Don't Endure

"Painting?" Feng Anning stretched her neck. When she saw the lottery ticket in Ye Lily's hand, she was also a bit surprised. Then she said, "Can you do it?"

This was a valid question. Ye Lily was really not good at any of the four arts of the literati. When it came to painting, she not only lacked charm but couldn't even paint a decent picture.

Seeing that Ye Lily didn't answer, Feng Anning fell silent. People were really strange sometimes. At first, she didn't like Ye Lily, but now that Ye Lily was cold to her, Feng Anning was more eager to talk to her. She felt that the current Ye Lily had a special charm that unconsciously attracted people to get closer.

Just as they were silent, Ye Amy and Ye Cindy walked over gracefully. Ye Amy smiled and said, "What lottery ticket is Fifth Sister holding? Let me take a look. Maybe Big Sister and I can come up with some ideas."

Ye Cindy nodded. "That's right. Second Sister and I drew arithmetic and painting respectively. What did you get?"

Ye Lily didn't say anything. Ye Amy smiled and stepped forward to take the lottery ticket from her hand. She said casually, "Fifth Sister, don't be afraid. After all, there are two of us sisters. We'll surely take care of you a bit."

Feng Anning snorted. Although she didn't like Ye Lily before, she also didn't like Ye Amy and Ye Cindy. Her mother was a shrewd woman, and there were many sisters in her family. She could tell at a glance who had ulterior motives and who was playing petty tricks. Ye Amy and Ye Cindy were no different from those stepsisters in her family who were trying to win favor and gain power. They just wanted to use Ye Lily's stupidity to set off their own elegance.

Sure enough, as soon as Ye Amy said this, Yi Peilan, who heard it, sneered. "Ye Amy, what are you talking to her for? Even if you come up with the best ideas, I'm afraid she won't be able to handle it."

"Exactly. Let Ye Lily prepare carefully on her own," Jiang Xiaoxuan also laughed.

Their blatant mockery was heard by the ladies and young ladies around, but they pretended not to hear. On the surface, they still looked serious, but the corners of their mouths twitched.

There was no other reason. Every year, Ye Lily was a joke in the competition. When being laughed at became a habit, everything seemed the same. Even though such mocking behavior was inappropriate for the children of noble families.

"Don't say that about Fifth Sister," Ye Amy said disapprovingly. "Fifth Sister is also very hard - working." She opened the lottery ticket and exclaimed, "Oh, it's painting. Fifth Sister, we got the same item."

Feng Anning looked at Ye Amy in confusion. What was so exciting about getting the same item? But Ye Lily knew exactly what was going on. Ye Amy probably thought that Ye Lily's stupidity would once again set off her own grace, especially since Xu Hao was here today. Thinking of Xu Hao, Ye Lily's eyes darkened.

"What are you going to paint, Fifth Sister?" Ye Cindy asked curiously. "Why don't you let Second Sister give you some pointers?" These words were full of kindness, perfectly portraying the image of an elder sister who cared for her younger sister. Others would only say that Ye Cindy was very protective of her cousin.

"Thank you both for your concern," Ye Lily said coldly. "But since it's a competition, it's better to follow the rules. If Second Sister helps me, isn't that cheating? Two people who cheat will be expelled from the competition together. Is Second Sister really willing to go to such lengths for me?"

Her cold words made Ye Amy's face change. That's right, such behavior could be considered cheating. But in the past, everyone would just say she was kind - hearted and wouldn't think too much about it. But being "specifically" pointed out by Ye Lily, the way people looked at Ye Amy changed.

In the competition, one more person meant one more competitor. Everyone wanted to be the best and take all the glory. Ye Amy was on good terms with everyone in Guangwen Hall, but that didn't mean there was no one jealous of her. These young ladies present were all her opponents. Every year, Ye Amy won first place among the women in the competition, so there was bound to be resentment. If they could find a handle on her and make her leave the competition, wouldn't that be one less strong competitor? Immediately, those female students who had been on Ye Amy's side stared at her, including Yi Peilan and her group.

Ye Amy shivered. She naturally knew the stakes. When she turned around, she saw Ye Lily looking at her with a half - smile, her eyes full of mockery.

If she backed down now, it would seem that her previous kindness was fake. If she continued, she was afraid that these students would hold onto the handle and prevent her from participating in the competition. No matter what she did, it was wrong. Ye Amy forcefully suppressed the hatred in her heart, glanced at Ye Lily, and forced a smile. "Since Fifth Sister has said so, I don't dare to be kind - hearted anymore. Fine."

Feng Anning couldn't help but sneer and deliberately said loudly, "I thought you really cared about your sister. Turns out it's just like this. You were scared off so easily. Then what's the point of saying you'd help whole - heartedly?"

For a moment, the way those young ladies looked at Ye Amy was rather meaningful.

Chen Ruoqiu also heard the commotion here. She was a bit flustered. After all, Ye Amy was still young and didn't know how to deal with the situation. At the same time, she felt a bit cold in her heart. Ye Lily could stir up other people's emotions with just a few words, making them follow her lead. What a sharp tongue! But she couldn't intervene. These were children's affairs. If she, as a mother, intervened, she would be seen as acting in bad taste.

Ren Wanyun and Ye Cindy were somewhat gloating. Ye Amy was too outstanding, which would overshadow Ye Cindy's brilliance. If Ye Amy didn't get a good result, only Ye Cindy would be able to hold up the reputation of the Ye family.

Ye Amy looked at Ye Lily. She thought that if her sister had become a bit smarter now, she should speak up for her and smooth things over. After all, they were sisters from the same Ye family. What good would it do if word got out that the different branches of the Ye family didn't get along? Besides, Ye Lily had always fawned over Ye Amy. If she offended Ye Amy, Ye Lily would have no friends left.

But she waited for a long time and didn't hear Ye Lily's response. Ye Amy couldn't help but say, "Fifth Sister..."

"Doesn't Second Sister need to think about what to paint next?" Ye Lily said in a flat voice. "As for me, there's no need."

Realizing that Ye Lily had no intention of helping her out, and seeing the slightly mocking looks from the young ladies around, for the first time, Ye Amy almost couldn't control herself and wanted to slap Ye Lily hard. She barely held back her emotions and gritted her teeth. "It seems Fifth Sister is already confident. In that case, we'll see how Fifth Sister shines later. It must be extremely wonderful!"

Ye Amy emphasized the words "extremely wonderful." After saying this, she flicked her sleeves and turned around, storming off. Ye Cindy quickly followed.

Feng Anning looked at Ye Lily and asked, "Although it was very satisfying, why didn't you leave yourself any leeway? When you go on stage, she will surely seize the opportunity to laugh at you."

"I don't like to endure," Ye Lily said, looking at the chessboard in front of her. Don't endure, don't look back, don't be soft - hearted.

"Don't endure. Strike," she picked up a chess piece and placed it on the chessboard.