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

The divorce agreement was written clearly in black and white.

Lin Zhiyao read line by line, her heart sinking deeper and deeper.

The dowry was returned in full, and the betrothal gifts were not required.

The second wife's shops, private property, and silver deposits could all be taken away in two-thirds; the terms were clear, generous yet ruthless.

Back in Xishan Hunting Grounds, when Pei Zeyu proposed a divorce, she still harbored a sliver of hope.

But now, with the words written in black and white before my eyes, every stroke of the pen conveys a resolute determination.

She truly understood that he was determined to break up with her.

Lin Zhiyao crumpled the paper in her hand, her usually refined and gentle expression faltering, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Second Master... I know you want a divorce, but... but could you... not be in such a hurry?"

She was practically begging.

Pei Zeyu had dark hair that reached his shoulders, and his face was exquisitely beautiful. His eyes were cold when he looked at her.

"I've done what I promised you. I've rescued that guy surnamed Zheng. It's time for you to keep your promise."

"I know, but can't we really wait a little longer?"

"Are you going to back out?"

"No, no, it's just that Grandmother's birthday is in a few days."

Grandmother's sixtieth birthday is approaching, and relatives and friends will gather in the mansion, including many noble families from the capital and even members of the imperial family.

If the Pei family descendants were to divorce, and the Second Madam Pei were to be lost, how embarrassing would that be if word got out?

"Grandmother is getting old and might not be able to withstand the shock. Second Master, please, let's discuss this after her birthday, okay?"

Lin Zhiyao spoke earnestly, but in other words, wasn't she also using the old lady to pressure him?

Pei Zeyu's grandmother was the person he respected most.

From childhood to adulthood, the warmth his grandmother gave him was the only thing in the mansion that was never tainted by anything else.

She actually used her grandmother as a pretext, but Pei Zeyu had to consider the logic in her words.

He could be ruthless towards her, but he couldn't ignore his grandmother.

"Delaying will not change anything."

Lin Zhiyao said softly, "I know, I'm not procrastinating. My grandmother treats me very well, and I want the best for her too, that's all..."

Pei Zeyu closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he had made up his mind.

"Alright, in half a month. Once Grandmother's birthday is over, I want to see your signature on the divorce papers."

Lin Zhiyao smiled wryly: "I understand..."

There is no turning back now.

Pei Zeyu stopped looking at her, turned around and walked out, his back cold and hard, never looking back.

As soon as he stepped out of the house, Afu, who was waiting under the eaves, rushed to greet him.

But the master did not stop walking, and did not even glance at him, and went straight to the study in the front yard.

He walked very fast, his cloak fluttering in the night wind. Afu and the others jogged after him, but they couldn't catch up.

The lanterns under the eaves flashed by in my sight.

Pei Zeyu had only one thought in his mind: if he missed the appointed time, was she still waiting?

But what if she's still waiting?

My heart tightened, and I quickened my pace.

After passing through two corridors and around the artificial hill, the study in the front yard comes into view.

In the darkness of night, the house stood quietly, its doors and windows tightly shut, without a trace of light.

Pei Zeyu stopped in front of the door, still catching his breath.

He stared at the dark door, and the last glimmer of hope in his heart gradually faded.

Pei Zeyu was not giving up. He raised his hand and pushed open the door.

Inside the door, the air was filled with the scent of ink, but the room was empty.

It was deserted and quiet, without a trace of warmth.

Moonlight leaked in and fell on the ground, illuminating a pale, silvery frost.

She must have come, waited, and then left.

The secret expectation hidden in my chest was shattered completely.

Seeing Second Master standing stiffly at the door, his expression as dark as unyielding ink, Afu stepped forward to persuade him.

"Second Master, Sister Liu must have been waiting for a long time. She only left recently when she saw you hadn't come! This servant will go look for her right away. She might still be on her way; I might be able to bring her back for you!"

He was about to run out when Pei Zeyu stopped him.

"No need."

Pei Zeyu's half-closed eyes were empty, like two dry wells, unable to reflect even a glimmer of light.

Afu and Ajin had never seen their master look like this before.

In his memory, the Second Master was always calm and gentle, even when he was angry, it was only in a faint tone, never like this... dejected.

Like the last leaf on an autumn branch, it sways precariously, yet stubbornly refuses to fall.

Meanwhile, Liu Wenying's figure had already disappeared into the front yard.

She didn't want to come, but since she had already promised Afu, there was no reason for her to go back on her word.

When the appointed time arrived, she arrived at the study in the front yard on time, feeling conflicted and nervous.

My mind is a mess.

One moment she was thinking about what to say when the Second Master came, and the next she was thinking about what to do if he didn't come.

What I fear most is his arrival, and the unspeakable beauty and awkwardness that await me.

Time passed little by little.

The sound of the night watchman's drum came from outside the window, bang bang bang, it was a quarter past 7 PM.

She paced in the courtyard outside the study; the night was deep and quiet.

2:45 PM, 3:45 PM, 4:45 PM...

The night watchman's drum rang out again and again, but the candles remained unlit and no one appeared.

He didn't come.

She didn't know why he wasn't coming; perhaps he was delayed by official business, or perhaps he had other important matters to attend to.

But she knew in her heart the real meaning behind his absence.

I will not forgive her; I will not forgive her for being ungrateful.

Well, once she understood this, the melancholy in Liu Wenying's eyes gradually faded, replaced by relief, leaving only a calm.

She turned and walked into the night without looking back.

……

On the first day Lin Zhiyao returned home, Pei Zeyu went back to work at the government office after his leave.

In the next room, Lin Zhiyao sat up on the soft couch. The brocade quilt slipped down, revealing half of her lotus-root arm.

She stepped off the soft couch and her gaze swept over the familiar main house.

The furnishings were the same as before: a rosewood desk, bookshelves covering the walls, and an ancient zither in the corner.

But for some reason, she always felt something was different.

Several fresh white magnolias were arranged in a celadon vase on the desk.

Fresh flowers were never displayed here before; orchids were the main decoration.

The incense has also been changed.

In the past, it was the woody fragrance that Second Master usually used, cool and clean, with the scent of pine and cypress.

But what lingered in the room at that moment was the fragrance of lilies, sweet and gentle.

Lin Zhiyao stood up and slowly walked around the room.

Who has been here?

It left its mark.

But she couldn't quite grasp what that mark was.

After washing up and changing, Lin Zhiyao went out of the house and saw two maids sweeping and cleaning in the courtyard.

She beckoned them over.

As if asking casually, Lin Zhiyao asked, "During my absence from the manor, has anything happened at Chenshuang Courtyard?"

The two maids exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison.

Lin Zhiyao looked at them, but the doubts in her heart just wouldn't go away.

After a moment, she laughed self-deprecatingly, perhaps she was just overthinking it.

With Second Master's temperament, what could possibly happen?

"Alright, everyone, that's enough. Clean up carefully, don't be lazy."

The two maids curtsied and were about to leave when one of them suddenly stopped.

"Madam, there is something I wish to discuss, though I'm not sure if it qualifies as such?"

Lin Zhiyao's heart skipped a beat: "You said?"

"Liu Wenying from Mingxi Hall came to Chenshuang Courtyard and looked after the Second Master for a while."

Is it her? Liu Wenying?

…………