Chapter 695: Dangerous Sister-in-law

Just then, a teasing voice came from outside: "Be careful not to get canker sores for speaking ill of people behind their backs."

Zu An was feeling down; he had been on high alert, thinking he had stumbled upon a master assassin or something similar. He hadn't expected it to be Chu Chuyan and her sister. He had given Chu Chuyan the key to the room, so it was no wonder the courtyard's enchantments remained intact after she entered.

"Ah!" Chu Youzhao's face turned beet red. She hadn't expected Zu An to catch her red-handed and quickly scurried behind her sister, feeling incredibly awkward.

Chu Chuyan's cheeks were also faintly flushed. Clearly, she hadn't expected him to overhear her private conversation with her sister. She said somewhat unnaturally, "You're back..."

Zu An acknowledged, "Yes, I'm back."

Although it might sound like meaningless chatter to others, the two of them, having once been husband and wife, found this exchange particularly heartwarming.

Chu Chuyan stood up and moved to his side, looking him over from head to toe. "I heard you had a conflict with the Crown Prince of Qi today. Are you hurt anywhere?"

She wore a long, watery-blue dress, looking as exquisitely beautiful as ever. But unlike her usual self, she seemed less aloof and more gentle.

Gazing at the beautiful woman before him, Zu An let out a long sigh. "Only my own wife truly cares for me."

Seeing him reach out to hug her, Chu Chuyan quickly shrank back. "There's a child nearby. Be mindful of the impression you're making."

This instantly displeased Chu Youzhao. "Sister, I'm not a child!"

That was what she resented most.

Zu An chuckled, "Youzhao certainly isn't small anymore."

Whether in age or figure... *cough cough*, my apologies!

He quickly added, "Today, Youzhao protected me several times. For her to stand up in those situations truly takes a lot of courage."

Chu Youzhao, on the other hand, became a little embarrassed, fidgeting shyly. "Actually, I'm not as good as you make me out to be."

Chu Chuyan also touched her sister's head with great relief. "Youzhao has indeed grown up."

"Actually, I didn't help much. Brother-in-law is the truly amazing one. Sister, you weren't there at the time; you don't know how impressive brother-in-law was..." Chu Youzhao began describing it to her with great animation.

Although it wasn't the first time she had heard it, Chu Chuyan was still full of exclamations. "A'Zu, Zhao Zhi is a genuine Rank Eight practitioner. Are you really not hurt?"

Zu An chuckled, "Don't worry, your husband here is very formidable. How could a mere Zhao Zhi injure me?"

Chu Chuyan's expression was somewhat complex. "I never imagined you'd grow so quickly. Just a few months ago, you hadn't even started cultivating, but now even I have to look up to you."

She knew that if she faced the Crown Prince of Qi, she would likely lose unless she used forbidden techniques, which would cripple her. She absolutely did not want a repeat of what happened in the secret realm last time.

In contrast, Zu An could easily defeat Zhao Zhi, proving she truly couldn't compare to him anymore.

She had always been an extremely proud person and a well-known cultivation genius since childhood. Yet, in her most esteemed field, she was now surpassed by Zu An, who had risen at an unbelievable speed. For a moment, she felt a sense of melancholy and loss.

Chu Youzhao couldn't help but complain, "Exactly! Brother-in-law is so amazing. What were Father and Mother thinking back then, believing you were wronged and later wanting to sever ties with him? Were those people in Brightmoon City blind, too? All sorts of rumors came from there to the capital, making me think brother-in-law was really a good-for-nothing..."

Chu Chuyan was speechless.

No wonder her parents had so desperately wanted a son; girls really do tend to favor outsiders!

Zu An, who was standing nearby, pulled her into his embrace. "If your husband is amazing, then aren't you amazing too? What's this 'yours and mine' between us?"

Feeling his warm embrace, Chu Chuyan couldn't help but laugh softly. Why was she competing with her own husband?

Chu Youzhao, standing to the side, said sourly, "Hey, hey, there's still someone else here."

Zu An spread his arms. "If you want, brother-in-law can give you a hug too."

Chu Youzhao, flustered, hid behind Chu Chuyan, stamping her foot and whining prettily, "Sister~"

Chu Chuyan shot Zu An a look. "It's one thing for you to flirt with other women on a regular basis, but do you have to flirt with your own sister-in-law at home too?"

Zu An immediately retorted, "That's a huge misunderstanding! I just saw her looking down and wanted to comfort her. Besides, when have I ever flirted with other women outside?"

Such was the self-discipline of a scoundrel: even with irrefutable evidence, one must never admit it, let alone when there was no such evidence.

"Is that so?" Chu Chuyan scoffed. "Then who was that woman who saved you in the carriage today?"

Chu Youzhao, standing nearby, immediately perked up her ears. The nature of gossip was embedded in everyone's DNA.

"Oh, her? I think her name is Yu Yanluo." Zu An didn't hide it. After all, both the Emperor and the Crown Prince of Qi knew about it, and it would likely spread in a small circle soon enough.

"Who?" Chu Chuyan looked a little lost.

"What?" Chu Youzhao exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yu Yanluo," Zu An repeated, feigning indifference. However, seeing the two women's astonished expressions, he felt truly content.

Ah, showing off is also human nature, ingrained in our bones!

"The former most beautiful woman in the capital?" Chu Youzhao was the first to lose her composure, quickly asking.

"Are there several Yu Yanluos in the capital?" Zu An asked with a curious expression.

"Oh my goodness!" Chu Youzhao covered her mouth, momentarily speechless.

Chu Chuyan, no longer her usual calm self, pretended to ask casually, "How did you... how did you two meet? And why did she save you?"

Since childhood, she had been called the most beautiful woman in Brightmoon City. And because she had spent some time in the capital, some busybodies even considered her the new generation's most beautiful woman in the capital.

However, this wasn't officially recognized, and there were still many women in the capital whose family background, looks, and figure were no less impressive than hers.

But Yu Yanluo had been the undisputed number one beauty of her time, dominating an entire era. Her legends still circulated everywhere.

Although she had discovered the relationship between Pei Mianman and Zu An previously, she was somewhat angry but not flustered. She had enough confidence in her own charm.

But now it was Yu Yanluo, and she was genuinely rattled. That was the acknowledged number one beauty, a woman admired even by the Emperor and Prince Qi in the past, and even Father... Mother had brought her up constantly over the years.

How could she not panic at such a potential "love rival"?

"I saved her once, and she's just repaying the favor," Zu An explained. Chu Chuyan and her sister-in-law's changing expressions didn't escape his notice. This feeling was truly like eating ice cream on a hot summer day.

Even a pile of dung fought over by dogs would start to smell good... *Ptooey ptooey ptooey*, you're the dog dung!

"When did you save her?" Chu Chuyan was no longer her usual calm and collected self. Now, she didn't want to miss any detail of their interactions.

"Oh, it was back in the suburbs of Brightmoon City..." Zu An briefly told her the story. "I told you all before that I knew Yu Yanluo, but none of you believed me."

Life was truly frustrating; when he lied, everyone believed him without question, but when he told the truth, no one did.

Chu Chuyan's expression was somewhat numb. In that situation, no one would have believed him, would they?

"Is she really as beautiful as the legends say?" she couldn't help but ask.

Zu An immediately said with a serious expression, "No matter how beautiful she is, can she be as beautiful as my wife? And you have the advantage of youth over her."

What kind of question was that? As a scoundrel and a playboy, how could he possibly answer such a deadly question incorrectly?

Chu Chuyan's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly. Although she knew he was saying it on purpose, she was still pleased. Didn't this prove that he cared a lot about her feelings?

At that moment, Chu Youzhao suddenly spoke up, "I heard that because Yu Yanluo is so stunningly beautiful, she always keeps men at a distance to avoid gossip. But today, she actually invited you to ride in the same carriage as her."

"Hmm?" Chu Chuyan's gaze immediately turned a bit dangerous.

Zu An reacted quickly. "Uh, that's just because she didn't want to show her face. And in her eyes, she only sees me as a junior."

Chu Chuyan then relaxed. Indeed, Yu Yanluo belonged to her father's generation. Why was she getting so jealous?

Just as Zu An wiped away a bead of cold sweat, Chu Youzhao, standing nearby, suddenly slapped her head. "Oh, I remember now! Earlier today, brother-in-law also said that Yu Yanluo was in love with him and even gave him a token of affection. None of us believed it then, but now that I think about it, he really does have Yu Yanluo's personal jade pendant."

Zu An was almost in tears. Who said all sisters-in-law were kind?

My head feels a bit dizzy today, so there's only one chapter. I'll make it up tomorrow.