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

Inside the main room of Chenshuang Courtyard, there were very few things belonging to women.

The few items there were all extremely simple and elegant in style; they were almost unnoticeable unless you looked closely, unlike the courtyard of a married person.

Even the curtains in the inner room were made of plain silk gauze, without any patterns such as mandarin ducks or lotus flowers.

I walked into the side room and glanced inside.

A large, soft couch was placed against the wall, its brocade cushions smooth and flat, not something that was left unused.

There is a bed in the inner room, so why stay in the secondary room?

And judging from this situation, it is not an occasional occurrence.

A sense of confusion flashed through Liu Wenying's mind, but she quickly suppressed it.

The living habits of the heads of wealthy and powerful families are often quite varied.

Perhaps the Second Master was busy with official duties and was afraid of disturbing the sleep of those in the inner chambers if he returned home late at night.

Liu Wenying silently noted down the details of the house, assuming it was just a private habit of the host family, and did not delve into it further.

Soon, the last rays of dawn were swallowed by the deep blue night, and darkness fell completely.

Pei Zeyu did not return home until it was completely dark.

During the autumn hunting ceremony, the Ministry of Personnel had a backlog of official business, and it was much later than usual that they finished their tasks today.

As Pei Zeyu stepped through the moon gate into the courtyard, he immediately spotted the figure under the eaves of the main house.

A silk lantern hangs quietly, casting a warm yellow glow.

Within the halo of light, stood a slender, green figure.

She wore a jade-green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her black hair was tied in a low bun, adorned only with a simple silver hairpin.

Her wrist, holding the lantern handle, was slender and fair, and the lantern light illuminated half of her cheek, revealing her smooth, white skin.

Liu Wenying's eyes were gentle, her demeanor serene and peaceful; her waiting figure was like a painting.

Pei Zeyu paused for a moment, and the heavy weariness in his heart melted away silently, like thin ice touched by a spring breeze.

A slight smile unconsciously appeared on her lips, and her steps quickened as she walked towards the lamp and the person.

Liu Wenying hurriedly carried the lantern to greet them, and bowed together with Afu and Ajin.

"Second Master is back."

After autumn arrived, the weather changed drastically between morning and evening, and Afu took the cloak that Second Master had taken off.

"Second Master is a little later than usual today, and the food in the kitchen has gone cold. I've asked them to make fresh food, and it will be delivered shortly."

"Yes, I had some work piled up, so I'll be dealing with it a little late today."

Afu was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

He was simply making a routine report and didn't expect a response from the Second Master.

Normally, Second Master would just grunt and move on, never saying another word.

He glanced at Liu Wenying and understood.

Having just arrived, Liu Wenying was unaware of the inside story. Hearing Pei Zeyu say this, she felt a slight sense of emotion.

Despite his injury, the Second Master still had to work, and he couldn't neglect his official duties at the Ministry of Personnel. It was truly a difficult job for him.

"Second Master's hand is still injured, why can't he take a few days off?"

Pei Zeyu replied, "I can't get away from some things, but it will be fine in a few days. The Ministry of Personnel will grant me leave to recuperate, and then I will be much more free."

"That's good. Broken bones and tendons need rest and recuperation. Second Master should take a good rest."

The group entered the inner room, and the first thing Pei Zeyu did after returning to the mansion was to change his clothes.

Ah Fu and Ah Jin tactfully withdrew, and Liu Wenying prepared to follow them out.

But Pei Zeyu stopped him, saying, "Give me your casual clothes."

After a brief pause, the door was already closed.

Liu Wenying had no choice but to agree and walk to the clothes rack.

Hanging above was a frosty-colored casual robe, made of extremely fine soft satin.

Liu Wenying took it down, held it in both hands, and walked to Pei Zeyu's side.

Pei Zeyu raised his hand to unbutton his official robe.

However, his left hand was not strong enough, and his clothes were made with delicate buttons, so his right hand was inevitably slow.

After a long while, he managed to loosen it a little, which aggravated the injury, and there was already a fine sweat on his forehead.

"Second Master, shall I help you?"

Pei Zeyu pursed his lips and said, "Okay."

With permission, Liu Wenying draped her casual clothes over her arm and began to unbutton them for him.

This was the first time they had gotten so close since leaving the bottom of the cliff.

The jade belt was the standard for fifth-rank officials. The jade belt plaque was warm and smooth, and the buckle was carved with cloud patterns.

Liu Wenying placed the jade belt she had taken off, along with her purse, jade pendant, fish-shaped tally, and other odds and ends, on the table.

He then went to unbutton the remaining buttons on his official robe.

The buttons on her official robe were made of pure gold, small and exquisite. She lowered her eyes and carefully unbuttoned them one by one.

If you get too close, you can smell the crisp, pine-ink scent emanating from him, mixed with the bitter fragrance of herbs.

With all the buttons undone, the scarlet official robe slipped off his shoulders, revealing the undergarment underneath.

The inner garment is made of thin and soft material, subtly outlining the smooth lines of the shoulders and back.

She dared not look at him for long and quickly took the frost-colored casual robe and draped it over him.

After putting it on, the next step is to adjust the collar.

He was too tall; she had to stand on tiptoe to move around easily.

Her fingers went around his neck and smoothed out the overlapping collar.

Suddenly, he lowered his head, and Liu Wenying's fingers touched the protrusion on his throat.

His Adam's apple bobbed sensitively.

Liu Wenying withdrew her fingertips, composed herself, and said, "Second Master, please raise your head so that I can adjust the back of your collar."

Pei Zeyu raised his head slightly as instructed.

The candlelight shone from the side, illuminating his superior jawline, clean and sharp, extending all the way to his long neck.

The Adam's apple was clearly visible beneath the thin skin, sliding gently as it swallowed.

The veins on the side of his neck bulged slightly, disappearing deep into the collar, revealing a kind of beauty that belonged to a grown man.

"alright."

Liu Wenying quickly tidied herself up and stepped back.

Pei Zeyu lowered his eyes, a hint of expectation in them.

But her expression remained unchanged, showing little embarrassment, but rather respect and deference.

It was as if that close contact just now was an ordinary task.

A barely perceptible look of disappointment flashed across his eyes, then vanished just as quickly.

Just then, Afu knocked on the door from outside.

"Second Master, dinner is ready."

Pei Zeyu responded and turned to walk into the outer room.

Liu Wenying hurriedly followed and lifted the beaded curtain for him.

Soon, the food was served: six dishes and a soup.

Clear stewed pigeon soup, jade shrimp, blanched bok choy, yam and wood ear mushroom stew, steamed sea bass...

The dishes are all light and nourishing, clearly prepared specifically for people recovering from injuries, and beneficial for wound healing.

Afu stepped forward, picked up the silver chopsticks, and skillfully placed the various dishes onto the small plate in front of Pei Zeyu.

Fortunately, it was his left hand that was injured. Pei Zeyu held the chopsticks in his right hand, and although his movements were slower than usual, he was still calm and elegant.

He ate very little, taking small bites of each dish and chewing slowly.

Liu Wenying stood quietly to the side, her gaze following the movement of his chopsticks.

He would take more of the dishes he liked, and only eat a little of the others, leaving the rest untouched.

Liu Wenying silently made a note of it, so that she would know what to do when she took care of it in the future.

The meal was eaten quietly, with only the faint clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

After dinner, Liu Wenying went to help clear the dishes.

Ah Fu and Ah Jin were also busy clearing away the leftovers and wiping the table clean.

Just then, an announcement came from outside that the doctor had come to change the dressing.

Afu led the doctor into the inner room, while Liu Wenying and Ajin retreated outside.

The lanterns under the eaves swayed gently in the evening breeze. Liu Wenying seized the opportunity and asked in a low voice.

"Ah Jin, I have something to ask you. When Second Master was changing clothes earlier, why did you and Ah Fu both leave? But... are there any special rules at Chenshuang Courtyard?"

…………