Chapter 124: Interrogation

“Thank you both very much,” Zu’an said. Having just earned a substantial amount from them, and with his discovery of a new use for Cheng Shoubing, he was in quite a good mood.

Sang Qian and Zheng Dan exchanged a few pleasantries with Zu’an before leaving. The moment they were out of his sight, Sang Qian’s smiling face instantly turned grim. “This infuriates me!” he fumed. “Why on earth was I so deluded as to help him change his bet?”

Beside him, Zheng Dan offered a bitter smile. “Who could have imagined a mere servant boy would be audacious enough to gamble recklessly with his master’s money?”

Sang Qian suddenly had a thought. “This is indeed illogical. Do you think Zu’an might have instigated this, guessing we would alter his plan, and therefore deliberately pretended to bet on losing, while simultaneously transmitting false information to the Yuan family?”

“If that’s the case, his cunning would be too monstrous,” Zheng Dan said, frowning and shaking her head. “I don’t think he guessed we would modify his betting strategy. Instead, I believe he initially intended to spend those ten thousand taels to mislead the Yuan family, and we just coincidentally changed it back for him.”

“Damn it!” Sang Qian felt as though he was truly having a run of bad luck; his fortune was simply terrible.

Rage value from Sang Qian: 999!

“The plan to change the betting slip has just failed. What should we do now?” Zheng Dan pulled out the new betting slip she had prepared from her bosom, and her slender fingers quickly tore it into pieces.

“It seems I’ll have to trouble you again,” Sang Qian said, looking at Zheng Dan.

Zheng Dan’s brows furrowed, and her expression instantly turned cold. “You want me to use a honey trap again?”

Sang Qian chuckled awkwardly, “You’re going to get the IOU for 7.5 million taels anyway, so this time we can just…”

Zheng Dan cut him off directly, her face full of frost. “Sang, why do you keep pushing your fiancée into other men’s arms? Do you have some kind of peculiar fetish?”

Sang Qian immediately grew anxious. “I’m not asking you to actually give yourself to him. Didn’t you say he never took advantage of you? How does that become pushing you into his arms?”

Zheng Dan looked as if she were on the verge of tears. “One who walks by the river often is bound to get their shoes wet. Moreover, this Zu’an isn’t as useless as the rumors claim. What if, by chance, he actually takes advantage of me? Then I couldn’t live with myself.”

In truth, from their previous interactions, she wasn’t particularly resistant to approaching Zu’an again. However, she couldn’t possibly show her willingness. Only by making Sang Qian feel guilty and believe she was acting out of duress would he cherish her more and not settle scores with her over this matter after they were married.

Seeing her pitiful, tearful expression, as if returning a pearl with double tears, Sang Qian’s heart nearly broke. He quickly comforted her, “I know you’re feeling wronged. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. If that Zu fellow truly dares to bully you, I’ll take his life!”

“Really?” Zheng Dan’s large, watery eyes gazed at him.

“Of course it’s real!” Sang Qian’s heart softened as he looked at his beautiful fiancée. “Forget it, let’s just give up on those 7.5 million taels. We’ll simply avoid him.”

Zheng Dan shook her head. “No, that 7.5 million taels is not a small sum, and what’s more, we have our own 1 million taels involved this time. For our future, I must take this risk.”

“You’ve been wronged,” Sang Qian said, looking at the gentle, classically beautiful woman before him, thinking how lucky he was to have found such a capable and virtuous partner.

Meanwhile, Zheng Dan was secretly pondering how she would approach Zu’an next.

On the other side, Zu’an let out a loud sneeze. Rubbing his nose, he said, “Some young wife must be thinking of me again.”

Cheng Shoubing, standing by, agreed with a fawning expression. Today, he had witnessed his young master’s mighty display, winning against even a fifth-rank expert. Crucially, he had also won the family tournament for the Chu family. Clearly, his position in the family would rapidly improve, and wouldn’t Cheng Shoubing himself also benefit from this rise?

At this point, let alone other people’s young wives thinking of the young master, even if his own wife thought of him, he would fully approve.

“Aren’t you afraid your own wife will hear you say that?” A playful voice suddenly sounded, and Pei Mianman walked over, bringing with her a faint fragrance.

Zu’an laughed. “My wife said she doesn’t mind if I find other women.”

Pei Mianman was taken aback, not expecting him to be so brazen. “Chu Chuyan would say something like that?” It was hard to associate that statement with her best friend.

“If you don’t believe me, go ask her yourself,” Zu’an said, pointing to Chu Chuyan not far away. “How about it? Interested in becoming my woman? You and Chuyan are already good friends, so you’re sure to get along.”

Cheng Shoubing, standing nearby, wore a shocked expression. He thought to himself, “The young master is truly formidable. I really underestimated him before. How dare he flirt with his wife’s best friend right in front of her? Oh, if only the young master could give me some pointers sometime!”

“You want to be my man?” Pei Mianman chuckled lightly, not getting angry. “It’s not impossible, but unfortunately, your current strength is far from enough.”

Cheng Shoubing glanced at her, then blushed and lowered his head, his heart pounding. “What a temptress! Those captivating peach blossom eyes, just one glance was unbearable. The young master truly is an extraordinary man, to be able to talk to her so calmly.”

“So when will it be ‘enough’?” Zu’an asked with a smile.

“You’ll know when the time comes,” Pei Mianman said, noticing Chu Chuyan walking towards them. She clearly had no more interest in teasing him. “Alright, I’ll be going now. Don’t forget what we agreed upon.”

After speaking, she drifted away, leaving only a lingering subtle fragrance in the air.

“What did you two agree upon?” Chu Chuyan walked over, looking at him with suspicion.

“We agreed she’ll become my concubine in the future,” Zu’an replied. Cheng Shoubing, standing nearby, was utterly awestruck, thinking, “The young master is truly a brave man!”

Chu Chuyan was speechless, clearly not taking his words seriously. “Come on, follow me. They all have a lot they want to say to you.”

Zu’an followed her back. Many people from the Chu family had already crowded around:

“Young Master, I never expected you to be so powerful. This is a special healing medicine from the Red Robe Army—”

“The young master just easily defeated his opponent without suffering any injuries. What would he need your medicine for?”

“This isn’t just useful for injuries; it can also quickly restore vital energy. The young master just fought two major battles, so he must have expended a lot of vital energy.”

“A bunch of bootlickers!” Hong Xingying, not far away, watched them eagerly fawning over Zu’an and couldn’t help but spit in disgust.

Just moments ago, many people were showing concern for him, but now they were all flocking to that Zu fellow. How snobbish!

Thinking about how Zu’an had stolen all the limelight today and how his rise in the Chu family was now inevitable, Hong Xingying’s face darkened. “What am I going to do now?” he wondered.

Just then, his vision suddenly darkened. He looked up and saw two servants carrying a table, setting it down directly in front of him and staring intently. He couldn’t help but erupt in fury, “What are you doing?”

“A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs,” he thought. “Can any random person provoke me now?”

“Who was it just now who said that if Brother-in-law won, he’d eat this table on the spot?” A giggling voice came. Chu Huanzhao, despite her dislocated arm, was sitting on a stretcher, clearly in a very good mood, swinging her two slender, pale legs in the air.

Normally, if he saw this, Hong Xingying would only feel his heartstrings plucked by her swaying slender legs. But at this moment, hearing her words, his face instantly flushed crimson.

Chu Huanzhao patted the table beside her. “I specifically chose a fine rosewood table. Although it’s valuable, its texture is softer than other tables. See how considerate I am? Oh, and I’ve prepared a pot of water for you here. If it’s not enough, I’ll have them bring another. Will you eat it with water?”

“I—” Hong Xingying’s mouth opened, but he didn’t know what to say. He somewhat regretted not feigning unconsciousness earlier to avoid this embarrassing situation.

“It’s all that Zu fellow’s fault!”

Rage value from Hong Xingying: 999!

Zu’an, who was happily accepting gifts from everyone, felt this surge of rage value from the backend. He immediately looked up towards Hong Xingying and saw Chu Huanzhao directing servants to move a massive table right next to him. He couldn’t help but chuckle, “Is my sister-in-law getting revenge for me?”

At this moment, the Chu couple also noticed the anomaly. Seeing Hong Xingying’s extreme discomfort, Chu Zhongtian glared at his daughter. “Nonsense!”

Chu Huanzhao pouted. “He just said it himself; I didn’t force him! When Brother-in-law was competing, he was shouting that if Brother-in-law won, he’d eat the table on the spot. You all must have heard it, right?”

“Alright, alright, you’re taking a joke too seriously,” Qin Wanru said, giving a look. The two servants carrying the table, as if granted amnesty, quickly carried it away. “We’re all family. Little Hong was just flustered and spoke carelessly out of concern. Don’t cause any more trouble.”

Whether for the sake of Steward Hong Zhong or for Hong Xingying’s diligent work for the Chu family in previous years, she had to save his face. However, she also harbored some resentment, thinking that “Little Hong” was becoming less reliable than before.

Chu Huanzhao wanted to say more but was stopped by her older sister’s hand. She could only pout and turn her face away, sulking by herself.

“Thank you, Master. Thank you, Madam,” Hong Xingying hurriedly bowed and expressed his gratitude, but his heart was filled with agony. He could feel the strange looks from everyone around him, and he blamed it all on that Zu fellow.

Rage value from Hong Xingying: 999!

Zu’an immediately felt a pang of discomfort. “Is this guy really getting angry at me for this too?”

Since that was the case, it was clear that their relationship couldn’t be reconciled, and there was no reason not to earn some rage value. He suddenly spoke, “Actually, eating a table isn’t that hard. You can soak it in water for a few days to soften it, or grind it into powder and swallow it with water. If you think it’s bland, you can even mix in some breadcrumbs and deep-fry it until golden brown. You might even cry from how delicious it is.”

Hong Xingying: "..."Chu Zhongtian: "..."Qin Wanru: "..."

“What kind of person is this guy? Who with a normal mind would research how to eat a table?”

Qin Wanru snorted. “Someone, send the injured back first.”

She worried that if Hong Xingying remained there, more trouble might arise between them, so she quickly separated them.

Zu’an was already very satisfied looking at the string of ‘666’ rage values in the background. Earning this kind of resource still required sustainable development. That Hong fellow’s head was already steaming; it wouldn’t be fun if he was completely broken from further teasing.

After Hong Xingying and the other injured were sent away, the rest of the Chu family also rushed back to the Chu manor.

Upon returning to the Chu manor, the Chu couple had everyone else wait outside, then called Zu’an into the study alone.

The rest of the Chu family discussed amongst themselves, all feeling that Zu’an had truly made a name for himself this time. Each person pondered how to get closer to him in the future, and those who had previously offended him secretly regretted it, wondering how to make amends.

After the door was closed, Zu’an let out a laugh. “Actually, you don’t need to thank me too much. Chuyan is my wife after all, so it’s only right for me to contribute to the Chu family. Of course, if you really want to reward me with one hundred or eighty thousand taels, I wouldn’t mind. I’m not picky about rare treasures or anything, and it wouldn’t be bad if you arranged a few beautiful maids for me.”

Chu Zhongtian: "..."Qin Wanru: "..."Chu Chuyan: "..."

“Still thinking about beautiful maids!” Qin Wanru finally couldn’t hold back, slamming her hand heavily on the table. “Tell me, who exactly sent you here!”