cold clothes

Chrysanthemums wither, wounds cover the ground, and your smile has faded...

After a grueling afternoon, Leng Yi suddenly remembered this popular modern song. In this situation, the song was so fitting!

Leng Yi didn't even have the strength to go downstairs for dinner. Ling Cao carried her back to her room, where she lay on the bed, half-paralyzed.

"I haven't been this tired in so long... It feels like the last time I was this tired was in my past life."

Lingcao couldn't help but laugh and said, "How can anyone know about their past life? Ningbi, Miss, you're really joking."

"Ah—I just feel like the days of exile were like what happened in my past life." Leng Yisong stretched her muscles and then added, "If you're not used to being called 'Miss,' don't change it."

"It's against the rules not to change it." Lingcao composed herself and respectfully massaged Lengyi's legs.

Leng Yi felt only frustration. Because she couldn't change the situation, all she could do was feel frustrated.

Soon after, Nongyue's maid, Zhixin, brought up dinner, and Lengyi quickly thanked her. She then realized that of the four, only Nongyue seemed willing to be close to her. Xiahua had targeted her from the start, Weifeng was clearly in cahoots with Xiahua, and Wuxue seemed unwilling to associate with anyone. Upon closer reflection, she realized they truly lived up to their names: Nongyue was elegant and graceful, Xiahua was fiery like the sun, Weifeng was fresh and lovely, and Wuxue was aloof and cold.

The beauty of nature, flowers, snow, and moon, is truly exquisite.

And her name at Fengxiang Pavilion, Ningbi… was it just because of her blue eyes? That's such a perfunctory choice. Lengyi particularly disliked the name Ningbi; she would always consider herself Lengyi. She believed in the saying that a name is a blessing from parents to their child, and she would carry that blessing with her until she truly died.

There was still evening class, and Granny Qin didn't say she could ask for leave. Leng Yi was annoyed by Granny Qin and Xia Hua's disdainful faces. Fortunately, her body wasn't so sore after resting, and she chose to attend class so that they wouldn't look down on her.

The evening class turned out to be a tea ceremony. The instructor lectured at length about tea art, leaving Leng Yi's mind buzzing, the words going in one ear and out the other. After the instructor's explanation, Leng Yi realized that courtesans had to learn everything from music, calligraphy, painting, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, cooking, dance, music, arithmetic, and so on. This wasn't training prostitutes; it was clearly training socialites.

"Ningbi, why aren't you paying attention in class?" Weifeng's eyes lit up when she saw Lengyi looking dazed. She quickly said this, drawing everyone's attention to her and Lengyi. Then, as she wished, she saw questioning gazes fall on Lengyi.

Leng Yi pursed her lips unhappily: "What makes you think I didn't listen to the lecture?"

Breeze said confidently, "You were just daydreaming."

Leng Yi's temper flared up. He thought to himself, "Why is this girl so annoying?" Then, with a sinister grin, he forced out a few words: "What evidence do you have?"

Breeze gave him a look that said, "Why don't you admit it?" and asked in a rather domineering tone, "Then tell me what the old woman was talking about just now?"

Leng Yi's lips curled slightly. "They are talking about famous tea varieties from various regions: West Lake Longjing, Lushan Yunwu, Dongting Lake Biluochun, Junshan Yinzhen, Huangshan Maofeng, Qimen Black Tea, Wuyi Rock Tea, Anxi Tieguanyin, Xinyang Maojian, and Lu'an Guapian."

This fluent narration turned the skeptical looks of the crowd into surprise. Leng Yi was secretly delighted. In fact, she hadn't heard much, but in her previous life, she had been a young lady of a wealthy family for several years. She had become familiar with the knowledge of various teas and wines by accompanying her stepfather to social events on a daily basis. She also knew a little about the tea ceremony. Therefore, Wei Feng couldn't make things difficult for her at all.

So the breeze grew a little impatient and asked again, "Do you know what the six wonders of Lushan's clouds and mist are?"

"Hasn't the old lady gotten to that part yet?" Leng Yi, though not knowing the answer, quickly figured it out and asked Wei Feng in return.

"Nonsense, Granny already..." Wei Feng's voice trailed off as she remembered that today was Leng Yi's first day of class. Wei Feng felt a tightness in her chest, thinking that Leng Yi was shameless, clearly daydreaming but refusing to admit it.

"Enough! If you want to cause trouble, do it after class." The lecturing nanny, Granny Sun, said sternly. "You two little girls are disrupting the class and behaving lawlessly! You're not the most beautiful courtesans yet! As long as you haven't left this Jade Carving Pavilion, you'll be under our supervision. We won't tolerate your misbehavior! You two, you're to copy the Tea Classic once!"

Why am I being punished?

"I really saw her spacing out!"

The sounds of cold clothes and gentle breeze rang out simultaneously. The two glanced at each other, their eyes blazing with anger.

"Still talking back? Go stand in the corner as punishment!"

At the nanny's command, Lengyi and Weifeng were both ushered outside and stood on either side of her.

Leng Yi found it utterly absurd. Even if she had been a little distracted, it shouldn't have warranted being reported. Who had she offended by being distracted? Suddenly, her resentment towards Wei Feng surpassed that towards Xia Hua. Xia Hua disliked her but hadn't done anything about it, but Wei Feng acted like an idiot.

The night was dark and windy. Lengyi and Weifeng stood outside for an hour, both shivering slightly. Weifeng kept her head down and didn't say a word, as if she had been bullied by someone.

After class, the other three went back to their rooms, while the two girls stayed behind to be scolded. But to Leng Yi's surprise, Wei Feng immediately knelt down before the old woman, looking at her with red eyes like a delicate flower, pitifully saying, "Old woman, Wei Feng knows she was wrong. I shouldn't have broken the rules and disturbed your class."

"Hmm... It's good that you admit your mistake..." Granny Sun was quite pleased with Wei Feng's actions, then changed her tone and looked at Leng Yi: "What about you? Do you think you did nothing wrong?"

I really think I did nothing wrong.

Of course, Leng Yi couldn't reveal her true thoughts. Even the mentally challenged Wei Feng knew how to feign compliance, so how could she be any less capable? So Leng Yi also knelt down, looking innocent, and said, "Ning Bi... knows she was wrong..." Her voice trembled with sobs as she spoke, "Ning Bi came to Zhuoyu Pavilion for the first time today, and I was filled with trepidation and anxiety. I was even more terrified when I angered Granny. I only hope that Granny won't be angry with Ning Bi and Wei Feng, otherwise Granny will get sick from anger, and Ning Bi will be guilty of a thousand faults."

Even Leng Yi felt like an actress after hearing these words, and it was all thanks to her current childlike appearance; her big eyes looked utterly pitiful when she cried. Sure enough, the old woman was fooled, and even seemed pleased to see her cry—something Leng Yi truly didn't understand.

With a bright smile, Granny Sun helped Leng Yi up. "Oh my, you little darling, how could I possibly be angry with you?" As she spoke, she scrutinized Leng Yi, her clingy gaze making Leng Yi extremely uncomfortable. She felt as if she were being looked at as merchandise rather than as a person, and she seemed to particularly admire Leng Yi's fragile tears—she was truly insane.

The fact that cold clothes attracted more of Granny Sun's attention than a gentle breeze nearly drove Wei Feng mad; jealousy practically bulged from her eyes. Granny Sun's attitude towards Wei Feng also underwent a complete 180-degree turn, coldly telling her, "This time you were in the wrong. You don't need to copy Ningbi's book anymore. You need to copy yours properly tomorrow, understand?"

Wei Feng's eyes were red, and she looked like she had really cried. She responded weakly.

The farce came to an end. As expected, after Granny Sun left, Wei Feng's expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book. She turned to Leng Yi and glared fiercely: "I will definitely get my revenge for this insult today!"

"Whatever you say." Leng Yi felt only exhaustion.

Thinking back, this day had truly been long. Everyone at Fengxiang Tower seemed strange; their values ​​appeared distorted, and their motivations were even more perplexing to Lengyi. She would have to deal with them as they came.