Chapter 691: Auntie, I Don’t Want to Work Hard Anymore

The gap-toothed coachman, who had been keeping an eye on the situation, heard the lady's cry of alarm. His expression changed instantly, and he appeared by the carriage side in a flash. "My Lady, what happened?"

He didn't dare go inside. The lady disliked strangers, and without her permission, no one was allowed to intrude upon her private space.

Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe also rushed over, though they weren't as fast as the gap-toothed coachman and only arrived a moment later.

Murong Qinghe tugged on Chu Youzhao's sleeve. With a strange expression, she whispered, "Brother Chu, your brother-in-law is truly incredible..." Her face flushed slightly, and she couldn't bring herself to say the last word.

Chu Youzhao stomped her foot in annoyance. "Who's my brother-in-law? I don't have a lecherous brother-in-law like that!"

Rage points from Chu Youzhao: +223, +223, +223...

Murong Qinghe thought to herself, *Who was just praising him as 'brother-in-law' to the skies a moment ago?*

At that moment, the lady's voice came from inside the carriage: "N-nothing... it's fine, Butler Fu. Please stand guard outside and don't let anyone approach."

The gap-toothed coachman hesitated. "My Lady, are you truly alright?" He worried that she might be coerced inside and speaking under duress.

The lady's voice came again: "Don't worry, I'm fine. I have something to discuss with him. Just keep watch outside the perimeter."

Immediately after, a blue light flashed outside the carriage. The gap-toothed coachman knew this meant a protective barrier had been activated, sealing off sounds from within. Only the lady knew how to operate this mechanism; unless she willed it, outsiders could never activate it.

Thinking of this, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Then this old servant will stand guard outside." As he spoke, he shooed away Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe, who had come closer. At the same time, he was secretly surprised. The lady had actually activated this formation. It seemed she truly trusted that young man; otherwise, if any danger arose inside, she could scream her lungs out, and he still wouldn't be able to rescue her.

Chu Youzhao was pushed back a long distance by an invisible force. She immediately protested, "What is your lady doing, keeping my brother-in-law locked in there? Is she plotting something against him!"

"My lady plotting against your brother-in-law?" The gap-toothed coachman almost laughed in exasperation. In the capital, the men who wished to plot against his lady could probably form a line from the Imperial Palace's Yunlong Gate, wrap around the outer city three times over. *Who should be afraid of whom?*

While they were bickering, inside the carriage, a stunningly beautiful lady lay flat on a soft couch. Her eyes, as deep and captivating as stars in the night sky, gazed at the man on top of her with a faint, knowing smile. "How long do you plan to stay on top of me?" she asked.

At this moment, Zu An's mind was racing with a million thoughts. *Am I the kind of shameless scoundrel who takes advantage of women on first sight? I've completely moved beyond such base interests now; I rely on my own charm to attract beautiful women who willingly throw themselves into my arms.*

*It's nothing like this, pushing someone down right after meeting them! Wouldn't I be branded a pervert? Brother Zu also has a reputation to uphold!*

But he never expected the backlash from "Key-Come" to be so powerful. Unlike last time, when he used "Key-Come" in front of Zhu Xie Chixin, he had conjured a full Golden Brocade Guard uniform out of thin air, so a strong backlash was entirely expected. But this time, he only made someone's pants drop. Why such a huge reaction?

He simply hadn't realized it. How could the pants of a formidable ninth-rank peak expert fall off for no reason? If it had been a peer, that momentary vulnerability could have cost Han Fengqiu his life. So, while it merely appeared to make pants drop, it actually involved the life of a ninth-rank peak master. How could the backlash be minor? Fortunately, this was only an indirect effect; otherwise, Zu An's life might be in danger right now.

Zu An said with a wry smile, "If I told you I suddenly lost all strength after a big battle and wasn't intentionally taking advantage of you, would you believe me?"

He had expected his lifelong reputation to be ruined. To his surprise, her reply was unexpected: "I believe you. For someone so young, to continuously fight against eighth-rank and ninth-rank peak masters, it's quite remarkable you only collapsed now."

Zu An: "???"

*I wouldn't even believe that excuse myself, okay? Is this woman stupid? Hmm, wait a minute, why does she look familiar?*

At this point, a hint of playful reproach finally entered the beautiful woman's voice: "Aren't you going to get up yet?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry," Zu An chuckled awkwardly, quickly sitting up. He was no longer an inexperienced young man, but the astonishing softness he just felt still made his heart pound.

The beautiful woman also sat up, tidying her dress and smoothing her hair. Only then did Zu An get a chance to examine her closely. Her delicate skin was as smooth and fine as milk. Her face, like jade-colored glazed porcelain, was flawless. The high bun on her head was noble and elegant, further emphasizing her beautiful, slender neck. A large luminous pearl was embedded in the carriage ceiling. Its soft light fell upon her face. Her gentle facial contours seemed to have been drawn with a single brushstroke. It was hard to tell if the luminous pearl illuminated her, or if she illuminated the pearl.

"It's you!" Zu An finally recognized her at this moment, feeling both surprise and delight. The woman before him was the capital's foremost beauty, Yu Yanluo, whom he and Ji Xiaoxi had rescued in the valley.

"We meet again," Yu Yanluo said with a faint smile, making the entire carriage seem to bloom with flowers. There was no hint of indignation on her face from the recent impropriety, nor any typical feminine shyness. She carried herself with graceful poise, as if she were naturally the protagonist of this world.

"Since we last parted, I never expected My Lady's charm to remain, and perhaps even grow more beautiful," Zu An sighed. "I wondered why Prince Qi's heir acted like such a sycophant. Now that I see it's you, My Lady, I finally understand."

Yu Yanluo paid little mind to his compliments, knowing she had heard countless more effusive praises over the years. "Your growth rate is also quite surprising to me," she said. "Last time I saw you, you still struggled a bit fighting a few bandits from Black Wind Fortress. I never imagined that in just a few months, you could contend with a ninth-rank peak master."

Zu An chuckled, "I remember you said last time that to be your man, I'd have to wait a few years. With my current growth rate, can we perhaps shorten that waiting period?"

Yu Yanluo's detached and calm demeanor finally faltered. A faint flush appeared on her jade-like face, and she playfully glared at him: "You fellow..."

Zu An had to admit that such a great beauty looked stunning even when annoyed. However, having been exposed to various other exquisite beauties, his 'threshold' had been raised. He quickly recovered and said resentfully, "Who told you to be ungrateful earlier!"

"I was ungrateful?" Yu Yanluo opened her palm, her five fingers long, slender, and delicate, truly like sculpted white jade. "Give it back to me."

"What thing?" Zu An was startled.

"My jade pendant," Yu Yanluo said, her expression stern. "So you won't go around flaunting it and tricking people, claiming I'm in love with you and that it's a token of our affection or something."

Even Zu An, whose skin was thicker than a city wall, felt mortified when his freshly spouted boast was immediately called out. However, he was quick-witted, immediately turning defense into offense: "You really *are* ungrateful! Last time I saved you, you gave me this jade pendant and said you'd repay me. But when I went to the Yu family in the city to find you, there was no sign of you! Now that I've finally found you, you want to take the pendant back?"

Yu Yanluo explained, "Many things happened in Mingyue City back then, and I had to leave, so I didn't get a chance to thank you. But I have already compensated you later, haven't I?"

"Compensated me for what?" Zu An asked, puzzled.

A faint smile touched Yu Yanluo's star-like eyes: "Otherwise, why do you think you were able to survive under the Emperor?"

Meanwhile, in Prince Qi's residence, Prince Qi stared grimly at his son, who was scorched like charcoal: "Who did this!"

---

I'm so tired all day, every day. Is there a life where I don't have to do anything and still make tons of money?

I really wish I could find someone like Yu Yanluo and tell her: "Aunty, I don't want to work hard anymore!"