After Gan Cai’er’s commotion, wherever Lan Tingzhou went, people pointed and whispered.
Fortunately, the Lotus Appreciation Banquet was nearing its end, and many guests had already begun to leave.
Thus, Lan Tingzhou also bid farewell to Du Zhong and Lu Yu, leading Gan Cai’er away.
As the group approached the side gate exit, Gan Cai’er saw exactly what she had expected. With so many people leaving, the maids stationed at the exit were overwhelmed, focusing only on attending to the women in pink dresses and having no time to engage with anyone else.
Gan Cai’er received a lotus flower and smoothly exited the Du Residence.
Along the way, Lan Tingzhou wore a cold expression. Knowing she was at fault, Gan Cai’er dared not speak, shrinking her head like a quail and silently following behind him.
Once the two boarded the carriage, Gan Cai’er instinctively pressed herself against the carriage wall, sitting as far away from Lan Tingzhou as possible, afraid of provoking him again.
Seeing her meek and silent demeanor, Lan Tingzhou couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.
Just moments ago, she was running around, bumping into people, and making a scene like a little demon. Now she was acting like a wronged wife?
Lan Tingzhou glanced at her indifferently.
“Why did you change your clothes?”
“Oh, this…”
Gan Cai’er tugged at the goose-yellow gauze dress she was wearing and recounted her experiences at the Du Residence to Lan Tingzhou in detail. She explained everything meticulously, leaving nothing out.
Du Zhong was the prefect of Dànzhōu Fǔ, and she worried that today’s incident might have some adverse effect on Lan Tingzhou. After all, in her previous life, she and Lan Tingzhou had never attended any Lotus Appreciation Banquet.
After listening, Lan Tingzhou frowned slightly.
The sages spoke of “cultivating oneself, managing the family, and governing the state.” If one cannot manage their own household, how can they govern the world? The family comes before the state, and small details can reveal greater truths.
As the governor of a prefecture overseeing one prefecture and twelve counties, how could Du Zhong allow such disorder and lack of discipline in his own household?
Although Danzhou was neither a strategic stronghold nor a particularly prosperous region, under Du Zhong’s governance in recent years, it had remained peaceful and harmonious, with the people living and working in contentment.
Du Zhong did not seem incompetent.
Lan Tingzhou’s brows furrowed deeper, sensing something amiss about Du Zhong.
He thought to himself that while Lu Qingning was still here, he could have him keep a closer eye on the Du Residence to avoid being caught off guard if the Du family truly caused trouble.
Meeting Gan Cai’er’s somewhat anxious gaze, he lowered his eyes and said calmly, “Don’t worry. Prefect Du is the governor of a prefecture. He won’t pursue such a trivial matter.”
Hearing Lan Tingzhou’s words, Gan Cai’er’s unease instantly vanished.
If Lan Tingzhou said it was fine, then it would certainly be fine.
Gan Cai’er trusted Lan Tingzhou’s words implicitly. After all, Lan Tingzhou was someone who, before the age of thirty, had become a right-hand man to the Jing He Emperor. His capabilities were beyond doubt.
However, at this moment, Gan Cai’er did not yet know that her swing of the bamboo had inadvertently accelerated Lan Tingzhou’s path to becoming a powerful minister.
As the two were speaking, the carriage came to a stop.
“Young Master, we’ve arrived at ‘Ke Bi Ju,’” Mo Yan announced from outside the carriage.
“Huh? Why are we here?” Gan Cai’er asked in confusion.
“Didn’t Madam say she wanted to buy her husband a braised pork knuckle from ‘Ke Bi Lai’?”
Lan Tingzhou looked at her indifferently.
Well, that was just something she had made up on the spot. Gan Cai’er lowered her head awkwardly, fidgeting with her fingers.
“Xiao Hong, go buy the pork knuckle,” Lan Tingzhou instructed, tapping on the carriage door.
“Yes!” Xiao Hong replied cheerfully before hopping off the carriage to make the purchase.
Evening.
Lan Tingzhou sat in the upper room of the Fortunate Inn, holding a small knife, patiently and meticulously picking apart the braised pork knuckle in red oil, piece by piece. Then, he placed the picked meat into Gan Cai’er’s bowl.
“I can’t eat anymore.”
Gan Cai’er pressed down on Lan Tingzhou’s hand, looking at him pleadingly.
“Every grain of rice and every drop of porridge is hard-earned. It should not be wasted lightly. My lady, please continue.”
Unmoved, Lan Tingzhou remained unhurried and elegant, cutting the large pork knuckle into small pieces one by one, then spearing a piece with his knife and bringing it to Gan Cai’er’s lips.
“Husband, I was wrong, I was truly wrong”
Gan Cai’er felt like crying but had no tears. She would never again spread rumors about Lan Tingzhou loving braised pork knuckles!
She loosely grasped Lan Tingzhou’s wrist, gently shaking it from side to side, pitifully admitting her mistake. It seemed both an attempt to please and a coy gesture.
Having been away from Lan Tingzhou for too long, Gan Cai’er had almost forgotten that if she truly angered him, he never held back in his punishments.
“Wrong about what?” Lan Tingzhou glanced at her indifferently.
“I shouldn’t have casually made up lies in public, nor should I have tarnished my husband’s reputation.”
Gan Cai’er’s attitude in admitting her mistake was both sincere and practiced.
Lan Tingzhou sighed softly, somewhat helpless.
Having known Gan Cai’er for nearly ten years, he was well aware that she admitted her mistakes quickly, smoothly, and decisively—always faster than she committed them.
She had a honeyed tongue by nature, adept at deceiving and coaxing him.
Never mind. From now on, he would simply keep a closer watch on her to prevent her from making grave mistakes.
“Truly won’t eat anymore?” Lan Tingzhou softened his tone.
The braised pork knuckle in red oil from ‘Ke Bi Ju’ was renowned far and wide. Though greasy, it was a rare delicacy.
Gan Cai’er nodded vigorously. No matter how delicious, she couldn’t handle two large bowls forced down her throat.
To show she truly couldn’t eat another bite, she patted her round, swollen belly. Her fair abdomen made a soft “thump, thump” sound under her patting.
Lan Tingzhou’s eyes darkened.
In the next moment, a large, well-defined hand covered Gan Cai’er’s abdomen. His cool fingertips pressed against her warm skin, kneading gently.
The summer gauze dress was thin, and his slender fingers easily slipped beneath her inner garment.
Gan Cai’er shuddered, her body stiffening, her eyes widening as she stared dumbfounded at Lan Tingzhou.
“Nannan, today is the fifteenth.” Lan Tingzhou lowered his gaze to look at her, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
With that, his fingertips lifted slightly, parting her garment to reveal a large expanse of smooth, fair skin. Under the flickering candlelight, it gleamed like white jade, emitting a soft and alluring glow.
With a “boom,” Gan Cai’er’s mind seemed to explode in chaos, and she panicked instantly!
In both her past life and this one, spanning two lifetimes, Lan Tingzhou had only ever called her “Nannan” in one situation.
Before Gan Cai’er could resist, Lan Tingzhou extended his long arm, swept her up horizontally, carried her into the inner chamber, and placed her on the bed. With a wave of his hand, the bed curtains slowly descended.
……
In the intimacy of the bedchamber, Lan Tingzhou was vastly different from his usual cool and reserved self. He was gentle yet fierce, meticulous yet powerful, like the finest lover in the world.
In her past life, Gan Cai’er had been so immersed in this that she couldn’t extricate herself, mistakenly believing she was his most deeply beloved woman.
But much later, she came to understand that this was merely him fulfilling his duties as a husband—it had nothing to do with love.