“It’s rare that I get to enjoy such beautiful scenery, so isn’t it normal for me to want to stare a little longer?” asked Zu An with a smile. Even though he had admired her just a few days ago, he was too overwhelmed by pleasure to take a good look.

“…” Chu Chuyan.

She couldn’t imagine just how shameless a person had to be in order to say such words out loud.

You have successfully trolled Chu Chuyan for +233 Rage!

Seeing that she was really angry, Zu An quickly reined in his smile and said, “Alright, I’ll begin right away. You mustn’t exert your ki to resist me at all, or else it’ll just undermine everything we have done thus far.”

Chu Chuyan replied with a nod. 

It was taboo for a cultivator to sit completely unguarded before another unless she was certain that she could trust the other party. Even though Zu An often spoke nonsense that left her with a headache, she still trusted him fully, especially when she recalled how he had fought hard to protect her back at the underground hall.

Seeing that her body had finally relaxed, Zu An began inserting the silver needles one by one onto the acupoints on her back.

His movements were slow but controlled. He was worried that he would accidentally exert too much force and injure her body, and he wanted to avoid leaving behind any scars on her body too.

Chu Chuyan sat with her eyes closed as she felt the sensations on her back.

Every time a needle was inserted into her body, she could feel an additional tinge of warmth on her body. The frost in her body would begin flowing out from the nearest silver needle to it.

She was still rather nervous at the start, but as more needles were inserted, her tensed nerves began relaxing instead.

Feeling as the frost in her body was slowly being expelled from her body, a thought suddenly arose in her mind as she thought of a crucial problem. She immediately asked, “Will this lead to a steep fall in my cultivation?”

After all, she was relying on her ice ki in order to deal with her opponent, If all of the frost in her body was fully expelled, wouldn’t her Snowflower Sword, a sword art which she had practiced for man years now, be completely crippled?

Hearing her quivering voice, Zu An assured her, “You won’t. My acupuncture only removes the frost you’re unable to control. It won’t hinder the ice ki you’re usually able to tap into.”

Chu Chuyan was surprised to hear that. It was already a miracle that someone of her condition could be treated, but she wasn’t so naive as to think that it wouldn’t leave behind any adverse side effects. She was prepared to suffer a steep fall in her cultivation or even be crippled once again. Yet, who could have thought that there would be none of those?

She thought about how pessimistic Bao Youlu was earlier. The latter had been treating the members of the Chu clan for years now, so she was familiar with the level of his skills. In fact, he was only second to Ji Dengtu in Brightmoon City.

The only reason why she was getting out of this so easily was thanks to Zu An.

She suddenly found herself with so many words that she wanted to say to Zu An, but she couldn’t express them clearly. In the end, she whispered two words softly, “Thank you.”

Zu An smiled freely and said, “We’re a couple after all. It’s only normal for me to help you, so there’s no need to thank me.”

“A couple, huh?” murmured Chu Chuyan in a daze.

A moment later, Zu An said, “Alright, I’m done with your back. Turn around.”

Chu Chuyan turned her body over obediently, only to realize that something was amiss right away. Lowering her head to look at her bare body, she instinctively wanted to let out a scream, but she was afraid that she would alarm her younger sister here.

Given Huanzhao’s character, this matter would surely spread throughout the manor within days!

Looking at Chu Chuyan’s reddened face, Zu An said with a smile, “There’s no need to be so anxious. Aren’t you already covering your body with a blanket? Besides, I can’t see your sensitive spots anyway…”

Didn’t you say that you’ve already seen all of it anyway?

 Chu Chuyan directed a grudging look toward Zu An, but she dared not to say those words aloud.

Zu An eyed her slender neck, beautiful collarbone, and snowy white skin, and the combination of these elements made him heat up a little.

“This woman is truly beautiful. There’s not a flaw I can pick with her,” remarked Mi Li.

Zu An was rendered speechless. 

Big sis, you’re a woman too. Why do you sound like a perverted old man here?

“It’s all your fault. If not for your intervention, I could have such a perfect body for myself,” grumbled Mi Li with gritted teeth. “While it’s inferior to my original body, I can still barely accept it given how beautiful it is.”

You have successfully trolled Mi Li for +256 Rage!

“…” Zu An.

Wow, you’re still holding a grudge over that?

“Can you stop staring at me…” Chu Chuyan had never felt so meek before. Never in her life had she pleaded with a person with such a tone.

Her words stirred Zu An’s heart, and he immediately snapped out of his daze. With a slightly reddened face, he said, “I’ll start right away.”

Chu Chuyan lowered her head as she murmured an “Mm” before falling silent.

“Eesh, I can’t take it anymore! This stench of a budding romance is so hateful!” exclaimed Mi Li.

“Oh? Do people in your era use such slangs too?” Zu An was surprised. “Heh, it’s only normal for someone like you who was forced into a political marriage with Ying Zheng to be jealous of us.”

“…” Mi Li.

“Speak another word about that, and I’ll wash my hands out of this and let your wife die!”

You have successfully trolled Mi Li for +666 Rage!

Zu An immediately surrendered. “Big sis empress, I was wrong. Calm down…”

He had to coax her for a long while before her rage finally abated. He reminded himself to watch his mouth a little lest it really angered Mi Li.

Zu An quickly reined in his thoughts and began applying acupuncture to her front.

As she was holding onto a thin blanket in front of her, many parts of her body were veiled. He had to raise lightly raise the blanket a little in order to find the right acupoints to insert the needle.

Chu Chuyan’s body trembled a little during the process, but she didn’t say a word at all.

The entire process was hard for both Chu Chuyan and Zu An to bear. After all, he had to hold himself in despite having such a great temptation sitting right in front of him.

Noticing that his breathing was growing heavier and that sweat droplets were forming on his forehead, Chu Chuyan couldn’t help but ask, “Is it very exhausting to treat me?”

Zu An was stunned for a moment before realizing that she had misunderstood. Of course, there was no reason for him to clarify such a beautiful misunderstanding, so he replied vaguely, “I’m fine. I can still hold on.”

Chu Chuyan bit her lips hesitantly as she directed a tender and grateful gaze toward him.

“You’re really more shameless than I thought. It looks like I need to tread carefully around you in the future lest I get duped by you,” sneered Mi Li.

Zu An was rendered speechless. “You can’t twist the facts just because you’re beautiful. If anything, you are the one who has been fooling me thus far.”

“Hmph! It doesn’t change the fact that you’re a horrible human being,” sneered Mi Li coldly.

“Big sis empress, you aren’t a good person either. Oh? Doesn’t that make us a perfect pair?” Zu An was almost done applying the acupuncture on Chu Chuyan, so there was no need to worry about offending her a little.

“Are you teasing me?” replied Mi Li with a sharpened voice.

You have successfully trolled Mi Li for +511 Rage!

“I’m just joking with you. There’s no need to get so mad,” replied Zu An.

“Had you dared to speak to me in such a manner back in that era, I would have had your tongue pulled out by now!” sneered Mi Li before falling silent. 

Zu An chuckled softly a little. It was kind of fun to bicker with her from time to time.

A moment later, he began taking out the silver needles from Chu Chuyan’s body one by one before asking, “How do you feel now?”

“I feel like… I’m resting in a hot spring.” Chu Chuyan was astonished. Her body had always been cold on touch, and she always felt like there was an ice cube sitting in her stomach. While that sensation hadn’t completely vanished yet, she did feel much better than before.

Even with her lack of knowledge regarding medicine, she could tell that the treatment method was effective. 

“As long as we continue this treatment for another three months, we’ll be able to cure you of your affliction,” said Zu An as he continued retrieving the needles while not forgetting to admire her body.

By this point, Chu Chuyan had already gotten used to his bold glare. She figured that since he had already seen everything that was to be seen, it didn’t matter whether he took an additional look or not.

“Does it take that long?” asked Chu Chuyan with a frown. 

Considering the enemies that the Chu clan had at the moment, she couldn’t afford to let her condition be known by the others.

“That’s why you should consider allowing me to move in with you. It’ll be much easier for me to treat you when we’re staying in the same room,” proposed Zu An gleefully.

“Give me some time, alright? I… really am not prepared yet,” asked Chu Chuyan with a pleading tone.

Zu An relented a little. “But still, it would incur suspicion if I drop by your room every day.”

Chu Chuyan pressed her lips tightly together before saying, “You can come by in the middle of the night, just make sure that no one sees you. I’ll keep the door open for you.”

“Really?” Zu An’s eyes lit up.

His delighted reaction shocked Chu Chuyan. She quickly clarified, “You’re just coming over to treat me… Don’t think too much into it!”

“Of course,” replied Zu An with a chuckle. 

Well, when a guy and a girl meet together in the middle of the night every day, it’s only a matter of time before they get close to one another

A groan suddenly sounded as Qin Wanru, who had been lying on the wooden bed all this while, started moving a little. It seemed like the effect of the chloroform was running out.

Chu Chuyan’s face paled in horror upon seeing that her mother was waking up. The thought of her mother stumbling upon a barely-dressed her being together with Zu An made her heart thump in fright. She immediately pushed Zu An and said, “Why are you still standing in a daze? Hurry up and leave! Don’t let my mother see you!”

Zu An’s dazed expression made her subconsciously lower her head, only to notice that her act of pushing her away had caused the blanket covering her front to slip down, baring her body.

“…” Chu Chuyan.

“…” Zu An.

… 

Even after slipping out Chu Chuyan’s room through the windows, Zu An couldn’t help but smile foolishly when he reminisced everything that had happened earlier.

It was then that a person suddenly flipped across the wall and happened to collapse on his body, causing them to crash into one another.

“The hell!” Zu An was still immersed in his fond memories when someone forcefully snapped him out of his thoughts, so it was only normal for him to be enraged.

But all of a sudden, he noticed that something was amiss—or to be more exact, it was the soft sensation on his hand. This intruder had a soft and slender body, and she gave off a familiar fragrance.

Clearly, the other party also didn’t expect there to be someone beneath the wall. It made her infuriated to be suddenly fondled, such that she immediately launched an assault toward him. 

Fortunately, Zu An was no longer the same person he used to be. He quickly grabbed her arms and took a good look at her appearance, only to freeze in place. “It’s you?”