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

Just past midnight, all was quiet.

Tonight, it's Liu Wenying's turn to be on duty at Mingxi Hall.

After a busy day of preparing family banquets and serving others, there's no chance to go back to one's own place to rest.

She had just finished massaging the old lady's legs and feet and came out of the main house.

The massage needed to be firm and deep, kneading down to the muscles and bones. After a set, her forehead was sweating, her arms were sore and heavy, and she had used up a lot of energy. Now she was hungry.

The old lady slept soundly in the room, where maids kept watch at night.

Only two lamps were lit on the porch outside, and all was quiet.

The side room was stuffy, so she moved to the steps in the corner of the corridor and took out a rice dumpling she had left over from the morning from her sleeve.

Zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival can be eaten hot or cold. She peeled off the bamboo leaves and took a bite.

The sweet glutinous rice soothed my hungry stomach, and I ate it with great relish.

Just as I was finishing my meal, a thick shadow suddenly fell over my head.

Liu Wenying didn't take it seriously, assuming it was just the moon being obscured by night clouds, and continued to bite into her zongzi.

But the shadow moved slightly, and out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a pure white figure, pressed against the pillar without making a sound.

In the dead of night, in Mingxi Hall, with no one around, where did the white figure come from?

Liu Wenying's heart tightened, and her scalp tingled instantly.

The rice dumpling in my hand was not held firmly and was about to fall to the ground.

She was so anxious that she stretched out her neck and mouth and bit down on the remaining rice dumpling, even biting off half of the bamboo leaf, and managed to save it.

The dark figure behind him let out a very soft laugh.

Clear and crisp, short and sharp, clearly human.

Liu Wenying turned around stiffly.

"Night Cloud" took a half step back, and the clear, cool moonlight shone down, illuminating her plain white robe.

Pei Zeyu stood by the pillar, his black hair loosely tied up, without a crown or jade hairpin.

Gone is the daytime elegance and poise, replaced by the quiet solitude of the night.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes were bright, like a fox hunting at night, staring intently at her.

Liu Wenying, like a startled rabbit, hurriedly stood up and bowed.

With a zongzi still stuffed in her mouth, her cheeks puffed out with glutinous rice, she murmured, "Second...Second Master."

In the dead of night, when did he arrive? How come there wasn't a sound?

Liu Wenying's cheeks were stuffed full, her eyes were wide open, and she looked embarrassed, as if she wanted to swallow but couldn't and wanted to spit it out but dared not.

Pei Zeyu's lips curved into a smile, and the pent-up frustration he had accumulated in Chenshuang Courtyard inexplicably dissipated by more than half.

Noticing the hint of a smile on his face, Liu Wenying's cheeks burned.

Cover it with one hand, and chew it quickly!

After finally managing to swallow that large mouthful of rice dumpling, she hurriedly said, "This servant has lost her composure."

"It's alright, what are you eating?"

"Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings)," Liu Wenying answered softly.

"Are zongzi really that delicious?"

She had seen the zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) that the manor made for the Dragon Boat Festival.

Crab roe with scallops, abalone and shark fin, and even fillings made with bird's nest—aren't they all exquisite and rare?

However, those were still different from what she ate.

"This servant ate the ash-covered rice dumplings that I made myself."

Mingxi Hall has a small kitchen, and a few days ago, with the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, everyone was busy wrapping zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).

She also made a few ash-colored rice dumplings from her hometown to privately ease her homesickness.

"Ash-colored rice dumplings?"

Pei Zeyu raised his eyebrows high; this was the first time he had heard of such a sight.

The rice dumplings in the manor are made with precious fillings and snow-white rice grains; how could they ever be gray?

His interest and doubt were piqued at the same time; he wanted to try it.

Liu Wenying shook her head, her voice weak.

"That's all. I only made a few in total. This was the last one, and we've finished eating."

"Is that so?" Pei Zeyu narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over her ample chest.

"You clearly have another one in your arms."

Liu Wenying held her breath. She hadn't made many ash-colored rice dumplings to begin with. Besides sharing them with Ling'er, Xiaozhu, and Granny Tian, ​​she only kept two for herself.

I ate one earlier, and I did have the last one in my pocket, which I planned to save for breakfast tomorrow.

He saw right through me at a glance, and there was no need to go against him for a rice dumpling and cause him unhappiness.

Liu Wenying slowly pulled the zongzi out of her clothes, handed it over, and looked pained.

Pei Zeyu took the zongzi, which still had traces of her body heat on it.

He chuckled softly, "I was just kidding."

Liu Wenying's eyes widened.

So he didn't see clearly at all and deliberately tricked her? And she actually fell for it!

Liu Wenying was angry and annoyed, but she could only stare helplessly.

The more possessive she became of her food, the more Pei Zeyu smiled, and his curiosity about the gray rice dumplings reached a new level.

He slowly unwrapped the oil paper and cotton thread, peeled open the zongzi, and the glutinous rice inside was indeed not snow-white, but gray, as if it had been smoked.

The colors are really not attractive, and even look a bit shabby.

But Liu Wenying stared intently at the zongzi. He lowered his head and took a small bite of the tip of the zongzi.

The glutinous rice is soft and sticky, with a slightly astringent taste unique to alkaline water.

Very general.

They're not even as good as the rice dumplings from the manor.

After a few chews, the alkaline flavor slowly blends into the aroma of the rice, making the glutinous rice even sweeter. The texture is chewy but not sticky, and the more you chew, the more flavorful it becomes, inexplicably addictive.

Pei Zeyu slowly ate the gray rice dumpling, while Liu Wenying's eyes, which were fixed on the dumpling, unexpectedly fell on his hand.

His hands were exceptionally beautiful, with long, jade-like finger bones, slightly protruding wrist bones, and skin as smooth as snow.

He was extremely elegant, holding a pen and a book, fanning himself and pouring tea.

Holding that piece of gray rice dumpling with a bitten corner, it felt like dust had settled on a white jade table.

After he finished his third bite, Liu Wenying asked in a low voice.

"How does it taste, Second Master? This is made using the method from my hometown, which is different from the one served in the manor. I guess you won't be used to it."

Pei Zeyu swallowed and asked, "The taste is alright. What's it made of?"

"Wood ash, you burn dried rice straw into ash, filter out the alkaline water to soak rice, and the rice dumplings wrapped this way can be stored for longer and the rice will be softer and stickier."

Before she could finish speaking, Pei Zeyu suddenly frowned.

Wood ash? Or burnt rice straw?

He has always been a clean freak; he finds it uncomfortable to even have rice soaked in straw ash for cooking, let alone use it.

Pei Zeyu was about to throw away the zongzi in his hand.

Liu Wenying secretly rejoiced when she saw his expression change suddenly.

Serves you right for stealing my rice dumpling, and for trying to scam me.

But he didn't show it at all, and even urged urgently, "Second Master, please don't lose it!"

"Wood ash is so clean! No matter what kind of dirt it is, once it's burned, it turns to ash, cleaner than washing with water!"

Pei Zeyu remained silent, staring intently at the rice dumpling, struggling desperately.

Indeed, you can throw away what you have in your hand, but you can't spit out what you've already eaten.

Pei Zeyu couldn't do something so... disgusting.

Just as Liu Wenying offered him a way out, he returned the rest to her, saying, "Take it."

Liu Wenying held the half-eaten gray rice dumpling that Pei Zeyu had bitten into, and she secretly began to have doubts.

It was leftovers from someone else, so she couldn't possibly pick it up and eat it herself.

It's a shame to throw it away, so let's roll it up and cut it into small pieces. We can take it to the big yellow dogs guarding the front yard later, at least we won't waste it.

Looking up, I saw Pei Zeyu still standing in the shadow of the pillar, not having left.

The moonlight slanted across half of his profile, making him exceptionally handsome.

"Is there anything else you need, Second Master?"

…………