Chapter 1886: Our Child

Chu Youzhao also looked up at the sky and couldn't help but exclaim, "Sister Qinghe, isn't my brother-in-law handsome?"

After speaking, she suddenly realized that this very topic had caused their recent argument, so she hastily explained, "Don't misunderstand, that's not what I meant..."

But then she heard Murong Qinghe murmur, "Brother Zu is indeed handsome."

Chu Youzhao: "???"

'If you think so too, then why did you get angry when I said it just now?'

Just then, Zu An landed and handed the two a teal, compass-like object. "This is the formation plate that controls the array; you can use it to activate the array normally. This is a bag of primordial stones; remember to replenish the energy whenever needed. You can load the primordial stones into these slots by opening the formation plate..."

Chu Youzhao's eyes lit up. "Brother Zu, you know about arrays too! This is so fun, can you teach me?"

Murong Qinghe's face was still tear-stained, but her eyes were now filled with curiosity. Array masters were often the exclusive domain of scholarly eccentrics at the Imperial Academy; none were like Brother Zu.

Zu An smiled. "If you're interested, I can teach you, but I probably won't have time in the next few days."

He had experimented with this array in his free time, following the descriptions in the *Baopuzi True Scripture*. Although not complete, it was sufficient to guard a residence.

Once he had more free time, he planned to find some precious materials and develop the more powerful arrays described in the scripture.

The vast knowledge of the seven cultivation techniques in the *Baopuzi True Scripture* had sparked his strong interest in immortal cultivation. Previously, cultivation had merely been about fighting, but now he realized it could involve so many other fascinating activities.

"Yes, please! Yes, please!" Chu Youzhao was overjoyed to hear him agree.

Zu An nodded to Murong Qinghe. "Sister Qinghe, if you're interested, you can also learn with us then."

"I can too?" Murong Qinghe was surprised. Such arrays were often the most confidential knowledge, guarded fiercely by those in the academy. The imperial court also classified array techniques as state secrets, strictly prohibiting their private dissemination, fearing they might be stolen by the demon race.

A powerful, large-scale array could often sway the outcome of a war.

"Of course you can, you're not an outsider." Zu An smiled, then patted Chu Youzhao's shoulder. "Youzhao, please take good care of Sister Qinghe during this time."

Chu Youzhao froze, sensing his intent to leave. "Brother-in-law, aren't you staying here?"

'Oh no, my imagined daily cohabitation with my brother-in-law is ruined.'

Zu An nodded. "Sister Qinghe is staying here, so it would be inconvenient for me to stay as well. My reputation in that regard has never been good, and if people found out, there would likely be a lot of gossip."

Murong Qinghe hastily said, "Brother Zu, it's fine. Given my current situation, you've already taken a great risk by taking me in. How could I let you move out?"

Even if she was naive, she knew that taking over someone's home like this was quite presumptuous.

"It's alright. I already have matters that require me to be out frequently, such as navigating connections to save the Qin and Murong families, among others," Zu An said with a smile. "It's actually more convenient to be outside."

Hearing him say this, the two women found it difficult to dissuade him. Chu Youzhao reluctantly said, "Then, Brother Zu, please come back to see us often when you have time. This is your home; you can come in whenever you wish. Sister Qinghe and I will warmly welcome you, right Qinghe?"

Murong Qinghe hummed in agreement. "Brother Zu can come in whenever he wishes."

Zu An waved goodbye nonchalantly, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

Watching his retreating figure, Murong Qinghe murmured, "Brother Zu is truly a gentleman."

"A gentleman? Not necessarily..." Chu Youzhao's face felt hot as her mind involuntarily replayed the scene of her incomparably aloof elder sister being pressed onto a table and 'played with' by him. But then she reconsidered: they were husband and wife, so they could do as they pleased. How could she think her brother-in-law wasn't a gentleman just because of that?

Now, after Zu An left his marquis's residence, he quickened his pace along the way and, without realizing it, arrived at the Sang family's home.

Gazing at the scattered lights in the courtyard, Zu An suddenly felt the familiar trepidation of being close to home after a long absence. He wondered if Zheng Dan was doing well after all this time.

And Sang Qian... was she doing well?

He quietly found a secluded corner and climbed in. The reason he didn't use the main entrance was that countless eyes, both overt and covert, watched the homes of these high-ranking officials. He didn't want to expose his connection with the Sang family.

Especially his relationships with Sang Qian and Zheng Dan; he personally didn't mind, as his reputation in that regard was already less than stellar.

However, if exposed, the Sang family's reputation would be ruined, so he had to consider their standing.

Fortunately, Sang Qian and Zheng Dan had secretly given him the Sang family's access token beforehand, so climbing over the wall wouldn't trigger the defensive array.

Back then, he had thought these family defensive arrays were quite ingenious, but with his current mastery of array formations, he could tell they were mass-produced, common goods.

It seemed that due to varying terrain and layouts of each household, some families weren't well-suited to these generic arrays, making them full of flaws in the eyes of a true array master.

However, he also knew that these were merely general arrays circulated on the market by the academy. Tailoring one individually would likely be quite expensive.

At least the Sang family didn't have the financial means for it.

'I'll help them improve their arrays if I get the chance later,' Zu An mused as he arrived at the main hall.

Having returned after such a long time, he still needed to greet Sang Hong. Otherwise, going straight to Zheng Dan's quarters might lead to awkwardness if discovered.

He faintly saw figures bustling inside; it seemed everyone was gathered for dinner, but strangely, no one was at the table. A group of people stood anxiously discussing something together.

'Has the Sang family encountered some difficulty too?'

Zu An's heart tightened, and he quickly walked closer.

He didn't deliberately hide his footsteps, so Sang Hong soon noticed him, turning abruptly. "Who's there?"

The others were also startled and turned their heads.

"Greetings, Uncle!" Zu An smiled, but his gaze involuntarily flickered towards the two women nearby.

Zheng Dan, being nominally a widow, wore elegant, plain clothes. However, she always loved beauty, and her garments were subtly adorned with small flowers, adding a vibrant touch to her entire being—truly embodying the saying, "to be alluring in mourning."

Her oval face showed no hint of a widow's sorrow; instead, she was charming and alluring, causing any man who passed by to involuntarily look back.

Sang Qian, on the other hand, possessed the beauty of a refined young lady. Compared to her sister-in-law's allure, she appeared more delicate and graceful.

However, after some time apart, she seemed to have filled out a bit, losing some of her usual girlish innocence and gaining a touch of youthful matronly charm.

"Brother Zu!"

"Brother Zu!"

The two women exclaimed in unison, then exchanged glances, their faces flushing.

Sang Hong, however, was accustomed to it. He said with surprise, "Ah Zu, when did you get back?"

"I..." Zu An was about to reply when a baby's cry suddenly came from behind them.

Zu An froze, watching Sang Qian and Zheng Dan hurriedly turn around and pick up a fair, jade-like baby from a cradle.

Sang Hong was also anxious but couldn't conveniently approach. He paced back and forth like an ant on a hot griddle. "Qian'er, is she hungry?"

Sang Qian rolled her eyes impatiently. "She just fed. How could she be hungry so quickly?"

"Then why is she crying so much?" Sang Hong asked anxiously.

"I don't know either, Aunt Mu, what do you think is wrong with her?" Sang Qian looked to Aunt Mu for help.

Aunt Mu's face flushed. "I don't know either. I've never had a child myself."

The few of them were flustered, completely ignoring Zu An.

Zheng Dan kept making funny faces next to the baby to coax her, but unfortunately, the baby continued to cry loudly, leaving Zheng Dan feeling helpless. "Qianqian, why don't you try feeding her again?"

As a young woman, she didn't know how to soothe a baby and instinctively thought feeding would solve most problems.

"This is..." Zu An finally couldn't help himself. He looked at the child, his voice a little strained.

Zheng Dan's eyes lit up. "Oh, right! Let her father hold her; maybe she wants to see her daddy."

With that, she took the baby from Sang Qian's arms and, beaming, handed her to Zu An.

Zu An was immediately flustered. Feeling the tiny life in his hands, he didn't know how to position them.

Too much strength might hurt her; too little might not hold her securely.

"You need to hold her like this: support her bottom, let her body rest in your arm, and also support her neck..." Seeing his clumsy movements, Sang Qian broke out in a cold sweat and quickly came over to help guide him.

Sweating profusely, Zu An finally learned. Strangely enough, the previously crying baby suddenly quieted down, instead blinking her large eyes and gazing at him, her expression full of curiosity.

"She... she's my child?"

Sang Qian's face was slightly flushed. "Yes, our child. It's a daughter."

Her tone became a little melancholic towards the end. After all, according to their plan, it would have been better to have a son to carry on the Sang family line.

But joy outweighed sadness; this was, after all, her own flesh and blood.

Zu An gently stroked the small life in his arms, making her giggle as her tiny hands waved unconsciously.

He couldn't resist extending a finger. Her tiny hand was so small that her entire fist could barely grasp half of his finger.

Zu An immediately felt a bond of kinship and couldn't help but laugh like a fool. "So cute! She'll definitely be a great beauty when she grows up."

Seeing his joyous expression, Sang Qian secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a sweet smile gracing her face.

Zheng Dan, who had also been smiling nearby, suddenly felt a pang of loss as her smile faded.

"When was she born?" Zu An asked curiously.

"About three months ago. You had disappeared then, so we couldn't inform you." Sang Hong cleared his throat, his expression somewhat complex. Their previous plans had ultimately come to naught, and he had 'lost' both his daughter and daughter-in-law in the process, making him feel a sense of considerable loss.

"Has she been named?" Zu An was, however, immersed in joy.

"Not yet. We were waiting for you to come back to name her," Sang Qian said shyly.

"Huh?" Zu An felt a headache coming on. "I'm terrible at naming things, as you can tell from the title of this lousy novel."

Just then, Zheng Dan suddenly laughed. "Actually, Qianqian had a name in mind: Si An."

"Oh, you're dead!" Sang Qian immediately blushed deeply, making a move as if to cover Zheng Dan's mouth.

"Si An?" Zu An paused. 'Does it mean missing me?' His heart warmed, and he suddenly felt a sense of home.

"How about we just call her Sisi then?"