Princess Weinan never expected that before she could go to Lu Gan to apologize for the past grievances, he would preempt her and arrive with a matchmaker to propose marriage.

“A-A-A marriage proposal?” Princess Weinan stammered, her eyes widening as her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Standing there with a stern expression, Lu Gan bowed respectfully, his voice echoing clearly in the hall, “Yes.”

“Who are you proposing to?” Princess Weinan couldn’t face the reality.

“I am here to propose marriage to Mistress Ling Yun.” Lu Gan’s words were firm and respectful, his dark eyes fixing on Princess Weinan, making her feel uneasy.

Princess Weinan stared at Lu Gan, who was dressed in plain black clothes that seemed to enhance his imposing aura. This was a man who had come back from the dead, his eyes chillingly cold.

How could her precious Ling Yun be married off to such a man!

Lu Gan wasn’t here for revenge, so why was he proposing marriage? Could it be that he intended to marry her precious daughter and torment her?

With these thoughts, Princess Weinan quickly sent someone to fetch King Weinan while trying to placate Lu Gan, “Young Master Lu, my Ling Yun is still frail and young, not yet in a hurry to marry. While you are indeed our benefactor and we hold you in high regard, this matter is of great importance. I cannot decide alone without consulting the King and Ling Yun herself. What do you think?”

Ling Yun, nearly nineteen, was still considered young by her mother, despite being an older unmarried woman by ancient standards.

Since the Crown Prince had broken off the engagement, Princess Weinan had been worried sick about Ling Yun’s marriage prospects, seeing her daughter getting older by the day.

Now that Lu Gan had come to propose, Princess Weinan wished Ling Yun would remain unmarried forever.

Even marrying her off to a pig or a dog would be better than to Lu Gan!

Lu Gan seemed to have anticipated her reaction. He reached into his sleeve, pulled out an object, and handed it to Princess Weinan.

Princess Weinan hesitated, then her expression changed dramatically as she looked at the object.

“What…what is this?”

“It is a marriage contract,” said Lu Gan, his tall silhouette enveloping Princess Weinan in his shadow, his voice steady and authoritative.

Yet, he was merely a man of low birth, with humble origins… How could he command such a presence…

“A marriage contract?” Princess Weinan murmured in disbelief, her hands trembling as she glanced down at the document, then rushed to the backyard to find Ling Yun.

Ling Yun, having heard of Lu Gan’s marriage proposal, had nervously consumed ten bowls of tea and now sat clutching her bloated stomach in a daze.

“My Ling Yun, my darling Ling Yun…” Princess Weinan’s loud voice echoed from outside.

Ling Yun sighed deeply, knowing today’s events were far from settling peacefully.

“Ling Yun, what is this marriage contract about?”

Princess Weinan, having hurriedly stopped herself before stepping on the white silk on the floor, stood at the carved wooden door and shouted inside.

Ling Yun appeared calmly and nodded to Princess Weinan, “I signed this marriage contract.”

“What!” Princess Weinan gasped, turning pale, “Ling Yun, how could you be so foolish! How could you sign such a contract! Do you know who Lu Gan is? He is that horse servant from back then!”

Princess Weinan grew more agitated, but dared not step over the threshold, instead pacing anxiously outside.

“Ling Yun, Lu Gan has no good intentions. He wants to marry you to torment you! It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t secretly decided to dispose of that horse servant back then, how could this have happened…”

Princess Weinan cried breathlessly, unable to continue.

Jing Wen quickly brought over a stool.

Thus, Ling Yun sat inside the house while Princess Weinan sat under the eaves, the two speaking through an open carved door.

“Woo woo woo…” Princess Weinan cried incessantly.

Ling Yun considered whether she should also cry to enhance the atmosphere when she suddenly heard King Weinan’s hearty laughter from outside.

“Good, good, such a joyous occasion, I naturally agree.”

Ling Yun and Princess Weinan shuddered together.

Princess Weinan reacted first, lifting her skirt and rushing out, “I do not agree to this marriage!”

Ling Yun held her forehead, wondering how she could disagree when she had already signed the marriage contract.

“Little sister.” Liu Chen emerged from somewhere, his demeanor hesitant as he approached Ling Yun, “When did you sign this marriage contract?”

Ling Yun pursed her lips, silent for a moment before changing the subject, “Brother, you’ve been fighting abroad for years. Mother has kept the worries from you. Did you know our cinnabar mines were seized by King Xingyuan?”

“What?” Liu Chen, ever straightforward, immediately got sidetracked, “That Xingyuan King has gone too far! Not only did he mess with your marriage, but he even touched our Weinan’s cinnabar mines! I must seek justice.”

“Brother,” Ling Yun interjected, stopping Liu Chen with a fan, “You know the situation our royal house is in. What can we use to confront King Xingyuan? Going now would be futile and only upset our parents.”

“So we just let that Xingyuan King be arrogant?” Liu Chen clenched his fists in anger.

“No,” Ling Yun looked up at the splendid sunset, her voice cold as frost, “Not unavenged, the time just hasn’t come yet.”

King Xingyuan, arrogant all his life, would never expect to end up killed by a mere horse servant.

After sending Liu Chen away, Ling Yun had Jing Wen go to find out what was happening outside.

Outside, Princess Weinan was causing a commotion, having revealed the events of two years ago to King Weinan. Upon hearing this, King Weinan scolded her for foolishness and praised Lu Gan as a man of great integrity and transparency, unworthy of harboring such dark thoughts. Moreover, it was they who owed him, so marrying Ling Yun to him was only proper.

Despite having had just one drink, King Weinan clearly took a great liking to the male lead.

“Ling Yun is your own daughter! Not an object for you to accumulate reputation!” Princess Weinan shouted furiously, seeing that she couldn’t sway King Weinan, and turned to find Liu Chen.

“Your sister is unwilling to marry, and your father only thinks of his own reputation, ignoring your

sister’s life and death. Young Master Lu may be our family’s benefactor, and we should treat him with all due respect, even to the extent of becoming his servant, but Ling Yun’s marriage should still be decided by herself.”

Liu Chen, unwilling for his sister to marry out of gratitude, immediately sought out Lu Gan after hearing Princess Weinan’s words.

Under an osmanthus tree, Liu Chen and Lu Gan sat together, a pot of osmanthus wine placed on a stone table under the moonlight’s bright spread, resembling silver frost.

“My..my sister, she’s too delicate to match you, Brother Lu. How about this, today let’s become sworn brothers here, to share life and death, inseparable… Hey, Brother Lu, I haven’t finished speaking yet, don’t go, I’m serious!”

Liu Chen, clumsy with his words, barely sat down before he drove the man away.

Meanwhile, Ling Yun, unable to bear her hunger, sneaked to the kitchenette to grab something to eat.

Having heard from Jing Wen what had happened outside, Ling Yun knew that Lu Gan was determined to marry her. Since she couldn’t avoid it, she had to face it head-on. Although the plot had deviated, the male lead still took his first successful step.

Thus, Ling Yun insisted on continuing her path as a ‘scumbag’ heroine, tormenting the male lead to the end, helping him reach the pinnacle of life.

Crouching in a hidden corner like a kitten, Ling Yun nodded, thinking she was indeed a clever little cutie.

“Mistress, what are you doing here at this late hour?” Suddenly, a husky male voice came from behind Ling Yun.

Startled, Ling Yun choked on the dry pastry stuck in her throat, turning red as she coughed violently.

“Cough cough cough… bold—” The last word, because her throat was so sore, seemed to float in the air.

At the doorway of the small kitchen, the man stood under two red lanterns, his entire being glowing with a gentle beauty in his black robe. But Ling Yun knew this was an illusion. Despite how harmless and handsome the man appeared, his essence was still dark and fierce.

As a high and mighty Mistress Ling Yun naturally couldn’t expose her real nature and ruin her image of aloofness.

Turning her back to Lu Gan, her voice cold, she commanded, “Leave.”

“This is a place of filth, not befitting your presence.” The man not only didn’t leave but walked directly behind Ling Yun, closing the distance to mere inches. Ling Yun could clearly see the shadow Lu Gan cast in front of her, tall and forbidding, like a demon from hell.

“Gulp,” Ling Yun heard her own nervous swallowing.

The male lead was no longer the same as before. Now, a killer, a small misstep could lead to her beheading.

As a law-abiding citizen, Ling Yun truly didn’t wish to die so miserably. She wanted to eat a full meal and die peacefully according to the plot  \(QAQ)/.

“Mistress.” The man behind her suddenly lowered his voice, his hard tone taking on an undeniable warmth and affection, as if filled with infinite tenderness for her.

Ling Yun’s legs trembled, and she clenched the pastry in her hand, feeling like a thorn was in her back.

In the dimly lit kitchen, only a half-open window allowed the moonlight to stream in, delicately outlining the woman’s slender and graceful form.

Lu Gan watched intently, his adam’s apple bobbing, his body trembling slightly. Ling Yun could clearly feel the excitement of the man behind her.

The man’s gaze traveled from the woman’s hair to her waist to her calves to her toes, wishing he could swallow this bundle of soft whiteness whole. Lu Gan thought the taste must be like snow, seeping into his limbs, sending shivers through his soul.

As a highborn lady, Ling Yun naturally couldn’t let her guard down and compromise her aloof image.

She stood with her back to Lu Gan, her voice icy, “Leave.”

“This place is dirty; you shouldn’t be here.” Far from leaving, the man stepped even closer, the distance between them now barely an inch. Ling Yun could see the long, imposing shadow Lu Gan cast, like a demon from hell.

“Gulp,” Ling Yun heard her own nervous gulp.

The male lead was no longer what he used to be. Now, after taking lives, if she wasn’t careful, she could be decapitated and die without a burial place.

As a law-abiding citizen, Ling Yun really didn’t want to die so tragically. She hoped to eat a full meal and die comfortably according to the plot QAQ.

“Mistress,” the man behind her suddenly lowered his voice, adding a barely concealed warmth and tenderness that seemed to hold boundless affection for her.

Ling Yun shivered, her hands tightening on the pastry, feeling like she was on pins and needles.

In the dim kitchen, only a small window was half-open, letting in the moonlight that delicately outlined her slender, supple figure.

Lu Gan’s gaze lingered, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his body slightly trembling. Ling Yun could clearly sense the man’s excitement behind her.

The man’s gaze seemed to trace her from her hair down to her toes, as if he wanted to devour this fluffy, white creature whole. Lu Gan thought the taste would be like snow, seeping into his limbs and shaking his soul to the core.