Zu An felt that Chu Zhongtian had been wise to reject Ji Dengtu. There was a good chance that he might have been cuckolded otherwise. Then again, given how desperate Ji Dengtu was to resort to stealing women’s dudous, he was probably a typical shut-in who was all bark and no bite.

Since Zu An seemed fine, there was no reason for Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru to stop him from going to the academy, although they still arranged for a couple of bodyguards to escort him.

Zu An knew better than to be one of those nitwits in the movies, who desperately tried to escape from their bodyguards, only to fall into real danger later on. Right now, he only wished that the Chu clan would assign him even more guards. There was no telling when Snow or Mei Chaofeng might just pop out from a random alley and try to take his life.

While Zu An maintained his wariness, Chu Huanzhao seemed to be in a cheerful mood. She was a happy-go-lucky person who rarely allowed anything to bother her for too long.

“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law! Hurry up and tell me how you managed to earn so much money from the Silverhook Casino the other day! My mother dragged me away before you were able to tell me anything!” Chu Huanzhao’s eyes were gleaming with curiosity.

“Doesn’t the Chu clan strictly forbid gambling?” Zu An asked. “Aren’t you afraid that your mother would punish you for asking about such things?”

“I’m just asking about it. It’s not like I’m going to gamble. Besides, my mother doesn’t care that much about me anyway!” Chu Huanzhao grabbed Zu An’s arm and began shaking it. “Brother-in-law, just tell me, all right? Please~”

Zu An’s heart skipped as he felt her soft palms on his arm. 

Why does this lass have no concept of the proper distance between people of opposite genders? This won’t do. I really need to educate her properly so that she doesn’t get taken advantage of by some stinky brat in the future!

To be frank, he was quite proud of what he had achieved in the casino the night before, and it was truly a waste to keep such a great story to himself. He heaved a helpless sigh, as if he was giving in to Chu Huanzhao’s pleas, before finally recounting the exciting chain of events that had him crowned as the God of Gambling.

Ji Dengtu’s reaction to the booklet he had prepared let him know that, even though the people of this world were strong, there was little in the way of entertainment in this world. It wasn’t like his previous life, where TV dramas and movies were readily available for consumption.

Zu An’s riveting story gripped Chu Huanzhao’s attention tightly from beginning to end. Even the guards of the Chu clan looked at him with respect, impressed with his storytelling ability. 

Even if he does get kicked out of the Chu clan in the future, he’ll still be able to make a living for himself by telling stories on the bridge.

As his tale drew to a close, Chu Huanzhao exhaled deeply. “It’s such a pity that I wasn’t able to see it with my own eyes.” Her voice was full of regret. “Brother-in-law, if you’re planning such exciting things in the future, you must make sure to bring me with you, all right?”

Zu An nodded in agreement. “All right, all right~” 

Despite how fierce Chu Huanzhao had been when they’d first met, it seemed that she had warmed up to him pretty quickly.

“Let’s hook pinkies to seal the promise then!” Still worried that Zu An would leave her behind, she stretched her little finger forth.

Her long, slender fingers reinforced Zu An’s belief that she was truly a beauty in the making. It was just too bad that she harbored the soul of a reckless young boy. What a waste of a good face and body.

“All right.” Left with no choice, Zu An stretched his hand out and hooked pinkies with her.

“This seal of promise will last for a hundred years!” Delighted, Chu Huanzhao’s eyes curved into beautiful crescents.

The guards of the Chu clan were astonished. 

What special charm does this useless drafted son-in-law have? Not only did Chu First Miss choose him as her husband, but even the Chu Second Miss seems to be on close terms with him too!

Should I find an opportunity to consult him on this? While it’s impossible for us to get close to the young misses, there are still many beautiful maids in the estate.

Only Cheng Shouping stood limply some distance behind. 

Snow, my beautiful Snow. Why must you be a spy? My sorrow is like the raging tides of the river. I fear that I’ll spend a life devoid of love.

A sudden commotion startled the group.

“Step aside, step aside! The horse is running wild!”

They turned around and saw a carriage careening rapidly along the street towards them. The coach master sawed at the reins with all his might, but the horses had run amok and were beyond his ability to control.

“Young master, be careful!” 

The guards of the Chu clan quickly formed up around Zu An and Chu Huanzhao to shield them from the oncoming threat. Cheng Shouping darted into the formation and hid behind the two of them.

Just as the carriage was just about to collide with the group, a guard dashed forth and grabbed the harness along the horse’s flank. The muscles on his arm bulged as he forcefully pulled the two crazed horses to a halt.

The surrounding crowd broke out in applause, impressed by the guard’s brave heroics.

“Aiya~”

There was a startled feminine cry, and someone tumbled out of the carriage. The abrupt halt had caused the person sitting inside to lurch forward and out.

Everything happened so quickly that the guards of the Chu clan had no time to react. The person staggered past them and rammed right into Zu An.

Dazed, Zu An subconsciously reached out to catch the person. The sheer impact staggered him a few steps backward. Chu Huanzhao quickly reached out to support him, saving him from an awkward fall.

“Y-young master, thank you for your help.” A slightly frightened voice came from within his embrace. The voice was beautifully crisp and gentle, like the melodious clinking of pearls.

Zu An lowered his head and saw a beautiful woman laying in his arms. There was a tinge of redness on her fair cheeks, and her eyes gleamed brightly. Her dress was embroidered with flowing water and fleeting clouds, and woven out of the finest threads. A single glance was enough to determine that she was from a rich family.

Her extravagant dress was in no way vulgar, and her beauty was enhanced by the solemn grace with which she carried herself. All who saw her felt nothing but goodwill towards her.

Standing at Zu An’s side, Cheng Shouping finally took a proper look at her appearance, and he shuddered  as if struck by a bolt of lightning. 

This is bad, this is bad. How could there be such a beautiful woman in the world? I can’t resist anymore. I think I’m already in love with her!

“Zheng Dan, what the hell are you up to?” Chu Huanzhao demanded in a huff.

Zheng Dan?

The name was familiar to Zu An. If he remembered Wei Suo’s account of the Sweetheart Ranking of Brightmoon Academy correctly, Zheng Dan was ranked eighth. No wonder Chu Huanzhao recognized her, since they attended the same academy.

Zu An would be lying if he did not admit Zheng Dan was gorgeous. Looking at her close-up, her fluttering eyebrows, enchanting eyes, and inviting red lips all called to him sensually.

Zu An wondered who the creator of the Sweetheart Ranking was. So far, every single one of the women he had seen who were in the Top Ten of the Sweetheart Ranking were indeed ravishing beauties, worthy of their fame.

“Hey, how much longer are you going to continue holding onto her?” Chu Huanzhao demanded impatiently. She was annoyed at how the two of them were still staring at one another lovingly.

At her remark, Zu An finally snapped out of his daze and put the woman down. “Young miss, are you all right?”

She really has a soft body. It’s almost as if she has no bones at all.

“T-thanks for saving me.” The woman quickly tidied up her slightly-messy hair before favoring Zu An with a smile.

Cheng Shouping’s regret was immense. He should have rushed forward earlier! Not only would that have demonstrated his loyalty toward the young master and Chu Second Miss, he would have been able to hold an absolutely gorgeous babe in his arms as well.

“You would have fallen to the ground if I hadn’t supported the two of you. Why aren’t you thanking me?” Chu Huanzhao snapped.

Zheng Dan bowed slightly to Chu Huanzhao and remarked with a smile, “My gratitude to Chu Second Miss too.”

“I don’t hear any sincerity in your voice at all.” Chu Huanzhao crossed her arms and turned her face away, refusing to acknowledge Zheng Dan.

Zheng Dan kept her cool despite Chu Huanzhao’s rudeness. She turned back to Zu An and said, “Our horses were frightened by something earlier, but thankfully you managed to catch me as I was thrown out. The consequences would have been dire had I fallen on the ground.”

“Any man in my place would have surely offered his help. It would be a loss to all men in the world if such a beautiful face were to be scarred,” replied Zu An with a smile.

Zheng Dan chuckled softly at his compliment. “Young master, you flatter me.”

Chu Huanzhao couldn’t stand any more of this farce. “Hey, hey, hey! Why are the two of you flirting right in front of me? Don’t you think that this is too much?”

Zheng Dan turned to Chu Huanzhao in surprise. “Chu Second Miss, is he your lover? My apologies.”

Chu Huanzhao’s face immediately reddened. “Pui! He’s my brother-in-law. Stop feigning ignorance! I don’t believe that you don’t know who he is!”

Zheng Dan’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Ah! So you’re the husband chosen by Chu First Miss! I’ve heard many things about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Mere rumors can’t hold a candle to the real me, right?” Zu An couldn’t resist asking.

Zheng Dan shook her head and smiled softly. “Young master, you have a truly heroic heart. Indeed, the rumors don’t do you justice.”

Flowers of happiness bloomed in Zu An’s heart. He was aware that Zheng Dan was just being polite, but that didn’t dampen the joy of being praised by such a beautiful woman.

Ever since he’d arrived in this world, all he had been hearing was ‘wastrel’ and ‘trash’. It was rare that someone had such a high opinion of him, and even rarer than she was such a great beauty.

It looks like I have pretty good luck with women after all.

“I still have some matters to attend to, so I won’t take up any more of your time.” Zheng Dan smiled again, then bowed slightly before taking her leave, leaving a faint fragrance in her wake.

Chu Huanzhao noticed that Zu An and Cheng Shouping were still dreamily staring at Zheng Dan’s departing figure, and was overwhelmed by rage. “What are you staring at? She’s already gone!”

You have successfully trolled Chu Huanzhao for 100 Rage points!

Zu An couldn’t resist remarking, “Sister-in-law, it’s not that I want to nag at you, but you should learn a thing or two from her. Every gesture of hers exudes gentleness and femininity, leaving a lingering impression in the hearts of others.”

Cheng Shouping also nodded vehemently in agreement.

Chu Huanzhao nearly exploded on the spot. “What did you just say? You want me to learn that disgustingly tender act she puts on? It’s already nauseating enough for me just to witness it!”

You have successfully trolled Chu Huanzhao for 348 Rage points!

Zu An frowned. “You shouldn’t insult her just because she has good looks and acts demurely.” 

“Only licentious men like you will be fooled by her appearance. Do you know that she’s already engaged? Despite having a fiancé, she still got all touchy with you in public instead of trying to keep her distance. That should be more than enough to show what kind of person she is!” Chu Huanzhao scoffed.

She’s engaged?

Zu An felt a palpable sense of loss. This was simply how men were. Even though he harbored no feelings for Zheng Dan, he still hoped that all beauties in the world would revolve around him.

Cheng Shouping shared in his despair. 

My budding love… Is it going to come to an end once more just like that?