Chapter 952: Guard Yourself Like Jade

Chu Youzhao snorted, "My eldest sister isn't even worried; why is she in such a hurry? Anyone would think my brother-in-law is her husband."

Hearing her grumble, Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. They weren't far apart in age, so he figured Chu Youzhao wasn't too fond of her elder sister, Chu Huanzhao. And knowing Chu Huanzhao's temper, she had likely given her a good beating more than once in the past.

"Stop staring, come play shuttlecock with me!" Chu Youzhao reached out, intending to tear up the letter and get it out of sight, out of mind.

Fortunately, Zu An was quick and slipped it into his pocket. "Alright, alright," he said, "but don't cry if you lose."

"You're not allowed to use your cultivation!" Chu Youzhao, not foolish, immediately declared.

"Fine, I won't use it!" Zu An said confidently, thinking, "Can I really not beat a little kid like you?"

But it wasn't long before he regretted it bitterly. Chu Youzhao was incredibly agile, with excellent flexibility, and she always managed to impossibly kick back the shuttlecock even from the most awkward angles.

Her bell-like laughter echoed throughout the courtyard. Outside, the maids and servants whispered among themselves, thinking they had never seen the young master so happy. "But why does the young master's laughter sound so much like a girl's today?" they wondered.

***

After playing with Chu Youzhao for a while, Zu An, despite her attempts to make him stay, insisted on leaving.

Chu Youzhao, still wanting to play more, waved at him from the doorway. "Brother-in-law, come play again next time!" she called out.

Turning back and looking at her bright smile, Zu An suddenly felt that even constantly losing didn't seem so bad.

"Oh, right, remember to write back to my sisters; they're all waiting!" Seeing him wave back, Chu Youzhao remembered her two sisters' instructions and quickly called out.

"Got it," Zu An replied, feeling a warmth in his heart. "It feels so good to have someone care," he thought. "Sigh, I haven't even thought about writing to them all this time, just indulging in pleasure. I'm really not a good person."

"I must remember to correct this," he constantly admonished himself. "From today on, I must remember proper male conduct and remain pure for my wives!"

As he walked, his gaze suddenly fell upon a familiar courtyard. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately walked towards it.

The matter with Sang Qian had to be resolved; he wasn't the kind of person to abandon someone after getting what he wanted.

What's more, the Sang family was now allied with him, and if this incident caused any rift, the consequences later would be far more severe.

Upon arriving at the Sang residence, Sang Hong and Zheng Dan were both surprised and delighted by his presence and warmly welcomed him.

"Little Qian... where is she?" he stammered. Why did the familiar address he usually used suddenly feel so ridden with guilt?

Zu An looked around, but unfortunately, he still didn't see Sang Qian.

"She's feeling a bit unwell, resting in her room," Sang Hong said with a smile, his expression showing no unusual signs.

Hearing the words "feeling unwell," Zu An's heart skipped a beat. He, of course, understood why she was unwell.

He recalled how he had mistakenly thought it was Zheng Dan last night and had been at it for most of the night. How could a young girl like Sang Qian possibly endure that?

This thought made his heart ache with even greater guilt. He considered for a moment, then said, "Uncle, there's something I need to tell you."

Sang Hong's expression showed a hint of surprise, as if he had anticipated something, but he quickly concealed it. "Nephew," he said, "our two families are now allied and extremely close. Feel free to speak your mind about anything."

Looking at Sang Hong's genial smile, Zu An felt an inexplicable pang of guilt. After all, Sang Hong had tacitly approved of his relationship with Zheng Dan, and now he had compromised his daughter. Even the closest relationship would sour over something like this, wouldn't it?

It was a 'do or die' moment. He took a deep breath and finally began, "Uncle, the truth is, Sang Qian and I..."

"Father!" Before he could finish, a crisp voice interrupted him. Everyone turned to see Sang Qian standing at the doorway.

Her face was pale, and there was a hint of weariness between her brows. Her eyes were still red, as if she had just been crying.

"Qian'er," Sang Hong said, a complex expression on his face, clearly surprised to see her.

Sang Qian, however, ignored him and walked straight to Zu An. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

Zheng Dan, standing nearby, looked suspicious, feeling that the way the two of them were speaking was somehow off.

Even Zu An, thick-skinned as he was, felt a pang of guilt under her gaze. "I came to clear some things up," he began, "to take responsi—"

"There's nothing unclear," Sang Qian interrupted him again. "Can't we just continue to interact as before? Are you here to discuss matters concerning Cloudmidst Commandery?"

"Uh... I guess so," Zu An replied instinctively, feeling a bit bewildered.

Just then, Sang Qian's vital energy transmission sounded in his ear: "Have you forgotten what you promised me? No one is allowed to talk about what happened last night."

"But that's too unfair to you," Zu An replied.

"There are no 'buts'," Sang Qian's voice was cold. "If you truly feel you owe me, then do as I say, otherwise I'll die right here in front of you."

"Uh... alright," Zu An conceded, seeing her resolute attitude.

"It's almost time for dinner, Brother Zu," Sang Qian said directly, ending the private transmission. "Why don't you stay here to eat?"

"Okay," Zu An replied, a bit taken aback. What did she mean by this? Why didn't she want him to reveal the truth? Wouldn't she be taken advantage of for nothing this way?

No one knew a daughter better than her father. Seeing her behavior, Sang Hong secretly sighed. He figured his daughter was dissatisfied with his arrangements and didn't want to cooperate with him in using her as a bargaining chip against Zu An.

But what she didn't know was that the more she acted this way, the better the outcome would be for him.

Soon after, maids served wine and dishes. Sang Hong and Zu An conversed happily, and there was no hint of anything unusual between them.

Sang Qian felt a pang in her heart, but she still forced a smile and spoke with her sister-in-law.

Zheng Dan's eyes occasionally flickered between the two of them, her expression thoughtful.

After eating for a while, Sang Qian stood up and said, "I'm feeling a bit unwell, so I'll go back to my room to rest."

Sang Hong and Zu An naturally didn't stop her, both telling her to take care of herself.

Sang Qian stood up, took a few steps, then stopped. "Brother Zu," she said, "you can come to the manor more often these days to discuss the case with Father. You can even stay here overnight; after all, there's no one at your home, and it's troublesome to go back."

Zu An's expression was strange. "Thank you, Little Qian," he replied.

What did she mean by this? And she even specifically asked him to stay here?

Sang Hong, however, sighed inwardly. He understood his daughter's thoughts: although she hated what he had done, she was always a rational person. Knowing that the deed was done, she would naturally focus on how to maximize the benefits.

Allowing Zu An to stay at the manor these days was clearly an attempt to increase the probability of conceiving a child.

Of course, he knew his daughter would never bring herself to be intimate with Zu An again. Most likely, she wanted to hand that task over to Zheng Dan.

After all, she had thought it through clearly: if she didn't conceive in these few days, they would be heading to Cloudmidst Commandery. If Zheng Dan were to get pregnant later, no one would believe it was a child from Qian'er's intended lineage.

During the banquet, everyone had their own thoughts. This time, Zu An was careful not to overindulge in alcohol.

After the banquet concluded, Aunt Mu led him to a guest room. "Young Master Zu," she said, "this is the room you stayed in last night. From now on, it will be your designated room; you're welcome to stay anytime you wish."

"Thank you, Aunt Mu," Zu An replied. He couldn't shake the feeling that her words had a peculiar undertone, as if there was a hidden meaning.

When night was deep and quiet, Zu An quietly left his room and made his way to Sang Qian's boudoir.

Having been there often, he naturally knew the layout of their rooms.

"Who is it?" Sang Qian's wary voice came from inside after hearing the knock.

"Little Qian, it's me. I want to talk to you about something," Zu An replied. He truly couldn't figure out her attitude and intended to talk things through clearly.

"There's nothing for us to talk about," Sang Qian said, taking a deep breath. "You don't need to feel guilty; just pretend nothing happened yesterday."

"How can something like this be treated as if it never happened?" Zu An said, feeling a bit frustrated. "What exactly is your plan? To be honest, I'm quite confused."

"Even I, a girl, don't mind, so why are you, a grown man, being so wishy-washy?" Sang Qian retorted, annoyed. "Or are you trying to use this opportunity to take advantage of me again? If that's what you're truly thinking, then just push the door open and come in!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than the door creaked open, pushed from the outside.

Sang Qian, sitting on the bed, looked utterly bewildered.