Chapter 113 – The Woman Hiding Behind the Pillar
Xu Lao became more and more suspicious of Ye Zhen’s identity in his heart, but because Lu Xiangzhi was present, he could not ask away.
However, even if he asked, the young miss would not likely answer him.
Ye Zhen didn’t want to be Xu Lao’s student; it was never on her plan. Luckily, Xu Lao didn’t force her either. He reluctantly let Lu Xiangzhi become his student with the agreement of allowing Ye Zhen often come to play chess with him in the future.
This is the best choice the siblings could get, so Ye Zhen gave her utmost thanks and left the waterside pavilion with Lu Xiangzhi.
Lu Lingzhi, who was waiting in the front yard, saw his cousins coming back together. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked particularly at Ye Zhen. From her facial expression, he could not tell what transpired in the pavilion.
“Eldest brother!” Lu Xiangzhi ran up happily to him. “Xu Lao promised to accept me as a student!”
Lu Lingzhi naturally smiled and patted him on the shoulder, “Very well, you have to pay more attention to your studies in the future.”
“I didn’t think Yao Yao Yao could really break the chess game, eldest brother. Xu Lao also said he would accept Yao Yao as a student, but Yao Yao refused.” Lu Xiangzhi could not suppress the joy in his heart.
“Why refuse?” Lu Lingzhi looked at Ye Zhen doubtfully.
Ye Zhen smiled and said, “I am ought to study medicine in the future.”
With sheer disappointment in his eyes, Lu Lingzhi suppressed the thing he had to say. “Alright, we should leave now.”
“Eldest brother, elder brother, I don’t want to go back. I haven’t been on the street since I came to the capital. I want to see more of it.” Ye Zhen knew that Lu Lingzhi would definitely call her to question her decision when she returns home.
Why wouldn’t he? Lu Lingzhi desired in his heart that she not be admitted to the Women’s College. Thus, Ye Zhen sought a way to avoid this discussion—he would undoubtedly force her to become Xu Lao’s student.
Thus, she should not go back and listen to him.
“Where do you want to go? I will accompany you.” Lu Xiangzhi offered immediately.
Ye Zhen glanced at him. “Elder brother, can’t you thank me by letting me buy myself a rouge powder**?”
**T/N: Ancient Rouge Powder – cosmetics
With wide eyes, Lu Xiangzhi looked at his sister while stifling a laugh. “Yao Yao, you never bought these things before!”
She crossed her arms and retaliated grumpily. “Well, I used to be so dark that people couldn’t notice the reddish tint of rouge in my cheeks!.”
“…” Lu Xiangzhi couldn’t find the words to refute and kept himself from laughing. He knew it would hurt his sister.
Lu Lingzhi knew Ye Zhen’s little thoughts and didn’t want to confront her at this time and simply said, “Since Yao Yao wants to go somewhere else, Fourth brother and I shall return first.”
“Then you should be careful and come back early!” Lu Xiangzhi told her uneasily.
“I’m not going anywhere else; I’ll just explore bits of the capital from inside the carriage.”
“You didn’t bring your maid with you, so don’t wander too long by yourself.” Lu Lingzhi reminded her for the last time.
“I know.” Ye Zhen nodded obediently, got into the carriage, and let the boy servant take the reins.
“This sister …” Lu Xiangzhi muttered, watching the carriage drew father until it was out of his sight. Since they came to the capital, his sister had become more and more unpredictable.
Beside him, Lu Lingzhi chuckled and said, “Women undergo 18 changes, remember? Yao Yao is now a big girl, naturally different from before.”
“What’s the difference? She’s still a silly girl.” Lu Xiangzhi uttered with a shake of his head, but his face showed true admiration for his younger sister.
On the other hand, Lu Lingzhi didn’t think the same in his heart. If she was a silly girl, how could he make Xu Lao accept Lu Xiangzhi as a student?
“Come on. We should go back and tell Third Uncle the good news.”
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Ye Zhen got rid of her two brothers and finally didn’t feel the need to hide her emotions. She looked at the scenery outside through the hazy screen window. She was no stranger to the capital, but now she felt a little confused, looking at the passing scenes.
After several rounds of roaming in the streets, Ye Zhen asked the servant boy to stop the carriage at one bustling market. With enthusiasm, she stepped out of the carriage with the servant keeping a close eye at her, fiddled with different rouges displayed, and finally, bought several boxes for her.
Afterward, she mounted the carriage once again and ordered in a low voice.
“Go to the East Side.”
Most of the houses located on the east side of the capital were old houses proudly thriving in wealth and with a history of years. Noble families lived in this area.
Unlike the prosperity surrounding the Lu family, there was a profound and long-standing heritage in the noble families living in this part of the capital. There were no new nobles here, only centuries-old families.
The quietness here was totally different from where she lived today.
“Stop!” Ye Zhen suddenly said, she lifted the curtain and looked at the big mansion across the street.
The seal of the gate has not yet broken, but the plaque was not as bright as she remembered…
The once strongest family in the Jin country had now fallen into a state of brokenness—ruined to the point of impossible restoration…
Ye Zhen still had a deep memory of the Ye family, but she dared not show her feelings.
“It’s quiet here, so I’ll get off and take a stroll. You wait here.” Ye Zhen shoved the curtain over her head and dismounted the carriage as soon as she left instructions for the servant.
“Third miss, this servant must follow you!” The servant intervened her steps with worry in his voice.
Ye Zhen looked at him and saw that he was only a teenager of 13 or 14 years old. She smiled kindly and asked, “What’s your name?”
The servant boy was stunned by Ye Zhen’s brilliant smile and answered in a daze.
“To answer the third miss, this servant is named Quan Fu!”
“Quan Fu, you can see the end of the road here. I can’t possibly be lost! Just wait here, I promise that I will come back safe and sound.” Tomorrow she would take the entrance examination of the Women’s college—her real test is coming at last.
Standing outside Ye’s mansion, Ye Zhen’s heart was surprisingly calm. To tell the truth, when she began to understand the chaos surrounding her family, she already felt that the Ye family would be doomed to extermination sooner or later.
It was all fine when her Grandma was still alive. Her kind but authoritative Grandma restrained her uncle from doing harmful things. But when she died, no one in the family was able to stop her uncle from returning to his sly ways.
Even her father wasn’t able to stop his brother.
Just as what her father had said, her uncle’s desire for power has reached a kind of desperate persistence. He encouraged the previous fatuous emperor to kill his loyal ministers, all who opposed him. Ye family was really powerful at that time.
Ye Zhen did not want to avenge her uncle Ye Yisong, he was the ultimate cause of her family’s demise!
What she hated most about Mo Rongzhan’s decree was not him killing her uncle. No, it was the fact that even though he knew there were innocents, her father and brother included, he still sentenced everyone to the very last member of the Ye family to death.
Her hate was not only for Mo Rongzhan, but also for Lu Lingzhi and Lu Wushuang. She was incapable of revenge now, but she would have a chance in the future.
Ye Zhen once again took a longing look at Ye’s mansion. If she would have a chance in the future, she would take it back.
Wanting to leave, she turned around but was stopped in her tracks when her eyes swept to the side alley and caught a familiar figure.
Ye Zhen turned her head in surprise and saw a face full of unadulterated astonishment—a woman in coarse cloth was standing behind the pillar with half of her face covered. She was staring at Ye Zhen with incredulous, big eyes.
It’s her! Ye Zhen was internally shocked, she couldn’t believe her eyes. The woman’s eyes and physique were of someone she knew too well!
She looked back at the carriage and saw that Quan Fu was not looking at her direction, so she immediately headed for the alley.
“Young miss, young miss … Is that you?” Seeing Ye Zhen coming up, the woman almost knelt, and her voice broke uncontrollably.
Ye Zhen pretended to look at her coldly. She knew who the other person was, but she must pretend otherwise.
“Do you know me?”
This is her maid Hong Ling, who grew up with her. She thought Hong Ling had died in the fire with her. How could she be here alive?