色就是空2

“That’s how smart our Yao Yao is. She’s been able to get four A’s after only a few days of training!” she cheerfully exclaimed.

Beaming also with equal joy and pride for his younger sister, Lu Xiangzhi had a wide smile as he watched them, but with this elation. his sister’s victory reminded him of the displeasing treatments she received today.

“Grandma, you don’t know, Yao Yao almost got one less A today...”

After hearing Lu Xiangzhi talk about the difficulties the princess and two teachers gave her, Old Madam Lu frustratedly struck the table with her outrageously huge fan. “How dare they think that we, Lu family, are so easy to bully?!”

Quick in lightening up the mood, Ye Zhen laughed and sweetly soothed her. “Grandma, they didn’t succeed in bullying me! In fact, I won 42,000 dollars from the princess! When I get the silver, I’ll invite you to eat spicy foods at the market shops.”

“Whose inviting who?” Lu Shiming and his wife came in from the outside.

“Father, mother.” Ye Zhen stepped forward and gave a deep salute. “This daughter of yours won a large sum of silver today. She wants to invite her grandma to eat outside.”

“Gee, Mother, look at her! After all these years of raising her, she didn’t even think about inviting us. She only cared for you.” Lu Shiming said with a face of jealousy, addressing the Old Madam in a jest.

The Old Madam laughed with her heart, “Yao Yao managed to get four A’s today! This is a happy event, therefore we must gather to celebrate my dear granddaughter’s success! Perhaps, a table in the shop nearby.”

Ye Zhen immediately put her arms around her. “Grandma, I want to eat their spicy noodles.”

“Well, we shall have noodles then. ” Old Madam Lu turned to tell her servant. “Chen Wei, please arrange a reservation for us at one of the shops in the market.”

The servant bowed and left.

Pei Shi gave Ye Zhen a faintly disapproving look and turned to Old Madam Lu with a smile, “Mother, you can’t spoil this girl like this.”

“But our girls are meant to be pampered.” With little concern, she answered. Mentioning this, she suddenly noticed the absence of the other Lu misses.

“Why haven’t my other granddaughters come back yet?”

“My cousins seemed to have other things to do so they went with Miss Xu. I want to come back early so I didn’t wait for them.” Ye Zhen uttered, mustering a look of concern on her face.

“It’s getting late, and they should be back. I will wait here for them”

“And I shall accompany my grandma.” Ye Zhen grinned which made the Old Madam laugh again.

After accompanying Old Madam Lu for a long while, Ye Zhen scurried towards Pei Shi’s chamber.

“Did the princess really spite you? Is everything okay?” Pei Shi called her daughter to her room, and only then did she ask about what she heard. Because she was with the old madam, she restrained herself from spoiling the moment of joy.

Ye Zhen answered dismissively, “Princess Liu Hua bought off two teachers of the college, thinking that I do not understand the musical art. I danced on a drum which they disagreed with. Fortunately, Mister Shan taught me a lot of things and I was able to defend myself...”

Not liking how her daughter participated in a debt, Pei Shi scolded her. “You should have known when to stop and should have just ignored the princess!”

“Well, if I didn’t defend myself, she’ll continue to bully me in the future.” Ye Zhen said that she had suffered too much grievance when she became the Wang Fei before, but now she didn’t want to follow the same path she took.

What’s the point of being given another life if she’d do the same mistakes?

Instantly, Pei Shi’s face softened. “Tomorrow will be the distribution of the admission notice. You have to be ready by now.” She was definitely elated by her daughter’s success.

Coughing softly, Ye Zhen bats her eyelashes, having something to ask from Pei Shi. “Mother, I want to live in the medical school.”

“Why? It’s not far from home!”

“Indeed, it’s not far. But it takes me more than an hour to go back and forth every day. I don’t like to take a carriage. I will just stay in the school for a few days and have a rest for the weekend which I plan to spend in visiting you here. ” Ye Zhen begged. If she could live in the school, it would be much easier for her to move in secret.

She also had to see Hong Ling and her former confidants. If she remains contained inside the mansion of the Lu family, it would be difficult for her to go out without raising suspicions

Fortunately for her, Pei Shi also loathes the moment when her daughter gets painful bumps in the carriage every day. “This matter has to be discussed with the old madam. If she won’t agree, mother will not be able to give you her permission either.”

Ye Zhen smiled proudly, “Mother, don’t worry. grandmother has already agreed. she is only worried that you and father won’t.”

“You sly little..” Pei’s poked Ye Zhen’s forehead. “The School of Medicine dormitory has two people living in one room. Are you used to living with strangers?”

“Even if I am not accustomed to it, I must. A person like me can certainly get along well with others.” Ye Zhen thought it would be easy to get along with someone as long as he or she is not Princess Liu Hua.

Amusingly, Pei Shi shook her head. “You have some eccentric habits since you were a child. I’m afraid you can’t stand other people’s small habits.”

“Mother, I haven’t tried yet.”

“Well, I’ll tell your father about it. He probably won’t object.” Pei Shi said helplessly.

Ye Zhen hugged Pei Shi’s arm lovingly, “Mother, you are the best.”

*

Pei Shi let Ye Zhen return to her room first, and then She went to talk to Lu Shiming about the matter. Lu Shiming naturally disagreed at first. He could not attain to not see his daughter for a few days, but then, later on, gave in when he thought of the daily journey back and forth which was too much for his delicate daughter.

When Ye Zhen knew that Lu Shiming had agreed, her mood soared even higher. She immediately asked Dai Mei to start packing her things.

In the evening, Lu Fang and Lu Jing finally came back and saw Ye Zhen flutter on the Old Madam Lu like a butterfly. The expressions on their faces were subtle.

Lu Fang smiled and went up to her first. “Yao Yao, congratulations. I didn’t expect you to get four A’s! We were deceived into believing that you only learned A Thousand Character Classic!”

Ye Zhen listened to her sour words and just smiled and calmly spoke. “Second Sister, I told you the truth. I secretly learned to dance on the drum. Later on, Mister Shan pointed out to me that drum dancing could be performed at the examination.”

Her younger sister, Lu Jing, had her lips curled up. “Although you are admitted to the college, you offended Princess Liu Hua by humiliating her in front of everyone, even participating in her bet, making her lose a lot of money and dignity. You should have been more considerate.”

“What does it have to do with me if she can’t accept defeat? I am not the one who started all of it.” Ye Zhen looked wronged but her heart relished in those moments. Asking her to let Liu Hua off her hook? Not going to happen!

Lu Zan smiled and nodded, “Yao Yao is right. It’s not like our family asked the princess to humiliate herself. Tomorrow I’ll go with my fourth younger brother to the princess’ palace to ask for your silver.”

“Thank you, Third Brother!” Ye Zhen smiled and thanked him.

Lu Tingzhi laughed out loud, “Let’s wait until the eldest brother comes back. He may not agree with us doing this!”

With that, Ye Zhen’s little smile sank down and she whispered to herself, “What an annoying, loathsome person!”

Her whisper, however, was too loud for Lu Xiangzhi, who was near her, to hear.

He glared at her—a glare that promises a series of scolding.

Here we go again.