Zu An had already recognized the woman beside Zheng Dan a while ago. She had an oval face with beautiful brows, and wore a long golden skirt. An air of gracefulness drifted around her, and an elegant smile hung from the corners of her lips. This was an aura that she had cultivated from a very early age.
Together with those enchanting eyes that seemed to speak to one’s heart, her entire being exuded beauty, elegance and a gentle nobility.
With the dignified and gorgeous Zheng Dan next to her, this really was a magnificent sight.
She had been sizing Zu An up curiously. At Zheng Dan’s unexpected nudge, she almost fell into Zu An’s arms.
She gave Zheng Dan an upset look, then introduced herself to Zu An. “Greetings, fellow student Zu. This is our first meeting. I am Xie Daoyun. I hope you can provide me some guidance in the future.”
Zu An had to give her some credit. She still exuded a sense of confidence even in this sudden and embarrassing situation, lending her a natural air of generosity and poise.
“Young miss Xie must be joking. This surely isn’t our first meeting.” Zu An favored her with a half-smile.
Xie Daoyun’s heart leapt into her throat. He must’ve found out that she had witnessed him in the Immortal Abode. However, she reined in her panic and quickly said, “Indeed, I was able to witness student Zu’s bravery during the Clans Tournament, and we have seen each other in the academy.”
Seeing her quick reaction, Zu An chose not to expose her. “I have heard about miss Xie’s great reputation as well, and I have been enamored for a long time. Now that I’ve met you in person, I realize that your true self is very different from what the rumors say.”
Xie Daoyun’s expression slipped. No matter how much self-restraint she had, being ridiculed like this to her face was hard for her to bear.
Before she could react furiously, Zu An had already continued. “Those rumors do not go far enough in describing miss Xie’s beauty and temperament. I regret not being able to see your beautiful face sooner.”
Wei Suo’s eyes went round. Boss really is the boss! His skill at courting ladies is too high-level!
He couldn’t help but fall into self-reflection. I can talk to the boss just fine, yet why do I freeze up like this when it really counts?
Zheng Dan couldn’t resist giving Zu An a look. This guy really was full of tricks when it came to chasing after women!
Xie Daoyun blushed. It was not everyday that she met someone who would dare say something like this to her. She appreciated the novelty. “Student Zu is too polite with your praise…”
Zheng Dan reached out to Xie Daoyun’s hand. “Let’s continue our discussion in the Four Way Restaurant. I fear that the young master might have grown anxious while waiting for us,” she said.
Xie Daoyun had no objections. She nodded towards Zu An, then followed Zheng Dan into the carriage.
Zu An gave instructions to Cheng Shouping and the Chu clan guards waiting by the academy’s gates. “Tell the Second Young Miss that I won’t be joining them for dinner. You can escort her back without me.”
He had to find a way to get into the Wei clan afterwards, which was difficult enough without having to drag an entourage around with him.
Cheng Shouping’s expression immediately grew bitter. He had wanted to tag along to broaden his horizons, but not only was he not allowed to accompany the young master, he even had to face the little tyrant that was the second miss. My life is truly full of suffering…
Jiao Shan and the other guards had no objections to this. Chen Xuan was already dead, and the danger to Zu An had been dealt with. Besides, even the City Lord’s precious daughter was accompanying him. This group clearly didn’t need their protection at all.
The two carriages soon arrived at the Four Way Restaurant. Zu An got off the carriage and had a look. The restaurant was a luxurious and elegant building, several stories tall. It almost gave off the same air as the Immortal Abode, although the color palette was more classical and muted.
Wang Yanlong was already waiting by the entrance. When he saw them, he quickly rushed over to greet them. “Brother Zu, brother Wei, miss Xie, miss Zheng…”
After exchanging greetings, Wang Yuanlong stepped to the side. “Everyone, please enter. Miss Zheng, Commander Sang is already inside.”
Zheng Dan smiled. “Thank you, young master Wang.”
Zu An felt a twinge of discomfort, but he knew that he was being unreasonable. It was just his masculine desire to dominate acting up.
Wang Yuanlong offered an explanation to Zu An. “The River Patrol Army aided in my rescue as well, so I invited them over. I hope brother Zu doesn’t mind.”
Zu An laughed. “I’m not that petty.”
Their party headed up the stairs. The number of guests decreased the further up they went. It was clear that the higher up they were, the higher the status of the guests.
When they reached the top of the stairs, a group of people were already there. These people were obviously individuals who were curious about the top floor, yet were not allowed up there. Loitering about outside was the best they could do.
“It’s young master Wang!”
“It’s truly a group of extraordinary people after all!”
“Isn’t that miss Xie, the City Lord clan’s esteemed daughter? She is so beautiful and talented! We really are blessed today.”
“That’s miss Zheng next to her! They are both so pretty! Even though I cannot go upstairs today, just laying eyes on them has already made this trip worthwhile.”
…
The tall and handsome Sang Qian had already come down to greet his fiancée. After exchanging pleasantries with the others, he looked at Zheng Dan with a gentle expression. “Dan’er, you’re here.”
Zheng Dan shot Zu An a secret look, then said coldly, “Commander Sang, even though we are engaged, we are yet to be married. I must ask you not to address me so intimately in public.”
Sang Qian’s face froze. He hadn’t expected her to shame him like this in front of everyone.
However, he didn’t mind it too much. She was probably still upset over the Whale Island affair.
He was also quite fond of the steely side of her, because it made her seem even more like a wise and virtuous woman.
These thoughts comforted him, and he smiled and said, “Miss Zheng is right.”
Zu An curled his lips. This guy knows how to simp.
However, this was the man who had massacred every living being on Whale Island, so he didn’t dare look down on him.
Just as their party was about to head upstairs, one of the bystanders spoke up loudly. “Do they allow anyone upstairs now?”
Everyone stopped. A man stared at them with sharp eyes full of provocation.
Wang Yuanlong’s face grew ugly. He was acting as host in his own clan’s restaurant, yet such an annoying fellow had dared to show up. “They are guests that I have invited myself. How can you say that they aren’t allowed to enter the top floor?”
The sharp-eyed man replied, “Young master Wang is the young master of the Four Way Restaurant, so of course you have this authority. However, I fear that the reputation of the Four Way Restaurant will surely plummet after this.
“Everyone knows that the top floor of Four Way Restaurant is a place that only the most outstanding people can dine in. Miss Xie is a publicly acknowledged genius. Miss Zheng is also a genius in the Sky class, while Commander Sang has a high cultivation and holds a high official position at such a young age. I do not have the slightest complaint if any of them went up to the top floor. However, what right does that fellow over there have to dine at the highest floor? Is it merely because he is the drafted son-in-law of the Chu clan?”
The bystanders roared in laughter at those last words. Clearly, many of them were dissatisfied as well.
“Even with all our achievements, we aren’t allowed up there. What right does he have?!”
“Exactly! I think your Four Way Restaurant should just drop the pretense and just say straight up that all those with money and authority are allowed upstairs.”
…
Wang Yuanlong’s face fell. He was truly in a tight spot. Should he let Zu An go upstairs or not? If he did, he would be ruining the many years of effort that the Four Way Restaurant had put into building up their prestige.
However, refusing him entry would be turning away a guest he had personally invited. That would utterly humiliate Zu An.
Zu An’s eyes narrowed. How was this guy able to pick him out of the crowd so easily?
This guy doesn’t seem like a normal diner at all. Did someone deliberately send him to mock me?
His eyes swept over the people around him. Sang Qian had a strange smile on his face. He recalled how this man had deliberately come down to greet them, and he suddenly realized what was going on.
In his mind, he had believed that Sang Qian had come down to receive Zheng Dan. It turns out that he had come for me!
But why?
Does he know what I did to his fiancée?
The sharp-eyed man said with a sneer, “So? Do you have nothing to say for yourself?”
