Chapter 1060: Paper Wife

Zu An was utterly bewildered. He had a thousand questions in his mind. It was just the quilt she had slept in; was there any need to be so shy? Could the unusual scent he just noticed be something else entirely?

At that moment, Yu Yanluo had changed into a silk nightgown. The fabric clung to her body, subtly revealing her mature and graceful curves. This hint of mystery made her even more alluring. Especially the astonishing curve between her waist and hips perfectly embodied a woman's natural charm.

Not long after, Yu Yanluo re-entered, carrying a brand new quilt. "This is for you," she said.

"Uh, thank you, Madam," Zu An replied, unsure what else to say. He couldn't very well ask about the unusual scent on the other quilt.

Just as he was about to speak, his gaze sharpened. As Yu Yanluo bent down to spread the quilt, her nightgown, being particularly loose, gaped at the neckline, revealing a significant expanse of enchanting scenery. In such a situation, Zu An naturally felt awkward taking advantage of the view and averted his gaze.

Yu Yanluo had just finished spreading the quilt for him when she noticed his odd behavior. She looked down, and her face immediately flushed pink. She quickly covered her chest and straightened up. Having just changed, she had been eager to bring the quilt and hadn't thought about it. Normally, she dressed so casually when alone in her bedroom because it was impossible for other men to enter her room. So, having just changed, she hadn't realized the potential exposure.

However, instead of screaming or panicking like a young girl, she feigned composure and said, "Since you're not asleep yet, come over and let's look at the people from the Duke's mansion."

Zu An was surprised. "You finished drawing them so quickly?"

Yu Yanluo smiled faintly. "I've finished a few. For the rest, you can watch me draw while you observe."

Zu An's interest was immediately piqued. "This is a good chance to learn how to draw from you."

"You want to learn drawing?" Yu Yanluo was surprised.

Zu An nodded. "The foundational requirement for my disguise skill is mastery of drawing. Only then can I perfectly visualize the target's facial details. I've practiced diligently for a while and thought I had perfected it, but I didn't expect you to see through it so easily."

"I see," Yu Yanluo realized. "This disguise skill is quite remarkable. This is good; you can examine with me where the flaw lies, so you won't reveal yourself when you go out to deceive people in the future." Zu An thought to himself that her words sounded a bit strange.

Soon, he got out of bed and followed her, noticing that Yu Yanluo had draped a white fur shawl around her neckline. Clearly, she had realized what had happened earlier. However, bringing up such a topic would make both of them uncomfortable, so it was best to let it pass.

Yu Yanluo took out several drawings and handed them to him. "The first one is Steward Ming, the Duke's mansion's steward. He handles all affairs, big and small, and has followed Yan Yu for many years. He knows him best. If anyone is likely to see through your identity, he would be the first."

Zu An took the paper and saw a drawing of a man who looked like a steward. He recognized this person; he had met him once when investigating a case at the Duke's mansion. The drawing was indeed identical to the man. What surprised Zu An even more was how lifelike the figure was; it didn't seem like a drawing but more like a real person.

Just then, the portrait on the paper suddenly rippled, and a wisp of green smoke slowly floated out from it, settling on the ground. As the smoke gradually dispersed, a figure emerged. It was none other than Steward Ming!

"Young Master can call me Steward Ming. Feel free to ask me about anything in the mansion," the figure said, bowing to Zu An. Its tone was polite yet somewhat distant, exactly as it had been when Zu An first met him.

Zu An was startled, not expecting him to appear here. His muscles tensed instantly, ready to strike at any moment. Yu Yanluo smiled charmingly from the side. "No need to be nervous. He's just a figure from my painting, not real."

"A figure from a painting?" Zu An's eyes widened. He quickly went to check and found that his hand could indeed pass through the figure's body with ease, confirming it had no physical form.

"Please don't do that, Young Master; it easily speeds up my dissipation," the "Steward Ming" figure said, taking a step back with a hint of helplessness.

"It can even speak?" Zu An looked at Yu Yanluo, completely astonished.

Yu Yanluo explained, "He is a type of entity created within my paintings, though strictly speaking, not a living being. Each time I finish a character and give it detailed settings, it can leap from the paper, identical to the person I intended to draw. However, it has no physical form and will naturally dissipate after a while."

Zu An couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "I used to think 'magic brush brings flowers to life' was just a legend, but Madam has shown me it's not just flowers—you can bring living people to life!" He couldn't help but think about how, in his previous life, fans of two-dimensional characters loved their fictional wives. If Yu Yanluo helped, she could entirely turn their characters into real people. Even if they only existed for a short while, it would be enough to drive fans worldwide insane. Even for those who preferred real-life celebrities, drawing them would surely send fans into a frenzy. The only regret was the lack of physical form; they could only be seen, not touched...

"It's just practice makes perfect," Yu Yanluo said as if stating something utterly common. "Hm? What are you thinking about? Hurry and get acquainted with him so you won't give yourself away the next time you impersonate Yan Yu and meet him."

"Oh, right," Zu An mumbled, his face reddening. What was he thinking about? He chastised himself for his thoughts.

Then Yu Yanluo continued, "I've already imbued the drawing of Steward Ming with all relevant information. He will introduce everything to you; just talk to him and he'll tell you. I'll draw others." After speaking, she lowered her head and began sketching rapidly. However, perhaps due to what had just happened, she subconsciously covered her neckline with her hand, even though she was wearing the shawl.

"Who is she guarding against? Am I that kind of person?" Zu An felt a little dejected, but his attention quickly returned to Steward Ming. The figure began to converse with him, introducing various pieces of information about itself, and also mentioning some details about Jian Yan Yu's daily life. Zu An couldn't help but marvel that this kind of live interaction was far easier to remember than a dense sheet of written notes.

After a while, Steward Ming's figure began to blur, eventually dissolving into specks of starlight and vanishing.

Yu Yanluo seemed to sense something. She looked up and asked, "How much did you remember from just now? I can draw another one for you to review."

"No need, I've memorized everything," Zu An replied.

"You memorized everything?" Yu Yanluo's delicate brows furrowed. Due to her beauty, her suitors would go to great lengths, with some deliberately pretending to be highly capable just to attract her attention. For some reason, she didn't want Zu An to be like them, and a faint hint of disappointment crept into her heart.

"I really did remember it," Zu An said, pointing to his head. "My memory has always been very good." Ever since he used the Marrow Cleansing Pill from the keyboard system, which elevated his aptitude to an extraordinary level, he found that he could basically grasp anything simply by seeing it once. The Thick-Browed Daoist had possessed "Thousand Faces" for a long time without making significant progress, despite being an eighth-rank cultivator with seemingly decent aptitude, which proved "Thousand Faces" was quite obscure and difficult to comprehend. Yet, Zu An had learned most of it during his journey to Yunzhong Commandery. In his previous life, if he had this ability, he could have easily aced the entrance exams for prestigious universities or become a provincial top scholar.

"Is that so?" Yu Yanluo was already a little displeased. "Then let me ask you, what are Yan Yu's habits before going to sleep?"

Zu An was somewhat puzzled, completely unaware of why she had suddenly become angry. However, since she asked, he still replied, "He never eats or drinks tea several hours before bedtime. He also goes to his study to read alone for a while."

"Oh, and what's his favorite book to read?"

"At that time, he was reading 'Spring and Autumn Annals'."

After this series of questions and answers, a hint of surprise appeared in Yu Yanluo's eyes. Initially, she thought he was boasting, but she found that he remembered every detail clearly. It was then that she fully believed him. "I apologize; I misjudged you just now. It seems your aptitude is one in ten thousand." With her extensive knowledge, she naturally understood the significance of such a photographic memory.

"Madam's painting skill is truly more impressive," Zu An remarked.

Yu Yanluo smiled. "Next, you should probably disguise yourself as Yan Yu to make it more appropriate."

Zu An agreed. Since the goal was to train him to deceive acquaintances in the Duke's mansion while impersonating Jian Yan Yu, it was natural to assume Jian Yan Yu's appearance for a more immersive experience. So, his face began to shift, gradually transforming into Jian Yan Yu's likeness.

Yu Yanluo watched him intently throughout the entire process. After witnessing the complete transformation, she couldn't help but say, "Your skill is truly unique in the world; it's simply a marvel of craftsmanship."

"But Madam has made me lose my confidence," Zu An said with a wry smile. Being seen through on his very first attempt was truly frustrating.

"I'll help you refine it later, so you won't have to fear being recognized anymore," Yu Yanluo said with a smile, pointing to the paper on the nearby table. "First, look at the next drawings."

Zu An nodded, picked up the new drawing, and immediately froze. He had expected to see other important guards or figures from the Duke's mansion, but instead, the paper depicted a stunningly beautiful woman. Although she was slightly less beautiful than his confidantes, she was still a top-tier beauty. He looked at the other papers, which also depicted several other beautiful women. They each possessed their own unique charm and elegance, like plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. However, they all shared a common trait: judging by their hair buns and attire, they were clearly married young women.

As his gaze swept over them, all the beautiful women transformed into wisps of smoke, flying out from the paintings. Upon seeing Zu An, they all gathered around him in joyful surprise, exclaiming, "Husband!"

Zu An was thunderstruck.