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

Pei Zeyu did not ask any further questions.

Thinking that he believed her, Liu Wenying's anxious heart finally settled down.

But at that moment, he said, "What you said earlier was very insightful. If a man had such talent, he would surely be able to enter the court as an official, and his future would be limitless."

"Unfortunately, you are a woman."

For some reason, Liu Wenying inexplicably replied with a sentence.

"So what if she's a woman? The principles she's thinking aren't wrong just because she's a woman."

Her voice was clear and bright, with a kind of transcendent and stubborn clarity.

Like a sharp bell, it struck Pei Zeyu's heart, causing ripples that lingered for a long time.

He had lived for over twenty years and had seen countless women, some gentle, some charming, and some submissive.

They were taught to follow the rules, to know their place, and to stay within the confines of their homes. But this person before them…

How dare she say such a thing!

"You're right. Reason knows no gender, nor does talent. I was just being narrow-minded."

"So I wanted to ask you, would you be willing to come to my study at this time every day... to talk to me?"

Liu Wenying was taken aback: "Speak?"

"Yes, you were here when I was approving official documents. If I had something I couldn't figure out, I would ask you."

You don't have to answer, but I can help you think of something.

He spoke sincerely, his eyes devoid of any mockery, only pure expectation.

Liu Wenying was willing to help him, to cheer him up, and to help him recover from his injuries as soon as possible.

"This servant is willing."

Outside the window, the rain stopped, water dripped from the eaves, and moonlight shone through the clouds, spilling onto the wet courtyard.

As night deepened, the errands at Chenshuang Courtyard came to an end.

Liu Wenying was dragged by Afu and Ajin to the side room for a late-night snack.

On the table were several small dishes: thinly sliced ​​braised beef, steaming hot wontons, and a few steaming white steamed buns.

The wonton soup base was clear, with a few scallions and dried shrimp floating on top.

Liu Wenying was somewhat incredulous. "This... is the late-night snack at Chenshuang Courtyard so lavish?"

Ah Jin had already sat down, picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of beef, and stuffed it into his mouth, speaking indistinctly.

"This is nothing. This is how it's always been in our Chenshuang Courtyard. Sister, you probably don't know, but each courtyard has a fixed number of meals and snacks for its servants every day."

Afu sat down, ladled himself a bowl of wontons, and said while blowing on the steam.

"That's natural. When the servants are well-fed, they have the energy to take good care of their masters. Not only do they eat well, but they also receive more monthly pay."

Otherwise, wouldn't all those menial servants and sweepers in the outer courtyard be scrambling to get in and serve their master?

As Liu Wenying listened, another thought suddenly popped into her mind.

She had eaten at Mingxi Hall before.

It was very bland, like clear soup with very little oil.

She always thought it was the servants' normal food and never considered that there was any problem.

Previously, she had worked as a wet nurse at Tinglan Courtyard, where the meals were plentiful and made it easy to produce milk.

After hearing what Ah Fu and Ah Jin said today, I realized something was wrong.

Granny Wu had been by the old lady's side for decades. She did not eat with the servants and was often served meals in her own room.

Xi Chun hadn't seen her eat in the small kitchen much; she always came and went in a hurry, and no one knew where she went.

"What are you daydreaming about, sister? Hurry up and eat."

Seeing that she didn't understand, Ah Jin urged, "If you don't eat the wontons soon, they'll get soggy."

"Okay, sure."

Liu Wenying snapped out of her daze, picked up her bowl, and lowered her head to eat.

She suppressed her doubts and focused on eating her wontons.

She should wait until the Second Master has recovered before returning to Mingxi Hall to investigate further; now is not a good time to think about it too much.

A bowl of hot wontons dispels the chill of the night.

Just as the group was about to finish eating, Ah Jin suddenly changed his expression, clutching his stomach and groaning.

"What's wrong?" Liu Wenying put down her bowl and looked at him.

"My stomach hurts, I think it's from that bowl of herbal tea this afternoon... I need to go to the toilet."

He stood up, then suddenly remembered something, looked at Liu Wenying, and pleaded with her.

"Sister Liu, could you do me a favor? Could you cover my night watch tonight?"

Liu Wenying hesitated, "How can this be? I've only been here a few days, and I'm not familiar with Second Master's nighttime routines yet."

Ah Jin shook his head repeatedly, "My sister has been here for a few days and knows about Second Master's daily life. Second Master doesn't have any requests at night, but he's worried that if he needs water or something, there might be no one by his side."

Liu Wenying looked at Afu, who frowned and said helplessly, "I worked the night shift yesterday and didn't get a good rest today. I'm afraid I might make a mistake."

Ah Jin clutched his stomach, wincing in pain, "Please, sister, just for one night!"

Ah Fu chimed in, "Yes, let's help Ah Fu out. Second Master is indeed quiet at night, nothing will happen."

The two men stood on either side of her, gazing at her expectantly.

Liu Wenying was caught in the middle, unable to move forward or backward, and had no choice but to nod.

At midnight, the courtyard of Shenshuang was completely silent; even the chirping of insects had ceased.

Liu Wenying sat on the porch outside the main house, wrapped in a thin cloak, leaning against the pillar, gazing blankly at the moon in the sky.

A gentle night breeze blew by, bringing the damp coolness after the rain. It brushed against my face, but I didn't feel cold.

As Liu Wenying sat there, her eyelids grew heavy.

A soft cough suddenly came from inside the room.

She jolted awake.

Listen closely, and you can hear the coughing intermittently, mixed with the rustling sound of someone turning over.

A moment later, the coughing grew louder, one after another, and could not be suppressed.

Liu Wenying couldn't sit still, so she pushed open the door and tiptoed inside.

A small lamp was lit inside, casting a dim light.

She walked around the screen, and Pei Zeyu lay on his side on the bed, his back to her, his shoulders and back heaving.

"Second Master?"

Liu Wenying moved the small lamp to the bedside table and bent down to examine his wound.

The white cloth was wrapped tightly around the wound, and there was no sign of blood seepage.

She breathed a sigh of relief and was about to go to the outer room to pour some tea to help him cough more.

Pei Zeyu closed his eyes, but he could still feel someone approaching, their breath falling on his arm, cool and ticklish.

"My wound hurts so much..."

Liu Wenying stopped and turned around. He turned around, opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused, with the weakness unique to those who are ill.

Liu Wenying's heart tightened, thinking that she had hurt him when she was checking his wound.

"It's my fault..."

Pei Zeyu shook his head, "It has nothing to do with you; it's about growing flesh and blood."

When a wound heals, the growth of new flesh can indeed cause itching and pain, especially at night when the discomfort is even greater.

"Shall I go and fetch the royal physician?"

Pei Zeyu shook his head and closed his eyes again. "Even the imperial physician can't help."

He spoke calmly, but Liu Wenying could hear the restraint beneath that calmness.

"Isn't there any other way to alleviate Second Master's discomfort?"

Pei Zeyu was silent for a moment, then spoke: "Yes."

Liu Wenying squatted by the bed, waiting for his answer.

But then she saw him cast his weak gaze upon her, moving from her slightly flushed cheeks to her slender neck, and finally settling on her chest.

There was no hint of frivolity in it; it was more like a sense of dependence and attachment.

"I remember... at the bottom of the cliff, when I was delirious from the high fever, I felt safe leaning against you."

…………