The Jinrui Garden was beautifully enclosed by pink walls, lush with drooping willows, stone pathways connecting the landscape, and a murmuring stream in the distance—a truly picturesque scene.
Unfortunately, neither Gao Zhan nor Duan Mingxi had any interest in admiring the scenery. Gao Zhan’s gaze, sharp and slightly scrutinizing, carried an air of impatience as he looked at her.
Duan Mingxi clearly remembered her first encounter with Gao Zhan in her previous life.
At the time, the Marquis’ household dismissed her constantly for having grown up in a merchant family, and Duan Huirou used it as an excuse to belittle her, saying she could never compare to the noble ladies of the capital.
Out of her desire to preserve her family’s honor, she had been nervous, too preoccupied to observe his attitude toward her.
This time, however, she stood tall and met his probing gaze directly.
Taken aback by her cold gaze, Gao Zhan grew annoyed and sneered, “I hear Miss Duan was raised in a merchant family?”
To think he started with a personal jab. Duan Mingxi paused in surprise; in her previous life, Gao Zhan had at least pretended to be courteous.
Then, delighted by the chance to turn his insult against him, she replied, “They say a true man blames no one for hardship, respects kin, and is unresentful even in adversity. So what if I was raised in a merchant family? For someone as condescending as Gao Shizi, it’s clear we should each go our separate ways.”
This despicable creature disgusted her each time she looked at him.
Snapping at his insult, she turned and walked off.
“Wait!”
Gao Zhan, infuriated, had never been spoken to like this by anyone, let alone a poisonous woman.
He just said one unpleasant thing—did she have to insult him so harshly?
Duan Mingxi only picked up her pace, not giving him a chance to retort.
But with his long strides, he quickly caught up and blocked her path.
Duan Mingxi glared at his long legs—was he so proud of running fast because of them?
Looking at her annoyed expression, Gao Zhan couldn’t help but find it amusing.
“It was thoughtless of me. I apologize, Miss Duan.”
Gao Zhan suddenly apologized. If Duan Mingxi clung to the matter, it would make her seem petty.
But she was determined to draw a clear line with him in this life—there was no way she would marry him. Why should she care about making a good impression? With a cold laugh, she said, “If it doesn’t harm your own body, you won’t feel the pain. Your apology, then, lacks sincerity. I am but a girl raised in a merchant’s household—how could I dare accept it?”
Gao Zhan, the dignified shizi to a noble title, had never been humiliated like this before. Offering an apology earlier was already the utmost concession he could make. His face darkened as he retorted coldly, “Miss Duan, your tactic of feigned rejection is well-played, but you’ve chosen the wrong person.”
What?
Duan Mingxi was stunned.
“You’re like a toad chasing a frog—ugly and shameless! Or a dung beetle wearing a mask—still filthy and disgusting! Who’s pretending to play hard-to-get with you? Ugh!”
Thoroughly disgusted, Duan Mingxi lashed out, delivering a hard kick to Gao Zhan’s shin before turning on her heel and leaving with a dramatic swish of her sleeves.
The kick made Gao Zhan’s face contort with anger. He growled, “Truly ill-mannered!”
Without looking back, Duan Mingxi snapped, “While the illness isn’t too severe, go take your medicine! And maybe reflect on who first acted so rudely and caused all this!”
Gao Zhan was furious, nearly hopping with rage. Fortunately, there weren’t many people around to witness the scene, or it would have been a truly humiliating spectacle.
Fine. Duan Mingxi, was it? He would remember her!
Meanwhile, in the dense woods nearby, from the window of a secluded pavilion’s second floor, a man let out a low chuckle. “Who would’ve thought the newly-recognized eldest daughter of the Dingyuan Marquis’s family would be such an interesting character?”
“Wangye, rumor has it that this Miss Duan was raised in a merchant’s household since childhood,” an attendant added.
Her coarse language and unrestrained behavior—what other young lady in the capital would dare utter such things?
Duan Wang Xiao Muchen stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the woman disappearing deep down the corridor. After a while, he said, “Many in the world act upright but are actually hypocritical to the extreme. It’s a pity. A lively girl like her, in time, will fade into the crowd.”
Upon hearing Wangye’s words, Miao Sheng felt a chill in his heart, unable to discern the Wangye’s thoughts, and dared not say anything negative about Miss Duan.
On the other side, Duan Mingxi had just shaken off Gao Zhan. Today, she caught him in a verbal slip and thoroughly scolded him, finally venting some of the pent-up resentment from her previous life.
After this incident, the marriage proposal would certainly fall through.
From now on, they would go their separate ways. As long as the Gao family didn’t trouble her, she’d consider the matter settled.
But if Duke Gao’s mansion still coveted her wealth to secure the marriage, they shouldn’t blame her for being ruthless.
Duan Mingxi made sure to meet Madam Jiang and Duke Gao’s Madam before Gao Zhan returned, putting on a wronged expression yet without saying a word.
Madam Jiang, seeing her return alone, asked directly, “Where is Gao Shizi?”
Hearing this, Duan Mingxi thought to herself how blind she’d been in her past life, not realizing Madam Jiang’s hypocrisy and selfishness at the start.
“Gao Shizi looked down on me for being raised in a merchant’s household, so he mocked me. Feeling aggrieved, I argued back, which displeased him. So, I came back first.”
Madam Jiang was shocked to hear this.
Duke Gao’s Madam had been hinted at by Madam Jiang that Duan Mingxi’s adoptive parents were the wealthiest in Jiangcheng, so her dowry would be considerable.
Duke Gao’s Madam was very tempted. Though the Gao household looked prosperous, there were many mouths to feed, and funds were tight. As the matriarch, she was barely holding things together.
If Duan Mingxi brought a large dowry, bringing her into the family would mean she’d be easy to control due to her background. She’d also take on household duties and be pressured to contribute financially for the sake of reputation.
She had assumed that with her son’s family status and appearance, this marriage would be an easy win.
Who would have thought Duan Mingxi had such a personality!
Duke Gao’s Madam didn’t want a difficult daughter-in-law. Her face turned cold, and she looked at Madam Jiang, saying, “Since she was raised outside, she’s clearly missed the careful guidance that the noble families of the capital provide. Madam Jiang, you should pay more attention. A woman should embody dignity and gentleness, with virtue and obedience as her guiding principles.”
This was a thinly veiled criticism of Duan Mingxi, implying that she was neither respectful nor well-mannered and lacked the grace expected of a noble lady.
Madam Jiang’s face darkened, and her gaze toward Duan Mingxi became unfriendly.
Duan Mingxi, well aware of Duke Gao’s Madam’s manipulative tactics, responded calmly, “I hear you have two daughters. Their upbringing must be excellent. I’d love to learn from you someday.”
The Gao family’s two daughters had well-known reputations in the capital. The elder daughter, Gao Jinyi, was sweet-talking but ruthless, often causing trouble for her husband’s concubines, earning her the nickname “Virtuous One”. The younger daughter, Gao Jinxiu, was spoiled, domineering, and unwilling to suffer any slight.
With this remark, Duan Mingxi effectively embarrassed the Duke’s wife, implying she should focus on her own daughters before lecturing others.
