Chapter 718: All Too Embarrassed to Point It Out to You

The capital was known for its open customs, and people were accustomed to seeing women in revealing clothing and many long legs on the streets. But they had never seen legs as beautiful as these.

What's more, these beautiful legs were clad in black stockings!

The black silk shimmered brightly, making their eyes light up, and the sheer lace trim at the top of the thighs made their hearts feel utterly empty.

"Oh my god, I'm going to die! If any of the ladies from the Pleasure Quarter wore stockings like these, I probably wouldn't last even for the time it takes an incense stick to burn!" Piao Duandiao gulped repeatedly.

Jiao Sigun, standing nearby, looked disdainful and ruthlessly exposed him: "As if you've ever lasted longer than the time it takes an incense stick to burn."

Piao Duandiao was enraged. "Don't hit people where it hurts! Believe it or not, I'll cut ties with you!"

"I don't believe it."

"..."

Piao Duandiao decisively changed the subject. "Whose family member do you think this woman is?"

"Could it be Brother Zu's?" Jiao Sigun whispered.

Piao Duandiao scoffed. "Do you think he's a god? Miss Chu is already as beautiful as a celestial being; it's already a miracle that she tolerates the young lady from the Murong family. How could she possibly accept another glamorous... woman..."

He hadn't finished speaking when he saw the long-legged beauty in black stockings walking towards them with a seductive, graceful stride. She walked with immense charm, not as coquettish as the ladies from the Pleasure Quarter, yet still lithe and graceful. The crisp click of her high heels on the ground chipped away at their defenses with every step.

"Could this woman be interested in me?" Piao Duandiao unconsciously puffed out his chest.

"Nonsense! She's clearly walking towards me!" Jiao Sigun immediately retorted.

But soon, both their expressions froze because they saw the mature and glamorous beauty stop directly in front of Zu An.

"Long time no see." The long-legged beauty in black stockings looked at Zu An, a faint smile on her face.

"After all this time, I'm quite disheveled and down on my luck. But Principal Sister still looks so radiant and captivating." Zu An sighed from the bottom of his heart. If this woman were in his previous life, men would surely think of terms like "top-tier OL," "sexy, glamorous secretary," or "forbidden older sister teacher"... and, of course, add ".avi" at the end.

Jiang Luofu crossed her arms over her chest, her figure under the uniform looking even more impressive. "I think you haven't changed much," she said, "you're still as glib as ever."

Chu Chuyan was both surprised and delighted. "Principal Jiang, why are you in the capital?"

Looking at the brightest student of Brightmoon Academy, a soft smile appeared on Jiang Luofu's face. "I was getting a bit bored staying in Brightmoon City," she explained, "and it so happened that some students from the academy were selected by the National Royal Academy, so I escorted them to the capital and took the opportunity to visit my home."

Given Chu Chuyan's family background, she naturally knew about Jiang Luofu's relationship with Jiang Boyang. What she was curious about now was something else: "I wonder which students were lucky enough to be selected by the Royal Academy?"

It was well known that the National Royal Academy was the highest educational institution in the entire empire. While the top-tier students from Brightmoon City Academy might be considered local geniuses, they might not be so extraordinary when compared to the nation's best.

Throughout the years, Brightmoon Academy had never had more than five students pass the entrance exam for the National Royal Academy in any given year, and sometimes, with bad luck, there would be none at all.

"Talking about this makes me frustrated," Jiang Luofu said, somewhat annoyed. "Originally, I had high hopes for your class; it was very likely to break the academy's historical best record. But then, at the critical moment, you disappeared, Pei Mianman also went missing, and even Zheng Dan had an incident. With our most talented students absent, we almost came back empty-handed this year."

Chu Chuyan looked apologetic. "It's all my fault; I was delayed and my studies were neglected by various matters."

Jiang Luofu sighed. "Don't blame yourself too much; I know it's not your fault. Fortunately, three still managed to pass, and two of them are quite familiar to you. They specifically came with me to see you."

"Who are they?" Both Chu Chuyan and Zu An became curious. After all, they always felt like strangers in a foreign land in the capital; Brightmoon City was their real home.

"You can come out now," Jiang Luofu said, waving towards a carriage nearby.

"Principal, that's not fair! We agreed to see if Brother Zu could guess who we were." As a folding fan snapped open, a handsome man and a beautiful woman stepped down from the carriage.

Murong Qinghe's eyes widened. She looked at the man, then at Chu Youzhao beside her, and thought, "Is there really another man in the world as refined and handsome as Brother Chu?"

"Hmph, but my Brother Chu is still prettier!"

Meanwhile, Piao Duandiao and the other guards secretly sneered, "What a pretty boy, all show and no substance!"

Their attention, however, was drawn to the woman beside him.

Unlike Chu Chuyan's elegant and ethereal beauty, or Jiang Luofu's stunning and captivating allure, this woman possessed the graceful demeanor of a well-educated noble lady, which made one feel more inclined to approach her.

They recalled how the courtesans from the Pleasure Quarter were proficient in all arts, from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, but they always lacked the elegant and serene temperament of a true talented woman, and their brows lacked the gentle quality seen in the woman before them.

At this moment, the young woman first nodded to Chu Chuyan. "Miss Chu!" she greeted.

Then, when she looked at Zu An, a faint smile appeared on her face. "Young Master Zu," she said.

The guards' expressions turned strange. They wondered, "Is this woman also connected to Brother Zu?"

"My heavens, Big Brother, I know you're incredible," they thought, "but you don't need to capture the hearts of so many stunning beauties. At least leave us some crumbs, won't you?"

Of course, this thought flashed by quickly. They also knew how far removed these women were from them. The women from the Pleasure Quarter were more tangible; they were within reach.

The group of guards could no longer bear the blow. They all bid farewell to Zu An and headed dejectedly towards the Pleasure Quarter.

They worried that if they stayed longer, the women from the Pleasure Quarter would seem utterly uninteresting later.

Zu An chuckled. "Brother Xie, Miss Xie, when fellow villagers meet, tears flow freely! Come, let's have a warm hug!"

Xie Daoyun spat lightly, her face flushed, and she dodged aside. Xie Xiu, to protect his sister, could only steel himself and give Zu An a full embrace. "Brother Zu is still so enthusiastic, haha," he said.

At the same time, he felt a bit conflicted. "This guy isn't into men, is he?"

It was known that his appearance was overly handsome, and over the years, he had not been without men making advances on him, which made him extremely resistant to any physical contact with men.

Zu An hadn't intended to hug him either. Both felt a chill simultaneously and released each other in unspoken understanding. "Brother Xie, you've truly impressed me; to think you got into the Royal Academy."

Although Xie Xiu was decent, he was never known for his cultivation and wasn't among the top students at Brightmoon Academy. While Xie Daoyun also wasn't skilled in cultivation, she at least had other strengths. "Was Xie Xiu's biggest talent picking up women?"

"The Royal Academy couldn't possibly have admitted him just for that, could they?"

"My sister got in through sheer hard work and talent," Xie Xiu said, "As for me, my father pulled some strings, haha." Xie Xiu was surprisingly unreserved about it.

"Family connections are also part of one's personal strength, Brother Xie, why worry about it?" Zu An said, looking with some surprise at the quiet young woman beside him. "So, Miss Xie also had hidden talents?"

Xie Daoyun's face flushed slightly. "I tested for Rune Master," she explained, "not the traditional cultivation path."

"Rune Masters are impressive!" Zu An praised. "Whether it's formations on weapons or buildings, or combined army formations, their effect far surpasses that of a single cultivator. I'll have to seek Miss Xie's guidance sometime."

Xie Daoyun instinctively glanced at Chu Chuyan, then whispered, "I wouldn't presume to offer guidance, but we can learn from each other through mutual exchange."

Jiang Luofu finally couldn't stand it anymore and stepped between them. "Is that really 'seeking guidance'?" she said. "I'd be embarrassed to call you out. And you, Xie Xiu, don't revert to your old habits. She's a young lady of the Murong family, not someone you can just trifle with."

It turned out that while they were talking, Xie Xiu had already gone over to Murong Qinghe and was showering her with flattery, making Chu Youzhao indignantly guard her companion.

Zu An chuckled in amusement. "My sister-in-law is a woman herself," he thought, "yet she's so possessive of Murong Qinghe? Could she really have feelings for her?"

"Tsk tsk," he thought, "although I find lesbian relationships quite beautiful, such things seem to be somewhat taboo in this world."