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

After a slight hesitation, Pei Yaojun accepted the fan pendant.

Inevitably, their fingers touched Cheng Yimian's hand, and Cheng Yimian's face flushed even more, her eyes revealing joy.

The next moment, Pei Yaojun turned around and tossed the fan pendant into Liu Wenying's arms, speaking casually.

"Keep this for me, so I don't forget things again."

The speed of their actions stunned both Liu Wenying and Cheng Yimian.

Liu Wenying held the warm, slightly cool jade pendant as if she were holding a red-hot charcoal; she didn't know whether to accept it or throw it away.

But Pei Yaojun glared at her, leaving her no choice but to accept it.

Cheng Yimian's face was still flushed, but she bit her lip.

A man should keep an object that a woman shows him affection close to his body as a sign of valuing it.

What kind of nonsense is it for Master Pei to entrust it to a servant for safekeeping...?

And that servant was so rude, was he mute? He just picked us up like that...

The lake breeze and the fragrance of lotus blossoms are lovely, but having a woman from the Cheng family with obvious ulterior motives by my side is really quite boring.

Moreover, the person Pei Yaojun really wanted to see had been standing there like a wooden stake, not uttering a single word.

After dealing with Cheng Yimian for a while on the terrace, his already dwindling patience was completely exhausted.

In the sweltering summer heat, he casually made up an excuse that it was windy and he was afraid of catching a cold. Regardless of Cheng Yimian's reaction, he picked up Ye'er and headed down the stairs to the lower deck.

Cheng Yimian stood alone on the terrace, facing the lake full of lotus flowers, her expression not very good.

Walking down the wooden stairs, away from everyone's sight, the surroundings became much quieter.

The lower deck of the pleasure boat is closer to the water, where the fragrance of lotus blossoms is even stronger, and occasionally water birds flutter their wings and fly up from among the lotus leaves.

Pei Yaojun slowed his pace, waiting for Liu Wenying to catch up and stand beside her, then handed Ye'er over to her.

After walking a few steps, he turned his head and saw Liu Wenying holding a baby in her arms and clutching the jade pendant tightly in her hand.

"Holding on so tightly? You're upset because...someone gave me something?"

He didn't remember the man's last name; he'd forgotten.

Liu Wenying gripped the fan pendant tightly, purely out of fear that she would lose this precious and delicate item and then be unable to explain herself or what was causing her discomfort.

"You jest, Third Master. I'm just afraid of losing it and having trouble explaining it to others."

She paused, recalling Cheng Yimian's eloquence and demeanor on the terrace earlier, and added another sentence.

"Moreover, Madam Cheng is both beautiful and talented, and has a straightforward personality, making her a good match for Third Master."

She spoke truthfully, hoping to steer the conversation away from the main topic and get Third Master to focus on the person in question, so he wouldn't tease her anymore.

A good match? She sees it clearly, yet she says it so easily!

Pei Yaojun stopped, approached her, and trapped her between himself and the cold cabin wall.

He closed the fan, used the handle to lift her chin, and said, "If you dare to play matchmaker in front of my sister-in-law, you're dead!"

Forced to look up at his sullen face, Liu Wenying was filled with confusion.

He got so angry just because I was saying something fair and reasonable.

He's probably just acting like a spoiled brat again, deliberately making fun of her.

Just as she was about to retort, she caught a glimpse of two figures walking towards her from around the corner.

Pei Dingxuan and Pei Zeyu walked this way while discussing official business.

The footsteps drew closer, and the voices became clearer.

They also noticed the unusual situation at the other end of the passage.

His third brother was pinning a woman against the side of the ship's cabin wall; the two were very close and their posture was ambiguous.

A broad back obscured the woman's face, but she was slender and well-proportioned, dressed in the attire of a maid in the mansion.

If Pei Zeyu couldn't recognize him, how could Pei Dingxuan not recognize him?

He recognized the woman as Liu Wenying simply from her slender waist and full breasts.

Pei Dingxuan's dark brown eyes darkened, and his aura suddenly turned cold.

Pei Zeyu also raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, and the usual gentle smile on his face faded a little.

Just as Pei Dingxuan frowned and was about to speak, the sharp-eyed Pei Zeyu let out a soft exclamation.

The woman was holding a baby in her arms and wearing a bright red shirt with gold flecks. Wasn't that Ye'er?

With a child sandwiched in the middle, this position immediately loses much of its romantic and ambiguous connotation.

It was more like the Third Master was teasing the nephew in the maid's arms.

Pei Dingxuan also saw his son, and his tense expression eased slightly.

Pei Zeyu's lips curled back into a faint smile, revealing no emotion.

"Third brother, what are you doing here?" Pei Dingxuan asked.

Pei Yaojun awkwardly let Liu Wenying go, the gloom and irritation on his face completely disappearing, replaced by a carefree and unrestrained smile.

"Big brother, second brother, it's nothing. We just happened to bring Ye-ge out for a bit of fun."

Liu Wenying, now free, took a few steps back while holding Ye'er and bowed deeply.

"This servant greets the eldest and second masters."

Pei Zeyu rarely spoke to her, asking gently, "Is Ye-ge'er being good?"

"Reporting to Second Master, the young master is very well-behaved."

Pei Dingxuan didn't look at her, but turned to Pei Yaojun, his expression suggestive.

"Since you're here for a lake tour and banquet, you should spend more time chatting and interacting with people your own age, instead of lingering here."

He paused, then added, "Today is for you unmarried brothers and sisters to find a match; you are the one who should be here."

If you find someone you click with and who shares your personality, then get along well with them and don't let your mother and sister-in-law's hard work go to waste.

Pei Zeyu nodded with a smile, though he didn't say anything, his meaning was clear.

Hearing his elder brother's explicit words, Pei Yaojun's smile faded.

He smirked and said, "Although my eldest and second brothers are already married, there aren't many people in their rooms. If you find someone you like, you might as well add a few more."

Don't always drag him down with you.

Pei Dingxuan knew that he disliked being arranged and controlled by others. Otherwise, he would have been quick to refute him, and as the eldest, he wouldn't have insisted on arguing with him about right and wrong.

"My second brother and I have something to attend to, so we'll be leaving now."

At the end of the passage, the two elder brothers brushed past each other, and Liu Wenying stepped aside to let them pass.

Pei Dingxuan slightly fluttered his robes, his gaze straight ahead, not even glancing sideways.

He was nothing like the man who had briefly crossed paths with her in the shadows of the side room a few nights ago.

Liu Wenying lowered her eyes and held her breath, but Pei Zeyu slowed down by half a step. As his moon-white sleeve brushed against the back of her hand, a very soft cold snort came from behind him.

Like ice crystals falling onto a jade plate, the sound could only be heard by two people.

Liu Wenying was startled and turned around, only to catch a glimpse of the two figures walking up the stairs.

Is it just my imagination?

"What are you looking at?"

Pei Yaojun's irritated voice came from behind, carrying a hint of annoyance at being ignored.

Liu Wenying turned her head and met his deep gaze.

"My eldest and second eldest brothers are good-looking and hold high official positions. You servant, stop having such wild thoughts."

He gritted his teeth and swallowed back the unnoticed sourness.

The eldest brother, Pei Dingxuan, had a cold and stern face and a calm demeanor. He held real power in the Ministry of Justice and acted decisively. Before he got married, he was the object of admiration and fear for many young ladies in the capital.

The second elder brother, Pei Zeyu, was gentle, modest, and elegant. He thrived in the Ministry of Personnel, displaying remarkable social skills and attracting considerable attention.

The two of them were each outstanding in appearance and demeanor, and their positions and status in the court were far beyond what he, the newly appointed Third Master, could compare to.

This woman wouldn't...

…………