Chapter 36: Transaction

All this time, it turned out the woman hadn't really given him a proper look. Clearly, the good-for-nothing son-in-law from the original world wasn't worth remembering by name; she only needed to know that her best friend had an incompetent husband.

But then he thought about it and felt a sense of understanding. From any angle, the gap between them was like heaven and earth, so it was perfectly normal for her not to remember him.

“My name is Zu An. Have you remembered it now?!” Zu An said fiercely. While he understood, he was genuinely angry. He had foolishly believed his good looks, charming demeanor, and eloquent speech had left a profound impression on this beautiful woman.

“I remember!” Pei Mianman retorted, gritting her teeth slightly. After their fierce physical struggle, it would be hard not to remember. “Why are you here?”

“That should be my question to you, shouldn’t it?” Zu An scoffed.

Pei Mianman’s expression darkened. “You were the one who suggested we could cooperate. I’d like to hear what brilliant ideas you have.” Her fingertips twitched, and flames flickered there again.

“You’re probably here looking for something, aren’t you?” Zu An asked.

“That’s right,” Pei Mianman replied, thinking that her recent actions must have been seen by him, so denying it would be pointless.

“By the looks of it, you haven’t found it. I can help you,” Zu An said.

Had she heard him say that before, she would have laughed scornfully and dismissed it completely. But after their recent life-and-death struggle, he had actually subdued her, making her unable to take him lightly. “Then what do you want?” she asked.

Zu An said, “Since you are Chu Chuyan’s best friend, you must be aware of my awkward status in the Chu family mansion. She and I are husband and wife in name only, with no actual marital intimacy. So, if you help me win her over and become the true son-in-law of the Chu family, I’ll help you find what you’re looking for.”

Pei Mianman was startled at first, then burst into giggles. “I didn’t expect you were after her! But Chu Yan is such a stunning beauty that even I, as a woman, find her captivating. Alright, it’s a deal!”

“You agreed so readily?” Zu An was taken aback, suddenly feeling uncertain.

“Are you worried I’ll trick you into letting go?” Pei Mianman sneered, extending a finger and wiggling it in front of him. “If you hadn’t managed to persuade me just now, you would have already been burned to ashes.”

Zu An noticed the black flames at her fingertips and was greatly startled. Recalling what he knew about cultivation levels, this woman was actually a Rank Five master. No wonder he had nearly died by her hand.

Seeing him stunned, a blush flashed across Pei Mianman’s face. “Isn’t it great to take advantage of your wife’s best friend? Now let go!”

Seeing that her finger might poke him at any moment, Zu An quickly released her and stepped aside.

Pei Mianman got up and tidied her disheveled clothes. Noticing the dust and handprints on her body, and recalling how their bodies had been entangled moments ago, her expression involuntarily turned cold. She wondered if she should just kill the brat.

Noticing her expression, Zu An quickly asked, “What are you looking for?”

Pei Mianman hesitated for a moment. “An account book.”

“What kind of account book?” Zu An was taken aback. She had gone to all this trouble just for an account book?

Pei Mianman didn’t answer, but instead giggled playfully, “I’ll tell you when you have a more established position in the Chu family.” She hadn’t originally intended to agree to such an alliance, but then she reconsidered. She had searched the Chu mansion twice at night and found no trace of the account book. Perhaps with this brat’s help, she might actually find a clue.

Of course, all of this depended on whether he was qualified to participate.

Pei Mianman suddenly remembered something and looked at him suspiciously. “By the way, what are you doing sneaking around here in the middle of the night?”

Zu An gave an awkward laugh. “Would you believe me if I said I was just taking a stroll?”

Pei Mianman rolled her eyes, then suddenly noticed a corner of silk peeking out from his chest. “Oh, what’s this?”

Zu An tried to stop her, but she was too fast, and the item in his embrace was already in her hand.

Looking at the woman’s intimate undergarment in her hand, Pei Mianman burst into uncontrollable laughter. “You sneaked in here in the middle of the night, only to steal your wife’s underwear? I’m truly a little disgusted by you.”

Zu An’s face flushed. He quickly stepped forward, snatched it back, and stuffed it into his embrace again. “None of your business,” he retorted.

Pei Mianman’s gaze became increasingly strange as she scrutinized him. “As expected of the man who climbed into his sister-in-law’s bed on his wedding night! I thought you weren’t so audacious before, but it seems you truly are a lecherous and shameless fellow.”

A thought stirred in Zu An’s mind. From her words, it seemed she wasn’t behind him being thrown onto the Chu family’s second daughter’s bed that night. So who was it then?

He seized the opportunity to tease, “Compared to a sister-in-law, a wife’s best friend seems quite appealing too.”

Pei Mianman’s lips curved into a charming smile, but a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes. “Many men have tried to pursue me over the years, but not a single one of them had a single bone left in the end. If you’re not afraid, you can try too.”

Zu An shook his head. “I think I’ll pass. After all, I’ve already tried what should be tried and what shouldn’t be tried.”

“What did you say?” Pei Mianman’s expression darkened.

Enrage points from Pei Mianman +256!

“Nothing,” he quickly amended. “I just meant that the commotion we just made wasn’t small, so it’s better to leave here soon. Otherwise, it would be bad if we alarmed the Chu family.” Zu An secretly scorned her in his heart. This woman, who seemed so uninhibited and flirtatious on the surface, turned out to be unable to take a joke.

“You have a point.” Pei Mianman nodded. “Let’s leave it at that for today. But if I hear any rumors later, I’ll definitely cut out your tongue.”

Zu An covered his mouth. “Don’t worry, I promise it will remain our secret.”

Pei Mianman scoffed, “You’d best forget about today’s events too.”

She flashed to the window and then suddenly turned back. Under the moonlight, her figure appeared even more graceful and alluring. “By the way, what was that ability you used just now? Why did your strength suddenly become so immense?”

Zu An looked bewildered. “I don’t know. Maybe it was a burst of potential in a life-or-death situation.”

“Fine, don’t tell me. Stingy,” Pei Mianman scoffed, and her beautiful figure disappeared into the night sky.

Zu An gave a wry smile. He really had no idea. However, he didn’t have time to ponder it, worrying that someone might discover the anomaly, so he hurried back to his room.

Then he took out a bottle of pills and swallowed them directly.

Having learned his lesson last time, he didn’t want to repeat the mistake. He knew that the "Rich Woman’s Pleasure Ball" had a time limit; once its effects wore off, all pain and weakness would return, and that would be truly excruciating.

This bottle of medicine was not the “Brother Chun Red Potion” he had drawn from the keyboard, but rather the healing medicine Ji Dengtu had given him earlier. When he heard Zu An say he was going to Jackal Valley, he had tossed this medicine to him.

“That guy wouldn’t intentionally trick me, would he?” Zu An was a little worried. But he quickly thought that since the other party was a divine physician, he shouldn’t play tricks on him regarding this matter. Moreover, with a pure and kind daughter like Ji Xiaoxi, how bad could a father truly be?

He had initially worried he might have accidentally jinxed himself, but as the pill entered his stomach, a warm sensation spread throughout his body. He could feel the medicine repairing and nourishing his damaged body.

Zu An finally relaxed. Ji Dengtu’s medicine was indeed extraordinary. Although it couldn’t instantly restore him to full health like the “Brother Chun Red Potion” he had drawn, its healing effects were not much inferior, just a bit slower in speed.

It was truly worthy of being medicine concocted by a generational divine physician!

At this time, the "Rich Woman’s Pleasure Ball" was gradually reaching its expiration. Because Ji Dengtu’s medicine provided gradual recovery, he began to feel the pain spreading throughout his body.

“This thing really is a divine artifact,” Zu An thought, completely disregarding the pain at the moment. Instead, he looked at the "Rich Woman’s Pleasure Ball" in his hand. If not for it today, he probably would have lost his life there.

He hadn’t realized it when he was whipped by the Whip of Lamentation earlier; at that time, he had only experienced its pain immunity function. But today, he discovered that when used well, this item’s function was truly too powerful.

If not for this "Rich Woman’s Pleasure Ball" today, he would have had no chance of survival. Such a life-saving miracle! Thinking of how he used it for a bet last time, he felt a terrible loss. Now only one use remained, and he had no idea when he would draw this item again.

He suddenly remembered the prerequisite for this item: it only worked if he was struck by a woman wealthier than him. He couldn’t help but feel fortunate that Yu Yanluo had been out these days. Otherwise, if he truly received a thousand taels of gold from her, there would probably be far fewer women in the world wealthier than him. In a real fight, who would know how much money the opponent had? One misstep and his life would be on the line.

It seemed he should avoid taking that thousand taels of gold for now.

Zu An had an idea, but he was also very reluctant. Could it be that he was destined to be poor his entire life?

Enrage points from Qin Wanru +333…

Zu An was startled. Had he provoked Madam Chu somewhere again? Her frequency of getting angry seemed a bit high. Could it be an endocrine imbalance, causing early menopause?

Meanwhile, in the Duke’s chambers, Chu Zhongtian poured his wife a cup of tea. Only then did he ask, “I heard you punished Zu An by making him copy the family rules a hundred times? Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

Qin Wanru scoffed, “That fellow won’t amount to anything without discipline. You don’t know what he did. Today, he openly dared to skip school—no, according to the news from the academy, he didn’t even step inside the school gates! It’s simply outrageous!”

Chu Zhongtian gasped sharply. “This fellow is indeed a bit excessive, but he’s always been somewhat self-conscious. The pressure of being a live-in son-in-law in our mansion is already immense, and I hear many people in the residence look down on him. If you punish him so harshly, won’t he resent it? Our home will truly never be peaceful then.”

Qin Wanru gave her husband a resentful look. “It’s all your fault! Otherwise, Chu Yan wouldn’t have had to choose such a good-for-nothing as her husband. As her mother, I can’t do anything else for her, but at least I can discipline her husband and make Zu An more capable. Even if he has no cultivation talent, it wouldn’t be bad for him to study diligently and learn the skills to govern the world and save the country, so that everyone doesn’t laugh at our Chu Yan.”

“Madam, from what you’re saying, do you believe Chu Yan will be with him for life?” Chu Zhongtian couldn’t help but ask.

“Bah!” Qin Wanru pursed her lips. “If you agree, I’ll immediately kick this fellow out.”