Chapter 058

Chapter 58: Her Face Changed

On the day the results were posted, Du Zi Heng was dragged off early by his classmates to find the best spot. You Bing Yue went with him.

Because Nan Feng Bookstore had become wildly popular, everyone praised Du Zi Heng as a selfless saint. Thanks to that, Chancellor Du was used even more by the Emperor, so Madam Yao felt less disgust toward You Bing Yue. As long as the two of them did not do anything over the line, she was willing to turn a blind eye.

Yu Zhi Yi had no desire to join the crowd, so she stayed in Windward Pavilion. [If I go, they will mock me, squash me like a meat pie, and I will sweat all over. Isn’t lying flat at home much nicer?]

Sadly, someone did not want her to lie flat.

Yu Jiao Jiao was sure Du Zi Heng would fail this time, so she came over in person to “offer congratulations.” She planned to put a shiny hat of praise on Yu Zhi Yi first; by the time the news of Du Zi Heng’s failure arrived, that woman would fall from the clouds straight to the Eighteen Levels of Hell. [Let her taste that “wonderful flavor.”]

But the steward told her that Yu Zhi Yi had tired her mind and spirit while managing things for the girls of Ma Family Village and was now in seclusion.

Hearing this, Yu Jiao Jiao’s anger flared again. [What nonsense about helping those girls. Yu Zhi Yi is just using her rebirth to cheat!] She also knew about Duke Ding Guo’s sister being found. She had simply been living in deep trouble lately and forgot about it for a while. In the last life, that sister was found only years later. By then she had moved out with Du Zi Heng into the new Top Scholar’s mansion, losing the power to manage the household. All day she thought only about how to make You Bing Yue suffer, so she paid no attention to outside news. The search for Duke Ding Guo’s sister had been done in secret and caused no big stir. If she had not overheard something in the study by accident, she would not have known at all. That was why she forgot these things and gave Yu Zhi Yi a chance to take advantage. The more she thought, the more her chest burned.

Now Yu Zhi Yi was refusing to see her, which made her feel snubbed. She was about to leave in a huff when she spotted Madam Yao’s carriage out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze flashed. [If I cannot anger Yu Zhi Yi, I will anger Madam Yao.]

In her eyes, the old woman had been hypocritical in the last life. On the surface she seemed to protect the proper daughter-in-law and scolded You Bing Yue, refusing many times to let You Bing Yue and Du Zi Heng be together. But soon she agreed anyway. She had said, “You will always be the Young Madam of Chancellor’s Manor, the only future mistress,” yet when Du Zi Heng wanted to move out, they did not stop him, leaving her isolated in the new house. “Hypocritical woman.”

She went up and greeted her: “Madam Du.”

Madam Yao knew who Yu Jiao Jiao was. Back when they first looked for a match, her first choice had actually been Yu Jiao Jiao. But the Yu Manor treasured their true daughter, looked down on Chancellor’s Manor, and climbed to Duke’s Manor instead. Although they then settled for Yu Zhi Yi, Madam Yao did not regret it. She only felt more and more sure she had chosen right.

“So it is Third Young Madam Zhang,” she said. Her feelings were mild, but her manners stayed proper and polite.

Yu Jiao Jiao had once tasted Madam Yao’s warmth, so she sensed at once that she was unwelcome, and her anger rose again. [In my last life you never protected me like this, yet now you pull a face at me for that cheap woman!] She put on a hard face as well.

At that moment, Yu Zhi Yi was counting silver in the manor stores and thinking how to use it. [Money is fun, but for me, enjoying life while building more merit is the real joy.] Suddenly her heart stirred. She made a quick calculation with her fingers, then her face sank: “Zi Yuan, put away the ledgers. We are ending seclusion early.”

Zi Yuan was startled, but she did not ask questions and packed the account books. Yu Zhi Yi changed at once and went toward the gate.

At the main gate of Chancellor’s Manor, Yu Jiao Jiao had already finished putting a high hat on Madam Yao. Any more would be impolite. She counted the time. It should be right when Du Zi Heng returned in disappointment.

Madam Yao only found this young madam very strange. She could feel the ill will, yet the girl kept saying sweet words. The split was extreme.

When Yu Zhi Yi arrived, she saw Yu Jiao Jiao’s openly smug face and Madam Yao’s confused look. She stepped forward, took Madam Yao’s arm, and quietly sent a thread of spiritual energy to steady her mood. She was about to say that everyone has their fate, and even if he failed this time, with Du Zi Heng’s talent he would surely pass next time, when she looked closely at Madam Yao’s face and froze.

“What is it, Yi’er?” asked Madam Yao. Every time her daughter-in-law wore that look, something bad usually followed.

Yu Zhi Yi withdrew her gaze and smiled lightly: “Nothing. I only want to say this, Mother: please keep calm. Whatever happy news comes in a moment, do not get too excited. Being too excited can cause trouble.”

Yes, happy news. She had stayed shut in these days and, aside from Zi Yuan, saw only a few rough servants from Windward Pavilion. They rarely appeared unless she called them. She did not know when exactly Madam Yao’s face had changed. After she grew closer to people, she could no longer freely read the Heavenly Mechanism Device from their faces, but she could still see some major shifts. Today, Madam Yao clearly carried the look of great joy, which meant Du Zi Heng’s name would be on the list.

Yu Jiao Jiao sneered: “Yu Zhi Yi, are you sure Madam Du will meet a happy event?” Then she turned to Madam Yao: “Madam Du, I suggest you ignore her nonsense. We grew up together, and I have never heard that she knows any mystic arts. It is just showy tricks. Whoever believes her loses. Be careful, or joy will turn to sorrow.”

She did not care that she was contradicting herself. The moment she saw Yu Zhi Yi, she could not help showing her fangs. In front of the Yu Clan she could still pretend, because she did not want her family to focus on Yu Zhi Yi. But in front of this “old white lotus,” she did not bother to hide. [Best if the old white lotus dies of anger.]

“You younger one, how can you be so rude!” Madam Yao was truly angered. Since she became Madam Chancellor, almost no one dared to pull a face at her or be disrespectful. If anyone did, it was palace nobles like the Empress, a favored consort, or a princess consort. What was this Yu Jiao Jiao to talk so wildly?

Yu Zhi Yi gently rubbed her back: “Mother, do not get mad over someone not worth it. She does not know how to behave. You cannot hurt your own health for her.”

Yu Jiao Jiao rolled her eyes. [A fake is a fake, a small mind with no backbone. Madam Yao must be so disappointed now.] Right then, Yu Zhi Yi spoke again.