Chapter 64

Chapter 64 – Placing The Odds On Her Name (1)

Lu Shiming personally told Old Madam Lu that he would take Pei Shi and the children to the hot springs for a few days. Surprisingly, Old Madam seemed to already know about it.

According to her, the brother and sister had been so busy recently that visiting the hot springs would help them relieve exhaustion.

However, Old Madam Lu asked him to take the other misses with him.

Ye Zhen was naturally disappointed at Old Madam’s words. She had proposed to go to the hot springs to avoid the family so that she could have a just reason to become more beautiful!

But in the company of the misses of the Lu Family, how could her stunt pave off?

Oh, heavens please be good to me!

Giddy with ideas for a trip in her head, Old Madam Lu went to find Lu Jing and Lu Fang to ask them personally if they’d like to go to the hot springs too.

“Grandmother, we’d like to go, but only yesterday we accepted the invitation from the second daughter of Prime Minister Xu’s family. Tomorrow, we will be visiting them for a poetry meeting. We also have plans to go to Baihua Garden to enjoy the flowers,” Lu Jing said, clearly disinterested in going to the hot springs, especially in the company of Ye Zhen.

Old Madam Lu did not force her, but asked Ye Zhen, “Yaoyao, do you want to go to the hot springs or join Jing’er and her friends for poetry reading?”

The second daughter of Prime Minister Xu’s family, isn’t that Xu Huiru?

She and Ye Zhen had studied at the academy before. Both were excellent at poetry and painting. Xiu Huiru was always displeased with Ye Zhen, always trying to prove that she was better than her.

“Grandmother, I will not go. I do not know how to write poems or even paint! Going will only cause trouble to Fourth Sister. I’ll go after I learn,” Ye Zhen said with a smile, humbling herself in front of the hateful sisters.

Tilting her head a little higher, Lu Jing seemed pleased by Ye Zhen’s words. “Third Sister is right not to go.”

A bit disheartened by her granddaughters’ decisions, but seeing that she couldn’t persuade anyone anymore, Old Madam Lu did not insist further.

“Well, then, my third daughter-in-law will bring Yaoyao and Xiang’er to the hot springs for a few days.”

With that, Ye Zhen’s spirits were lifted, her mouth couldn’t help but morph into a victorious smile!

Pei Shi saw this and thought how she didn’t know how much her daughter loved the hot springs. So, she quickly ordered the maids to prepare their needs for the journey.

It was best to leave for the hot springs before noon, the roads could be dangerous at night.

Ye Zhen was in a good mood and threw a charming smile at Old Madam. “Grandmother, you should come with us, too. I heard that hot springs can beautify you. We’ll come back being more beautiful.”

“Hahaha! Grandmother can’t go this time. But if you come back more beautiful then there shouldn’t be any reason for me not to go the next time!” Old Madam Lu said happily.

Lu Jing secretly showed a disdainful expression, her hands curled into fists, as she watched the old madam laugh heartily because of Ye Zhen.

If one could be beautiful by soaking in hot springs, why do ugliness and obscenities exist in this world?

The matters were set and Ye Zhen left the room briskly. She told Dai Mei to pack her things and went to Teacher Shan to personally invite her.

As she had presumed earlier, Teacher Shan had no problem. To her, studying was the same anywhere.

On her way out, she found some of the misses playing guqin in the pavilion by the garden. It was the Chen Sisters who had specifically taken temporary residence in the mansion. With them were Lu Jing and Lu Fang, and their faces were close to each other, as they talked about something trivial.

Or, someone! Surely, Ye Zhen was one of their hot topics! Envious hellions!

“Third Sister didn’t go to the hot springs to avoid the poetry meeting, did she?” Chen Liping asked suspiciously.

“Sister Liping shouldn’t say that. It would hurt Third Sister.” Lu Jing chuckled mockingly. “When the third sister enters the Academy for Women, she will naturally dare to attend the poetry meeting.”

Chen Qiuping was a bit more restrained and said nothing.

Ye Zhen gave them a carefree look and said with a smile, “I may not be able to pass the entrance examination yet. Please don’t go outside and say it, lest I be humiliated.”

“Still needs us to stay quiet? During the Flower Appreciation Meet, many people heard about you- the third miss of our family who has only learned The Thousand Character Classic¹ but has the guts to take the entrance examination! Third Sister may not know about this but people have secretly started bets!” Lu Jing exclaimed tauntingly.

Dai Mei who was at Ye Zhen’s rear froze at the news.

“Bets? What bets?” Ye Zhen asked in disbelief.