The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The two people in the car paused for a moment, then quickly separated.

Qin Yanyun tidied his sideburns, and Gu Yankai also lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.

Not far away, the Gu family's carriage was parked on the side of the street.

Gu Tingyu had been resting with his eyes closed in the carriage, but he reluctantly opened them after hearing the servant Yunxuan's report.

A hint of impatience flashed in his eyes, but he still got off the carriage.

The little boy wore a thick cloak, was shorter and thinner than other children his age, and had a pale face from a long illness.

His features were cool and aloof, and his bows were proper and respectful, already displaying the demeanor of a gentleman.

"Father, Mother."

"Brother Yu".

Upon seeing him, Qin Yanyun almost burst into tears again.

She hurried forward and reached out to touch his face: "You've lost weight, how come you've lost weight again?"

Gu Tingyu was about to say that he hadn't lost weight at all, and had even gained two pounds since the last time they met.

Before she could finish speaking, Qin Yanyun added, "Your grandmother is truly heartless. How could she send a child like you out to study in such cold weather? You're still so young, couldn't you hire a tutor to teach you at home?"

She took Gu Tingyu's hand, her voice softening further: "Yu-ge'er, come with me to my house. I'll hire a tutor for you, okay?"

The slight warmth that had been on Gu Tingyu's face vanished instantly.

He withdrew his hand and took a step back.

"No need for Mother to worry."

Qin Yanyun was stunned, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Gu Tingyu continued, "The doctor said I am naturally weak, which is why I need to move around more to strengthen my body. If I stay at home taking medicine every day, it will probably be even more detrimental in the long run."

"Besides, Qingwu Academy is one of the best places in the capital. The teachers are all very talented, and the students are all quite admirable. Walking a few more steps every morning is also good for my health."

He paused, then said, word by word, "This is the path my grandmother carefully chose for me; it reflects her deep concern and good intentions. Please, Mother, be careful what you say."

Qin Yanyun felt as if he had been slapped in the face in public, and he froze on the spot.

Her eyes instantly reddened, and her voice trembled: "Yu-ge'er, you... I am your mother, how can you speak to me like this? Would I possibly harm you?"

Gu Tingyu bowed in greeting.

"My mother would never harm me."

"But Grandmother wouldn't do that either."

When Qin Yanyun heard the first half of the sentence, his expression eased temporarily, but after hearing the second half, all the color drained from his face.

Gu Tingyu remained unmoved: "I appreciate Mother's good intentions. However, Grandmother has raised me with kindness and is full of love for me. Please, Mother, do not speak disrespectfully to Grandmother and make things difficult for me."

It was cold outside.

Qin Yanyun stood there, but it felt as if he were in an ice cellar.

She had only one thought in her mind.

As expected, Yu-ge'er was eventually won over by that old hag and was no longer close to her.

This reunion between mother and son ultimately ended unhappily.

Gu Yankai also received a cold shoulder.

As Gu Tingyu turned back to the carriage, a fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

The next moment, he returned to normal and calmly instructed Yunxuan: "There's a shop on the street that sells Grandmother's favorite cheese. Go and buy some. When you get back, don't tell Grandmother who we met on the way."

Yun Xuan was slightly taken aback, but then understood.

"Yes."

Gu Tingyu lifted the carriage curtain, about to get in, but suddenly stopped.

Because a little girl had somehow appeared in his carriage.

He was skinny, wearing an ill-fitting old coat, and his hair was messy and stuck to his face.

She hid in the corner of the carriage. When she saw Gu Tingyu looking over, tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't dare to cry out loud, but only choked out in a small voice, "Brother, help me."

Gu Tingyu was stunned.

Before he could speak, several heavy footsteps came from behind him.

"That good-for-nothing! He can't even keep an eye on a three-year-old! He's just a good-for-nothing!"

"Go look in that alley over there. That little girl is quite pretty. Let's keep her in the troupe for now, doing some manual labor. She'll definitely be a good prospect when she grows up. We can't let her go!"

"Master, there's a carriage here."

Gu Tingyu felt a chill run down his spine.

He quickly got into the car, flicked his cloak to cover her completely.

Then he sat up straight and picked up the book next to him.

The carriage curtain was quickly ripped open.

A burly man poked his head in, his gaze sweeping menacingly across the carriage. He became even more rude when he saw that Gu Tingyu was just a child.

"Little one! Have you seen a little girl who's even younger than you?"

Gu Tingyu remained unmoved, slowly raising his eyes to coldly look at the man.

"roll."

The man was stunned at first, then flew into a rage.

"Whose little brat is so unruly? Grandpa's asking you—"

The conversation ended abruptly thereafter.

Because he belatedly realized what was inside the carriage.

The small stove was burning brightly, and next to it was a complete set of writing implements. A small bronze hand warmer hung on the carriage wall, and even the cloak the child was wearing looked thick and expensive, unlike what ordinary families could afford.

This young man seems to have quite a background.

The man's expression changed slightly.

Just then, Yunxuan hurriedly returned carrying an oil paper package.

Upon seeing someone lift the carriage curtain, his face turned pale, and he immediately shouted, "Who are you? What do you want! Brother, brother! Someone help me!"

There were quite a few people on the street, and they all looked over when they heard the noise.

The man was startled and quickly unrolled the car curtain, chuckling awkwardly, "It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! We were just asking for directions, asking for directions!"

Having said that, he dared not delay any longer and turned to run away with his men.

Yun Xuan hurriedly got into the carriage to check on him, her voice trembling with anxiety: "Brother, are you alright?"

Gu Tingyu slowly put down the book, feeling a lingering fear.

The small body at his feet was also trembling. His heart softened, and he reached out and gently patted the cloak.

"It's alright now."

This was both an answer to Yunxuan and a way of comforting the little girl.

Gu Tingyu said in a low voice, "Let's go quickly."

Yun Xuan quickly replied, "Okay."

The carriage soon started moving again, heading back to the old residence.

Yun Xuan got out of the car first and turned around to help Gu Tingyu.

To everyone's surprise, as soon as Gu Tingyu stood up, his cloak slipped down, revealing a skinny little girl underneath.

Yunxuan was stunned on the spot.

"This, this, this..."

Gu Tingyu also had a headache.

He bent down, trying to keep his voice down: "What's your name? Why are they looking for you?"

The little girl looked up at him.

Perhaps it was because the older brother had protected her earlier, or perhaps it was because his voice was so gentle, but the tears she had been holding back finally fell.

"My name is Man'er. My family sold me, I'm scared..."

(Breaking up couples and creating pairings can be really addictive)

(Currently writing, will update tomorrow morning)