Chapter 2642

Zu An was utterly baffled. What did she mean, "as long as Brother Chu agrees"? Although he was also young, for a moment he felt completely out of touch with what young people today thought. Logically, shouldn't Murong Qinghe be furious after being "tricked into marriage"? While she seemed a little angry, deep down she still appeared to care a great deal about Chu Youzhao. Even knowing the other person was a woman, she still regarded her as a lover and husband? And she would even agree if the other person told her to be with other men? Zu An's eyes grew inexplicably bewildered. It seemed his understanding of love was far too narrow.

Seeing his reaction, Murong Qinghe seemed to realize how shocking her words were. She whispered, "Because you, Brother-in-law, are an exception. If Brother Chu asked me to be with anyone else, I would absolutely refuse."

"Your relationship truly astounds me," Zu An said, looking at the young girl. For a moment, he was filled with emotion, unsure how to respond.

"These are my deepest feelings, I haven't even told Brother Chu," Murong Qinghe said, biting her lip lightly. "Brother-in-law, please don't tell him any of this. I'm still pretending to be angry with him."

Zu An was silent for a long moment before finally uttering a single word: "Alright." This young couple certainly knew how to play games.

Murong Qinghe suddenly looked a little shy. "Brother-in-law, how much longer are you going to hold me?"

Zu An: "..." He snapped, "I'm healing your injuries." She had been badly injured by his previous counter-shock, and this period of healing had only just managed to stabilize her condition. "For a while, you should rest and recuperate properly. Avoid fighting, and you should recover quickly," Zu An said as he helped her up. After letting go, he couldn't help but marvel at how the young girl's body, due to her years in the military, was indeed full of youthful vitality.

"Mmm, thank you, Brother-in-law. I was just kidding earlier. Actually, if you really wanted to hold me, I wouldn't refuse," Murong Qinghe said, playfully winking. She seemed to be in exceptionally good spirits.

"Scram," Zu An said, shooing her out impatiently. This girl truly didn't know she was playing with fire. If this were before, after being healed by his primordial qi, she would likely be overwhelmed with desire by now. Now that he was the World Lord, he could heal her directly through the world's rules, thus avoiding the side effects of primordial qi.

Murong Qinghe skipped out. After leaving the room, she suddenly poked her head back in. "Brother-in-law, don't forget our secret agreement!"

Zu An's eyebrows twitched. Seeing the girl's previously gloomy expression, he had genuinely thought she had been suffering all these years. Now, it seemed she was quite enjoying herself.

A faint smile played on Murong Qinghe's lips as she hummed softly after leaving the room. "Silly Brother-in-law." Her recent melancholy hadn't been about Brother Chu; it was about who exactly was with her that night. Although Brother Chu had hinted at it vaguely before, she didn't dare to believe it without her own confirmation. Now that she finally confirmed it was Brother Zu on her wedding night, a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She couldn't tell if this was love, but she knew that if it wasn't Brother Chu, Brother Zu was the only other person in the world she would willingly be with.

Zu An's door opened, and a graceful figure walked in. "What secrets do you have with little Qinghe?"

Looking up and seeing that charming oval face, Zu An was both surprised and delighted. "Dandan!" He rushed over and pulled her into his embrace. He hadn't seen her at Fenglao Pass earlier and had worried she might be in danger. Later, he learned from Bi Linglong that she had been in charge of transporting military provisions, which was why she wasn't at Fenglao Pass, and only then did he feel relieved.

"A'Zu!" Zheng Dan hugged him tightly, her heart similarly racing. They had been separated for three years, and though she had faith in him, he had gone to a perilous and strange alternate world. She didn't know how many times she had woken up from nightmares, silently praying for him. She had originally rushed back to support Fenglao Pass after hearing about the incident there. When she learned that her beloved had returned like a god descending from heaven, swiftly resolving the rebel issue, she was overjoyed and came to find him immediately.

The two held each other for a long time before Zheng Dan finally complained playfully, "Oh, I'm a little out of breath."

Zu An was startled. "I wasn't using much strength?"

"Because you smell like other women's perfume," Zheng Dan said, her eyes twinkling. She leaned in and sniffed him. "There's Linglong's scent, and this floral one isn't very familiar, but I heard them say it's probably Consort Bai's. Hmm, and Qinghe's scent too. Tsk, tsk, tsk, you really are a beast, aren't you? Not even your sister-in-law is safe?"

"I'm not Ziggs," Zu An retorted, annoyed. "Don't talk nonsense. Qinghe was injured; I was just healing her." What happened between him and Murong Qinghe that night was clearly not something he could tell others, lest it tarnish the reputation of several families.

"With your method of healing, wouldn't you have stirred the young girl's heart with desire?" Zheng Dan knew precisely how captivating his primordial qi could be.

"Now that I am the World Lord, healing others no longer has that side effect," Zu An said, feeling awkward.

Zheng Dan's eyes lit up. "I heard them talking about how you fought, like a god in this world. Is that because of your World Lord ability? Tell me about it." She had diligently cultivated for years, and her cultivation had grown rapidly, but it couldn't compare to an anomaly like Zu An. This was a good chance to hear from him about higher realms. Zu An was already very happy to see her, so he held her and began telling her about everything that had happened over the past three years. Time passed without them realizing it.

Midway, Bi Linglong also came over to report on some court matters, but she was quickly drawn in by his stories of the past few years and stayed to listen. Bi Linglong listened, her beautiful eyes sparkling with fascination; even the flower ornament between her brows seemed to glow more brightly. "Compared to what you've experienced, what meaning does being an Empress have? I only regret not going through those things with you."

"Exactly! All the things we've done these past few years feel like child's play," Zheng Dan echoed, deeply empathetic. She had spent these years organizing the capital's underground forces and, along with Xiao Qian, helping Bi Linglong stabilize the court and fight against the rebels. Her days had been equally fulfilling, but looking back now, it all seemed like minor skirmishes.

"If not for you two holding down the capital, this realm might have changed hands by now. What you've done these past years was equally difficult," Zu An said, recalling all he had heard about the capital. He had enjoyed being a hands-off boss, but it had been tough on them.

"Hmph, I suppose you were worried we'd be around and interfere with your romances with those women from other worlds," Zheng Dan scoffed lightly. "You definitely weren't being clear just now. That Witch Mountain Goddess, the Mermaid Queen, the Sun Goddess... you definitely had something going on with them." Bi Linglong nodded in deep agreement, and Zu An immediately broke into a cold sweat. Sometimes, the people closest to you understood you too well; there was no hiding anything.

After much effort, he finally managed to mollify the two women. Bi Linglong suddenly stood up. "It's getting late; I should go. Dandan, you haven't seen A'Zu in a long time, so you must have a lot to talk about. I won't disturb you." To her surprise, Zheng Dan grabbed her, saying with a half-smile, "You talk as if you haven't seen A'Zu in ages either. Don't you have anything you want to tell him?"

"But my current status truly makes it inconvenient to stay long," Bi Linglong replied. Naturally, she had a heart full of emotions she wanted to express, but her long-cultivated rationality stopped her. After all, she was the Empress, and if she stayed overnight here in plain sight, gossip might spread in the markets, fabricating stories about her and the Regent.

Zheng Dan couldn't help but laugh. "You're deceiving yourself. Who doesn't know you're the Regent's woman? Now that A'Zu's prestige is unprecedented after demonstrating his power, no one would find it odd if you were with him. In fact, they'd find it stranger if you *weren't* here."

Bi Linglong's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks flushed. She hesitated for a moment but ultimately acquiesced, then stared intently at Zheng Dan.

Over the years, the two women had become close friends. Zheng Dan immediately understood her meaning and exclaimed indignantly, "You're burning the bridge after crossing it, trying to kick me out? No way! I'm staying here too."

Bi Linglong instantly felt extremely embarrassed. She stood up, ready to leave. "What is this impropriety!"