Chapter 271: Serving the Order to Flirt

"Fine, let her be here. It's a good chance for her to witness my unparalleled medical skills. If she ever has menstrual pain, she can come to me," Zu An snorted and stepped inside.

With his "Bright Mirror Not a Stand" skill to conceal his aura, infiltration was much easier now. He even summoned "Gale" one less time than usual along the way.

Of course, this was also because the Chu family's external defenses were strong but internal ones were weak; their primary defensive strength was against external invasion, and they never expected such a "house thief" to be lurking within.

Arriving at Chu Chuyan's boudoir window, he gave it a gentle push, and it opened directly. A wave of joy surged through him; it seemed his wife had deliberately left it open for him today.

He tiptoed to the bedside and vaguely saw a graceful and alluring figure lying sideways on the bed. Unfortunately, the room was too dark to make out her face clearly.

This time, he didn't dare to pounce on her and grope around. Last time, he could claim it was an accident, but if he were to touch Qin Wanru again, not only would he face her reaction, but Chu Chuyan would most likely chop off his hand.

"Wife, is that you?" Zu An asked tentatively.

A languid hum came from the bed, "Who else would it be?"

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went to sit by the bed. "Where's your mother?"

Chu Chuyan shrank back, evading his "Lushan claws." "She knew you were coming to treat me tonight, so she left to avoid awkwardness for everyone."

Zu An chuckled, "My mother-in-law is truly thoughtful."

"Now you call her 'mother-in-law,' but earlier it seemed like you two were about to fight," Chu Chuyan said with some displeasure. She had restrained herself from speaking her mind that afternoon to consider his feelings, but seeing him openly contradict her mother still annoyed her.

"Well, we didn't actually fight, did we?" Zu An's old face flushed. "Alright, alright, worst case, no matter what she does, I won't hit back or talk back. How about that?"

"Really? That doesn't sound like you," Chu Chuyan's jewel-like eyes gazed at him, filled with suspicion.

"Of course, it's true. But if she curses me, I'll come back and kiss her daughter; if she hits me, I'll come back and..." Zu An left his sentence unfinished, his gaze sweeping over her exquisite and alluring figure.

"You'll what?" Chu Chuyan's heart skipped a beat. She instinctively clutched the collar of her nightgown. For some reason, despite her cultivation being far superior to his, she always felt an unconscious fear of him.

"I'll just hit you back, what did you think?" Seeing her slightly flustered eyes, Zu An smiled, extremely pleased.

Chu Chuyan: "..."

He definitely didn't mean that! But she couldn't say it aloud, so she just glared at him indignantly.

Rage points from Chu Chuyan +555...

Seeing her cheeks puffed out slightly, adding a touch of cuteness to her usual cold elegance, Zu An's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but lean closer.

Chu Chuyan's eyelashes fluttered, and she shyly turned her face away, her small hands instantly clutching the bedsheet tightly. She was in great turmoil, unsure how to react.

Seeing no clear objection from her, Zu An was overjoyed. It seemed that having her undress for healing in front of him every day had indeed achieved its intended purpose: cultivating sufficient intimacy.

Just as he was about to kiss her delicate, flawless cheek, Chu Chuyan's brows suddenly furrowed. She put a hand on his chest, pushing him back, and her previously shy expression instantly reverted to its usual coldness. "You smell of another woman's perfume."

Zu An was so annoyed he almost slapped himself. He had made this mistake before and was repeating it today.

"Did you go to Qiu Honglei again today?" Chu Chuyan asked expressionlessly.

Zu An: "..."

Before he could say anything, Chu Chuyan snorted. "Don't even think about denying it. The scent is the same as last time. Hmph, you just had a big argument with my mother because of her, and then you immediately went to see her? You're truly something!"

Rage points from Chu Chuyan +213!

Feeling her anger rapidly escalating, Zu An panicked. If this continued, he'd be in real trouble.

He quickly explained, "You've got it all wrong! I went to see her not for the reason you think, but because there was no food at home earlier, so I just happened to go there to eat..."

His voice trailed off as he spoke.

"Can't you just order any servant to make you food? Besides, if there's no food at home, you go to another woman's place to eat?" His explanation only made Chu Chuyan angrier; it would have been better if he hadn't tried to explain at all.

Rage points from Chu Chuyan +476!

Fortunately, Zu An was quick-witted. In that short moment, he realized what to say. "Of course, I didn't just go there to eat. I heard you were having a headache over the private salt issue, and I was eager to help you alleviate your worries, so I went to Divine Immortals Residence."

"What does going to Divine Immortals Residence have to do with private salt?" Chu Chuyan frowned.

Zu An swallowed hard and quickly explained, "Because your Chu family represents the authorities, many pieces of information are difficult to obtain through official channels. But Divine Immortals Residence is different; people from all walks of life gather there, and information spreads quickly. Qiu Honglei also has an extraordinary status, so she might be able to get some useful information."

Chu Chuyan's expression softened slightly. "So, what information did you actually get?"

"I found out that the biggest private salt dealers in Brightmoon City are the Giant Whale Gang, and their leader is exceptionally mysterious; it seems no one has ever seen his true face..." Zu An recounted everything he had heard from Qiu Honglei.

After listening, Chu Chuyan couldn't help but say, "Aside from a small portion that's somewhat useful, we already knew most of that. Is that all you gained from your trip?"

Zu An thought to himself that his gains from this trip were far more than just that, including the "Bright Mirror Not a Stand" skill. However, he dared not mention this to her, lest he add fuel to the fire.

"Of course not, there's more. The main thing is that Qiu Honglei hadn't paid much attention to private salt intelligence before. This time, she promised to keep an eye out for me, so new information should come soon."

Chu Chuyan said with dissatisfaction, "So you're saying you'll have to go to her place frequently from now on?"

"This is all for the Chu family's business! But if my wife says the word, and tells me not to go again, I absolutely won't," Zu An vowed solemnly.

Chu Chuyan hesitated. Naturally, she didn't want him to go to such a place, but considering the Chu family's current predicament, if he could truly obtain useful intelligence from Qiu Honglei, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

"Why is that Qiu Honglei so good to you?" she suddenly asked.

Seeing that she didn't directly object, Zu An secretly smiled. He had long anticipated that, given her character, she would never do anything to harm the Chu family's interests.

"Because I'm handsome, of course!" Zu An said, puffing out his chest. "You, the dignified daughter of a duke, chose me out of countless people. If a courtesan like her didn't choose me, wouldn't that be looking down on Miss Chu's taste?"

Chu Chuyan: "..."

This guy was truly shameless! Too lazy to bother with him, Chu Chuyan simply said, "Fine, I won't stop you from going to Divine Immortals Residence in the future. But next time you go, help me arrange to meet someone there."