Chapter 348: Killing Hazard

Zu An quickly pulled her back. "It's my fault. The main thing is that I'm with the Chu family now, and when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. That's why I'm thinking about how to get through this difficulty, not for someone else, as you might imagine..."

He also felt like a scoundrel. He had just been intimate with her, and then immediately asked about how to save another woman, especially since their families were sworn enemies.

Zheng Dan snorted coldly, "You can just walk away. Why do you insist on staying with the Chu family now?"

Zu An sighed, "If I leave the Chu family, do you think I could join your Zheng family?"

Zheng Dan opened her mouth, but considering her own circumstances, she was at a loss for words.

Zu An said, "I won't ask for your help for nothing. If you give me information about that batch of salt permits, I'll return this to you."

As he spoke, he took out an IOU for 500,000 liang. It was money Zu An had won at a gambling house during a family competition; the other party had paid 500,000 liang upfront and issued an IOU for the remaining 500,000.

Zheng Dan's expression became a little awkward. "What does this IOU have to do with me?"

Zu An said with a smile, "My dear Miss Zheng, we're so familiar with each other, there's no need to hide it anymore. I've already figured out the connection between that gambling house and your Zheng family."

Zheng Dan snatched the IOU, then snorted, "What is this, payment for your services?"

Zu An was speechless.

"Miss, please don't be so harsh," he said. "What we have is clearly love."

"Love? Do you believe that yourself?" Zheng Dan sneered.

Zu An took her hands, looked gently into her eyes, and said, "I do!"

Zheng Dan's face flushed. "You rascal, you always try to charm me!"

Zu An sighed, "I don't want to be enemies with your Zheng family. Rest assured, I would never do anything to harm their interests."

"Hmph, if you help the Chu family, you're harming the Zheng family," Zheng Dan said, highly displeased. "I don't know where that batch of salt permits is. Chen Xuan wouldn't have been foolish enough to give them to us from the start, and you know what happened later."

"My guess is that the salt permits are with those under Black Wind Stronghold."

Zu An was startled, remembering the people he had seen with Chen Xuan at the Immortal Abode.

"Do you have any information about them?" Zu An asked. After all, Zheng Dan had once been a gang leader; although the Giant Whale Gang was destroyed, she surely still had her own information channels.

"No," Zheng Dan sneered. "What, do you think you've wasted your 500,000 liang?"

"Of course not," Zu An said, pulling her into his embrace. "It wouldn't be a loss even if I gave it to you for free, let alone knowing that the salt permits are with the Black Wind Stronghold group."

"You're insincere," Zheng Dan said, though her expression softened slightly.

Seeing this, Zu An showered her with more sweet words, finally coaxing a smile back onto Zheng Dan's face.

After school, Zu An waited for Chu Huanzhao to return home.

All the way home, Chu Huanzhao kept asking, "I heard you went to see that woman Zheng Dan today?"

"You're quite well-informed," Zu An said, a little surprised.

"Of course! Don't you know my standing in class?" Chu Huanzhao said smugly, though her expression quickly fell. "Why did you go see her? Everyone at school is saying you were acting like a creep."

Zu An was speechless.

*Does that word exist in this world too?*

Chu Huanzhao grew angrier as she spoke. "Isn't having Sister enough for you? Why are you trying to cozy up to her? And Sister just left today!"

Zu An had a terrible headache. "I went to see her for serious business; it was to help the Chu family overcome their difficulties."

"The Zheng family and our Chu family have always been at odds. She'd help?" Chu Huanzhao said, her face full of disbelief. "You smelly brother-in-law, if you're going to make excuses, at least make them believable."

"Normally, she definitely wouldn't help," Zu An snorted. "But your brother-in-law is irresistibly handsome."

"Shameless!" Chu Huanzhao laughed and cursed him, but diverted by his remark, she forgot to continue her questioning.

After returning to the Chu manor, Zu An told her to go home first.

"Where are you going?" Chu Huanzhao asked curiously, seeing that he had no intention of entering the house.

"I'm going to..." Zu An was about to answer when his expression suddenly froze as he remembered something. "Why so many questions? I naturally have important business outside."

Chu Huanzhao pouted, "You're evading the question. You're probably going to a brothel, hmph!"

With that, she walked into the manor with a resentful expression, her footsteps deliberately loud.

Zu An was speechless.

A woman's intuition truly is terrifying!

He really did intend to go to the Immortal Abode, though not to visit a brothel, but to gather relevant information from Qiu Honglei.

He knew that all the previous information about Chen Xuan had come from her, so she might have some intelligence about the missing salt permits this time.

Arriving at the Immortal Abode, and after announcing his arrival, it wasn't long before a maid came to lead Zu An into Qiu Honglei's room.

Glancing at the beautiful woman before him, Zu An couldn't help but say, "Honglei, you seem to have a lot on your mind."

Qiu Honglei was startled, then smiled faintly. "Young Master Zu has a sharp eye; I didn't expect you to notice that."

Zu An couldn't help but sigh, "Honglei, we've become distant. You used to call me A'Zu."

Qiu Honglei was speechless.

This guy's conversations were always so unexpected.

However, she had long grown accustomed to his character and smiled faintly. "A'Zu, if you had come two days later, you might not have seen me."

Zu An was startled. "Are you leaving?"

Her tone had been a little strange during their last meeting.

"Yes," Qiu Honglei nodded.

"Where are you going?" Although he knew her previous affection towards him had been feigned, he still felt quite reluctant upon learning she was truly leaving.

Qiu Honglei smiled and shook her head without speaking.

Knowing she wouldn't tell him, Zu An was sensible enough not to press further.

The room soon fell silent.

"By the way, did you come to see me for something?" Qiu Honglei finally broke the silence.

"Can't I come to see you if there's no particular reason?" Zu An looked at her, still as bright and enchanting as ever, but regrettably, she would soon no longer be his.

*Sigh*, men truly are cheap. Even knowing her previous smiles and laughter had ulterior motives, he still felt very disappointed now.

Qiu Honglei smiled, pursing her lips. "I've been here so long, but I haven't seen you come to visit me on your own initiative."

Zu An's face flushed with embarrassment, and he had no choice but to state the reason for his visit.

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "You and Miss Chu truly have deep marital affection, running around like this for her."

Zu An looked deeply into her eyes. "Honglei, are you jealous?"

Qiu Honglei looked back at him. "A'Zu, do you want me to be jealous for you?"

Zu An laughed heartily, "For a celestial beauty like Honglei, what man in this world wouldn't want you to be jealous for him?"

A hint of a smile appeared on Qiu Honglei's face. "Your words are always so sweet. No wonder Miss Chu also fell for you."

She paused, then added, "I happen to know a thing or two about the whereabouts of the salt permits, but I cannot tell you."

"Why?" Zu An was stunned.

"I can't tell you the reason," Qiu Honglei hesitated, "and I advise you not to look for them, lest you bring about your own demise."