Duke's Mansion.
Unable to refuse Su Cheng's request, Zhu Zhuqing eventually brought him back to his own home after the end of the semester.
Standing at the grand and spacious gate of the duke's mansion, they knocked on the door.
After a moment, the door was opened by the servants of the duke's mansion.
Upon seeing Su Cheng standing next to Zhu Zhuqing, the servants showed a hint of surprise on their faces but didn't say much.
They bowed in unison and said, "Fourth Miss."
"Fourth Miss?" Su Cheng was somewhat surprised.
He didn't actually know how many daughters the Zhu family had. He hadn't expected Zhu Zhuqing to have three older sisters.
The tradition of marriage between the Star Luo Royal Family and the Zhu family was to select the best pairs of children from each family and betroth them to each other from a young age.
However, except for the first engaged couple, the existence of later arrivals served more as an incentive, being sacrifices to this bloody system.
After all, the gap in talent between outstanding heirs was extremely limited, and the advantage of age often became an insurmountable gap between the two sides.
Unless the designated heir continuously received blessings from destiny or the older party deliberately underperformed, there was hardly any possibility for the latter to surpass.
However, under the cruel competition system of the Star Luo Empire, coupled with the watchful eyes of other contenders, the likelihood of eventual success for someone like Dai Mubai or Zhu Zhuqing was actually very slim.
They could be considered the unluckiest children in their families.
But those descendants who were not chosen as heirs for marriage might have a much better fate.
After entering the mansion, the two were led by the servants towards the main hall.
Su Cheng casually surveyed the surroundings and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
It could be said that the Zhu family truly lived up to being one of the most powerful family forces in the Star Luo Empire, second only to the royal family. The area occupied by the duke's mansion alone was several times larger than the marquis's mansion where he had grown up.
The surroundings were splendid, with carved beams and painted pillars, all constructed from precious purple sandalwood and golden nanmu wood. The fences and pillars were all built with valuable materials, and the glazed tiles on the courtyard walls and roofs shimmered with dazzling brilliance under the sunset.
The group walked silently, swiftly passing through the front hall and garden, arriving at the entrance of the main hall.
The guiding servants stepped back, and Su Cheng followed Zhu Zhuqing into the main hall.
Despite it being dinner time, only Duke Zhu Hongtao and his wife were present in the hall, with no sign of Zhu Zhuqing's other sisters such as Zhu Zhuyun.
Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward, still maintaining her usual expressionless and cold demeanor, and greeted, "Father, Mother."
The atmosphere was indeed strange.
Su Cheng thought to himself and took the initiative to step forward and bow, saying, "I am Su Cheng from the Fire Leopard Sect, Zhu Zhuqing's classmate at the academy. I have met the Duke and Duchess."
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at him upon hearing this but didn't say much.
There was a hint of surprise in Zhu Hongtao's eyes. Wasn't this the illegitimate child of the Emperor? But these expressions were fleeting, and he didn't pay too much attention to it.
His arrival seemed to be of little importance to them, showing no other special reaction, and their attitude was neither warm nor cold.
Nodding at him, Zhu Hongtao said indifferently, "So you're young master Su from the Su family. No need for formalities, since you're here, let's eat together."
No, this attitude wasn't just towards him.
Even towards Zhu Zhuqing, his own daughter whom he hadn't seen for a year, they maintained an unusually calm demeanor.
"Zhuqing, please take a seat as well."
The two of them sat down at the luxurious dining table in the hall.
Su Cheng silently observed the expressions of the Zhu family at this moment.
The atmosphere was a bit strange. No, not just a bit strange, it was extremely strange.
Despite the hall's magnificent decoration and the delicious food on the table, he felt as if he were enjoying his last meal in a death row prison. The entire atmosphere was oppressively heavy.
During the meal, no one spoke, and Su Cheng suppressed his discomfort, taking the opportunity to observe Zhu Hongtao discreetly.
This observation was extremely subtle.
Most of the time, he only glanced sideways.
After all, the other party was a powerful Spirit Douluo. If he wasn't careful, he could easily be discovered, arousing the other's vigilance and suspicion.
In the midst of silence, the meal was quickly finished.
Soon after, servants entered the hall to clear the table and tidy up the leftovers.
The four of them then sat down to rest and chat in the hall.
The main conversation was between Zhu Hongtao and Zhu Zhuqing, mainly about the current situation at the academy and their current cultivation.
At this point, both Su Cheng and Zhu Zhuqing had reached Rank 10, adding their first soul ring and becoming Soul Masters.
This cultivation speed, even considering their innate soul power levels, was considered very fast.
However, Zhu Hongtao didn't show much reaction.
He simply nodded and quickly changed the subject.
Throughout the conversation, Zhu Zhuqing remained normal, not mentioning anything about her experiences at the academy.
Su Cheng observed coldly, not surprised by her behavior.
It wasn't just because of her personality, but because it was futile to speak up.
He could see it clearly.
Zhu Hongtao's words seemed caring, but they lacked substance.
The conversation was merely a formality, even a bit perfunctory.
Presumably, Zhu Zhuqing was well aware of this.
The conversation didn't last long.
In less than half an hour, Zhu Zhuqing's parents left together.
Only then did the oppressive atmosphere finally ease slightly.
However, Zhu Zhuqing seemed accustomed to this, her expression unchanged.
Seeing them leave the hall, her eyes silently turned to Su Cheng.
It was obvious that she was hinting that he should also leave.
Su Cheng pretended not to notice and stood up to stretch his body after moving it slightly. Looking back at the other person, he smiled and said, "Let's go to your room and rest for a while. I'll leave soon."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing felt a sudden resistance in her heart. It wasn't that she was worried Su Cheng would do anything to her. It was just that her room was her only private space. In this house, and even in this world, only that place could give her a sense of security.
However, seeing Su Cheng's expression, she ultimately didn't refuse. Silently, she turned and walked out of the hall towards her chamber, with Su Cheng quietly following behind.
"It's indeed a noble mansion, much more luxurious than where I live," Su Cheng commented as he casually surveyed the surroundings upon entering the room. It was true. Zhu Zhuqing's room wasn't just a simple bedroom; it resembled a standalone house with a foyer, main hall, bedroom, side hall, each exceptionally spacious.
Although the Su family was also considered a prominent household in the Star Luo Empire, they were clearly inferior to the Zhu family. Su Cheng had lived a privileged life since childhood, with living conditions not much different from his time in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. However, compared to the Zhu family, it was nothing.
Despite the elegant design of Zhu Zhuqing's room, filled with understated luxury, it lacked many decorations and didn't resemble a typical girl's room.
"Are you the fourth miss of the family? How many siblings do you have?" Su Cheng asked casually as he walked towards the main hall.
"...Four," Zhu Zhuqing replied quietly, trailing behind him.
"What about your other sisters? I haven't seen them today. Are they not at home?" Su Cheng inquired.
"..."
After a moment of silence, seeing Zhu Zhuqing didn't respond, Su Cheng stopped and turned to look at her, retracting his gaze from the room. "The eldest sister is studying at the Advanced Academy and rarely comes home. As for the second and third sisters..."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "I don't know where she is right now."
"Don't know?" Su Cheng was somewhat surprised. He had thought that the Zhu family's young miss, who didn't have to undertake marriage arrangements, might have a more comfortable life, but it seemed not.
However, upon further thought, it wasn't unexpected. Even the most talented offspring had to undergo cruel and bloody competition. Those with lesser talents wouldn't fare any better and would likely face other challenges.
It seemed gathering information about the Zhu family's affairs from Zhu Zhuqing would be difficult; she herself didn't know much. He would have to wait for an opportunity to dig deeper in the future. Such seemingly trivial information could play a significant role later on.
Su Cheng continued to walk towards the main hall, which was considerably larger than the foyer, with bedrooms and side halls on either side. As he glanced into the bedroom, he noticed a cloth doll placed on a table near the door.
Though it was clean, it showed signs of aging.
"Huh, didn't expect you to play with something like this," Su Cheng remarked casually, feeling curious and wanting to take a closer look.
"Don't touch!" Zhu Zhuqing's expression suddenly changed as she swiftly moved forward, squeezing past him into the bedroom, blocking his path.
Her face was resolute.
Surprised by her reaction, Su Cheng understood the cloth doll held significant sentimental value for her. He didn't insist, as it had nothing to do with him.
With a smile, he turned away from the bedroom door and walked back to the hall. "Where's the restroom in your house?"
Confused, Zhu Zhuqing pointed to the restroom beside the side hall. "What? Are you asking me to use the one in your room?" Su Cheng raised an eyebrow.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing blushed. She hadn't realized it before. Hastily, she whispered, "I'll show you."
"No need. Just tell me, I'll find it myself."
After Su Cheng left, Zhu Zhuqing stared at the cloth doll on the table. It was a gift from her father when she was young. Unfortunately, he hadn't visited her room in many years.
Just then, a gentle yet firm knocking interrupted her thoughts.
Zhu Zhuqing was puzzled. Su Cheng, with his personality, actually knocked on the door, and he returned so quickly? Could he have gotten lost?
The Duke's mansion was vast. Even the nearest restroom would take at least seven or eight minutes to reach and return. Adding personal time, it should take at least ten minutes.
Her mind raced with possibilities, but she quickly walked over and opened the door.
The figure outside made her pause in astonishment.
"Father?"