Chapter 210: Psychological Shadows

Xie Xiu frowned, wondering why the man had such a look of utter disgust.

Immediately after, he saw Pan Long and Fu Feng return, both looking pale as if greatly startled. At this, Xie Xiu could no longer suppress his curiosity and quietly followed them.

Soon, he finally understood why Hong Xingying and the others had those expressions. He saw Zu An changing clothes under a tree, having completely removed his previously tattered garments, revealing his strong and muscular body.

Xie Xiu didn't think much of it. He knew that many women didn't actually prefer such muscular men, instead favoring the slender, refined type like himself, so he felt no jealousy.

It was only when his gaze shifted lower that his entire body trembled.

"How is this possible!" he unconsciously rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be mistaken. But when he saw it clearly again, he fell silent. He finally understood why those people had such strange expressions.

Involuntarily, he measured it against his own arm, and Xie Xiu immediately felt a wave of depression.

This guy must have done it on purpose! A normal person changing clothes would put on their pants first, then their shirt. But this guy put on his shirt first, and throughout the process, he was slow and deliberate, constantly swaying...

"What an animal!" Xie Xiu thought. Recalling how Zu An had deliberately told them not to peek earlier, he realized that Zu An had intentionally set a trap for them to jump into.

Meanwhile, the remaining girls noticed the men returning one by one, all pale-faced and dazed, which piqued their curiosity.

Wu Qing, being straightforward, directly asked Pan Long and Fu Feng, "What's wrong with you two? You all look like you've seen a ghost."

"Worse than seeing a ghost!" Pan Long and Fu Feng replied with wry smiles.

"What happened? Don't keep us in suspense," Wu Qing said impatiently.

Pan Long and Fu Feng usually obeyed her every word, but this time, they both shook their heads in unison, refusing to answer.

*Are you kidding? How could we talk about that! What about our dignity?*

The other female students also asked their male acquaintances about what had happened inside. Usually, these male students, who often disdained each other and competed in school, unexpectedly banded together this time, with not a single one revealing anything.

Seeing Xie Xiu, who had entered with such an air of nonchalant elegance, return looking utterly distraught, Pei Mianman couldn't help but ask, "Xiu'er, what happened? You look completely broken."

She was originally part of Prince Qi's faction and frequently interacted with the Xie family, maintaining a good relationship with his sister, Xie Daoyun. Thus, she wasn't so reserved with him.

Xie Xiu forced a difficult smile and said, "Nothing, just lamenting that there's always someone better out there." After uttering a few inadequate words, he had no desire to talk to anyone and went to sit under a large tree, his pupils dilated, looking completely bewildered.

"What is wrong with all these men?" Pei Mianman couldn't help but look at Chu Chuyan.

Chu Chuyan's face flushed slightly. "How would I know? Maybe we can ask Ah Zu later."

"Good point," Pei Mianman said with a smile.

Not far away, the men watched the two girls whispering intimately and suddenly understood, finding answers to many previously puzzling questions. No wonder the high and mighty Chu Chuyan chose such an incompetent good-for-nothing as her husband. At first, everyone thought that guy had no redeeming qualities, but how could outsiders know his true "strength"? No wonder the unremarkable Zu An could win the favor of so many beautiful women. It turned out that "that" was his secret. What woman wouldn't love a man like that? No wonder these proud, stunning beauties, who usually treated each other with polite deference, had such good relationships privately. After all, something so exaggerated could hardly be endured by one person alone; they must have been cooperating...

These men imagined many things, especially when they thought of these usually delicate and beautiful women being "conquered" by that guy's "talent." A mix of envy, inferiority, and jealousy, along with other complex emotions, ultimately transformed into anger towards Zu An.

Hong Xingying had always looked down on Zu An, believing the scoundrel was inferior to him in every way. Even when Zu An had shone brightly in the clan competition, Hong Xingying hadn't paid much attention, firmly believing that with his own talent, he would eventually surpass Zu An at Brightmoon Academy. But the scene he had just witnessed was too great a blow to him. This was something he could never catch up to in his lifetime. Pursuing Miss Chu alongside such a man filled him with an inherent sense of inferiority. He feared he would never be able to look Zu An in the eye again.

Rage from Hong Xingying +999!He wasn't the only one with similar thoughts:Rage from Pan Long +999!Rage from Fu Feng +999!Rage from Xie Xiu +999!Rage from Wei Hongde +999!

Seeing the rage values constantly refreshing in the background, Zu An grinned from ear to ear. He secretly sighed, thinking, *I clearly warned you earlier, but you insisted on coming to scar yourselves psychologically. Who's to blame but yourselves?*

Dressed and emerging from the area, Zu An saw a group of male classmates looking as if they'd lost their parents. He thought, *My old classmates are truly adorable; they send me rage values the moment I see them.*

Suddenly, he noticed a name in the background: Wei Hongde? Old Man Mi had seemed to want him to approach this person. So he walked directly towards Wei Hongde. Compared to Wei Suo's emaciated, scrawny, rat-like appearance, Wei Hongde looked much more distinguished, making one wonder if they were even born of the same mother.

"Brother Wei!" Zu An enthusiastically walked over and put an arm around his shoulder. "I've heard much about you but never had the chance to meet. It's a pleasure, a true pleasure!"

Wei Hongde hadn't expected Zu An to walk straight up to him and, caught off guard, was embraced. His expression immediately became stiff. "Do we know each other?" *Speaking of hearing much about someone, who in this school could compare to you? You've only been here a few days and are already known by everyone!* As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily darted towards Zu An's crotch. The image he had just seen resurfaced in his mind, and his face grew even paler.

"Wei Suo and I are desk mates. We hit it off right away and became good brothers. I knew he had a brother here at school and always wanted to meet you, but I never had the chance," Zu An explained.

"Oh, so it's about Wei Suo," Wei Hongde finally managed a faint smile, his chipped front tooth particularly noticeable, which finally made Zu An stop doubting whether they were truly brothers.

They chatted for a while longer, but Zu An didn't gain any useful information. From every angle, Wei Hongde seemed unremarkable. Apart from barely making it into the Heavenly Class, there was nothing noteworthy about him. He truly didn't understand why Old Man Mi wanted him to specifically approach Wei Hongde.

"Ah Zu, come here quickly," a sweet, charming voice called out. Pei Mianman, her peach blossom eyes full of an incredibly sugary smile, waved gently, beckoning him.

"Coming!" Zu An eagerly trotted over. Why stay with these stinky men when he could be with fragrant girls?

Witnessing this scene, all the male students immediately felt a pang of bitterness. Some were indignant and wanted to say something, but the highly impactful image they had just seen kept replaying in their minds, and they instantly lost their resolve.

Rage from Hong Xingying +666!Rage from Pan Long +666!Rage from Fu Feng +666!Rage from Xie Xiu +666!Rage from Wei Hongde +666!

"What exactly happened in there? Why have all of them been acting so strangely since then?" Pei Mianman asked curiously.

Chu Chuyan, standing nearby, pretended not to care but secretly perked up her ears.

"Perhaps they were just a bit shaken," Zu An said with an embarrassed expression. "I told them not to come, but they insisted."

The other male students: "..." *You said those things, but you didn't really want us to see it? You clearly lured us in on purpose! What an atrocity! We definitely need to find some water and wash our eyes thoroughly later.*

"Shaken by what?" Pei Mianman looked bewildered and unconsciously glanced at the male students on the other side. Ordinarily, these male students would have yearned for a longer gaze from the charming and alluring Pei Mianman. But now, they all felt inexplicably guilty, their eyes darting away, afraid she might call on them.

"Oh, nothing much, just some men's secrets," Zu An said with a mysterious smile. Even with his thick skin, it was hard to boast about such a thing. Fearing she would press further, he quickly said a couple of casual words and hurried back to Ji Xiaoxi's side.

Pei Mianman couldn't help but stamp her foot and pinch her friend. "Is he your husband or someone else's? Why is he running off to another woman?"

"If you're upset, go snatch him back yourself," Chu Chuyan said, turning away. From the men's earlier conversation, she vaguely guessed what had happened, especially since she had recently been a direct witness. Images from the underground palace flashed through her mind, and her face was already burning hot. How could she possibly continue this topic?

Pei Mianman stared, utterly perplexed. Why was everyone so strange today?

At that moment, Lu De stepped out and lightly coughed. "Alright, alright. Since they are unharmed, everyone should continue their exploration. After all, a trip to the secret realm is a rare opportunity. We still have three days, so don't waste time."

Hearing his words, the male students cheered in unison and then bolted like rabbits. The psychological pressure of being around Zu An was simply too great.

Lu De and Bai Susu exchanged glances. Then, after dividing their responsibilities, they each went to find their respective teams.

Zu An stayed behind to look after Qiao Xueying, while Ji Xiaoxi, who had an injured foot, also remained. Zheng Dan had many questions for Zu An, but with so many women around, she found it inconvenient to act. So she quietly gave him a knowing smile and turned to leave. Chu Chuyan, still flustered from earlier, had wandered off somewhere. Pei Mianman hesitated in place for a long time, clearly sharing Zheng Dan's concerns. She then turned and headed towards the ruins of the underground palace, hoping to find something good.

"Was Zheng Dan just flirting with you?" Qiao Xueying subtly pinched Zu An.

Zu An jumped. "When did you wake up?"

Qiao Xueying scoffed. "What, did I see something I shouldn't have?"

"No, you must be seeing things. How could she possibly be involved with me?" Zu An immediately said, straightening his face. *Are you kidding? How could I admit something like that in front of two girls?*

Qiao Xueying hesitated before warning, "You'd better be careful. That woman is probably approaching you for that 7.5 million silver tael IOU." She had interacted with Zheng Dan before, when she was under Shi Kun, so she could guess a thing or two.

"I didn't realize you cared about me so much," Zu An chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not that easily fooled. I'll make sure she suffers a double loss."