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

As soon as Luo Luo finished speaking, the table erupted in excitement.

"Let's go see the iron flower display!"

"I heard they've hired the best troupe in Beijing this year."

"Get Yingniang a cloak; it's even colder outside."

Everyone stood up, and Liu Wenying was surrounded as she walked out, holding Luo Luo's hand tightly, while Xiao Zhu beside her held Ji Chuan.

Six men were behind her, all tacitly allowing her to walk at the front.

The riverbank outside the village was also crowded with people.

A furnace was set up on the open ground, and the charcoal was burning bright red.

Several shirtless men stood by the stove, their heads wrapped in wet towels.

They held long-handled willow ladles filled with molten iron.

The molten iron was scooped up and tossed high into the air.

Another person rushed forward, swung a wet willow plank, and swept it diagonally upwards, intercepting it in mid-air.

"Bang—!"

Thousands of iron sparks exploded, like pear blossoms suddenly blooming on a tree, or like a galaxy hanging upside down.

"good!!!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Liu Wenying opened her eyes wide, looking at the splashing gold and red light.

Sparks fell onto the snow, hissing and sending up white smoke.

Cold and heat, light and darkness, intertwine in an instant to create the most magnificent scene.

Suddenly, she remembered something and turned to look.

Pei Zeyu was looking up at the iron flowers, his profile illuminated by the firelight.

Pei Yaojun lowered his head and spoke to Luo Luo, a smile playing on his lips.

Lu Ye and Xue Bi stood side by side, one with his arms crossed and the other with his hands behind his back.

Pei Dingxuan gazed at the night sky, his expression unusually gentle.

Xiao Yiheng stood half a step behind her, his gaze fixed on her face.

A short while later, Luo Luo came over and took her hand.

"Mother, is it pretty?" she asked loudly.

Liu Wenying nodded, her voice drowned out by the cheers of the crowd: "Beautiful."

The iron flower performance ended at 9 PM.

The snow was covered with golden-red embers, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

Liu Wenying led Luo Luo by the hand, and held Ji Chuan in her arms as the group walked back.

Luo Luo was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping, but she still held onto her mother's hand and mumbled softly, "Mother, I want to see the iron flower fireworks again next year."

"Okay," Liu Wenying replied softly.

Back in the room, she settled Jichuan and Luoluo on the bed and covered them with blankets.

She didn't leave immediately; she sat by the bed and watched the two children for a long time.

Luo Luo's eyelashes are long and curled, and her sleeping face is serene.

Ji Chuan pouted his little mouth and smacked his lips occasionally, as if he were nursing in a dream.

She reached out and gently stroked the cheeks of the two children; the warm touch felt very real.

After watching for a long time, Liu Wenying finally got up, blew out the candles, and went out.

But the familiar courtyard outside the door was no longer there; a thick, white fog surged and swallowed the house and lanterns.

All that remained between heaven and earth was the void of white, and the faintly visible path beneath one's feet.

She turned around, but didn't move. The house behind her disappeared into the mist, like ink spreading in water.

Liu Wenying walked along the path.

The fog was so thick that you couldn't see anything more than a few steps away.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, a figure gradually appeared in front of them.

He was a man around forty years old, thin, and dressed in a simple long gown.

His face was unfamiliar; Liu Wenying was certain she had never seen him before.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Yunmeng."

"Yunmeng? Where am I?"

"In your dreams."

Liu Wenying was taken aback. "In my dream? But this feels so real."

"The tea that illuminates the heart can weave the most realistic dreams in the world, and thus reflect the deepest thoughts and deepest desires in people's hearts."

After Yunmeng finished speaking, she pointed behind her, "Look."

Liu Wenying turned around, the thick fog slowly dissipated, and Zhuangzi's silhouette reappeared.

Lanterns hung high, shadows danced, and laughter filled the air.

Pei Yaojun leaned against the door with his arms crossed, Pei Zeyu and Xue Bi were still drinking, Pei Dingxuan and Xiao Yiheng were playing chess, and Lu Ye was silently clearing away the dishes...

Everything was so vibrant.

Liu Wenying suddenly understood that this was what she had been thinking and longing for.

Everyone I care about is here, and all regrets have been made up for.

"Wake up! There are many people outside your dreams who truly care about you and are waiting for you."

As the words fell, the remaining white mist suddenly dissipated, and the world became clear.

I gently lifted my eyelids, and the real light fell into my eyes, somewhat dazzling.

When Liu Wenying woke up, she found herself lying on a familiar bed, with a soft silk curtain made by Zhiyun Manor.

Several people were gathered around the bed, all looking down at her.

As their vision gradually cleared, they were Pei Zeyu, Pei Yaojun, Lu Ye, Xue Bi, and... Xiao Yiheng?

"How long have I been asleep...?" Liu Wenying's voice was dry.

Pei Yaojun came up first, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxing a little, and he breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness, Yingying has finally woken up after sleeping for more than a day."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Bi brought over a cup of warm water, a gesture of meticulous care.

"You're still weak after waking up, so drink some water to soothe your throat first. You can't eat anything greasy these days. I'm cooking some congee on the stove, you can eat some later."

The others by the bed were also deeply concerned, each caring for her in their own unique way as she awoke.

Xiao Yiheng, dressed in casual clothes, observed her complexion and, confirming that she was alright, said, "Don't overthink things. I'll take care of things even if the sky falls."

Pei Zeyu, dressed in white with a refined air, quietly and considerately tucked the fallen corner of the blanket around her.

Lu Ye also came in from outside, placed the hot water bottle at her feet, and was extremely attentive without saying a word.

Five distinct kinds of care surrounded her closely.

After Liu Wenying drank some warm water and ate a small bowl of soft and sticky porridge, her weak body felt a little better.

She leaned against the pile of brocade pillows and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind.

"Am I in the village? How did you bring me back?"

What's late will eventually come; the people by the bedside listened with subtle expressions.

Pei Yaojun finally couldn't hold back, "It was Pei Dingxuan. He did something outrageous, but at least he still has some conscience—"

Pei Zeyu pressed down on his shoulder, stopping him from continuing.

When he turned to Liu Wenying, Pei Zeyu tried to keep his tone calm and avoid embellishing the story.

"You were kidnapped and disappeared for more than half a month. We searched for you everywhere and finally found a clue. It was Lu Ye who found you by smelling your scent through the green mountains."

"But at that time you drank the Heart-Revealing Tea and didn't recognize us. You were even still under the influence of the residual medicine. Later... he found Yunmeng and broke the effect of the medicine, so we were able to bring you back to recuperate."

Yunmeng, it turns out that the middle-aged man in my dream was real.

No wonder that last dream shattered completely after that person said it was time to wake up.

No matter how beautiful the illusion created by the drug's effects is, it can never compare to someone in the real world traveling great distances to find her.

"What about the old man?"

Liu Wenying asked directly, unlike Pei Zeyu who deliberately avoided the question.

Everyone was taken aback, not expecting that she would ask about Pei Dingxuan after waking up.

Pei Zeyu answered truthfully: "He did not stop us from taking you away, and he is probably still in that villa at the moment."

As he spoke, he recalled the scene when he left.

As dawn broke, Pei Dingxuan, dressed in a dark blue robe, stood alone in the empty courtyard, his figure still bathed in the lingering night, as solitary and desolate as a faded monument.

…………