Chapter 224: Nighttime Thief

"Normally, I don't get many chances to see such beautiful scenery, so it's only natural to take a few extra glances," Zu An said with a smile. Although he had admired it up close just a few days prior, that time had been rushed, unlike the careful scrutiny he was now affording it.

Chu Chuyan was speechless.

She couldn't believe how someone could utter such shameless words with such self-assurance.

Rage from Chu Chuyan +233!

Seeing that she was truly angry, Zu An quickly suppressed his smile. "Alright, alright, I'll start immediately. Make sure not to use your cultivation to resist, or all our efforts will be in vain."

Chu Chuyan hummed in assent. As a cultivator, exposing one's vital points defencelessly to another was something no one would dare to do unless they had absolute trust.

Although Zu An's lewd remarks often gave her a headache, recalling how he fought fiercely to protect her in the underground palace, she realized she truly had nothing to guard against when she was with him.

Seeing her body completely relax, Zu An took out silver needles and carefully inserted them one by one into the acupuncture points on her back.

He moved very slowly, with utmost caution, partly out of fear of applying improper force and injuring her body, and partly to avoid leaving any marks on her flawless jade-like back.

Chu Chuyan closed her eyes tightly, fully sensing the needles being inserted.

With each silver needle entering her body, she felt a trace of warmth, and the icy energy within her slowly dissipated through the nearest needles.

She was a little nervous at first, but as more needles were inserted and she felt no discomfort, she completely relaxed.

Noticing that the cold energy in her body was slowly dispersing into the air through the needles, a sudden thought struck her, leading to a serious question: "Will this significantly damage my cultivation?"

After all, she primarily relied on icy energy to harm others. If all the cold energy in her body were expelled, wouldn't her years of painstaking cultivation of the "Snowflake Divine Sword" technique be completely wasted?

Sensing the tremor in her voice, Zu An reassured her, "Don't worry, it won't. My acupuncture only helps you expel the runaway cold energy from your body; the normal cold energy in your vital meridians will remain unaffected."

Chu Chuyan was greatly surprised. Given the severity of her injuries, simply surviving would have been a blessing. She had mentally prepared herself for a significant loss of cultivation or even becoming crippled again, yet he was telling her it wouldn't happen.

Recalling Bao Youlu's previous solemnity and pessimism, and knowing Dr. Bao's skill level over the years—second only to Ji Dengtu in the entire Brightmoon City—she realized all this was Zu An's doing.

Thinking that he had also saved her in the underground palace, a myriad of words welled up in Chu Chuyan's heart, but she didn't know how to express them. In the end, they condensed into just two words: "Thank you."

Zu An smiled freely, "We're husband and wife, aren't we? It's only right for me to save you. What's with the thanks?"

"Husband and wife..." Chu Chuyan murmured, momentarily lost in thought.

After a moment, she suddenly heard Zu An's voice: "Alright, turn over now."

Chu Chuyan instinctively turned, then suddenly realized something was amiss. She glanced down, her mouth opening to cry out, but she instinctively suppressed it, afraid of alerting her sister outside.

With Xiao Zhao's personality, she'd surely blab about it to everyone in the mansion.

Seeing her face flush crimson, Zu An suppressed a laugh. "You don't need to panic. Aren't you covered by the quilt? I can't see the crucial parts anyway."

*But you've already seen everywhere else...*

A hint of resentment flickered in Chu Chuyan's eyes, but she was too embarrassed to say anything.

Zu An's gaze fell upon her slender, delicate neck, her exquisite collarbones, and large expanses of her fair, smooth skin. He suddenly felt his nose getting warm.

"This woman is indeed beautiful. There's not a single part of her that isn't superb," Mi Li's voice exclaimed in his mind.

Zu An was speechless, thinking, *Sister, you're a woman too, why are you acting like a pervert?*

"It's all your fault, after all! If it weren't for you, I would already possess this perfect physical body!" Mi Li said through gritted teeth. "Although it can't compare to my original body, it's so beautiful that I wouldn't be unable to accept it."

Rage from Mi Li +256!

Zu An was speechless.

*She's still thinking about that!*

"Could you please stop staring..." Chu Chuyan felt she had never been so vulnerable. When had she ever had to beg someone so humbly?

Zu An's heart also fluttered upon hearing her, and he instantly sobered up, his face slightly flushed. "I'll start right away."

Chu Chuyan nodded with her head bowed and said nothing more.

Mi Li's voice resonated in his mind again: "Ugh, I can't stand it. This nauseating stench of love is truly loathsome."

"Did they have such trendy terms in your era?" Zu An was somewhat surprised. "You and Qin Shihuang had an arranged marriage, so of course you'd be jealous of relationships like ours."

Mi Li: "..."

"Do you believe I'll let go immediately and let your wife die on the spot?"

Rage from Mi Li +666!

Zu An immediately caved. "Sister, I was wrong. Please calm down..."

It took him a while to placate her. Zu An mused that he should stop being so cheeky in the future to avoid causing more trouble.

Next, Zu An composed himself and began acupuncture on the front of Chu Chuyan's body.

As she held a thin quilt to cover her chest, a large area, including her lower abdomen, was also covered.

Zu An had to gently pull the quilt aside, locate the acupuncture points, and insert the needles.

Chu Chuyan trembled slightly but ultimately said nothing.

The entire process was uncomfortable for her, and equally so for Zu An; after all, it was difficult to treat the beautiful sight before him as if it were nothing.

Noticing his breathing growing heavier and a fine layer of sweat on his forehead, Chu Chuyan's face showed a hint of reluctance. She parted her red lips slightly and asked, "Is treating me taking a lot out of you?"

Zu An was taken aback, realizing she had misunderstood. But why would he clarify such a "beautiful" misunderstanding? He vaguely replied, "It's fine, I can manage."

Chu Chuyan hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, her gaze towards him becoming softer and more grateful.

"The extent of your shamelessness truly surpasses my imagination. It seems I'll have to be careful when dealing with you in the future, lest I accidentally get tricked," Mi Li's sarcastic voice rang in his mind.

Zu An was speechless. "Just because you're beautiful doesn't mean you can twist facts, does it? You've clearly tricked me more often."

"Hmph, you're not a good person anyway," Mi Li said coldly.

"Sister, you're not a good person either. So, wouldn't that make us a perfect match?" Zu An had almost finished the acupuncture on Chu Chuyan's body, so he wasn't afraid of offending Mi Li slightly.

"Are you flirting with me?" Mi Li's voice rose by an octave.

Rage from Mi Li +511!

"Just kidding, why so angry?" Zu An chuckled.

"In my time, someone like you would have had their tongue ripped out by my order," Mi Li scoffed coldly, then fell silent, making it unclear if she had fallen back into slumber.

A smile appeared on Zu An's face. Bickering with her like this occasionally seemed quite interesting.

Coming back to his senses, he carefully removed the silver needles from Chu Chuyan's body one by one. "How do you feel now?"

"I feel... like I'm in a hot spring," Chu Chuyan said, a hint of disbelief in her voice. Her limbs had often been cold before, and her lower abdomen felt perpetually icy. While that hadn't completely disappeared, she felt much more at ease overall.

Although she wasn't knowledgeable in medicine, she could tell that this treatment was indeed effective.

"If you continue like this for another two or three months, your underlying illness should be completely cured," Zu An said, collecting the silver needles one by one into their pouch. Naturally, he didn't forget to admire the body that countless others yearned for.

Chu Chuyan had grown numb to his unrestrained gaze, thinking, *He's already seen everything anyway, so a few more glances or a few less don't make much difference.*

"It'll take that long?" Chu Chuyan frowned slightly. Such a long duration would inevitably lead to someone in the mansion noticing something unusual.

"So, reconsider us living together. If I move in, it'll be more convenient for your treatments," Zu An said, grinning.

"Please give me a little more time, okay? Right now, I... I'm really not ready," Chu Chuyan pleaded, a hint of entreaty in her eyes.

Zu An's heart softened. "But staying in your room for so long every day like this will eventually raise suspicions."

Chu Chuyan pursed her lips and whispered, "How about this: you come here in the middle of the night from now on, unseen by anyone. I'll leave the door open for you."

"Really?" Zu An's eyes lit up.

His reaction startled Chu Chuyan, and she quickly explained, "It's just to... to receive treatment. Don't get the wrong idea."

"Naturally," Zu An replied with a slight smile. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds affection. For a man and a woman to spend every night together until the early hours, wouldn't it be easy for feelings to develop?

Just then, a soft groan came from a distance. Qin Wanru, lying on the couch, suddenly stirred, suggesting the sleeping drug was about to wear off.

Knowing her mother was about to wake, Chu Chuyan's face turned pale. The thought of her mother seeing her naked with Zu An made her heart pound wildly. She hurriedly pushed Zu An. "Quick, leave! Don't let Mother see! Why are you just standing there like an idiot?"

Noticing his dazed expression, she instinctively looked down, only to realize that her pushing motion had caused the brocade quilt covering her chest to slip almost entirely, revealing a vast, alluring expanse.

Chu Chuyan: "..."

Zu An: "..."

Climbing out of Chu Chuyan's bedroom window, Zu An couldn't help but grin foolishly as he walked back, recalling what had just happened.

Just then, a figure suddenly scaled the adjacent courtyard wall and tumbled over, landing directly on him. The two instantly fell to the ground together.

"What the f***!" Zu An was just savoring the previous moment when someone crashed onto his head. Anyone would be annoyed.

Just as he was about to curse, he suddenly felt that the sensation was off. It wasn't a petty thief, but something incredibly soft and slender, accompanied by a familiar, delicate fragrance.

The other person clearly hadn't expected someone below. Being fumbled around, they were filled with shame and indignation, and immediately lashed out at him.

Zu An was no longer the person he once was. With a raised hand, he seized the other person's wrists. By then, he had clearly seen their face and was stunned. "Why are you here?"