She got pregnant after the swap marriage, and the scumbag's family regretted it so much they cr

Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing, Lu Ruyi felt a little uncomfortable.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a patch of white skin peeking out from the cuff. She smiled alluringly and asked, "Sister, Mother hasn't sent my dowry yet. I wonder if you could lend me a set or two of undergarments?"

She added somewhat shyly, "Otherwise, I'll have to continue wearing my husband's undergarments."

Lu Huan was almost disgusted by her saccharine tone, rolled her eyes, and didn't answer her.

Lu Ruyi was not discouraged by Lu Huan's disregard; instead, she looked at her with a hesitant expression.

Lu Huan didn't care, but Gao Yan found it somewhat nauseating. He asked Lu Huan in a voice loud enough for everyone present to hear, "You have sisters?"

Lu Huan didn't even look up: "Don't talk nonsense. My mother only gave birth to me."

In order not to humiliate herself, Lu Ruyi had no choice but to change the way she addressed him and say it again.

This time, Lu Huan didn't continue to ignore her: "I gave all your clothes to my mother-in-law yesterday. Go ask her for them."

Lu Ruyi's face flushed crimson. So Lu Huan had already given the clothes to Zhou Shi! What did all her previous flattery and the hundred taels of silver she'd given in return amount to in exchange for just two sets of clothes?

Unable to confront Zhou Shi, Lu Ruyi could only vent her anger on Lu Huan, completely forgetting Li Shi's instructions.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier!"

Didn't your mother-in-law give it to you?

Lu Ruyi panicked and shook Gao Zhongbao's arm: "Husband! Look at your sister-in-law!"

Gao Zhongbao was so shaken by her that he could barely hold the bowl. Thinking of the enchanting moments of the previous night, he couldn't bring himself to say anything too cold.

He could only promise, "I know, I'll go ask my mother for it later!"

Lu Ruyi looked at Lu Huan triumphantly, like a victorious rooster. Recalling Yu Zhu's report, a hint of hidden superiority appeared on her face.

Lu Huan didn't marry into the Li family, but that doesn't necessarily mean she got a good outcome. Didn't you see that her husband doesn't even want to touch her?

Fortunately, Lu Huan didn't know what Lu Ruyi was thinking, otherwise she would definitely have dragged Lu Ruyi's face down again.

Lu Huan, seemingly oblivious to her expression, asked, "When are you planning to leave for your homecoming tomorrow?"

Lu Ruyi seized every opportunity to show how loving she and Gao Zhongbao were: "My husband cherishes me and doesn't let me get up early."

"Alright, I'll handle it myself tomorrow."

A hint of anticipation, which even she herself didn't realize, flickered in Lu Ruyi's eyes.

This is a good opportunity to let my parents teach Lu Huan a lesson. Otherwise, with Brother Zhongbao present, it wouldn't be convenient for my parents to say anything too harsh. Lu Huan thinks that just because she's climbed up to the Prince of Yan's household, her mother can't do anything to her. She's seriously underestimating her mother, the mistress of the inner court!

Lu Huan was also looking forward to tomorrow's homecoming: she wondered what Lu Ruyi's reaction would be after learning that her younger sister Lu Jinxiu had been sent to the Li family. She really wanted to see it with her own eyes!

The two groups, each with their own agendas, parted ways outside the main hall.

You could still hear Gao Manting's coquettish voice from afar: "Sister-in-law, can I go to your room later to see your dress? I've never worn one this pretty before!"

The door to the west wing blocked Lu Ruyi's answer. Lu Huan didn't need to think too much to guess that she probably wouldn't refuse.

After all, given how much Gao Zhongbao dotes on Gao Manting, if Lu Ruyi really refuses, it's unlikely that a few flattering words will be enough to smooth things over.

At that point, it will be unclear whether Lu Ruyi would prefer to spend money or effort to win over Gao Zhongbao.

Lu Huan stretched her stiff back, and the thought of having to go to the Prince's Mansion again tomorrow made her feel tired.

Just as they were about to have Madam He bring in hot water for a bath, Gao Yan mysteriously approached them.

"Honey, I'll go get you some water first. I'll be going out for a bit later."

"Where are you going so late at night?"

"You'll find out soon!"

After confirming that Lu Huan had bolted the window, Gao Yan took advantage of the darkness to climb over the courtyard wall.

Lu Huan, carrying the wooden bucket, entered the space as well.

She quickly undressed herself, immersed herself in the hot water, and let out a satisfied sigh.

When the weather gets cold, taking a hot bath is so comforting!

With only Lu Huan in the space, she let loose and hummed a Nanjing folk song she had heard in her previous life.

However, she didn't shower for too long, and came out of the space before Gao Yan returned. Just as she was choosing clothes for the two of them to wear the next day, she heard a slight noise outside the window.

As the window was opened, a gust of cold wind rushed in, carrying a hint of chill.

Lu Huan couldn't help but shiver and reached out to touch Gao Yan's hand: "Why is it so cold! Come in and warm up!"

"It's no big deal!" Gao Yan quickly jumped into the room, not forgetting to close the window behind him. "After you open the window, go back to bed quickly, don't catch a cold!"

"Is it already this cold? It's only October!"

"Indeed! The weather this year is really strange! I just don't know if the heavens will give the people a way to survive."

A look of reluctance flashed in Lu Huan's eyes.

In my previous life, nearly 30% of the people in the North never saw the February sun. A small portion of them died from the cold wave, but the majority perished in the subsequent man-made disasters.

It was precisely because of this calamity that the Prince of Yan lost the Emperor's favor. If it weren't for Crown Prince Gu Chenxu pleading on his behalf, the Prince of Yan might have even lost his title. This is also one of the reasons why the Prince of Yan repeatedly showed leniency towards the Crown Prince after the Crown Prince's death.

With a crisp metallic clang, Lu Huan snapped back to reality and noticed that a package had appeared on the heated kang table.

She already had a guess in her mind, so she stepped forward and opened the small cloth bag. Sure enough, there was a small pile of silver inside.

The pain in her heart quickly turned into a smile: "Is this the secret stash of money you've been saving up over the years?"

Gao Yan touched the back of his neck and nodded somewhat embarrassedly. Compared to Lu Huan's dowry, these forty-odd taels of silver might not seem like much, but for him, it was all the money he could afford.

Besides joy, Lu Huan felt mostly bitterness and a dull ache in her heart.

She quickly turned around, her tone coquettish without her even realizing it: "Who wants your money!"

"You're my wife, so you should definitely keep the money for me! Besides, you bought me so many clothes."

"So this is the money for clothes." This time, there was a hint of resentment in her voice.

"not me……"

Lu Huan turned her head again, this time with only a smile on her face: "I'm done washing up, it's your turn, go ahead!"

As he spoke, he picked up the bag of silver and walked to the side of the canopy bed.

Gao Yan reached out and splashed some water that Lu Huan had used. He thought that this was water his wife had used, and although it was a little cold, he was still very happy.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that there wasn't a single drop of water on the ground next to the wooden bucket.

His smile froze for only a moment before returning to normal.