Chapter 253

"Pfft!"

Pei Mianman, who was drinking tea, could no longer hold it in. All the tea she had just sipped sprayed out. What on earth had this guy gone through since childhood? He was simply too despicable!

Those in the hall reacted as well, and the place instantly erupted:"Holy crap, don't stop me, I'm going to cut him down!""Where's my knife?""How can there be such a despicable person in this world?""Miss Qiu, do you know what he's saying? How could you choose such a scoundrel?"

Rage points from Chen Xuan: 999!Rage points from Jiang Fan: 999!Rage points from Chu Hongcai: 999!And so on...

Watching the rage points refresh frantically in the background, Zu An was laughing like crazy. Indeed, to become extraordinary, one must do extraordinary things.

As for those who were rushing up to fight, why would he be foolish enough to stay put and let them attack him? By the time they reacted, he had already made his escape, and the enraged crowd was held back by the staff of the Immortal Dwelling.

Sister Hua, while directing her subordinates to stop the agitated crowd, glanced back at his retreating figure with a resentful look. She thought, *This guy is truly a troublemaker, leaving such a mess for me to clean up.*

Zu An whistled as he followed the maid, pondering whether he should frequent such entertainment districts more often in the future. *Of course, with my upright and noble character, I wouldn't be here to seek pleasure. It's just that rage points are too easy to earn in this place!* He roughly estimated that he had earned more at the Immortal Dwelling this time than ever before. If he came to "harvest" daily, ascending to heaven in broad daylight wouldn't be just a dream.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped him, and he found himself outside the Immortal Dwelling. Before him lay the shimmering Bright Moon River. It was late, and the streetlights were just coming on, their reflections dancing on the water as if countless bright moons floated within the river.

"Only the prosperity of this red-light district could create such a magnificent scene," Zu An sighed, then asked, "Miss, where are we going?" The surroundings didn't look like Qiu Honglei's private chambers.

"Miss?" The maid was startled, clearly unfamiliar with such a novel address. However, compared to how others purely ordered maids around without even a proper glance, this "Miss" sounded quite pleasant. A smile appeared on her face. "Miss is waiting for you on the boat."

"A boat?" Zu An was taken aback. "Why on a boat?"

The maid knelt down and uncovered a wooden door on the balcony floor, revealing a ladder. Faintly, a small boat could be seen docked nearby. "Please, young master," the maid said with a smile, gesturing with her hand.

"So many tricks," Zu An chuckled. He wasn't worried and climbed down the ladder. As soon as he got on, the boat slowly glided towards the middle of the river.

Zu An frowned slightly. *Could this be a trap?* But after thinking it over, he didn't seem to have anything worth plotting against. Moreover, with his cultivation having improved, he was emboldened by his skill and soon relaxed.

"It's a pity that maid didn't come along. I actually forgot to ask her name," Zu An lamented.

"Young master is indeed different from ordinary people; you show no fear at all." At that moment, a soft, seductive female voice came from inside the cabin, the unique voice of Qiu Honglei.

"What am I afraid of? Are you going to eat me?" Zu An chuckled.

"Young master certainly knows how to joke. I'm more afraid you'll eat me," Qiu Honglei's words were mellow and pleasant, as if every syllable could stir a man's heartstrings. "Come in quickly, it's windy outside."

Meanwhile, on the balcony from which he had descended at the Immortal Dwelling, a curvaceous figure appeared. Watching the small boat drift away, Pei Mianman stomped her foot. "What a cunning vixen!" With the other party on a boat in the river, there was no place for her to eavesdrop.

"Never mind. I'll just go check her room first. Hopefully, I'll find something." Pei Mianman snorted, and her figure quickly vanished.

On the small boat, hearing the beauty's invitation, Zu An walked over and lifted the curtain. He found the cabin, though small, to be exquisitely furnished and cozy. A small carved table held several delicate dishes, and Qiu Honglei knelt by the table, smiling as she looked at him. Her eyes seemed to speak, always radiating a continuous affection. Anyone unaware might have thought it was a wife waiting for her husband to return home.

A small, exquisite lantern hung nearby, casting a soft, yellow glow on her, making her skin appear as if it were coated in honey.

"Young master is staring at the lantern. Could it be that I'm not as beautiful as the lantern?" Qiu Honglei asked in a chiding tone, yet without any hint of annoyance.

"I've just never seen such a 'yellow' lantern," Zu An said, taking a seat across the table. Given his personality, he would normally sit next to Qiu Honglei, as close as possible. But the small boat was too tiny; placing a table was already the limit, making it impossible to sit beside her. He could only imagine doing so.

"This woman isn't doing this on purpose, is she? Who is she guarding against?" Zu An thought, looking displeased.

"If young master doesn't like this lantern, I'll extinguish it," Qiu Honglei said, making as if to rise, revealing the exquisite curves of her waist.

"No need. Although this lantern is 'yellow,' it looks warm," Zu An stopped her. "Besides, if the lamp were extinguished, I wouldn't be able to see Miss Qiu's peerless beauty, which would be a great pity."

"Young master has a silver tongue. No wonder you won over my little maid's heart in just a few words," Qiu Honglei remarked.

"Do you have clairvoyance and clairsentience?" Zu An was startled. *She knew about me teasing the maid on the way, even from this distance?*

Qiu Honglei smiled, pressing her lips together, and offered no explanation. She simply pointed to two pots beside them. "Young master, would you prefer tea or wine?"

"Wine, of course," Zu An replied without hesitation.

"I thought so. Only a person of valiant spirit who loves wine could compose such an impassioned tune like 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'," Qiu Honglei said, picking up the wine pot and pouring wine into his cup. Fearing her long sleeves might touch the dishes on the table, she gently pushed them up, revealing a section of her arm as delicate as mutton-fat jade.

Zu An couldn't help but sigh, *Some people are simply blessed by heaven; every part of them seems like a work of art.* "It's not for that reason. It's simply because after drinking, one can legitimately indulge in promiscuity."

Qiu Honglei's smile froze for a moment but quickly returned. "If this were before, I would certainly have taken you for a lecher, and might even have thrown you out."

"Why is it different now?" Zu An asked curiously.

"Because someone who can compose such a piece must be a highly talented and noble person. Those unrestrained words and actions must simply be a deliberate disguise," Qiu Honglei said with a smile, raising her wine cup. "Thank you, young master, for the gift of the tune. I toast you."

Feeling the subtle fragrance wafting through the air, Zu An couldn't help but remark, "Who says a talented person can't be a lecher?" The lecherous smile of Ji Dengtu flashed in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine. He quickly banished the image. "Besides, that tune isn't my original work; I merely relayed someone else's achievement." Thinking that he might never return to his previous life, a wave of disappointment washed over Zu An. He picked up his wine cup and drained it.

Qiu Honglei set down her cup, a faint lip print left on its rim. "Young master is too modest. Though Honglei is foolish, I am familiar with almost all ancient tunes. Today is the first time I've heard 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.' If it wasn't composed by you, then who?"

Zu An opened his mouth to speak but stopped, eventually giving up on explaining. He couldn't very well tell her he was a transmigrator, could he? *Something is wrong with this world. Every time I tell the truth, no one believes me, but when I lie, everyone wholeheartedly trusts me. This is absurd!*

"May I ask young master a question?" Qiu Honglei asked, her autumn-water-like eyes gazing steadily at him.

"Don't call me 'young master' all the time; it's too formal. Just call me Ah Zu from now on," Zu An replied. "What would you like to ask, Miss?"

Qiu Honglei then said, "Actually, before today, I had heard many rumors about you, young master, and none of them were very good."

"A good-for-nothing, huh? No need to spare my feelings," Zu An said with an indifferent smile. "I'm used to it anyway."

Qiu Honglei's face flushed slightly, and she looked at him with some curiosity. "But after meeting you today, I realized that you are actually a very outstanding man. So why do you usually pretend to be... that kind of frivolous person?" She couldn't find the right words to describe his behavior. The word "despicable" was fitting, but it was too impolite to say to his face.

"I'm not pretending at all. I'm just like this normally," Zu An said casually.

Qiu Honglei, however, didn't believe him and said with a hint of grievance, "It seems young master still doesn't consider me one of your own." Zu An grumbled inwardly, *Are we husband and wife or lovers? We haven't even been to bed, and you have the nerve to call us 'one of your own'?*

"Is it because young master is worried about being too conspicuous and causing concern for the Chu family?" Seeing his silence, Qiu Honglei probed.

Zu An paused. "What would the Chu family be concerned about?"

Qiu Honglei smiled slightly. "Lord Bright Moon currently has two daughters and one son. The son is too young and is in the capital studying... and the second daughter is notoriously..."

"...Notoriously fond of playing and having fun, unable to help with any family matters." Zu An chuckled inwardly. *You probably wanted to say 'notoriously good-for-nothing,' accustomed to saying it, you almost blurted it out.* *And actually, Little Zhao and I are quite a match: a good-for-nothing with a good-for-nothing. Haha.*

A hint of awkwardness flashed across Qiu Honglei's face as she continued, "Almost half of the Chu family's affairs are currently managed by the eldest Miss Chu. She is beautiful and extremely capable, originally the most suitable candidate for the Chu family's heir. However, she is a woman. This makes her husband's position awkward. If he were too capable, the couple could easily usurp the Chu manor, like a magpie taking over a cuckoo's nest. That's why the eldest Miss Chu specifically chose... chose someone like you, with no background and seemingly useless on the surface, to be her husband. I initially thought I had guessed Miss Chu's intentions correctly, but after meeting you today, young master, I suddenly feel puzzled. Did you deliberately deceive Miss Chu, or did Miss Chu know your true situation all along when she chose you as her husband?"

Zu An idly swirled the wine in his cup, leaning casually against the cabin wall. With a half-smile, he said, "These don't sound like questions a courtesan should be concerned with. Who exactly are you?"