Water droplets slid from his brow ridge, tracing down toward those refined, cold Phoenix Eyes, over the bridge of his high nose, and along his pale pink lips. His dark hair, dampened by water, hung loosely over his shoulders, with a few strands clinging enticingly to his collarbone, his throat, and his chest…
This was far too sexy. She suddenly understood what it meant to die beneath a peony flower and still remain romantic even as a ghost. The ancients truly had not deceived her.
“Luo Qingqing, do you have no sense of shame? Get out.” Gu Jing’an gritted his teeth. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to gouge out her eyes.
As the heat in the room swirled, Gu Jing’an drew closer and closer to her, and a faint medicinal fragrance drifted into her nose.
The next second, she was thrown out.
The “experience card” had expired. A sudden warmth rushed to her nose, and Luo Qingqing hurriedly covered it as she ran back to her room. Thankfully, she had not started bleeding in front of him, that would have been far too embarrassing.
Luo Qingqing sorted through her current situation. The original owner of this body was a minor, vicious supporting female character in the novel. Because of her stepmother’s schemes, she had accidentally married the male lead. After marriage, their life had been too poor, so she sold off the male lead’s younger brother and sister, then took the money meant for his treatment and ran away.
Who would have expected that the male lead would one day rise to power, becoming a Powerful Minister beneath one man and above ten thousand, and would hunt her down across the entire Great Zhou?
When he found her, he flayed her skin, tore out her tendons, ground her bones to dust, and even invited a master to perform rituals so that she could never reincarnate again, condemned forever to the animal realm.
Just thinking about it made her shudder. Fortunately, she had arrived early. She had not yet sold the siblings, so things should not end too badly… right?
Xuanning brought over a basin of hot water. “Sister-in-law, wipe yourself down first. You shouldn’t be exposed to the wind yet.”
Gu Jing’an was still in the bathhouse, so she truly could not go back in. “Alright, thank you, Xuanning.”
While Luo Qingqing was wiping herself clean, Xuanning stepped out for a moment. When she returned, her little face was flushed red, and she held something behind her back, looking as though she wanted to speak but hesitated.
“What’s wrong, Xuanning?” In order to change her previous bad impression, Luo Qingqing used what she believed to be her gentlest voice.
Wuwu, Sister-in-law is so gentle today, what should I do if I like her even more!
“Sister-in-law, second brother and I went up the mountain and saw a very pretty flower. Do you like it?” As she spoke, she presented it like a treasured offering.
Lowering her gaze, Luo Qingqing saw delicate purple petals. It was a balloon flower, a type of medicinal herb. Its root could be used in medicine, effective for relieving coughs, expelling phlegm, and reducing inflammation. Among the common folk, it was even called “wild ginseng.”
Gu Jing’an had a chronic cough, did he not? Truly, when you feel sleepy, someone hands you a pillow.
Luo Qingqing smiled sweetly. “Xuanning, could you take me to pick some more?”
Xuanning nodded and tentatively reached out to hold her hand. When she succeeded, her face flushed even redder.
Carrying a basket and a small shovel, the two of them set off. The balloon flowers grew along the outskirts of the mountain, and before long, they came across a large patch, thriving abundantly.
Luo Qingqing carefully dug them up. She planned to transplant some into the Gu family’s small courtyard to treat Gu Jing’an’s cough, and to dry some to sell for money. Thinking that this might become her first earnings in this world, she worked even more enthusiastically.
Xuanning stayed by her side, not making a sound to disturb her, only placing each plant into the basket after Luo Qingqing had finished digging it up.
The little girl was quite sensible. Perhaps she could become Luo Qingqing’s first target. After that would be the male lead’s younger brother, Gu Qiran. As for the big boss, she would leave him for last, since the difficulty level was far too high. First, she needed to keep herself alive.
A string of bell-like laughter drifted into the Gu family courtyard. Gu Jing’an lifted his gaze to look. The midday sunlight fell upon Luo Qingqing’s glossy black hair, her soft pink lips curved slightly upward, her eyes shimmering with life, her charm carrying a hint of shy allure.
He watched for a few moments before turning somewhat unnaturally toward the kitchen. It was time to prepare lunch.
The moment Luo Qingqing saw this, she quickly set down her things and ran toward the kitchen. As if she would let the big boss cook for her, she would do it herself.
Step one of Luo’s Survival Guide: if you want to capture a man’s heart, you must first capture his stomach.
Once she spoiled Gu Jing’an’s palate, he would no longer appreciate anyone else’s cooking. Becoming a cook in the residence of a Powerful Minister would mean a lifetime of food and comfort. She had full confidence in her culinary skills.
“I’ll cook. You can go teach Qiran how to write.” Her bright voice came from behind him.
“No need…”
“Is it that you don’t trust me? I really can cook, Gu Jing’an. I’ve already turned over a new leaf. I was wrong before, I was foolish, that’s why I fell into my stepmother’s trap and forced you to marry me.”
As Luo Qingqing spoke, she carefully observed his expression. Dear heavens, please do not let her first step fail.
“Then go ahead. I’ll stay and work the bellows.” Gu Jing’an still seemed uneasy and chose to remain in the kitchen.
The rice had already been set to steam. On the chopping board were pumpkin, potatoes, green beans, and a small piece of pork belly.
She washed the pumpkin, peeled and removed the seeds, cut it into chunks, then added it to a small clay pot with the second rinse of rice water to simmer slowly. She shredded the potatoes, cut the green beans into segments, sliced the pork belly, and added some shredded ginger to remove the odor. Heating oil in the pan, she stir-fried the vegetables, everything proceeding in an orderly manner.
“It smells so good! Sister-in-law, I can’t wait any longer.” Feeling Luo Qingqing’s kindness, the little girl had grown bolder.
Gu Qiran still wore the same cold, handsome expression as his brother, but the way he kept sniffing the air betrayed him. Luo Qingqing did not expose him, only finding his awkwardness rather adorable.
“Xuanning, take your brother to wash his hands. We can eat soon.” With that, she deftly plated the dishes. Gu Jing’an served the rice, and together they brought everything to the table.
The pumpkin soup in the clay pot was still hot, so Luo Qingqing ladled it into four small bowls to let it cool.
“So delicious, so delicious! Sister-in-law, can you teach me? That way I can help out in the future!” The little girl asked earnestly.
“Xuanning is still young, there’s no rush. I can manage on my own.” Gu Qiran and Xuanning were twins, not yet nine years old, so they were indeed still very young.
The little girl seemed a bit disappointed, lowering her head as she quietly ate.
“Then Xuanning can help me wash the vegetables and watch from the side to learn slowly, alright?” Luo Qingqing did not want to dampen the child’s confidence. Since she wanted to help, she would let her.
“Mm! Thank you, Sister-in-law.” The little girl’s eyes instantly lit up, sparkling like stars. She reminded Luo Qingqing of a Shiba Inu she had once raised, adorably silly.
By the end of the meal, even the pumpkin soup had been finished. Xuanning clung to Luo Qingqing, showering her with praise. Although Gu Jing’an and Gu Qiran said little, their expressions clearly showed their approval of her cooking.
After the meal, Gu Jing’an went to wash the dishes, and Gu Qiran followed him. Luo Qingqing did not compete for the task, she needed to quickly transplant the balloon flowers. There was a suitable patch of land in the vegetable garden behind the Gu family courtyard.
Xuanning trailed behind her like a little tail, squatting quietly and gently wiping her sweat. It seemed that the little girl did not dislike the original owner. Luo Qingqing would have to work harder to win her over completely.
In the kitchen, Gu Qiran hesitated for a long while before finally speaking. “Brother, why does she feel different today?”
She had taken the initiative to cook, spoke gently to their younger sister, and even served him food. Such things would have been absolutely impossible half a month ago.
“Perhaps she has come to her senses. You don’t need to worry about this. Go review your essays, I’ll check them later.” Even Gu Jing’an could not understand why she had changed. Could it really be as she said, that she had turned over a new leaf?
In any case, Xuanning liked to cling to her. As long as she did not cause trouble, he was willing, before returning to the capital, to settle things for her, divorce her, and provide a generous dowry, sending her off to be married as an elder brother would.