Chapter 169

Chapter 169 – A Dangerous Existence (2)

Ye Zhen sat opposite Lu Lingzhi, cocked her head, and looked at him doubtfully. “Eldest Brother, I can go to the academy by myself. Your injury is still not healed, so you should not have bothered to send me off yourself.”

Lu Lingzhi looked at his cousin, who had significantly changed in a short period. Today, she wore a green rose brocade dress made tight with a waistband. Her skin was as white as porcelain, her bright eyes sparkling like the stars of the midnight. A shallow smile was plastered on her face but still, she looked beautiful like spring.

It was no wonder that such a young girl made Lu Wushuang feel threatened.

“Eldest Brother is going to Camp Xishan and will just drop you off.” Lu Lingzhi informed her. He then averted his gaze away from her and talked in a grave tone. “Yaoyao, did something bad happen to you in the palace yesterday?”

Indeed, as expected, he started to ask about yesterday’s events!

Ye Zhen looked at him in surprise. “Why is Eldest Brother asking this? Nothing unfortunate happened yesterday.”

Lu Lingzhi did not miss the surprise and panic on her face. He then assumed that she must be worried that the wang fei in the palace still misunderstands her.

“I know everything,” Lu Lingzhi said.

Of course, you do! Ye Zhen smirked inwardly.

When Lu Lingzhi was not looking at her, she assumed a calm exterior. Anyway, she had nothing to hide now.

“Yaoyao, can you tell me what happened?” Lu Lingzhi asked in a concerned voice.

“Did not Eldest Brother just say that he knows everything? Why should I relay the occurrences of my visit to the palace?” Ye Zhen said nonchalantly.

She wanted Lu Lingzhi’s help, but she could not just change her previous rejection of him this fast, otherwise, it would make him think that she was seeking something from him.

Lu Lingzhi smiled faintly. “Grandmother told me something, but I still feel curious. How did you meet the emperor? What happened between you and Princess Royal?”

Ye Zhen pursed her lips and was somewhat displeased. Lu Lingzhi suspected that she deliberately approached the emperor.

She said coldly, “When I came out from the little prince’s palace and met Princess Royal and her daughter on the road, Liu Hua accused me of pushing her to the ground even if she fell on her own intentionally. In retribution, one of the Princess Royal’s maid shoved me towards the lotus pond nearby us. The emperor happened to see this just in time and saved me from this ultimate embarrassment. If Eldest Brother suspects that I met the emperor intentionally, then he is wrong.”

Lu Lingzhi looked at her angry face and could not help but laugh. “Eldest Brother does not doubt you, do not overthink.”

“No doubt?” Ye Zhen looked at him mockingly. “Am I only overthinking? Eldest Brother, are you only worried that I will make the wang fei unhappy?”

“Yaoyao, the wang fei is a sister to you. Yesterday was just a misunderstanding. If it were not for Princess Royal stirring up discord, she definitely would not… misunderstand you.” Lu Lingzhi spoke up for Lu Wushuang.

There was no doubt that he was a good brother who took good care of his sister. No wonder he betrayed Ye Zhen and poisoned her for Lu Wushuang’s benefit. “Do you mean to say that I deserve the wang fei’s slap?”

The apathy in Ye Zhen’s tone made Lu Lingzhi feel an indescribable heartache. “Eldest Brother does not mean that.”

“Eldest Brother, I know what you mean. I should not have entered the palace yesterday. If I had not entered the palace, there would be no such misunderstanding, I would not be hurt, and most of all, I would not have angered the wang fei. It was all my fault.” Ye Zhen’s eyes were slightly red, and her tone a little angrier.

The conversation took a direction that Lu Lingzhi did not expect. At this moment, he felt a surging worry. He had a hard time getting Lu Yaoyao to be cordial to him. He did not want to make her hate him because of this.

“This matter has nothing to do with you. Today, I will go to the palace to explain your side to the wang fei.”

What is there to explain?

Ye Zhen floated as a spirit  in the palace for two years. She was too familiar with Lu Wushuang’s temperament. Lu Lingzhi would not get good results if he spoke up for her in front of his sister. It will only make others hate her more.

However, this did not bother Ye Zhen. She wanted Lu Wushuang to resent her while she appeared defenseless. People are very strange and liked to sympathize with the weak. In everyone’s eyes, between her and Lu Wushuang, she was the weak one.

She wanted Old Madam Lu and the Lu Family to stand by her side, and Lu Lingzhi to stop doing everything for Lu Wushuang. Although this was a difficult thing to do, her determination said otherwise.

“Will Wang Fei believe you?” Ye Zhen bit her lip and acted as if she could not hide her grievance. “I explained it yesterday, but she did not believe what I said.”

Lu Lingzhi smiled and said, “Wang Fei does not know you, so she misunderstood you.”

“The wang fei does not know me. Does Eldest Brother not know me well too?” Ye Zhen asked lightly, “Do you think I met the emperor on purpose?”

“No, no. Eldest Brother said the wrong thing,” Lu Lingzhi said helplessly.

Ye Zhen glanced at him. “You are right to think so. The emperor is young and handsome and is the most superior. Who does not like him?”

Lu Lingzhi’s face changed slightly. “Yaoyao?”

The corner of Ye Zhen’s soft mouth lifted, and her eyes gleamed with cunningness. “I understand why Eldest Brother thinks that I like the emperor. But I have lived a carefree life in the border town since I was a child. I have long been accustomed to that unconstrained life. If I am made to live in the palace, I would rather go back to the border town.”

These were her sincere words. After two years of living in her lonesome palace as the wang fei and two years of being trapped in its walls watching the concubines fight each other, was it worth it to get the attention of Mo Rongzhan?

Mo Rongzhan was a cold-hearted person who never paid much attention to any woman. To fall in love with such a man was foolishness. Besides, he was still the emperor, his sole wife was the country.

That said, how could Ye Zhen repeat the same mistake and like Mo Rongzhan again?

“You do not have to go back to the border town to be free.”

Ye Zhen lifted her chin as she said, “Of course, I will be a physician in the future.”

“Why do you want to be an imperial physician? Many women will stay at home after they marry and have children.” Lu Lingzhi raised his eyebrows and asked, this was the first time he had ever heard of this reasoning.

“Why do women have to stay at home with their husbands and children? Do they not have dreams? Well, I do, and it is to become an imperial physician.”

“Did you not say you do not want to enter the palace? But to be one, you have to go to the palace frequently.”

Ye Zhen glared at him. “How is that the same? I will go to the palace only to serve.”

Lu Lingzhi was amused by her and just shook his head. “If someone bullies you in the academy, please tell your eldest brother.”

“What’s the use of telling you? Can you beat them for me?”

“Why, with that tone, I would think that you want to beat people yourself.” Lu Lingzhi’s handsome face showed a warm smile.

Ye Zhen looked at his familiar smile and felt disgusted—it was the same smile he used to give her when she was still the naïve Wang Fei Ye.

Nevertheless, she smiled back. “Yes, I will do that.”