The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

Xue Qingwan was surprised that so many people liked her, and a smug look appeared on her face.

She is not from this world; she has traveled from another time.

When she learned that a woman's life would be confined to a small world, she vowed in her heart that her life would never be ordinary.

She wants to change her destiny through the knowledge she has acquired.

She wants to be superior to others.

So when Zhou sent a letter to Xuzhou, her eyes lit up immediately when she saw the words "Marquis's Residence".

She's just a man, but she's quite attractive and knows things that don't exist in this world.

It's incredibly easy to win a man's heart.

So Xue Qingwan came to the capital.

The capital city was very prosperous, even more bustling than she had imagined.

When Xue Qingwan saw the magnificent Marquis's mansion, she knew that she had made the right move.

Song Wenjun also noticed the difference in this cousin; she always had a faint smile on her face and did not refute her words or actions.

Instead, he followed her words and asked, "May I ask what self-defense technique Miss Biao has learned?"

She was just testing the waters; anyone else would have refused long ago.

After all, demonstrating in public is too undignified.

What's the difference between this and street performance?

Xue Qingwan, however, wanted to show off. She said with an arrogant expression, "What I learned are self-defense techniques for when encountering danger. They can defeat the enemy in one move and turn defeat into victory. If you ladies from noble families want to learn them, it may be a bit difficult. After all, it requires explosive power and skill."

After saying that, she looked at Song Wenjun and Gu Qinghe and shook her head with regret: "I'm afraid you two can't learn it, your bodies are too weak."

Gu Qinghe said somewhat unconvinced, "If you can learn it, why can't we? Unless you demonstrate it for us."

"Then I'll broaden your horizons."

The people inside followed him out as if they were seeing something unusual.

Xue Qingwan walked into the courtyard and called over two servants: "You, come here."

The two servants were as thin as bean sprouts. They looked at each other, neither daring to step forward.

It was Zhou who spoke up: "This is Miss Zhou. She told you to come over, so come over."

The two servants then stepped forward and stood in front of Xue Qingwan.

She tucked one corner of her skirt into her waistband for easier movement.

Then, he gestured with his chin at the two of them: "Come and hit me together."

"This servant wouldn't dare..." The two servants were so frightened that they fell to the ground.

Xue Qingwan frowned: "Just fight if I tell you to. Don't worry, you can't get close to me."

Zhou nodded, and the two servants hesitantly stepped forward, both extending their fists toward Xue Qingwan.

Xue Qingwan grabbed a servant's wrist and swiftly threw him over her shoulder, bringing him to the ground.

The other one, fearing he might hurt her, quickly withdrew his fist.

Xue Qingwan glared at him with displeasure: "Why are you dodging? Come and fight."

The servant gritted his teeth and rushed forward as well.

Xue Qingwan also used a grappling technique to take him down.

Such bravery is truly breathtaking.

"Good..." A cheer came from outside the courtyard. Gu Huaizhou looked at Xue Qingwan with shining eyes, his eyes full of admiration.

He was good-looking and came from a powerful and wealthy family.

In addition, having entered officialdom at a young age, he possesses a natural charm of a mature man.

Xue Qingwan was instantly captivated, her eyes fixed on Gu Huaizhou. Wasn't this the husband of her dreams?

He's rich, powerful, and handsome.

Gu Huaizhou noticed that she was staring intently at him, and his face flushed slightly.

He understood what that look meant, because he had seen it on Song Wenjun's face as well.

No, even more fiery than hers.

She was so different from other women; she was like a radiant sunflower, full of vitality and enthusiasm.

Gu Huaizhou felt his heart racing, but because Song Wenjun was there, he didn't dare to talk to Xue Qingwan.

Instead, he walked up to Zhou and greeted her.

"Mother, what is this?" He looked at Xue Qingwan.

Madam Zhou also felt that Xue Qingwan had made her proud, and smiled very smugly: "You forgot, this is your cousin's second daughter. You met her once when you were little."

The Gu family has countless cousins, but Gu Huaizhou can't even remember which cousin he is.

He said "Oh" and nodded: "I didn't expect my cousin to have grown up so much and have such good kung fu skills."

Xue Qingwan raised her eyebrows at him proudly: "Thank you for the compliment, cousin."

Seeing the two exchanging glances, Zhou knew there was something going on. She exchanged a look with Song Wenjun, and Song Wenjun also slightly curled her lips.

She's happy as long as there's a chance; she's just afraid there won't be any.

Now is a time when Gu Huaizhou feels empty, and as long as his cousin makes a little effort, she can capture his heart.

Xue Qingwan settled down in the Marquis's residence, and Song Wenjun intentionally arranged for her to stay in Qingying Courtyard, which was close to Gu Huaizhou's study.

Zhou also transferred several maids and servants over to serve her.

Although she was called a cousin, everyone in the manor knew that Xue Qingwan was actually a concubine promoted to Gu Huaizhou.

Later that evening, Madam Zhou called Xue Qingwan to her room and said to her, "With your status, it's impossible for you to become a concubine. I can only elevate you to the status of a concubine. Are you willing?"

"A concubine?" Xue Qingwan's expression changed instantly; she was unwilling. "What's the difference between that and a servant?"

This was so different from what she had expected; she should at least be a concubine.

What is a concubine? She is a servant.

She would live in Song Wenjun's shadow for the rest of her life, and even her children could not call her "mother."

She herself was born out of wedlock, so of course she understood how difficult it was to be born out of wedlock.

Xue Qingwan shook her head firmly: "I will not become a concubine, but I love the Marquis and am willing to stay by his side, even without a title."

She believed that with her skills, she was confident she could become a legal wife.

Once you become a concubine, you'll never be able to rise again.

"What?" Zhou looked surprised. "You don't want a title? Are you crazy? What's wrong with being a concubine? I'm half a mistress too."

"She's only slightly better than a servant. I've heard that in some wealthy families, concubines have to kneel and serve the mistress by washing her feet. Is that true?" Xue Qingwan asked with a cold snort.

Zhou's face darkened; how could she not know?

She was originally the maid who washed the feet of the Gu family's mistress, and later she was promoted to concubine, and then became the second wife.

Therefore, she did not believe that once she became a concubine, she would never be able to turn her life around.

But she couldn't talk about this shameful past.

All I could do was advise Xue Qingwan: "Don't be too ambitious. Take it one step at a time and be down-to-earth."

"Aunt, you don't need to persuade me anymore. I will never become a concubine." Xue Qingwan was very stubborn. She would rather die than become a concubine in this lifetime.

Not only that, she also wants to take Gu Huaizhou completely, including his heart.

Seeing that she couldn't persuade her, Madam Zhou stopped paying attention to her and only reminded her, "This is a Marquis's mansion, not a small, insignificant place. In this capital, everyone looks at their background and origin. What do you think makes you stand out and earn respect? Even someone like Song Wenjun, who comes from a merchant family, is looked down upon."

“She is her, and I am me. I haven’t even tried, so how does your aunt know I can’t do it?”

"You can't reason with a damned devil. If you're going to do things your own way, I won't say anything more. Don't come looking for me if you suffer later."

Xue Qingwan snorted defiantly. She would never be like those ignorant women who ended up relying on men to support them.

She did things that made Gu Huaizhou look at her with new eyes and willingly take the bait.