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

In the dead of winter, to go horseback riding in the desolate wilderness. Just thinking about the open fields, the howling north wind, the freezing cold everywhere, and even dogs not venturing out... Chu Mingyuan was utterly opposed to it.

However, Meng Yu was a domineering and scoundrel by nature, and he simply couldn't refuse him.

So, Chu Mingyuan could only grumble and lead out his horse, following behind Meng Yu, and gallop out of the capital city.

In the northern suburbs of Kyoto, there was a dedicated horse racing track, where Meng Yu and his gang of cronies were frequent visitors. Without needing anyone to announce their arrival, and too lazy to use the main gate, the two simply pulled on the reins, spurred their horses, and leaped over the track's fence, entering the racecourse directly.

After running three or four laps around the hunting grounds and getting a mouthful of cold wind, Chu Mingyuan couldn't stand the cold any longer. He kicked his horse's belly, and the two of them blocked Meng Yu's path.

He yelled at Meng Yu, "Meng San, are you done yet? If you keep running like this, I'll be blown into frozen jerky!"

Meng Yu glanced at him sideways and scoffed, "Tsk, look at you, you coward!"

"Alright, you can go rest over there. I'm going to run a few more laps."

Having said that, he spurred his horse and galloped away.

"Hey, Xiao Zhao, what's wrong with your young master?" Chu Mingyuan asked Feng Zhao.

Feng Zhao thought for a moment, then carefully chose his words and said, "Young Master is getting married soon, so he's feeling troubled. If Young Master Chu could offer some words of comfort, that would be great."

"Hey, what's the big deal? It's enough to bother him like this! Watch me, I'll make sure your young master comes here feeling frustrated and annoyed, and leaves feeling happy." Chu Mingyuan raised an eyebrow and smiled confidently.

After running around for another ten laps, Meng Yu finally stopped.

Looking at Meng Yu, who was drenched in sweat as if he had been pulled out of the water, Chu Mingyuan frowned and was secretly alarmed. Meng San's appearance was indeed not quite right.

It's just a wedding, why is it bothering him like this? It seems I need to give him some serious guidance and advice.

"Look how sweaty you are! Let's go soak in Tianxiang Spring," Chu Mingyuan suggested.

Tianxiang Spring is not far from the North Suburb Racecourse, only about ten miles away, a short ride on horseback. Tianxiang Spring is a hot spring, but it is more than just a hot spring; it is also a haven of tranquility. In the past, Meng Yu and his group of纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy families who were spoiled and dissolute) would always go there after their horseback riding adventures.

It can relieve fatigue and provide entertainment.

Like any other brothel, Tianxiangquan had two types of girls: "pure courtesans" and "red courtesans." Pure courtesans sold their art but not their bodies, while red courtesans had no such restrictions; as long as they were paid enough, they would do anything.

Meng Yu and Chu Mingyuan entered Tianxiang Spring with practiced ease, then booked a hot spring pool and soaked comfortably inside.

"Ah, this hot spring is so comfortable. It opens up all my pores and makes me feel so relaxed. It's much better than the little bit of water we boil at home." Chu Mingyuan let out a comfortable sigh and squinted his eyes contentedly.

Meng Yu half-closed his eyelids, quietly soaking in the pool, ignoring him.

"Hey, Meng San, it's just getting married, why are you making such a fuss?" Chu Mingyuan kicked Meng Yu.

Meng Yu opened his eyes and glanced at him sideways: "You don't know anything!"

"Heh, how could I not understand? I'm getting married next year too, okay? Or is it..." Chu Mingyuan approached Meng Yu mysteriously, his eyes scanning him up and down.

"Could it be that you have some unspeakable secret?"

Meng Yu sneered, raised his leg and kicked at Chu Mingyuan. Chu Mingyuan hurriedly retreated several steps, dodging the kick in a sorry state.

"Tsk, tsk, Meng San, how much anger have you been holding back? You're ready to fight at the drop of a hat!"

"How about I get you someone to vent your frustrations on?"

Meng Yu glanced at Chu Mingyuan, then thought of his own barely suppressed lust, and nodded.

Chu Mingyuan assigned Meng Yu a male prostitute.

This group of spoiled young men, who seem to frequent brothels, actually rarely choose male prostitutes when they visit them.

First, once they reached adulthood, their families would provide them with maids to relieve their needs, so they wouldn't crave that kind of thing. Second, there was a fear of accidentally fathering children outside the marriage, thus confusing the bloodline. Third, there was a fear of contracting a difficult-to-treat disease, which would damage both their reputation and their health.

If someone really takes a fancy to someone, they usually redeem the girl from her servitude, buy her a house, and keep her as a mistress.

Chu Mingyuan made an exception today, choosing a male concubine for Meng Yu, because he could tell that Meng Yu was indeed very repressed. Although he didn't know why Meng Yu was making things difficult for him, insisting on keeping him confined, even though he already had a maidservant at home. Even if the maidservant had lost its novelty, couldn't he just take in one or two more suitable young maids?

Chu Mingyuan shook his head, indicating his confusion. He summoned the madam of Tianxiang Pavilion and instructed her to send in a girl who had never served customers before. She had to be pretty and sensible, and the money would be plentiful.

The madam immediately summoned a girl.

"This is Xiao Cui, young master, what do you think of her?" The madam asked with a beaming smile.

Chu Mingyuan looked up and saw that although the girl was not a beauty of unparalleled grace, she had a face like a peach blossom, a rosy complexion, and could be described as charming and lovely.

Chu Mingyuan nodded. Xiao Cui then undressed and entered the hot spring. Chu Mingyuan turned around and went to another pool.

Hearing light footsteps behind him, Meng Yu lifted his eyelids to glance over and saw a girl dressed very scantily clad walking gracefully towards him. Knowing that Chu Mingyuan had chosen her for him, he lowered his eyelids again, feeling no ripples in his heart.

"Just scrub it off," Meng Yu said lazily, his eyes closed.

Meng Yu had striking features and a handsome face. Although slender, his body was well-proportioned with strong, muscular build. Xiao Cui had never seen such a good-looking guest before, and she blushed instantly, serving him even more diligently.

A moment later, Meng Yu regretted it. The reason he had agreed to Chu Mingyuan's request was because he was burning with rage and thought it would be good to vent it.

But when the person was actually brought to him, he felt utterly bored and couldn't muster any interest. With his eyes closed, all he could think about was Gan Cai'er.

It's not that Gan Cai'er is exceptionally beautiful or unique. It's just that once she puts someone in her heart, everyone else becomes blurry and uninteresting. But that one person, even a slight thought, can make her heart race, her blood boil, and leave her wanting more...

The more attentive Xiao Cui was to him, the more restless Meng Yu became.

Suddenly, he stood up abruptly, strode out of the hot spring pool, grabbed a robe from the side and put it on, then left Tianxiang Spring without looking back.

He didn't even greet Zhu Mingyuan, nor did he bother to call Feng Zhao. He turned around, mounted his horse, and galloped straight towards the Lan residence in the east of the city.

Meng Yu knew that only Gan Cai'er could extinguish the fire in his heart.

Why should he have to bottle it up and suffer all by himself?!

Meng Yu felt a burning rage within him.

The thought of Gan Cai'er lying in Lan Tingzhou's arms, shy and demure, intimate with him every night, filled him with a violent rage, a bone-deep hatred that drove him to the brink of madness.

She was clearly his wife, the mother of his children! His lawfully wedded princess! That old scoundrel divorced her long ago, so why did he still cling to her?!

It was clearly that old scoundrel who hurt her more and wronged her more, yet she always sided with him! It was the same in her past life, and it's the same in this one!

The more Meng Yu thought about it, the more his anger burned. The fierce north wind howled and lashed his face as he sped along, chilling him to the bone, but it did nothing to extinguish the fire burning in his chest.

Seeing Gan Cai'er and then taking her away was the only thought in his mind.