Chapter 23 – Flower Appreciation Festival (1)
Ye Zhen finally looked intently at the fourth miss of the Lu family who showed distaste to her ever since the day they first met. She grew up in the capital and looked down on Lu Yaoyao just because she had led a carefree life back in the Border Town.
Was Fourth Miss Lu jealous of her?
“Fourth Sister, what do you mean by that?” Ye Stand said and looked at her face of confusion and ignorance although, she was without anger.
In the bottom of her heart, Fourth Miss Lu despised Ye Zhen. When she learned that Mister Shan was willing to teach her, she almost smashed the vase in her room!
She had gone to Mister Shan personally before and had asked him to become her teacher. But then, he declined the offer and said that she was not at all qualified to be his student!
Does this mean that Lu Yaoyao’s qualifications far better than hers?
Uncontrolled jealousy and unwillingness to accept such fact have filled her heart. She already envied Lu Wushuang who is the most popular girl in the Lu family and the current w.a.n.g Fei of Qin dynasty.
Now, here comes another girl named Lu Yaoyao who has easily taken away the Old Madam Lu’s care for her.
“Everyone in the capital knows that Mister Shan’s students are all exceptional. If others will know that you are his student when you attend the festival…” Fourth miss Lu covered her mouth as if she thought of something funny, before speaking, “…It is important that you ought to not have stage fright!”
It didn’t take Ye Zhen long to know that her fourth sister was mocking her. Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself together and looked at her without wearing her usual smile.
Fourth Miss Lu must know better than to make fun of her, “Thank you, fourth sister, for reminding me that Mister Shan will be there to protect me from having stage fright.”
Fourth Miss Lu’s face turned blue with anger and gave Ye Zhen a hard look. She then turned away and refused to talk to her again.
“Third younger sister, you may not have heard of Mister Shan’s reputation in the Border town, but Mister Shan is a famous and talented man. Over the years, only two have been admitted as his students. One is the former w.a.n.g Fei of Qin Dynasty, and the other is Zhao Yang of Zhu region. Unfortunately, the w.a.n.g Fei’s life is so short and Zhaoyang has become a widow…”
This is like saying that Mister Shan’s students are not blessed. Ye Zhen smiled at the thought of Princess Zhao Yang but said nothing.
Her relations.h.i.+p with Zhao Yang was not very good. Still, there is a mutual feeling between them, since they are both well-cultivated and bright, that they will not do anything to hurt each other.
If one of them provokes and anger the other, they will maintain their ground and never allow that anger control them.
Both of them looked down upon doing such things. Of the people she knew, Zhao Yang was among the few who didn’t feel the need to please people. She also had quite reasonable views in life, always choosing harsh truth over kind falsity.
“Second sister, are you then afraid that I will become a widow too?” Ye Zhen asked Second Miss Lu with mirth in her eyes.
Second Miss Lu laughed in return, her eyes wrinkling at the corners, before replying, “Third Sister, don’t be offended if I just say it so casually.”
Ye Zhen smiled and shook her head. “I know that Second Sister cares for me. How can I be offended by that?”
She was uncertain if she would be able to meet Zhao Yang at this flower appreciation meeting, but the chance was not slim. She thought things over and realized — she has no one to ask for help nor she could help. Although she has been reborn, she could not do anything, she was powerless.
Who knows that she is Ye Zhen and help her at her call? No one!
But, what if she could still help her old friend in the person of Lu Yaoyao, the person she was reborn as?
Second miss gave a faltering laugh and suddenly, the carriage settled down at a new road.