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

Outside, the night was deep, the moonlight was obscured by clouds, and two lanterns swayed with a dim yellow light.

Ling'er was about to step forward and say a few kind words to Liu Wenying, but was pulled back by someone and shook her head to indicate that she was not there.

The servants who had been peeking around also wisely retreated, and for a moment, only Liu Wenying and Pei Zeyu were left under the eaves.

Liu Wenying bowed to his retreating figure.

"This servant thanks Second Master for speaking up and saving me just now. If it weren't for Second Master's intervention, this servant would probably have been taken away by the guards."

Pei Zeyu stood with his hands behind his back. "I'm just stating the facts."

Even so, this servant still wants to thank Second Master.

He could have stood by and done nothing, but he still offered his help.

Suddenly, he turned around, and the light from the lantern illuminated his brows, giving them a warm glow.

"Willow Singing Orioles".

"This servant is here."

He took a step forward, and the distance between them suddenly shortened.

A night breeze carried the faint scent of wood emanating from him.

"The path of a head maid is not easy; now you understand?"

The moonlight, unnoticed, peeked through the clouds and fell on his face.

The moonlight and candlelight intertwined, illuminating those eyes with an exceptionally deep and mysterious light.

"Then, Second Master, tell me, which road is the easiest to travel?"

"A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on; have you ever considered that cattails can also survive by relying on a large tree?"

Although cattails are delicate, if they can rely on a towering tree, they can be less damaged by wind and rain and live a peaceful life.

"I understand what you mean, Second Master, but I also know that if the cattail gets used to the protection of the big tree, it will not survive once it loses its support."

She was too stubborn, like a newborn calf.

Pei Zeyu desperately hoped that she would feel even the slightest regret after this incident.

I regret not choosing that jade bracelet back then.

But she didn't; her eyes were clear and firm, unwavering in the slightest.

That look hurt him more than any words.

Having been humiliated time and again, even Pei Zeyu, with his gentle and self-possessed nature, felt a surge of anger rising within him.

He approached again, and Liu Wenying retreated.

He takes a step back, then takes a step forward.

She backs down again, and he follows her again.

Until his back pressed against the cold stone pillar, with nowhere left to retreat.

His chin was grabbed and slightly lifted.

As the distance closed, his face remained incomparably handsome in the moonlight, but his eyes surged with dark anger.

Liu Wenying was startled by his sudden change and felt flustered.

She tried to remain calm, and a string of words burst out.

"Second Master is wise and reasonable, and would never blame an innocent person. Although I am dull-witted, I know Second Master's magnanimity..."

The pressure from his chin and fingertips suddenly increased, as if to say, "That's enough."

Liu Wenying fell silent for a moment.

A hint of a smile slipped from his angry eyes as Pei Zeyu trapped her between himself and a pillar, his hot breath brushing against her face.

She wasn't afraid even when she was falsely accused of plotting against the old lady and was nearly kicked out by the Duke.

Now, facing yourself, you're afraid?

I really don't know what to do with her...

Liu Wenying watched the changes in his expression; one second he was angry, the next he was laughing. She really couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

His tall, slender figure suddenly moved closer, and like a drunken jade mountain collapsing, he buried his head in the crook of her shoulder.

"Liu Wenying, you've got guts."

His words were so vulgar, it was completely unlike what someone as pure and virtuous as him would say.

Liu Wenying was taken aback, pondering the deeper meaning in his words, when Ling'er's shouts came from not far away.

"The old lady is awake! The old lady is awake!"

The weight on my shoulders vanished in an instant.

Pei Zeyu straightened up, didn't even glance at her, and turned to walk into the house.

Liu Wenying followed closely behind.

The old lady did indeed wake up, leaning against the pillows, her face still pale, but her spirits much better.

Doctor Ye was packing his medicine kit and bowed his head to Pei Zeyu.

"The old lady's poison has been neutralized; with proper care, she will be fine."

Pei Zeyu nodded and said to the servants standing by, "Go and report to the Duke that Grandmother has woken up and that he can rest in peace."

The maidservant acknowledged and withdrew. The old lady raised her hand, and Pei Zeyu stepped forward and quickly grasped it.

"Yu'er, you have to attend court tomorrow, go back and rest."

"Grandma, I'm not tired."

The old lady shook her head and insisted, "Listen to me, I can't sleep peacefully if you stay here and watch over me."

With Wenying here, and so many other people around, what else could you possibly worry about?

Liu Wenying stepped forward immediately and grasped the old lady's other withered hand.

"It's all my fault, I've caused the old lady so much suffering."

The old lady shook her head and didn't say anything.

Although Xi Chun, the real culprit who poisoned the old lady, has been dealt with and his injustice has been cleared.

But Liu Wenying knew that this matter was ultimately caused by her, and as the head maid of Mingxi Hall, she could not simply walk away.

The old lady had just woken up from a coma and was in a weak state, needing careful care. She had no choice but to take care of her.

"Madam, I will certainly take good care of you."

The old lady urged Pei Zeyu again.

Pei Zeyu's gaze swept over Liu Wenying, then he cupped his hands to the old lady and said, "Then I will listen to my grandmother. I will take my leave."

As he left the house, he instructed his trusted attendant, Afu, to stay at Mingxi Hall to lend a hand, so that no one would be overworked.

……

At dawn, the alley outside the corner gate was dark and damp, with puddles remaining on the ground.

Xi Chun lay prone in the mud, his clothes around his waist and hips torn to shreds by the beating, revealing the bloody, mangled flesh beneath.

Her breath was weak, tinged with blood, and her eyes were half-open, with her pupils already somewhat dilated.

Granny Sun walked over, her forehead wrapped in gauze.

She looked down at the inhuman-looking figure on the ground, her eyes filled with heartache.

Xi Chun struggled to lift her head and saw who it was. She grabbed the person's trouser leg, her voice hoarse.

"Auntie, Aunt... help me..."

Granny Sun squatted down and took out a small piece of raw he shou wu from her clothes.

"Chun'er, eat."

"Such a severe injury, it can't be healed. You might as well rest in peace."

Xi Chun's eyes widened, and tears mixed with blood slid down from the corners of her eyes.

She clung tightly to Granny Sun's trouser leg, "No, I don't want to die..."

Granny Sun pried open her mouth and stuffed in small pieces of raw he shou wu (Polygonum multiflorum).

Raw Polygonum multiflorum is poisonous; even a small amount can be fatal.

Xi Chun struggled, but was powerless to resist, and the contents slid down her throat.

Hatred flashed in her eyes.

She hated her aunt for abandoning her, hated her for taking all the blame upon herself, and hated Liu Wenying, the one who started it all...

If only she hadn't come to Mingxi Hall...

Just then, the side gate creaked open.

A thin woman came out carrying a chamber pot.

She was thin and pale, and her coarse cloth clothes were covered in stains, as if they had been soaking in filthy places all day and could not be cleaned properly.

With eyes dulled by life, Chen Yindi mechanically and numbly carried the chamber pots onto the cart one by one.

The stench emanating from the chamber pot was so strong that it was suffocating even from a distance.

Granny Sun narrowed her eyes, a thought flashing through her mind.

She patted Xi Chun's head and said, "Don't worry, go ahead. Your aunt won't let her get away with this."

…………