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

Dongmo was looking around in the courtyard, trying to find someone from Jinxiu Pavilion to ask, when he spotted Jin Kui coming out of the west corner gate and hurried over to greet her.

"Sister Jin, where is your Miss Gu Hua?"

Jin Kui recognized him and pointed towards the west corner gate, "He's in the small kitchen."

"She's injured like that, and you still want her to work?" Dongmo stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Jin Kui looked at him in surprise: "You knew she injured her hand?"

Dongmo suddenly remembered that Gu Hua had told him not to say it.

"No, no, I noticed her fingers were a little red when she made tea for the young mistress today."

Jin Kui didn't think too much about it: "I applied some medicine to her."

"Thank you, sister. I have something to ask her." Dongmo didn't want to say anything more and quickly ran to the small kitchen.

Jin Kui frowned as she watched his retreating figure. When did Gu Hua become so familiar with the people around the Duke?

Gu Hua and the cook were busy when she inadvertently looked up and saw Dong Mo peeking halfway out of the moon gate and waving at her, which startled her.

I glanced quickly at the cook, thankfully she was looking down and burning firewood and didn't see me.

She walked out quickly and asked in a low voice, "Dong-ge, what brings you here?"

If Gu Wanru discovers anything amiss, she won't let me off the hook.

Dongmo didn't dare linger and quickly stuffed two bottles of ointment into her hands, lowering his voice: "The one in the white porcelain bottle is a treasure from the palace. You must use it; it will ensure your skin recovers completely. The other one is burn ointment."

Gu Hua was taken aback: "It's so valuable, I can't accept it."

"This is a gift from the master, use it as you please." Dongmo was afraid the cook would find out, so she quickly ran away.

If it was a gift from the Duke, why would Dongmo need to do it secretly?

It must have been Dongmo who kindly found a way to get it.

Gu Hua looked at the two medicine bottles in her hand, and her eyes welled up with tears.

This was the first time since I entered the Duke's mansion that I had received such care.

It turns out, there are still good people out there.

Gu Hua suddenly remembered, lifted her skirt and chased after him, calling softly, "Brother Dong, Brother Dong, is the master still in the manor?"

Dong Mo didn't even turn his head, just waved his hand and said, "I just left the manor."

Gu Hua felt a chill in her heart.

Is there no hope left?

Gu Hua was surprised that her son-in-law, Mu An, arrived before dinner time.

"Jin Kui, call Hua'er to serve you," Gu Wanru instructed with a smile.

A moment later, Gu Hua carried a plate of pastries and followed Jin Kui in.

The two men served tea and refreshments to their two masters.

Mu An's eyes were fixed on Gu Hua without any attempt to hide them, like a fly stuck to a delicious dessert.

Gu Hua felt a chill run through her body. After placing the pastries into the white porcelain dish, she silently retreated.

Gu Wanru wore a gentle smile, but her eyes were filled with icy shards.

Mu An took Gu Wanru's hand and said affectionately, "With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?"

Gu Wanru nestled shyly in Mu An's arms: "It is my blessing to be able to marry you, my lord."

Watching the couple's hypocritical display of affection, Gu Hua almost vomited.

Gu Wanru saw her as a thorn in her side and wished she could disappear from her sight forever. In order to secure her favor, she put her on the chopping block and let her be slaughtered at will.

Mu An coveted the beauty, and after satisfying his desires, he wanted to gain more benefits from the lady, so he killed her to cover up the truth.

No one cared whether she wanted to or not, nor did they care about the life or death of her and the child in her womb.

In their eyes, she was just an object, a toy.

Gu Wanru, your whole life has been about stealing from me.

Have you forgotten?

In her previous life, Mu An raped her after dinner tonight.

How will she escape the clutches of evil in this life?

Gu Hua's mind was a mess.

Gu Wanru and Mu An cuddled for a while, but Mu An's eyes remained fixed on Gu Hua standing behind him, his gaze filled with unbearable longing. He began to be perfunctory towards his wife in his arms, even showing impatience.

Gu Wanru also noticed, suppressing her displeasure, gently pushed Mu An away, and smiled sweetly.

"There's still a while before we finish eating, and I'm feeling a bit tired. Why don't you go to the side room and rest for a while, so we can both have more energy and the meal will taste even better?"

Mu An was overjoyed and kissed Gu Wanru on the cheek: "Madam is so considerate."

Gu Wanru glared at him and said coquettishly, "It's enough that my husband remembers the good things I've done for him."

He turned to look at Gu Hua and said gently, "Hua'er, go and help your husband to rest."

Gu Hua froze.

I haven't had dinner yet!

Gu Hua stiffly led Mu An toward the side room, feeling the pair of hungry wolf-like eyes behind her, a chill ran down her spine.

Upon reaching the door, Gu Hua didn't enter the house, but cautiously stepped aside, saying, "Young master, please come in... ah!"

Mu An suddenly hugged her and pushed her directly into the house.

Gu Hua turned pale with fright and clung desperately to the door frame with both hands: "Young master, young master, let me go."

Seeing that she wouldn't let go, Mu An simply turned her over, pressed her into his arms, and pressed his mouth against her neck and face, tearing at her clothes with his hands.

"Baby, from today onwards, you belong to me. I'll take good care of you."

Gu Hua cried out in despair, "Young Master, please let me go..."

Mu An's eyes were filled with lust. Seeing her struggling desperately, he impatiently picked her up and carried her straight into the house.

Mu An threw the person onto the soft couch, and pounced on him while taking off his clothes: "Serve me well, and I will take good care of you."

Gu Hua was frantic with worry. She pushed him with all her might, steeling her heart and shouting at the top of her lungs, "Young Master, my elder sister has given me to the Duke. You can't touch me! Let me go!"

Mu An was stunned: "What did you say?"

Gu Hua hurriedly said, "If you don't believe me, you can ask my elder sister. This morning, my elder sister took me to see the Duke. I've already caught his eye, so you can't touch me. Didn't you want to ask for the appointment of the heir apparent? Have you thought about the consequences if you touch the Duke's woman?"

She made up her mind that if he tried to force himself on her again, she would use the silver hairpin in her hair to take him down with her!

Mu An's face turned pale, and he turned to look out the window.

The main house was diagonally opposite, and Gu Wanru stood by the door, glaring at them with a burning anger.

She didn't expect Mu An to be so impatient, starting to touch her inappropriately before even entering the house, showing no respect for her as the legal wife.

Gu Hua heard the shouting and quickly came over with Jin Kui.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Gu Wanru lost her composure and her face was full of anger.

How dare you sow discord between them!

Taking advantage of Mu An's slight loosening of his grip, Gu Hua pushed him away and jumped off the soft couch, trying to run out, but Mu An blocked her way by pressing his arm against the door.

Mu An's face darkened: "Gu Wanru, are you two-faced?"

Gu Wanru became anxious: "My lord, how could I possibly give her to my father? Haven't I already delivered her to your side?"

She is the future Duchess of the State; how could anyone be allowed to tarnish her perfect image of virtue and gentleness?

Gu Wanru turned her head and looked coldly at Gu Hua: "Sister, if you don't want to serve the young master, just say so. Do you think I, as your older sister, would force you? Besides, Father has never been interested in women. How could you slander him?"

Mu An snapped out of her daze and looked coldly at Gu Hua: "Gu Hua, it's your good fortune that I've taken a liking to you, and it's also thanks to your elder sister's magnanimity. What? You look down on me and want to climb into my father's bed!"

Gu Hua knew that what Mu An hated most was that the Duke of Yong had never petitioned for him to be named a crown prince.

She often heard Mu An and Gu Wanru cursing the Duke of Yong in their room, and even cursing the old lady, saying that they had never treated him as their own son and grandson.

They also said that since the Duke of Yong had no heir, everything in the Duke's mansion belonged to him, and that when the Duke of Yong grew old, they shouldn't expect them to fulfill their filial duties.

This is also why Gu Wanru never paid attention to the old lady who suffered from dementia.

Seeing that her husband was angry with Gu Hua, Gu Wanru softened her tone: "Sister, how could your elder sister harm you? Your husband has always been kind and gentle to women. Look at those concubines in the back courtyard, aren't they all living in luxury? When your husband inherits the Duke's mansion, won't you be short of wealth and honor?"

Your father is old and has never been interested in women. Even if you wanted to take care of him, he wouldn't want you. In the end, you'd have wasted your precious youth, getting nothing in return.

Even if we concede that your elder sister sent you home, given your status, your father and mother could easily arrange for you to marry anyone. How could that compare to the noble status of the only son of the Duke's mansion?

Gu Wanru's words struck a nerve with Mu An; that little bitch dared to refuse him and try to curry favor with her father.

He clearly looked down on him.

Enraged, she raised her hand and slapped Gu Hua across the face, yelling, "How dare you even think of father! You slut!"

Gu Hua's face burned with pain, and her ears were ringing.

Mu An's eyes flashed with a fierce light: "Men, tie her up and throw her into the room."

Two servants came in and grabbed Gu Hua, intending to tie her up.