The Eldest Daughter Returns: Imperial Uncle, I'm Pregnant!

Siqi skillfully reattached Huan'er's arm, causing Huan'er to break out in a cold sweat. She staggered into the main house, clutching her arm. Siqi closed the door, startling Huan'er.

Ru Hua poured Gu Qingwan a cup of tea, while Bao Qin took out a pile of dirty clothes from behind the screen. These were the clothes Gu Qingwan had just worn when she went out.

When Gu Qingwan returned, she happened to hear Gu Hanjiao and Baoqin arguing. After entering through the back window, she had Siqi take off her clothes and untie her hairpins before opening the door.

Huan'er's eyes widened. She hadn't been mistaken; the young lady had indeed gone out. She had been trying to bring tea to the young lady's room when Baoqin chased her away. Huan'er was quite clever; seeing that there was no movement in the young lady's room and that Baoqin wasn't going in and out as usual, she noticed that...

Huan'er had been secretly observing, and finally, when Baoqin was called away, she secretly opened the window and peeked inside. The room was empty except for Ruhua sitting at the table embroidering something.

Upon seeing this, Huan'er hurriedly ran to inform Gu Hanjiao, but she didn't expect the young lady to return so quickly. Huan'er knelt on the ground with her head down, and the pain in her arm made her tremble.

What benefits did she give you?

Huan'er moved her lips, licked her already chapped lips, and slowly said, "The Second Miss gave me silver and jewelry."

"This has already tempted you? You're such a traitor! In what way has our young lady mistreated you?" Ru Hua had a short temper and was almost ready to yell at him.

"No, no, Sister Ruhua, the young lady is very kind to us maids. I was blinded by greed. Please, young lady, have mercy!" Huan'er hurriedly kowtowed and begged for forgiveness.

Gu Qingwan stared at Huan'er for a long time, making Huan'er's eyes dart around and her mind wander, probably because Gu Qingwan had seen through her. In the end, Gu Qingwan just smiled and said, "Do you want to be with the Second Miss? I can grant your wish."

Upon hearing this, Huan'er immediately shook her head and said, "I was brought by the eldest young lady, how could I follow the second young lady? Besides, I really did not betray the young lady."

"You've revealed Miss's whereabouts, isn't that betrayal?" Ruhua asked.

“Young Miss, you are very perceptive. I encountered Chunlu at the time, and Chunlu asked me where Miss had gone. At first, I refused to say, but she coaxed and pleaded with me to give me silver and jewelry.” As she spoke, Huan’er took out a purse and a hairpin from her clothes and placed them on the ground.

Huan'er continued, "This servant is short-sighted and has never seen such beautiful jewelry before, so I told Chunlu. But I only said that Miss went to bed early today and there was no one in the courtyard right now. The other maids really didn't say anything and had no intention of betraying Miss."

"You're lying! I clearly saw you come here with the Second Miss!" Ru Hua shouted.

"No! Huan'er has been in the courtyard the whole time and hasn't gone out. It was Chunlu who came to our courtyard to ask. Miss, you have to believe me. I'll return the things right away," Huan'er cried out, feeling aggrieved.

Gu Qingwan remained silent. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Huan'er's back was soaked with sweat. She wondered if the young lady would believe her explanation.

Seeing Huan'er's pale face and the sweat on her forehead that soaked her hair, Gu Qingwan focused her gaze on Huan'er's wrist, where a bracelet of decent quality was visible. Huan'er quickly tucked her hand into her sleeve.

Gu Qingwan smiled and said, "In that case, it seems that it would be unnecessary to reattach your arms. Siqi, help Huan'er and remove both of them."

"Miss, why go through all this trouble? I'll just break it off for you." With that, Siqi rolled up her sleeves and grabbed Huan'er's arm.

"No! No! Miss, I'll talk, I'll talk! Second Miss said that as long as I act as an inside agent, she can get Madam to arrange for me to be the eldest young master's concubine!"

Everyone found it hard to believe. Could it be that Huan'er had lost her mind to become Gu Changfeng's concubine?

"You really want to become the eldest young master's concubine?"

Freed from Siqi's control, Huan'er collapsed to the ground and confessed everything: "Young Master is so good, so gentle. He always speaks softly to me. I have never met such a gentle person. But Miss beat him up like that. Why did you hit him so hard, Miss?"

Huan'er could never forget the time when she helped Gu Qingwan move things from outside. In her haste, she fell down. Just then, the eldest young master happened to pass by and helped her up with a smile. However, it was only a fleeting glance before the eldest young master and his men hurriedly left without saying another word to her.

In Gu Qingwan's eyes, this is what it means to be blinded by love.

"That time...that time I saw the eldest young master suffering so much in the courtyard, and I thought I'd make him something to eat. I didn't dare come to our small kitchen, so I had to go to the main kitchen. But the people in the main kitchen were difficult and uncooperative when they saw us, and they even made sarcastic remarks. It was the second young lady who stepped in to rescue us and arranged for me to see the eldest young master, so that's why..." Huan'er told her everything. Although she felt that treating the eldest young lady like that was disloyal, but...

"Was the bracelet on your wrist also a gift from the eldest young master?"

Huan'er touched the bracelet on her wrist. It was from the day she delivered the food. The eldest young master praised her cooking skills, saying that it had made his bitter mouth, which had been drinking medicine for the past few days, taste something different again. The eldest young master even put this bracelet on her wrist himself, saying that he would find an opportunity to tell the young lady that he wanted her. However, Huan'er did not tell Gu Qingwan any of this.

"What else did they ask you to do?" Gu Qingwan asked simply, too lazy to ask about their past.

Huan'er didn't want to speak at first, but seeing that Siqi was about to make a move again, she became scared and quickly said, "No, she didn't ask me to do anything. She just said that someone would inform me of the specifics later, and I shouldn't ask about anything else."

Gu Qingwan narrowed her eyes. What was Gu Hanjiao planning? This piqued her curiosity.

"anything else?"

"And...and another thing is that the second young lady asked...if the eldest young lady has any special marks on her body, such as birthmarks or moles or something..." Huan'er lowered her head and her voice grew softer and softer.

Gu Qingwan's head jolted. In her previous life, when she returned, Xiao Yuheng had confidently pointed out the birthmark on her waist, which led to endless disasters. Gu Qingwan's eyes seemed to freeze over.

"Then what did you find out?" Gu Qingwan stood up and walked slowly towards Huan'er. Each step she took was extremely slow, yet it seemed as if each step was treading on Huan'er's heart.

Huan'er had never seen the young lady like this before, and said with some fear, "I know, I know... the young lady has a birthmark on her waist."

"How did you know?" Gu Qingwan stepped forward and lifted Huan'er's chin with her finger.

The cold touch on her chin made Huan'er tremble involuntarily: "It was when I was bringing bath water to Miss in the Duke's mansion before. I heard Madam talking to Miss at the door. Miss, please forgive me. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just happened to walk to the door and heard Madam and Miss talking. It really was Miss."

Gu Qingwan released Huan'er, stood up, and turned her back to her. Heh, who would have thought that the sentence that led her to the abyss in her past life was overheard by a little maid? She had suspected and investigated so many people, only to find out it was just a casual remark.

Seeing the young lady standing there, Huan'er became even more frightened: "Young lady, I didn't say anything. Although the second young lady asked, I really didn't say anything. This concerns a young lady's reputation, how could I dare?"

You didn't dare, but in the end you did it anyway, and it's ridiculous that it was all for the position of a concubine.

In her past life, Gu Qingwan returned to the Gu family. Madam Ning felt sorry for her and allowed the people she used to employ to return, including Huan'er, who was a little maid who cleaned outside. Gu Qingwan never expected that the loophole would appear in this position.

It's really laughable when you think about it. Just because Xiao Yuheng mentioned a birthmark on her waist, she believed he was the one who saved her? And she just followed him without hesitation?

"Now you have two choices: either I have Siqi dismantle you and sell you off, or you obediently listen to me and I will grant your wish to become a concubine."

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss. Thank you for your kindness." Huan'er had considered the worst-case scenario, but she didn't expect the young lady to let her go so easily.

"It seems you've chosen the second path, which makes things easier. Just pretend you know nothing and do whatever they tell you to do, but you must tell me."

“Miss, how can this be? What if she tells everyone about your birthmark…” Ru Hua said with some worry.

"Ruhua, don't worry. Huan'er, if anyone asks, just tell the truth."

"This servant wouldn't dare, this servant wouldn't dare. I will never be able to repay the great kindness of the young lady. I am determined to keep the secret for the young lady, and I hope that the young lady can protect me." Huan'er was secretly pleased at this moment, thinking that she had caught Gu Qingwan in a compromising situation. If Gu Qingwan made things difficult for her, she would reveal the birthmark on the young lady's waist. If such a private part of a woman were to be known by outsiders, what good would happen to the young lady?

Therefore, for the sake of her future, the young lady should do everything she can to protect her.

Gu Qingwan understood Huan'er's meaning, but a sarcastic smile appeared on her lips: "Of course, you may leave."

Although Huan'er felt a sense of relief and relief as she left, she straightened her back, glanced at Siqi, and left the main house while clutching her still aching arm.

Ru Hua said angrily, "Miss, that little hussy is actually threatening us!"

“It’s just a petty person getting their way. I’ll rip her tongue out,” Siqi said.

Baoqin asked with some concern, "Miss, are you really alright?"

"It's better to deal with some things sooner rather than later. We should find an opportunity to get rid of the people in our courtyard who need to be sent away. After all, we'll be staying in the Prime Minister's residence for quite some time. Those flies and insects may not cause any harm, but they're still quite disgusting to look at."

Lying in bed at night, Gu Qingwan listened to Ru Hua's even breathing from the other room. She touched her waist, which was now smooth and neat, but Huan'er was not mistaken; there had indeed been a birthmark there before.

At that time, my aunt said: With this birthmark, no one can take away our young lady. Xiao Qingwan is a fairy descended from heaven. She will have a lot of good fortune in the future. This is a mark left by God to find our little fairy.

Perhaps it was truly a blessing from God that the birthmark faded gradually after her rebirth, and now it's completely invisible. If Huan'er hadn't brought it up today, she probably would have forgotten that she once had a birthmark there.

I just don't know how Xiao Yuheng found out. Given Gu Hanjiao's personality, she would never advise Xiao Yuheng to have other women around him. And Wang Ruyan wouldn't harm her own daughter like this, would she?

Gu Qingwan closed her eyes and thought for a moment. It was very likely that it was Gu Changfeng. Only Gu Changfeng wouldn't care who was lying next to his brother-in-law, as long as it was to his own advantage.

Gu Changfeng, that black sheep, must have ulterior motives for treating Huan'er so gently. Otherwise, given Gu Changfeng's personality, Huan'er would have been pulled into the house long ago. Where would this gentleness and tenderness come from?

Gu Qingwan thought for a while and then went to sleep. Some people are better off not being in a hurry and taking their time to sort things out.

Before dawn, Shi Shu came from the North Gate, firstly to show Gu Qingwan the account books, and secondly to report on some matters concerning the Makeup Pavilion.

The maid said, "Miss, the business at the cosmetics store is exceptionally good. I want to buy some things to take a look, but I need to get a membership card and register with my real name, which means I have to report to the mansion."

"Get a card? What kind of card?" Gu Qingwan had never heard of such a thing as a membership card before, and she found it extremely strange. This Gu Hanjiao really did have some ideas.

"This membership card comes in three tiers: gold, silver, and regular. The type of card is determined by the amount you top up, with gold cardholders having priority over all other customers. The gifts included with each tier are also different. Of course, without a membership card, it's not easy to buy some popular and in-demand items. You need to register in advance and wait in line. Cardholders have priority, and only then can regular customers get their turn. Of course, the store also sells some affordable cosmetics for ordinary people."

"That's really interesting. They let the customers deposit their money first, so whether they come back to spend it or not, it's already spent, so they're guaranteed to make a profit. Plus, they've kept the customer base firmly in place. My second sister is truly a business whiz." Gu Qingwan praised, "So how did you handle it?"

"I'm also very anxious. It seems that our rouge shop won't be able to keep going like this. However, the second young master asked me to get a membership card in the name of his wife, but I only bought a small amount of things. The shopkeeper took them all to study."

Looking at the account book in front of her, Gu Qingwan realized that the rouge shop had finally opened. The income wasn't great, but it was alright. It was best to be cautious at the beginning. Gu Qingwan instructed, "Let's keep our shop like this for now. Don't sell anything too luxurious. Just sell affordable items. Don't try to compete with the cosmetics store. They're doing high-end products, while we're doing affordable ones. Our approaches are different, so our business methods will naturally be different too."

Gu Qingwan closed the ledger, thinking that Gu Hanjiao seemed to be a spoiled young lady, but she didn't expect her to have such a business mind. However, she wondered why she hadn't seen such skill in Gu Hanjiao in her previous life.

"Miss, don't we need to take any action?"

“Not for now. Have breakfast before you go back. I’ll find a way to get those things. Have someone study them. I have a feeling there’s something wrong with these things that suddenly appeared. Tell the Second Young Master to let me know once he finds out what’s wrong,” Gu Qingwan said, tapping her fingers on the table.

How could Gu Qingwan watch Gu Hanjiao build up her business? If she really succeeded, a woman with money in her hands would live the happiest life. With money, everything would be easier, but how would Gu Hanjiao continue her revenge? Therefore, Gu Qingwan would not allow such a thing to happen.

After having breakfast, Gu Qingwan went to the main courtyard to find Gu Hanjiao. When she arrived, she didn't see Wang Ruyan. She guessed that Wang Ruyan had been summoned by the old lady to observe the rules again.

"Oh, what brings you here, sister?" Gu Hanjiao greeted her playfully.

Last night's unpleasant ending left Gu Hanjiao somewhat embarrassed. After rushing back yesterday, she found herself surprisingly afraid of Gu Qingwan. What was there to be afraid of? Did Gu Qingwan really dare to hit the future Third Prince's consort?

Thinking of this, Gu Hanjiao puffed out her chest. Gu Qingwan glanced at her still-developing chest and a sarcastic smile appeared on her lips.

"It's nothing. I heard that my sister came to see me last night to see what kind of flowers to look for and wanted to chat. I figured I had nothing to do today, so I came to keep her company." Gu Qingwan went into the room and sat down without waiting for Gu Hanjiao to say anything.

Gu Hanjiao gritted her teeth. That was just an excuse. She didn't really want to chat with Gu Qingwan. But Gu Hanjiao couldn't say no, so she could only accompany her inside.

Gu Qingwan noticed some bottles and jars on Gu Hanjiao's table and asked curiously, "What are these? They smell quite nice."

Gu Hanjiao walked over, picked up a bottle, and introduced it, "Sister, you may not know this, but this is the most popular face cream in Beijing recently. The small ones are for the face, and the large ones are for the body. After using it, your skin will stay moisturized and radiant."

Gu Qingwan picked up a bottle and examined it carefully, then asked, "The effect is really this good?"