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

Pei Yaojun strode out of the mansion, wearing the blue official robes of the Guanzheng (a type of official robe), a departure from his usual flamboyant red attire, now displaying a more composed and mature demeanor.

But the unbridled arrogance in his eyes and brows was still hard to conceal.

Ah Cai followed behind, jogging along to remind them that they were almost there.

Pei Yaojun was walking too fast and almost missed it, but at the last moment he caught a glimpse of a green figure in the corner.

Alone, yet perfectly proportioned.

Who else could it be but Liu Wenying?

Seeing his master suddenly stop, Ah Cai said urgently, "Third Master, it's getting late. If we delay any longer, we'll miss our shift."

Pei Yaojun ignored him and stuffed the token from his waist into A Cai's hand.

"Go to the government office and ask for leave for me."

Ah Cai was dumbfounded: "Taking leave?"

"Okay, just say I had an upset stomach last night and couldn't get up this morning."

Pei Yaojun casually made up an excuse, "If they don't believe me, just say I have severe diarrhea and have to stay in the outhouse all day."

This reason... is utterly disgraceful.

"Aren't you going yet?"

Ah Cai bent over and ran quickly to the government office.

Liu Wenying was gazing absently at the golden chrysanthemums in the garden, their buds about to bloom, when suddenly her vision went black as a pair of large hands covered her eyes from behind.

She was slightly startled, but quickly relaxed.

At this time, one can move freely within the mansion and even play pranks on people.

Besides that gentleman, she couldn't think of another one.

"Third Master."

Pei Yaojun released his grip and turned to face her.

Today he wore a blue official robe, which toned down the brilliance between his brows, making him appear even more refined and handsome.

Looking down at her expression, her little face was listless, like an eggplant that had been hit by frost; all her usual energy was gone.

"Did your second brother make things difficult for you?"

Without waiting for her reply, he continued talking to himself.

"I told you that Chenshuang Courtyard was not a good place to stay. Don't be fooled by the fact that Second Brother seems to get along with everyone. He has some quirks."

Think about it, his germaphobia, his strict rules, he... in short, he's not an easy person to please.

Don't be fooled by his gentle appearance.

"Second Master didn't make things difficult for me; it was I who took the initiative to suggest returning to Mingxi Hall..."

Pei Yaojun was taken aback: "Why?"

Why? How could she tell her what happened last night?

Feeding in a cave at the bottom of a cliff can be considered a last resort under life-or-death circumstances.

But what about last night? What happened last night?

It was because she was eager to repay the favor, or because she acted impulsively.

After regaining consciousness, all that remained was fear.

She felt like she was walking on a tightrope suspended in mid-air, and if she wasn't careful, it would snap and she would fall.

So when the Second Master asked her what she wanted, she chose to return to Mingxi Hall.

It's not that I don't understand the unspoken meaning behind Second Master's words, it's that I don't want to understand.

During her year-long stay in the mansion, feigning deafness and muteness became an essential survival skill for the maids.

She had seen maids who wanted to climb the social ladder, and what ended up with them?

Even with the Second Master's promise, the best outcome would be that she would become a concubine or a maidservant.

After that, he spent his youth in a secluded mansion, leaving with nothing.

Second Master will surely think she's ungrateful, and it's only right that he treats her coldly.

But what can she do? Take the title and then what?

Waiting for the second wife to return to the mansion, only to be tormented by the first wife?

"Third Master, this servant... this servant..."

Liu Wenying stammered, unsure of where to begin.

They assumed she had been wronged by her second brother, but didn't want to say anything.

If I ask her again and bring up the past, wouldn't that be like rubbing salt into the wound?

"Alright, alright, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't."

He grabbed her hand and said, "Come on, I'll take you to a nice place."

Before Liu Wenying could react, he pulled her outside.

"Third Master? Where are you going?"

You'll see when you get there.

The carriage was already prepared in front of the mansion gate.

Liu Wenying and Pei Yaojun boarded the carriage. Once they were settled, the driver raised his whip, and the wheels rumbled.

But the direction was no longer the Ministry of Works, but the market.

As the carriage entered the market, the area outside the carriage curtain gradually became lively.

Shops lined both sides of the street, selling silks and satins, cosmetics, hairpins and jewelry, antique ornaments...

One shop after another, with colorful signs hanging at the entrance.

The street was bustling with people, mostly well-dressed women, in groups of three or five, chatting and laughing.

The carriage stopped in front of a rouge shop called Yu Yan Zhai.

The shop is elegantly decorated, with a sandalwood plaque hanging above the door and two glass lanterns hanging under the eaves.

The shopkeeper was a plump woman in her forties. She was fiddling with an abacus when she heard footsteps, looked up, and her eyes lit up immediately.

"Oh my, it's Third Master Pei! It's been so long! What brings you here?"

She rushed out to greet him, bowing and scraping, as attentive as if she had met a god of wealth.

"Should we choose rouge for Madam Pei again, or face powder for the girl we admire?"

Third Master Pei often patronizes her business, always accompanying Madam Pei; she knows the place well.

But Madam Pei is nowhere to be seen today. Could it be that she is buying it for someone else?

That's why the shopkeeper said that.

As she spoke, her gaze swept over Liu Wenying.

Seeing that she was dressed simply and had a simple hairstyle, he assumed she was a maidservant.

"Go away, don't block Third Master Pei's view."

Liu Wenying didn't mind and was about to step back when Pei Yaojun reached out and pulled her back.

"Where are you going?"

The shopkeeper immediately sensed something was wrong.

"The standards at Yu Yan Zhai have dropped considerably. Even the manager has lost his eye and can't even tell the difference from the customer? Of course, it's her choice to buy; whatever she likes, she gets."

The shopkeeper chuckled and lightly slapped his mouth a few times.

"It was my poor eyesight, please forgive me, young lady."

She looked at Liu Wenying again, and found her even more refined than when they first met.

Although she was simply dressed, she had beautiful features and fair skin.

Perhaps it's some young lady and her master, disguised as master and servant, out shopping and having fun.

The shopkeeper put on a smiling face and led Liu Wenying toward the counter.

"This way, miss!"

"Our Yuyanzhai has just received peach blossom dew from Jiangnan. It's moisturizing and fragrant when applied to the face."

There's also pearl powder from Suzhou, so fine it's like jade dust.

The begonia-red lip rouge was the most fashionable, and the ladies of the palace all loved to use it…

Overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, Liu Wenying turned to look at Pei Yaojun, her eyes pleading for help.

"Third Master, this servant doesn't need these..."

"Why not?"

Pei Yaojun casually picked up a box of lip rouge and played with it. The porcelain box was warm and smooth, and the rouge inside was as red as blood.

"When my father upset my mother and she ignored him, he would come to the East Market and buy the most fashionable rouge, face powder and clothes to coax her back."

The colors shouldn't be too bright, like this one, nor too plain, like that one.

It always takes a whole day to choose one that suits my mother's taste.

My mother is also very susceptible to this; every time she receives a gift, her anger subsides by more than half.

Madam Pei was a famous beauty in the capital when she was young, and she was pampered by the Duke for half her life after marriage.

She had heard the servants in the manor talk about those past events, but only in fragments.

Who would have thought that the dignified Duke would go to such lengths to please his wife?

So, following her example, Third Master also thought of bringing her to the watercolor shop to buy things.

…………