Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

Just then, Donghua came in carrying a large food box, panting, and called out loudly, "Miss, lunch is here."

You must be starving.

Zhou Zhilan pulled her to the octagonal table in the outer room and pressed her down into a chair.

Donghua took out six dishes and a soup, along with two kinds of desserts, from the food box.

The dishes are light and delicate, and the soup is a rich medicinal chicken soup.

Gu Hua pulled Zhou Zhilan to sit down.

She didn't mince words: "I'm just here to have dinner with you."

Gu Hua originally wanted to visit the old lady, since they lived next door, it wouldn't be appropriate not to go and say hello.

Moreover, Mu Junyan is a very filial son, and winning over the old lady will be beneficial in winning him over.

But then I thought, I'm carrying a sickly aura, and it wouldn't be good if it passed on to the old lady.

Don't you want to find a way to show respect without showing your face?

Zhou Zhilan tapped the table with the tip of her chopsticks: "I'm telling you, don't be so preoccupied while you're eating. You'll have more energy to think about things once you've eaten."

Gu Hua raised her eyebrows, smiled gently, and obediently focused on eating.

After the two finished lunch, Zhou Zhilan magically produced two short storybooks, waving them around with a grin: "Freshly baked, these are really exciting."

Gu Hua was in an exceptionally good mood.

The sun was shining brightly outside, and the air after the rain was exceptionally fresh. Gu Hua and Zhou Zhilan sat together under a tree in the small courtyard, drinking lily and lotus seed milk soup while reading a short storybook.

The warm sunlight outlined the girl's graceful figure.

The girl lowered her head, revealing her gracefully curved swan neck and her snow-white skin.

Her black hair was tied up at an angle, held in place by only a chopstick, resembling a delicate and understated watercolor painting of a beautiful woman.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the half-yellow-green ginkgo leaves fell like snowflakes, landing on the head, shoulders, and body of the girl in the white dress, before slowly sliding down her shoulders to the ground.

Mu Junyan came in just in time to see this scene.

Gu Hua sensed the approaching powerful aura and her fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the small storybook.

I straightened my back instantly, forced myself to remain calm, and continued reading.

Zhou Zhilan looked up and jumped in fright, thinking to herself that she was doomed.

Subconsciously, she tossed the little storybook in her hand into Gu Hua's arms and greeted her with a playful smile: "My lord, you've arrived."

Mu Junyan glanced at her sideways: "Where did you get this book?"

"That...that...it's because Miss Gu feels bored..."

Zhou Zhilan stammered.

If the lord knew that the novels she found were all melodramatic and clichéd, he would definitely reprimand her.

Gu Hua stood up blankly, holding two books. Her beautiful eyes looked pitiful and innocent. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

She imagined him breathing on her last night.

Mu Junyan walked slowly closer, looking at the girl whose face was slightly pale: "Can't you speak yet?"

Gu Hua nodded, seemingly realizing her rudeness, and quickly bowed in a curtsy.

Unexpectedly, the other person was standing close by, and when she bent over, her head was stuck right in front of their chest.

Embarrassed, she quickly took a step back, her face flushed red, clutching her little storybook tightly to her chest, her head bowed in fear.

Mu Junyan glanced at the title of the first book in her arms.

"...!"

Mu Junyan's face darkened.

A delicate young lady falls in love with a rough general?

What a mess!

Are these harmful novels meant for young girls to read?

Zhou Zhilan quickly smiled and snatched the little storybook from Gu Hua's arms with one hand, and pushed Gu Hua towards Mu Junyan with the other.

"Miss Gu just wanted to thank the master."

Gu Hua let out a soft cry as she was suddenly pushed. She lost her footing and instinctively reached out to press her hand against the firm chest in front of her. Her face turned pale, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

The robust man was as tall and imposing as a mountain, while her head barely reached his chest.

She glanced nervously at the man, only to suddenly meet his cold, indifferent gaze looking down at her.

Terrified, her eyes darted around, unsure where to land, and she dared not move.

Seeing that she was too nervous, Mu Junyan softened his tone: "You don't need to think about anything. Stay here, and no one will dare to touch you."

Upon hearing this, Gu Hua looked up, her expression completely changed from that of the frightened little rabbit. Her beautiful eyes were filled with admiration and love, and she nodded with a touched smile.

Mu Junyan felt a strange sense of being revered as a god.

Her gaze was different from the people's reverence for him.

She saw him as her savior, the only person she could rely on, yet she was also very careful, afraid of upsetting him.

It's as pitiful as an abused kitten.

So pitiful.

A corner of Mu Junyan's heart collapsed.

"Get some rest."

Mu Junyan couldn't stand it anymore; he had this feeling of being a scumbag who bullied people and didn't want to take responsibility.

Gu Hua stared blankly at the departing figure, tears welling up in her eyes, her disappointment and sadness overflowing.

Zhou Zhilan leaned closer to look at her, then glanced at her master's back, and suddenly realized what was going on.

He whispered in her ear, "Do you like the master?"

Gu Hua hurriedly raised her hands and shook her head like a rattle drum.

Zhou Zhilan glared and raised an eyebrow: "If you like someone, just say it out loud..."

Gu Hua was on the verge of tears, grabbing her arm and shaking her head vigorously.

Zhou Zhilan exclaimed, "You can't speak yet, you can't speak loudly."

Gu Hua wanted to cry but dared not, and her expression of holding back her grievances made Zhou Zhilan feel extremely distressed.

He grabbed her shoulders and whispered in her ear, "You are now the lord's woman, and the lord will not shirk responsibility."

Did Zhou Zhilan also know about what happened that night?

That would be much easier to handle.

She truly deserves the credit for portraying someone who likes someone but doesn't dare to.

Gu Hua stared wide-eyed in terror, looking around frantically. Dong Qing and Dong Hua had both been sent away, and she was all alone.

He hurriedly pulled Zhou Zhilan into the house, spread out Xuan paper, picked up a brush and wrote: "I was drunk, it's not my master's fault, it has nothing to do with my master. You must never mention this to my master, you must not make things difficult for him."

Zhou Zhilan was speechless.

"I've shown you so many romance novels, and it's all been for nothing? You're always thinking about this person, worried about making things difficult for that person, but why don't you think about yourself? If you like someone, just go and conquer them! What are you afraid of?"

Zhou Zhilan raised her arm, clenched her fist, and cheered, almost making Gu Hua lose control of her expression.

She's such a simple and innocent girl.

Are men really that easy to conquer?

Especially someone as deep and thoughtful as Mu Junyan.

Gu Hua hesitated for a moment, then picked up her pen and wrote: "My status is lowly, and I am unworthy of my lord. Therefore, let's pretend that night never happened. We were both drunk, and neither of us was acting from the heart, so why should we bind or implicate anyone?"

Zhou Zhilan opened her mouth wide, and after a long while, she sighed helplessly: "You really are easygoing, don't you care at all..."

She couldn't bring herself to say the words "innocence".

Gu Hua smiled and quickly picked up her pen: I would like to cook a few dishes for my lord to thank him for saving me. May I ask if I may use the kitchen?

Zhou Zhilan nodded: "Of course, I'll take you there."

After the two left, Akabane quietly came in, folded up the paper with writing on it on it, and put it in his pocket.

Mu Junyan sat in front of his desk, looking at the beautiful calligraphy, but the content was annoying.

If he doesn't accept her, he'll become a wicked scoundrel.

Frustrated, Mu Junyan crumpled the Xuan paper into a ball and threw it at the guard who had a look on his face that said his lord was a heartless man.

Akabane quickly caught it with his hand.

"Burned!"

The little brat is so open-minded. Shouldn't she be begging him to take her in?

Perhaps... the girl didn't want to in the first place.

He's so old, it's really inappropriate for him.

Doesn't she already have a fiancé?

Then let's prepare a generous dowry for her.

Mu Junyan glanced at him sideways: "Your efficiency has been quite low lately. Why don't you go back to the Northwest and work as a scout to practice some more?"

Akabane's heart skipped a beat. He racked his brains, trying to figure out which task he hadn't completed to his lord's satisfaction.

Hearing the strong, rhythmic tapping of fingers, Akabane exclaimed, "Ah! Akabane will have news tonight."

Mu Junyan stopped tapping his fingers: "Get lost."

Akabane stepped out of the study, his back drenched in sweat.

So, the lord cares so much about the little girl's trivial matters.