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

Liu Wenying frowned. "Where's Afu? Isn't he with Second Master?"

"Brother Afu had a bad day this morning, he got hit on the head by a vase and is still recovering. Sister Liu, please help him out."

"I came out to urge the kitchen to prepare the herbal medicine; the old lady is waiting for me..."

Ah Jin let go, his face full of disappointment, but he still nodded.

"Alright, I won't make things difficult for you, sister..."

Liu Wenying felt bad. Second Master... had his reasons. It wouldn't hurt for her to go and take a look, would it?

Just as Ah Jin was about to leave, Liu Wenying called out to him, "Wait."

Ah Jin turned around.

Liu Wenying bit her lip. "We're almost at the main hall. I'll go back and tell the old lady, then I'll go take care of the second master."

"OK!"

The two split up; one went to find the royal physician, and the other hurried to the front hall.

The lobby was still bustling with laughter and chatter.

The old lady had just finished drinking her herbal medicine and was leaning back in her chair, chatting with some familiar women.

Liu Wenying walked to the old lady's side and whispered in her ear.

The old lady was taken aback when she heard this. She was well aware of Pei Zeyu's mysophobia, and there weren't many people who could serve him closely. Liu Wenying was one of them.

"Go on, I'm fine here."

"Yes."

Liu Wenying curtsied and walked out without daring to delay for even a moment.

She walked through the sounds of music and laughter, getting further and further away from the noisy hustle and bustle, and her heart became more and more uneasy.

Faster, faster!

She went from walking briskly to jogging, and nearly tripped as her skirt swept across the stone steps.

The backyard rooms were eerily quiet, as if they were in a completely different world from the bustling activity in front.

She found the room Ah Jin had mentioned and knocked on the door.

"Second Master, are you inside?"

no respond.

Liu Wenying knocked a few more times, but still nothing.

Did we look for the wrong person?

She hesitated for a moment, but still pushed open the door.

The curtains inside the room were half-drawn, and the dim twilight could not penetrate them.

She spotted the person reclining on the soft couch at a glance.

Pei Zeyu lay on his side, the thin blanket slipped halfway to the ground, his neckline slightly open, revealing his clearly defined collarbone.

He struggled to get up, but lost his strength when he braced his arms on the edge of the bed, and fell forward.

Liu Wenying rushed forward and caught him just as he was about to fall.

The clothes were slightly damp when I put them on, and I could feel the unusual heat on my skin even through the thin silk.

"Second Master, how are you? Are you feeling unwell?"

She helped him back to the bed, and upon closer inspection, Liu Wenying's heart sank.

Pei Zeyu's face was flushed with an abnormal redness, which spread from the corners of his eyes to the sides of his neck, like a jade mountain dyed with rosy clouds.

His breath trembled and burned, and even from three feet away, it felt slightly hot against her cheek.

Her usually aloof eyes were now half-closed, her long eyelashes casting trembling shadows.

The corners of her eyes were slightly red, like peach blossoms in March soaked in wine.

What alarmed Liu Wenying even more was his next move.

He suddenly turned his head and pressed his burning face close to her palm, gently and softly rubbing it against hers.

She was affectionate and dependent, a stark contrast to his usual aloof demeanor.

"Second Master, you..."

Her words were cut short as he suddenly looked up at her.

The light was fragmented by the curtains, and what he saw was also fragmented.

His gaze was unclear, hazy yet filled with an indescribable longing.

Her pale lips turned exceptionally red, parting slightly as she breathed out fragrant air.

Liu Wenying froze on the spot, sensing something was wrong at first glance, and becoming even more certain at the second.

Pei Zeyu's condition was not a relapse of an old illness.

She tried to pull her hand away from his cheek, but he held it even tighter.

His fingertips caressed the skin of her wrist, just like that night at Chenshuang Courtyard...

"Second Master, please relax, I'll go get some water..."

Liu Wenying managed to keep her voice steady and forcefully broke free.

When I picked up the teapot, I realized the tea had gone cold, but I didn't care. I poured half a cup and carried it back to the tatami mat.

"Drink some water and calm down."

Pei Zeyu reached out, not for the teacup, but for her fair wrist.

He grabbed her and pulled hard, trying to drag her into the deep sea of ​​despair.

The cup slipped from his hand and fell, shattering and exploding. Cool water splashed onto his clothes, but it couldn't extinguish the fire that was burning him.

……

Meanwhile, the study door closed, and Pei Dingxuan and Xiao Yiheng walked out one after the other.

As dusk approached, the afterglow bathed the corridor in a warm orange hue.

As they approached the backyard wing, they suddenly heard the sound of porcelain shattering from inside the door—a crisp, piercing sound.

Pei Dingxuan paused, listening carefully, and heard other sounds.

He was always strict with himself and attached great importance to the rules of the mansion. As the banquet was about to end and the guests had mostly left, who else could be running amok in the side room except for a bold and reckless servant?

Pei Dingxuan was about to push the door open and barge in when Xiao Yiheng stopped him.

"Wait, that voice sounds like...Second Master Pei?"

Pei Dingxuan was astonished. How could this be?

"Besides Second Master Pei, there should be other people."

The sound was muffled and weak.

I can't hear it clearly or tell it out.

Pei Dingxuan: ...

Unexpectedly, Pei Zeyu's relationship with his younger siblings was so deep and intense that...

If the people inside are the younger brother and sister-in-law, then it makes sense.

"My second brother and sister-in-law are a loving couple; Your Highness, please forgive their affection."

"Although the second master of the Pei family is not a direct descendant of the Duke of Yu, his conduct and style are very much in line with his mantle."

When Duke Yu was young, he was quite unruly and reckless. As he grew older, he became more composed, but he was still a person who did not pay attention to details.

His words were somewhat sarcastic, but not meant to be derogatory.

Pei Dingxuan looked slightly embarrassed and coughed lightly.

"In that case, let's not bother you. Let's pretend we were never here."

"Um."

The two left side by side.

……

The flower hall was filled with calming incense, but Lin Zhiyao's heart was pounding like a drum, and she couldn't calm down no matter what she did.

Madam Pei sat at the head of the table, talking on and on.

They chattered about this and that, going around in circles, mostly just trivial gossip.

The First Madam arranged today's birthday banquet so elegantly that she didn't have to worry about anything.

The servants in this mansion need some discipline; they're not very efficient.

So-and-so lady has had another grandson, and so on.

Lin Zhiyao listened, but her thoughts had already wandered elsewhere.

How is Second Master doing? He drank something so potent; I should go and take care of him.

But her mother-in-law kept talking to her, and she didn't know what she wanted to say.

She patiently stayed with him for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Mother, please just say what you want to say. Forgive your daughter-in-law for being so dull and unable to understand those roundabout ways."

Madam Pei was taken aback, her smile froze for a moment, and she then looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Then I won't try to evade the issue."

She coughed lightly and said seriously, "Zhiyao, you have been lacking in virtue lately and have not fulfilled your duties as a wife."

Lin Zhiyao pursed her lips and remained silent.

Madam Pei continued, "Second Master's health is not good, and you don't care much about him. You also don't pay much attention to the affairs of Chenshuang Courtyard."

"Going back to the Lin residence for so many days, what kind of behavior is that? How exactly do you act as the second wife?"

Lin Zhiyao felt as if her heart had been ripped out.

In the past, her mother-in-law would use subtle methods to subtly undermine her, and she could endure it.

This is the first time I've received such a blunt critique.

She listened silently, but the anger in her heart only grew stronger.

After finally finishing her long speech, Madam Pei picked up her teacup, took a sip, and asked, "What are your thoughts on what I just said?"

Lin Zhiyao suppressed the churning in her chest and managed to calm herself down.

"My mother taught me that my daughter-in-law should reflect on herself."

Madam Pei frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the answer; she wanted to continue her lecture.

Lin Zhiyao suddenly stood up.

"Mother, your daughter-in-law is not feeling well, so I must take my leave now."

After she finished speaking, she turned and left without waiting for Madam Pei's reaction.

She walked quickly and hurriedly, her skirt sweeping past the threshold and disappearing outside in the blink of an eye.

…………