Chapter 2347: Beauty Trap

Zheng Dan smiled faintly. "We're about to become family, so your concerns are naturally my concerns. Don't hesitate to speak your mind."

Sang Qian fumed inwardly, though his words were pleasant. He hadn't even been allowed to hold her hand. "Doesn't that guy Zu An have an IOU for 7.5 million taels? But he's protected by the Chu family when he's there, and the rest of the time he's at the academy. You know it's not convenient for me to interfere with academy matters, so could you approach him and help me 'get' that IOU from him?"

"How would I approach him?" Zheng Dan frowned, a faint sense of unease already forming in her mind.

"All heroes succumb to beauty, let alone a good-for-nothing like him. With your stunning looks, if you actively approach him, you'll certainly have him utterly captivated and completely under your spell." Sang Qian made a gesture as if effortlessly seizing something, a sneer playing on his lips.

Zheng Dan's face hardened. She stood up abruptly and said coldly, "What kind of person do you take me for?"

"I know this might be a bit much to ask of you, but you're the person I trust most right now, which is why I came to you," Sang Qian quickly explained.

Zheng Dan was so enraged she laughed instead. "So you're asking your fiancée to seduce another man?"

Sang Qian frowned. "Don't put it so harshly. It's just an opportunity to get close to him, not to sleep with him. What kind of experience does that guy have? With your beauty, a few gentle words will have him wrapped around your finger."

Zheng Dan said coldly, "His wife is Chu Chuyan, the most beautiful woman in Brightmoon City. How can a man who spends all day with her be considered inexperienced?"

Sang Qian's eyes darted around as an idea came to him. "In my heart, I've never felt you were inferior to Chu Chuyan. In terms of beauty, you both excel and are evenly matched. The only reason she was chosen as the top beauty, surpassing you, is likely because she's a duke's daughter. Don't you want to take her man and get some revenge for all these years?"

He knew that although his fiancée was usually gentle and quiet, she secretly compared herself to Chu Chuyan. Anything involving Chu Chuyan inevitably caused her to lose her usual composure.

Sure enough, Zheng Dan's eyes visibly brightened upon hearing his words; she was clearly persuaded. "Since you don't mind, I can try to approach that Zu An. But if he actually takes advantage of me, you'll be the one losing out."

Sang Qian burst into laughter. "Others might not know, but I do. Although you're generally gentle, you're deeply proud and have high standards. How could a good-for-nothing like Zu An possibly catch your eye, let alone take advantage of you?"

Zheng Dan said indifferently, "That's hard to say. Since you want me to use a honey trap, if he doesn't get any benefits at all, he might not truly fall for it. So, we need to prepare for the worst. What's the maximum you can accept?"

"At most, a hug. No, wait, at most, a touch of hands," Sang Qian quickly corrected himself. Thinking of his fiancée being taken advantage of by Zu An, the muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably. "Afterward, I'll definitely chop off his hand."

Zheng Dan chuckled softly, thinking, *What's the big deal about touching hands? Just wash them afterwards.* Ultimately, it was just these men's possessiveness at play.

"By the way, what are you going to do with that IOU? You don't actually think the Plum Blossom Gang can pay back 7.5 million taels, do you?" Zheng Dan asked curiously.

"They can't pay it back, but their master behind them can." Sang Qian chuckled coldly a few times. Although they currently had a cooperative relationship, they weren't truly aligned. It was impossible to guarantee they wouldn't turn on each other in the future, so keeping this would be useful then.

Zheng Dan nodded slightly. She couldn't be bothered to inquire about the shady tricks behind this; the higher one's status, the more despicable and sordid the schemes behind the scenes. "Tell me about Zu An. I've only heard rumors before, but you saw him in person today, so your information should be more accurate."

Recalling what he had witnessed at the gambling house, Sang Qian said bitterly, "He's just a shameless scoundrel who acts arrogantly because of the Chu family's background, utterly shameless..."

Zu An sneezed, rubbing his nose as he wondered who was badmouthing him behind his back.

Chu Chuyan glanced at him from the side. "Are you feeling very smug right now?"

Zu An chuckled, "Anyone who wins 7.5 million taels can't help but feel smug, can they?"

Chu Chuyan snorted. "Today's incident was so huge, my parents must know about it by now. We'll see how you deal with it."

Zu An was startled. "Is it a problem that I won money?"

Chu Chuyan said indifferently, "The money isn't the point. My parents value the Chu family's reputation above all else. It's well-known that our family strictly forbids gambling. You've caused such a stir this time, and nearly sparked a conflict between our family's private army and the local troops. They're definitely going to punish you."

Zu An looked displeased. "7.5 million taels! Does your family even make that much profit in a year? And I'm going to be punished for this?"

"The key is, have you actually received that 7.5 million taels?" Chu Chuyan's single question left him speechless. "Everyone knows they can't possibly pay back that 7.5 million taels, yet our Chu family has to take such a huge risk for this IOU. My parents will naturally be displeased."

"Can't we collect interest on it every year if they don't pay?" Zu An weakly retorted.

"That's just talk; there will definitely be complications later," Chu Chuyan sighed. However, there was nothing she could do. She couldn't actually order the Red-Robed Army to massacre the Plum Blossom Gang; that would give political rivals a perfect excuse, allowing the imperial court to legitimately deal with the Chu family.

"Miss, Miss!" Just then, Xue'er came running over, breathless and seemingly exhausted.

"Where have you been? Why did it take you so long to come back?" Chu Chuyan frowned.

Xue'er quickly explained, "I don't know why, but my stomach felt a bit unwell today..."

Hearing this, Zu An, standing nearby, waved his hand dismissively in front of his nose. "So you went to take a dump, did you? You were gone so long, you must have filled the outhouse!"

Xue'er was speechless.

Rage points from Qiao Xueying +444!

She had just come from Mei Chaofeng's place, and her excuse was merely to appease Chu Chuyan. Usually, no one would ask for details about such matters, but Zu An had to pry, and his disgusted expression made it seem as if she actually smelled bad.

"Miss, look at him!" Xue'er stomped her foot and pulled on Chu Chuyan's sleeve, whining.

*I'll kill this hateful guy tonight. I can't start a conflict now, or it might arouse suspicion later.*

Chu Chuyan glared fiercely at Zu An. "Can you stop being so disgusting!" Although she was scolding Zu An, she subconsciously and subtly freed her hand from Xue'er's grasp. Clearly, Zu An's words had made her subconsciously feel that Xue'er's hands weren't clean.

This subtle action inflicted immense damage on Xue'er, and the culprit behind it all was that scoundrel!

Rage points from Qiao Xueying +300!

Zu An shrugged. "You don't find this 'feces-making machine' disgusting, but you find me disgusting?"

"'Feces-making machine'?" Xue'er felt a rush of blood to her head, barely avoiding fainting. She even felt an urge to immediately annihilate this scoundrel on the spot. She had never hated anyone so much; from his hair to his toes, every part of him made her want to tear him into a thousand pieces.

Rage points from Xue'er +888!

Yue Shan, who had been silently walking ahead, also shivered slightly. He thought, *Although this son-in-law is useless in other ways, his ability to infuriate people is truly unmatched in all of Brightmoon City. I must never provoke him in the future.*

"Alright, alright, stop arguing, both of you. Aren't you afraid of making a spectacle of yourselves in public?" Chu Chuyan seemed to faintly see smoke rising from Xue'er's head and quickly separated her from Zu An.

Xue'er huffed resentfully, thinking, *If I don't make that scoundrel wish he were dead tonight, I'll take his name from now on!*

They returned to the Chu residence, where an old man stood guarding the main gate. His clothes were meticulously neat, without a single wrinkle, and though his hair was somewhat gray, each strand was neatly combed, clearly indicating a fastidious person.

Zu An recognized this man; it was none other than Butler Hong Zhong of the Chu Manor.

Upon seeing Chu Chuyan, Hong Zhong bowed to her. Chu Chuyan, not daring to be disrespectful, quickly returned the bow. Hong Zhong had served the Chu family tirelessly and loyally for decades and was worthy of everyone's respect.

Only then did Hong Zhong continue, "The Master has ordered that the Young Master-in-Law be brought to the study immediately upon his return." He then turned and led the way. Chu Chuyan gave Zu An an "I told you so" look, and they followed behind him.

Zu An was surprised. Hong Zhong's demeanor and tone hadn't changed at all from before, which was somewhat unexpected. After all, the conflict with his son at the academy earlier in the day must have reached Hong Zhong's ears, yet there wasn't a ripple of emotion.

As if guessing his thoughts, Hong Zhong suddenly spoke, "Miss, Young Master-in-Law, I've already heard about Hong Xingying's incident today. That child is young and impetuous, full of arrogance, and he foolishly offended the Young Master-in-Law. I apologize on his behalf and hope you both won't take it to heart. I will teach him a good lesson."

"Uncle Zhong, you're being too modest. Zu An also had some fault in this matter," Chu Chuyan quickly replied.

Zu An, standing by, looked indignant. *What does this have to do with me? That arrogant guy started it!* He was about to say something, but Chu Chuyan shot him a glare, forcing him to swallow his words. It seemed Hong Zhong's status in the manor was quite extraordinary.

*Fine, you're beautiful and you're right. I'll listen to my wife.*

Hong Zhong shook his head. "I know that rebellious son. That child has some improper ambitions, so his mindset is inevitably a bit unbalanced. He initiated this incident. Although the Master and Madam haven't said anything, I've felt very guilty..."

Hearing his extremely sincere tone, which didn't sound like a pretense, Zu An secretly sighed. *How could such an upright and honest father raise such a narrow-minded son?* Oh well, given his sincerity, as long as that guy doesn't provoke him again, he wouldn't seek revenge.

Chu Chuyan quickly took over the conversation, resolving Hong Zhong's awkwardness with a few words. She naturally shifted the topic to discuss some of the Chu family's business matters, and the atmosphere of their conversation became extremely harmonious.

Zu An had previously wondered how such an icy woman could manage the Chu family so perfectly, but now he finally understood.

Soon after, the group arrived at the study, where Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru were already waiting.

"Zu An, how dare you! You went to a casino and gambled in broad daylight, and you even took Chuyan with you?" Qin Wanru slammed the table heavily and glared angrily at him.

Rage points from Qin Wanru +77!