Zu An quickly corrected her. “I’m not living with her; I’m staying in another room next to hers.”

“Aren’t you only separated by a single wall then?” Pei Mianman grabbed him as if she wanted to put him behind her protectively. “Even if you weren’t living in the temporary residence, you could’ve just stayed with me! Why did you have to live with her?”

Zu An replied, “It’s because I have to pretend to be Jian Yanyou, so there are many details I don’t know about. I need her to teach me. This is the most effective way to save the most amount of time possible.”

“Do you know who Yu Yanluo is? If a meteor were to fall from the sky and hit ten people anywhere in the world, at least one of them would be a fan of hers! Why would a woman like that take the initiative to invite an unfamiliar man to live next door to her?” Pei Mianman became vigilant, saying, “No way. She probably started lusting after your body after her husband passed away.”

“Lusting after my body?” Zu An gave her a strange look. I do have confidence in myself, but isn’t that a bit too much?

Pei Mianman’s face also turned red. Yu Yanluo’s reputation was so great that it was really hard to imagine that kind of woman desiring the body of a man. But since the words had already left her mouth, she wasn’t willing to concede defeat anymore. She continued, “Why not? You’re handsome, and your cultivation is high. You’re a good person too, and you’re funny and interesting… No matter how pretty she is, Yu Yanluo is still a woman; she still needs a man to love her dearly. After so many years have already passed, how could  she not be moved at all? Otherwise, why didn’t she look for another man, but instead let you live next door?”

Seeing that it was getting more and more out of hand the more she spoke, Zu An quickly cut her off, saying, “It was because I saved her before in Brightmoon City. She might just feel a bit more at ease around me because of that.”

“But you just said that her cultivation was really high! Hmph, that woman had the nerve to pretend to be weak and have you save her. What else could it be other than lusting after your body?” Pei Mianman finally seemed to have found her argument and spoke with a harrumph.

Zu An was speechless. Any smart man wouldn’t try to reason with a woman in such a situation. As such, he quickly smiled and said, “Alright, alright, alright, she wants my body. But you have to trust me, I will definitely maintain my purity for you.”

“Trust you?” Pei Mianman harrumphed. “Who was the one who even went after his wife’s close friend?”

Zu An was speechless again. He was starting to feel a bit of a headache. He picked her up and put her on his lap, spanking her. “What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Our relationship is clearly a harmonious one!”

Pei Mianman’s gaze became flirty as she was hit. She turned around to look at him provocatively. She said while looking ‘alarmed’, “No, big brother Zu! I can’t do anything that’ll let down Chuyan!”

Zu An immediately felt himself growing bigger. This woman really was alluring!

Pei Mianman always liked to play such harem roleplaying games with him, and her close friend Chuyan was a character who appeared often. If Chuyan were to see them one day, wouldn’t she get so angry she’d draw her sword and kill them?

But the more it was like that, the more Zu An felt a taboo sensation of stimulation. As such, he quickly got into character as well. He harrumphed and replied, “Your refusal would make things right with Chuyan, but wouldn’t you be letting me down?”

Pei Mianman gave him a wronged look and said, “Then… I guess I can at least… help you out a bit. But you can’t take my purity! That way, it doesn’t count as betraying Chuyan.”

Zu An really was amused now. She was clearly going through her period, and yet she still made her intentions sound so pure.

“No, wait. I’d still have a guilty conscience after.” Pei Mianman quickly pushed him away a while later. She bit her lip and continued, “How about this? I’ll pretend to be Chuyan, and you can treat me as if I were her. That way, I’ll feel a bit better. Do you have her clothes? Let me borrow  some so I can look more like her…”

Zu An was stupefied. He couldn't help but repeat that infamous quote: “You’re such a seductress!”[1]

After who knew how much time had passed, Pei Mianman wiped the corners of her mouth with a reddened face. She didn’t bother putting on her clothes again and leaned gently against his embrace. At the same time, she rubbed her sore cheeks. Hmph, at least he won’t seek out other vixens now; my hard work was worth it.

Chuyan, you should actually be thanking me for this. I’m doing so much for your man’s purity!

Zu An caressed her fair skin with his fingers. The two looked into each other’s eyes as they whispered to each other. The conversation unknowingly arrived at the subject of Cloudcenter Commandery.

“Right, has that fella Zhao Zhi bothered you at all recently?” Zu An asked. He was curious about Zhao Zhi’s most recent activities. Han Fengqiu had been at the Zhenyuan Merchant Group gathering. With him there, King Qi Manor’s influence was all but guaranteed.

Pei Mianman shook her head and replied, “They came to ask about the progress of the investigation on your side. I did as we agreed, just telling them half-truths and half-lies. But recently, they haven’t come to ask about it anymore… It really is a bit strange.”

Zu An frowned. For some reason, he felt Zhao Zhi was plotting something bad, but he had more important things to worry about at the moment. He was going to wait until he dealt with the Duke Manor first.

…

When he left Pei Manor, Zu An’s legs were still feeling a bit weak. Big Manman really is an alluring woman through and through! Her fighting strength had clearly been reduced by half already, and yet he had still been left in such a state afterward.

That girl really was ridiculously talented in that field… She’d had Hong Zao bring over a bottle of oils, and Zu An had experienced pleasures he could never experience with a washboard.

That wasn’t all. Halfway through, she had even called in Hong Zao to serve him too. He’d really had to use the last ounce of rationality he had left to refuse.

Is that woman trying to completely suck me dry or something? Zu An thought, speechless. He had an idea of what she was thinking, but he felt her worries were groundless. Yu Yanluo wasn’t the kind of person she expected.

…

He came back to Yu Manor. With the token that bypassed the Yu Manor’s security, even though it was daytime, it was still easier for him to return to Yu Yanluo’s bedroom than before.

“You’re here,” Yu Yanluo greeted him. She seemed to have just gotten up from bed. She fastened her waistband’s button while nodding toward him with a smile. She acted completely natural the entire time. She didn’t seem awkward or embarrassed at all.

It was instead Zu An who felt a bit embarrassed. He replied, “I think it’d be better if I give you a moment to yourself.” He turned around after saying that.

Yu Yanluo smiled and asked, “Are you going to play the gentleman now? You were definitely much more daring last night.”

Now that he was being provoked that way by a mature beauty, Zu An naturally wouldn’t be outdone. He replied, “Then does madam want me to treat you the way I treated you last night?”

Yu Yanluo’s smile immediately froze on her face. Her provocative expression was replaced with embarrassment. She replied, “Hmph, I knew you were a scoundrel.”

Just then, someone outside knocked and said, “Madam, your food has arrived.”

Yu Yanluo’s expression became natural again. She gestured for Zu An to hide behind a screen, and she sorted out her clothes before saying, “Come in.”

Soon afterward, Maid Xing entered with a wooden tray, bearing an assortment of delicious food. She arranged the plates on the desk while saying with a smile, “Madam’s appetite today seems to be exceptionally good; you actually ordered so many things at once.”

Yu Yanluo didn’t reveal any strange behavior. She said, “My mood seems to have improved a lot recently, so my appetite has gotten better as well. I should be able to eat more in the near future.”

“That is good to hear!” Maid Xing said happily. If her madam’s condition was good, she would obviously be happy to hear that. Yu Yanluo chatted a bit more with her, but then Maid Xing left, closing the door behind her.

Zu An walked out from behind the screen. Yu Yanluo gestured toward him and said, “The food has just arrived, so come over and eat.”

Zu An saw that there were many small, fine dishes on the table. He couldn't help but say with a smile, “I think madam should eat first. My appetite always gets the best of me. If I start now, there might not be much left for madam afterward.”

Yu Yanluo shook her head and said, “My appetite is usually poor around wintertime. These were all things I actually had them prepare for you. I would have called them to bring in more, but everyone knows about my condition. If I suddenly increased the amount by too much at once, that could draw a lot of suspicion, so I apologize in advance.”

Zu An was stunned. He couldn't help but say with a sigh, “The madam is so considerate that I don’t even know how to repay you!”

Yu Yanluo lifted up her dress and sat down by a small table. “By helping Yanyou get revenge, I will actually be the one who owes you a favor. I should be the one saying that.”

Zu An sighed in admiration. Time hadn’t left a trace on her body, and had instead made her seem even more wise and considerate. No wonder so many outstanding heroes prostrated themselves in devotion to her.

There was a natural sense of composure and charm to Yu Yanluo. The longer one spent around her, the more one would become affected.

“Why are we business partners buttering each other up? Let’s eat.” Zu An chuckled, then sat down straightforwardly.

“Butter each other up?” Yu Yanluo was stunned, but she quickly guessed the meaning. She couldn't help but click her tongue in wonder. The person in front of her really was different from everyone else. He always came up with such new phrases, giving others a fresh sensation.

“Hm? Why is there only one set of utensils?” Zu An didn’t find a second set even after looking around.

Yu Yanluo said with a smile, “I live alone, so of course there is only a single set of eating utensils. Are you trying to expose us? You can eat; I do not have much of an appetite anyway.”

Zu An said out of curiosity, “Ever since the last time I met the madam, I’ve discovered that you fear the cold and your appetite is poor. Are you wounded somewhere?”

Yu Yanluo shook her head. “That is not it. This is how my body naturally is. Once it is winter, I tend to sleep a lot and lose my appetite. I have already gotten used to it after so many years. It will be fine after this season passes; you do not need to worry.”

“You don’t have an appetite…” Zu An thought of something and took out a bottle. He scattered a bit of the contents over each dish, then picked up a bit of food with his chopsticks, bringing it up to her mouth. He said, “I prepared a small gift after I met the madam last time. I was so busy I almost forgot. Here, give it a try.”

Yu Yanluo didn’t open her mouth. Her eyes landed on that bottle on the table as she noticed that he had scattered something over the food. She asked with a strange expression, “This isn’t some drug like that ‘Eighteen Spring Winds’, right?”

Zu An was speechless. He couldn't help but reply unhappily, “Am I that kind of person in madam’s eyes?”

Yu Yanluo nodded and replied, “Absolutely.”

Zu An was speechless again. As such, he took a bite out of it himself first. “Now you have nothing to worry about, right?”

Yu Yanluo had a crafty smile on her face as she replied, “What if you already took the antidote ahead of time?”

However, she didn’t wait for his response and took the chopsticks, picking something and eating a bit of it. “I am just messing with you. If I really do end up being poisoned, just call me a poor judge of character.”

Her eyes widened before she even finished her sentence, as if she had encountered something extremely shocking.