Chapter 001: Immature

“Wanwan, Big Brother and I have brought a young lady back to the manor. Yueling’s background is more pitiful than yours. From now on, don’t bully her.”

Ye Wanshu hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of her rebirth. Gu Tingchen’s words struck her forehead like a heavy hammer.

Looking at the Gu brothers, who once had only eyes for her, Ye Wanshu felt as if needles pricked her heart, stirring a subtle, sharp pain.

“Second cousin is joking, they are all guests. I understand how to treat guests properly,” she said calmly, her tone distant and indifferent.

Thinking of how Jiang Yueling had taken every opportunity in her past life to provoke and frame her, Ye Wanshu sneered coldly in her heart.

“What kind of guest are you?” Gu Tingchen’s displeasure was obvious. “You know very well that Father and Mother have already chosen you as the daughter-in-law of the Duke’s household. One of us brothers must marry you. Who are you pretending for?”

Gu Tingzhou didn’t want to worsen relations and softened his tone slightly: “Wanwan, you’re about to marry into my Duke’s household. How can the future lady of the house speak so formally and distantly?”

Stepping forward, Gu Tingzhou habitually took her hand and gently asked, “Wanwan, are you feeling unwell?”

Ye Wanshu shook her head, stepped back, and calmly pulled her hand free. “Children speak without thinking. The previous engagement was just a joke, not to be taken seriously. You two cousins need not take it to heart.”

“Just a joke?”

Gu Tingchen felt like he’d heard the biggest joke ever, his eyes full of mockery. “Do you think we of the Duke Rong’s household are actors? Can the vows made before your grandmother’s spirit be treated like a game?”

Seeing his serious demeanor, Ye Wanshu gave a self-mocking smile.

So, it turned out the two brothers still remembered that.

Because her mother severed ties with her father, Ye Wanshu had lived with her maternal family since childhood. She was slow to warm up and indifferent by nature, especially repelled by men from birth.

The year her mother passed away, their home was broken into by bandits. Fearing for her safety, the two young masters of the Duke Rong’s household nearly moved the entire manor to Tongyang, staying there with her for a full ten years. With wholehearted devotion, they protected her like a treasure, healing the wounds of her unfortunate childhood.

Ye Wanshu had once firmly believed that she would marry one of the two brothers.

But in her previous life, on the eve of her coming-of-age banquet, Gu Tingzhou and Gu Tingchen spent a fortune at a brothel and brought back a famous courtesan. At Ye Wanshu’s banquet, they shamelessly competed to marry that woman—so infuriating that her aunt and uncle spat blood on the spot. She became the laughingstock of the entire city of Lin’an.

Her lifelong misfortune began from that moment—enduring endless suffering at a heavy price.

In this life, all she wanted was to stay far away from the two brothers.

“Let’s just say it was all a joke,” Ye Wanshu closed her eyes. “I’m a bit tired today. You two cousins should go back and rest early.”

The brothers exchanged a glance. The always gentle and affectionate gaze of Gu Tingzhou now showed rare irritation.

“Wanwan, your Brother Chen and I only brought Yueling back because we felt sorry for her background. It’s not like we won’t marry you—why must you say something so hurtful?”

Always quick to bring up someone’s tragic background—as if it were a virtue—Ye Wanshu found it deeply ironic. “Her background is pitiful—but did I cause it?”

Gu Tingzhou frowned slightly. “Of course not.”

“Then why should I bear the consequences of her suffering?” Ye Wanshu curled her lips coldly. “What does whether she is pitiful have to do with me?”

“You…”

Gu Tingzhou found her words incomprehensible. “Since when did you become so cold-hearted?”

Gu Tingchen had already lost patience. “Big Brother, why bother explaining so much to her? I think she’s just been spoiled by us over the years and can’t see her place clearly.”

He gave Ye Wanshu a sharp glare and continued, “It’s just bringing a girl back, you act like your eyes don’t see and your nose doesn’t smell. You haven’t even become the lady of the house yet, but you’re already acting like one. If you feel stifled living in the Duke’s mansion, then go back to the old Tongyang residence.”

With that, he turned around in a huff and left first.

Watching the tall figure disappear, Ye Wanshu’s eyes involuntarily grew a little bitter.

In her memory, although Gu Tingchen was stubborn by nature, he had been the gentlest and most considerate to her. She didn’t know when he had started losing patience with her and developing prejudice.

In her previous life, after the scandal at her coming-of-age banquet, he was forced to marry her. Yet marrying her seemed like a huge disgrace to him. After the wedding, he spent his days lingering in brothels and drowning himself in drink. No matter how much she bowed and fawned over him, until her lonely death, Gu Tingchen never once touched her.

Looking coldly back at Gu Tingzhou, Ye Wanshu spoke icily, “Big cousin, you should go back early as well.”

Being urged twice in a row made Gu Tingzhou’s heart grow cold as well.

“Wanwan, you’re really becoming more and more unreasonable.”

Leaving behind that reproachful remark, Gu Tingzhou walked out the door in disappointment.

As soon as the two men left, Chunhong and Xingtao, who had been hiding in the inner room, rushed out anxiously and tried to persuade her:

“Miss, the Young Lord and Second Young Master are deeply devoted to you. Surely you’re not throwing a tantrum over something like this?”

Chunhong and Xingtao couldn’t be called disloyal, but after so many years, their hearts had long leaned toward the two brothers. Many things could only be judged clearly through firsthand experience. Ye Wanshu couldn’t be bothered to argue with them and simply began packing her belongings.

After tidying up for quite a while and seeing the two maids still standing there, she finally gave an order:

“Aunt’s birthday is coming up in a few days. After we finish celebrating with her, we’ll return to the old residence in Tongyang. In the meantime, start packing more seriously.”

“But Tongyang just suffered a disaster. There’s chaos everywhere—bandits and unrest. The Duchess just brought you here to Lin’an, and now you want to go back?”

Xingtao was completely confused, but Ye Wanshu didn’t bother to explain. After gathering together everything the Gu brothers had given her over the years, she dragged her weary body to the inner room and lay down.

Now that she had been given a second chance at life, there were still too many things she hadn’t yet adjusted to—she needed time to settle her thoughts.

Although the engagement with the Duke Rong ‘s household hadn’t been formally sealed with a marriage contract, it was a match arranged by both families. Her aunt was now her only remaining relative, and her aunt and uncle had long regarded her as the future daughter-in-law of the Duke’s household. After tomorrow, it would all be set in stone.

She had to cancel the engagement before the coming-of-age banquet.

But her aunt had a stubborn personality—getting her to agree would likely take some effort.

After a muddled night’s sleep, just as she was waking up but hadn’t opened her eyes yet, she heard Chunhong’s anxious voice at her ear:

“Miss, you must get up and come see! The woman the Young Lord and Second Young Master brought back—she’s kneeling outside our courtyard gate early this morning!”