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

Aunt Pei raised an eyebrow: "You still remember that poor, penniless boy?"

Gu Hua gripped her handkerchief tightly and said calmly, "I just want to know if he's dead or alive."

"Back then, he dared to instigate you to elope and dared to covet the young lady of the Marquis's mansion. Of course, he had to die."

"Dead?" Gu Hua exclaimed in disbelief.

"We originally intended to capture him and kill him on the spot, but unexpectedly, he fell off a cliff and died."

Aunt Pei spoke lightly.

Gu Hua felt a tearing pain in her heart.

She was the one who killed Ji Gege, the only one who was good to her.

Aunt Pei glanced at her and said, "Which of you would be better off marrying your son-in-law or your older cousin? You have no ambition at all."

Despite the bright sunshine outside, Gu Hua felt a chill run through her body.

From the moment she was born, she was surrounded by a web of conspiracies woven by the Pei family, which trapped her tightly until she died.

She would extinguish even the slightest glimmer of sunshine and hope.

Gu Hua suppressed her grief and said calmly, "What childhood sweetheart? They were just classmates. Mother is right, a poor man is not worthy of a noble lady."

Aunt Pei smiled.

A featherless sparrow dreams of flying to the top of a tree and becoming a phoenix?

I don't think about it!

The carriage stopped downstairs at the bustling building.

These are the properties of the Pei family in the capital.

Aunt Pei got out of the carriage, and the waiter at the door greeted her warmly when he saw her.

"Grandma has arrived. The eldest young master is already waiting for you in the private room on the second floor."

Gu Hua followed Madam Pei off the carriage and entered the building one after the other.

Donghua, covered in sweat, caught up with him and was about to go inside when she was stopped by the waiter.

“I am Miss Gu’s maid.” Donghua glared.

The waiter, accustomed to dealing with high-ranking officials and nobles, saw that her attire was more luxurious than that of the maids in the Gu family, so he dared not neglect her.

"Please wait on the first floor, young lady, I'll make you a cup of tea."

Donghua still wanted to rush in, but Granny Lu arrived and grabbed her.

Gasping for breath, she said, "Masters, when you're talking, this servant...this servant doesn't want to go in."

Donghua looked anxiously up at Gu Hua on the second floor, and Gu Hua turned back to give her a reassuring look.

"Girl, shout if you need anything."

Donghua didn't care that a group of people were watching, and she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Under the astonished gaze of the waiter, Donghua rolled up her sleeves, pulled up a chair, and sat down across the stairwell with her golden sword as if riding a horse.

They adopted a posture that suggested they were an invincible force.

The waiter stared wide-eyed at Granny Lu, but Granny Lu didn't dare to interfere.

This girl is very fierce, and you can't hit anyone from the Duke's mansion.

The bustling Xuanhualou is located in the most lively area of ​​Bianjing's commercial center. At this time, the building is full of people drinking tea and eating snacks, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

That's why Gu Hua dared to follow.

Her target is Pei Yi, the current head of the Pei family and the eldest son of the Pei family.

He was Aunt Pei's greatest support and backer.

Upon entering the private room, Gu Hua saw a tall, slender figure standing by the window, looking out.

Hearing the noise, the man turned around and was immediately captivated by Gu Hua's beauty.

Gu Hua curtsied first and called out sweetly, "Big Cousin."

Pei Yi averted his gaze, his ears turning slightly red, and smiled as he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to cover his embarrassment.

"Aunt, Second Cousin, you've arrived."

Aunt Pei noticed Pei Yi's little thoughts and said with a smile, "You've been waiting for a long time. Hua'er had nothing to do today, so I brought her along."

Pei Yi composed himself and smiled, "It's been a long time since I've seen my cousin Hua'er. She's grown quite a bit."

"That's right, it's been several years."

Gu Hua smiled brightly, making Pei Yi's heart pound and his face turn red.

The first time Pei Yi met Gu Hua was when he personally delivered the silver notes to the Marquis's residence; Gu Hua was only ten years old at the time.

That little face hadn't fully developed yet; it was as delicate as a porcelain doll, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.

She timidly stole glances at him, like a cautious little kitten.

That year, Pei Yi was seventeen years old. He entered Bianjing City for the first time and lived up to expectations, ranking fifty-eighth in the imperial examination, becoming the first son of the Pei family to enter officialdom.

In the same year, with the help of Lord Gu's introduction, the Pei family found a middleman in Bianjing and opened their first restaurant in the best location.

The second time I saw her was five years later, when Aunt Pei took her to Pei's newly opened clothing store to choose dresses.

Pei Yi, who was then serving as an eighth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue, was also there.

He remained unmarried until the age of twenty-two, all because the Pei family had extremely high requirements for his marriage.

Pei Yi had been traveling around the capital for five years and had seen many different kinds of daughters of officials. Some official families wanted to propose marriage, but the Pei family generally looked down on officials and would never marry into merchant families. He also had a vague feeling that he had someone he liked.

When we met that day, fifteen-year-old Gu Hua had already grown into a graceful young woman, like a budding flower, vaguely revealing the appearance of an unparalleled beauty.

But he was certain that he had fallen for his cousin, so he immediately wrote home and asked his mother to arrange a marriage between her and his aunt.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, his aunt came to find him.

It is said that she, the legitimate daughter of the richest man in Jiangling, married into the capital as a concubine, sacrificing her happiness for the Pei family, in order to secure a place for the Pei family in the capital and consolidate their status as imperial merchants.

As the eldest son of the Pei family, he gathered the strength of the entire clan to go to the capital to take the imperial examination and pass it with flying colors, thus entering officialdom. Only by marrying the eldest daughter of a prominent official family in the capital could he truly step into the path of officialdom and help the Pei family rise to prominence.

Pei Yi also bore the heavy responsibility of enabling the Pei family members to enter officialdom.

From that day on, he didn't have the chance to see his cousin Gu Hua for three years.

Unexpectedly, my aunt brought her here today.

Thinking of the two meetings and the imprint his little cousin had left on his heart, Pei Yi felt a strange pang of pain in his heart.

He now has a wife, and his cousin, who is as beautiful as a fairy, is separated by countless mountains and is destined to be apart.

Pei Yi took out the box containing silver and handed it to Aunt Pei with both hands: "Aunt, this month's dividend is eight hundred taels, plus a filial gift of one thousand taels."

Aunt Pei accepted it with a smile: "That's more than last month."

Pei Yi forced himself not to look at Gu Hua: "Yes, business is getting better and better. It's rare to see my second cousin today, so I must give her a gift. Please have a seat, Aunt and Second Cousin, I'll go get it right away."

Gu Hua watched him stumble as he turned to leave, almost tripping over the doorframe, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

Many thanks to Aunt Pei for making her so alluring.

She didn't do anything; she just stood there and smiled politely.

Aunt Pei was so angry she wanted to grind her teeth.

Sexy fox!

However, the only way to keep her under control right now is to give Gu Hua to Pei Yi.

If Pei Yi doesn't accept her, then she'll send Gu Hua back to her maternal hometown and marry her off to a local official, making her a stepping stone for the Pei family!

In short, we must not let her become a stumbling block for Ru'er.

This was Gu Hua's first time visiting the bustling building.

She knew this was the most profitable business the Pei family owned in Bianjing.

Fang Kaiqi received Gu Yuan's help, so the Marquis's mansion received 30% of the profits without spending a single penny.

Curious, she walked to the window and looked around, observing her surroundings.

Downstairs was the busiest street in Bianjing, surrounded by all kinds of businesses, and even Linlanglou and Jixiangzhai were not far away.

In her previous life, Gu Hua had no chance to see a wider world, let alone dare to think about confronting the Pei family.

She wanted to give it a try in this lifetime.

No matter where things get, it's better than being at someone else's mercy.

I saw the bustling crowds downstairs, the merchants going from street to street, and the people coming and going in the restaurants.

They're all businesses that make money.

If she wants to completely defeat Consort Pei, she must first cut off Consort Pei's supplies.

She glanced up casually and noticed a charming little building directly opposite her. Bamboo curtains hung from the large windows on the second floor, obscuring the view inside.

The downstairs door was tightly closed, making it look more like a private residence than a shop.

Gu Hua was surprised. Why would someone place their private residence in the middle of the city?

I'll go downstairs in a bit to check the address.

I'm quite curious.