Chapter 56: Fox Borrows Tiger's Might

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Volume 1: First Entry into Another World

Chu Zhongtian also stood up and said, "Xiao An, I know you also want to contribute to the Chu family, and your intentions are good, but... sigh, you don't need to think too much about this matter. We will handle the grand competition."

After speaking, he also got up and left. Seeing his hurried expression, he was clearly going after his wife.

Zu An couldn't help but complain that his cheap father-in-law was a typical henpecked husband. However, his temperament was quite good; he was amiable even to a good-for-nothing like him. He just wondered if this kindness was merely superficial, hiding a cunning nature.

Chu Huanzhao was excitedly coming to find him when Chu Zhongtian's voice came from outside: "Huan'er, your mother is looking for you."

"Oh." Chu Huanzhao's excited expression immediately fell. He shrugged helplessly at Zu An, then reluctantly went out.

"Your relationship with Huanzhao is very good?" Chu Chuyan asked with a touch of surprise.

Zu An smiled triumphantly: "My affinity has always been quite good."

Chu Chuyan: "..."

She glanced at him, then turned to leave: "Oh, and a reminder: men shouldn't casually promise things they can't deliver."

Zu An couldn't help but sigh with emotion. No one in this family believed him. Life truly was as lonely as snow.

He suddenly remembered something and hastily chased after her: "Wife! Wife!"

Chu Chuyan whirled around: "Shut up! I told you before not to call me that."

"You only said not to call you 'Niangzi,' didn't you?" Noticing her eyebrows furrowing, on the verge of anger, Zu An quickly changed his address, "Then I'll call you Yan'er?"

Chu Chuyan: "..."

She thought, *My parents call me that, and you call me that too. It sounds strange. But if I don't let him call me that, should I really let him keep calling me 'wife'?*

"Oh, do you have no shame?" Xue'er jumped out, blocking them. "After all that, you're still buzzing around Miss like a fly all day." As she spoke, her gaze flicked to his lower abdomen, her tone full of mockery.

"Do I need your interference when I'm looking for my own wife?" Zu An rolled his eyes. "You've been seen naked by me, yet you still hang around me all day. Who's really shameless here?"

"You!" Xue'er's small face turned crimson. She considered that incident a great humiliation, and now this fellow dared to bring it up. Infuriated, she immediately drew her sword to kill him.

Rage value from Qiao Xueying: 999!

"Alright, alright, stop bickering, you two." Chu Chuyan worried that if she didn't intervene, this guy would truly be dismembered. "Why did you call me?"

Zu An glanced at Xue'er, whom Chu Chuyan had pulled aside. He mentally measured the length of her sword, took a step back to ensure a safe distance, and then said, "It's like this: someone wants to kill your husband. Are you going to do something about it?"

Xue'er's heart skipped a beat, and her recent anger subsided slightly. She looked at him with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, various thoughts swirling in her mind.

Chu Chuyan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. This guy wasn't calling her "wife" anymore, but now he was referring to himself as "husband." "Who wants to kill you?"

Zu An first glanced at Xue'er, making her tremble with trepidation, then said, "The Plum Blossom Gang wants to kill me."

"The Plum Blossom Gang?" Chu Chuyan was startled. "How did you get involved with them?"

Zu An spread his hands. "I don't know either. Logically, a handsome young man like me, loved by everyone, shouldn't have any enemies. But the Plum Blossom Gang has tried to kill me repeatedly. Last time I was struck by lightning, it was Plum Blossom Twelve who did it."

"Is that true?" A hint of surprise appeared on Chu Chuyan's usually calm face.

Zu An nodded: "Would I lie to my own wife?"

Xue'er, standing nearby, scoffed: "Go inquire in the city; this guy is notoriously full of lies. Lying to his wife..." She quickly corrected herself after Chu Chuyan shot her a glare, "...lying to the young miss is nothing."

Zu An gave her a deep look: "I'm telling you, girl, you're opposing me every day. Is it because you've fallen for me and are trying to attract my attention this way?"

"I..." Xue'er choked, almost fainting from anger. "Miss, don't stop me! I *will* kill this guy today!"

Rage value from Qiao Xueying: 725!

Zu An hastily ran around Chu Chuyan, with Xue'er chasing him with her sword. They circled each other, neither able to catch the other for a while.

"Yan'er, aren't you going to do something? She's trying to murder your husband!" Zu An yelled, dodging her attacks.

Chu Chuyan's face was cold: "If those hands of yours touch me again, I'll kill you first."

Zu An sheepishly let go. While running around her to dodge, he had quite a bit of physical contact with her, but he didn't expect her to see through his intentions so quickly.

Speaking of which, this cheap wife felt very cold; her whole body was like an ice sculpture.

"You said Plum Blossom Twelve caused you to be struck by lightning. Do you have any evidence?" Chu Chuyan asked.

"He said it himself." Zu An saw that she genuinely didn't intend to stop Xue'er and wondered if this woman was serious, using this as an excuse to let Xue'er kill him.

"Then where is he?"

"He's dead, not a trace of him left."

"You're just talking nonsense! What can Miss do with your baseless claims?"

Chu Chuyan stopped Xue'er from chasing further and then said, "Xue'er is right. Although the Plum Blossom Gang is just a gang, their backing is quite complex. Without concrete evidence, there's nothing we can do to them."

"Miss, I think this guy is just making things up. Why would the Plum Blossom Gang risk offending our Chu family to deal with him?" Xue'er panted, her chest heaving. She wondered why he was so fit now.

Chu Chuyan nodded slightly, evidently agreeing with her somewhat. If they were to rashly confront the gang and demand answers, what could they do if the other party simply claimed there was no proof?

Zu An even regretted killing Plum Blossom Twelve so quickly. If he had known, he should have forced him to write a confession. But that was just a thought; it wasn't realistic in that situation.

"Even if there's no evidence about Plum Blossom Twelve, today, outside the academy, Plum Blossom Thirteen came to threaten me, saying he'd cut off my limbs and torture me to death, knife by knife. That can't be false, can it?"

If you're going to live off others, you need to fully embrace it. He despised people who, despite being able to easily solve problems using their connections, insisted on relying on their own abilities through hardship and resentment. Besides, if he "ate soft rice hard," wasn't that also a display of his own capabilities?

"Why would Plum Blossom Thirteen come to the academy to threaten you for no reason? I bet you did something to offend them." Xue'er, holding her miss's arm, sneered as she looked at him.

Zu An gave her a half-smile: "I've noticed that ever since a moment ago, you've been defending the Plum Blossom Gang. Could it be that you have some connection with them?"

Xue'er was startled. She instinctively glanced at Chu Chuyan, then quickly argued, "How could I have any connection with the Plum Blossom Gang? I just can't stand your nonsense."

"Many people witnessed what happened today. If you don't believe me, you can ask the Second Miss; she saw it with her own eyes. Can our distinguished Chu family really tolerate this insult?" Zu An said indignantly.

Chu Chuyan thought, *This guy really doesn't consider himself an outsider, referring to "our Chu family" so smoothly already.* After some thought, she replied, "The Plum Blossom Gang is not simple. We still don't know who their backing force is. Furthermore, although my father is a duke, he holds no local official position. Interfering in local governance would be overstepping. So, simply for a threat, we cannot go and demand retribution."

Zu An couldn't help but purse his lips: "The dignified Duke's Mansion of the Chu family can't even handle a mere gang. I'm ashamed for you all."

Chu Chuyan: "..."

Xue'er put her hands on her hips and retorted, "Now you're getting arrogant! Do you understand court politics? Do you understand the precariousness of being in a high position? Do you understand Master's current situation? You understand nothing, yet you're here spouting nonsense."

Zu An glanced at her: "Alright, alright, you know everything. But in the end, you're still just a little maid."

Xue'er gasped, then looked at Chu Chuyan pleadingly: "Miss, I really want to hit him."

Rage value from Qiao Xueying: 367!

Chu Chuyan smiled faintly: "Enough, stop being so disrespectful. He is, after all, your brother-in-law. You two act like a pair of squabbling lovers all day."

Xue'er immediately jumped up, saying with a wronged expression, "Squabbling lovers with *him*? Miss, please don't disgust me!"

Zu An ignored her directly and said to Chu Chuyan, "I knew the Chu family couldn't be relied upon. I have my own way to solve this, but I'll need your support."

Plum Blossom Twelve and Plum Blossom Thirteen had successively targeted him. Bearing insults was not his nature. Moreover, he worried that passive defense would only lead to unknown future tricks from the Plum Blossom Gang. Rather than that, it would be better to strike first and completely cripple the Plum Blossom Gang.

"'Stand on a platform'?" Chu Chuyan looked confused.

"It means 'to back me up'," Zu An explained. "I'm going to the Plum Blossom Gang later. You don't need to do anything; just ensure my safety."

Xue'er, standing nearby, snorted: "Isn't that just borrowing prestige?"

Zu An didn't mind: "Actually, I could go alone. I'm mainly afraid the Plum Blossom Gang will be beaten too badly by me and resort to desperate measures."

"You? By yourself?" Xue'er scoffed, her expression showing disdain for his overconfidence.

Chu Chuyan, however, nodded: "Alright, I'll go with you. But let me state upfront, I'll only be representing myself, not helping you on behalf of the Chu family."

"Don't worry, that's not necessary." A great weight finally lifted from Zu An's heart. With her by his side, his life would naturally be safe.

"What exactly are you planning?" Xue'er frowned, looking at his confident demeanor, and grew a little curious.

"If I tell you, it won't work." Zu An wagged a finger, then gestured for Chu Chuyan to go ahead: "Yan'er, please."

Chu Chuyan frowned slightly, still somewhat unaccustomed to his address, but seeing his shameless persistence, she gave up the idea of correcting him.

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