Chapter 1288 - 917: Zhong Xiang Is a Girl?

"Is that all?" Shen Ling’s eyes looked at Zhang Chen, recalling Zhang Chen’s words, staring blankly at him.

"I know saying this is very cruel to you, but I also don’t want you to have any misunderstandings! Besides, you have experienced romantic difficulties before. You managed to get through that incident with Zhang Gaoqiu, and there was never anything between us; you shouldn’t be affected too much, right?" Zhang Chen said to Shen Ling, with no trace of apology on his face.

Originally, he was engaged to Shen Ling, but Shen Ling looked down on him and then got involved with Zhang Gaoqiu. Later, Shen Ling was abandoned by Zhang Gaoqiu and even carried his child. How could Zhang Chen, a clear and upright young man, want Shen Ling?

Although Shen Ling is simple-minded and kind-hearted, a good girl without any scheming, otherwise she wouldn’t have been spun around by Zhang Gaoqiu, Zhang Chen still kept his distance from her. He, Zhang Chen, if he were to marry, would marry a girl with a pure body.

Shen Ling’s face showed a forced smile, subtly changing the topic: "When did you arrive at the academy? I haven’t heard any news about you these years, I’ve been quite worried."

"You still care about me, it’s quite surprising." Zhang Chen teased: "With my skills, where couldn’t I live well? I lived well in Northern Land, Jinling in the past. Later, my skills improved, and my life only got better and better. But you, how did you have the chance to join the academy? I heard the selection is very strict?"

Upon hearing that, Shen Ling gave a bitter smile: "The selection at the academy is indeed very strict, but as you know, I’m no slouch either; I’m much better than that useless Zhang Gaoqiu. During my travels across the country, I had a fortunate encounter, later my strength improved greatly due to a coincidence, and I had the opportunity to join the academy. Not only me, but Jiang Nan and Shen Qiu have all joined the academy. However, there seems to be some unpleasantness between Jiang Nan and Shen Qiu. They seem to have fallen out since joining the academy and haven’t been in contact for a long time. If you have free time later, you should advise them. After all, our relationships were good back then; we are blood relatives, and we all come from Jinling City. We should be helping each other."

Zhang Chen felt slightly surprised upon hearing this, but in his heart, he understood well. Jiang Nan’s dream has always been to climb higher, hoping to sell herself for a good price and avenge the Sea of Blood revenge for her whole family. If the Shen Family maintained its prosperity, Jiang Nan naturally wouldn’t give up on the Shen Family. However, now that the Shen Family is already ruined and Shen Qiu has become a rootless wandering ghost, Jiang Nan obviously wouldn’t consider Shen Qiu as her lifelong choice anymore.

Even though he, Zhang Chen, obtained Jiang Nan’s body, Jiang Nan wouldn’t choose him, let alone that Shen Qiu and Jiang Nan never had any substantial relationship?

Shen Qiu could at most just be considered a puppy dog; Shen Qiu wants to chase Jiang Nan, what a delusional wish.

Jiang Nan’s standards aren’t ordinarily high!

"How did Jiang Nan join the academy?" Zhang Chen asked, displaying a surprised expression.

Upon hearing that, Shen Ling shook her head: "I don’t know; I’ve only seen him once since arriving at the academy. We just exchanged a few words during that meeting. Maybe Shen Qiu knows, he’s always been by Jiang Nan’s side, he should know about Jiang Nan’s matters."

Zhang Chen inquired a bit more about Jiang Nan’s situation, which Shen Ling answered one by one. At this point, Shen Ling glanced at Zhang Chen with a surprised expression: "You seem very concerned about Jiang Nan."

"I am quite concerned! Jiang Nan counts as my friend, and quite a close friend at that." Zhang Chen replied.

"I don’t even count as a friend." Shen Ling said with a bitter smile.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen smiled: "I want to go inside and rest now; it’s not appropriate for us, a man and woman alone together. You should leave early."

Zhang Chen pushed open the door and entered his house, Shen Ling wanted to follow inside but was blocked by Zhang Chen’s arm, preventing entry.

Upon hearing this, Shen Ling’s expression froze, her eyes mournfully staring at Zhang Chen: "You should know my feelings."

Zhang Chen remained silent.

Shen Ling continued: "I can be with you without any official status."

"Missed opportunities are ultimately missed." Zhang Chen shook his head: "Moreover, I don’t consider myself inferior to Zhang Gaoqiu, Zhang Gaoqiu isn’t even worthy to carry my shoes. What he doesn’t want, why would I want it."

How could he want someone that even others don’t want?

Upon hearing this, Shen Ling felt as though struck by lightning, her complexion going pale. Zhang Chen’s words were already very unkind, saying it was mercilessly dismissing her.

Upon hearing this, Shen Ling stared blankly at Zhang Chen, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, choking on her words, painfully saying: "Do you despise me because I’m unclean?"

"Why did you have to say it out loud?" Zhang Chen sighed deeply.

Upon hearing this, Shen Ling covered her face, turned, and vanished into the corridor, leaving only the sound of her sobs echoing in the air.

Upon seeing Shen Ling disappear, Zhang Chen looked toward the adjacent room: "Come out!"

He had already sensed Jiang Nan’s Qi Mechanism; Jiang Nan had arrived long ago, just hid in the adjacent room without meeting Shen Ling.

"I’ve already tried my best to hide my presence, not showing the slightest trace, but you still managed to sense me?" Jiang Nan walked out from the room next door, looking surprised. He wore a bright red robe, just like that summer years ago, his eyebrows and looks unchanged.

Zhang Chen did not answer Jiang Nan’s question, but instead asked puzzledly, "Shen Ling is here, so why are you still being so secretive and unwilling to show yourself?"

"Unwilling to show myself is naturally because I’ve done something shameful." Jiang Nan walked up to Zhang Chen, sizing him up and down: "It’s been a few years, and apart from becoming a little more mature, you haven’t changed a bit."

Zhang Chen stepped aside to open the door, inviting Jiang Nan in, and then started to boil some tea: "I’m quite curious, what shameful thing have you done that makes you afraid to see Shen Ling?"

Zhang Chen was genuinely curious.

"To join the Academy, I used Shen Qiu and then kicked him to the curb, climbing up the social ladder elsewhere. Do you think I still have the face to use the Shen siblings?" Jiang Nan sighed helplessly.

Hearing this, Zhang Chen’s action of brewing tea paused. He turned to look Jiang Nan up and down: "Have you found a good match?"

"There are too many nobles in Kyoto, leaving me dazzled," Jiang Nan said leisurely, as if chatting with an old friend: "I merely float among the noble children, skillfully making use of them, yet I’ve found none worth entrusting my life to."

"Have you really not considered me?" Zhang Chen joked with a smile.

"You? The current you won’t do! But if you become the Zhang Family Patriarch, then I might consider it." Jiang Nan cast him a seductive glance, full of charm and allure.

Looking at Jiang Nan before him, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but sigh. This Jiang Nan, with his cunning words, was indeed a perfect green tea, no wonder he could make men dizzy with infatuation.

But Jiang Nan, well, was straightforward and open about it. Zhang Chen didn’t feel any aversion towards Jiang Nan’s transparency in his manipulation.

"I heard that you groped Zhong Xiang’s butt in public today and didn’t get burned to death by him. You’re famous in the Academy now. Zhong Xiang is one of the two most renowned beauties in our Academy. Countless princes and noblemen wanted to pick the flower, but you were the first to extend a pig’s trotter. This incident has caused a sensation throughout the Academy, with many wanting to duel you and sever the hand that touched the flower." Jiang Nan suddenly changed the subject, teasing Zhang Chen with a smile.

Zhang Chen was taken aback upon hearing Jiang Nan’s words, a look of confusion in his eyes: "Flower? What flower? Zhong Xiang, a grown man, being likened to a woman as a flower? And infatuating countless men?"

"A man?" Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Jiang Nan looked at him in surprise, with countless question marks bouncing in her mind. After a long while, she asked, "Are we talking about the same Zhong Xiang?"

She felt that the Zhong Xiang he was talking about wasn’t the same person she was referring to.

"The grandson of Zhong Wubai!" Zhang Chen said.

"Grandson? Clearly, it’s a granddaughter!" Jiang Nan suddenly realized, looking at Zhang Chen with understanding: "Zhong Xiang has always dressed as a man. Did you perhaps think Zhong Xiang was a boy?"

"Zhong Xiang is a woman?" Zhang Chen was struck dumb, standing frozen in place, staring blankly at Jiang Nan.

"Of course! Everyone knows Zhong Xiang is a girl, and an outstanding heroine at that, just always dressed in boy’s clothing!" Jiang Nan said, recalling Zhang Chen groping Zhong Xiang’s butt in public earlier, her voice filled with disbelief: "Did you really think Zhong Xiang was a boy?"

Zhang Chen was completely bewildered, his mind buzzing, feeling as if the sky had fallen.

What had he done?

In the Northern Land, he had not only torn Zhong Xiang’s clothes and groped her firm, smooth buttocks, but also used her flames to smelt lava, treating a girl as nothing more than a tool?

Recalling how he had treated Zhong Xiang in the Northern Land, Zhang Chen could hardly resist giving himself a slap, angrily cursing ’What a beast!’."

"Is she really a girl?" Zhang Chen still couldn’t believe it and asked again.

"Are there such handsome boys in the world? It’s just because she possesses the power of flames, with yang energy suppressing her feminine allure," Jiang Nan explained, looking Zhang Chen up and down: "Did you truly not know Zhong Xiang is a girl?"

"If I had known Zhong Xiang was a girl, how would I dare to grope her butt in front of everyone?" Zhang Chen felt his head buzzing.

Groping her butt was one thing. In the Northern Land, he had done even worse by stabbing a knife into Zhong Xiang’s butt!

Jiang Nan looked at Zhang Chen, rendered momentarily speechless, finally saying after a long moment: "Ignorance is forgivable, just go apologize to Miss Zhong Xiang. I doubt she’ll hold it against you. By the way, how did you come to know Zhong Xiang?"