Chapter 1887: Our Child
Chu Youzhao also looked at the sky. She couldn't help but remark with a sigh, “Little sister Qinghe, isn’t my brother-in-law handsome?” She suddenly realized that the subject was precisely the reason why they'd had their earlier fight, so she quickly explained in a panic, “Please don’t misunderstand, that’s not what I meant…”
However, she heard Murong Qinghe mutter to herself, “Big brother Zu is indeed handsome.”
Chu Youzhao was stunned.
If you’re going to be this way, why did you even get mad at me for what I said earlier…
Zu An suddenly descended again and handed a green compass-shaped object to the two of them, saying, “This is the formation disc for controlling the formation. You can use it to control the activation of the formation. This is a bag of ki stones, so remember to replenish the formation's energy. If you open these areas of the formation wheel, you can put in the ki stones…”
Chu Youzhao’s eyes were shining as she exclaimed, “Big brother Zu, you even understand formations? This thing is so interesting! Can you teach me?”
Murong Qinghe was still teary-eyed, but at that moment, there was more curiosity than sadness in her expression. Formations were usually the specialty of old researchers in academies, and every single one of them was an eccentric who devoted everything to their field. Where could you find someone like big brother Zu?
Zu An chuckled and said, “If you're interested, of course I can teach you. But I fear there won’t be much time for that anytime soon.”
This formation was something he had found in the Baopu Sutra, so he decided to just try it out. Even though it wasn’t complete, there probably wouldn't be any issue protecting a home. If he had more time and some more precious materials, he could make a more formidable formation after some research.
The Baopu Sutra’s vast and seemingly endless knowledge in the seven arts drew a great deal of his interest. In the past, cultivation had always just been fighting and killing to him, but now, he realized that there were actually many other interesting things about cultivation.
“Okay! Awesome!” Chu Youzhao replied; she was in high spirits when she heard him agree.
Zu An nodded toward Murong Qinghe and said, “If little sister Qinghe is interested too, I can teach the two of you together.”
“Me too?” Murong Qinghe asked, stunned. After all, formations were often considered the most secret kind of knowledge. The academy’s people always guarded such knowledge fiercely, and the court’s formation skills were also national secrets that were prohibited from being leaked for fear that the Fiend races’ side could steal them. After all, a formidable large-scale formation could often decide a battle’s outcome.
“Of course you can. You’re not an outsider,” Zu An said with a chuckle, then patted Chu Youzhao’s shoulder. “Youzhao, you have to take good care of little sister Qinghe.”
Chu Youzhao was stunned. She could tell that he was going to leave. She asked, “Brother-in-law, you won’t be staying here?”
Oh no, the dream of living together with my brother-in-law I imagined is getting ruined!
Zu An said with a nod, “Little sister Qinghe is living here too, so it wouldn’t be too appropriate for me to stay here. My reputation in that respect has never been too good. If someone found out, there would be a lot of rumors.”
Murong Qinghe quickly said, “Big brother Zu, it’s not a problem. I’ve already fallen into this condition, after all. You already took on such a huge risk by taking me in, so how can I have you move out?” No matter how ignorant she was, she would still feel that occupying this place and kicking out the original host was way too far.
“It’s alright. I have things to deal with that require me to travel to different places. For example, I need to mediate relationships to save the Qin clan, the Murong clan, and others,” Zu An said with a smile. “It’ll actually be more convenient for me if I stay elsewhere."
The two young women couldn't really persuade him otherwise when they heard his explanation. In the end, Chu Youzhao said reluctantly, “Then big brother Zu has to come back to visit us from time to time. This is your home, so you can come whenever you want. Little sister Qinghe and I will always welcome you, right, Qinghe?”
Murong Qinghe voiced her agreement. “Big brother Zu can come whenever he wants.”
Zu An waved goodbye in a confident and easy way. He quickly disappeared into the dark of the night.
Murong Qinghe muttered to herself as she watched him, “Big brother Zu really is an upright gentleman.”
“An upright gentleman? Maybe not…” Chu Youzhao said, her face heating up. The memory of her incredibly cold older sister being pressed against a table and ravaged couldn't help but appear in her mind. However, she eventually thought, A husband and wife should play however they want to play, so why should I think my brother-in-law isn’t a gentleman?
…
Meanwhile, after Zu An left his own marquis manor, he moved quickly and arrived at the Sang manor. When he looked at the lights in the courtyard, he suddenly felt a sense of awkwardness, as if he were returning to his own hometown. After being apart for so long, he wondered whether Zheng Dan was still alright. And Sang Qien… Was she well?
He found a hidden corner to jump in from. He didn’t go through the main entrance because there were many eyes from the court watching, and he didn’t want to expose his relationship with the Sang clan. That was especially important for his relationship with Sang Qien and Zheng Dan. He didn’t really care about his own reputation, as that was already ruined. But if they were exposed, the Sang clan would be humiliated. He had to make considerations for their sake. Fortunately, Sang Qien and Zheng Dan had secretly given him the Sang manor’s token. That way, he wouldn’t trigger the protective formations when he snuck in.
In the past, he had felt that these clan manors' defensive formations were pretty intricate, but now that he had more knowledge in the field, he could tell that they were all merely mass-produced, standardized goods. Formations were supposed to be made with considerations for the setting. Every household’s topography and layout was different, so some clan manors didn’t really match the standardized formations. In the eyes of true formation experts, they were full of vulnerabilities. Still, he also knew that these were common formations released by the academy. The costs of having a formation tailor-made likely wouldn't be low. Certainly, the Sang clan wouldn’t have such wealth.
“I’ll modify the formation for you guys a bit when I get a chance," Zu An muttered to himself.
While he was thinking about those things, he arrived at the main lobby. He had finally made his way back, so he had to greet Sang Hong first. Otherwise, it would be a bit embarrassing for everyone involved if he was caught with Zheng Dan first.
He could see people’s shadows flickering around inside. It seemed as if everyone was having dinner together, but there was no one at the head of the table. The group was huddled together and nervously discussing something.
“Could it be that the Sang clan also encountered something bad?” Zu An murmured to himself in worry, and he quickly rushed over. He didn’t try to hide his footsteps.
Sang Hong quickly sensed something and turned around, calling out, “Who are you?”
The others were also alarmed and all turned around.
“Greetings, respected uncle!” Zu An called out with a smile. His eyes darted toward the two women off to the side from time to time.
Zheng Dan was a widow in name, so her clothes were simple yet elegant. However, she still liked to look attractive, so she had a small flower adorning her clothes that added a bit of liveliness to her appearance. She really matched the saying ‘neatly dressed in mourning clothes’. Her cheeks didn’t have the bleak pallor of a widow at all, however, and she looked charming and moving. Any man who passed by wouldn’t be able to help but turn around again.
Sang Qien had a different kind of distinguished beauty. Compared to her sister-in-law’s allure, she looked a bit more delicate and pretty. However, she seemed to have become a bit more voluptuous since she and Zu An last met. She had now lost a bit of her underripe look and had a bit more of a mature air.
“Big brother Zu!”
“Big brother Zu!”
Both girls cried out at the same time, then looked at each other with reddened faces.
Sang Hong seemed to be used to their response. He asked with pleasant surprise, “Ah Zu, when did you return?”
“I…” Zu An began, but the wailing of an infant suddenly filled the air behind the women, leaving him stunned.
Sang Qien and Zheng Dan turned around in alarm, and took out a delicate and pretty baby from a cradle.
Sang Hong was also really nervous. He couldn't really head over, so he could only pace back and forth nervously. He asked, “Qien’er, is she hungry?”
Sang Qien rolled her eyes and replied, “I just fed her, so why would she get hungry so quickly?”
“Then why is she crying so much?” Sang Hong asked nervously.
“I don’t know either. Aunt Mu, what do you think is going on with her?” Sang Qien asked, giving Aunt Mu a pleading look.
Aunt Mu’s face reddened. She said, “I don’t know either; I’ve never given birth before.”
All of them were panicking so much that they actually ended up ignoring Zu An.
Zheng Dan continued to try to amuse the baby by making weird faces. Unfortunately, that only made her cry even harder, leaving Zheng Dan completely helpless. She asked, “Qienqien, should you feed her a bit more?” A young lady like her didn’t know how to appease a child. She reflexively assumed that feeding the baby would solve most of the problems.
“This is…” Zu An trailed off. He finally couldn't hold himself back and looked at the child, his voice turning a bit hoarse.
Zheng Dan’s eyes lit up. She said, “Right, let her daddy hug her. Maybe she misses her daddy.” She took the baby from Sang Qien’s hands and gave her to Zu An happily.
Zu An was immediately at a loss for what to do. He didn’t even know what to do with his hands when he felt that little life. He was scared of hurting her by using too much strength, but he couldn't hold her properly if he didn’t use any.
When she saw how clumsy he was, Sang Qien also broke out in a cold sweat and quickly rushed over to help him. She explained, “You have to hold her like this. Support her bottom and hold her body in the crook of your arm. Her neck needs to be supported too…”
Zu An finally learned how to do it after sweating all over. It really was strange, though, as the crying child suddenly quieted down and looked at him with large eyes and an expression full of curiosity.
“She… She's my child?” Zu An asked.
Sang Qien’s face reddened. She replied, “Yeah, she’s our child. She’s a girl.”
She sounded a bit sad. After all, according to their plan, they had wanted to produce a son to continue the Sang clan’s legacy. Still, there was more joy than sorrow. After all, this was a new life born of her own flesh.
Zu An gently caressed the little life in his arms, making her giggle. The child's small hands reflexively waved in front of her face, and she couldn't help but reach out a finger. As her hand was too small, she could barely hold onto half of Zu An's finger with her whole hand.
Zu An suddenly felt a deep sense of intimacy. He couldn't help but smile awkwardly, saying, “She’s so cute. I’m sure she’ll grow up to become an incredible beauty in the future.”
Sang Qien sighed inwardly when she saw how happy he was. A sweet smile also appeared on her face.
On the other hand, Zheng Dan was smiling too, but she suddenly felt a bit frustrated.
“When was she born?” Zu An asked curiously.
“About three months ago. You went missing at around that time, and I couldn't contact you either,” Sang Hong said, clearing his throat. He had a complicated expression as well. His final scheme had turned out to be futile; in the end, he had only given away both his daughter and daughter-in-law. He really was about to lose his head here.
“Did you give her a name yet?” Zu An asked, completely immersed in his joy.
“We haven’t yet. We were waiting for you to come back to name her,” Sang Qien said shyly.
“Huh?” Zu An exclaimed, suddenly feeling a huge headache. “I’m the worst at naming things. You can tell just from the title of this shoddy light novel.”
Zheng Dan suddenly laughed and said, “Qienqien actually already thought of a name before... Si An.”[1]
“Ah! Do you want me to die from embarrassment?” Sang Qien exclaimed. She felt really embarrassed and wanted to rip off her mouth.
“Si An?” Zu An repeated, stunned.
Was she thinking about me?
He couldn't help but feel warm inside. He immediately felt the comfort of home.
“Let’s just call her Sisi," he eventually said.
1. Si - think, consider; An - calm, still, safe ☜
Pika's ThoughtsAh Zu suddenly messing with the fourth wall? Naughty.
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