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

Seeing Gu Wanru finish her farewell ceremony and prepare to leave, Gu Hua steeled her resolve.

He hurried to catch up and whispered in a voice only Gu Wanru could hear.

"Elder sister, serving tea is the best way to show your respect for the Duke. If you want to leave a good impression on him, why don't you serve the tea before you leave?"

Gu Wanru was unwilling to accept it, but she had no other choice at the moment.

After Gu Huayi reminded her, she wholeheartedly agreed.

Now is indeed an opportunity to show filial piety, as it may be a while before I see my father-in-law again.

Gu Wanru, shameless as ever, turned around and curtsied: "Father, your daughter-in-law wishes to offer you tea as a token of filial piety. Otherwise, my husband will scold me for not knowing proper etiquette when he returns."

Gu Hua's subtle actions were all observed by Mu Junyan.

Looking at the obedient little girl, a ripple slowly spread across his eyes.

He was so audacious last night, but today he doesn't even dare to look up at him?

"Okay." The man's tone trailed off, carrying a hint of deeper meaning.

"Serve tea," Zhou Chunyu instructed the servant.

Gu Hua quickly said, "This servant will do it."

She lowered her head and walked straight to the waiter: "Please take me to the tea room, sir."

Gu Wanru was very satisfied, as this showed that she was good at training the servants around her.

She was determined to gain control of the household.

The servant glanced at Zhou Chunyu, who nodded, and said, "Please come with me, young lady."

The two entered the adjacent tea room one after the other. The servant glanced behind him discreetly to make sure no one was around before whispering, "Miss, you don't need to do anything. I'll brew it and you can take it out."

The servant boy, named Dongmo, was there to help the Duke of Yong with his studies.

Gu Hua obtained the time when her master returned to the manor last night from him.

Her excuse was that the young mistress wanted to know when the master would return to the mansion so she could prepare food to show her respect.

"I'll do it."

Gu Hua's soft, penetrating voice made Dong Mo's ears turn bright red.

When Dongmo saw her reach out, he hurriedly stepped aside, but then he saw that her palm was covered with red and swollen blisters and gasped in shock.

"what happened to your hand?"

Gu Hua quickly made a shushing gesture: "Dong-ge, don't shout. We can't let anyone know that I'm injured."

Dongmo lowered his voice and said anxiously, "With such a severe burn, your hand will be ruined if you don't treat it."

Gu Hua's almond-shaped eyes reddened slightly: "It's alright, if I don't brew the tea well, my elder sister will punish me."

Dongmo opened her mouth in surprise: "Eldest sister? You're the young mistress's younger sister? Then why are you dressed as a maid and calling yourself a servant?"

Gu Hua had only been in the manor for a little over a month. Apart from Steward Zhou, who knew her true identity, everyone who had seen her thought she was a new maid sent by the young mistress's family as part of her dowry.

Gu Hua wrapped her hands with two handkerchiefs, her voice choked with emotion: "I was born to a concubine and entered the mansion as part of her dowry. Aren't I just a servant?"

Dongmo could hardly believe it.

Seeing her so restrained evoked pity, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

"The Gu family is a noble and respectable family. Even if someone is born out of wedlock, she is still a lady of high status. How can you treat her like this?"

"Brother Dong, please don't say that. If my elder sister hears me, I'll be dead."

The little beauty was so frightened that her face turned pale; no one could bear to look at her like that.

Dongmo's heart softened completely: "I won't tell. You've worked so hard to help the young mistress find out about the master, and she's so heartless towards you. It's too much!"

Gu Hua felt a little guilty and didn't dare to look at him: "My elder sister is going to give me to the young master tonight. What can I do if I don't want to? She is the master and I am the slave. No one can save me."

Dongmo exclaimed in surprise, "Give you to the young master? There are seven or eight concubines in his room causing a huge commotion! Isn't this pushing you into a fire pit? You're her own sister!"

Gu Hua said in a tearful voice, "Oh, it's all my bad luck. Dong-ge, you must not tell anyone about this, otherwise, my elder sister will punish me severely."

Dongmo frowned: "Yes, I know what's important."

The tea was ready, and Gu Hua, with red eyes, said, "Brother Dong, could you help me take it in? My hands are like this. If the master sees them, he might misunderstand and think that my elder sister is abusing her servants, which would damage her reputation."

Dong Mo was speechless: "You... even in this state, you're still thinking of her in every way? You're too foolish."

"I beg you."

Faced with the girl's pitiful pleas, Dongmo quickly picked up the tea tray.

“Of course I’ll take it. Quickly untie the handkerchief. The blisters will burst before the medicine is applied.”

Gu Hua gratefully took out a silver ingot and stuffed it into Dong Mo's hand.

"This won't do! You gave me five taels yesterday."

Gu Hua's eyes were red: "My elder sister gave it to me yesterday, and this one is mine today. First, I want to thank Brother Dong for keeping it a secret for me, and second, Brother Dong is a kind person, could you help me find some good medicine?"

Dongmo's eyes reddened.

My younger sister burned her hand like this, and you still expect her to make tea? Aren't you even going to give her medicine?

That young mistress has really terrible character.

Gu Hua and Dong Mo entered the main room, and Gu Wanru picked up the teacup from the tea tray and knelt down to offer tea.

Mu Junyan took the drink and said, "Get up."

Gu Wanru asked with a fawning smile, "Father, are you returning home tonight? Your daughter-in-law will arrange a feast so that my husband and you can have a good chat, shall we?"

"We'll see," Mu Junyan said, his tone softening considerably.

"Yes." Gu Wanru was happy.

Although we couldn't invite anyone tonight, my father didn't completely refuse.

She had to accomplish the important task of requesting the title of heir apparent for her husband, so that he would think highly of her.

Gu Hua's heart skipped a beat.

If Mu Junyan doesn't return to the manor tonight, won't she be doomed?

She couldn't help but quickly look up at the man sitting above her, only to be met with a scrutinizing gaze that startled her so much that she quickly lowered her head.

"Why aren't you leaving yet?" Gu Wanru frowned and whispered when she saw that her face was pale.

After the two left, Zhou Chunyu waved to Dong Mo: "Go down."

Dongmo hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Zhou Chunyu glared at him: "Spit it out."

Dongmo mustered her courage: "Doesn't the master want to give the young mistress any reward?"

He wanted to deliver medicine to the poor Miss Gu, so he needed an excuse to go to the young mistress's courtyard.

Zhou Chunyu's eyes widened: "You little brat, you're getting bolder and bolder!"

Mu Junyan looked at Dong Mo thoughtfully.

"Dongmo is right. I went to war the day after Gu Wanru married into the family, and today is the first time I've had her wedding tea. I should reward her with something."

Dongmo was overjoyed.

"What would the lord like to reward me with? Shall I go to the storeroom and choose?" Zhou Chunyu pondered the lord's intentions.

"Go ahead, Dongmo, pick whatever you like."

Dongmo was stunned: "The little one goes to pick?"

"Your suggestion is good, of course you should go." Mu Junyan's expression was unreadable.

Dongmo was startled.

Is the lord angry that he talked too much?

He quickly looked to Zhou Chunyu for help.

Zhou Chunyu seemed to have guessed something, and tore off his waist tag and handed it to Dong Mo: "Tell the storeroom that the lord sent you to choose, go quickly."

Dong Mo reached out his hands with trepidation, carefully holding the waist token, his eyes drifting blankly outwards.

Oh my God!

This is the family's management badge.

He can pick whatever he wants from the warehouse?

Why does he seem to have a sense of panic about not knowing whether his life or death is in danger?

"Look at what he picked."

As soon as Mu Junyan finished speaking, a figure flashed out from the shadows and followed Dong Mo away.

Zhou Chunyu glanced at his master's expression and tentatively asked, "Do you think that woman last night was the maidservant beside the young mistress?"

The master said she had a unique fragrance and captivating eyes, a natural beauty. Keeping such a person in the manor would be a disaster, and he was determined to dig her out.

He had just encountered the Gu sisters at the door and vaguely smelled a unique fragrance on the younger sister of the young mistress, one that no maid in the manor would have.

Looking at her face, she would stand out even among the top noble ladies in the capital.

Zhou Chunyu immediately dispatched people to secretly investigate Jinxiu Pavilion.

In the past, those who failed to climb into someone's bed would be given thirty lashes and sold off.

This time, she successfully climbed into the master's bed while he was drunk, and even dared to steal his sleeping clothes and escape. If she is found, she will definitely be beaten to death.

"Have you found my sleeping clothes?" Mu Junyan glanced at him sideways.

When he woke up this morning, he stared at a bloodstain on the bed sheet that looked like a plum blossom, and laughed in anger.

He was taken advantage of while he was drunk, slept with, and then left without a trace.

That audacious little thing deserves to die if she dares to use her sleeping clothes to threaten the master.