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

Gan Cai'er felt like she was stuck in a swamp, her hands and feet entangled, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free.

Her mouth and nose felt like they were being filled, and the air she could breathe in was becoming increasingly thin and suffocating, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She could only get a tiny bit of fresh, clean air by biting hard into a soft, warm crevice.

Let her catch her breath.

She strained to open her eyes, but it seemed she couldn't see anything clearly. The bizarre images flashing before her eyes were all scenes from her past life, those decadent and unbearable moments between her and Lan Tingzhou.

There was one who, young and naive, clung to Lan Tingzhou relentlessly; another who sang a little tune she'd learned from the flower boat and groped Lan Tingzhou; and yet another who treated Lan Tingzhou like a tender, white pork hock, chewing on it with gusto... By the end of the night, Gan Cai'er felt utterly exhausted, her body felt like it was falling apart, and her head was buzzing, completely dazed.

After she woke up, she was unable to move for a long time, her eyes were still, and she stared blankly at the bed curtains, lost in thought.

After a long while, she looked up and rubbed her aching forehead, secretly wondering if Madam Zhu had put some hallucinogenic drug in the osmanthus wine she brewed.

She turned slightly to the side and saw Xiao Hong sitting on the edge of her bed, intently embroidering a purse. She squinted and looked out the window; it was already bright daylight, not like early morning.

"Xiao Hong, what time is it?" Gan Cai'er was startled by her own hoarse voice as soon as she spoke.

When Xiao Hong saw that she was awake, she quickly poured her a glass of water and helped her sit up.

"Just past noon."

"Is it noon?" Gan Cai'er was surprised; she had slept until noon.

"It's so late, why didn't you wake me up?"

Gan Cai'er took a sip of water, and her throat finally felt a little better. Although her throat felt better, her body started to ache again. As soon as she moved, her whole body ached.

Gan Cai'er was in so much pain that she kept grimacing. How could this be? Did she catch a chill last night?

"Miss, won't you sleep a little longer?" Xiao Hong asked with concern.

"Why do I need to sleep a little longer?" Gan Cai'er asked curiously.

"You sang a little tune to your son-in-law most of the night last night. Aren't you tired?" Xiao Hong asked.

"What? Lan Tingzhou came back yesterday?!" Gan Cai'er exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes. I heard from Moyan that your husband carried you into the house yesterday."

So, what happened last night wasn't a dream! It really happened!!

Gan Cai'er buried herself in the blankets, feeling too ashamed to face anyone.

"Was it sung very loudly?" Gan Cai'er's muffled voice came from under the covers.

"Yes, everyone in the courtyard heard it last night," Xiao Hong replied truthfully, adding a kind reassurance at the end, "Miss's singing was quite beautiful."

Gan Cai'er looked up at Xiao Hong with a lifeless expression: "What did I sing last night?"

"Uh..." Xiao Hong was unusually silent for a moment, then answered honestly.

"Eighteen touches, and a young man."

Gan Cai'er nearly died of shame and indignation.

She lingered inside for a while before finally stepping out of the house. Then, she saw a group of people in the yard.

Lan Tingzhou and Lan Tingzhi were sparring, while Mo Yan, Mo Yun, and a group of young maids watched from the sidelines.

Although Lan Tingzhou had never formally studied martial arts, Gan Cai'er knew he was skilled in fighting and his technique was probably quite good. Otherwise, Lan Tingzhi wouldn't have been so obedient in front of him and would have often gotten beaten up.

When Gan Cai'er came out, everyone in the courtyard was taken aback at first, then lowered their heads and looked away. Gan Cai'er felt extremely embarrassed.

Only Lantingzhi excitedly approached Gan Cai'er.

"Good morning, sister-in-law!" Lan Tingzhi greeted her with a refreshed expression.

Gan Cai'er looked up at the bright sun high in the sky. She couldn't help but sigh. It was past noon, and they were still saying good morning. Only Lan Tingzhi would care about her feelings like that.

"How did you get back from the academy?" Gan Cai'er asked.

Logically speaking, Lantingzhou shouldn't be able to leave the academy recently.

"Yesterday was the fifteenth, and I specially brought my brother back!" Lan Tingzhi said to Gan Cai'er with a smug look of pride.

“When I asked Headmaster Ouyang for leave, he initially disagreed, but when he heard that it was my brother who needed the leave, he immediately agreed.”

Seeing Lan Tingzhi's pleading look, Gan Cai'er felt a lump in her throat, almost unable to catch her breath.

She looked at Lan Tingzhi and said with difficulty, "The academy exam is in two months. Your brother's studies are more important. The first and fifteenth of the month are not important, really not important."

"Studying is nothing compared to my sister-in-law!" Lan Tingzhi said dismissively, waving her hand. "Besides, my brother will definitely pass the imperial examination, so you can rest assured, sister-in-law."

"Also, let me tell you. My brother wrote a letter a few days ago, asking Uncle Zhang to send over some fresh sea bass. Judging by the time, it should arrive in the next couple of days."

Steamed sea bass is Gan Cai'er's favorite dish. Especially in winter, when sea bass is even rarer, Gan Cai'er craves it even more.

"Tingzhi, you talk too much."

A soft, gentle shout interrupted Lan Tingzhi's rambling. Although Lan Tingzhi pursed his lips, he still stopped talking.

Following the soft shout, Gan Cai'er finally looked up at Lan Tingzhou. When she saw the faint scratches and bite marks on Lan Tingzhou's neck, her scalp tingled.

She hurried over, grabbed Lan Tingzhou, and dragged him into the house.

"Hiss~~~" Gasps of breath rose from the surroundings.

Lan Tingzhou looked up at the sun, in broad daylight... He frowned deeply, but did not shake off Gan Cai'er's hand, letting her pull him into the house.

Gan Cai'er pressed Lan Tingzhou down to sit in front of the dressing table, and then took out several powder boxes of different shades.

"I'll put some powder on you to cover it up."

Lan Tingzhou then understood Gan Cai'er's intention and said calmly, "No need. It will disappear in a couple of days."

Gan Cai'er was so embarrassed that she clenched her toes.

“I will return to the academy in a few days. I can study at home during these days, which is just as good as studying at home.”

Seeing Gan Cai'er standing in front of him somewhat at a loss, Lan Tingzhou softened his tone, took her hand, and looked at her.

"Your nails need to be trimmed."

"No way." Gan Cai'er pulled her hand back and refused, "This is used for splitting threads when doing embroidery."

"Is your family short of money?" Lan Tingzhou frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

In his memory, Gan Cai'er has never been short of money. Moreover, recently he has been giving her more or less money for household expenses.

“If you are short of money, just tell me how much. You don’t need to do embroidery to supplement your household income.”

Gan Cai'er knew that Lan Tingzhou was making a lot of money now, bringing home one or two hundred taels every month, which was much higher than the net profit that Xiu Fang earned in a month.

But what she wanted wasn't Lan Tingzhou's money. What she wanted was to earn her own money. However, she couldn't say these things to Lan Tingzhou.

"It's too boring to stay at home. Xiaoxiao and I can earn money at the embroidery shop and chat with people. It's great."

Lantingzhou remained silent for a moment, then offered no further objection.

Lan Tingzhou has been recuperating at home these past few days, and Gan Cai'er, feeling guilty, hasn't gone to Jinxiufang. She stayed home, busying herself with preparing Lan Tingzhou's favorite foods and even tailoring him several new outfits.

Zhu Xiaoxiao, exasperated, reached out to poke Lan Tingzhou's forehead with her finger. But when she turned her head and saw the obvious scratches on Lan Tingzhou's once flawless face, she silently withdrew her finger.

On the third day that Gan Cai'er didn't go to Jinxiufang, Boss Zhang came knocking. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he excitedly shouted...

"Lady Lan, a big business opportunity has arrived!"