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

Liu Wenying was stunned.

She never expected the old man to apologize to her.

She frowned as she looked at him; his profile was cold and stern, and his deep eyes churned with complex emotions she couldn't decipher.

There was icy anger, a somber displeasure, and a hint of regret.

Does the old man still harbor delusions about himself...?

Liu Wenying was startled by her own sudden thought and immediately shook her head, "No, if it weren't for Master's timely arrival, this servant would have been strangled to death long ago."

The suffocating feeling of being on the verge of death by the river still terrifies me to this day.

"This servant thanks you, sir, for saving my life."

She tried to force a reassuring smile, but it appeared weak and strained due to the pain.

Pei Dingxuan had been inside for a while when he suddenly realized that he hadn't applied the medicine to her yet.

The doctor examined her and said that most of her injuries were superficial, but the most serious were a strangulation wound to her neck and a dislocated ankle.

The ankle dislocation has been reduced, but the neck injury involves the throat and requires medication.

He took the celadon medicine box from the small table beside the bed and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Don't speak yet, let me apply the medicine for you."

Liu Wenying shrank back, avoiding his closeness.

"I wouldn't dare trouble you with such a small matter, sir. Please find someone else to do it."

There is a difference between men and women, and such close contact is improper, so she always harbored resentment in her heart.

"The post station is simple, and the entourage consists of soldiers and rough men who do odd jobs. There are no other women. If you want someone else to come, that's fine too."

Liu Wenying bit her lip and hesitated before saying, "Then I can do it myself."

However, as soon as he raised his arm halfway, a sharp pain shot through the wound on his wrist, which had been chafed by the rough hemp rope.

A cool hand reached out and gently grasped her hand, avoiding the wounds.

"No, your hands are shaking so much. If you apply the medicine incorrectly, what if it leaves a scar?"

"Sir, there's no need to worry about it. I'm not some rich young lady. A few scars on my skin are nothing to worry about."

In her view, being able to survive the kidnappers and protect her young master made these injuries and scars insignificant.

Her smile was faint, but it was very frank and insightful.

Little did she know that those words struck him like a dagger.

He had seen countless pampered young ladies, each of whom valued their appearance above all else, and would cry at the slightest bump or bruise.

In his eyes, who could compare to her even slightly?

She was the one who fought to the death against the assailant, she was the one who left her mark in dire straits, and even in her severe injuries, she was the one who first worried about the safety of others.

She is so wonderful; she shouldn't suffer even the slightest harm.

The unspoken words surged within him, transforming into a heavier heartache and an anger that even he himself could not discern.

Her anger at her for so downplaying her own feelings.

He released her hand, but did not hand her the ointment.

Instead, he dipped his fingertips in the liquid and gently supported her chin with his other hand, forcing her to tilt her head back slightly.

"Don't move."

He insisted on applying the medicine to her.

Liu Wenying seemed to have been paralyzed, her body stiffening.

The skin on the side of his neck is very sensitive. When the ointment touches it, the coolness is spread evenly, and after it melts, it becomes the body temperature of his fingertips.

The temperature made the hairs on her body stand on end.

She tried to turn her head to avoid him, but he held her chin firmly in place.

"Grandpa, please don't..." Her voice trembled, broken and incoherent.

"If you want other men to touch you, that's fine too, I won't force you."

Pei Dingxuan outwardly offered her a choice, but secretly cut off her escape route.

There were no other women in the post station, and she could not accept having a strange man apply medicine to her body so intimately.

Resigned to her fate, Liu Wenying closed her eyes, avoiding looking at him, as if that could ease the tension in her heart.

Warm fingertips roamed over her neck as she closed her eyes, spreading layer upon layer of cool sensation.

They were so close that a slightly louder breath would brush against his face.

He applied the paint very carefully, but it was just too slow.

Unable to bear the torment any longer, Liu Wenying said, "This servant is not afraid of pain. Master, you don't need to be so gentle. A little more force is fine. Don't delay your important business."

She felt the fingertips that were applying the ointment pause slightly.

"There's nothing to delay."

He lowered his fingers again, the force as gentle as a feather brushing across the skin.

It wasn't just Liu Wenying who was suffering; he was too.

She was only wearing a thin undergarment with a loose collar, and if he lowered his eyes slightly, he could see the snow-capped peaks and ravines. He tried to keep his gaze fixed on his fingertips and distracted himself by talking.

"Women value appearance most, do I not know that? Women from noble families take great care of themselves every day, all because they care about their looks."

He seemed to be explaining why he was so meticulous and attentive.

"Skin as smooth as cream, delicate and flawless, is true beauty. If there is even the slightest risk of a bump or scar, it is as if the sky has fallen."

Liu Wenying's opinion differed from his.

"That's how they manage themselves; they like it, and it makes them feel comfortable."

Pei Dingxuan: "You meticulously maintain your appearance, isn't it all for the sake of finding a good marriage partner and a good home?"

Liu Wenying gently twitched the corner of her mouth.

"But I don't care about those things. I already have Luo Luo, and from now on I only wish to protect her as she grows up. I've long since given up on the idea of ​​her getting married, so why should I worry about whether it will leave a scar?"

This indifference, placing himself last, was like a thin, resilient thread, tightening around Pei Dingxuan's heart and bringing a sharp, suffocating feeling.

"Since you've used the medication, it needs to be effective. Whether it leaves a scar or not is not up to you."

"If you're joking, sir, then I won't say anything more."

"No, you can say whatever you want."

Having survived the ordeal, Liu Wenying's guard was lowered, and only after receiving his response did she slowly reveal the thoughts hidden in her heart.

"Actually, I've thought about marriage. If I leave the manor in the future, I'd like to start a small business, earn some stable money to make a living, and then..."

Her voice was hoarse, but it sounded gentle because of a hint of weak longing.

"If possible, find an honest and reliable husband to marry into the family. It doesn't matter what his background is, what he looks like, or whether he has any skills, as long as he is not a bad person and has a kind heart."

She talked on and on, full of longing for a peaceful life, but also hiding the bitterness of the past.

"Sir, you may not know, but I was kicked out by my husband's family. This world is too hard. A woman without a man in her home will suffer a lot of humiliation and contempt for no reason."

Even if you start your own business, there will always be people who think you're easy to bully.

"So the husband who marries into the family doesn't need to be outstanding. It doesn't matter if he's mediocre or even a bit useless."

At this point, she gave a very light self-deprecating laugh, "All I need is a name, a pretext, so I can do what I want in peace."

The light pressure from the fingertips landed precisely on the spot where the subcutaneous blood stasis was most severe.

Caught off guard, Liu Wenying let out a short, soft hiss in pain.

"……Feel sorry."

Pei Dingxuan was still lost in her words when he heard her voice and immediately stopped.

Liu Wenying shook her head, "It's alright."

She could imagine that, given the old man's status, he had probably never done any delicate work of serving others. It was already a fantasy that he would personally apply the medicine, so it was perfectly normal for his strength to be a little out of control.

I'm afraid my shout just now made him uncomfortable.

She was secretly annoyed when she heard the other person suddenly speak.

"That day will never come."

Will there not be someday?

Does it refer to the day after she leaves the manor, when she will be bullied and have no one to protect her?

Or is she referring to the day she envisions marrying into the family and establishing a household under her name?

…………