As the night delved deeper, the brothers continued to immerse themselves with each other's company until the conversations dwindled and the night embraced its quiet. At this hours, Ye Zhen had already retired to her room alone, she let her maid-in-waiting rest right after she finished helping her step into her nightgown.
Weary, she nestled under the sheets comfortably and let exhaustion lull her. She was about to lost herself in her dreams when she felt the familiar tingling sensation on her right hand. She groggily sat up and fixed her gaze over her right palm.
The flaming phoenix tattoo on her right palm had another drop of red glittering water which she remembered, appeared once before. She froze, chills ran the back of her spine. Her transmigration was a mystery, and this was yet a part of it.
She tentatively touched the droplet with her fingertip, ans the droplet rolled on one fresh wound of her palm she caused herself when anxiety of meeting Lu Lingzhi became too great of a burden. The wounds bled, yes, but she didn't as much gave it attention for she dealt with pain much worse than a scrape by fingernails.
But at this moment, her attention was invested entirely on the wound, not by the presence of it but rather, by the absence of it! She opened her eyes wide in horror. What is going on?
She turned the palm of her hand. Is she hallucinating? The palm of her hand, which had jus been pinched bloody by her fingernails now had only a few traces of faint scars.
No way! Ye Zhen exclaimed to herself. The wound on her left palm was oozing with blood and she could actually recall the stabbing pain the moment her fingernails dug deep in her skin. It surely couldn't be an illusion!
Ye Zhen's was shocked and uncertain. She had no idea what had happened. The palm of her hand, which had been bloody a moment before, was now only scarred. If it were not for the strange experience that she had once died, she would have screamed out in terror.
By then, a struck of suspicion hit her. Looking closely at the eye of the phoenix, she saw another droplet of glittering water slowly emerge from it.
With pounding heart, she tentatively smeared the droplet on another wound on her left palm. Although there was only one drop, it was enough to soak the entire wound.
The bleeding wound slowly stopped and the opened skin was healing..
Just like a spring, droplets of water continued to appear from the phoenix's eyes. She turned ghastly pale as an absurd idea came to her. Was she, Ye Zhen was not only reborn but was also given such a wonderful ability by God?
Unutterable panic swarmed her thoughts and she hastily put her hands in the basin and watched the droplets disappear in the water. It took her a long time before she wiped her hands and decided to finally have a good sleep.
Maybe tomorrow she will find that she was dreaming. She hoped.
*
Ye Zhen did not sleep well that night. She dreamed all night that she was discovered by Lu Lingzhi and then consumed once again by the scorching fire.
"Third miss, did you have a nightmare again?" The maid came to attend to her mistress and saw her sitting bed gasping for air.
Confused, the maid didn't understand what was exactly going on with Ye Zhen but it did look like nightmares haunt her everyday that sedatives couldn't even help anymore!
Ye Zhen nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. She then looked down at her hands and was astonished. How odd for the once rough and scarred hands are now smooth, flawless even!
Instead of having soft smooth hands just like other little girls, Lu Yaoyao's hands were rough since her childhood. Due to her constant trek in the meadows, scars from accidental scratches marred the back of her palms.
Ye Zhen looked at the basin of water where she washed her hands last night… The droplet mixed with the water, was it the one who made her scars disappear?
"Is the water in that basin still there?" Ye Zhen asked the maid next to her, only to find that she did not seem to know the name of the maid serving her.
"The other water in the basin the third miss used in the courtyard the other day was poured and yesterday, this servant looked at the flowers and plants outside, and some withered plants bloomed to life again! So, this servant emptied the basin in the miss' room from last night and poured it to the garden also." Seeing Ye Zhen finally taking the initiative to talk, the maid can't help but say a few more words.
Ye Zhen was stunned. True to the maid's words, how did the withered flowers bloomed to life from pouring the water she washed her hands with?
"What is your name?"
"This maid servant's name is Dai Mei, third miss." said the maid with a smile.
Ye Zhen smiled in return and asked Dai Mei to help her change her clothes. Now that she is in good shape, she could no longer pull off her pretense and keep holed up in her chamber. Her deep hatred couldn't be quenched by staying idle.
That's why after breakfast, Ye Zhen and her maid came to the hall to greet Old Madam Lu.
Just as she got out of her small courtyard, Ye Zhen saw Fourth Miss Lu coming gracefully from the other side. From the last time she saw her, Fourth miss Lu's temperament wasn't any brighter. She must be given credits for this, Ye Zhen thought amusingly, for her lofty and aloof aura made her look like a lady of high standing rather than just a daughter of a merchant.
"Fourth Sister," Ye Zhen took the initiative to approach her and acknowledge her presence. If she wanted to gain trust of the family, she must start off first by being cordial to everyone, including the fourth miss no matter how she behaved like a little hellion from the seven hells!
"Are you going to greet Grandma too? Perfect because I was about to —"
Fourth Miss Lu looked at Ye Zhen coldly and proudly said, "What time is it now that the third elder sister decided to pay her respect? If you wanted to pretend to be filial, you can at least show some sincerity."
Ye Zhen stupefied for a moment that how mean and direct Fourth Miss Lu was. She got up late because of nightmares and was thus, late in paying filial piety. Still, this didn't bother her at the least, it was all just an act after all.
"I'll bear that in mind, Fourth sister." Ye Zhen smiled sweetly, not letting people see the sarcasm in her eyes.
Fourth Miss Lu gave Ye Zhen a contemptuous look and proudly left with her chin up. Her heart was really proud. She didn't even bother to hide her disgust towards Ye Zhen whom she deemed as some pathetic rat from the border town — the wild girl who was not worth to be called her cousin.
"Third miss, please don't take offence of Fourth miss' words. She is just like that because she is attending the women's college where she gained the praise of one certain professor. Lu family is quite popular in the capital and Miss Lu bears the pressure of having the surname." Dai Mei worried that Ye Zhen might take it to heart and so, she comforted her in a low voice.
According to Fourth Miss Lu's temperament, Ye Zhen could see that her popularity got to her head.
Ye Zhen smiled faintly, "I have just arrived in the capital and I don't know a lot about them, so I need you to say everything you tell me everything about my family."
Dai Mei hurriedly said no, but she told Ye Zhen all about the temperament of the girls.
Old Madam Lu held great importance to the the girls of the Lu family, Second and Fourth Miss Lu was no exception despite being daughters of concubines. She had Lu Lingzhi send them to the women's college to study. Second Miss Lu who entered the college earlier didn't graduate until she reached the age of 16. It took her longer than anyone else in her batch to graduate. As a result, she didn't get any marriage prospects even after she earned the degree because of her mediocre performance back at the academy. So, she stayed home, unwed.
After the new emperor ascended to the throne, the Lu family rose on the ladder of status. Fourth Miss Lu's reputation in the academy became more and more prominent. Therefore, she regarded herself more as a lady of a respectable family, fed in her popularity. Even her second older sister was disdainful of what her sister had become.
A woman of noble status, Ye Zhen also had her fair share in the hardship the academy offered. Nonetheless, she was an exquisite student. She was talented and did an excellent job in her studies. Unfortunately, she had to stop attending the college when she married Mo Rongzhan at the ripe age of 13.
She and Mo Rongzhan didn't consummate their wedding. Some said that he deemed her as child, but others who fostered envy of her said that Mo Rongzhan didn't find her interesting at all.
With the absence of Mo Rongzhan, Ye Zhen then returned to the college and it only took her one year to finish her studies!
Wang Fei of Qin Country used to be a legend in the women's college, but no matter how hard she tried, she was just an insignificant person to Mo Rongzhan. Not a letter of felicitation was sent by the emperor regarding her success.
"The capital's most famous college is not an official school but a women's college. It is said that it was opened by Empress Duan Hui of the former dynasty 100 years ago." Dai Mei thought that Ye Zhen did not know the origin of the women's college and introduced it to her patiently.
How could Ye Zhen not know how the women's college came into being? It was the Empress Duan Hui of the previous dynasty who personally opened the college. She was the true legend that not only won the exclusive favor of Emperor Rui Wu, but also changed the status of women all over the continent!
Whenever Ye Zhen was bored, she liked reading biographies best, and the Empress Duan Hui, a powerful figure in the Qin dynasty who broke all the bounds of gender, was the woman she always yearned to follow.