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

"Miss, your flowers have fallen."

A man's voice came from behind her, and Gan Cai'er's face turned pale.

The same words suddenly surged from the deepest recesses of her memory, ringing loudly in her ears. Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned around abruptly, looking behind her with almost panicked eyes.

A strange, young face came into her view.

Gan Cai'er's heart, which had been pounding, suddenly relaxed and returned to its place. The breath she had been holding in was finally released slowly.

She came to her senses.

It's the fourth year of Jinghe now, and she's only sixteen. She's still in Danzhou Prefecture, how could she possibly run into that scoundrel!

"Have I disturbed you, Miss?"

Seeing Gan Cai'er's expression shift from shock to bewilderment as she stared blankly at him, the young man softened his voice.

He never expected that this seemingly lively and playful woman would be so frightened and timid when she encountered a stranger.

Gan Cai'er took a breath and then saw that the man was holding a red velvet flower in his hand.

Today she wore a pomegranate-red silk skirt embroidered with gold thread. With every step she took, the gold threads on the hem shimmered and sparkled in the sunlight, displaying an air of great luxury.

To complement her silk skirt, she wore a pure gold phoenix hairpin and a red velvet flower next to it, which not only echoed her dress but also contrasted with the red leaves covering the mountain.

At that moment, the young man was holding the red velvet flower from her hair.

It seems that when I was arranging the wild chrysanthemums, my hair bun came loose, causing the velvet flowers to fall to the ground.

Seeing that her young mistress looked unwell, Xiao Hong stepped forward and shielded Gan Cai'er behind her.

"Thank you, young master." Xiao Hong stepped forward, bowed, and then took back the velvet flower.

"A-Cai, what's wrong?" Zhu Xiaoxiao asked worriedly.

"I might be a little dizzy from running too fast just now," Gan Cai'er said softly.

"How about we find a place to sit down?"

"Mm." Gan Cai'er nodded.

At this moment, she was in a state of extreme turmoil and really wanted to find a quiet place to calm down.

"Miss, your flowers have fallen."

These were the words Meng Yu said when she first met him in her previous life.

Gan Cai'er never expected that after more than ten years and a lifetime, she would still remember it, and even panic because of it.

What year was that?

Gan Cai'er lowered her eyelids and thought for a moment. It seemed to be her fifth year in Kyoto?

That year, Lan Tingzhou was promoted to Academician of the Hanlin Academy, becoming the most sought-after new elite in the capital.

In fact, from the day he achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations at Lanting Zhou, his popularity never waned. Not only did various ministers in the court extend olive branches to him, but even Emperor Jinghe held him in high regard.

Therefore, even though everyone knew that Lan Tingzhou already had a wife, countless women still flocked to him like moths to a flame. People said that Lan Tingzhou marrying her was like a cow chewing on a peony.

Lantingzhou is a peony, and she is an ox.

Gan Cai'er first met Meng Yu outside the woodshed in the Shangguan mansion.

At that moment, she was sliding down the wall when she lost her footing and landed on her bottom. She cursed her bad luck and was slapping her bottom as she stood up when she heard a lazy, amused voice behind her.

"Miss, your flowers have fallen."

Gan Cai'er turned around and saw a young man leaning against a big tree behind her.

He wore a purple brocade robe embroidered with auspicious clouds, birds and beasts in gold and silver threads, and a leather belt around his waist with a large pearl inlaid in the center.

A jade pendant hangs beside the pearl; the jade is delicate and lustrous, and its shape is simple and ancient. On her feet are black deerskin boots, the uppers of which are embroidered with intricate patterns in gold and silver thread.

This person was covered in gold, silver, and jade from head to toe, making him appear dazzling and extremely ostentatious.

Gan Cai'er noticed that what he was holding was the pearl flower she had worn when she left home, which must have fallen off accidentally when she climbed over the wall.

She couldn't help but grumble to herself, "I wonder how long he's been standing there watching this commotion!"

"This humble woman thanks you, young master."

Gan Cai'er still bowed to him and reached out to take the pearl hairpin.

To her surprise, the man raised his hand and held the beaded flower high. He was very tall, and Gan Cai'er missed her target, immediately glaring angrily at him.

The other person had a pair of narrow, almond-shaped eyes that were slightly upturned, revealing a lazy, almost roguish smile.

He twirled the beaded flower between his fingers, looking down at Gan Cai'er.

"You must tell me, which family's young lady are you, and why are you doing this kind of trespassing? If Lord Shangguan's mansion is burgled, I will be implicated."

Gan Cai'er fell silent for a moment, realizing that she was indeed in the wrong.

Today is the fiftieth birthday banquet of Shangguan Hongwen, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Originally, Gan Cai'er was supposed to attend the banquet with Lan Tingzhou, but coincidentally, Ding Peilan invited her to watch a play today.

Gan Cai'er's life in Kyoto has not been easy for the past few years. The women in the aristocratic and wealthy circles look down on her and ostracize her openly and secretly. Only Ding Peilan treats her well.

Although Ding Peilan came from a humble background—her father was only a fifth-rank military officer—she was pretty, kind-hearted, sweet-talking, and efficient. Therefore, she was very popular among the elite ladies.

She lacked the arrogance of a noblewoman and was approachable, so Gan Cai'er got along well with her. She often took Gan Cai'er to various gatherings of noble ladies.

Gan Cai'er cherishes this friendship very much, and in return, she often gives Ding Peilan various valuable jewelry.

Given the choice between accompanying Lan Tingzhou to a birthday banquet and watching a play with Ding Peilan, Gan Cai'er naturally chose the latter.

In the past, when she accompanied Lan Tingzhou to banquets, she either embarrassed him, made herself feel annoyed, or both.

Moreover, she was also competing with herself. She wanted to integrate into the circle of noble ladies and befriend the powerful and wealthy. She didn't want to become a stain on Lan Tingzhou's reputation. She wanted everyone to say that she was worthy of Lan Tingzhou.

Therefore, Ding Peilan's friendship is all the more precious.

But when she arrived at Yunshao Pavilion and was about to push open the door to the private room, she unexpectedly overheard the truth.

"The Shangguan family is hosting a banquet today, and many of the sisters have gone to attend. Why did you choose to come and listen to music today?" Gan Cai'er recognized the voice; it was Zhao Cen.

"Ha, it's not that I wanted to come and listen to music today, it's just that Shangguan Qi made me trip up that good-for-nothing."

Ding Peilan's voice was disdainful and contemptuous, a tone that Gan Cai'er had never heard before.

Gan Cai'er was struck dumb, standing frozen outside the door, her hands and feet ice-cold, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

It turns out that she also secretly called herself a "good-for-nothing," and the contempt in her words was no different from that of others.

Xiao Hong, who was standing beside her, was furious and wanted to push open the door to confront the person in question. Gan Cai'er grabbed Xiao Hong and gently shook her head. She wanted to hear more.

"Oh dear, so Shangguan Qi has also taken a liking to Lord Lan? Heh, I've heard that Princess Pingyao has always had feelings for Lord Lan." Zhao Cen said with a smile.

"Lord Lan is elegant and talented; how many noble ladies in the capital don't admire him?"

"What good is admiration? No matter how incompetent or vulgar Gan Cai'er is, she still occupies the position of the legal wife. What can you do about it?" Another voice rang out; it was Yao Xuxu.

"Hehe, this legal wife, can she hold onto her position for a while, or for a lifetime?" Ding Peilan laughed, her voice laced with sarcasm.

"That's true. Not to mention Princess Pingyao, even Shangguan Qi could easily make her disappear with a flick of his finger."

Gan Cai'er felt increasingly chilled as she listened.

It turns out that these guys not only had their eyes on her husband, but also wanted her dead!

A surge of anger welled up from the bottom of her heart, and Gan Cai'er could no longer hold back, kicking open the door.

Since everyone calls her a country bumpkin, she'll show them what a real country bumpkin and shrew is!

When Gan Cai'er kicked the door open, the three women inside were all taken aback.

Ding Peilan forced a stiff smile, intending to step forward and explain, but Gan Cai'er, without saying a word, grabbed a pot of hot tea and poured it over her head. She covered her face and immediately screamed.

Then, amidst the screams of the women, Gan Cai'er ripped off Ding Peilan's phoenix hairpin and hair ornament, and broke Zhao Cen's tassel... all of which she had given to them.

Finally, Gan Cai'er messed up the hair of the three women and kicked them hard a few times.

She's not good at playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, or painting, but she's good at fighting.

After leaving Yunshao Pavilion, Gan Cai'er urged everyone to go to the Shangguan residence as soon as she got into the carriage. She learned from Ding Peilan that it was Shangguan Qi's idea to stop her from going to the banquet with Lanting Boat today.

She couldn't help but worry that something might go wrong with Lantingzhou today.

When the carriage arrived at the Shangguan residence, the gatekeeper, seeing no invitation, refused to let her in and did not send any message.

Even if Gan Cai'er were naive, she would know that she had been given prior notice.

She was anxious and paced around the outer wall of the Shangguan residence. Then she saw a sycamore tree, tall and thick, very close to the wall.

And so came the scene of her climbing trees and scaling walls.

Gan Cai'er had a gut feeling that the man in front of her didn't seem like a good person.

Although he was handsome and dressed in fine clothes, he had a playful, nonchalant smile on his lips, which made him quite unserious.

Meng Yu was indeed no good person. He was the third young master of the Duke of Wei's mansion and a notorious playboy in the capital. He spent his days doing nothing but cockfighting, dog racing, and indulging in sensual pleasures, living a life of debauchery.

Gan Cai'er was worried about Lanting Boat and was anxious, so she simply gave up on the pearl hairpin and turned to leave.

"Hey, which lady are you? Why are you leaving so abruptly?"

When Meng Yu first saw Gan Cai'er, he found her to be exceptionally beautiful and her manners interesting, and he couldn't help but become interested. So he picked up a pearl hairpin and went up to strike up a conversation.

Now that they were closer, he took a closer look and realized that the woman in front of him was not a young girl, but a woman.

For some reason, she wore her hair in a little girl's bun.

He naturally had no idea that Gan Cai'er had just finished a fight.

Although Gan Cai'er won the fight, her makeup and hair were completely ruined. In the carriage, Xiao Hong had to hurriedly fix it for her. With limited time, Xiao Hong simply styled it into a simple double bun. Neither of them noticed that this hairstyle was commonly worn by unmarried young women.

Hearing the other person change their form of address, Gan Cai'er understood that the other person already knew she was a married woman. But knowing she was a married woman, yet still following her around teasing her with frivolous words, Gan Cai'er couldn't help but feel anger rising within her.

She stopped, turned around, spat at him fiercely, and cursed, "Pah, you lecherous scoundrel!"

Meng Yu raised an eyebrow, finding it quite strange. Many people secretly cursed him behind his back, but very few dared to curse him to his face! This young lady was truly rare; he wanted to see which family she belonged to.

So he followed Gan Cai'er at a leisurely pace, keeping a safe distance, until she circled the backyard several times. Finally, he smiled, thinking that the young lady must have gotten lost.

"Young lady, you've already circled the backyard twice. The moon gate on the right is the path to the front yard," Meng Yu kindly reminded her.

"Mind your own business, get out of my way!"

Gan Cai'er's eyebrows shot up, and she cursed. Then, she went to the moon gate on the right.

Meng Yu smiled. The woman in front of him was full of fighting spirit and anger, and her whole body was bright and shiny, like a red-billed blue magpie about to go into battle. She was really beautiful!

So he secretly followed her, determined to see what was going on.

If Gan Cai'er had known then that the two would become entangled later, she would never have spat at him.