Keyboard Immortal

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“Why would you suggest this, Madam?”

“It’s nothing serious.
For some strange reason, my eyelid has been twitching constantly recently.
I just have a bad feeling about this.” Qin Wanru rubbed her temples.
“The Chu clan is facing some troubled times.
I’m afraid I won’t be in time to protect you both if something happens, so I want Huanzhao to take shelter in the academy.
There, at least, your safety should be guaranteed.”

“But…” Qin Wanru changed the topic.
Her piercing stare bored into Zu An’s skull.
“Ah Zu, you cannot… bully Huanzhao.”

“Do I look like that type of person?” Zu An bristled immediately when he sensed that his moral character was being questioned.
“But that’s beside the point.
I promised Chu Chuyan that I’d protect all of you.
How can I hide in the academy?”

“You’ll protect me?” Qin Wanru scoffed.
Even though she didn’t say anything more, her implications were obvious.

Zu An didn’t bother defending himself.
He didn’t really feel like bragging about himself, so he decided to let her think what she wanted.

Chu Huanzhao also snapped out of her daze.
“Mom, I don’t want to live in the academy.
I want to stay with you at home!”

Even though living with her brother-in-law in the staff residence was tempting, her mother was also important to her.

“Fine, the two of you can choose where you think it best to stay, depending on the situation.
I will send some of the clan’s guards to accompany the two of you to the academy.” Qin Wanru gave some instructions, then went inside on her own.

Zu An and Chu Huanzhao headed to the academy together.

“Brother-in-law, do you think big sis will be successful this time?”

“Don’t worry, she’ll definitely succeed.”

“Brother-in-law, do you think the Chu clan will survive?”

“It will.”

“Brother-in-law, will you always stay with us?”

“I will.”

…

Their conversation drifted over to the guards walking behind them, and they all sighed.
The second miss was getting more and more attached to the young master…

Cheng Shouping cockily brought up their bet again.
He urged everyone to pay up.
“Madam has already given the second miss permission to live with the young master at the academy in the future! She even instructed us to not kick up a fuss for nothing.
Is this still not enough?”

“That doesn’t say anything! Now that Master is in trouble, what’s wrong with having her live in the academy for her own safety?” One of the guards, Zhou Lujun, countered.

“What do you know? The second miss doesn’t have a residence in school, so where else would she live but with the young master?” Cheng Shouping giggled.
“I’ve heard that the academy’s dormitories are extremely private.
Once they lock the door, no one else can enter from the outside.
The two of them would be all alone… doesn’t that mean that the Madam has already…”

Feng Daniu was troubled.
“You might actually be right.”

Jiao Shanhe smacked him on the back.
“Right my ass! Another day it takes for them to get married is another day we won’t admit defeat.”

“How long would I have to wait for that?” Cheng Shouping was clearly unhappy.

Jiao Shanhe said, “An engagement is fine as well.”

Cheng Shouping asked, “What if the rice is already cooked?”[1]

The others all looked at him with strange expressions.
This guy was a natural at courting disaster.
No wonder he had been driven off to work in the kitchen.

After seeing Chu Huanzhao to class, Zu An went looking for Zheng Dan.

He wasn’t interested in wasting time trying to discuss the Chu clan’s current situation with the senior members of the academy. 

He came this time because he had thought up another way to help the Chu clan out of their predicament.

He didn’t want Chu Chuyan to shoulder the burden alone.
He wanted to bear some of the weight as well.

Quite a few students were already present when he finally reached the Sky class.
However, Zu An didn’t let this bother him.
He walked towards Zheng Dan and gestured for her to come out for a chat.

Unexpectedly, Zheng Dan showed no signs of moving.
She smiled and said, “Teacher Zu, I am a woman who is already engaged, yet you are always looking for me.
I have to turn you down sometimes to avoid suspicion, right?”

Zu An was not amused.

This girl was still putting on her act?

Wu Qing, who was sitting close by, jeered at him as well.
“Oh my, isn’t it first miss Chu’s husband? Why are you running to someone else’s fiancée all day? Could it be that first miss Chu doesn’t have a good leash on you, or does the Chu clan no longer seem so great to you?”

1.
This is a Chinese idiom, which means something has already been done and cannot be changed.