Chapter 953: Catering to Their Interests

Sang Hong shook his head. "He's a clever man. What happened last night was too bizarre; he's in shock and hasn't thought it through, but he'll figure it out sooner or later. If we press him now, it will surely leave resentment in his heart, which would be counterproductive."

"For now, we do nothing and say nothing. Even if he truly understands everything, he'll have no basis to react, because we haven't asked anything of him from start to finish. On the contrary, he's the one who's gained a tremendous advantage."

Aunt Mu asked worriedly, "But aren't you afraid he'll take advantage and then turn his back on us?"

She had been with the Sang family for a long time. Though Sang Qian wasn't her biological daughter, she had watched her grow up. Now that she was older, she essentially regarded Sang Qian as her own daughter and was very concerned about her being wronged.

"That won't happen," Sang Hong said, a kind smile spreading across his face. "He's a man who values loyalty. Back in Bright Moon City, I almost annihilated the Chu family, but he single-handedly saved them. Later, when he encountered trouble himself, he decisively severed ties with the Chu family to avoid implicating them. How could such a man be ungrateful or disloyal?"

"From what you say, Master, it sounds like he and Miss Chu still have lingering ties?" Aunt Mu inquired.

"Of course," Sang Hong replied. "Chu Chuyan is so proud and strong-willed. How could a woman like her fall for an ungrateful scoundrel? And precisely because of that, their feelings for each other still persist. If we were to force Qian'er to compete for his attention now, it would easily backfire, as she and Zu An haven't spent much time together and lack deep affection."

"It's better to let him remember her for now as a fragile, wronged figure, to evoke guilt and pity in him. Love born from compassion is often stronger."

Aunt Mu gradually understood his profound intentions. "But this way, Qian'er will be too wronged," she said.

Sang Hong fell silent. After a long moment, he finally spoke, "As her father, I have indeed failed her."

Aunt Mu hesitated. "Master, shouldn't you go see her?"

Sang Hong shook his head. "She's still fuming. My presence would only add fuel to the fire. It's better to let time smooth over all the pain."

"But I'm worried Qian'er might do something foolish," Aunt Mu said, her face clouded with worry.

"No, Qian'er has always been a calm and sensible child. Although she's angry, what's done is done. She understands the pros and cons and won't do anything foolish," Sang Hong analyzed, pausing before continuing, "However, you can go see her."

"I was the one who escorted her there yesterday; going to see her now might be…" Aunt Mu's face showed a hint of awkwardness. At that moment, she was hesitant to meet Qian'er's gaze.

"She knows you were just following orders. She'll only hate me, not blame you." Sang Hong waved his hand. "Go see her."

Aunt Mu sighed wistfully. "Master, though you claim indifference, you actually care about Qian'er more than anyone."

Sang Hong remained silently reflective, his myriad thoughts ultimately condensing into a profound sigh.

***

After leaving the Sang family, Zu An went directly to the palace to report for duty, still feeling completely dazed.

Even Bi Linglong noticed his unusual demeanor and couldn't help but ask, "Has Vice Palace Master encountered some trouble?"

Zu An collected himself. "Thank you for your concern, Crown Princess. Your humble servant is quite alright."

He was about to engage her further, but upon hearing he was fine, she dismissed him, turning her attention to other officials of the Eastern Palace as usual.

Zu An managed a wry smile; he was in no mood to charm Bi Linglong at the moment.

After spending a day in a daze at the Eastern Palace, Zu An felt it was late enough and left work early.

Watching his retreating figure, Bi Linglong bit her lip, then finally couldn't resist calling Rong Mo. "Go find out if something has happened to Zu An recently," she instructed.

Rong Mo looked surprised. "Crown Princess, you seem rather overly concerned about him."

Bi Linglong's expression remained calm. "What do you know? He's a crucial figure in the Eastern Palace now. I need to ensure he won't be bribed or threatened by Prince Qi's faction."

"Your Highness truly possesses great foresight!" Rong Mo immediately expressed admiration and no longer had any doubts.

After leaving the palace, Zu An circled the Sang family estate, but still couldn't decide how to resolve the situation, ultimately abandoning his plan to visit them.

He turned and headed towards the Red Sleeve Pavilion, not out of any urgent desire for pleasure, but because he felt he should express his gratitude to Kong Nanwu for her help in rescuing Zheng Dan earlier.

When Zu An arrived at the Red Sleeve Pavilion, Nan Xun had already made special arrangements since the last incident. He was quickly led to a small courtyard inside, where he met both Nan Xun and Kong Nanwu.

One woman was outwardly cool but inwardly passionate, while the other was strikingly vibrant. Standing together, they truly brought a radiant glow to the room.

"Thank you, Miss Kong, for your assistance last time, which enabled me to successfully find the mastermind." Zu An noticed Kong Nanwu holding a fluffy, snowball-like object. Initially, he thought it was a cushion, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was a beautiful little fox.

Could such a beautiful fox truly exist in this world? No wonder so many people in his previous life enjoyed keeping adorable pets.

Zu An couldn't help but inwardly admire it, but then a thought struck him: *No, this could, at best, be the second most beautiful. After all, his Daji certainly ranked first.*

"I wonder who that mastermind is?" Kong Nanwu asked somewhat nervously, gently stroking the soft fur of the small fox in her arms.

Knowing her concern, Zu An explained, "Miss Kong, please rest assured. The individual is not of the demon race, but merely a human who practiced an unorthodox cultivation method."

As expected, Kong Nanwu visibly relaxed upon hearing this. She had been worried that she had inadvertently harmed a fellow demon she had never met.

She then inquired about some details, which Zu An answered one by one, and they enjoyed a pleasant conversation.

"May I pet it?" Zu An asked, unable to resist, having gazed at the fluffy creature in her arms several times.

It seems human genetics simply can't resist adorable furballs.

Before Kong Nanwu could respond, the little fox instantly straightened up and bared its teeth at him.

Kong Nanwu smiled faintly. "It seems Huhu isn't willing."

"Huhu?" Zu An was surprised. He couldn't reconcile the adorable, beautiful little fox before him with the fierce little maid he had known.

"Why not?" At that moment, the little fox spoke human words. She already harbored a slight dislike for Zu An and seized the opportunity to scold him. "Everyone says your human race is the most insincere, and I see it's true. You keep claiming to be grateful to our young lady, yet you brought no gifts. It's clearly just lip service; you're a hypocrite."

"Huhu!" Kong Nanwu gently but firmly stroked the little fox, immediately chiding her. "Young Master Zu is no ordinary person. Why should we concern ourselves with such worldly things when we associate with him?"

Zu An smiled faintly. "Miss Kong is absolutely right. I heard Nan Xun say that you're not interested in mundane things like money, so I specifically prepared a small gift for you. I hope you like it."

Kong Nanwu was slightly surprised. "Then thank you, Young Master."

"What kind of gift is it?" The little fox, unable to wait, jumped onto the table and pawed at him.

Even Nan Xun, standing nearby, stretched her neck, curious about what gift he would produce.

Seeing the little fox's adorable appearance, Zu An teased it, "Let me pet you for a moment, and I'll tell you."

"Pfft, you pervert…" The little fox, as if startled, leaped back into its owner's arms with a whoosh.

Kong Nanwu's expression was also a little odd. "Young Master Zu, Huhu is a girl, after all."

Zu An was speechless.

*In his eyes, she was just a furball.*

He coughed a few times to mask his embarrassment, then took a booklet from his sleeve and handed it over. "I heard Nan Xun say you're not interested in worldly things like money, so I specially prepared a book for you. You likely haven't seen this one before."

Kong Nanwu paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Young Master, you are thoughtful. Your human books are indeed very interesting."

However, she felt a little unimpressed. She had often collected and read human books even when she was still among the demon race. After arriving here, her subordinates had sourced all sorts of books for her. She didn't believe the book he offered would be anything special.

Her thanks were purely out of politeness.

At this point, Nan Xun and the little fox couldn't help but lean over curiously to inspect it. The little fox, even more bluntly, exclaimed, "Hmm, *Liaozhai*? What a strange name!"