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

In the blink of an eye, a tall figure pounced over.

Lu Ye's eyes sharpened, his unease vanished, and his right fist swung out like a hammer, slamming into the falling tree trunk.

"Bang--!"

Wood chips flew everywhere, and broken branches were sent flying by the force of the impact, grazing past Liu Wenying's ear and causing her hair to flutter in the wind.

Before she could react, splinters of wood rained down on her, and suddenly her waist tightened.

Lu Ye's left arm had already wrapped around her, pulling her away from where she was and protecting her in his arms.

Staggering to her feet, Liu Wenying's nose bumped against his hard chest, and a strong, masculine aura rushed towards her, rough and hot.

Like sun-baked rocks in a wilderness, it possesses a chilling aggressiveness.

Lu Ye's arm was like an iron hoop around her waist. She could feel the bulging muscles in his arm and his burning body temperature.

The dead branches fell to the ground, raising dust.

Lu Ye released his grip, took two steps back, and his dark golden eyes were filled with lingering fear: "Master Liu, are you alright?"

The commotion outside was quite loud, and the elderly people, hearing it, all rushed out.

Grandma Zhao turned pale with fright and came up with her cane.

"Is Liuzhuangtou injured? I told you that the tree branch was struck by lightning this spring and should have been cut down, but we are old and powerless to do so."

Liu Wenying steadied herself and said gently, "It's alright, thanks to Brother Lu Ye for saving me."

She looked at Lu Ye and bowed deeply, "I haven't had a chance to properly thank you in the heat of the moment. Thank you so much for saving me, Brother Lu."

Lu Ye hurriedly stepped aside, his dark tan face turning bright red.

Those heterochromatic black and gold eyes also looked away in a panic, their lips moving as they squeezed out two words: "It's...it's the right thing to do."

After calming the still-shaken elderly people, Liu Wenying instructed the villagers to clean up the broken branches and then bring tools from the village to cut down the dead tree to prevent any further accidents.

Then she walked to the corner of the courtyard and gently waved to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye followed, looking extremely hurried.

"Brother Lu, is there something you want to say to me?"

She had just realized it when she was interrupted by the falling tree trunk.

"Yes, there is..."

Lu Ye reached out to untie the ribbon on his short brown coat.

Liu Wenying was startled, and countless bad thoughts flashed through her mind.

But then Lu Ye tore open his clothes, revealing the firm flesh underneath.

The sun was blazing, casting a honey-colored glow on his chest.

His chest and abdominal muscles are clearly defined, like the gnarled roots of an old tree, etched with the vigor that comes from running through the mountains and forests.

His waist and abdomen were also taut, with his V-line disappearing into his trousers, a result of years of drawing a bow and arrow, climbing cliffs and chasing beasts.

What's hard to ignore is the hideous scar above his left chest.

The newly grown flesh on the scar was dark red, exactly like the wound she had personally bandaged that night.

"That night, I fainted in the mulberry field, and you saved me."

"So it was you." Liu Wenying suddenly realized.

That night it was too dark, and the person she encountered was injured. She was only thinking about saving him and completely forgot to remember what he looked like.

"It's nothing really. I just gave you a simple bandage to stop the bleeding. Later, I wanted to get someone to help, but you left on your own."

Lu Ye shook his head vigorously, "If it weren't for you, I might have died there."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "I want to repay you, but I don't know how."

Lu Ye's eyes were filled with pure gratitude, and Liu Wenying's heart softened.

"It was nothing, no need to repay me. If you really want to thank me, just take care of these elderly people in the future."

Before Lu Ye could say anything more, the villagers, who had cleared away the broken branches and tree trunks, stood by the donkey cart waiting.

Liu Wenying nodded to him, then called out to the elderly people in the courtyard:

"Grandma and Grandpa, I'm going back now. I'll come see you again another day."

The elderly people responded repeatedly, and Granny Zhao, leaning on her cane, saw them to the courtyard gate, muttering repeatedly, "The village head is kind-hearted; the Bodhisattva will protect us..."

The donkey cart slowly drove away, the sound of its wheels fading into the distance.

Lu Ye remained standing in the same spot, the old people's praises drifting on the wind, reaching his ears intermittently.

"Liu Zhuangtou truly has the heart of a bodhisattva..."

"They always bring gifts when they come; they're already too busy managing their own estate..."

"She was pretty and had a good personality, but it's a pity she became a widow at a young age..."

Lu Ye stood motionless until the donkey cart became a small black dot at the end of the field ridge.

He looked down at his rough palms and then touched the scar on his chest.

Something within the dark, golden pupils slowly settled.

Late at night, in the accounting room.

Xue Bi knelt before the desk, writing with a brush between the account books. His handwriting was neat and tidy, reflecting his personality.

Insects chirped outside the window, and the wind rustled the window paper.

Suddenly, a steaming bowl of noodles was placed on the corner of the table.

The blue-and-white porcelain bowl holds noodles with pickled cabbage and shredded pork. The soup is clear, the pickled cabbage is finely chopped, the shredded pork is neatly arranged, and it is sprinkled with bright green scallions. The aroma of sour and sour flavors is irresistible.

Xue Bi looked up and saw Liu Wenying standing in the lamplight, wearing a light blue shirt with a lotus-colored vest over it, her black hair loosely tied behind her head.

She was holding another bowl of noodles in her hand, and she was blowing on it to cool it down.

"It's late, let's have some late-night snacks." She handed over the chopsticks.

Xue Bi hurriedly stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "How could I trouble you, Manager Liu..."

"Don't mention it."

Liu Wenying placed the chopsticks in his hand and sat down opposite him. "It's all cooked. Wouldn't it be a waste not to eat it?"

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling in the candlelight. "Or do you dislike my cooking?"

Xue Bi froze, her grip on the chopsticks tightening.

"I, Xue, dare not."

"Granny Wang is getting old, and she can't stay up with me every night, so I'll cook for myself."

Liu Wenying picked up her bowl of noodles and stirred it gently.

"Eat it while it's hot, or it won't taste good."

Xue Bi then sat down again, her movements as she held her chopsticks were calm and elegant.

Chew slowly and carefully, even drinking soup silently.

Looking at his demeanor, Liu Wenying inexplicably recalled the scions of noble families she had seen at a banquet in the Duke's mansion.

Those people were dressed in brocade robes and behaved with an air of nobility, but there was always a hint of arrogance in their eyes.

Xue Bi, however, was different. He wore patched old clothes and ate a bowl of clear soup noodles, yet he exuded an air of refined elegance.

She sighed inwardly and lowered her head to eat her noodles.

The pickled cabbage was crisp and refreshing, the shredded pork was tender and smooth, and the taste was quite good.

After eating most of the meal, Liu Wenying put down her chopsticks, got up, walked to his table, and picked up the account book that she had just sorted out.

Xue Bi immediately put down the bowl, his Adam's apple bobbing, as if he were somewhat nervous.

"Cough..." He suddenly choked and turned his head to cough lightly.

Liu Wenying quickly put down the account book and patted his back: "Eat slowly, don't rush."

Through the thin fabric of his clothes, I could feel his slender spine through my palm.

Xue Bi stiffened, her ears turning red. Once her cough subsided, she whispered, "The accounts... is there a problem?"

Liu Wenying withdrew her hand, and seeing his nervous look, a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.

She deliberately frowned, pointing to a certain page with her fingertip: "Here..."

Xue Bi held his breath.

"This is done exceptionally well! The entries are clear, the numbers are accurate, and even the notes are detailed."

Xue Bi's heart soared from the depths of despair to the heights of triumph in an instant, so fast that he was almost unable to react.

…………