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

Liu Wenying was taken out of the disciplinary academy by Pei Zeyu.

She knew the roads in the mansion all too well, but tonight they felt strangely unfamiliar, and she could only let him lead her along.

Stopping in front of a courtyard, Liu Wenying looked up at the plaque.

It is not Chenshuang Courtyard, yet it resembles Chenshuang Courtyard. The plaque above reads Yingxi Courtyard, with three characters written in elegant strokes.

Pei Zeyu looked down at her. "Chenshuang Courtyard sounds too cold, so I changed it to Yingxi. What do you think?"

Liu Wenying's lips twitched, managing only a weak curve.

She knew he was trying, using new things and gentle words, to pull her out of that bloody memory.

But the blood and tears, the feeling of the knife piercing her flesh, clung to her like a bone-deep infection, impossible to shake off.

Pei Zeyu didn't mind her silence and continued to lead her inside, talking as they walked.

"The royal physician has already examined Luo Luo. The child is fine, just tender and has some bruises on her arms. I told him to use the best medicine, and she will get better."

"Thank you, Second Master. I'll go back and take care of the child."

Liu Wenying broke free from his hand and tried to leave.

Pei Zeyu pulled her close; his palm was warm, which dispelled the chill from the back of her hand.

"If you go to take care of the children, then who will take care of you?"

Liu Wenying stood there, stunned, not knowing how to answer.

These days, she's used to taking care of others, never thinking about herself, and no one has ever asked her so bluntly whether she needs to be taken care of.

"Luo Luo will be treated by the family physician, and Xiao Zhu and Granny Tian will play with her."

Pei Zeyu spoke gently, as if coaxing a child who was stuck in a rut.

"A person who has been frightened cannot fall asleep immediately. There are people in the manor to keep her company. What about you? If you were frightened, who would keep you company?"

"I'm fine, it's nothing."

"A drunk person will never admit that he is drunk."

Liu Wenying lowered her head, staring at her hand that he was holding tightly, without saying a word.

"If your health fails, how will you take care of your child?"

Her long, raven-feather eyelashes trembled, and Pei Zeyu noticed her wavering, pulling her inside.

"Don't worry, leave everything to me."

Liu Wenying was eventually led into the main house by him.

The furnishings inside the house are very different from before.

The original black lacquered furniture was replaced with rosewood furniture, and the display cabinet was filled with celadon vases, white jade mountains, and several scrolls of calligraphy and paintings.

A soft couch was added by the window, covered with a silver-gray fox fur rug, and an unfinished chess game sat on a small table beside the couch.

He exudes elegance in every aspect, yet subtly displays control in the details, just like the man himself.

Liu Wenying stood in front of the basin, head down, mechanically rubbing her fingers one by one into the water.

Pei Zeyu hugged her from behind, his chin gently resting on the top of her head.

"Second Master, this servant can do it herself."

"Your mind isn't on this anymore, let me help you."

He took her hand in his and immersed it in warm water, gently rubbing his fingertips between her fingers.

The bloodstains remaining under the fingernails dissolved, and the water gradually turned a pale red.

Liu Wenying looked down at their clasped hands; his fingers were long and slender, and his palms were warm and gentle.

"Hot water is ready in the shower room, please go and take a shower."

Stepping into the bathhouse, the wooden tub was filled with steam, and dried jasmine petals floated on the surface of the water.

Liu Wenying washed for a long time, until the hot water cooled down and her skin became wrinkled.

A set of moon-white nightgowns was draped over the screen. When she changed into it, she touched the fabric of the collar and was somewhat surprised.

The fabric was soft and fit perfectly, carrying the familiar scent of pine and ink—his own scent.

When she came out, Pei Zeyu was flipping through a book at the table. When he saw her come out, he put down the book.

"This servant thanks you for taking me in, Second Master. It's getting late, Second Master, please get some rest."

But as soon as she took a step, Pei Zeyu quickly stepped forward, wrapped his arm around her waist, rested his chin on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear:

"Wenying, you can be a little softer in front of me."

He turned her around so they were face to face.

The candlelight flickered in his eyes, reflecting a deep longing, and he leaned down to touch nose to nose with hers.

"Let me pamper you, okay?"

After saying that, he kissed her gently, a silent comfort.

……

The waning crescent moon hangs obliquely on the eaves, like a slice of cake that has been bitten off.

The cool light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a hazy glow throughout the room.

The maid carrying water blushed and retreated, gently closing the door behind her.

The warm fragrance inside the room had not yet dissipated, and Liu Wenying gazed at the top of the tent.

The extreme pleasure diluted the bloody memories in my mind, each scene fading as if washed by water.

She no longer wallows in those negative emotions.

The figure floated on the water, light and airy, unable to remember anything, and unwilling to think about anything.

The person beside him was leaning against a pillow, one hand supporting her head, the other hand combing her long hair that was spread out on the pillow.

There were several red marks on the side of his neck, which were particularly noticeable because of his fair skin.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse.

Liu Wenying looked as if she had been burned and hurriedly lowered her eyes: "Second Master, why use this method? There are clearly other ways."

Pei Zeyu chuckled and planted a kiss on her temple.

"But it works the fastest. How long would it take for other methods to fade those symptoms?"

He couldn't bear to watch, and he couldn't wait.

She remained silent, and only the sound of their intertwined breathing filled the tent.

After a long pause, Liu Wenying said, "Second Master, I don't know how to repay you."

"No need to pay it back."

Liu Wenying closed her eyes, unable to bear his heavy emotions.

"If you truly believe that only repayment will bring you some relief, could you tell me something?"

"Second Master, please ask."

"How did the Chen family treat you when you were in their family?"

Even though he had long known that she had been wronged in the Chen family, he had never heard it from her own ears.

Now I want to hear her heartfelt words, and even more so, I want to know just how much hardship she has endured.

Liu Wenying kept her word and did not hide anything.

"I was a child bride in the Chen family since I was a child, and I had to get up before dawn every day."

He carried water, chopped firewood, cooked, and did laundry, taking on all the rough and heavy work.

In the dead of winter, Chen Yindi and Liu Erxia forced me to wash clothes by the river. My hands were frozen red and cracked, but they wouldn't let me stop.

"At the slightest mistake, I would be beaten and scolded. It was common for me to go hungry and cold. They treated me like free labor and never showed me any kindness."

The only kindness and goodwill she ever received came from her husband, who died young, but it was all too brief.

Her tone was calm, as if those hardships had nothing to do with her, but the more calm she was, the more Pei Zeyu felt sorry for her.

Before she could say anything more, Pei Dingyuan sealed her lips with a kiss, gentle yet urgent.

"Okay, I understand."

Liu Wenying stopped talking.

Pei Zeyu hugged her tightly, a fierce glint in his eyes. "You don't have to suffer those hardships anymore. I will take back what the Chen family owes you, one by one."

Chen Yindi made her do laundry in the dead of winter, so he made her spend the rest of her life soaking in ice water, unable to live or die.

After Li Chuanye touched her hand, he crushed her bones and fed them to the dogs.

And he won't let Liu Erxia off the hook either...

"Actually, I don't feel those past days very deeply."

The sentence was cryptic, yet Pei Zeyu understood it perfectly.

What she said was related to her origins.

"That day in Xinghua Village, you told me the story of Bai Suzhen, which I had never heard before. After returning home, I thought about it for a long time."

"In the end, regardless of whether Bai Suzhen was human or demon, Xu Xian was willing to spend his whole life repaying her and staying with her."

Pei Zeyu lowered his head and met her eyes. "Me too."

…………