Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Just moments before that hand with its distinct knuckles was about to touch Liu Wenying.

Like a startled rabbit, she took a big step back to avoid his touch!

"uncle!"

Liu Wenying let out a soft cry.

Pei Dingxuan froze in mid-air before slowly retracting.

Are you afraid of me?

Her tense demeanor was entirely because of him; he himself was also feeling uneasy.

Liu Wenying lowered her eyes. "This servant dares not. Master is the master, and this servant is a servant. There is a difference in rank, and this servant dares not overstep the bounds."

Not daring to overstep the bounds? It's not that she's not daring to overstep the bounds; she's clearly deliberately drawing a line.

He saved her and protected her; in the face of life and death, a surge of emotion and protectiveness welled up within him that he himself had never deeply considered.

Does she really think that all one needs to do is respect the hierarchy and not overstep the bounds?

Liu Wenying, however, knew perfectly well what was going on.

She wasn't stupid. The old man was usually so serious and upright. How could he risk his life to save a seemingly insignificant wet nurse at the critical moment?

Perhaps there is a sense of duty and responsibility, but it is not just that.

For her, this "more than" was not an honor, but a source of trouble.

As a widowed wet nurse with a child, she already faced immense difficulties in this world.

All they wanted was a place to settle down.

She neither had nor dared to harbor any delusional fantasies of climbing the social ladder or achieving instant success.

So she avoided it.

Even if it displeases him and makes her seem ungrateful.

The room fell silent again, as if an invisible string was being stretched between the two of them.

Liu Wenying remained silent, letting the taut string snap.

Zheng—

The invisible string snapped.

Pei Dingxuan's voice was deeper than before, tinged with weariness. "You may leave."

Liu Wenying secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, this servant will take her leave."

But just as she turned to step out of the inner room, a suppressed groan came from behind her.

Pei Dingxuan, who had been sitting upright just moments before, supported his forehead with one hand, and the slight color that had returned after drinking the medicine instantly faded.

A wave of intense dizziness washed over him. He tried to steady himself, but he couldn't help falling forward.

Liu Wenying's body reacted faster than her brain, and she managed to catch his arm and shoulder just before he was about to fall to the ground.

Pei Dingxuan was supported by her, and most of his weight leaned against her.

The two men, one standing and one sitting, buried their heads squarely against her soft chest, their hot breaths seeping through her thin shirt, burning her skin like a branding iron.

They all froze, their heartbeats pounding wildly.

"Master, please rest well. I'll go and call the doctor."

Liu Wenying told him to lie down, and then hurriedly left.

But her wrist was grabbed as she turned around, the grip was so strong that it hurt.

Liu Wenying turned around in shock and met a pair of deep, dark, fiery eyes.

She couldn't understand it, nor did she want to understand the emotions there.

"Don't go yet."

The more she tried to hide, the less he wanted to let her go.

Liu Wenying panicked and struggled violently, disregarding all etiquette and simply blurting out her true feelings.

"Please release me! I beg you! You are the master, I am a servant, we are worlds apart!"

"All the kindness you've shown me is not a blessing, but poison. I cannot bear it, nor dare I accept it! I beg you, sir, to have mercy and spare me!"

"Poison?" Pei Dingxuan repeated the two words.

Intestinal poison...?

It turns out that what he thought was protection, his uncontrollable instinct in the face of life and death, was something she desperately wanted to avoid.

He truly understood the saying, "What is honey to one is poison to another."

As the restraints on her wrists gradually loosened, Liu Wenying, like a frightened bird, immediately retreated, clutching her wrists, and looked at him on the bed, both wary and sorrowful.

Pei Dingxuan lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and didn't want to look at her anymore.

"You can leave now."

Without hesitation, Liu Wenying quickly retreated.

Granny Tian was called away by others to do some work, so Liu Wenying didn't bother to explain what had just happened in the room to her.

She rushed back to her side room almost as if fleeing, locked the door tightly behind her, and huddled on the cold bed.

She hugged her knees, buried her face in her arms, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

It wasn't coldness, but lingering fear—the kind of fear that comes from being powerless to resist absolute power and influence.

She had experienced this feeling once with Pei Yaojun, and she didn't want to experience it again with Pei Dingxuan.

After a long while, my wildly beating heart gradually calmed down, and reason returned.

Liu Wenying began to force herself to think carefully about when exactly that aloof, serious, and distant old man had noticed her.

On her first night shift, she was caught breastfeeding. What was the fleeting undercurrent in his eyes?

When Luo Luo fell ill, he accompanied her to get medicine in the snow late at night. The carriage was bumpy, and he reached out to touch her shoulder for a moment to feel her warmth.

No wonder he gave Luo Luo a set of toys for his little master.

No wonder he frowned when the marriage charm fell, mistakenly believing it was something she had asked for for him...

That makes sense.

But it's impossible for them. Although the position of the Duke's heir has not yet been decided, he is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, of excellent character, and has a promising official career. It is very likely that it will be him.

He has a family, and his wife has been incredibly kind to her. For both reason and emotion, Liu Wenying doesn't want to have anything to do with him.

She didn't want to upset the lady, and she certainly wouldn't become a concubine.

Today she deliberately spoke very harshly, also to cut off all his hopes.

A man as proud as that old man, once rejected by her, probably won't bother her anymore.

She would always remember Pei Dingxuan's kindness and would repay him in other ways if she had the ability in the future.

But apart from that, she and he could only be master and servant.

The thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Lunar New Year's Eve.

When Liu Wenying woke up, it was already broad daylight.

Perhaps because of the emotional ups and downs I experienced yesterday, and the calming medicine I drank, I slept exceptionally soundly this time.

Pushing open the door, a crisp, cold air rushes out, bringing with it the festive atmosphere of the New Year, mixed with the smoke of firecrackers.

Fortunately, I woke up in time.

If we had come a day later, we would have missed New Year's Eve.

According to the rules of the Duke's Mansion, on New Year's Eve, in addition to the servants who must be on duty in each household and the kitchen staff responsible for the New Year's Eve banquet, there are also other staff members on duty.

Most of the other servants could take turns resting, and those whose families lived in the capital could even ask for half a day off to go back and reunite with their families.

The family will also prepare several tables of New Year's Eve dinner in the kitchen courtyard.

Although it couldn't compare to the exquisite dishes served to their masters, it was still quite plentiful and delicious.

As night fell, red lanterns were hung high outside the kitchen, and the place was bustling with activity.

The courtyard was filled with seven or eight large round tables, each of which was packed with people.

The chefs in the kitchen did their best, preparing large pots of stewed meat, whole fish, piles of steamed buns, as well as fresh vegetables and cold side dishes.

It couldn't compare to the delicacies at the banquets of the masters, but for ordinary families, it was enough to eat meat to their heart's content.

Liu Wenying was pulled by Granny Tian and sat down at a table with Xiaozhu and several familiar old women and maids.

Cuihua has taken leave to go home and reunite with her family. Zhao, the wet nurse, is also not here tonight as she is on night duty serving the young master.

Xiao Zhu, her face flushed, approached with a grin, holding a cup of rice wine. "Come on, Sister Liu, let me toast you. May you survive this ordeal and be blessed with good fortune!"

After her visit to the temple and the recovery of the marriage charm, Xiaozhu felt even closer to and more respectful of Liu Wenying.

Granny Tian smiled and poured herself a large glass of wine, saying, "Yes, yes, you're so lucky and have such a long life, you deserve a big toast!"

The others at the table also raised their glasses in agreement; everyone was in high spirits during the Chinese New Year.

"Thank you everyone, thank you Granny Tian and Xiao Zhu, and I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year, and all the best."

Liu Wenying couldn't drink alcohol, so she toasted everyone with water instead.

Thinking about it carefully, it's been almost a year since she transmigrated here. She's very adaptable, and sometimes she feels like everything in the modern world is a dream.

……