Murong Qinghe was stunned.
What is big brother Chu trying to say here?
Other things might be fine, but even that kind of thing can be shared in the family?!
I canât just invite big brother Zu into the bridal room after I marry big brother Chu, right?
When she thought about how big brother Chu acted especially intimate with big brother Zu, she wondered, Could it be that he likes men?
Homosexuality wasnât that uncommon among the aristocrats. She had grown up in the capitalâs circles and was naturally influenced quite a bit by that. Even in the Murong clan, there were some of her cousins who liked that kind of thing.
Could it be that big brother Chu is hinting something at me, that Iâll be married to both of them in the future?
I definitely wouldnât do it if it were anyone else, but big brother Zu is pretty handsomeâ¦
Aiya! What am I thinking? Big brother Chu is handsome and refined, while big brother Zu is like an immortal. How could it possibly be something like that?
âDonât scare little sister Qinghe too badly now,â Zu An rubbed Chu Youzhaoâs head and said impatiently. Chu Youzhao stuck out her tongue and stopped joking around too.
The two of them had no idea just what kind of thing was going on in Murong Qingheâs head.
â¦
They chatted while hurrying back to Zu Anâs place. Soon, they arrived in front of the marquis manor without realizing it. The maids and servants inside were bored to death, so when they saw the group, they cheered, âSir Zu has returned, Sir Zu has returned!â
âHm? Isnât that the third young master?â
The entire manor quickly came back to life. Many of these people came from Brightmoon Cityâs Chu clan, so of course they recognized Chu Youzhao.
âBrother-in-law, it seems all of them have been bored to death, since youâre rarely home,â Chu Youzhao teased.
Zu An had a bitter smile. He really didnât stay here for most of the year. It had been a viscount manor at first, but the signboard could end up being changed again soon too. Still, Zu An found it hard to see this place as home. Was it because there was no madam waiting warmly for his return?
Chu Youzhao didnât act like a stranger at all and helped him by lecturing the servants. She felt that all of them were getting lazy because their master wasnât there. Many of them came from the Chu clan, so it wasnât inappropriate for her to lecture them.
Murong Qinghe began to look around the place. She had followed her big brother Chu to the manor before, but it was a rare opportunity for her to observe it up close.
Big brother Zuâs place does have quite the imposing manner and style, but it lacks a bit of liveliness. It needs some flowers, plants, and the like.
Ah! What am I thinking? Thatâs not something I should be worried about. Iâm an unmarried young woman living in the house of another man. If news of this gets out, my reputation will probably be done for⦠Who would even dare to propose marriage anymore?
But our Murong clan is still in such dire straits, so is that even important now?
Thank goodness I have big brother Chu with me. If I can live with him, I donât care what kind of rumors start flying around.
Her eyes quickly fell onto the worked-up Chu Youzhao.
Iâm looking forward to living together so much!
Wait, will the Chu clan look down on me? The Murong clan has already fallen, and I'm a fugitive. Meanwhile, young master Chu is the heir of a dukeâ¦
No, big brother Chu isnât that kind of person. Butâ¦
She was normally a carefree person, but whenever it involved big brother Chu, she suddenly became flustered.
âServants, prepare some hot water and bring Miss Murong to have a bath and a change of clothes," Zu An said, then took out a bottle of medicinal ointment and pills. These were some extras he had gotten from the Embroidery House after treating Xiao Jianren. He said, âLittle sister Qinghe, use this medicine for your wounds later.â
He couldn't apply those things for her, right? Chu Youzhao wasnât suitable either, because she was still a man in the eyes of everyone else.
âOkay. Thank you, big brother Zu,â Murong Qinghe said with a blush. She had constantly been pursued for some time and hadn't gotten any time to bathe or change clothes, so she felt really dirty. She was quickly led to a side room by a maid to take a bath.
Chu Youzhao took the chance to bother Zu An and ask about what he had been doing all this time.
Zu An told her some general things, mainly about what had happened on Violet Mountain. There were many parts he couldn't tell her, because with her current strength, knowing more would only put her in danger. However, he still mentioned his reunion with Chu Chuyan, and that she had entrusted him with the role of taking care of Youzhao and the Qin clan.
Even so, Chu Youzhaoâs eyes sparkled as she listened to it all. She exclaimed, âBrother-in-law, your life is so exciting! I really want to follow you and raise my sword throughout the world of warriors, to beat all those bandits and bad guys to death!â
Zu An replied with an annoyed laugh, âWho's the one who's always slacking off? With your current cultivation, itâs more likely that those bad guys would be the ones beating you to death.â
Chu Youzhao was a bit embarrassed. She replied, âIâm going with my brother-in-law, right? You can just beat them up however you please. Iâll just be in charge of cheering you on!â
Zu An was speechless.
This little lady is quite full of vigorâ¦
âRight, brother-in-law, did you sleep with big sister after you reunited with her?â Chu Youzhao moved closer to him and asked with a wink, clearly looking for some good gossip.
âGo on, get out of here. What is a young lady asking about these kinds of things for? Do you have no sense of shame?â Zu An replied as he pushed her away in annoyance, clearly too embarrassed to talk about his marriage life with this lass.
âTsk, just who was it that was doing that kind of thing in someone elseâs room? My immature heart was given such a huge shock back then! I never expected my usually ice-cold big sis would actually have that side to her,â Chu Youzhao said, wrinkling her nose.
Zu Anâs face heated up. He knew she was talking about what had happened between him and Chuyan in the Qin manor. Just remembering it was embarrassing.
âHmph, I already know even if you donât tell me. Brother-in-law is so perverted, you definitely bullied big sis again when you reunited in Violet Mountain.â Chu Youzhao harrumphed. âJust what is the situation between you and big sis? You arenât married anymore, and yet youâre living like husband and wife.â
âGet out of here already. Little brats shouldnât ask about adult things. We all had so many things to take care of that we wouldnât even be able to finish all of it; when would we have the time to think about things like that?â Zu An replied, unable to take the embarrassment anymore. He got up, not wanting to talk about such intimate things with her anymore.
âI know why!â Chu Youzhao exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
âWhy?â Zu An asked, stunned. He didn't even know why they had that kind of relationship himself. He was constantly dancing on the brink of death, and Chuyan was extremely focused on her cultivation. They had always been caught up in their own pursuits and didn't have the time to think about such a thing.
âThat way, you can still be single in name, so itâs easier for you to fondle the flowers and trample the grass, of course!â Chu Youzhao said with an angry harrumph. âMy big sis is normally pretty smart, so why is she so stupid in this situation?â
Zu An was speechless.
Suddenly, Murong Qinghe helped him out of his embarrassment by asking, âHm? What are the two of you talking about so excitedly?â
She had just finished her shower and changed out of her army clothes. Now, she was wearing a soft white dress that was quite well-fitted to her body. There was still some steam coming from her skin, and she was drying her damp hair with a towel. Her clan had experienced a disaster, and she was quite frail mentally at the moment, feeling dejected whenever she couldn't see her big brother Chu anymore. That was why she had immediately looked for Chu Youzhao as soon as she finished washing up
Chu Youzhaoâs eyes lit up when she saw that, saying, âLittle sister Qinghe, you really are pretty.â
Zu An couldn't help but nod as well. Murong Qinghe was normally like a rose of the army; now, she even displayed a hint of a young ladyâs gentle beauty.
Murong Qinghe was stunned. Receiving praise from her sweetheart was naturally something to be happy about, but on the surface, she said humbly, âBig brother Chu must be joking. In terms of beauty, I canât compare to your big sister at all.â
âItâs different, okay? Youâre also beautiful,â Chu Youzhao said as she moved over and had her sit down on a chair. âIâll help you dry your hair.â
âHuh? Okayâ¦â Murong Qinghe trailed off. Her heartbeat quickened when her sweetheart offered to help her dry her hair.
Why doesnât big brother Chu have any defenses against the opposite sex? Is a woman supposed to let a man do this kind of thing? But why donât I want to refuse him?
Chu Youzhao helped her wipe her hair while showing Zu An her face, asking, âBrother-in-law, do you think little sister Qinghe is pretty? How does she compare to big sis?â
Zu An was stunned, but he nodded and said, âLittle sister Qinghe is pretty. You're right; everyone has their own unique beauty.â
Chu Youzhao clicked her tongue, replying, âBrother-in-law really is a smooth talker. Youâre not offending big sis or Qinghe.â
However, Murong Qinghe only turned bright red. She only wanted to show her intimate side to big brother Chu alone, but why was he now so impatient to enjoy it with big brother Zu?
Donât tell me they really do have that kind of relationship?
She was suddenly flustered due to those wayward thoughts. She didnât want to be the focus of their attention and quickly changed the topic, asking, âBig brother Chu, what were the two of you chatting about before?â
âOh, I was talking about this fickle playboy brother-in-law. He doesnât look that special either, but he somehow managed to get all those beautiful women to like him. Iâm even starting to sweat for my big sisâ sake,â Chu Youzhao said, sounding a bit gloomy.
Murong Qinghe thought that Zu Anâs handsome face looked as if it were sculpted out of marble and thought, How can you call that ordinary? She replied, âBig brother Zu is really handsome and his cultivation is great. He's also a good person, so itâs normal for those women to like him.â
âHuh?â Chu Youzhao exclaimed, giving her a suspicious look. âDo you think heâs that great? Donât tell me that you like him too?â
Murong Qingheâs face paled. The redness completely faded from her face. She got up, pushed her away, and ran out. She cried, âBig brother Chu, I hate you!â
She had already suspected they had a relationship, but now that she heard her sweetheart say that, all of her feelings of being wronged bubbled up. Tears couldn't help but fill her eyes.
Chu Youzhao immediately panicked. She quickly followed Qinghe into the courtyard, saying, âLittle sister Qinghe, I was joking. Please donât mind it too muchâ¦â She tried to hold Murong Qinghe's hands several times, but Qinghe always shook her away angrily.
Zu An was getting a huge headache from watching the scene. But he had way too many things to worry about and couldn't be bothered to deal with a small dispute between young lovers. Thus, he also left and coughed lightly. He took out a dozen small banners, saying, âAhem, the two of you should stay here for now. Iâm not scared of anyone coming here to look for me. Of course, just in case, Iâll set up a formation so that, if someone tries to forcefully break in, it should be able to hold them off for a short while. Iâll be able to sense it and immediately return.â
Then, he flew into the air, and the small golden flags inserted themselves all around the marquis manor. Afterward, ripples of runes appeared around the manor. Then, a transparent, golden barrier surrounded the entire manor like a chicken egg.
The hurt Murong Qinghe stared at the handsome and extraordinary figure floating in the air. She even forgot to continue crying.
Big brother Zu really is handsome and amazingâ¦