Since Lan Tingzhou did not love her, then in this life, she would no longer force him.
She thought about how difficult it must have been for Lan Tingzhou to endure their ten-year marriage in her previous life.
Gan Cai’er pressed her lips tightly together. Before her eyes flashed the figure of Shen Yunxi, and the admiring, joyful look in Lan Tingzhou’s eyes when he gazed at her—a look she herself had never received.
Lan Tingzhou, in her presence, was mostly restrained and controlled, either suppressing his annoyance at her foolishness or losing control when she provoked him, but he was never truly happy or appreciative.
Lan Tingzhou’s mother had left.
“Still not coming out?” A clear, melodious voice sounded.
Gan Cai’er wiped the tears from her face and crawled out from under the bed with her head lowered.
Lan Tingzhou silently watched Gan Cai’er, feeling puzzled. How could someone usually so willful and domineering be willing to humble herself like this today?
Gan Cai’er stood up from the ground, covered in dust. Lan Tingzhou noticed her slightly reddened eyes—had she been crying? His heart tightened faintly, stirring with an inexplicable emotion.
He reached out, wanting to pull Gan Cai’er into his embrace and wipe her face.
But Gan Cai’er took a step to the side, avoiding his outstretched hand, and bowed to him respectfully. “Today’s incident was my offense. It will never happen again.”
With that, Gan Cai’er wrapped her outer robe tightly around herself and hurriedly rushed out of the study.
Lan Tingzhou instinctively took two steps after her, then seemed to remember something and abruptly stopped. Watching Gan Cai’er’s flustered retreating figure, he slowly sat down.
It seemed she had overheard his conversation with his mother. His mother was not wrong—she was not his ideal wife, nor even the type of wife he had ever imagined.
Lan Tingzhou was born into a scholarly family, raised among ancient texts and classics. From a young age, he was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics.
In his mind, his wife should be a woman who was well-educated, gentle, virtuous, and understanding. A husband and wife should treat each other with mutual respect and courtesy, not like Gan Cai’er… well, clingy and endlessly demanding.
In Lan Tingzhou’s eyes, Gan Cai’er was bold, crude, simple-minded, and stubborn, yet also radiant and captivating. He felt Gan Cai’er was like a flame, a blazing sun, her entire being burning with an overwhelming, scorching intensity.
Lan Tingzhou had his own pride. He had been forced into marriage by Gan Cai’er, and he deeply resented it. But she had genuinely done a great favor for the Lan family, so he swallowed his anger, telling himself he was repaying a debt with his own body.
Thus, as long as Gan Cai’er’s demands were not too excessive, he would try his best to satisfy them—such as secretly neglecting his studies behind his mother’s back to accompany her on outings, or indulging in daytime pleasures, stealing half a day of joy…
Lan Tingzhou stared at the empty blue-and-white porcelain bowl on the table and pressed his lips together.
Perhaps it was for the best that she understood his feelings sooner. That way, she wouldn’t cling to her obsession too deeply or keep coming up with endless tricks.
Gan Cai’er ran all the way back to Moyi Courtyard in one breath. Xiao Hong was startled at first when she saw her mistress running back like the wind, but then, noticing the robe haphazardly wrapped around her, she covered her mouth and giggled.
“Miss, what are you doing back here in the middle of the night?” Xiao Hong teased.
Gan Cai’er shot Xiao Hong a glare and silently hurried into her room.
“Miss, would you like to take a bath?” Xiao Hong leaned closer, smiling suggestively.
“You wretched girl, hurry up and go heat the water!” Gan Cai’er exclaimed, both embarrassed and annoyed.
“Alright, I’ll go right now” Xiao Hong laughed heartily as she ran out.
Gan Cai’er had been spoiled rotten by Gan Maoguo since childhood, twisted and warped, and Xiao Hong naturally followed suit. As the saying goes, like master, like servant—both master and servant were utterly lawless and unrestrained.
Moyi Courtyard was originally Lan Tingzhou’s residence. After he married Gan Cai’er, due to Lan’s mother’s strict enforcement of the rule that they must share a room on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, Lan Tingzhou moved to the study to rest, and Moyi Courtyard became Gan Cai’er’s personal boudoir.
Looking at the empty room, the Gan Cai’er of her past life would have felt wronged, but now, she felt at ease. She wanted to let Lan Tingzhou go, and to let herself go as well—no more entanglement, no more struggle, no more single-minded pursuit of Lan Tingzhou’s genuine affection.
Helping Lan Tingzhou ascend to great heights early on and aiding him in achieving happiness and fulfillment was one of Gan Cai’er’s wishes in this life.
She tightened the outer robe around her, feeling utterly exhausted. Having returned through Rebirth for only half a day, her mind had not yet settled when she found herself “busy and bustling” for most of the day. She glanced at the mottled marks on her body and covered her face.
Two urgent issues needed to be resolved immediately: divorce and the Academy.
Gan Cai’er knew that forcing Lan Tingzhou into marriage was the most humiliating event of his life. Moreover, Lan Tingzhou would later meet a woman who truly harmonized with him, his destined partner.
Wrongs must always be corrected. However, proposing divorce just six months into the marriage would likely hurt Lan Tingzhou once again. This matter required careful consideration.
More pressing than divorce at the moment was the Academy.
In her previous life, Lan Tingzhou achieved the top honors in all three imperial examinations, becoming the top scholar in just four years—the youngest in the two-hundred-year history of Da Yong, causing a sensation and becoming a celebrated tale. But no one knew that Lan Tingzhou’s path through the imperial examinations was exceptionally difficult, primarily due to issues with the Academy.
As for next year’s County Examination, Gan Cai’er was not worried. First, such a minor exam was something Lan Tingzhou could pass with his eyes closed. Second, even if Qingshui Town was small and remote, it was still notable within Zhushan County. The town’s Qizhi Academy produced one or two successful candidates for the child scholar examination every year, so no one would be surprised.
Gan Cai’er was concerned about the subsequent Academy Examination and Provincial Examination, especially the latter. In her previous life, before taking the Provincial Examination, Lan Tingzhou had already gained fame and was hailed as a young prodigy, which led to exclusion, jealousy, and even sabotage.
One month before the Provincial Examination began, Lan Tingzhou was accused of falsifying his Academy credentials, with several failed candidates bribed to testify against him. This nearly cost him his child scholar status and disqualified him from the Provincial Examination.
Fortunately, a great scholar, recognizing his talent, stepped forward to guarantee Lan Tingzhou’s participation in the exam, with a thorough investigation to follow. If the accusations proved true, Lan Tingzhou’s results would be annulled, and the scholar himself would share the responsibility.
Later, Lan Tingzhou topped the Provincial Examination, earning the title of Jieyuan. However, this incident haunted him for many years, and even after he triumphed in the palace examination, the Jing He Emperor ordered a reinvestigation.
Thus, ensuring Lan Tingzhou attended a reputable, prestigious Academy with renowned teachers and a rigorous, upright academic atmosphere was the most urgent and critical matter at hand.
However, gaining admission to a good Academy was no simple task.
Gan Cai’er decided to return home for a visit.