After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

Ten days later, Gan Cai'er received an invitation to a "lotus appreciation banquet" from Wei Yulan.

It was June, the season when lotus flowers were in full bloom. Du Zhong, the prefect of Danzhou, loved lotus flowers so much that he even built a lotus garden in his residence.

This time, it just so happened that Lu Yu from the Hanlin Academy came to Danzhou for inspection, and Du Zhong took advantage of the opportune time and place to hold a grand "lotus appreciation banquet".

Although it was a grand event, the number of invitees was limited because it was held in the prefecture. Therefore, apart from the prominent figures in Danzhou Prefecture, it was extremely difficult for others to obtain an invitation.

Gan Cai'er held the invitation, hugged Wei Yulan and spun her around several times, showering her with sweet words and flattery, making Wei Yulan overjoyed and wishing she could pluck the stars from the sky for her.

After Gan Cai'er finished flattering her and left with the invitation, Wei Yulan calmed down and realized that she had given away another two hundred taels of silver, a collection of Hanshan paintings, two sets of writing implements, and several pieces of fine brocade.

She couldn't help but stamp her foot in frustration. It was true what they said: a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; she devoted all her attention to her son-in-law.

Gan Cai'er's selfless devotion deeply troubled Wei Yulan. She had seen too many people who loved too deeply end up badly.

What Wei Yulan didn't know was that Gan Cai'er was indeed doing her best for Lan Tingzhou, but she no longer had any expectations for Lan Tingzhou.

All her fantasies about love were buried cleanly in that blizzard of her past life.

With the emotional entanglements gone, Gan Cai'er felt her mind was much clearer.

Just as Gan Cai'er was racking her brains trying to figure out how to persuade Lan Tingzhou to go to Danzhou Prefecture, the latter suddenly said he would take her to Danzhou Prefecture for sightseeing.

Gan Cai'er was taken aback. This didn't happen in her previous life.

Seeing Gan Cai'er stunned, Lan Tingzhou explained, "I was focused on preparing for the exam recently, and you took care of all the big and small matters at home. Thank you for your hard work, Madam."

"Since we got married, I haven't been able to spend much time with you. Now that the exams are over and the weather is nice, I'd like to take you to Danzhou Prefecture to relax."

Gan Cai'er did not believe Lan Tingzhou's words.

She and Lan Tingzhou were husband and wife for two lifetimes, and she knew that he would avoid her as much as he could, so why would he take the initiative to invite her to go out for a walk or a trip?

Something unusual must be going wrong!

However, Gan Cai'er didn't care what kind of demon it was. She knew Gan Tingzhou was a gentleman and would never do anything to harm her. This way, she wouldn't have to bother figuring out a reason to trick Lan Tingzhou into going to Danzhou Prefecture.

So good.

After agreeing on the terms, the two set the date for their trip to Danzhou Prefecture for five days later.

Next, Gan Cai'er busied herself preparing their luggage. She made several new outfits for Lan Tingzhou and herself, and used all the brocade she had collected from Wei Yulan.

On the day of their departure, Lan Tingzhou brought Mo Yan, and Gan Cai'er brought Xiao Hong. Just as dawn broke, the four of them set off in a carriage.

Qingshui Town is about 300 li away from Danzhou Prefecture, which takes about a day and a half by horse-drawn carriage.

The carriage was a luxurious one that Gan Cai'er had specially obtained from Wei Yulan. The carriage walls were covered with brocade, the seat cushions were made of silk, and there was a thick carpet under the feet, making it extremely luxurious.

With new clothes and a new car, Gan Cai'er was particularly meticulous for this trip to Danzhou Prefecture, not wanting to lose face or be looked down upon.

The carriage was very spacious, easily accommodating four or five people. However, Xiao Hong wisely sat on the carriage shaft, next to the driver Mo Yan, leaving the carriage for Lan Tingzhou and Gan Cai'er.

An intricately carved wooden door separates the carriage into an independent, safe, and private space.

Gan Cai'er was restless.

If she had had this opportunity to be alone with Lan Tingzhou in her past life, she would definitely have caused trouble. She loved seeing Lan Tingzhou's aloof and self-possessed expression, yet helpless against her, ultimately forced to compromise.

She used to think that it was Lan Tingzhou's way of expressing his uncontrollable feelings for her, but now she thinks that his blushing face probably represented more humiliation or embarrassment.

This can't go on anymore.

Gan Cai'er consciously and diligently pressed herself against the carriage wall, keeping as far away from Lan Tingzhou as possible, as if she wanted to turn herself into a mural and stick it onto the carriage.

The carriage was unusually quiet.

Lan Tingzhou glanced at her silently. This side of Gan Cai'er made him feel very uncomfortable.

Ever since he met Gan Cai'er, she had always been chattering away, like a noisy sparrow, rarely quiet for a moment. If he ignored her, she would come up with a thousand ways to stop until he responded.

Why is it so quiet today?

Lan Tingzhou glanced at her, then glanced at her again, a strange irritation rising in his heart, as if a small fire was burning within him.

He was annoyed when she was being noisy, but he was even more annoyed when she quieted down.

Gan Cai'er, on the other hand, kept her head down, eyes downcast, sitting upright and dignified, not overstepping any boundaries. Her actions demonstrated that she would never provoke him.

Sitting on the carriage shaft, Xiao Hong sensed something was amiss. She reached out and poked the inkstone, whispering gossipily, "Something seems off?"

"What's wrong?" Mo Yan was completely confused.

"Don't you think it's too quiet?" Xiao Hong gestured towards the carriage.

Mo Yan paused in his whip-wielding hand, tilted his head to listen for a while, and said, "Could it be that the young mistress has drugged the young master, or gagged him?"

"Slap!" Xiao Hong raised her hand and slapped Mo Yan hard on the head. "What nonsense are you talking about! My young lady would never do anything to hurt her son-in-law."

Mo Yan pouted, feeling unconvinced. Hadn't the young mistress given the young master enough medicine?

However, after Xiao Hong reminded him, Mo Yan thought about it and suddenly realized something was wrong. He also whispered, "Something is not right."

“In the past, the young mistress would come to the study two or three times a day, whether she had something to do or not, but in the last few months, she has hardly come at all.”

"That's because the young master has an exam, and the young lady is worried that it will affect his studies," Xiao Hong defended Gan Cai'er.

"I don't know if the young mistress's visits to the study affected the young master's studies. I only know that during the time the young mistress was not here, the young master's face grew colder day by day, and his temper became more volatile. Mo Yun and I were both very careful and dared not even breathe loudly."

Xiao Hong scratched her head, seemingly puzzled, and said, "But shouldn't we be conserving our energy and building up our strength before the big exam?"

"Huh?!" Mo Yan's eyes widened in shock.

Is this what "reserving energy and building up strength" really means?!

"Yes, that's what Miss said, which is why she refrained from going to see the young master."

"Xiao Hong, shut up!" Gan Cai'er finally lost her temper and shouted.

Xiao Hong and Mo Yan thought they were gossiping very quietly, but everyone in the carriage could hear them.

Gan Cai'er's unusual behavior of no longer going to the study to find Lan Tingzhou naturally drew Xiao Hong's attention, and she made up this excuse on the spot. Who knew Xiao Hong would be so outspoken, blurting out whatever came to mind!

Lan Tingzhou was afraid that he would think again that she still harbored improper thoughts towards him!

Now, she's truly in a situation where she can't clear her name no matter what she does.

Gan Cai'er really wished she could sew Xiao Hong's mouth shut and then find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Lan Tingzhou's gaze was indifferent: "I don't need to take care of myself like this."

Gan Cai'er's face suddenly turned bright red, her cheeks flushed like a beautiful summer sunset.

Lan Tingzhou's fingers curled up.

This vital energy seems to have been stored up a bit too much.