Chapter 287: The Sky is Falling

At this moment, Bao Youru, the Chu manor's doctor, had rushed over and was about to push open the door when Qin Wanru stopped him.

"Madam, what is the meaning of this? Isn't Miss seriously ill?" Bao Youru asked curiously.

Qin Wanru's face flushed. "Well... there's someone inside. It's probably not very convenient right now."

"Oh, could it be Divine Doctor Ji who arrived first?" Seeing her fleeting bashfulness, Bao Youru subconsciously stroked his white beard, thinking, *Madam is truly as beautiful as a flower. If I were twenty years younger, I might even be captivated by her.*

Master Chu was indeed fortunate, but unfortunately... Alas, fate plays cruel tricks on people.

"No, it's not him. There's someone else. Please wait a moment, Mr. Bao," Qin Wanru explained.

"Oh? Is there another highly skilled doctor in Mingyue City? Then I must meet them later," Bao Youru said, looking curiously into the room.

Qin Wanru felt a bit awkward, wondering how she would explain things later.

Chu Zhongtian had been anxiously pacing back and forth since just now. Unable to hold back any longer, he pulled his wife aside and asked, "Madam, is Ah Zu reliable? Or should we still let Mr. Bao take a look, or perhaps invite Divine Doctor Ji?"

He lowered his voice for the latter part of the sentence, so as not to offend Bao Youru.

Qin Wanru was also uncertain. "I don't know either, but Chuyan seems to trust him very much, so he should be reliable."

Beside them, Chu Huanzhao immediately exclaimed, "I trust Brother-in-law too! He will definitely cure Sister!"

Qin Wanru poked her daughter's head with her finger and snorted, "What are you little rascals meddling in!"

Chu Zhongtian listened, dumbfounded. "So you weren't even sure, yet you dared to let him treat her?"

"Alright, alright," Qin Wanru said, feeling a surge of irritation. "Where did you put that vixen?"

"Vixen?" Chu Huanzhao froze, staring curiously at them both.

Chu Zhongtian quickly said, "The child is still here. What kind of crude language are you using?"

Qin Wanru snorted, "Isn't it true? If that woman hadn't come knocking, would Chuyan have been angered to this extent?"

Although she remained defiant, she changed her wording, not wanting to influence her younger daughter.

Chu Zhongtian couldn't help but say, "Actually, you can't blame her. She couldn't have known Chuyan was injured. It can only be said that Ah Zu is a philanderer, which led to all this."

"Oh!" Qin Wanru suddenly became agitated. "She hasn't even entered the family, and you're already defending her? Men truly aren't good for anything. As soon as you see someone pretty, you're completely smitten."

"I didn't!" Chu Zhongtian could only offer a wry smile.

Chu Huanzhao, listening nearby, was utterly confused. "Father is taking a concubine?"

After all, all the uncles and elders in their circle had numerous wives and concubines, and their status was even lower than Father's.

For years, whenever she thought about this, she felt a pang of pity for her father, thinking he hadn't done well.

She thought this way partly because it was normal for nobles in this world to have multiple wives and concubines, and largely because her mother had always been fiercer and her father more benevolent, so she unconsciously sided with her father a little.

Of course, if Qin Wanru knew what she was thinking, she would definitely let her experience what "mother's love is like a mountain" truly meant!

Chu Zhongtian's old face flushed. "What nonsense are you spouting? That's not true! It's your brother-in-law!"

"Brother-in-law!" Chu Huanzhao had been eagerly watching the drama unfold, but upon hearing this news, she was instantly dumbfounded. What was happening?

"Brother-in-law is taking a concubine?" Chu Huanzhao blinked, still unable to process it. This news was simply too bizarre.

"Hmph, I've never seen such an arrogant son-in-law who moves in!" Qin Wanru grumbled resentfully, clearly quite displeased about the matter.

"Who is it?" Hearing this news, Chu Huanzhao felt an emptiness in her heart, completely lacking the excitement she had felt moments ago when she thought her father was taking a concubine.

"Someone from the Immortal's Dwelling. Aren't they afraid of shaming our Chu family's reputation?" Qin Wanru said, deliberately glaring at her husband, clearly reminding him that the person's status was unsuitable.

"Is it that Qiu Honglei?" Chu Huanzhao's voice instantly rose.

"How do you know?" Chu Zhongtian was a little surprised, wondering how his daughter knew about the Immortal's Dwelling.

"Hmph, Brother-in-law caused such a commotion there before, how could I not know? And now he's bringing someone into the house so quickly!" Chu Huanzhao glared at Chu Zhongtian indignantly. "Father, where did you put that woman?"

"She should be in the guest room, but I'm not entirely sure..." Chu Zhongtian answered subconsciously.

Why did his second daughter seem even angrier about this news than his eldest daughter?

Having gotten her answer, Chu Huanzhao rushed indignantly in the direction of the guest rooms.

Unfortunately, they didn't know that Qiu Honglei was not in the Chu family's guest room at that moment, but in Zu An's courtyard.

"So this is where your son-in-law lives?" Qiu Honglei asked, a faint smile playing on her lips as she looked at the small courtyard before her.

"That's right, the son-in-law lives here. He doesn't usually stay with the young lady," the house servant said ingratiatingly, thinking, *This woman is so beautiful, and she smells so fragrant.*

"Thank you, young man. What's your name?" Qiu Honglei smiled enchantingly.

The house servant was instantly overwhelmed, quickly replying, "To answer the young lady, my name is Jin Zhu."

"Jin Zhu?" Qiu Honglei chuckled. "That's a very unique name."

The house servant felt his whole body melt. *She smiled at me, she smiled at me!*

"Please tell me if there's anything you need, young lady," Jin Zhu, the servant, offered solicitously.

"Thank you, young Jin," Qiu Honglei said with a smile, dismissing him before curiously surveying the small courtyard.

"I wonder if that fellow's usual living environment hides any secrets," Qiu Honglei thought with an intrigued expression. She pushed open the main door, intending to explore and see if she could find out why Zu An had changed so dramatically from a known good-for-nothing in such a short time.

Suddenly, her expression changed, and she swiftly dodged to the side.

At the same time, a sharp whoosh of air swept past.

"Oh?" The other person clearly hadn't expected her to evade such a certain hit.

Qiu Honglei was secretly alarmed as well. The opponent's timing and angle were chosen with such precision that it made her defense impossible. Her last dodge was a perfect 120% effort, and she wasn't sure if she could evade it again.

"A woman?"

Although the opponent's soft gasp was fleeting, it didn't escape her ears.

"Who exactly is it?"

Since there was no time to light lamps, the room was dark. In the darkness, the two exchanged over a dozen blows in an instant.

"Could it be the Chu family's second young lady?" This thought was dismissed as soon as it arose.

It was well known that the eldest Miss Chu seemed to have used up all the family's spiritual energy herself. Her younger sister, aside from inheriting her beautiful mother's looks, was essentially useless.

As for whether she was hiding her true abilities... Hmph, there aren't that many coincidences in this world. One Zu An was already enough; how could there coincidentally be another?

"Then who exactly is this person? And why are they in Zu An's room?" Qiu Honglei wondered, growing increasingly interested.

She decided to capture the person first. She felt she was on the verge of uncovering a great secret.

Unfortunately, the opponent's cultivation was unbelievably high. She held nothing back, yet her attacks were still blocked, and several times she was almost counter-attacked.

Fearing she might alert the Chu family, Qiu Honglei dared not use elemental powers, instead engaging in pure hand-to-hand combat with the opponent.

The more they fought, the more alarmed she became!

Equally shocked at this moment was Pei Mianman. She had been waiting for Zu An in the room, though she didn't quite understand why she instinctively came to his place these days.

Perhaps it was because she had never had many friends growing up, and Zu An was different from others, making her cherish their time together.

Of course, her stated reason was to train Zu An to prevent him from being killed by Chen Xuan.

She had arrived earlier than usual today. Hearing the commotion outside, she thought Zu An had returned. Full of anticipation, she found that a woman had entered instead.

Although she couldn't see clearly, the other person's aura was clearly not that of Chu Chuyan, Chu Huanzhao, or other members of the Chu family.

Noticing the other woman's stealthy manner upon entering, she assumed it was someone sent by Chen Xuan, so she immediately attacked.

She had expected an easy resolution, but to her surprise, the opponent's cultivation was incredibly high.

Both exchanged dangerous moves, fighting dozens of rounds in the dark, yet neither could gain an advantage over the other.

Several times, Pei Mianman almost couldn't resist using her Dark Flames, but she held back, not wanting Chu Chuyan to know she frequently came here.

And so, with their own thoughts, the two women engaged in a physical brawl.

Zu An, of course, was unaware of the fierce battle unfolding in his room. He was fully focused on healing Chu Chuyan.

At first, Chu Chuyan resisted instinctively, but she also knew how futile her resistance was.

After a moment, she suddenly stiffened, her face flushing crimson. "You bastard!"

With that, she bit down hard on his shoulder.

She wanted to return all the pain she felt to him!

Zu An gasped, not from pain, but from the sheer cold.

Who was it that said even the coldest woman was warm inside?

It was certainly true last time.

But today's experience was like entering a world of ice and snow.

If his body hadn't been tempered by the "Grandmist Primordial Scripture," granting him extraordinary talent, an ordinary man would likely have instantly shriveled up, perhaps even suffering permanent damage.

Zu An gently smoothed her slightly disheveled hair, saying with tenderness, "Your body is so cold. You've been pretending to be strong all this time. It must have been very hard to bear."

Chu Chuyan's eyes immediately reddened. These words seemed to instantly shatter her tough exterior, revealing her most vulnerable side.

"Are you hurt?" After her initial shame and anger, Chu Chuyan now felt a touch of apology.

Zu An chuckled. "This is exactly what I wanted; how could I be hurt?"

"You bastard!" Chu Chuyan, furious, pinched him hard again. However, he genuinely felt like a scorching sun, radiating endless warmth.

"Comfortable?" Zu An suddenly asked.

Chu Chuyan: "..."

How could this man ask such a shameless question? How was she supposed to answer that?

So she simply turned her face away, biting her lip and saying nothing.

Noticing her expression, Zu An knew she had misunderstood. He explained with a wry smile, "I was asking if you feel better now. I'm using the Primordial Qi to warm your body. If anything feels wrong, you must tell me immediately so I can heal your internal injuries as quickly as possible."

The character Jin Zhu in this chapter was provided by reader "I am Li Xiu."