Chapter 336: Encountered Attack

Seeing her serious expression, Zu An was also startled. "What's wrong?"

Qiu Honglei hesitated for a moment before saying, "Azhu, do you really intend to be a live-in son-in-law for the Chu family your entire life?"

Zu An chuckled, "My stomach isn't great, so I suppose I'm destined to rely on others my whole life."

Qiu Honglei sighed, "You are a man of such great talent; you're not as useless as you claim. And if you truly want to live off others, the Chu family isn't the only option in this world."

Zu An couldn't help but laugh, "Can I live off you too?"

A faint blush appeared on Qiu Honglei's face at just the right moment. "Whenever you wish, you're welcome."

Zu An sighed, "Unfortunately, I'm quite greedy; I prefer to enjoy variety."

Qiu Honglei was stunned. After a long pause, she remarked, "There are few people besides you who can describe lust so refreshingly and elegantly."

Zu An replied, "It's mainly because I'm quite honest and don't pretend like those other hypocrites."

Qiu Honglei pursed her lips and smiled. "Alright, let's talk about something serious. I recently received intelligence that the Chu family will soon be finished. As a friend, I wanted to warn you to leave this doomed ship as soon as possible."

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. "Can you tell me more details?"

He knew that while the Chu family was currently facing some difficulties, it was still a respectable Duke's residence, well-supported in all aspects, and even had a considerable private army. He couldn't imagine what kind of event would lead to the downfall of such a family.

Qiu Honglei shook her head. "I'm sorry, I cannot reveal my source of information. I came specifically to warn you out of friendship."

Zu An knew her identity was mysterious, so he didn't press her. "Although I have many bad habits, abandoning friends is not one of them. With the Chu family facing a great disaster, how could I leave at this time?"

Qiu Honglei seemed puzzled. "But as far as I know, the Chu family hasn't treated you well."

Zu An smiled faintly. "While there are those who treat me poorly, there are also those who treat me well. I naturally cannot betray their kindness."

Thinking of Chu Huanzhao and Chu Chuyan, a gentle smile appeared on his face.

Qiu Honglei remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. "Alright, I understand. It seems I can't persuade you to turn back. I can only wish you well."

Zu An smiled slightly. "Then, does what you said earlier about becoming my concubine still stand?"

Qiu Honglei was dumbfounded. She hadn't expected him to be so brazen. Yet, she didn't feel disgusted and, almost instinctively, replied, "When we meet again, if you are still safe and sound, then it certainly counts."

Zu An tentatively asked, "Then, when we meet again, will we be friends or enemies?"

Qiu Honglei hesitated for a moment. "Friends, of course."

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. "Then there's no problem. As the saying goes, 'Good men die young, but scourges live a thousand years.' A villain like me will definitely live long enough to take you as a concubine."

"You..." Qiu Honglei playfully chided him, though without anger. "Alright, I look forward to our next meeting."

After her carriage departed, Zu An stood there, lost in thought, pondering the information revealed behind her words.

"She's gone already, why are you still staring?" Chu Huanzhao came up behind him and said discontentedly.

Zu An said in a low voice, "Come on, let's go find your sister."

Seeing his serious expression, Chu Huanzhao didn't dare to delay and quickly followed him with small steps.

After hearing what he said, Chu Chuyan was a little confused. "A crisis? The Chu family should be doing fine now. The Giant Whale Gang was dealt with earlier, and now with a significant reduction in smuggled salt on the market, the Chu family's income has started to recover; things should only get better."

"In any case, it's better to be careful," Zu An said. He didn't want to betray Qiu Honglei; after all, she had kindly come to warn him, and it would be unethical to expose her in return.

"Don't worry, we'll be careful." Chu Chuyan smiled faintly, truly like a hundred flowers blossoming.

Chu Huanzhao couldn't help but embrace her shoulder. "Sister, I've noticed you've been smiling much more lately."

"Really?" Chu Chuyan touched her cheek and instinctively glanced at Zu An.

Meeting his gaze, her face flushed slightly.

When he returned to his room, Old Man Mi was already waiting there.

Zu An hastily said, "That box you mentioned, I'll find another chance to go to the Wei family next time and look for it..."

He was interrupted before he could finish. Old Man Mi chuckled, "No need. You won't have to go to the Wei family for a while."

"No need?" Zu An was startled. "Could it be that you've already found it, senior?"

"Not exactly, but I've found a way to look for it myself from now on," Old Man Mi said, looking at Zu An.

Zu An's expression was strange; he thought, 'If you had a way, why did you make me look for it before?'

And the way this guy is looking at me, why is it so strange?

It was like a beast looking at its prey, or a chef looking at ingredients.

A shiver ran down Zu An's spine. He wondered, 'This guy isn't a cannibal, is he?'

At that moment, Old Man Mi also stood up to leave. "Nothing else, just came to tell you not to risk going to the Wei family's side lately, and to pay attention to your safety generally."

"Pay attention to safety?" Zu An was momentarily bewildered. This guy was fierce one moment, then seemed quite concerned about him the next, leaving him confused.

However, he had no mind for such things at the moment. After night fell, he quietly headed in the direction of Qingyin Pavilion.

With 'Bright Mirror Not a Stand,' moving around the mansion was now even easier, like a fish in water.

Arriving outside Qingyin Pavilion, he gently pushed, and the window was unlocked, making him even happier.

Chu Chuyan was nervously watching the area. When she saw it was him, she finally sighed in relief. "Why are you here?"

Zu An thought, 'Isn't she asking the obvious? She even left the window unlocked for me, and yet she's pretending.'

However, he also knew that Chu Chuyan was shy, so he didn't expose her. "Of course, I missed you," he said, then immediately embraced her.

Feeling his mischievous hands, Chu Chuyan's face flushed. She took a key from nearby and handed it to him. "Keep this key; it will bypass the restrictions of Qingyin Pavilion for you."

Zu An was delighted. It seemed his shy wife had truly and completely accepted him.

"But I think coming in through the window is more fun," Zu An whispered, leaning into her ear.

Chu Chuyan was ticklish and recoiled slightly. "But I don't like that feeling. It always feels like we're doing something wrong. And every time the window is open, I'm on edge, worrying about what if someone else comes in."

Zu An considered this. "My wife is indeed thoughtful. Come here, let your husband kiss you."

"You're annoying," Chu Chuyan playfully chided, but her slender arms instinctively wrapped around the man embracing her.

Feeling the lady's arousal, Zu An felt like his body was about to explode.

With Zheng Dan, he was more about seeking excitement, but with Chu Chuyan, his heart was filled with tenderness, and his actions were more gentle and considerate.

It seems one doesn't need to be so considerate with someone else's wife.

He didn't know how much time had passed when Zu An suddenly froze. Chu Chuyan's large, watery eyes looked at him, and she softly said, "It's alright."

"But you're busy managing the Chu family's affairs right now. If you were to get pregnant, it might be inconvenient for you to carry out your duties," Zu An said. He wasn't the type to try and tie someone down with a child.

Chu Chuyan shook her head, her face flushed. "It's alright, I can expel it later using primal energy."

How could Zu An hold back any longer?

The next day at Brightmoon Academy, Zu An and Chu Huanzhao keenly noticed that Bai Susu's eyes were also swollen, but unlike Lu De, both of her eyes were badly swollen.

Lu De couldn't help but gloat. "Oh dear, isn't that our Teacher Bai? Your eyes wouldn't have gotten bruised from bumping into something during a nighttime trip to the washroom, would they? And both eyes at once!"

"Bah! Lu, are you holding a grudge and deliberately trying to get back at me?" Bai Susu trembled with anger.

"Don't make baseless accusations! What you did to yourself has nothing to do with me!" Lu De felt refreshed, his vexation from yesterday completely gone. Humming a tune, he swaggered into the school.

For a while after that, a new teacher would appear with some injury almost every day, causing panic throughout the school as people wondered if it was haunted.

That evening, Jiang Luofu was returning to her dormitory from the office, walking along the tree-lined avenue. Her long, straight, beautiful legs glowed alluringly under the dim light, a mesmerizing sheen, whether from the reflection of stockings or the natural luster of her skin, it was hard to tell.

She suddenly frowned and stopped. "All these strange occurrences in the school lately, I presume they are your handiwork?"