If you want to survive after transmigrating, become the male protagonist's new mother.

The butler stepped aside to make way and silently led the way.

Pei Yuening followed behind him, only a short distance away from Luo Ren.

But halfway there, the person next to me suddenly moved.

Luo Ren slightly raised his hand, leaving an almost explicit angle in the crook of his arm.

"..." Pei Yuening couldn't help but laugh and obediently took his arm.

The Duke's dining room was simpler than the reception room.

But it was only a little bit.

A long table was placed in the center of the room, covered with a tablecloth of an unknown material with a dark pattern.

The candlestick stood quietly, still burning even in the daytime.

The butler walked to the lower right side of the main seat, grasped the back of the chair, and gently pulled it out.

He stood to the side and bowed slightly to Pei Yuening: "Young Master Pei, please sit down."

Pei Yuening paused for a moment: "...This location?"

"Yours," Luo Ren said.

Pei Yuening sat down silently, her ears starting to burn again.

Two servants filed in carrying trays, silently and precisely placing the plated dishes on the table.

The butler came forward, poured them tea, and was about to leave.

Pei Yuening thought for a moment, then called out softly, "Butler."

The butler paused, then respectfully asked, "Yes, Young Master Pei, is there anything else you require?"

"Leave a portion of the meal for Ollie," Pei Yuening said. "He had a tough afternoon of sparring, he should have some when he gets back tonight..."

He glanced at Luo Ren halfway through his sentence.

Luo Ren smiled slightly at him and said, "Mm."

The butler paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I understand, don't worry."

The plates were still steaming.

The dark brown broth gleamed enticingly in the silver dish, and the potatoes were stewed until soft and tender.

Pei Yuening took a bite.

The chicken was tender and not fishy; it was stewed just right.

The accompanying mushrooms soak up all the broth, and they practically burst in your mouth when you bite into them.

Although it's not as authentic as the modern version, it's still very delicious.

Pei Yuening breathed a satisfied sigh of relief.

"Oh dear..." He turned his head casually, "Huh?!"

Luo Ren had finished eating.

Not a single grain of rice remained on his plate; he ate even the onions clean.

Now she is elegantly holding a teacup to cleanse her palate.

"..." Pei Yuening was taken aback: "You...eat so fast?"

"Yes," Luo Ren nodded, "I'm used to it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Every second counts on the battlefield, and time is rarely available for meals."

"Oh..." Pei Yuening lowered his eyes: "So that's how it is."

Wouldn't that make it very easy to develop fatty liver disease?!

He glanced at Luo Ren, and inwardly he couldn't help but scream.

He ate the meal thoughtfully.

The butler came in and took away the tableware, and Pei Yuening took Luo Ren's hand, letting him lead her to the garden.

Several trees, whose names I don't know, are surrounded by slivers of light, scattered everywhere, their branches swaying gently in the afternoon breeze.

This time, instead of going to the table to drink tea as they did last time, they moved to the swings on the other side to sit down.

There was no one in the garden; even the butler's footsteps stopped far behind them.

Pei Yuening slowly moved closer to Luo Ren.

First the weight of the shoulder, then the weight of the entire arm.

Finally, he turned his head and gently rested it on Luo Ren's shoulder.

Luo Ren did not move.

Pei Yuening hesitated for a moment, then quietly reached out her hand.

Her fingertips probed through the narrow gap between the two people and touched Luo Ren's.

The next second, Luo Ren opened his fingers and grabbed it directly.

His fingertips slipped between Pei Yuening's fingers, his palm pressed against Pei Yuening's palm, their fingers intertwined.

Pei Yuening froze.

Luo Ren's hands were a size larger than his, with distinct knuckles. Warmth emanated from their pressed palms, and his heartbeat was so loud the whole world could hear it.

The wind swept across the lawn, ruffling the stray hairs on my forehead and causing the swing to sway slightly.

The butler stood at a distance, his hands hanging down, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

He had spent many years in the Duke's mansion and had witnessed Luo Ren grow from a boy into a young man.

I've also seen him reading, adventuring, and even going to the battlefield, returning with Philo after ten years in the North.

Others may not be able to empathize, but he knows.

Luo Ren was lonely.

Like towering among the stars, power means that no one can match it, and no one can accompany it.

He wondered what his future duchess would be like—perhaps dignified and virtuous.

Perhaps gentle, perhaps assertive, or perhaps as serious as Luo Ren.

But unexpectedly, the one who ended up holding his hand was a child without magic.

The butler lowered his eyes slightly, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his face, which bore the marks of time.

He was happy for Luo Ren.

I'm genuinely happy.

However, at that moment, a series of hurried footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.

The butler glanced sideways.

A young servant was hurrying through the corridor.

He frowned, glanced at the two still cuddling together, stepped back onto the veranda, and blocked their way.

"What is it?"

After recognizing the person who had arrived, the servant bowed respectfully and said, "Steward."

He stopped two steps away and whispered a few words in someone's ear.

The butler nodded slightly, signaling the servants to leave.

Then, he straightened his clothes and strode into the depths of the garden.

The footsteps made a soft rustling sound on the cobblestones. Luo Ren turned around and saw the butler standing about five steps away.

"Your Grace," the butler bowed, "someone from the palace has arrived and requests that you proceed to the ancient temple ruins immediately."

Pei Yuening raised her head.

Luo Ren paused for a moment, then asked, "What is it?"

"He didn't go into details," the steward said. "He only said it was an imperial edict, requesting that you depart as soon as possible."

"understood."

Luo Ren turned around, touched Pei Yuening's cheeks with both hands, and gently placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I have to go now. Shall I have the housekeeper take you home?"

Pei Yuening was a little disappointed, but still nodded obediently: "...Okay, I understand."

He paused, then added, "Take care on the road."

"Okay," Luo Ren reassured him, pecking his lips. "I'll have someone send you a letter later."

Pei Yuening then smiled and said, "Mm!"

Luo Ren stood up and strode across the lawn.

As he walked, he also used a wind magic telepathy.

"Philo, come to see me."

Pei Yuening watched him go from where she stood, letting out a barely perceptible sigh.

The butler stayed by his side and whispered, "Young Master Pei, I'll escort you back to the Duke of Winters' mansion."

Pei Yuening then came to her senses.

"Okay, thank you."

He stood up from the swing and straightened his clothes.

Please come with me.

Pei Yuening followed the steward out, and the servants they encountered along the way stopped to bow, showing even greater respect than when they arrived.

……

The carriage stopped at the Duke of Winston's residence.

His own butler had already hurried out to greet him, bowing slightly from a distance.

"Young Master is back."

Pei Yuening hummed in agreement and handed him the schoolbag. "Butler, is my brother back?"

The butler said respectfully, "You've been back, young master."

"But just now, the master received another imperial decree and has already taken Aurora to the ancient temple ruins."

Pei Yuening stopped in her tracks.

"What?" He turned his head. "My brother went too? Did he say anything?"

"That's right," the butler bowed his head, "The imperial edict came very urgently, and the master didn't say what it was about."

"They only told you to rest after you got back and not to wait for him to eat."

Pei Yuening stood on the steps, momentarily stunned.

Luo Ren had just left when Ye Jiyun also left.

They both went to the same place.

Ancient temple ruins...

What is that?

It wasn't mentioned at all in the original work.