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

I tossed and turned all night.

Xue Biqing's slender figure and Lu Ye's heterochromatic eyes appeared and disappeared in Liu Wenying's dream.

Their words echoed in my ears; one was gentle and refined, the other frank and open, both sincere and impeccable.

Fortunately, she had figured it out when she woke up.

Liu Wenying spread out her brush and ink on the table and picked up a piece of plain paper.

The ink spread on the paper, but instead of writing, she rolled up her sleeves and began to draw stroke by stroke.

First, draw a mountain, on the mountain is a temple, and in front of the temple is a pagoda.

Draw another river, its waters overflowing the foot of the mountain, its waves surging.

Atop the crest of the wave stood a woman in white, her robes fluttering in the wind.

The painting depicts the White Snake Lady flooding Jinshan Temple.

During the period of national mourning, if letters are intercepted by others, it may cause trouble.

But what if we don't write, but only draw?

The contents of the letter were incomprehensible to others, but only she and Pei Zeyu could understand them.

Back in Xinghua Village, she mentioned the story of the White Snake, and later in bed he pestered her to tell him the ending.

Unexpectedly, that story became her only way to send messages today.

When Lady White Snake flooded Jinshan Temple, she was already pregnant.

After Liu Wenying finished painting, she put it in an envelope.

If he receives the letter, he will understand that she is pregnant and needs to see him.

She instructed the messenger to deliver the letter to Master Pei of the Duke of Yu's mansion, and after that, she left the rest to fate.

Time waits for no one, and she waited for him until the new year.

If he still doesn't come by then, she will truly have to make the decision herself.

……

The wooden door of the third small room on the east side of the orphanage was ajar.

Five or six little heads were crammed into the room, all clinging to the edge of the bed, their dark eyes fixed on the person on the bed who was wrapped tightly in white gauze.

"Is it really a rag doll?" the little girl asked, standing on tiptoe.

Luo Luo, lying at the front, nodded firmly: "My mom said she found a super big cloth doll and we have to take good care of it."

"Why is the Kobza doll bleeding?" Another boy pointed to the faint red marks seeping from the person's shoulder.

The children were chattering and guessing when the door creaked open.

Liu Wenying came in carrying a bowl of medicine and saw the room full of little kids. "Why aren't you all playing in the yard? Why are you all crammed in here?"

The little girl turned around and said in a clear voice, "Luo Luo said Aunt Liu found a super big cloth doll, so we came to see, but it turned out to be a person!"

Liu Wenying shook her head helplessly and placed the medicine bowl on the low stool beside the bed: "Now you know it's not true, go out quickly."

She deliberately put on a stern face, "Otherwise, I'll give each of you a sip of this medicine."

The children scattered like birds and beasts with a cry.

The room finally became quiet.

Liu Wenying sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up the medicine bowl.

The brown medicinal liquid was steaming hot, and its bitter smell permeated the air.

She scooped it up with a special feeding spoon, gently blew on it to cool it, and was about to hand it over.

The person on the bed stirred.

Liu Wenying paused, "Second Prince, you're awake!"

Xiao Yiheng slowly opened his eyes. They were extremely beautiful deer eyes, with dark and moist pupils and slightly drooping corners. Usually, they were affectionate and smiling, but now they were covered with a layer of bewildered mist.

He blinked, then blinked again; his pupils were unfocused and unfocused.

Like a newborn fawn, innocent and vulnerable, having lost all its sharpness.

Liu Wenying rarely saw him like this.

In my memory, Xiao Yiheng was always spirited and dashing, dressed in fine clothes and jade belts. His eyes shone when he smiled, and when he was angry... I never saw him get angry. Even when he was angry, he was a smiling tiger.

"Second Prince?" Liu Wenying tried calling softly again.

Xiao Yiheng did not respond. He raised his hand, which was wrapped in gauze and only revealed his slender fingertips, and slowly touched his eyes.

My fingertips trembled when I touched the white veil covering my eyes.

Liu Wenying thought he was going to pick it, so she quickly put down the medicine bowl and held his hand.

"Don't move. The doctor said your eyes are badly injured and you can't be exposed to light."

Her hands were warm, with thin calluses on her palms, the result of years of hard work.

Xiao Yiheng grabbed her hand in return.

He turned his head to the side, his unfocused eyes "looking" at her, and a smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

"Liu Wenying, it's you."

There was a sense of relief in his tone, as if he had finally reached the shore after drifting in boundless darkness for a long time.

Surprisingly, despite his broken body, he could still recognize her by her voice.

"It's me," she replied softly, picking up the medicine bowl again. "Your Highness, please drink your medicine first."

As the medicine bowl was handed over, Xiao Yiheng's hand groped in the air.

Just as Liu Wenying was about to remind him, he touched the rim of the bowl, but his fingers lost their aim because he couldn't see it.

The bowl tilted, spilling the brown medicine and soaking the plain white gauze on his chest.

"Be careful."

Liu Wenying quickly took the bowl and used a handkerchief to wipe him clean.

The medicine was warm and seeped through the thin fabric, leaving a dark stain, but thankfully not much.

She wiped him carefully, her fingertips occasionally brushing against his bandaged chest, beneath which lay gruesome knife wounds.

Xiao Yiheng stiffened; her breath was so close, carrying a faint scent of soapberry.

"I'll do it."

Liu Wenying scooped up another spoonful of medicine, gently blew on it to cool it, and brought it to his lips.

He was sick as a child and had no one to take care of him, but he saw other princes being carefully cared for by their mothers.

That's how I fed him his medicine, spoonful by spoonful.

Xiao Yiheng obediently opened his mouth.

The medicine was bitter as it went down his throat, making him furrow his brow slightly, but a warm feeling welled up inside him, which actually lessened the pain a bit.

He "looked" at her, and although there was only darkness before him, he could imagine her with her eyes lowered and her expression focused, perhaps with her lips slightly pursed.

After feeding him a bowl of medicine, Liu Wenying wiped the corners of his lips clean and was about to get up.

Xiao Yiheng suddenly spoke up: "You know my current situation."

"Surrounded by enemies on all sides, a single misstep could mean certain death. Aren't you afraid of being implicated? Why did you bring me back?"

Liu Wenying put the medicine bowl back on the small table and said without hesitation, "Because His Highness the Second Prince also saved my life."

Xiao Yiheng was taken aback.

"Your Highness, you must have a bad memory. Two years ago at the Qionglin Banquet, the maid you saved who was mistaken for a thief by the Imperial Guards and almost taken away was me."

How could he forget?

I didn't want to meddle in other people's business, but she just happened to be from the Duke of Yu's mansion.

The Duke of Yu supported the Crown Prince, but he had instigated Pei Dingxuan's stance. Naturally, he would do his best to help within his means in order to win Pei Dingxuan's favor.

"I remember," Xiao Yiheng said hoarsely.

At the time, I only thought she was pretty and a little clever, but she was just a servant and not worth paying much attention to. I never expected...

"I've always remembered this, and now I have the chance to repay you."

The fact that the saddle that the guard had taken was cut was unintentional.

Now she truly wants to repay the debt.

Xiao Yiheng's Adam's apple bobbed as guilt, like vines, wrapped around him, making it hard for him to breathe.

For the disrespect she showed then, for her current predicament, and for her composure.

"Your Highness, please rest well. I'll be leaving now."

She walked to the door, and then she heard Xiao Yiheng's voice behind her.

"Liu Wenying, thank you."

There was no princely airs or aloofness, only heartfelt thanks.

Liu Wenying smiled and pushed open the door to go out.

…………