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

The palace was shrouded in darkness as Liu Wenying carried a food box into the palace.

She held the waist token specially bestowed upon her by Xiao Yiheng. After the imperial guards at the gate checked it, they respectfully let her pass, and no one dared to stop her.

Passing through several palace gates, one could hear orderly shouts from afar.

Looking in the direction of the sound, the drill ground was brightly lit with torches. Hundreds of imperial guards were lined up for night training.

A man stood at the front of the formation, clad in black armor with red tassels and a long sword at his waist; it was Pei Yaojun.

He was not wearing a helmet, his black hair was tied up high, and a red headband was tied around his forehead.

The firelight illuminated his eyes as he watched the changing formation.

"The left wing is too slow! Let's try again!"

The Imperial Guards dared not delay and quickly returned to their posts.

Pei Yaojun stepped down from the high platform and personally demonstrated, the spear in his hands moving like a dragon, cutting through the wind.

Liu Wenying stood quietly in the corner, watching.

She had seen him in many different forms: languid, unruly, gentle, and fiery, but rarely had she seen him so stern and murderous.

After demonstrating his marksmanship, Pei Yaojun stood still, his breathing steady.

His gaze swept across the entire room, then suddenly settled on a certain corner.

He saw her and longed to rush to her side immediately, but personal feelings couldn't interfere with official business, as it wouldn't be good for either of them.

Pei Yaojun had no choice but to suppress the urge to rush to the past and focus on staying put.

He only finished explaining the follow-up duty arrangements after all the training subjects were completed.

Pei Yaojun turned around and strode towards where Liu Wenying was.

"Yingying, what brings you here tonight?"

Liu Wenying picked up the food box, "I brought you a midnight snack."

But he didn't want a midnight snack; he wanted to eat her.

Pei Yaojun only dared to think these words; he didn't dare to actually say them aloud.

Pei Yaojun led him to sit down on the stone steps by the training ground. The place was far from the lights and dimly lit, barely qualifying as a private corner.

Liu Wenying opened the food box, inside were still warm chicken soup wontons.

"Will Yingying feed me?"

Liu Wenying was taken aback. "It was Third Master himself..."

"My hands are dirty, not clean."

Fearing she wouldn't believe him, he opened his hand, and his palm was indeed covered in dust.

Helpless, Liu Wenying picked up a spoon, scooped up some wontons, blew on them to cool them, and handed them to his lips.

Pei Yaojun didn't stand on ceremony and bit down on the whole thing.

A few low laughs came from beside the drill ground.

Several young imperial guards stole glances in their direction, but were immediately silenced by a single look from Pei Yaojun, and straightened their backs to continue their drills.

Pei Yaojun swallowed the wonton. "Watch it again, practice it a hundred more times!"

The imperial guards dared not look away even a fraction.

"Third Master is so impressive." Liu Wenying gave a thumbs-up with her other hand.

Pei Yaojun ate another one from her right hand, his peach blossom eyes brimming with smiles, as if filled with amber wine that made one intoxicated.

After they finished eating, Pei Yaojun took her hand and said, "I'll take you somewhere."

As they passed through the palace gates, the imperial guards bowed their heads in respect upon seeing him.

The night was deep, the palace road was deserted, the lights along the way were dim, and the shadows of the trees swayed.

He led her up the steps, familiar with the area, to the highest observatory in the palace.

This high platform, unobstructed by buildings, is perfect for enjoying the cool evening breeze, gazing at the moon, or sitting quietly watching the stars.

The two went up to the observatory. The capital city stretched out below them, with thousands of lights like an inverted Milky Way. In the distance, there were still scattered lights in the market, and further away, the shadows of the mountains were heavy.

Looking up, the sky hangs low, filled with stars, clearer and closer than they appear on the ground, as if one could reach out and pluck one from the sky.

There was a stone table nearby, and Pei Yaojun pulled Liu Wenying to sit down.

"Third Master, are you tired? Would you like to lean on me and rest a bit more?"

Pei Yaojun leaned on her shoulder. He was tired, but seeing her made him feel less tired.

A gentle evening breeze blew, the Milky Way shone brightly, and the two chatted casually.

He mentioned the few new recruits in the Imperial Guard whose archery skills were ridiculously bad.

She mentioned a recent order her silk shop had received: a wealthy family was getting married and had ordered over two hundred bolts of brocade.

"The hot springs at Yinian Manor are excellent. When Third Master takes a break, he can soak in them to relieve his fatigue. What do you think, Third Master?"

After she finished speaking and received no response, she turned her head and saw that Pei Yaojun had fallen asleep on her shoulder.

The clear moonlight shone down and fell on his face, relaxing his arched eyebrows, revealing his high nose bridge and well-defined lips.

His usual unruly aura, which seemed capable of stirring up storms, subsided, and he became quiet and still.

Even when asleep, his jawline is sharp, and the curve of his Adam's apple has a kind of dormant power.

As if possessed, she moved closer.

Just as Liu Wenying was about to wake him, his tightly closed eyes suddenly opened.

Peach Blossom's eyes shone brightly, devoid of any drowsiness, and even carrying a triumphant smile.

Before she could even react, his hand had already hooked around the back of her neck, pulling her closer with an irresistible force.

Their slightly cool lips pressed tightly together.

He held her in his arms, her back against the cold edge of the stone table, her chest pressed against his.

After the kiss, their foreheads touched, their breaths mingling.

"Yingying has been tricked."

Liu Wenying realized what he meant and glared at him, "You were pretending to be asleep?"

"Warfare is based on deception."

Pei Yaojun leaned closer and pecked her lips again.

He applied all the strategies he learned from military books to his own practice.

Liu Wenying gently punched his shoulder, "Third Master!"

"I'm here."

He readily agreed, pulling her into his arms and resting his chin on the top of her head.

"It's because you got so close just now, it made my heart itch."

"Hmph, if Third Master is sleepy, he should go back to sleep."

"I'm not sleepy. Holding you like this is more relaxing than taking a nap."

A night breeze swept across the high platform, causing the two people's clothes to flutter.

The stars revolve in the sky, while the capital city rests peacefully beneath our feet.

The two spent the entire night watching the stars from the observatory until dawn.

What happened that night, of course, did not escape His Majesty's notice. Pei Yaojun became even busier, guarding the palace every day and having no free time.

Just yesterday, he finally got a chance and managed to get a day off from Xiao Yiheng.

Shedding his armor and official duties, Pei Yaojun became like glue, sticking to Liu Wenying every step of the way.

From Zhuangzi to the capital, wherever she went, he followed.

She was dressed casually, her ponytail tied high, and she was holding half a bag of freshly bought candied plums in her hand, popping one into her and her mouth as she walked.

"Third Master, don't you have anything to do yourself?" Liu Wenying asked helplessly. Pei Yaojun's aura was too strong, which could easily scare away guests.

Pei Yaojun nodded, "Of course."

"Then Third Master can take advantage of his day off to do his own thing."

"My life revolves around Yingying; wherever Yingying goes, I go."

Liu Wenying was both amused and exasperated, and could only let him be.

Today, she came to the silk shop as usual, and Pei Yaojun naturally followed.

As soon as the two got off the carriage, they heard an argument coming from inside the shop.

…………