Gu MingYues body would not have been able to stand the roads, which was why though Lord Zhang had returned home to settle some affairs, Madam Zhang had accompanied her in the temple for almost half a year as she recovered in peace. During that period, Madam Zhang had continuously sent update messages to her husband and her two sons.

All three of them had teared up in joy at the news, Good, good! We finally got our Xin Er back They arrived at the temple together with a whole car of medicinal herbs and four handmaidens.

Gu MingYue was reminded of her own family from her original world, and for a moment, pain and regret filled through her as she reminisced the past. It was rare for her to express her true feelings in these mission worlds, but this time, she sincerely took them to be her family.

Her name, too, had been officially changed from Ruo Lan to Zhang LanXin. It was a surprise that her original name carried the word Lan too as if it was fate.

And of course, Mu JinYu had been beaten up once again by Gu MingYues newly acquired father and brothers after they learned about the relationship between the two.

Their precious daughter/sister, whom they prayed would return so that they can spoil her silly, had her purity and innocence taken away by this man! In this world, reputation meant everything to a lady, and with hers gone, who else could Gu MingYue marry other than him?!

Which was why, when Mu JinYu appeared in front of Gu MingYues bed with a heavily bruised face, she could not help but burst out laughing, occasionally revealing her pearl-like teeth underneath her rosy pink lips, it was a very beautiful scene.

In his entire life, Mu JinYu had only been beaten like this by none other than his own father. To think that her family would beat him up like this, and whatnot, they had made sure to hit him on the face specifically, so that he would feel embarrassed in public!

But who knew that once he saw the beautiful ladys smile, the wounds on his face didnt seem so painful anymore. He quickly placed his bruised cheeks on her palms, with the intent to please her in order to win some sympathy.

Gu MingYue giggled at his actions, to think that after going through this ordeal, his thick-faced skills became boundless.

The days were getting colder as winter neared, and Madam Zhang was worried that the temple would not be warm enough for her precious daughter, hence she finally decided that it was time for Gu MingYue to return to her rightful home.

Mu JinYu instantly spoke against it and tried to obtain the rights to Gu MingYue from his future mother-in-law.

Though Madam Zhang had the looks of a weak and poised flower, she was, in fact, infamous as the most hot-headed woman among her own peers. Even her own husband, Lord Zhang, loved her as much as he feared her wrath!

In the end, even after Gu MingYue personally requested to return home with Mu JinYu, he could not avoid getting whipped a couple of times by his raging future mother-in-law.

On the trip home, Mu JinYu took great care of her on their trip home, it was as if karma took a 180 spin just to slap him on his face.

Gu MingYue, of course, enjoyed every moment of it. However, those the injuries on her back were pretty much healed, her body was still somewhat weak.

When they arrived, the Duke personally welcomed them back at the gate, though his words felt somewhat apologetic to Gu MingYues ears.

She glanced around, but the Duchess was nowhere to be found.

When they arrived safely at SiFang Courtyard, Gu MingYue spoke out her thoughts, only to be told that the Duchess had been sent to a nearby temple and that she will never return as long as she is still alive.

It was all thanks to her bodys original parents. After finding their long-lost daughter, they worked together with Mu JinYu to investigate the recent assassination. To their surprise, all pieces of evidence led to none other but the Duchess herself, not only that, even Gu MingYues disappearance as a child was caused by her!

This had caused an uproar at the Zhang Family, and the old couple instantly raised this issue to the Emperor, demanding vengeance for their poor daughter.

Fortunately, after learning about the evil deeds caused by the Duchess, the Emperor stripped her of the First Class Wife title and assigned her to a nearby temple in order to amend her evil ways. However, in order to protect Gu MingYues reputation, this news was not released to the public, instead, her announced crime was that she had mutilated her step-sons wellbeing and her crimes over the years had been listed down on an announcement letter.

This was almost the same ending as the original plot Gu MingYue thought.

The Duchess definitely did not expect that the little girl she had smuggled away and disposed of was bought by her own hands after many years, whom the Duchess personally sent over to Mu JinYus hands.

It was but one wrong step, and it caused her the entire game.

After a few days after they returned to the mansion, a royal decree arrived, indicating that Mu JinYu would hereby inherit the Dukedom, while his brother, Xuan Er, would be separated from the Dukedom as soon as he comes of age.

After this incident, the gossips within the city changed significantly. The citizens talked about how Mu JinYu was neglected as a boy because the Duke was away defending the borders, hence giving the vicious stepmother the opportunity to cause him harm. Fortunately, the young boy had a firm and determined heart! He endured the humiliation and resorted to lingering in brothels to confuse the Duchess so that she would let down her guard

The rumors spread throughout the city like wildfire.

Gu MingYue was pruning the flowers by the window when she heard of this from two of the handmaidens, who were chatting vigorously about this while their eyes gleamed with worship for Mu JinYus calculated victory.

Thinking about the mans past deeds, she accidentally snipped a wrong flower branch as she chuckled softly. Mu JinYu was definitely not forced to sleep with the numerous prostitutes!

This was a world where people view the outcome of a man, as the process did not matter. And as a winner, the world would always remember the good he did, while conveniently ignoring his past flaws.

The pensive beauty did not notice that the two handmaidens had already retreated quietly, and suddenly, a warm body hugged her from behind. His hot breath landed on her sensitive earlobe, causing her cheeks to flush scarlet instantly.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my readers! Another year had ended quickly in this pandemic, but I hope everyone had fun this year!

Ive reached milestones I never thought possible throughout the year, such as getting ahold of a steady boyfriend and purchasing my first house!

What did you achieve this year? Do leave a comment below to share about it <3

Enjoy and feel free to comment on my work! <3