Tianhou Alley in the South City.

Taking advantage of the darkness, Gu Chengyan came to Guan Yingying's courtyard again.

Guan Yingying, like a happy little bird, flew over, hugged his neck, and said with concern, "Let me see, is the wound healed completely?"

Gu Chengyan's eyes softened as he took her fidgeting little hand and said, "It's alright, you've fully recovered."

"No, I want to see!"

Two weeks ago, Gu Chengyan was disciplined by the old lady and hasn't come over for many days.

Fearing that Guan Yingying might overthink things, he sent Wang Fugui to deliver a message to her, but the message was:

"The Crown Prince said that you, Madam, are the only one in his heart."

"These words angered the Marquis, and he beat up the heir apparent."

Guan Yingying was deeply moved and wrote a letter to Wang Fugui to take back to Gu Chengyan, telling him that she already knew his feelings.

After being beaten, their relationship warmed up again.

Now that Gu Chengyan is feeling a little better, he came all the way here. How could she not be moved!

As soon as she entered the room, she insisted that he take off his clothes to show her. Gu Chengyan had no choice but to give in to her.

As soon as her clothes were taken off, a full back of whip marks was revealed. Guan Yingying's eyes welled up with tears: "How could you be so stupid? Couldn't you have dodged it?"

Gu Chengyan held him in his arms and said, "It hurts, but it doesn't hurt as much as your tears. This marriage was arranged for me by them, it's not what I wanted."

Guan Yingying kissed the wounds, and the two of them ignored everything else, kicked the door shut.

Soon after, the cat began to meow, sometimes loudly and sometimes softly.

Aunt Wang skillfully picked up the child and went out late at night.

Afterwards, Gu Chengyan stroked the languid Guan Yingying with lingering satisfaction, carefully choosing his words before sighing, "Yingying, the plan has changed."

"What?"

"The one I'm engaged to isn't the eldest daughter of the Xie family, but the second daughter. My third uncle's marriage has been undecided for a long time, and my grandmother took the opportunity of the Xie family repaying a debt of gratitude to betroth her to my third uncle."

Guan Yingying jumped up immediately: "Is this how you steal someone else's wife? Isn't your third uncle the second prime minister? How come he can't find a wife?"

"I don't know either. Anyway, I've mentioned it twice before, and both times it was messed up by fortune tellers."

Guan Yingying pouted: "What fortune telling? There must be some conspiracy... I'm afraid your third uncle is no good, right?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

"Since Miss Xie is useless, why did you marry her?"

"Anyway, I'll have to keep one at home. I can't consummate the marriage with her anyway, so what does it matter who I marry?"

"But she holds the title of your legal wife."

Guan Yingying found these thoughts quite troubling, and she became increasingly skeptical of her decisions over the past few years.

She comes from the 21st century and barely made it into a second-tier university in her province after the college entrance examination. The students in the whole school were lazy and idle, spending their days either watching TV series or reading and writing online novels.

During a chance encounter while shopping, she was discovered by a talent scout and filmed several short dramas. The money came quickly, and after graduation, she went to Hengdian World Studios to work.

Starting as a background extra, she worked her way up to a featured extra, and finally a major role. She worked her way up between Hengdian and Xiangshan film and television cities, and in 2023, she encountered the spring of her career.

The short drama became an overnight sensation!

She thrives in various domineering CEO and time-travel dramas, always playing the lead or second lead, reciting poetry or engaging in palace intrigue and domestic power struggles, living a carefree and unrestrained life at the pinnacle of success.

"If only I could time travel! I wouldn't have to rent a place, work, or find a poor second-generation man to help me pay the mortgage."

She thought more than once, "In ancient times, I would have used the advantages of five thousand years of civilization and countless ways to get rich, sitting on mountains of gold and silver, endlessly surrounded by handsome male fans, and crushing those timid, bound-footed ladies of noble families..."

She died one day, but her dream came true. She was transported to the fictional Great Gan Kingdom and became the eldest daughter of a third-rank imperial censor.

But damn it, this is so heartbreaking! My father, a high-ranking official, was beheaded, and his entire clan was exiled!

She then realized that the unparalleled medical and poison skills, as well as various ways to make money, depicted in novels and short dramas by time-traveling women were all lies!

She had no spatial ability, no system, and no medical skills. She couldn't even make the explosives described in novels by following the exact proportions...

Fortunately, Gu Chengyan saved her.

He's the heir to a marquis's mansion, a fifth-rank official in the imperial court, and a handsome man too! She truly loves him.

For the first two years, she stayed obediently in the southern part of the city, living the life of a stay-at-home girl who didn't have to brave the wind and rain.

No need for 996 work schedules or unspoken rules; all you have to do every day is act cute and recite a poem to enjoy a life of luxury and the tender, loving affection of a handsome man.

A year after her son was born, she opened two general stores in the southern part of the city, and the ingenious and practical tools from her previous life were quite popular.

Her life is peaceful now, and compared to the vagrants and beggars around her, she is already the happiest woman in the South City.

But now he's getting engaged and getting married!

She has a 5,000-year-old civilization background, and she is an educated woman who has received more than ten years of education. She is far superior to those women whose minds are bound by their bound feet!

How could she be a mistress?!

Guan Yingying swallowed her frustration and asked, "What about our start-up capital?"

"The Peony Festival is in a few days, and the Crown Prince wants me to write a few poems about peonies to open and close the event. The Crown Prince values ​​me and intends to transfer me to the Ministry of Works to be in charge of the Grand Canal project."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yingying immediately became excited: "My God, you're going to be in charge of a major government project? I'll prepare a few poems about peonies for you, so the Crown Prince will look at you with new eyes. Hurry up and get me a legitimate identity, we're going to make a fortune!"

She's capable of being a construction foreman!

We'll use Miss Xie's dowry to make money, and then pay her back with interest.

She seemed to be very knowledgeable about contracting projects, which delighted Gu Chengyan.

Guan Yingying looked into his eyes and suddenly said in a coquettish tone, "Chengyan, I want to attend the Peony Festival. I've never been to the palace before, and I want to see it."

Gu Chengyan's face turned cold, and he coaxed, "No, you absolutely cannot go to the palace. You should know that all the ladies in the palace recognize your face."

"So many years have passed, and my appearance has changed a lot compared to when I was a child. Besides, with my current demeanor, do you think anyone would recognize me?"

Gu Chengyan flatly refused, "No, no, absolutely not."

Guan Yingying rested her chin on her hand and thought for a while, then took a step back and decided to secure the project first.

He picked up a brush and wrote three poems about peonies in a crooked and messy manner, then asked Gu Chengyan, "Is that enough?"

"That's enough for the opening and the closing act..."

“That’s not enough! It’s okay, I’ll think of two more for you.” Guan Yingying lowered her head and thought for a long time, then came up with two more songs. She said, “I’m not so sure about these two, you can revise them again.”

Gu Chengyan was amazed when he read the five poems, but he didn't show it on his face. He just held Guan Yingying in his arms, his eyes tender and affectionate, and said, "Yingying, you are truly my lucky star."

He pulled up his pants and left reluctantly.

No sooner had he stepped forward than Guan Yingying smugly snorted, "You didn't invite me? Humph, I'll show you the amazing makeup skills of the 21st century..."