If Zu An had seen him, he would’ve immediately recognized him as the mysterious expert from the Wei clan.

After hearing that Zu An seemed to have learned quite a few things from the academy, he decided to drop by and look around.

The first to suffer his wrath had naturally been Lu De. However, after sparring with him for almost half a day, he didn’t notice any connection between this man and the one he was looking for.

Thus, he began hunting for his next target.

Soon, the effeminate Bai Susu entered his line of sight. For some reason, he’d always loathed freaks like these who appeared half-man, half-woman.

He quietly headed in Bai Susu’s direction. The academy had many guards both in the open and in hiding, but he moved through all of them as if no one was there.

Zu An had no idea that he had been targeted. He was engrossed in the game he was playing with Zheng Dan, which chiefly consisted of seeing who could hold their breath longer.

After playing for a while, this game wasn’t enough to satisfy Zu An any longer. He grabbed her thigh and lifted her entire body, pressing her firmly against the wall.

Zheng Dan’s face became thoroughly red. “Someone might walk by and see us!” she said in panic.

Even though this area was rather secluded, it was still part of the academy grounds. They couldn’t be certain that no students would walk past.

“Why don’t we gamble, then?” Zu An whispered in her ear.

Zheng Dan’s heart trembled. She bit her lips and said weakly, “You need to be fast…”

…

When Zheng Dan returned to the classroom, Xie Daoyun gave her a strange look. “Why is your face so red? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

Zheng Dan shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Not only was she not feeling uncomfortable, she was feeling the exact opposite.

There was an extremely bold and daring side to her hiding underneath her reserved and graceful exterior. However, what had just happened was definitely too risky!

Her heart had been pounding throughout the entire affair. If anyone had passed by and seen them, her reputation would have been completely ruined!

Yet somehow, the more stressed out she felt, the more stimulated she became, and the more sensitive her body became.

She couldn’t maintain a properly studious posture anymore, and lay on the desk in an alluring manner. Right now, she felt so lazy that she didn’t even want to lift a single finger.

A large number of male students noticed that her mannerisms seemed quite different. They constantly snuck looks at her, swallowing audibly.

That was as far as they went. They knew that her fiancé was the commander of the River Patrol Army and the governor’s son, so none of them dared to treat her with disrespect, for fear of provoking the Sang clan.

Zheng Dan ran into Zu An again in the evening, when classes ended. However, this time, she only flashed him a faint smile and nodded in greeting.

To everyone else, this seemed like a normal exchange. After all, Zheng Dan was polite to everyone.

Zu An really had to give this woman credit for being an incredible actress. How could someone behave one way in public, and then act so differently when no one else was looking?

“What are you thinking about, brother-in-law? Why is your smile so weird?” Chu Huanzhao ran over to him excitedly. When she saw him waiting for her here, she absolutely beamed.

“Am I smiling?” Zu An rubbed his own cheeks.

“Hmph! You were smiling as though something really good had happened!” Chu Huanzhao suddenly gave a slight jolt of surprise. “Why did you change your clothes?”

“Oh, I got them dirty just now, so I had to change into a different set,” Zu An replied.

There was no way he could let himself be careless again! Chu Chuyan would always be able to notice even the slightest bit of perfume on him. How could he continue making the same mistake?

“Oh…” Chu Huanzhao had no reason to doubt him.

Zu An noticed Ji Xiaoxi not too far away. This girl really was ridiculously cute! No wonder that Ji Dengtu doted on her like a maniac.

I might be no better than him if I had a daughter this cute.

“Hi Xiaoxi!” Zu An waved towards her. It would be good if he could purchase some medicine through her.

Pei Mianman’s injury the night before had reminded him that he couldn’t count on his Rage lottery for restorative items. He had to keep some restorative medicine on him.

And of course, in Brightmoon City, no other clan’s medicine could compare to the Ji clan’s.

However, Ji Xiaoxi jumped like a startled rabbit upon hearing his voice. She bolted off in a hurry without even turning around.

Zu An stared after her, speechless.

“Huanzhao, do I really look like that much of a scoundrel?” He was clearly miffed by this reaction.

Chu Huanzhao looked him up and down, then proceeded to nod fiercely. “You do! You really do look like the worst sort of person!”

Zu An just stared at her.

Chu Huanzhao snorted. “It’s your own fault for looking at her when she didn’t have any clothes on. It would be weirder if she didn’t avoid you.”

Chu Huanzhao herself had only believed that it was only a coincidence after a long and laborious explanation from him.

However, she really couldn’t stand the idea of this brother-in-law of hers cuddling with Ji Xiaoxi, especially with the latter naked as the day she was born. Her own clan had put in all the hard work to secure him. To have someone else come in and snatch him away just like that—it really was too much!

“Lower your voice please!” Zu An hissed in embarrassment.

He turned around and spitted his followers with a glare. “Did any of you hear anything?”

Feng Daniu and the other guards were completely shocked. Their young master had actually seen Ji Xiaoxi naked? However, they immediately shook their heads when they saw his threatening expression. “We didn’t hear anything!” they said in unison.

Only Cheng Shouping’s fawning voice carried a different tune. “The young master really is formidable, even Ji…”

Jiao Shan and the others covered his mouth before he could finish speaking. “This fellow misheard you! He’s misheard you!”

One could get attached to even a pair of underwear if one wore it long enough. They couldn’t bear to see this guy get into trouble.

“Hmph!” Chu Huanzhao cooled her murderous gaze as well, and dragged Zu An off with her.

When they returned to the Chu Estate, Zu An noticed a familiar carriage parked outside.

A maid came running out of the carriage as they appeared. “Young master Zu, our young miss invites you to meet with her.”

“Who is your young miss?” Chu Huanzhao cut in front of Zu An vigilantly. Just what the heck is going on? Why are more and more women running to my brother-in-law’s side?

That maid smiled sweetly. “Young master Zu will know when he arrives.”

Sensing Chu Huanzhao’s displeasure, she added, “My young miss is just over there. It won’t take long.”

Zu An patted Chu Huanzhao’s head. “Little Huanzhao, don’t worry. I’ll head over and take a look.”

Chu Huanzhao snorted angrily. She wanted to tag along too, but the maid stopped her, saying that the invitation was for Zu An alone. She was forced to stay behind, her mouth forming into a pout.

“I’m not waiting for you!” Chu Huanzhao shouted in protest, before she stomped inside. However, just after she passed through the gates, she couldn’t resist the temptation any longer. She hid in the shadows and spied in the direction of the carriage.

A pair of soft hands opened the door as Zu An arrived at the carriage. “Ah Zu, please come in.”

Zu An smiled as he laid eyes on the incredibly glamorous woman inside. “Why isn’t Honglei coming in for some tea?”

Qiu Honglei smiled. “I fear that those inside might not welcome me, so I decided not to make things difficult for everyone.”

Zu An smiled awkwardly. He still remembered how the study had been turned into a battlefield the last time she had been invited inside. “Right then, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Can’t I come without a reason?” A hint of bitterness flashed across Qiu Honglei’s eyes.

Zu An sighed. Sometimes, not even he could figure out what was real and what wasn’t.

Qiu Honglei handed over a set of neatly folded clothes. “Thank you for lending me your clothes the last time. I never had a chance to return them to you.”

“Haha, you’re really too kind. It’s just a set of clothes, though. You didn’t have to make a trip all the way here just for that.” Even while Zu An was saying this, he wondered if he should find the opportunity to lend her something else.

If they continually lent things to each other back and forth, wouldn’t their relationship grow naturally closer?

“I found this conch in your clothing as well.” Qiu Honglei brought out an exquisite conch from beside her. “This thing seems quite interesting. Can I have it?”

Zu An was embarrassed. “This…”

If it had been anything else, he would’ve straight up given it to her. However, this was something that he’d borrowed from Shang Liuyu. He’d had it for so long without returning it. How could he have the nerve to give it away?

Qiu Honglei tossed the conch into his hands with a smile. “You got it from another girl, didn’t you? Don’t worry, I was just joking around.”

Zu An put it away in embarrassment. “If I get the opportunity, I’ll surely get you another musical item in the future.”

Qiu Honglei smiled. “I’ll remember those words.” Her voice suddenly took on a serious tone. “There’s another important matter I needed to speak with you about.”