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

"I'm fine, Sister Cuihua, you should go back now."

Liu Wenying, on the other hand, advised her, "If you serve the master more today, you'll get more reward money. That's a real benefit. Don't waste time here with me."

Seeing that she was in good condition, Cuihua nodded.

"I'll go first then. Don't keep anything to yourself if you have something to say."

"Okay, I won't."

The lively atmosphere outside seeped in through the cracks in the doors and windows, making the side hall seem even more deserted.

Liu Wenying stood by the window, unsure whether to sit or stand.

After an unknown amount of time, a dazzling figure staggered in.

Pei Yaojun slipped out of the banquet and looked her up and down as soon as he entered the room, a playful smile curving his lips.

"What? Did you make a mistake and were punished by your master to reflect on your actions here?"

Liu Wenying stood alone not far away, head bowed. "It has nothing to do with Third Master, so there's no need for him to worry about it."

Pei Yaojun raised an eyebrow and slowly walked over to sit down opposite her.

He rested his elbows on the edge of the table, watching her leisurely, and chuckled, "How can it be unrelated? You made a mistake at the Pei family's first birthday celebration. My eldest brother is a very rule-abiding person, so you're probably going to be punished."

Liu Wenying shuddered, but forced herself not to show any weakness in front of the Little Yama King.

"This servant will obey my master's orders."

"You make it sound so easy. But if you actually get a beating and kicked out, don't cry then."

Is it just her imagination? Why does she feel like Little Yama is concerned about her?

Liu Wenying quietly raised her eyes and met his direct gaze. There was no concern whatsoever; it was all mockery.

She must be out of her mind to think he cares about her.

"Don't worry, Third Master, I won't cry in front of you, after all... Third Master, have you forgotten? You cried much more than I did those few nights."

Which nights?

As soon as the question left his mouth, Pei Yaojun instantly recalled the enchanting scenes of those few nights, and his face flushed red.

"Nonsense! I was... I was just excited! Crying comfortably! No... not that kind of crying! No! I didn't cry!"

He stammered in his rebuttal, which was completely unconvincing.

His words are incoherent and the more he tries to explain, the worse it gets.

Seeing his current appearance, Liu Wenying's gloom dissipated considerably.

"If Third Master said he didn't cry, then he didn't cry."

Pei Yaojun was speechless at her "whatever you say is right" attitude and couldn't utter a complete sentence.

He laughed in exasperation.

He had originally planned that if she was expelled or dismissed from Zhenbei, he could bring her back and into Zhaolin Courtyard.

But she was unmoved and showed no appreciation whatsoever, so Pei Yaojun suddenly didn't want to talk anymore.

The two were locked in a stalemate when a servant knocked on the door.

"Third Master, the Duke is looking for you."

"What's the rush! I'm coming right now!"

Pei Yaojun glanced at Liu Wenying, then pushed open the door and went out.

After he left, the hall returned to silence, but Liu Wenying's mood was much better than before, and she was no longer so anxious and uneasy.

She walked to the table, poured herself a cup of tea, and slowly sipped it to soothe her throat.

No sooner had Pei Yaojun left than the door, now bathed in the slanting sunlight, was pushed open again.

Pei Dingxuan stepped in, and Liu Wenying was startled. She quickly put down her cup and bowed her head in a curtsy.

"This servant greets you, sir."

She didn't understand. Today was the young master's first birthday banquet, and the eldest master and his wife were also the main guests. The hall was full of guests, and everyone was drinking and chatting. Why was he able to leave and come here?

As he approached, Liu Wenying could still smell the incense and alcohol from the hall on him.

He must have just escaped from a group of people offering toasts.

Putting aside her wild thoughts, Liu Wenying spoke first in the silence.

She decided to admit her mistake first.

"Master, during the baby's first birthday celebration, it was the young master who grabbed my skirt on his own initiative. I did not mean to, but this incident has caused the manor to lose face in front of the guests. I am willing to accept the punishment."

Her tone was extremely sincere, and she was prepared to accept punishment.

Surely the Duke's rules wouldn't actually lead to her being beaten to death?

She was an employee, not a slave.

Pei Dingxuan frowned, his voice tinged with surprise, "You thought I came here to punish you?"

Liu Wenying was taken aback, then looked up blankly and said, "Isn't that right?"

"The Pei family is not a family that cannot distinguish right from wrong. Ye'er is only one year old and is ignorant. He grabbed you on his own initiative. You did nothing wrong, so why should you be punished?"

Hearing this, my heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

There aren't many masters who can distinguish right from wrong and not take their anger out on their servants. Liu Wenying bowed again, "This servant thanks you, sir."

Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Pei Dingxuan spoke up again.

"Liu Wenying, you won't be kicked out of the manor because of this, I promise."

His words carried great weight. As a servant, upon hearing them, I should have been filled with gratitude and knelt down to thank my master for his protection and kindness.

But Liu Wenying was stunned.

A strange feeling crossed my mind. His words seemed to have a deeper meaning, not just the master's reassurance to the servant, but also an unusual promise.

Like some kind of magma buried deep underground, it accidentally breaks through the rock layer, revealing a hot and scorching corner, only to be forcibly pushed back in an instant.

Pei Dingxuan seemed to realize that he had been expressing his emotions too openly, and he slightly composed himself.

"A banquet has also been prepared for the servants in the side hall of the west courtyard. You should go there quickly."

The side hall of the west wing is far from the main hall, but the Lord's grace has specially prepared it for the servants, so what is there to complain about?

Liu Wenying snapped out of her daze and quickly curtsied, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I'll go right away."

Pei Dingxuan didn't move, so Liu Wenying had no choice but to step back.

She walked by, the hem of her pale blue skirt fluttering like snowflakes, brushing against his drooping fingertips.

Pei Dingxuan's fingers twitched slightly, as if he wanted to grasp it, but in the end, he let the coolness slip away.

When the palms closed, only a lingering warmth of milky fragrance remained, which was instantly dissipated by the summer breeze.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When I opened my eyes again, they were clear.

He straightened his clothes, stepped out of the side hall, and rejoined the hustle and bustle of the banquet.

The two went their separate ways, one heading east and the other west.

Three days have passed since Pei Yexuan's first birthday party.

Inside Tinglan Courtyard, the bamboo blinds under the windows are half-rolled up, keeping the summer heat out.

Wen Jingshu sat in the main seat, holding Pei Yexuan in her arms.

The little guy had just woken up from his afternoon nap and was full of energy, completely unaware that today would determine the fate of several wet nurses.

Liu Wenying, Cuihua, and Zhao Nainiang stood with their heads bowed in the hall, their posture respectful, but each had their own thoughts.

Liu Wenying remained calm. The promise the eldest master made at the first birthday banquet that day was still ringing in her ears, but she trusted the first wife even more.

The First Madam promised that even if the young master grew up in the future, she would let her stay in the manor to do chores.

Cuihua was also composed; she was not one to meddle in other people's business and was reliable in her actions.

Only Zhao, the wet nurse, looked unwell. She had a falling out with Li, and things had even gotten out of hand.

Now that the young master has turned one year old, the extra wet nurses need to be dismissed, and she will probably be the first one to be dismissed.

Wen Jingshu glanced at the three of them and slowly opened her lips.

"Ye'er is now one year old. According to the rules of the manor, we don't need to keep so many wet nurses. The reason I called you here today is to decide on the future wet nurses."

She paused, then looked to the far left, "Wen Ying."

Liu Wenying focused her attention and stepped forward, saying, "This servant is here."

…………