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

Mu Junyan stood up to leave, his eyes inadvertently falling on the snacks on the coffee table.

The old lady smiled slightly: "I don't like what the little girl made, you can take it and eat it."

Mu Junyan didn't stand on ceremony and lifted the curtain: "Yi Niang, have Dong Mo bring the snacks to my room... study."

Yi Niang agreed and went outside the courtyard to call Dong Mo.

Startled by Mu Junyan, Gu Hua returned to Ya Yun Pavilion and dared not go out.

After a quick lunch, Gu Hua waited for an hour, guessing that the people at Xiangrui Hall had also woken up from their afternoon nap.

She then carefully placed the jade bracelet into the embroidered purse.

"Donghua, go to Yiniang quietly, but don't let the old lady know, lest she be unhappy."

“Young lady, the old lady is giving this to you sincerely.”

"The old lady herself doesn't even know what she's doing, and she might not even see me as another woman. We can't just meddle with her. Let's go quickly."

Donghua said "Oh," hugged the purse tightly, and carefully went away.

Gu Hua sat in a chair by the window, lost in thought.

There are so many things to think about, my brain is a bit overwhelmed.

Her praise of Mu Junyan just now seemed to have come out of her mouth, and upon closer reflection, he really was exactly as she described him.

Although he can be intimidating at times, and his hands are calloused, he is indeed the kind of man that girls would admire.

Sleeping with him... it's not a bad deal at all.

Gu Hua touched her burning face and scolded herself for being shameless.

I could never be a pure and innocent girl in my two lifetimes, so I must not mistreat myself in this one.

"Are you out of your mind?"

Zhou Zhilan's clear voice rang out, and with a sway of her skirt, she stood gracefully in front of Gu Hua.

He bent over, tilted his head, and stared at her flushed cheeks and affectionate eyes.

Gu Hua was startled and leaned back sharply.

Hehehe, Zhou Zhilan couldn't help but laugh at her appearance.

He plopped down opposite her, then turned to look at the golden fallen leaves outside, before turning back to grin at her.

"You're not thinking about autumn, you're thinking about spring."

Gu Hua angrily punched her arm with her small fist.

"Sister, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Zhou Zhilan leaned on the high coffee table, smiling at her: "I heard your fiancé is here?"

Gu Hua's face drained of color: "What fiancé? Who told you this gossip?"

“My brother said that the fiancé arranged for you by your family has arrived, and the master even met him in person. The servants all say he is a handsome and talented man.”

"He's my cousin from my aunt's side. He's not my fiancé."

“Oh,” Zhou Zhilan said meaningfully.

Gu Hua glanced at her sideways: "What do you mean, sister?"

Zhou Zhilan stopped laughing and put on a serious face.

Gu Hua's heart tightened.

The last time Zhou Zhilan spoke seriously with her, it was about Mu Junyan.

"Little sister, tell me honestly, is there a man you have a crush on?"

really.

Gu Hua couldn't bring herself to lie to Zhou Zhilan.

Seeing the troubled look on her face, Zhou Zhilan's heart skipped a beat.

Her brother instructed her to thoroughly investigate the situation, lest she disappoint the lord and cause him further displeasure.

The old lady also secretly sent her a message, telling her to carefully discern Gu Hua's motives.

After all, Gu Hua was exceptionally beautiful, possessing an alluring charm that would make any man unable to resist taking a second look.

She had pretty much figured out the Gu family's background. If it weren't for Aunt Pei keeping her from appearing in public, there would probably be no shortage of marriage proposals coming to her door.

Zhou Zhilan felt immense pressure, bearing the responsibility for her master's future happiness.

Gu Hua thought for a moment, then said softly, "Once upon a time..."

Gu Hua looked up and saw Zhou Zhilan staring at her nervously, which startled her so much that she stopped talking.

"I have no love interest. From the time I was old enough to understand, my aunt forbade me from seeing any men, not even servants. However, when my eldest sister was ten years old and went to the clan school, my aunt made me serve her while she studied."

At that time… the son of the clan school teacher was also my elder sister's classmate. Because I had never been to school, I often couldn't understand what the teacher was teaching. My elder sister made me help with her homework, and if I didn't do it well, my aunt would prick me with a needle. Seeing my pitiful state, he secretly taught me to read.

Gu Hua's eyes reddened, and her voice was filled with sadness: "He... is a good person."

Zhou Zhilan became even more nervous.

Oh no, she has someone she likes.

"and after?"

Gu Hua couldn't hold back her tears, and they streamed down her face: "He died because of me..."

"Ah!" Zhou Zhilan's eyes widened, both surprised and relieved.

It's good that he's dead.

Zhou Zhilan pressed, "How did you die?"

"I...I don't know." Gu Hua couldn't help but cry again.

Zhou Zhilan panicked and quickly stood up, walked to her side, and took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Gu Hua took two deep breaths to calm herself down.

“I was young then and I didn’t understand how to fall in love with a man, but Brother Ji was the first and only person who was truly good to me.”

After my eldest sister attended the clan school for two years, the family hired a tutor to teach the sisters at home. On the last day of class at the clan school, my brother Ji found out and secretly came to find me, saying he could help me escape from the Gu family.

"After that... I never heard from him again. Yesterday, I asked my aunt, and she said he fell off a cliff and died."

Gu Hua tightly covered her mouth with her handkerchief, suppressing her sobs into muffled whimpers.

Zhou Zhilan felt extremely sorry for her and gently put her arm around her narrow shoulders, pulling her into her embrace.

"It's alright, there will be many more people who will take care of you from now on. Me, my brother, the old lady..."

She wanted to say "My Lord," but she was afraid of frightening him and also afraid that he would scold her.

After all, the lord hadn't given his heart away; it was just that the people closest to him in the household were worried for him.

Zhou Zhilan felt sorry for both of them, but she felt the most sorry for Gu Hua.

Men and women think differently. Her brother said that it was Gu Hua's good fortune to be able to follow the master, and that her title was not important, since the Duke's mansion would support her anyway.

But as a woman, she knew best that if a girl lost her chastity, her life could be ruined.

Things have come to this point, and she can only hope that the two are truly in love and that it's not just for the sake of relieving the master's pleasure.

Zhou Zhilan coaxed her, "You can't think about anyone else from now on. I heard that the old lady gave you a betrothal gift? The old lady has never given any young lady a second glance. You are the first one, so you are destined to be the master's woman."

Gu Hua was still grieving, and her words made her both worried and nervous.

She quickly lowered her voice and said, "I've already had Donghua send the bracelet back to Yiniang. She's told to keep it quietly, and if the old lady ever thinks of looking for it, she can take it out for her again."

Zhou Zhilan chuckled, "Forget it, Donghua will bring it back to you in a bit."

"Won't……"

With a rustling of the beaded curtain, winter flowers appeared.

Their eyes both fell on the embroidered purse in her hand.

Donghua chuckled: "Yiniang said that she dares not accept anything the old lady sends out, let alone betrothal gifts. She said that if the young lady insists on not accepting them, she should personally return them to the old lady."

Gu Hua: "..."

She didn't dare.

Zhou Zhilan laughed, "See, didn't I tell you? Do you think the old lady doesn't know what she's doing? The young mistress served her tea and kowtowed, only to receive a slap. The old lady has dementia, but that doesn't mean she'll always be demented."

Gu Hua became even more nervous upon hearing this.

How...how will she leave now?

Donghua put down her purse: "Sister Zhou, would you like to have dinner here with us?"

“Mm.” Zhou Zhilan nodded.

Smiling at Gu Hua, he pulled out two short storybooks: "The latest ones."

Gu Hua smiled.

The two climbed onto the soft couch together, basking in the sun and reading a short storybook.