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

"Yu'er's here. How's your injury healing?"

The old lady looked Pei Zeyu up and down, especially at his left hand, her eyes filled with heartache.

Pei Zeyu walked to the bedside, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

"It's much better, but it still can't get wet; it needs to rest for a while longer."

He then spread out his left hand to show his grandmother.

With the palm facing up, a pinkish-white scar runs across the palm, with a few scattered scabs remaining at the edges.

The gesture of raising his hand seemed casual, but it subtly tilted towards Liu Wenying, just enough for her, who was looking down, to see it clearly.

It felt like my heart had been ripped open, but thankfully the wound healed and didn't worsen.

Liu Wenying finally let go of her anxiety.

The old lady examined it carefully and sighed, "Take good care of yourself these days, and don't keep going to the government offices. The Ministry of Personnel won't collapse without you, will it?"

Pei Zeyu smiled and replied, "Grandmother is right, I will be careful."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Grandmother rarely sends anyone to summon her grandson, is it for this matter? Now that you've seen it with your own eyes, you should be relieved and take good care of yourself."

"That's one reason."

"also?"

The old lady gestured for him to sit in the armchair next to her, and then instructed Wu Mama, "Bring the things here."

Granny Wu quickly brought over a mahogany tray covered with a dark red silk cloth. When the cloth was lifted, there were two boxes inside.

Granny Wu brought them all to Liu Wenying.

Liu Wenying was suddenly stunned and looked at the old lady.

Pei Zeyu frowned as well, but did not ask any questions, choosing to observe the situation quietly.

"Open it."

At the old lady's prompting, Liu Wenying first opened the box on the left.

A lustrous sheen caught the eye; it was a jade bracelet shaped like a loach's back, entirely emerald green, its color rich and deep like spring water, with excellent translucency, clearly indicating its high value.

She then opened the box on the right.

Inside, there was a brass key and a pair of tokens.

The key is in the style of a warehouse, and the tag has words engraved on it; it serves as proof of the allocation of items within the mansion.

Looking at these two things, Liu Wenying became even more confused.

"Madam?"

The old lady leaned against the pillows, smiling.

"You serve me day and night, which pleases me greatly, and I would like to reward you."

After thinking it over, I still couldn't decide which one to choose, so I've put them all out here for you to pick.

If it were an ordinary maid, she would have chosen the jade bracelet without hesitation.

Who doesn't love gold and silver jewelry?

But Liu Wenying knew in her heart that it wasn't that simple.

The Second Madam came yesterday, and today the Old Madam asked the Second Master to come as well, and even brought out two items for her to choose from, which seemed more like... a setup.

The two rewards have a deeper meaning behind them.

Ordinary items bestowed by the master might be worth selling, but the mudfish-back bracelet was exceptionally different.

It is so large and valuable that it cannot be easily sold; it can only be worn on the wrist for personal use.

Once worn, it cannot be used for rough work or exposed to dust, meaning it is meant to be pampered.

Spoiling someone is just...

And those cards and keys, though light, carry a heavy meaning.

It represents the management authority of Mingxi Hall. Choosing it means she will become the old lady's confidante and a managerial maid with a certain degree of influence.

Two choices, two paths, lay before her.

Liu Wenying reached out her hand, about to take one of them.

"Willow Singing Oriole!"

The sound of chairs being moved and urgent shouts rang out at the same time.

Pei Zeyu suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with turbulent emotions.

How could he not understand?

My grandmother somehow got wind of this, which is why she set up this trap today, forcing me to make a choice.

Originally, it was he who wanted to give her a title; it was his act of charity.

He also asked her what she wanted from a superior position.

But now, he suddenly realized that he was like that jade bracelet placed in the box.

He was waiting to be chosen by her.

What threw him into even greater confusion was that he wasn't entirely certain she would choose him.

Pei Zeyu was afraid, afraid that she had chosen the right card and the key.

She was afraid that she would rather have that meager power than him.

Pei Zeyu's throat tightened, and he wanted to speak up and bother her a little more, so that she could think it over carefully before making a choice.

Before he could speak, the old lady raised her hand to stop him.

"Yu'er, a forced relationship is a calamity."

When the mind is free of attachments, one attains true freedom; in every choice and action, one finds one's true nature.

The words were like a gentle breeze, and Pei Zeyu heard them clearly.

His grandmother was reminding him that what is forced is not what is meant, and what is forced will never last.

But even though he understood, his gaze remained fixed on Liu Wenying like a branding iron, refusing to look away.

The old lady also said to Liu Wenying, "Don't look at others, don't worry about anything else, just follow your own heart and choose."

Liu Wenying took a deep breath and reached for the brocade box on her left.

She picked up the jade bracelet and examined it closely against the light.

The jade is translucent and flawless, with what appears to be flowing clouds inside; it is indeed a rare treasure.

Pei Zeyu's breathing faltered slightly, and sparks ignited in his eyes.

"Madam, this jade bracelet is far too precious and of excellent quality. Even noble ladies from wealthy families may not be able to obtain such a rare item. I am truly unworthy of it."

As soon as she finished speaking, she gently placed the jade bracelet back into the box, and the lid clicked shut.

Pei Zeyu heard a shattering sound, and felt an unbearable tightness and pain in his chest.

Liu Wenying then picked up the key and the matching card from the box on the right and pressed them to her heart.

She kowtowed to the old lady, her voice clear and bright.

"This servant accepts the reward and thanks the old lady for her kindness."

The old lady smiled, her wrinkles around her eyes smoothing out: "Good child."

Pei Zeyu swayed slightly.

He stared at Liu Wenying, his gaze shifting from burning intensity to emptiness, until finally settling into a deathly gray.

"Yu'er, go back and rest," the old lady sighed.

Pei Zeyu remained unmoved.

"Afu, Ajin," the old lady called out, "help the second master downstairs."

They stepped forward, but before they could even touch Pei Zeyu's sleeve, it was brushed away.

Pei Zeyu gave Liu Wenying a deep look, then turned around and strode out of Mingxi Hall.

His departing figure cast a long shadow on the ground, as lonely as a cold branch on a winter night.

Liu Wenying did not get up; the keys and trading cards in her hands were digging painfully into her palms.

After Pei Zeyu left, the atmosphere in the room became as stagnant as a pool of still water.

After getting up, Liu Wenying put away the reward and remained motionless with her eyes downcast.

But her trembling eyelashes and her hesitant expression could not escape the old lady's notice.

The old lady leaned against the pillows, looking at her kindly.

"What do you want to say? Go ahead."

"Madam, why?"

The old lady didn't keep them in suspense and slowly began to speak.

"Yesterday, Zhiyao came to see me and said she wanted to find a concubine for Yu'er, and the person she chose was you."

Birds flitted past the eaves outside the window, and Liu Wenying's heart skipped a beat.

"How could I not understand what she was thinking?"

"They say it's for Yu'er's own good, but in reality it's for the sake of having offspring."

"She didn't have one herself, so she thought about having someone else give birth to her and then raising her herself. In the past, I would have agreed to such things."

The old lady paused, then said, "But you are different."

Liu Wenying stared blankly at the scene.

"If you marry Yu'er, the child you have may not have a good life in the future."

I know Zhiyao's thoughts best; what she wants is to use your pregnancy to secure her future.

"But you shouldn't be a tool, letting her manipulate you. That would be too unfair to you, and too... a waste of your talents."

…………