Chapter 99: Seven Orifices Emit Smoke

"Wow, so handsome!"

"Is that the famous Sixth Young Master Shi?"

"No wonder so many women are rumored to shower him with gifts. Looking at his charming appearance, I can't help but feel a pang of affection."

"Really? I don't think he's as handsome as the legends say. Young Master Xie from our academy isn't any less attractive."

"Hmph, don't even mention that scoundrel. How can that scoundrel compare to Young Master Shi?"

A group of passing female students, recognizing his identity, all became infatuated.

"Heh, women," Zu'an thought with disdain.

At that moment, Shi Kun was accompanied by many people, most of whom Zu'an didn't recognize, but there were also a few old acquaintances.

For example, Yuan Wendong, who had previously appeared arrogant and condescending, now showed no trace of his former pride. He stood slightly behind Shi Kun, smiling obsequiously, his face full of ingratiating smiles as he spoke, though Zu'an couldn't hear what he was saying.

And Ye Chenliang was even worse; his smile was practically fawning.

Indeed, no matter the world, reality remains the same.

Zu'an couldn't help but sigh; such scenes were commonplace in his previous life.

Chu Hanzhao, standing beside him, glanced at Shi Kun and couldn't help but murmur, "I thought he'd be much more handsome. He looks about the same as Brother-in-law."

Zu'an's face darkened with exasperation. Was this girl praising him or insulting him?

Seeing Shi Kun approach with a relaxed smile, Chu Chuyan's delicate brows furrowed. Just as she was about to speak, Shi Kun preempted her, saying, "It was fine when Miss Chu called me an outsider on the street, but now that I'm also a student at Brightmoon Academy, we're classmates. Surely, I'm not an outsider anymore, am I?"

As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. Given his pleasant demeanor, Chu Chuyan found it difficult to refuse him. She nodded slightly, acknowledging, "Young Master Shi."

Gazing at the woman before him, dressed in flowing white, with an ethereal grace, Shi Kun couldn't help but praise her silently. Over the years, he had seen countless beautiful women, and with his good family background and handsome looks, women often threw themselves at him. Yet, none could compare to Chu Chuyan. Her exquisite beauty and her cold, aloof demeanor made her seem almost otherworldly.

"I must have her!"

This thought grew ever stronger in his mind.

Shi Kun smiled faintly, his perfect smile causing many of the surrounding female students' hearts to flutter. "Miss Chu, this isn't actually the first time we've met."

"Oh?" Chu Chuyan was slightly surprised. "Forgive my dull memory, but I truly can't recall where I've met Young Master."

Shi Kun smiled and said, "About six or seven years ago, Miss Chu visited the capital. Coincidentally, I was attending a gathering nearby at the time and saw you across a lake. At that moment, I was utterly astonished by your beauty. Unfortunately, by the time I rushed over, Miss Chu had already vanished without a trace. It has been a lifelong regret. For years, I've been inquiring about the whereabouts of that fairy from that day, but there was never any news. To think I would encounter you again here this time! It seems Heaven took pity on my sincerity and granted me this destiny."

"Wow, I didn't expect Young Master Shi to be so devoted."

"If he said something like that to me, I'd surely faint from happiness on the spot."

"Exactly! I thought with his good looks, he'd be a playboy just like Xie Xiu. I never expected him to be such a romantic."

Zu'an's anger flared upon hearing this. These infatuated girls, so easily excited by a few casual words from him. Do they find even his excrement fragrant?

Seeing Shi Kun completely ignore him throughout the conversation, continuously expressing admiration for his wife, what man could tolerate that?

Zu'an stepped directly forward, shielding Chu Chuyan, and declared loudly, "This 'Brother Ri-bi,' your words strike me as rather odd."

"'Brother Ri-bi'?" Shi Kun paused, bewildered. It took him a moment to realize Zu'an had deliberately twisted his name. His face darkened as he retorted, "It's Kun!"

Rage value from Shi Kun: 315!

"Alright, Brother Ri-bi," Zu'an continued directly, "According to what you just said, you met her once six or seven years ago, then you couldn't find any information about her despite your inquiries, and today you just happened to encounter her here by chance, and you call that 'destiny'?"

"Who are you? Why should I answer your questions?"

Shi Kun scoffed. Of course, he knew who Zu'an was, but given his own status, completely ignoring him was the most effective way to undermine another man.

"Oh, you don't know who I am? Well then, let me introduce myself," Zu'an said, pulling Chu Chuyan's hand into his own. "I am the husband of the goddess you yearn for day and night, the one who occupies your thoughts and dreams. While you have to rely on fantasies every day, I don't have that trouble. Your dream girl sleeps in the same bed as me every night. How about that? Do you know now?"

Her hand suddenly grasped, Chu Chuyan's body trembled. Subconsciously, she wanted to pull away, but then she considered that doing so in front of so many people would publicly humiliate him.

Moreover, her marriage to Zu'an was originally intended to sever the ambitions of both the Imperial and Prince Qi factions. If she were to reveal at this moment that they weren't intimate, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?

Realizing this, she remained silent, allowing him to hold her hand.

Zu'an had clearly anticipated this, which was why he dared to hold her hand.

However, Chu Chuyan hadn't expected this fellow's tongue to be so sharp, uttering such outrageous words. Even with her naturally cold demeanor, she found herself blushing profusely. Was he so certain she wouldn't retort that he deliberately took advantage of her like this?

At this, the entire crowd erupted in an uproar. Although many had known that Chu Chuyan was married to Zu'an, they had comforted themselves with the thought that the two were vastly different, that Miss Chu must have had other reasons for marrying such a useless man, and that Zu'an surely hadn't truly taken advantage of her, likely not even entering the bridal chamber.

But now, Zu'an's words ruthlessly shattered all those illusions. Crucially, Miss Chu looked bashful and didn't deny anything. "Oh my god, I'm going crazy!"

Imagining the most beautiful woman in all of Brightmoon City intimately yielding to Zu'an, countless people were consumed by jealous rage.

Rage value from Gao Ren: 444!Rage value from He Buyu: 444!Rage value from Wu Zhenjian: 444!...

Seeing this wave of rage values in the backend, Zu'an felt incredibly pleased. Just as in the novels he read in his previous life, a beautiful woman easily attracted ridicule, but also easily generated rage values.

It seemed he would have to work more in this direction in the future—to find more pretty girls. *Ahem*, he wasn't after their bodies; it was purely for the rage values.

At this point, Shi Kun's gaze fell on their tightly clasped hands. His facial muscles twitched involuntarily, and his expression turned as dark as murky water. He had always regarded Chu Chuyan as his exclusive possession, and now she had been touched by another man. Even just holding hands sent him into a furious rage.

Rage value from Shi Kun: 520!

"Zu'an, don't try to glorify yourself," Shi Kun scoffed, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "From what I know, you and Miss Chu have separate rooms. You can't even get through her door, yet you're bragging about sleeping in the same bed? That's ridiculous."

Zu'an cursed inwardly. How did Shi Kun know they slept in separate beds? The Chu family had kept that strictly confidential. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he spoke: "I believe I only introduced myself as Chu Chuyan's husband just now. I didn't mention my name, did I? How did you know my name is Zu'an? Could it be that you sent spies to infiltrate our Chu family? Recently, a traitor named Xue'er appeared in our household. Was she sent by you?"

At these words, Chu Chuyan's gaze at Shi Kun became laced with suspicion. Given the influence of the Duke's Mansion, the person behind Xue'er had remained untraceable, indicating their significant power. Shi Kun indeed fit all the criteria.

"Nonsense! What do I know about Xue'er or Dong'er? Don't spread baseless accusations." A flicker of unease crossed Shi Kun's face. *This fellow is surprisingly perceptive*, he thought. "As for knowing your name, it's widely known that Miss Chu got married, so it's not surprising I know your name is Zu'an."

Zu'an scoffed, "If you knew me, then why did you pretend not to just now? You may have a handsome exterior—almost as good as mine, in fact—but you're truly hypocritical to the core."

Shi Kun: "..."

Rage value from Shi Kun: 300!

Zu'an continued, "And just now, weren't you acting quite aloof? It felt like speaking a few extra words to someone would cost you money. If you were truly innocent, given your usual temperament, shouldn't you have scoffed and bothered to ignore me? Why are you so patiently explaining yourself to someone you look down on like me? What is that, if not a guilty conscience?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding people nodded secretly. Though Zu'an was somewhat annoying, there was some truth to his words. This truly didn't align with Young Master Shi's previous persona. Could he really have a guilty conscience?

Shi Kun hadn't expected Zu'an to dig such a large pit, waiting for him to jump in. He finally began to understand how Mei Chaofeng and Xue'er must have felt.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but resent Xue'er even more. *Why didn't that girl kill this disgusting fellow sooner!*

He took a deep breath to compose himself, then ignored Zu'an and turned to Chu Chuyan: "Miss Chu, please don't let his one-sided claims affect the relationship between the Shi and Chu families. I truly know nothing about what happened at your mansion, and it has no connection to the Shi family whatsoever."

By this point, Chu Chuyan had formed her own judgment. She said calmly, "I hope so. Although our Chu family may be a minor house, we are not to be easily bullied by just anyone."

Shi Kun forced an awkward smile. "Miss Chu, you jest. How could the Chu family, a respectable Duke's Mansion, be considered a minor house? Moreover, I've long admired you, and I would certainly never do anything detrimental to you."

Before Chu Chuyan could reply, Zu'an interjected, "You know, you almost made me forget what you just said. You said you met my wife once six or seven years ago, then you were haunted by thoughts of her, searching everywhere without success, and now you've encountered her by chance at Brightmoon Academy and believe it's a destiny arranged by Heaven, right?"

"That's right," Shi Kun scoffed. "Six or seven years ago, Miss Chu wasn't married to you, was she? A fair lady is a fitting match for a gentleman; what's wrong with me admiring her? Over all these years, my affection for her has become a habit. Even though I know she's married, I've unknowingly fallen deeper and deeper. I hope Miss Chu doesn't mind."

"Playing the 'devoted lover' card?" Zu'an thought to himself. With so many "scumbag" tutorials in his previous life and various PUA courses being peddled online, how could he, as a seasoned keyboard warrior, not recognize this trick?

"That's odd," Zu'an continued. "From what I know, the Shi family in the capital is a top-tier aristocratic clan with immense power and influence at their disposal. And Chu Chuyan isn't some girl from a minor house; she's the Eldest Miss of the Chu family! Any random person who was present at the time could surely have told you her identity. Yet you claim you couldn't find any information, and then years later, you pretend it's a chance encounter here, calling it 'destiny.' Should I say you harbor malicious intentions, or that your IQ is simply low?"

I posted one less chapter yesterday due to insomnia. Please consider it a short break, as the pressure has been quite high recently.