"Huhu, don't be rude!" Kong Nanwu glared at the little fox, then looked apologetically at Zu An with her beautiful eyes, "I'm sorry, Young Master Zu, my girl has no manners. By the way, I've read quite a few books, but I don't seem to have ever heard of this 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.' I wonder where you found it, Young Master?"

He didn't care about the little fox's offense to Zuan, because she was so cute that he wanted to pet her: "This book is a record of a book I wrote down after a chance encounter with an old gentleman named Pu Songling in my early years. He told me many strange and wonderful stories, and I specially recalled and wrote them down to give to you, young lady. I hope you like it."

When he was bored in the East Palace during the day, he began to think about what gift to prepare to thank Kong Nanwu for her help. After thinking about it, he came up with this book, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is full of stories about various spirits, monsters, ghosts and humans. Since the other party was a demon, it should be very much to their liking.

Because of time constraints, he only copied a small part; he would finish the rest later.

Kong Nanwu exclaimed with delight, "So it was written by the young master himself! This is a rare masterpiece..."

As she spoke, she picked up the booklet to look at it, but the smile on her face instantly froze because the words on it... were really ugly.

Objectively speaking, the writing above is within the realm of ordinary people, but her vision is extraordinary. She usually appreciates the works of great masters, and these words are simply unbearable to look at compared to them.

Zu An's face flushed, and he coughed awkwardly twice: "Please take your time reading, young lady. I have something to attend to at home, so I'll take my leave now."

Without waiting for the other party to stop her, she left as if fleeing.

The little fox curled its lip: "This guy does have some self-awareness; looking at these words is simply an eyesore."

Nan Xun leaned over and took a sniff, unable to resist covering her mouth and chuckling, "It really is a bit ugly."

“It is indeed quite mismatched with his literary talent. No wonder he had someone else write his poems for him before.” Kong Nanwu couldn’t help but smile as she flipped through the booklet.

As he flipped through the pages, his initially indifferent expression turned to surprise and seriousness, and he began to read faster and faster.

While grooming its fur, which had been ruffled by its owner, the little fox Huhu muttered, "That guy is so funny. Miss helped him so much, and all he got in return was a tattered book with such ugly handwriting."

Nanxun chimed in, "That's right. I even helped him out, but I didn't see him give me any gifts. Men are indeed all heartless and ungrateful."

Hearing her sarcastic remark, Kong Nanwu chuckled: "Who said he didn't give you a gift? Wasn't this story written specifically for you?"

Nan Xun was taken aback and leaned closer to look at where she was pointing. What came into view were the words "A Chinese Ghost Story".

She exclaimed in surprise and hurriedly continued reading. With her current mental strength, she read very quickly and finished the book in no time. Her face flushed red and then shyly turned red, clearly indicating that she was extremely excited.

At this moment, Kong Nanwu snorted: "What does he mean by writing about the Black Mountain Demon? Is that how he perceives me, this vicious and cruel image?"

Nanxun immediately spoke up for Zu An: "Oh dear, Young Master Zu said that this wasn't written by him, but a story told by an old gentleman he met before."

"You used to be a concubine in the Prince's mansion and a spy trained by the Emperor. How could you be so naive?" Kong Nanwu looked at her with exasperation. "Although I would say I have read all the books in the world, I have read quite a lot, but I have never heard of this book, 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'."

"Perhaps Pu Songling hadn't yet made his fortune, which is why this book wasn't well-known?" Nanxun offered a guess.

Kong Nanwu shook her head: "Impossible. The person who wrote this book must be very talented. How could he not be famous? Moreover, the way this book is written is completely different from the mainstream way of writing. It is refreshing. Who else but someone with his talent could write it?"

"Miss, you're saying that Pu Songling is Master Zu's alias?" Nanxun asked, both surprised and delighted. "But why would he use an alias?"

"I've taken a quick look, and many of the stories mention love between demons and humans. The author is full of sympathy and admiration for the demon women. Perhaps he's a court official and doesn't want his political enemies to use this book as an excuse to attack him." Kong Nanwu's face showed a hint of joy. "Last time, I knew he was different from ordinary humans from his line 'Pitiable are the bones scattered by the river, still the dream of those in their boudoirs.' Now, it seems he really has no prejudice against us demons."

Hearing her praise Zu An, Nan Xun was inexplicably pleased and said with a smug look, "Young Master Zu is truly an extraordinary man..."

As she spoke, her face suddenly flushed, and she silently added in her heart, "No matter in any aspect."

The little fox standing nearby pouted and said, "I think that guy has ulterior motives. He deliberately wrote about love between demons and humans. Isn't he obviously trying to seduce Miss?"

Kong Nanwu was taken aback, and a blush gradually rose to her cheeks: "Don't talk nonsense. He also wrote stories about foxes in these stories. Is he trying to seduce you too?"

"Are there really foxes?" The little fox, who had initially looked disdainful, immediately jumped up upon hearing this and ran to read the book with great interest.

Kong Nanwu panicked: "Hey, don't snatch it, I haven't finished reading yet."

"I want to see too! I want to see too!" Nan Xun also joined in, and the master and servants quickly started arguing among themselves.

...

After leaving Hongxiuzhao, Zu'an returned home, and his servants reported, "Young Master, you're finally back. The Third Young Master has come looking for you several times."

The servants in the mansion were mostly from the Chu family, so they naturally addressed Chu Youzhao as "Young Master".

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!