Many of the men present had jealous expressions when they heard that it was Qiu Honglei’s invitation card.

Even the Chu clan’s guards knew about Qiu Honglei’s reputation.

This girl was the most popular girl in all of Brightmoon City, and perhaps even in all of the Linchuan Commandery. There wasn’t a single man who didn’t want to get close to her.

“The young master really has mad skills… he is even on good terms with Lady Qiu!”

“I really couldn’t figure out why our beautiful first miss would end up favoring the young master. It seems like I am still too inexperienced.”

“But Madam has gotten involved... the young master’s in trouble now.”

…

Some of them were overjoyed and others were worried, but most of these guards were content to watch the drama unfold from the sidelines. When Chu Hongcai heard that it was Qiu Honglei who had personally sent Zu An an invitation, he almost ripped his eyes out in jealousy.

He was a die-hard fan of Qiu Honglei, and yet, he had never heard of her taking the initiative to send anyone a personal invitation!

Normally, for her to accept an invitation and perform a song, or even just make an appearance, was already an incredible honor.

Even though nothing had happened between the two of them the night before, Lady Qiu was already taking the initiative to contact him! Wasn’t it just a matter of time, then?

After all, he didn’t really think that anyone could resist Qiu Honglei’s beauty and charm.

Just thinking about how the goddess of his dreams would soon be ravaged by Zu An was enough to drive him to the brink of tears.

Gah! They should’ve just gotten it over with last night. Why are you tormenting me like this? Just end my suffering!

You have successfully trolled Chu Hongcai for 233 Rage points!

Zu An glanced at him in surprise. There really wasn’t much he could do about this.

I can’t really blame him for breaking the bro code. His goddess is just too hot.

“I’m talking to you! Why are your eyes wandering off?!” Qin Wanru was already in a terrible mood to begin with. Those other drafted son-in-laws are all nice and submissive,  and have a healthy fear of offending their wife’s family. Why doesn’t this fellow have a shred of obedience in him?

This scoundrel even had the nerve to play around with a brothel girl, and this girl had even chased him all the way back home!

Once news got out, what dignity would the Chu clan have left?

You have successfully trolled Qin Wanru for 404 Rage points!

The notification snapped Zu An out of his daze. Why is this woman always so on edge?

He was just about to say something when his eyes locked onto her body. Last night’s ‘little accident’ appeared in his mind, and his expression turned bizarre. 

“We’ll talk about this inside!” Qin Wanru’s brow furrowed slightly when she saw him staring at her blankly without responding. She didn’t want to deal with him at the entrance to the estate and turn the clan into a laughingstock.

The guards all gave him looks that were both encouraging and pitying at the same time. Cheng Shouping tried to hide at the back of the crowd.

Zu An glared at him. Couldn’t this guy just give it to me in secret? He just had to blabber about it right at the entrance and let everyone know.

Sigh, I really need to swap him out for someone sharper when I get the chance.

They headed straight for the study, and Qin Wanru took a seat. After everyone else withdrew, she slammed the table hard. “Do you understand what you’ve done wrong?!”

“I have no idea what I did wrong,” Zu An replied with a frown. “But since we’re on the topic of committing wrongs, isn’t it more inappropriate for you to rip open someone else’s private letter?” 

This woman was always trying to start something with him. This shit is getting really annoying.

Qin Wanru’s eyes went wide with bewilderment.

She thought she’d heard him wrongly for a moment. How could this guy have the nerve to talk back?

“You are out of your mind!” Qin Wanru’s entire body was shaking. “You are nothing but a drafted son-in-law! Your entire existence belongs to the Chu clan! There is no such thing as a private letter to you!”

You have successfully trolled Qin Wanru for 530 Rage points!

Only now did reality strike Zu An. This world was entirely different from his previous one. Drafted son-in-laws, fugitives, and people of the lower class were all on the same rung of the social hierarchy. When the country was in danger and it was time to boost the military ranks, they would be the first to be drafted in.

Even though his status as the Chu clan’s young master made him more than an ordinary son-in-law, he wasn’t much better off.

The concept of basic human rights didn’t exist in this world. It seems he had expected too much.

Even so, as a man, I can’t let someone treat me like this!

Zu An said coldly, “Since the Madam holds me in such contempt, then forget it! I’ll just leave this Chu clan if I have to!”

This woman keeps harassing me again and again! If it wasn’t because of Chu Chuyan and lil’ Huanzhao, I would’ve already left a long time ago.

He’d helped Chu clan keep their share of the weapons market. That alone had saved the Chu clan a fortune.

He’d then given Chu Chuyan the Evanescent Lotus, which had brought her cultivation to the brink of the seventh rank. She was now the greatest cultivation prodigy in this entire world! Having a talent like that in the family would bring them endless glory. Such status could never be bought using gold.

Right now, he was even toiling hard every night to save her eldest daughter’s life!

Despite it all, she had never offered him a word of gratitude. Instead, this woman found all types of ways to hound him.

What had just transpired was truly the last straw. He’d finally had enough.

Perhaps his mindset had been greatly altered by his life-or-death experiences in the dungeon. He’d already fought against a ninth rank cultivator, and some who were ranked even higher! 

Returning to Brightmoon City, was like returning to a newbie starting town. Even though there were still many experts in this city that could crush him to death instantly, he was much less afraid now.

After all, he even survived a place like that dungeon. How could this current situation scare him?

It would only mean moving out of the Chu Estate. He’d already reached a sufficient level of cultivation to be able to protect himself, and he had money. There was even a residence ready for him in the academy.

As for Chu Chuyan, he could always sneak back in to administer her treatment.

This was just the way human hearts worked. Before he had built up enough support to back him up, he had to silently endure whatever came, even if it was injustice wrought upon him by the Chu clan. Now that he’d gained sufficient strength, his confidence had also grown.

His sudden outburst left Qin Wanru completely speechless.

Did I hear him wrongly? Has this brat finally gone crazy?

You have successfully trolled Qin Wanru for 999 Rage points!

Chu Huanzhao was already scared out of her mind. She immediately rushed over to her mother’s side. “Mother! That’s not what brother-in-law is trying to say! Don’t take his words seriously!”

Qin Wanru finally snapped out of her daze. She pushed away her daughter and focused on Zu An. “You really are letting things get to your head!” She said, her voice cold as ice. “So, you want to spread your wings and leave the Chu clan? Do you think it’s so easy? If our Chu clan doesn’t approve, do you really think you can leave just because you want to?”

Zu An was taken aback. He finally recalled a similar case that had been used as a study in Brightmoon Academy’s criminal law class. A drafted son-in-law couldn’t break his contract just because he wanted to—he had to obtain the agreement of his spouse’s clan first.

But how could his wife’s clan possibly agree? If they made their daughter go through a divorce by kicking out the son-in-law, it would be terribly difficult for her to remarry in the future!

His face darkened at this thought. Was this something he would never be able to get rid of in this lifetime?

Even though he didn’t mind mooching off his wife, he preferred the sort of mooching where he was still free to do what he wanted. He hated feeling like he’d been kidnapped and trapped. 

Chu Huanzhao grew ever more anxious. She shuttled back and forth between the two of them, trying to calm them down. However, both of them were stubbornly furious, and neither side was willing to back down.

The two of them were clearly stuck in an impasse, and no one knew what to do. At this instant, Chu Chuyan, who had heard the news, rushed over.

“Mother, Ah Zu, what are you two doing?” she demanded, then broke into a fit of coughing.

When she heard her daughter’s coughing, Qin Wanru immediately rushed over to support her. “Why did you leave your room? It’s so windy outside! You might catch a cold.”

Chu Chuyan smiled faintly. “Mom, I’m not that weak.”

Qin Wanru was hardly reassured. “Your illness is extremely strange. It was clearly quite serious when Physician Bao examined you previously, yet your condition mysteriously improved later on. We really don’t know if it’ll worsen again, so you have to be careful!”

Bao Youren had served the Chu clan for many years, and everyone recognized his skills in this field. He was not one to make rudimentary mistakes.

That was why, after their initial panic had passed, Duke Chu and his wife quickly realized that Ji Dengtu had done little to help. Rather, their daughter’s condition had suddenly improved on its own.

Knowing this only made them more cautious. Since her condition could suddenly improve somehow, then it could conceivably worsen in the same fashion., with no one able to control what happened.

Chu Huanzhao suddenly said, “It didn’t suddenly make a turn for the better all on its own! It was because of brother-in-law’s treatment!”

“Him?” Qin Wanru gave Zu An a look. Her voice was full of contempt. Clearly, she was unconvinced that he possessed this sort of skill.

“It really was brother-in-law!” Chu Huanzhao became anxious. She was afraid that this would be her last chance to reveal this to her mother. After all, if her mother really did kick her brother-in-law out of the Chu clan in a fit of rage, what would she do then?

Unfortunately, her usual behavior and personality didn’t lend her words any natural credibility, and it was difficult for her mother to trust her.

As such, she turned a pleading gaze at her older sister.

Chu Chuyan affirmed her. “She is correct. It is indeed Ah Zu who has been treating me. It was because of him that I was pulled back from the brink of death.”

Qin Wanru’s expression was doubtful. Are my daughters saying this just to save him?

But when she saw the serious expressions on their faces, her doubts slowly faded. “It really was him?”

Chu Chuyan nodded in confirmation.

“But I’ve always been with you these past few days. Just how did he treat you without me noticing?” Qin Wanru’s brows furrowed tightly. She still found this hard to believe.

“I fed you some drugs…” Chu Huanzhao said weakly.

Qin Wanru was flabbergasted. She stared blankly at her second daughter.

Chu Huanzhao repeated her words again, quietly. Keeping her brother-in-law from being kicked out of the clan was all that mattered—she couldn’t be bothered with anything else right now.

When she registered her daughter’s words, Qin Wanru almost fainted.

Did I really give birth to her myself?

Are there truly daughters that do such things to their own mothers?

No wonder I’ve been feeling so light-headed recently. I don’t even remember much about the evenings. It was all because of this foolish girl!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She immediately dragged Chu Huanzhao over and began to spank her ferociously. This girl is going to learn today the true meaning of ‘mother’s benevolence, daughter’s obedience’!

She was utterly furious, and her beating was ruthless. She smacked Chu Huanzhao until the latter begged for mercy.

Chu Chuyan said hurriedly, “Mother, little sis only did this to save me. She wasn’t the only one in on it. I also struck your acupoint last night to knock you out.”

Her eldest daughter’s words made her freeze up completely. She blinked her eyes in utter incomprehension. She couldn’t immediately process what she’d just heard.

In order to save her little sister and share the burden of punishment, she explained, “Ah Zu administers my treatment in the evenings, but mother insisted on keeping me company. He snuck into the room last night, without knowing that you were there with me. I was worried that you would find out, so I… I struck your acupoint.”

By the time she finished her explanation, her previously pale skin was already completely flushed red. She had always been obedient ever since she was a little child, and had never done something like this before.

Qin Wanru was completely dumbfounded.

Just what kind of sin did I commit in my past life? How did I end up giving birth to these two little fiends?