Chapter 31

He originally intended to turn and leave, but Cheng Shouping was standing there watching. Given how unreliable his mouth was, if he escaped from his sight, the entire Chu family would know in the next second.

Currently, he had no choice but to stay at the Chu family, so he could only temporarily hold his breath and endure it. Sigh, being a kept man isn't as easy as it seems.

First, he would enter the school and then find a place where no one was around to slip away.

He grabbed the schoolbag Cheng Shouping had prepared for him—carrying a schoolbag at his age was truly embarrassing.

Zu An entered the school gate with a sullen face. Inside, he found a wide avenue lined with ancient trees, making the path unusually serene.

He looked around and noticed many young and beautiful girls along the way, their ponytails bouncing with enthusiasm, their skirts fluttering in the wind, and their white, smooth thighs occasionally visible...

The students in this world dressed much more openly than he had imagined, and it seemed that attending school here wasn't so hard to accept.

In the distance, he saw another gate with people checking the students entering and exiting. It turned out there was another school gate.

Zu An's eyes darted around, and he found an opportunity to slip away from the crowd and leave through a side path.

Go to school? Impossible, he would never go to school again in his life!

He walked along the side path, but the landscaping around Mingyue Academy was so well-done that he was surrounded by flowers, grass, and trees, and he soon got lost.

By the time he left the grounds of Mingyue Academy, he was completely disoriented.

"Where am I?" Mingyue City was very large, and he had only been in this world for two days. He was unfamiliar with the city and had no idea where he was.

"The Yu family is so famous, someone must know where they live." Zu An's mind was focused on how to complete Ji Dantu's task and regain his former glory. Otherwise, what was the point of cultivation?

He wandered for a while, but like seeing a ghost, he couldn't find anyone to ask for directions.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by the rumble of thunder from the dark clouds, and raindrops began to fall from the sky.

Zu An didn't mind the light rain, but the thunder made him uneasy. After all, he had been struck by lightning to this world, and he didn't think he would be able to return if he was struck again. More likely, he would die.

Boom!

The thunder grew louder, and Zu An looked around and saw a pavilion not far away. He hurriedly ran over to take shelter.

When he entered, he was surprised to find someone already there. A woman in a plain dress was sitting lazily on a chair by the pavilion, leaning against the railing, one hand supporting her cheek as she gazed into the distance through the rain. Her other hand gently held a green wine gourd, which swayed with her finger, as if it would fall at the slightest breeze, but it remained firmly on her fingertip.

Zu An was soon captivated by another sight. The woman's legs were naturally bent on the chair, and her shoes were neatly placed on the ground, revealing a pair of flawless, white feet, smoother than jade and silk.

Before today, Zu An had always thought that only face, chest, waist, and leg enthusiasts were normal, but at this moment, he finally understood why some people were foot fetishists.

"Have you had enough?" The woman didn't turn around, but she seemed to know everything that was happening behind her.

"Not yet," Zu An blurted out, regretting his words. When would he get rid of his habit of speaking without thinking? This wasn't the internet anymore, and there was no screen or wire between them. She might really come over and hit him.

Despite his recent power boost to the strength of twenty people, he still felt that the woman was beyond his reach.

The woman, clearly surprised by his bold response, turned to look at him, sizing him up, and then turned back to gaze into the distance.

"Then keep looking."

Zu An was taken aback. Even though he had seen all sorts of people online, he didn't expect her to respond like this. A brief glance had already revealed that she was a stunningly beautiful woman, with eyes as clear and deep as autumn water, but they seemed to carry a hint of sorrow.

She leaned against the railing, neither sitting nor lying, and the fine rain drifted in, sprinkling on her, but she remained unmoved, her breathing calm and serene.

Zu An initially admired her beautiful figure with great interest, but for some reason, he began to feel sad.

He turned his gaze to the drizzling rain outside the pavilion. At that moment, a melody he had never heard before played in his ears. For a moment, he was lost in a dream, seeing waterfalls flowing upward, dandelion seeds drifting back to form an umbrella, the sun rising in the west and setting in the east, and the busy figure in the kitchen during his ten years of hard study...

"Are you crying?"

A clear and elegant voice sounded in his ear, and Zu An realized his face was wet with tears. The woman was looking at him curiously.

"A bit homesick," Zu An wiped the tears from his face. He was usually carefree, but the excitement and fear of being in a new world had filled his mind until now, when he thought about how his parents would be devastated by his death.

The woman's expression changed, clearly surprised that he understood the music she was playing.

Zu An noticed the seashell-like instrument in her hand and couldn't help but ask, "Did you play that with that?"

"Yes," the woman nodded.

"Can I borrow it?" Zu An asked.

"Do you know music?" The woman was surprised.

Zu An smiled bitterly, "I know a bit about skills that don't make money and are useless."

The woman couldn't help but smile and threw the instrument to him. Zu An caught it and noticed the faint lipstick on it, hesitating, "Is it okay?"

The woman smiled and nodded slightly.

Zu An put it to his lips and quickly figured out its sound patterns, similar to the ocarina from his world.

Moved by homesickness, he subconsciously played "The Wind of the Homeland," a song he had learned in college to impress girls, but later found that no matter how well he played, it couldn't match someone driving a Ferrari with one hand.

Thinking about his past, Zu An couldn't tell if he was dreaming or if it was a dream.

When the song ended, the two of them were lost in thought, silent for a long time.

Until the woman wiped her eyes, Zu An finally felt more balanced, "You cried too."

The woman sighed, "From this song, I saw fields, sunset, and farewells. What is the name of this song?"

"The Wind of the Homeland," Zu An answered, "What about yours?"

"The Silent Sea." The woman took a sip from the wine gourd, "Do you want to drink?"

Zu An hesitated, "I don't have a cup." For some reason, he couldn't think of anything inappropriate with this woman, which was unlike him.

The woman threw the gourd to him, "I don't mind, why should you?"

Seeing her so carefree, Zu An felt a bit stuffy and took a big sip. But as soon as he drank, a burning sensation rushed to his throat, and he felt like he was on fire.

His face turned red, "What kind of wine is this, so strong?" This wine was even stronger than the vodka he had in his previous life.

"This wine is called 'Heavenly Fire.' It's hard for most people to handle. I have a special constitution, so I often drink it to warm myself." The woman took the gourd back and took another sip, her cheeks slightly flushed, clearly enjoying it.

"My name is Zu An, what's yours?" Zu An asked subconsciously.

The woman smiled and shook her head, "Life is short, and meetings are few. It's better not to know."

Zu An was frustrated, "But you know my name."

The woman replied, "You said it yourself, I didn't ask you to tell me."

"I feel like I lost out," Zu An was very unhappy.

The woman laughed, "You drank my wine, so you didn't lose out."

"That's true," Zu An noticed the rain had stopped and stood up, "If we meet again, will you tell me your name?"

"Probably not," the woman shook her head, suddenly noticing his backpack, "Are you a student at Mingyue Academy?"

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. He had escaped from there and was cautious, "You didn't answer my question, why should I answer yours?"

The woman pointed to his backpack, "Even if you don't say, I know. This is a Mingyue Academy backpack, only students have it. It should be class time now, why are you here?"

"Counting kindergarten, I've been in school for twenty years. I never want to go to school again in my life," Zu An said, irritated.

"Kindergarten?" The woman looked confused, clearly not understanding, but she didn't pursue it, sighing inwardly, "I'm the same, I have no right to criticize him."

"Thanks for the wine, I have to go." Zu An still had to find Yu Yanluo, which was crucial for his lifelong happiness.

"Okay, maybe we will meet again," the woman's lips curved into a playful smile.

Zu An thought, "I don't believe you. Do beautiful women naturally like to tease people?"

He hadn't walked far from the pavilion when a man in black passed by, glanced at him, and quickly came back, "Hey, Zu An?"

"Who are you?" The man had a long scar from his nose to his right cheek. Zu An noticed the plum blossom emblem on his collar and his heart skipped a beat. He remembered that the Twelve Plum Blossoms had a similar emblem.