast for the eyes.' I used to doubt it, but now I truly understand the meaning of that phrase." His "cheap wife's" profile was perfect, her skin so delicate it seemed it could break with a touch. What a pity he couldn't kiss her.

Chu Chuyan looked at him with some surprise. "Your attitude seems much better?"

Zu An knew she was referring to his hidden ailment. Last time, she had seen him practically at death's door. "I was unhappy, but seeing how beautiful you are, all my troubles vanished."