Chapter 949: Catering to Their Preferences

"He's a clever man," Sang Hong said, shaking his head. "What happened last night was too bizarre. He's still in shock and hasn't thought it through, but sooner or later he'll come to his senses. If we seize this opportunity to pressure him, it will surely leave resentment in his heart, which would be undesirable."

"For now, we do nothing and say nothing. Even if he eventually understands everything, he'll have no grounds to react, because we haven't asked anything of him from beginning to end. On the contrary, he's gained a tremendous advantage."

"But aren't you afraid he'll simply take advantage of the situation and then disavow everything?" Aunt Mu asked with concern.

She had been with the Sang family for a long time. Though Sang Qian was not her biological daughter, Aunt Mu had watched her grow up and now, in her old age, she practically treated her as her own child, deeply worried that she might be taken advantage of.

"No, he wouldn't," Sang Hong said, a benevolent smile on his face. "He's a man of strong loyalty. Back in Brightmoon City, I nearly annihilated the Chu family, but he single-handedly saved them. Later, when he himself encountered trouble, he decisively cut ties with the Chu family to avoid implicating them. How could such a person be disloyal or ungrateful?"

"So, Master, it sounds like he still has lingering ties with Miss Chu?" Aunt Mu inquired.

"Of course," Sang Hong replied. "Chu Chuyan is such a proud and strong-willed woman; how could she ever fall for an ungrateful scoundrel? It's precisely because of this that their feelings remain. If we were to force Qian'er to step in now and compete for a position, it could easily backfire. After all, she and Zu An haven't known each other long, and their feelings aren't yet deep."

"Instead, it's better for her to be remembered in Zu An's mind as fragile and wronged for now. This way, he'll feel guilt and pity, and affection can grow from that compassion."

Aunt Mu gradually understood his painstaking efforts. "But if that's the case, Qian'er will suffer too much indignity."

Sang Hong was silent. After a long moment, he finally said, "As her father, I have truly wronged her."

"Master," Aunt Mu said, hesitating, "don't you want to go and visit her?"

Sang Hong shook his head. "She's furious right now. My going would only add fuel to the fire. It's better to let time smooth over all the pain."

"But I'm worried Qian'er might do something foolish," Aunt Mu said, her face etched with concern.

"No, Qian'er has always been a calm and rational child. Although she's angry, what's done is done. She can distinguish between advantages and disadvantages and won't do anything foolish," Sang Hong analyzed, pausing before adding, "However, you can go see her."

"I was the one who took her there yesterday, so going to see her now... I'm afraid..." Aunt Mu's face showed some embarrassment. At that moment, she also hesitated to meet Sang Qian's gaze.

"She knows you were only following orders. She'll only resent me, not you," Sang Hong said, waving his hand. "Go see her."

"Master," Aunt Mu remarked with emotion, "though you claim not to care, in your heart, you're more concerned about Qian'er than anyone."

Sang Hong remained silent, his complex thoughts ultimately distilling into a soft sigh.

***

After leaving the Sang family, Zu An went directly to the palace to report for duty, still in a daze.

Even Bi Linglong noticed his unusual state and couldn't help but ask, "Has Vice Director Zu encountered some trouble?"

Zu An snapped out of his trance. "Thank you for your concern, Princess. Your servant is quite alright."

He was about to try to ingratiate himself, but once she heard he was fine, she paid him no further attention, instead focusing her concern on other officials of the East Palace, just as usual.

Zu An offered a wry smile. He was in no mood to placate Bi Linglong now.

After spending a distracted day in the East Palace, Zu An felt enough time had passed and left work early.

Watching his retreating figure, Bi Linglong bit her lip. Finally, unable to resist, she called Rong Mo. "Go and find out if anything has happened to Zu An recently."

Rong Mo looked surprised. "Princess, you seem rather overly concerned about him?"

Bi Linglong's expression remained calm. "What do you know? He's an important figure in the East Palace now. I need to ensure he won't be bribed or threatened by Prince Qi's faction."

"Your Highness is truly far-sighted!" Rong Mo immediately expressed her admiration and, naturally, no longer harbored any doubts.

After leaving the palace, Zu An circled the area near the Sang family again. Still unable to figure out how to resolve the matter, he abandoned his plan to visit them.

He turned and hurried towards Red Sleeves Pavilion. It wasn't that he was desperate for companionship; rather, he felt he should express his gratitude to Kong Nanwu, who had helped him rescue Zheng Dan earlier.

When Zu An arrived at Red Sleeves Pavilion, Nanjun, in light of the previous incident, had already arranged special treatment. He was quickly led to a small inner courtyard where he met Nanjun and Kong Nanwu.

One woman was outwardly cool but inwardly passionate, while the other was bright and enchanting. Standing together, they truly brought a vibrant glow to the room.

"Thank you, Miss Kong, for your help last time; it allowed me to successfully find the mastermind." Zu An noticed Kong Nanwu holding a fluffy, snowball-like object. At first, he thought it was a cushion, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was a beautiful little fox.

Could such a beautiful fox truly exist in this world? No wonder so many people in his past life enjoyed keeping cute pets.

Zu An couldn't help but secretly marvel, but then a thought struck him: No, this one could only be the second prettiest, since his own Daji would undoubtedly rank first.

"Do you know who the mastermind was?" Kong Nanwu asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice, as she stroked the soft fur of the little fox in her arms.

Knowing her concern, Zu An explained, "Please rest assured, Miss Kong. The culprit was not a demon; they were merely a human who practiced an unorthodox cultivation method."

As expected, Kong Nanwu visibly relaxed upon hearing this. She had been worried all this time that she might have inadvertently harmed a demon she had never met.

She then inquired about some details, which Zu An answered one by one, and their conversation flowed pleasantly.

"May I pet it?" Zu An asked, unable to resist, having gazed at the fluffy creature in her arms several times.

It seems human genetics simply can't resist a cute furball.

Before Kong Nanwu could answer, the little fox instantly stood up straight and bared its teeth at him.

Kong Nanwu smiled, pursing her lips. "It seems Huhu isn't willing."

"Huhu?" Zu An was startled. He found it impossible to connect the adorable and beautiful little fox before him with the fierce little maid he had once known.

"No?" The little fox spoke in human tongue. She already had a slight dislike for Zu An and seized the opportunity to lecture him thoroughly. "They say you humans are the most insincere, and I see it's true. You talk so much about thanking our young lady, yet you brought no gift. Clearly, it's just empty words, you hypocrite."

"Huhu!" Kong Nanwu subtly squeezed the little fox, immediately scolding her. "Young Master Zu is no ordinary person. Why should we concern ourselves with such worldly things in our association?"

Zu An smiled slightly. "Miss Kong is absolutely right. I heard Nanjun say that you're not interested in worldly possessions like money, so I specifically prepared a small gift for you. I hope you'll like it."

Kong Nanwu was slightly surprised. "Then thank you, Young Master."

"What kind of gift is it?" The little fox couldn't wait. It jumped onto the table and pawed at him.

Even Nanjun, standing nearby, craned her neck, curious to see what gift he would produce.

Seeing the little fox's adorable appearance, Zu An teased it, "If you let me pet you, I'll tell you."

"Pah! You hooligan..." The little fox seemed startled, and with a whoosh, it leaped back into its owner's arms.

Kong Nanwu's expression was also a bit strange. "Young Master Zu, Huhu is a girl, after all."

Zu An was speechless.

In his eyes, she was just a furball.

He coughed a few times to cover his embarrassment, then took a booklet from his sleeve and handed it over. "I heard Nanjun say you're interested in human books, so I specifically prepared one for you. You probably haven't seen this one."

Kong Nanwu was momentarily surprised, then smiled. "That's very thoughtful of you, Young Master. Your human books are indeed quite interesting."

Privately, however, she was somewhat unimpressed. She had often collected and read human books even when she was among the demon race, and since coming here, her subordinates had sourced all kinds of books for her. She didn't believe the book he offered would be anything special.

Her thanks were merely out of politeness.

At that moment, Nanjun and the little fox, unable to contain their curiosity, leaned closer to examine it. The little fox, with no filter, blurted out, "Huh, *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*? What a terrible name!"