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

"Head Steward, what are you looking for? Can I help you?"

Gu Wanru stepped forward with a smile and nodded politely to Zhou Chunyu.

The household affairs of the Duke's mansion are still in the hands of this head steward, and Gu Wanru is currently treating him very well.

Zhou Chunyu hurriedly bowed, not answering her question: "Young Madam, you've come to pay your respects to the Lord, haven't you? What a coincidence! The Lord was supposed to go out this morning, but something unexpected happened and he didn't leave the manor."

Zhou Chunyu's quick-witted servant had already trotted in to report.

Gu Hua was also somewhat puzzled.

In her previous life, Gu Wanru did not meet the Duke of Yong. In this life, what is it that has kept her there?

Is it because of her?

Gu Hua became increasingly cautious, keeping her head down and taking small, silent steps to follow Gu Wanru.

Zhou Chunyu glanced at Gu Hua, sniffed, and his eyes flickered slightly.

He walked inside with Gu Wanru, his expression unchanged.

"Last night His Majesty hosted a banquet to welcome the Lord, and he will probably be busy with various social engagements afterward, with little time to stay at the manor."

Gu Wanru smiled and said, "Yes, my husband and I haven't had a chance to show our filial piety. Last night, my husband told me that my father had returned and specifically asked me to come and pay my respects early. Actually, even without my husband's instructions, as a daughter-in-law, of course I should come and pay my respects."

Zhou Chunyu smiled broadly: "The Gu family is a distinguished family, and the young mistress was renowned for her talent before her marriage, so her manners are certainly impeccable. It's just that the Duke is often away from home, so how can we blame you?"

"I am so lucky. I don't have to pay my respects to my parents or show filial piety in my daily life. Steward Zhou takes care of the household affairs, so I can slack off."

Gu Wanru appeared to be smiling happily.

Zhou Chunyu smiled faintly.

Whether it was genuine filial piety or feigned filial piety, everyone in the Duke's mansion knew.

She always talked about filial piety, but after the young mistress entered the mansion, the number of times she visited the old lady who suffered from dementia could be counted on one hand.

Every time I went, I was too lazy to even go inside. I would just exchange a few words with the steward and maid outside, leave the pastries I had bought outside, and then leave.

Is this what you call being filial?

The Duke simply didn't have the time or the inclination to get involved.

As the three of them passed by the Duke of Yong's study, Gu Hua's heart began to pound.

The study was the only way for Duke Mu Junyan of Yongguo to return to his bedroom.

Last night, Gu Hua was here, holding a palace lantern, waiting for him.

The early autumn night was cold.

She deliberately wore thin clothes, and when the wind blew, she shivered all over and her heart pounded.

Mu Junyan held a high position and commanded a large army. He was dignified and aloof, and his authority was evident even without anger.

Moreover, everyone in the capital knew that the Duke of Yong was known for killing off his wives.

He was deeply in love with his late wife, so after she passed away, he became even more averse to women.

The servants at Wen Hanxuan were all men.

The Duke wouldn't even allow a single female mosquito to stay by his side.

For some reason, noble ladies in the capital still racked their brains to marry him, one after another. When the proper methods failed, they tried all sorts of tricks, including feigning injury, sneaking into his bed, and drugging him, but none of them succeeded.

There were also some foolish maids in the manor who tried to climb into the bedchamber; they were all given a beating and then sold off by slave traders.

Gradually, the maids in the mansion and the noble ladies in the capital all gave up their desires.

Last night, Gu Hua became increasingly frightened as she thought about it, her hands and feet went weak, and she was about to back out when she saw the Duke of Yong walking over alone.

To bolster her courage, Gu Hua had drunk a small amount of aged Shaoxing wine before arriving, and was now slightly tipsy.

To save his life, he suppressed his fear and shame, steeled his resolve, and, with a lantern in hand and head bowed, walked toward the people.

The Duke of Yong was extremely vigilant; the moment she lifted her foot, he demanded to know who she was.

How could she dare to speak?

She believed that as soon as they found out she was a woman, she would be kicked out immediately.

Gu Hua gritted her teeth and rushed over without hesitation, only to find the other person standing there motionless, staring at her.

At that moment, four words came to mind: moths to a flame.

Dark clouds covered the sky, and the moonlight cast no shadow.

Taking advantage of the darkness, Gu Hua let out a soft cry, pretended to twist her ankle, and crashed straight into someone's arms.

The trick was clumsy, but direct enough.

It's better to die than to be humiliated before dying.

Her delicate face collided with a chest as hard as stone, causing her to gasp and grit her teeth in pain.

Ignoring the pain, she opened her cool, jade-like arms and groped around haphazardly, snuggling her fragrant body into the other person's arms, all the while pretending to be panicked and trying to get up.

Having lived two lives, this is the first time I've ever actually tried to seduce someone.

It is false to say that I am not afraid.

She had put all her energy into encouraging herself.

Drunk, weak and shaky, filled with shame and panic, I really couldn't get up.

For over a decade, no woman had dared to run into his wall. Mu Junyan hadn't expected the little girl to be so bold, actually daring to charge straight at him.

Perhaps because they had drunk too much, the two of them fell to the ground together.

A figure in the shadows stirred slightly, then suddenly stood still.

The moon peeked out, casting a pale blue light.

Mu Junyan squinted at the beautiful face in his arms, his watery eyes gazing intently at her. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and a strand of hair clung to her eyelashes, trembling as it did so, adding to her delicate and poignant beauty.

He laughed at himself for being so angry.

The little brat actually got her way.

He simply reached out and hooked his arm around her soft, boneless waist, then asked, "Who are you?"

That beautiful face was flustered and at a loss, filled with embarrassment and fear.

In a flustered tone, she said in a coquettish voice with a genuine tremor, "Who are you? Let me up! Men and women shouldn't touch each other; it wouldn't be good if someone saw us."

Gu Hua continued to act pretentiously, not daring to look the other person in the eye.

A cold shout came from above: "Little girl, how dare you seduce me! You've got some nerve!"

Being wasted by her son-in-law and elder sister is even more terrifying than facing Mu Junyan.

She thought, no matter how fierce Mu Junyan is, isn't he still a man?

Gu Hua fumbled around trying to stand up, but her waist was held firmly, preventing her from doing so.

In the struggle, her thin clothes slipped down, revealing her bare shoulders and half of her chest.

Taking advantage of her drunkenness, she feigned fear, and her petite body trembled, which only accentuated her allure.

In a few shoving motions, the person was carried into the study.

From the desk to the soft couch, Gu Hua initially tried her best, but eventually became too weak to move and could only give up and be manipulated.

Looking back, it makes me blush and my heart race.

While Gu Hua was lost in thought, the three of them had already passed the study and arrived at Guanshan Tower, where Duke Mu Junyan of Yongguo usually relaxed and read.

The servant who had just announced their arrival was standing at the door. Upon seeing them arrive, he hurried forward and bowed.

"Young Madam, the Master invites you in."

Gu Hua didn't dare to lift her head, staring intently at Gu Wanru's heels, and followed her in step by step.

She didn't see a piercing gaze fall upon her.

After Gu Wanru finished her bow, she heard her father-in-law's indifferent and distant voice say "No need for formalities." She looked up slightly and found that her father-in-law was staring straight at her... behind her.

Gu Wanru turned her head and saw the top of Gu Hua's head.

My heart skipped a beat.

She subtly shifted her body, just in time to block her father-in-law's view.

Father-in-law must not take a liking to this little slut; the young master will be unhappy.

Gu Wanru smiled gracefully and said, "Father, it is rare for you to come home. Your daughter-in-law had prepared a welcome banquet to celebrate your return, but I did not expect that His Majesty would summon you to the palace first. Please do not blame your daughter-in-law for not fulfilling her filial duty."

Mu Junyan glanced at her indifferently: "It's alright."

Mu Junyan was very disappointed in Gu Wanru.

He remembered that the five-year-old little girl was very kind-hearted. When she grew up, he arranged for a grand wedding procession to marry her, hoping that she could manage the Duke's mansion well and help her husband succeed. He never expected that she would grow up to be like this.

Not to mention managing the Duke's mansion, she couldn't even manage her own husband's backyard, let alone entrust the management of the Duke's mansion to her.

But what's done is done, and there's nothing that can be done.

Gu Wanru earnestly said, "How about we hold a family banquet tonight to celebrate Father's triumphant return?"

She needed to show off her skills and please her father-in-law, as she hadn't yet been given the power to manage the Duke's mansion.

"No need for formalities," Mu Junyan said dismissively.

Gu Hua listened to his voice with her head down, and her ears began to burn again.

Last night, he whispered some sweet nothings in her ear while breathing heavily, and his tone was completely different from today's.

His image flashed through my mind, but all I could remember were his sharp, penetrating eyes.

Oh dear, she was terrified at the time, but she still had to keep up the act, so she didn't dare to look him in the eye.

"If there's nothing else, you may leave."

Gu Hua's heart skipped a beat.

They're letting us go like that?

What should she do?

Could it be that she was the one who confessed to climbing into bed last night...?

That definitely won’t work!

He accidentally stumbled upon Wen Hanxuan's drunken maidservant, and fled in a panic after the deed was done.

Now she's shamelessly admitting it again, doesn't that clearly prove she's plotting against her lord?

Men can be seduced, but not manipulated.

Especially someone like Mu Junyan, a war god with immense power and ruthless killing ability.

But tonight...

The son-in-law will force himself on her!