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

Liu Wenying quickly waved her hand and shrank back.

"No, no need, I can do it myself."

She had never been fed by anyone in her entire life.

Now she's with a strange man, who is nominally her husband.

But feeding her like this is really awkward.

Pei Dingxuan's hand remained firmly in mid-air, showing no intention of retracting it.

"Your injury has just healed, so you can't overexert yourself. The doctor said you need to rest."

As I brought the spoon to my lips, the warm aroma of the porridge filled the air.

Liu Wenying looked up at him.

He was looking down at the spoon, his expression focused as if he were doing something of great importance.

The morning light fell on his profile, outlining his perfect features.

The words of refusal stuck in my throat; I just couldn't bring myself to say them.

"Fine," Liu Wenying steeled her resolve and opened her mouth to put the spoon in her mouth.

The porridge was cooked perfectly, with soft and tender rice grains, smooth and delicate bird's nest, and it was also sweetened with rock sugar and goji berries, making it sweet but not cloying.

She swallowed it in small sips, but her ears grew hotter and hotter.

Pei Dingxuan scooped up another spoonful, this time it was crab roe soup dumplings.

Gently poke a hole in the thin skin with chopsticks, let the soup flow into the spoon, and then carefully hand it over.

His movements were so delicate that they didn't seem like those of a high-ranking official like Lord Pei; they were more like those of a maidservant.

A strange feeling welled up in Liu Wenying's heart.

She seemed to be extremely cherished, protected, and loved by him.

The inexplicable feeling startled her, and she hurriedly opened her mouth to catch it.

Pei Dingxuan fed her with great patience, letting her try a little of each dish.

If you notice she's eaten too much of something, feed her more of it next time; if you see her frown, immediately switch to something else.

Liu Wenying went from being awkward at first to complying later, but she still couldn't help staring at him.

"What's wrong?" Pei Dingxuan put down his spoon. "Is there something on my face?"

Liu Wenying shook her head and blurted out, "I just think you're very pretty."

As soon as she said it, she froze.

Pei Dingxuan was also taken aback.

A slight smile played on his lips, like a spring breeze thawing the ice and melting away the usual calm on his face.

"What else?"

His voice lowered, carrying a coaxing tone.

In a moment of impulsiveness, Liu Wenying continued, "Phoenix eyes, a high nose and deep-set eyes, and..."

She paused, searching for the right words, "There's also an indescribable quality to it, like someone from an ancient painting."

After saying that, she remembered something and added, "Are you really my husband?"

Pei Dingxuan's smile was somewhat stiff.

Liu Wenying's heart skipped a beat.

"No, no, no, I didn't mean to question you or offend you."

She hurriedly explained, her voice trembling with anxiety.

"What I mean is, you're very good-looking, not just superficially so, so..."

Before she could finish speaking, her wrist was grabbed, and Pei Dingxuan suddenly pulled her into his arms.

Her face collided with his firm chest, her nose filled with the fragrance of basil.

Pei Dingxuan wrapped his arms around her, one hand around her waist and the other supporting the back of her head.

He held her tightly, so tightly that she could feel his heartbeat against her cheek.

"Yingniang, we are husband and wife, don't say such things."

The hot breath hit her earlobe, and Liu Wenying trembled slightly.

You can offend me however you want.

He added, with a suppressed, burning emotion, "But don't say things like that again."

Liu Wenying was so breathless from his embrace that her mind went blank.

His possessiveness came out of nowhere, yet it was so intense that it frightened her.

She struggled for a moment, but he held her even tighter.

"I...I understand..." she stammered, her voice muffled in his arms.

Pei Dingxuan's body was taut, like a fully drawn bow.

She could tell he was angry.

Why?

Liu Wenying couldn't understand it, but instinctively wanted to comfort him.

She hesitated for a moment, then gently raised her head and touched his cheek with her lips.

A very light kiss, like a feather brushing against the water, like a dragonfly skimming the surface.

However, Pei Dingxuan trembled violently.

His eyes widened suddenly, filled with shock, surprise, and bewilderment—eyes that had never before shown any emotion.

Liu Wenying felt uneasy under his gaze: "W-Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Pei Dingxuan immediately denied. "You did nothing wrong."

He released her, picked up the spoon again, and brought it to her lips: "Eat some more."

If you look closely, you'll notice that his hands are trembling.

But Liu Wenying shook her head: "I'm full, I really can't eat anymore."

Pei Dingxuan lowered his hand. "Okay, then we won't eat."

After breakfast, the dishes were cleared away.

Pei Dingxuan stood up, extended his hand in invitation, and spoke in a low voice.

"The chrysanthemums in the garden are in full bloom. Would you like to go for a walk? It'll help you digest your food."

Liu Wenying wanted some fresh air, so she nodded.

The two walked out of the house side by side, with Pearl trailing far behind.

After walking halfway around, Liu Wenying also learned that she lived in a very large courtyard.

The layout features a three-courtyard layout, with blue brick paving, white walls and gray tiles, and winding corridors, exuding the exquisite beauty of a garden.

The artificial hills are piled up in a staggered and orderly manner, and flowing water is drawn into a pond. The withered lotus leaves in the pond have not yet been harvested, and a few koi fish swim among the dead leaves.

Chrysanthemums were planted along the path, their yellow, white, and purple colors intermingling, blooming profusely.

The scenery is absolutely beautiful, but... it's too quiet.

It was so quiet it didn't seem like anyone lived there.

Liu Wenying followed Pei Dingxuan along the corridor, only hearing the sound of their footsteps and the wind blowing.

As they passed the kitchen, they saw a cook busy at the stove. When she saw them pass by, she hurriedly stood up and bowed. Pei Dingxuan waved, and she lowered her head and continued working.

Apart from that, I did not see a fifth person.

There were no servants sweeping and cleaning, no maids standing by, and no messengers going back and forth.

The huge mansion was empty, like a carefully arranged bonsai tree—beautiful, but lacking in vitality.

"Yingniang".

Pei Dingxuan's voice brought her back to her senses.

Liu Wenying turned her head and saw him standing next to a cluster of white chrysanthemums.

The chrysanthemums were in full bloom, their petals layered upon each other, like a snowball.

His dark figure stood before the flowers, the contrast so stark it was almost blinding.

"Have we... always lived here?" Liu Wenying asked hesitantly.

Pei Dingxuan plucked a white chrysanthemum and played with it in his hand: "What's wrong?"

Liu Wenying looked around and said, "I just feel that there are no signs of life here."

"The furniture is new, the decorations are new, even the flowers and plants in the garden look like they were just transplanted. Everything is new, it doesn't look like anyone has lived here."

She paused, then added, "And there are too few people."

Pei Dingxuan handed her the white chrysanthemum.

"You've forgotten, you like the scenery here; it's our newly bought house. You need to recuperate quietly here, and this peaceful place is perfect for you."

The reasons are very valid.

But Liu Wenying couldn't shake off that strange feeling in her heart.

It makes sense that he moved to the newly purchased house specifically to recuperate from his injury.

But why didn't they bring any extra servants? Even if someone needs to recuperate, shouldn't they have a personal maid to serve them?

Besides Pearl, what about the other servants?

She took the white chrysanthemum, lowered her head and sniffed it; the fragrance was bitter and carried the coolness of autumn.

Liu Wenying raised her eyes and tentatively asked, "Do we have other houses elsewhere?"

Pei Dingxuan nodded: "There is an ancestral home in the east of the city, and this is a separate residence in the suburbs. There are also several farms and shops. If you would like to see them, I will take you there another day."

They have considerable wealth.

Liu Wenying pondered for a moment, then blurted out, "So you don't have someone else, do you?"

"Other people?"

"You mean a mistress, a concubine, a close female friend, or someone kept as a mistress in a gilded cage?"

…………