FBC – Chapter 63 Someone to Love Her

After Chiyan left, only Mu Junyan and Gu Hua remained in the room.

Gu Hua kept her head down, thoughts running wild.

It dawned on her belatedly that Mu Junyan had long since had someone investigate her background and already knew about her being switched at birth.

Then…

Did that mean she slept in vain last night?

Mu Junyan looked at her despondent appearance and couldn’t blame her—after all, he had been rather intense last night, leaving her physically exhausted.

And now, to learn that her tragic life had been orchestrated by others—anyone would find that hard to accept, especially such a delicate young girl.

“Come here.”

Gu Hua raised her head in a daze.

Seeing him looking at her, she could only obediently stand and walk over to him. “What does the Duke require?”

That same overly polite tone again. Mu Junyan’s eyes darkened slightly. He grabbed her hand and gave it a tug, his other arm circling her waist to pull her onto his lap.

Gu Hua froze completely.

In broad daylight… wasn’t this kind of indecency inappropriate?

Besides, even if the man was strong and handsome, she wasn’t in the mood at all.

Feeling her stiff waist and full-body resistance, Mu Junyan frowned slightly.

So she only became obedient and gentle when she needed something from him?

Was there really a difference between a woman giving herself willingly and being passive in bed?

Thinking back, all three times had been initiated by him—she’d never taken the lead.

He suddenly felt like a… client. That wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

Suddenly, Gu Hua’s waist was pinched hard. She let out a small yelp, turned to glare at him, eyes full of grievance and unspoken resentment.

Her big, reddened eyes looked just like a poor little bunny.

Mu Junyan’s rising anger instantly dissipated.

The little girl had just gone through emotional turmoil—he shouldn’t be so petty.

His pinching hand let go and instead began gently stroking her back, like smoothing the fur of a bristling kitten.

Mu Junyan suddenly laughed.

Gu Hua grew even more annoyed.

Did he think she was his toy?

The affection and gratitude she’d felt earlier toward him began to fade.

Right… to him, she was just part of a deal.

“You bored?”

The random question caught her off guard.

Before she could answer, Mu Junyan continued, “If you’re bored, you can help Zhou Zhilan manage the household affairs. It’s time you learned something anyway. Otherwise, what will you do when you marry in the future?”

A busy life gives people a sense of security. It also keeps her from wandering around and getting into trouble, causing headaches for him.

Gu Hua blinked at him in surprise.

He was already thinking about her marrying?

“I’ll give you the same monthly stipend as Mu An. Are you satisfied?”

The girl lacked money—giving her some silver would prevent her from getting starry-eyed every time she saw someone waving banknotes.

Sure enough…

Gu Hua’s eyes lit up.

Huh?

What?

A monthly allowance too?

She perked up and asked in a soft voice, “If I’m just learning from Sister Zhou, why are you giving me a stipend?”

“You’re contributing labor. Of course, you should be paid.”

He made it sound so reasonable.

But Gu Hua felt a bit uncertain about accepting it.

“Then… how much is Master Mu’s monthly stipend?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“Fifty taels.”

“Fifty taels?!”

That would take her months of copying books to earn!

Gu Hua’s eyes went wide, sparkling.

Just like a cat meowing hungrily at its owner and getting excited at the sight of meat—adorably so.

Mu Junyan couldn’t help but flick her cute nose.

“Too much?”

He started teasing her again.

“… A little,” Gu Hua replied unconvincingly, slightly annoyed.

Who would dislike having too much silver?

Then again, she had copied his late wife’s manuscripts, made snacks and dishes for him—taking some silver seemed fair.

Besides, she had paid a thousand taels for that jade pendant—now she was nearly penniless.

And there were still many things that required money.

More importantly, she really had no experience in managing a household. If one day she could return to her mother’s side, she could help ease her mother’s burdens.

Her mother would surely like a daughter who knew how to manage affairs, like a proper noble lady.

Thinking of her mother brought a wave of sweetness to Gu Hua’s heart.

Soon, she would be someone with a mother who truly loved her.

Seeing the soft smile that bloomed on her lovely face, Mu Junyan smiled too.

So it was this easy to coax a young girl—just fulfill one of her small wishes and you could see her smile.

Mu Junyan gently brushed back a strand of her hair. “Little girl, do you have any other wishes?”

Gu Hua’s eyes shimmered.

Her real wish was to gain freedom and become someone useful like Manager Qiu.

But when a man asked what your wish was, did he mean to help fulfill it?

Of course not.

He wanted to see if you had ambition.

Gu Hua fluttered her lashes and replied with a hint of coyness, “I just want to live well. Eat enough, stay warm… and have someone to love me.”

See? Such a small wish—clearly, she had no ambition.

A woman without ambition was the safest to keep by one’s side.

Mu Junyan looked at the tender beauty in his arms.

Truly… pitiful.

“As long as I’m here, I’ll fulfill that for you.”

Gu Hua’s heart skipped a beat. Her misty eyes locked onto his.

But… in three months, he would die.

A wave of sorrow surged in her chest. She couldn’t help but snuggle into his embrace, her voice muffled, “My Lord Duke must live a long, long life.”

“Silly girl.”

Mu Junyan was softened by her words. He cupped her face, his fingertips slowly brushing across her lips.

Both of them flushed instantly.

Gu Hua quickly stood up, blushing. “Would you like some snacks, my Lord Duke?”

Mu Junyan smiled at her. “It’s already dark—we’ll have dinner first. After that, we’ll rest well tonight.”

Gu Hua’s face turned even redder.

Tonight… again?

Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle, and the soreness in her body came flooding back.

“Then… I’ll go have my dinner now. Tonight… please rest early, my Lord Duke.”

Just as she was about to run, Mu Junyan grabbed her hand, his tone suddenly serious. “What do you want to do about Gu Wanru?”

Gu Hua turned back without hesitation. “I don’t want her to escape punishment so easily. Simply divorcing her and sending her back to the Gu family to continue acting high and mighty—it’s too lenient.”

Mu Junyan raised a brow. “Didn’t expect you to be so ruthless.”

She had been even crueler when trying to kill her.

Gu Hua lowered her head. “It’s not ruthlessness. She brought it upon herself.”

Mu Junyan narrowed his eyes slightly. “Come here. Let me see if you’re this cold-hearted toward me too.”

“My Lord Duke, it’s time for dinner.”

Gu Hua shook his hand off as if it were scalding and darted off like a frightened rabbit, lifting her skirt and sprinting away.

Mu Junyan: “…”

It wasn’t like he was a lecher.

Compared to her age, she was indeed quite young. Besides…

He clenched his fist and flexed his muscular arm.

Years of battle had forged his body into something akin to steel. Without a battlefield to release his strength, he had nowhere to vent.

The little girl was soft and tender… she really couldn’t handle it.

Sigh, should he… wait until she grew up a bit?

Mu Junyan quickly dismissed the thought and laughed at himself.

He didn’t even know how much longer he would live.

After dinner, Gu Hua was in turmoil. She worried that Mu Junyan would come looking for her and couldn’t stop thinking about everything she’d learned that day—from the shocking truth about her birth to the matter of Pei Yi’s winter military supplies. It was all a jumbled mess in her mind.

But as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The next morning, she was woken by the sound of cheerful chatter.

“Dong Hua?”

“Yes, miss.”

Dong Hua came in, followed closely by Zhou Zhilan.

“Oh my, starting today, you’re not allowed to sleep in anymore,” Zhou Zhilan said with a bright smile, heading straight to the wardrobe to pick out a modest set of robes for her.

“The Lord has instructed that from today on, you are officially the second mistress in charge of household affairs!”

Gu Hua’s eyes widened. “No, no, I’m just learning from Sister Zhou!”

Zhou Zhilan pulled her up. “Same difference. Come on, freshen up. After breakfast, I’ll take you on a tour of the estate. We also have an important task—the two of us will be organizing the Old Madam’s fiftieth birthday banquet.”

Dong Hua and Dong Qing came in smiling, carrying all the washing supplies.

Gu Hua stood there dumbfounded as they fussed over her.

Just like that, she was already managing the duke’s household?

She could hardly believe it.