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

The blade fell.

The first cut opened the festering flesh, and pus and blood gushed out, flowing down the arm.

Pei Zeyu let out a muffled groan, his body tensing like a bow.

Lin Zhiyao could see clearly that the blade scraped along the skin and flesh, peeling away the dark red rotten flesh to reveal the bright red muscle underneath.

Crimson blood gushed out, and the imperial physician moved swiftly, delivering the second and third cuts in quick succession.

The rotten flesh was scraped away piece by piece and fell into a copper basin, the stench of blood filling the tent.

Pei Zeyu's breathing became increasingly rapid as he bit down hard on the rolled-up silk handkerchief, veins bulging on his forehead.

Cold sweat poured down his face, soaking his pillowcase.

Unfortunately, his left hand was immobilized and he could not move it, so he could only let the blade move between his skin and flesh.

Lin Zhiyao felt a wave of nausea wash over her as she watched.

She had never seen anything like it before; the blade scraped through flesh like a dull saw sawing into bone.

Rolled-up flesh, gushing blood, and gradually revealed white bones...

Yes, skeletons.

After most of the rotten flesh was scraped away, she saw the bones.

too frightening.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Pei Zeyu on the bed did not utter a single cry of pain or wail.

Over the years she has been married to him, she has come to know that he is gentle and aloof, and even his servants have a touch of a smile about him.

But she only realized today that he was such a patient person.

The scraping of the flesh is finally over.

The imperial physician withdrew his knife, and Pei Zeyu slumped limply onto the couch.

The bedding beneath him was soaked with dark water stains, and he was drenched in sweat, as if he had been pulled out of the water.

Those eyes, which were always as dark as ink, were now blurred, covered with a layer of mist, fragile and easily broken.

The imperial physician quickly cleaned the wound, applied medicine, and bandaged it, giving many instructions before leaving.

Lin Zhiyao didn't hear a word she said, nodding blankly with empty eyes.

Lin Zhiyao only snapped back to reality after the imperial physician finished packing and bowed to take his leave.

On the couch, Pei Zeyu lay motionless with his eyes closed; were it not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he seemed to have lost all his life force...

Lin Zhiyao's eyes were red and moist, and she reached out to hold his uninjured right hand.

That hand rested on the edge of the couch, with long, slender fingers and a palm facing upwards.

But as soon as her fingertips touched the back of his hand, he moved away half an inch.

Even if the movement is extremely slow, stay away.

That half-inch distance seemed like an insurmountable chasm between the two.

Lin Zhiyao's hand froze in mid-air. Even though he was so weak that he had no strength left, and even though it was difficult for him to open his eyes, he was still avoiding her.

"Second Master..."

She called his name softly.

After observing the situation, Afu stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Second Madam, Second Master needs to rest. Why don't you go back to the next tent to rest? There are servants here to take care of you."

Feeling resentful and bitter at being turned away, Lin Zhiyao knew that the servant was right.

What the Second Master needed most was a quiet rest. She suppressed the pain in her heart and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I'll go out now. You all take good care of Second Master."

Lin Zhiyao walked blankly out of the tent, the curtain falling behind her, cutting off the candlelight inside and severing their connection.

She had only taken a few steps when a figure rushed up to her.

"Zhiyao!"

Supported by her maid, Madam Pei walked briskly from the shadows, her hair slightly disheveled.

"How is Zeyu? Is he alright? Did you save his hand? Does it hurt?"

She had already been taken away to rest, but her heart couldn't bear the torment any longer, so she ran back.

Lin Zhiyao paused for a moment, recalling the imperial physician's words, and gently patted Madam Pei's hand.

"Mother, don't worry, Second Master is alright. The imperial physician said that all the rotten flesh has been scraped away, and his arm has been saved."

"It's good that he's alright. I'm going in to check on him."

Lin Zhiyao stopped her, advising, "Mother, please don't be impulsive. The imperial physicians all said that the Second Master needs to rest quietly. If you go in and disturb his rest, it will be worse. Let's go in and check on him after he wakes up, okay?"

"Fine..." Madam Pei was persuaded and gave up the idea.

She dabbed the moisture from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, then grasped Lin Zhiyao's hand in return, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Thanks to you being there when I was scraping the meat, I, as his mother, am disliked by him and he doesn't want me to stay by his side."

"Thank goodness for you. Our son is all grown up now, and his wife weighs more heavily on his heart than his mother."

Does she still have feelings for me?

Lin Zhiyao felt a lump in her throat as she listened.

Just now, that half-inch distance inside the tent was clearly a rejection.

Subconscious physical actions are a more direct form of rejection than words.

But in front of her mother-in-law, Lin Zhiyao could only force a smile and gently comfort Madam Pei.

She even recalled the imperial physician's instructions, such as the wound not being allowed to get wet, the time for changing dressings each day, and dietary restrictions, and told them all to Madam Pei.

Finally, she said, "Mother, don't worry, Zhiyao will take good care of Second Master. You should go back and rest first, don't overwork yourself."

Madam Pei breathed a sigh of relief, praising her for being thoughtful and saying that she felt at ease with her there.

Lin Zhiyao smiled and agreed, but her heart was ice-cold.

After watching Madam Pei leave, Lin Zhiyao stood alone in the night, suddenly feeling extremely tired.

That day, when she heard the news that Second Master had fallen off a cliff, she was completely stunned.

Also falling was Liu Wenying, the wet nurse of the Duke's mansion.

She had seen him that morning. He looked gentle and quiet, and was very capable in his work. He was well-liked by Sister Wen.

The wet nurse clearly went out with Third Master to catch rabbits, so why didn't they bring back any rabbits, but instead brought back news that she and Second Master fell off a cliff together?

Lin Zhiyao was extremely anxious and ignored her maid's advice, insisting on following the search party into the hunting grounds.

The path to the bottom of the cliff was rugged and difficult, overgrown with thorns.

She had never suffered like this before. She hadn't walked far when she slipped and fell to the ground, twisting her ankle and being in so much pain that she couldn't stand up.

Lin Zhiyao had no choice but to be sent back to the camp, but after she returned, she was anxious every single day, hoping that the Second Master would return safely.

Finally, he returned.

But he ignored her completely. Her mother-in-law complained about being driven away by the second master, but how could she complain?

He wouldn't even say a word to her.

The joy of regaining what was lost was extinguished by indifference and alienation.

Lin Zhiyao felt both heartbroken and somewhat relieved.

Fortunately, he was seriously injured and too weak to maintain his usual gentle and courteous manner, which prevented his mother-in-law from noticing anything amiss.

She managed to preserve the last shred of dignity.

But she didn't understand, she really didn't understand.

Second Master was willing to risk his life to save a servant, someone who had no connection to him, and even got himself into that state.

But why is it that when he is sober, he ignores even her gentle concern?

Sometimes, she could even sense his disdain.

Such a thought was quickly suppressed. They had clearly shared a bed; if he truly disliked her, why would he have performed the rites of marriage with her?

The contradictions were like undercurrents beneath the ice, clearly visible, but Lin Zhiyao preferred to close her eyes and ears rather than investigate them.

She just told herself that the Second Master was a germaphobe.

Everyone in the household knew that the Second Master was obsessed with cleanliness, changing his clothes every day and keeping his study spotless.

Even the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones used had to be placed in fixed positions, not even a fraction off.

He was kind to his servants, but never became overly familiar with anyone.

He was served by only two or three close attendants, and when serving tea, his hand would not touch the other person's when he took the cup.

She personally took care of bathing and changing clothes, without relying on anyone else.

So, for several days, a lone man and a lone woman were at the bottom of the cliff...

Lin Zhiyao shook her head, and the pearl hairpin at her temple trembled.

Impossible. How could someone as noble and upright as the Second Master have anything to do with a wet nurse?

Moreover, Liu Wenying was a woman with a child.

Although she is young and has a pretty face, her background is what it is.

Deep down, she felt that Liu Wenying was not worthy of being compared to the Second Master.

They were not worthy of the Second Master's special attention, so naturally they wouldn't think about romantic feelings between men and women.

Even having such a thought in one's head is a desecration of the Second Master.

…………