Guangwen Hall

Guangwen Hall was the school in Dingjing.

Nobles and wealthy families in Mingqi often sent their sons and daughters to Guangwen Hall.

The teachers there were renowned scholars or talented individuals. Young nobles took pride in attending Guangwen Hall.

Ye Lily also studied at Guangwen Hall.

Unfortunately, both Ye Chenchuan and Lady Ye came from military families.

Elder Brother Ye Qiu always found studying a headache. Ye Lily was raised by the old Madam Ye, who was a former courtesan and illiterate.

Ye Lily's early education was taught by Third Lady Chen Ruoshuang, who came from a scholarly family.

However, the textbooks she used were obscure and difficult to understand. Children naturally had playful hearts, and teaching such material made Ye Lily utterly hate reading and writing.

Seeing Ye Lily's dislike for studying, Chen Ruoshuang never forced her.

Instead, she taught her to focus on eating, dressing, and living a pampered life.

Later, when she reached the age to attend Guangwen Hall, Ye Lily couldn't keep up with the teacher's lessons, performing worse than first-year students.

Eventually, she became the bottom of the class. Over time, Ye Lily grew to dislike studying even more, becoming infamous in Dingjing for her ignorance and stupidity.

Among the three legitimate daughters of the Ye family, Ye Amy was most renowned for her talent, excelling in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Ye Cindy, though not as outstanding as Ye Amy, performed well, especially in embroidery and bookkeeping, which earned her a reputation for capability.

The more outstanding Ye Amy and Ye Cindy were, the more Ye Lily appeared talentless. She was even inferior to Dongling, a concubine-born daughter of the main house.

On the carriage, Jingzhe asked, "Miss, why aren't you traveling with Elder Sister and Second Sister?"

Usually, Ye Lily traveled with Ye Cindy and Ye Amy. Ye Lily felt braver with her sisters.

As for Ye Amy and Ye Cindy, having a foolish younger sister made them appear more excellent.

But now, Ye Lily didn't even want to pretend.

"We're not under the same roof, and our paths are completely different. How can we travel together?"

Jingzhe stuck out her tongue, not understanding why her mistress spoke in ways she couldn't comprehend. But she thought it was good.

Ye Lily had always been too timid, letting the second and third branches control everything. After falling into the water, she seemed to have her own ideas.

That was right. A legitimate daughter of the main house shouldn't be treated like a maid. Who could say she was inferior in status?

In another carriage, Ye Amy lifted the curtain and peeked at the back, whispering, "Elder Sister, Fifth Sister is following behind."

"She's deliberately throwing tantrums," Ye Cindy sneered, never hiding her disdain for Ye Lily in front of Ye Amy. "Let her be. It's not me who will lose face in the end."

Ye Amy worried, "But she's still recovering from a cold, and regarding Duke Ding's incident..."

"Ye Amy?" Ye Cindy said, "Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Stop pretending to be nice. If you truly care for her, go sit in her carriage. Why are you talking to me?"

Ye Amy bit her lip, lowered her head, and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, after traveling for half an hour, the carriage finally arrived at Guangwen Hall.

It was still early, and classes hadn't started. Most of the second-year students had arrived and were chatting in the classroom. As soon as Ye Amy and Ye Cindy arrived, girls warmly greeted them.

In Guangwen Hall, among the girls, Ye Amy was the most talented and beautiful, with a humble and gentle personality, naturally receiving everyone's admiration.

Ye Cindy, though not as talented as Ye Amy, was efficient and tactful, also loved by noble girls.

A pink-clad girl asked, "Amy, why isn't Ye Lily here today?" Usually, Ye Lily followed Ye Amy and Ye Cindy like a maid. Her absence today was strange.

"Maybe she's too embarrassed to come," a pretty girl with a loud voice said mockingly. "I heard she fell into the water while spying on Duke Ding. Is it because she hasn't recovered from her cold or because she's too ashamed to show her face?"

"Pailan, it's not like that..." Ye Amy shook her head.

"You're too protective of your sister," Yi Pailan said. "Such a stupid person doesn't seem like a Ye family girl. You always protect her. But she really surprised us. Normally looking timid, she was surprisingly brave when it came to Duke Ding. People might think she's from some uncultured family."

These words were harsh. Ye Cindy laughed, "Fifth Sister was just being mischievous."

"I think it's because General Ye and Lady Ye aren't around to discipline her," another girl with a falling-horse bun said. "Without proper upbringing, she doesn't even know basic etiquette."

"Cai Xuan's words are incorrect," Ye Amy said gently. "Although Uncle and Aunt aren't in Dingjing, Fifth Sister was raised by Grandmother. My mother and Second Aunt often teach her; she hasn't been neglected."

The implication was clear: Ye Lily was naturally shameless.

Indeed, after Ye Amy's words, Yi Pailan said, "It's strange. Same family upbringing, yet Amy and Cindy are worlds apart from Ye Lily. As the teacher says: 'You can't make bricks without straw.'"

She burst into giggles. The surrounding noble girls also laughed, even some young men couldn't help but glance over.

The next moment, someone shouted, "Look, Ye Lily is here!"

Everyone turned to the entrance with anticipation.

At the entrance, a young girl slowly approached, wearing a deep red double-cloud goose-patterned dress and a dark blue embroidered cloak.

Such colors were too mature for a girl, especially for Ye Lily, whose round features made her look like a child wearing adult clothes.

Her steps were slow, her skirt unmoving, each step light yet weighty. For some reason, she exuded an air of elegance and grandeur.

Her chin slightly raised, her eyes calm, her once puppy-like eyes now deep pools concealing immense strength, like a beast retracting its claws.

Her features remained cute due to their roundness, but now there wasn't a trace of foolishness. Though not fully grown, her dignified demeanor unexpectedly didn't clash.

She didn't look like a young girl but rather like a noblewoman of high status or a decisive master of the household.

The classroom gradually quieted down.