Zu An was stunned. “We’re waiting for someone?” he asked. “Who are we waiting for?”

“Xie Xiu,” Shang Liuyu replied.

“Xie Xiu?” Zu An took a while to process this information. “So, the principal even managed to get Xie Xiu to tag along with us! This principal is truly wise! With him around, it would be so much easier to take over Plum Blossom Sect’s holdings.”

Although Xie Xiu’s usually behaved somewhat frivolously, he was still the city lord’s son. His presence would help to smooth most of the official procedures along.

Shang Liuyu shook her head. “Luofu didn’t arrange for him to come. She wanted you to be the one to invite him.”

“I have to invite him?” Zu An was dumbstruck.

“Yes.” Shang Liuyu smiled. “The academy can’t just announce to the world that it has accepted your seven-and-a-half million taels of silver, let alone let someone like Xie Xiu find out. We’ll need you to step forward and front this. I’ll just pretend to be helping you.”

Zu An was speechless for a while.

Are you serious? That gorgeous principal loves wearing black stockings so much that even her heart has turned black! She really won’t pass up even the slightest chance to use me!

“Do you feel troubled?” Shang Liuyu asked.

“Not at all.” Zu An shook his head. Honestly speaking, Jiang Luofu already treated him quite well. The promissory note for seven-and-a-half million taels of silver would only have rotted away if left in his hands anyway, so he’d taken the opportunity to exchange it for some assistance, and Jiang Luofu had been most generous with her help.

Zu An finished weighing up the pros and cons. “Let’s look for Xie Xiu.” 

Shang Liuyu had no objections, and followed him as he made his way to the Sky class. Along the way, she asked him several times about his relationship with Zheng Dan.

Zu An offered a series of ambiguous, non-committal answers.

Sensing that he didn’t want to talk about the matter, Shang Liuyu smiled gently and didn’t press further.

The two arrived at the Sky class. Zu An called for Xie Xiu while taking the opportunity to observe the class. Clearly, Chu Chuyan rarely came to school.

Zheng Dan hadn’t returned to class either. 

“What do these two… teachers need me for?” Xie Xiu found it really hard to address Zu An as his teacher. However, there was nothing he could do about it. He had called him out of class precisely using his authority as a teacher!

The teacher lecturing the class was overcome with joy when he saw Shang Liuyu, and had little attention to spare for anything else.

Shang Liuyu smiled. “It’s not I who need you for something, but rather Zu… Teacher Zu.”

Why do I feel weird calling him ‘Teacher’ as well?

Xie Xiu stared at Zu An with a bitter smile. “Tea… teach…”

Zu An laughed and hooked his arm around him. “You don’t have to do that. Just call me Ah Zu when we’re not out in public.”

Xie Xie laughed awkwardly. “Ah Zu, what did you need me for?”

Zu An replied, “You were there when I won seven-and-a-half million silver taels from the Plum Blossom Sect, right? Back then, Mei Chaofeng wrote out a promissory note for me. Since he has already passed on, there is no way for him to pay me back this debt, so the only thing left for me to do is to try to take over his assets. I came to you because I need some help.”

“Me?” Xie Xiu was only interested in skirt-chasing, and he really couldn’t care less about these official procedures, let alone something this big. He was just about to turn Zu An down when his eyes were drawn to Shang Liuyu standing beside him. “What is teacher Shang doing here with you?” he asked in confusion.

Zu An said, “Of course she’s here to help me recover the debt.”

Xie Xiu’s eyes widened. “Brother Zu really is incredible! Teacher Shang is known for being a noble and virtuous person who cares little for worldly pursuits. Yet somehow, you were actually able to convince her to help you out!”

Zu An laughed, “You’re flattering me. I’ve always been a popular guy.”

Xie Xiu had no response to that.

After a short pause, he agreed to go along with them. After all, even if he didn’t mind offending Zu An, he didn’t want to leave Shang Liuyu with a bad impression of him.

There wasn’t a single man in the academy who didn’t fancy a gentle and pretty female teacher like Shang Liuyu.

Even though Xie Xiu’s feelings for her weren’t as fervent as some others’, being in the company of such a great beauty was still a joyous affair.

Helping Zu An out was just a side issue.

“Haha, you’re the best!” Zu An clasped his fist respectfully. He didn’t bother thinking about why this guy accepted. All he cared about was getting this job over and done with.

The three of them left the academy together with a small group of specialists.

Given her nature, Shang Liuyu was already doing the principal a huge favor just by following along. Asking any more of her would have made her upset.

Along the way, Xie Xiu went all out, trying to engage Shang Liuyu in a variety of topics.

Even though his philosophy had always been to never abandon an entire forest for a single tree, Shang Liuyu was just too beautiful! Even his dao of women was being shaken.

He scrounged up all sorts of reasons to strike up a conversation with her, and even used some of his methods of seduction.

Unfortunately, Shang Liuyu responded to all of his desperate attempts in a polluted but disinterested manner.

Sensing her attitude, Xie Xiu admitted defeat for now. He shifted his attention to Zu An. “Brother Zu, my admiration for you has only grown.”

“You, admire me? Why?” Zu An replied instinctively, his mind still preoccupied by his interactions with Zheng Dan.

“Just how did you convince teacher Shang to come with you? You’ve even picked up Immortal Abode’s Qiu Honglei! Once might be a coincidence, but when such a thing happens several times, there’s definitely a reason behind it!” Xie Xiu looked at him with expectant eyes.

Zu An waved a hand casually. “You’ve got it all wrong.”

“How so?” Xie Xiu asked curiously.

“You’ve missed out on some other important girls. Chu Chuyan, for example,” Zu An said proudly.

This was a complete, 360-degree capture! Of course he was proud of his accomplishment.

Xie Xiu ground his teeth silently.

Bro, even if you’re amazing, there’s no need to show off like this in front of me, is there?

“What can I do?” Zu An muttered to himself. “When a man is too outstanding, he naturally ends up having to deal with these sorts of problems.”

Xie Xiu’s teeth creaked, and his jaw began to ache.

Shang Liuyu, who was listening in on their conversation, resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

It took Xie Xiu some time to dispel his gloominess. “Right. By the way, Ah Zu, just how did you come up with that ‘Smiling, Proud Wanderer’ tune the last time?”

Zu An forced out a smile. “Didn’t I say that I wasn’t the one who came up with it?”

“Ah Zu, you’re too humble.” Xie Xiu said with a sigh.

Zu An grew dejected as well. 

Why do none of you all believe me when I’m telling the truth?

“Is brother Xie also interested in music?” he said instead.

“Truth be told, I actually don’t have the slightest bit of interest in it.” Xie Xiu laughed. “I only picked up a bit of it to chase after girls.”

Zu An was shocked then grabbed Xie Xiu’s hand. “Bro, great minds think alike.”

Shang Liuyu took a deep, calming breath and stayed quiet.

“Since brother Xie isn’t interested in music, why did you ask me about this? If you want to use that song to pick up some girls, please, feel free,” Zu An said nonchalantly.

“It’s not for picking up girls,” Xie Xiu smiled bitterly. “However, my older sister is quite interested in that song. She has many things she wants to ask you about.”

His expression froze in the middle of saying this. Zu An had just said that he only learned music in order to pick up girls, yet here he was, offering up his sister to him… wasn’t he basically sending her like a lamb into the tiger’s den?

Fortunately, Shang Liuyu saved him from his embarrassment by interrupting them. “Ah Zu, I’ve also heard about this ‘Smiling Proud Wanderer’ matter earlier today. Didn’t you tell me the last time that the song ‘Scenery of Home’ was the only one you knew?”