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

Wen Jingshu smiled and waved her hand, then gently changed the subject, turning her attention to Pei Yexuan.

"Ye'er has been better behaved lately. It was just a few days ago, when you had just left Tinglan Courtyard, that he kept crying and demanding his wet nurse, which was you, and we couldn't soothe him."

The young master was raised by Liu Wenying, apart from her own daughter.

From a tiny bundle in swaddling clothes to now reaching out for a hug while babbling, every little detail is filled with affection.

Since she arrived at Mingxi Hall, she had no reason to return to Tinglan Courtyard.

To avoid suspicion, she even had to take a long detour around the direction of Tinglan Courtyard, and hadn't seen her child for quite some time.

Seeing Ye'er at the family dinner today filled me with joy.

Hearing the First Madam mention that the children missed her, her nose suddenly felt a little sore.

"The young master is still young and clingy, it's hard for the madam to take care of him."

Wen Jingshu sighed softly and said helplessly, "I would like to be with him all the time, but the household affairs are complicated. After you left, I will be missing a caring assistant."

I have to handle everything personally, big or small, I'm so busy I barely have time to breathe, and it's even hard to find a moment to come to Mingxi Hall.

Originally, Liu Wenying helped manage the household affairs of Tinglan Courtyard.

She handled everything perfectly, saving Wen Jingshu a lot of trouble.

Now that Liu Wenying has gone to Mingxi Hall, although there are other maids in Tinglan Courtyard to help her, the tacit understanding and trust between them are still lacking.

With so many things to do in the household, Wen Jingshu was simply overwhelmed and even had to visit the old lady much less frequently.

The two exchanged a few more words, and Hongyu interjected to remind them.

"Madam, it's late and the dew is heavy."

Wen Jingshu nodded and took out a small apricot-yellow talisman bag from her sleeve as she stood up.

"Keep this. It's a health talisman I got from a temple. It contains cinnabar, realgar, and mugwort ash that a high monk has chanted sutras over. Put it under your pillow to ward off evil spirits and impurities."

Liu Wenying was surprised. The talisman bag was not expensive, but the sentiment behind it was heavy. "Madam, this servant cannot accept it."

"Just accept it. It's a gift to be given away for the Dragon Boat Festival anyway." She was unusually assertive.

"Then... this servant is Madam Xie."

Wen Jingshu smiled, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the main house.

Liu Wenying stood still, holding the talisman bag.

I watched as that dignified figure walked through the corridor, lifted the curtain, and entered the brightly lit room.

A moment later, Wen Jingshu came out carrying Pei Yexuan.

The child's little head rested on her shoulder, his chubby cheeks pressed down like dough.

Zizhu led the way with a lantern, and Wen Jingshu left with the child.

Chenshuang Courtyard.

Pei Zeyu removed his jade crown and outer robe, intending to wash up, change clothes, and then go to bed.

After dismissing all the servants, Lin Zhiyao hesitated for a long time before stepping forward to take the outer robe from him.

But the moon-white outer robe twirled around her, avoiding her, and hung on the clothes rack.

Lin Zhiyao bit her lip, refusing to back down.

During the day, I saw the smile on his face when Ye'er was being released, and I also thought about how his mother urged him to have a baby at the banquet.

She suppressed her shyness, wanting to fulfill their long-lost marital duties tonight, and also to satisfy her elders' wishes.

"Second Master, it's late. Why don't I help you get some rest?"

Her meaning was very straightforward, and she took the initiative to speak.

"Go sleep in the next room yourself, don't worry about me."

The soft couch in the second room was replaced with a larger one, but she felt it was more spacious when she lay down on it.

Pei Zeyu lay down in bed, and she looked at his back as he lay on his side.

The lines of her shoulder blades were clearly defined beneath her nightgown; though they were so close, they seemed worlds apart.

"Second Master, I don't understand why you're so cold to me? It's been three years, and my heart is made of flesh and blood too..."

Her expectations were dashed, and she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. Finally, she asked the question that had been hidden in her heart for three years.

Pei Zeyu, who had closed his eyes, opened them again; he knew he wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep.

"Are you trying to cause trouble?"

"I'm not kidding..."

Three years of pent-up grievances and anxieties surged up tonight, and Lin Zhiyao's voice trembled.

"Since our marriage, I have always been a dutiful wife. Although I am not as capable as Sister Wen, I have always respected and valued you."

My mother-in-law urges us to have children every few days, and the servants in the mansion inevitably gossip behind my back. Second Master, have you ever considered how much pressure I'm under?

She became more and more aggrieved as she spoke, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Outsiders all say that Second Master is gentle and refined, and is the best husband, but only I know... In Second Master's heart, he has never truly regarded me as his wife."

The last sentence was spoken very softly, like a dull knife, cutting cruelly into her own heart.

Pei Zeyu finally sat up.

The candlelight illuminated half of his face, and in the interplay of light and shadow, his gentle features revealed a coldness that seemed to emanate from the moonlit ground.

"Lin Zhiyao, now that you've entered the Pei family, you're the second wife of the Pei family. The mansion won't treat you badly, so don't ask for too much."

If you are willing, I will guarantee you a life of honor and comfort; as for anything else, do not ask for anything else.

We agreed on this from the beginning, didn't we?

He rarely spoke so much to her, but he truly hurt her feelings.

"Does Second Master mean that I am destined to spend my life merely upholding the honors you have bestowed upon me, remaining a childless second wife?"

Indeed, when the two families arranged the marriage, the second master promised her that he would make her the second wife of the Pei family, and told her not to ask for anything else.

At that time, Lin Zhiyao thought that the two of them didn't have much affection for each other, and that after they got married and spent more time together, the Second Master would eventually fall in love with her.

Unexpectedly, three years have passed in the blink of an eye, and he is still cold to me.

Sometimes, he treated her less kindly than a servant.

She didn't understand why this was happening.

Where exactly did we go wrong?

"Second Master, I don't understand! Why, why would you say that?" She became agitated, wanting to get to the bottom of it.

Why ask a question you already know the answer to? Don't you know the reason yourself?

He looked at her, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

Lin Zhiyao stood there, stunned, her lips trembling.

"I...I don't know. What could be the reason? Please explain, Second Master..."

My mind was buzzing, and countless thoughts were flashing through my head.

She had also secretly wondered if she had done something wrong, or if this marriage was not what he wanted in the first place.

If he was unwilling, why did he agree to this marriage and marry her as the second wife of the Pei family?

Lin Zhiyao pressed him for a response, and she had a vague premonition that she was about to learn the truth.

She was afraid and apprehensive, yet also stubbornly unwilling to give up.

Pei Zeyu picked up a brand-new garment from the clothes rack and chuckled, "Don't understand? Then stay ignorant."

Lin Zhiyao was stung by his smile and tried to grab his sleeve, but he dodged her.

"Second Master! Please explain yourself clearly! If there's anything wrong, I'll change it! If you don't explain, I'll kneel here until dawn!"

She tilted her head back, tears streaming down her face, completely abandoning the dignified and reserved demeanor of a noble lady.

"Then you can kneel here."

Pei Zeyu followed her, put on his outer robe, and walked towards the door without looking back.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from outside the window.

Lin Zhiyao slowly curled up and buried her face in her knees.

The night wind made the windows sway, and it felt as if a gash had been torn open in her heart, with cold air rushing in, making it hard for her to breathe.

She was about to uncover the truth, but the truth behind it filled her with inexplicable fear.

The night at Chenshuang Courtyard is so cold and so long.

It was so long that she felt that if she didn't let go, she might be trapped in this boundless darkness for the rest of her life.

…………

The second master and the second mistress were actually getting what they wanted.