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

He said, "Come to my house tonight."

Liu Wenying was stunned.

"It's been a long time since I've heard you sing. Now that the imperial examinations are over, I can finally get a good night's sleep. Sing me a little tune to help me fall asleep."

Liu Wenying's face turned cold as she suppressed her rising emotions. "Third Master is joking. That's a lullaby for children, and I'm not a singer."

She got angry, pushed his hand away, and tried to leave.

"One hundred taels."

His slow, leisurely voice came from behind me.

"A song sung in a brothel isn't worth that much. I'll give you a hundred taels for each song you sing, how about it?"

Pei Yaojun waited for her answer, languidly, certain that she would agree.

One hundred taels of silver is an irresistible temptation for any servant.

Liu Wenying has no backbone. A person must first survive before they have the right to talk about backbone.

"Third Master keeps his word, this servant obeys."

Rather than letting him find another excuse to bother you later, it's better to agree, get it over with, and still get paid.

Pei Yaojun's smile deepened after he succeeded, and he deliberately moved closer to her, his warm breath brushing against her neck.

"I'll be waiting for you at Zhaolin Courtyard tonight."

After saying that, he turned and left. His red clothes disappeared into the spring flowers and shadows, like a burning fire that made Liu Wenying's ears burn.

Why not take advantage of this free money? Consider it a part-time job.

She nurses the baby during the day and acts as a human hypnotic speaker at night.

Liu Wenying took it all in stride.

As night deepened, the moon disappeared and the stars became sparse.

The lights in the main building of Zhaolin Courtyard were still on, casting a hazy yellow glow through the paper windows.

Liu Wenying was dressed in a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her face was covered with a dark-colored silk handkerchief, revealing only her bright eyes.

She stood outside the door, hesitated, and then raised her hand to knock.

"Come in."

Lazy sounds came from inside the house.

Liu Wenying pushed open the door and entered.

Two crimson gauze lanterns were lit inside the room, casting a slender yet voluptuous silhouette of the visitor.

Pei Yaojun leaned against the bed, his crimson nightgown half-open and his dark hair loose. When he saw her come in dressed like this, he chuckled.

"Are you thief? Covering your face, afraid of being recognized?"

The maids in the mansion were eager to get close to him and have something going on, hoping to cause trouble and climb the social ladder.

She avoided him like the plague.

Liu Wenying didn't reply, but curtsied and took off her handkerchief.

The dim light fell on her face, making her skin appear as white and smooth as jade.

She folded the handkerchief, tucked it into her sleeve, cleared her throat, and prepared to sing.

"Singing to yourself from so far away? Come closer."

The next moment, Liu Wenying was pulled onto the bed curtains, and a weight pressed down between her legs.

He rested his head between her legs, his dark hair cascading down her lap like a piece of black satin.

When her body temperature, which was not her own, suddenly touched him, Liu Wenying's body stiffened, and she wanted to push him away.

"You don't want the money anymore?"

Liu Wenying stopped moving and resignedly put her hand down.

Never mind, just treat it as coaxing a child. That's a hundred taels, not one or ten taels.

Liu Wenying hummed a tune softly. This time, she hummed a country folk song. The tune and the lyrics were simple. It was about farmers plowing in spring and harvesting in autumn. Their lives were plain but fulfilling.

The voice was soft, low, and gentle, like a lullaby used to soothe a child to sleep.

She had a faint scent of soapberry mixed with a hint of milk, clean and warm. Pei Yaojun smiled with satisfaction.

The flickering candlelight cast their intertwined shadows on the wall.

The singing gradually faded until it fell silent.

Pei Yaojun seemed to be asleep, his breathing steady and long, resting on her lap, completely still.

Liu Wenying stopped and looked down at him.

Her features were striking and she had lost some of her childishness.

His brow bone is sharp, his nose is prominent, his lips are thin and moist, and his jawline is no longer rounded, but has a sharpness unique to men.

The lamplight traced his slightly curled long eyelashes, casting a soft shadow on his cheek, making him look almost unrealistically handsome.

The hands hanging at her sides were large and slender, with distinct knuckles and soft, white palms.

It's obvious that he was raised in luxury, growing up with a pen and a string.

And what about her own?

Although they are slender, there are thin calluses on the fingertips and palms, which are traces left from farm work.

There is also a shallow scar on the web of his right hand, which he accidentally cut while chopping firewood in winter.

Two hands are like placing two clouds together, one nurtured in the crystal sky, the other born in the soil.

The difference is as clear as day.

Just like the two of them.

A third master of the Duke's mansion, living a life of luxury and with a promising future.

A wet nurse who struggled to make ends meet while working as a slave and raising her daughter.

Pei Yaojun's feelings for her were perhaps just a passing fancy.

Like a wealthy idler who happens to see an interesting bird, teases it for a few days, provides it with food and water, and then forgets about it once his interest is over.

But the bird, in this brief moment of favor, was filled with anxiety, fearing that one day it would be forgotten in a corner.

She won't be that bird, nor does she want to be.

The evening breeze slipped through the window cracks, carrying a hint of spring coolness, and stirred a corner of the curtains.

The candle flame burst into a tiny flame.

The night is still long.

In early April, spring was in full bloom.

Inside the Hanguang Hall of the Imperial City, the morning light slanted in through the high and open hall doors, illuminating the solemn room.

The palace examination was the final stage of the imperial examination system and was personally presided over by the emperor.

The hall was completely silent, except for the soft scratching of the brush tip across the Xuan paper.

Pei Yaojun sat by the window, dressed in a brand-new scholar's robe, which made his face look like jade.

He held the brush with his wrist suspended, and had already written most of the paper. His handwriting was vigorous and unrestrained, with an unconventional style, reflecting his personality.

Most of the other candidates around him had dark circles under their eyes and looked exhausted.

In the final days before the imperial examination, who wasn't burning the midnight oil, eager to review all their knowledge once again?

He alone appeared refreshed and energetic, with no trace of fatigue in his eyes.

He has been sleeping very well these days.

Resting my head on that person's soft legs, I listened to her soft humming, the clean, warm scent of soap pods lingering around my nose.

I slept soundly through the night. When I woke up, it was just getting light. She was no longer there, but the peace I felt remained in my heart.

The pen tip paused.

The current policy essay topic has reached a critical point, requiring the use of classical allusions, but without resorting to clichés.

Pei Yaojun frowned in thought, and suddenly, a face appeared in his mind.

A delicate face, always with its head down.

Her eyes and brows were gentle and calm, and her lips were slightly pursed.

So serene, so beautiful.

Pei Yaojun's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.

The pen tip fell again.

The blocked thoughts suddenly cleared up in an instant.

Classical texts and wise strategies for governing the country flowed in, yet they were all arranged in an orderly fashion.

His pen moves swiftly, each word a gem, flowing smoothly like clouds and water.

The Hanlin scholar who was supervising the examination strolled by, paused for a moment beside him, glanced at the examination paper, and showed approval in his eyes.

As the sun rose higher, the light inside the hall became bright.

Pei Yaojun finished writing the last stroke, put down his pen, and let out a soft sigh of relief.

The paper is neat, the arguments are clear, the citations are appropriate, and it also contains some unique insights.

He felt that this was the best article he could write.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the imperial examination.

The candidates rose one by one, handed their examination papers to the eunuchs, and filed out of the Hanguang Hall.

Pei Yaojun stepped out of the palace gate, his brand-new robes making him look radiant.

"Yaojun!"

"Pei San!"

Several calls came from not far away.

…………