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

I heard that Dongqing and Donghua brought dinner back from the kitchen.

Gu Hua and Zhou Zhilan whispered about the plot of their little storybook as they walked together into the outer hall.

"What's wrong with you?"

Gu Hua noticed Dong Qing's swollen face at a glance and hurriedly went over to check on her.

"It's nothing," Dongqing smiled.

Donghua was furious and proceeded to recount what had just happened.

Gu Hua frowned: "Why did Yinzhi hit you?"

Even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner. Donghua and the others are servants of the Duke's mansion. Has Yinzhi become more arrogant or stupid after being promoted to concubine?

Zhou Zhilan pulled Gu Hua back: "It's okay, I have a way to teach her a lesson. Let's eat."

After finishing the meal, I quickly made sure she went to prepare some snacks for the master.

We must strike while the iron is hot.

Zhou Zhilan instructed Donghua: "Donghua, help Dongqing reduce the swelling. I will serve the young lady her meal here."

"Okay, thank you for your help, Sister Zhou."

Zhou Zhilan opened the food box: "I must say, this soup smells amazing."

Open the lid, and a rich, yellow broth is released, emitting a fragrant aroma.

Gu Hua was suspicious. It was normal for her elder sister to make nourishing soup for her husband and Mu Junyan, but it was strange that she would make it for her.

Wasn't she afraid that she would seduce Mu Junyan and climb over her?

Is this a gesture of goodwill, or is there something else going on?

Zhou Zhilan was also puzzled and called out loudly towards the side room, "Has Miss Shen Li been shown to her?"

Dongqing replied, "Yes. Miss Shen Li has personally inspected all of Miss's meals."

Zhou Zhilan was relieved and scooped up the contents with a spoon: "These really are all good stuff. It's kind of her to do this. You really need to nourish yourself."

Now that Shen Li had seen it, Gu Hua felt relieved.

I was preoccupied at noon and didn't eat properly, so I'm hungry now.

A bowl of hot soup is just right to warm the stomach first.

……

Guanshanlou (Viewing Mountain Pavilion)

After Dongmo set out the meal in the side hall, he invited Mu Junyan to sit down.

"what is this?"

Mu Junyan watched as Dong Mo opened the lid of the stew pot, revealing a thick layer of oil floating on top, and he felt somewhat displeased.

He has never been fond of gluttony, and even less so of strong-flavored foods.

"This is a nourishing soup that the young mistress made for you."

Dongmo added, "I also sent a bowl of the exact same one to Miss Hua."

My lord works so hard, yet he never eats properly. Dongmo thought that this soup, like Miss Hua's, would be something my lord would drink.

Mu Junyan frowned.

He would never even glance at the tonics that Gu Wanru sent, and would have them thrown away immediately.

But when he heard that Gu Hua also had it, his usual keen senses made him wary.

I opened the lid and took a sniff. It didn't have a strong herbal smell, but there was a strange feeling about it.

Is Gu Wanru really being kind?

"Let Physician Sun take a look."

Dong Mo's expression changed slightly. Would the young mistress dare to tamper with the master's food?

The master was always perceptive, and Dongmo was so frightened that he quickly went to find the Sun family physician.

A short while later, Physician Sun arrived.

He smelled it, tasted it, and nodded confidently: "It's added."

Dong Mo's pale face drained of color: "What did you add?"

Mu Junyan's face darkened: "Dongmo, quickly tell Gu Hua not to take it."

Dongmo's soul flew away, instantly transforming into a gust of wind and being blown away.

Mu Junyan's forehead veins throbbed.

Based on the time and distance, the bowl of soup should have reached Gu Hua's hands first.

In case we fail to stop it.

The physician, surnamed Sun, was taken aback and asked in a low voice, "Shall I go and prepare the medicine?"

Mu Junyan frowned: "Is it the same as the previous ones?"

In the past, he had been given various aphrodisiacs, and he had been affected once or twice, but he was strong and had a strong will, so it was as if he had taken the wrong medicine.

After doing it many times, he began to understand a thing or two.

Therefore, he refuses to drink any food or soup that is not properly prepared.

Physician Sun shook his head: "I might not be able to counteract the potent medicine that Yichun Courtyard concocts itself. If it's taken more than fifteen minutes ago, I'm afraid..."

Where did Yaoyao used to stay at Yichun Courtyard?

"Could Shen Li have found out?"

The physician from the Sun family was troubled: "She...has not studied this kind of thing. High-end medicines are refined many times, making it extremely difficult to identify what kind of medicine is used. This soup is also stewed so thickly that it may not be possible to detect it in a short time."

Mu Junyan had a headache.

Look at the sky.

Ya Yun Ge is closest to the kitchen...

If she finishes drinking and another fifteen minutes have passed, it would be difficult for someone with Gu Hua's physique to resist.

Mu Junyan rubbed his fingers together.

"Go and prepare some herbal medicine, I'll go and take a look."

Without waiting for Physician Sun to speak, he strode into the night.

……

After Gu Hua finished her soup, she and Zhou Zhilan ate and chatted.

Before long, I felt hot all over, and fine sweat appeared on my body and face.

Her pretty face was flushed red from the heat.

Zhou Zhilan noticed her unusual behavior: "Are you so hot?"

Gu Hua fanned herself with a handkerchief: "This soup is probably too nourishing. I rarely drink such thick soup on a regular basis."

A wave of heat washed over her, making her lose her appetite for anything else.

My back was soaked with sweat, and my inner clothes were clinging to my back, making me feel very uncomfortable.

She touched her face, wondering why it was so hot.

Moreover, it felt like a raging fire was burning inside her, growing hotter and hotter, a heat that was making her feel restless and uneasy.

My throat is a bit inflamed, and I have a persistent dry cough.

For some reason, two romantic scenes with Mu Junyan flashed through my mind.

Is it because I'm thinking of flirting tonight that I'm already having all sorts of wild thoughts?

"No, you must be sick. I'll go get Shen Li."

Zhou Zhilan sensed something was wrong and quickly stood up and walked outside.

To my surprise, as soon as I stepped outside, I saw Dongmo running towards me, panting heavily.

He saw Zhou Zhilan and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Did you drink the soup, young lady?"

Zhou Zhilan was puzzled: "Soup?"

"You can't drink that soup." Dongmo didn't care about avoiding suspicion and stepped over the threshold to go inside.

Gu Hua was leaning lazily against the soft backrest, holding a handkerchief to cool herself down. The soft fabric of her clothes was loose at the collar, making her look charmingly languid.

Startled, Dongmo quickly retreated, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and said to Zhou Zhilan, "There's something wrong with that soup."

"what!"

Zhou Zhilan stamped her foot, "Why didn't you say so earlier? I was just about to go find Shen Li."

"Go ahead, keep an eye on Miss Hua." Dongmo didn't wait for her to speak before he took off running.

To his surprise, when he reached the courtyard gate, he saw Mu Junyan striding towards him with his head down. He turned pale with fright, realizing he had failed to stop Miss Hua from drinking the soup.

He watched helplessly as Mu Junyan entered the courtyard, and quickly followed him in.

"Lord?"

Zhou Zhilan was about to enter the house when she heard footsteps and turned around.

Mu Junyan looked at her: "Has she eaten?"

"After eating half of it, I felt like I got sick; I had a high fever."

"How much soup did you drink?"

When her lord asked about the soup directly, Zhou Zhilan was momentarily stunned. Taking it as concern, she answered truthfully, "I've finished it."

"Finished drinking?"

"Ah."

Zhou Zhilan noticed his expression had changed, but didn't know why.

"Miss Hua hasn't been feeling well lately, so the soup is pigeon stew..."

Before he could finish speaking, Mu Junyan rushed into the house like the wind.

Mu Junyan knew that Zhou Zhilan and Gu Hua were about the same age and that Zhou Zhilan had been living in the Duke's mansion for many years, so she was not aware of the vicious methods outside.

Zhou Zhilan turned her head to look at Dong Mo, who was spinning in place, and heard him muttering, "It's over, it's over, it's over."

Zhou Zhilan's face turned pale.

Could the soup be poisoned?

"Go quickly and find Physician Sun and Shen Li."

Zhou Zhilan called out anxiously and turned to follow him into the house.

Dongmo let out a yell and rushed out of the yard.

As soon as Zhou Zhilan went around the screen, she saw the scene inside the room and immediately understood what had been added to the soup.

My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly retreated to the side room, where I saw Holly and Winter Flower standing there in a daze.

I know they heard me.

Zhou Zhilan immediately ordered, "Don't just stand there, prepare hot water, and get the hot bath ready too."

"Hey." Donghua snapped out of her daze, grabbed Dongqing, and quickly and silently left.

Zhou Zhilan couldn't describe her feelings.

He was both happy for his lord and worried about Gu Hua.

Since things are already like this, all we can do is try our best to make things better.

Zhou Zhilan glanced at the sky and saw a dark figure standing on the wall, which reassured her somewhat.

Akabane would have his guards keep watch, ensuring that no one else would approach within a ten-zhang radius.

……

Gu Hua was extremely thirsty. She opened her drowsy eyes, reached for a cup on the low coffee table, and poured it into her mouth.

Her thin sleeves slipped down, revealing her snow-white arms.

Her eyes were misty, and her cheeks were rosy.

As she ripped open the drawstring of her coat to let it cool down, it slipped off one shoulder, revealing a glimpse of her fragrant shoulder and her sweat-soaked undershirt.

Mu Junyan saw this scene as he walked around the screen.

A pause in his steps.

Every time she got close, a surge of heat would rush up to me.

Mu Junyan had taken this kind of medicine before and knew that she was feeling extremely unwell.

If the herbal medicine is not suitable for her condition and can only provide slight relief, she will feel even worse.

How could someone as prone to tears as her bear such a feeling?