Chapter 67 – Memories Tied to a Place (2)

He looked at her beautiful smile and pondered for a moment. Realizing that there was no way he could get out of this, he blurted out and agreed, “Alright! Alright!.”

Ye Zhen smiled sheepishly, “It’s very kind of my brother.”

“Go and rest!” Lu Xiangzhi rubbed Ye Zhen’s head, his eyes were full of pride at spoiling his sister.

Lu Xiangzhi looked at his sister’s retreating back and sighed worriedly in his heart. It didn’t take long for his sister to become a graceful lady from a wild girl he grew up with. He just found out that among all the girls he met, including the other sisters of the Lu family, none seemed to be at par with her.

That’s why, the thought of a man marrying her sister and not treating her well irked him!

His baby sister was growing up too fast, that he deemed it necessary to protect her at all cost! He even indignantly complained to her father about this matter.

Lu Shiming slapped him hard on his head. “Don’t think about that now! I myself can’t bear to have your sister married so soon! I won’t allow it!”

“Any man who tries will have a taste of this fists!” Lu Shiming raised his two fists in the air.

Lu Xiangzhi nodded, “Father, you are wise.”

“Yes, yes, that’s why you should study!” Lu Shiming criticised his son with humor.

*

In the evening, after Ye Zhen had eaten, she took Dai Mei to the hot spring pool with her and said enthusiastically, “I’ll go down and soak for a while. You can wait for me outside.”

Dai Mei replied with some worry, “Miss, it’s getting dark. We should come back tomorrow.”

Ye Zhen smiled and said, “Today, Ah! My body feels stiff and sore due to the bumps on the roads. If I don’t take a bath, I’m sure I won’t be able to sleep well tonight.”

“Don’t worry! If you don’t know how to swim, go to a nearby pool and soak in it. This hot spring can not only relieve fatigue, but also make your skin look better!” She reassured Dai Mei.

Listening to her mistress at heart, Dai Mei moved forward but didn’t get into the water. Instead, she helped Ye Zhen get rid of her external garments and had planned to wait for her outside.

As Ye Zhen’s gown fell into pools around her feet on the ground, her white and moist shoulders came into view.

“Miss, do you want your hair down?” Dai Mei looked at her mistress’ rosy skin and asked quietly.

Ye Zhen nodded and Dai Mei gently took off the hairpins off her head. His black hair fell like a waterfall until her waist.

She was wearing only a belly band* and a pair of knee-length silk trousers. No herbal ointment was used to Ye Zhen’s hair tonight, so her waist length hair fell freely to cover her bright and clean back.

*T/N : Belly band

The pink belly band hung on her thin shoulders, wrapping around her two puffy breasts. Her small waist was so delicate and her slender legs slowly walked into the water and deeper and deeper…

Moonlight covered her like a layer of fine luster, lining her skin, making it appear more jade-like.

Even if she was a woman, Dai Mei could not help but blush, her heart beating faster at the magnificent sight.

It occurred to her, that no words could describe the beauty that she sees. Since when did the third miss become so beautiful?

Ye Zhen roamed satisfactorily in the hot spring, thinking of her father teaching her to swim with her second brother when she was a child.

Her tears rolled down, melancholy spreading inside her. The people she loved were all gone.

Ye Zhen sank deep into the water, long enough that her eyes became sore the moment she floated again.

“Dai Mei, kindly go outside and wait, I’ll call you in when I’m done.” When Ye Zhen saw Dai Mei still lingering, she rose from the water and stood by her side. She didn’t want others to see her crying so she sent her out.

“Yes, Third miss.” Recovering from her stupor, Dai Mei put aside the tea in her hand which thankfully didn’t spill at her inattention, looked back at Ye Zhen one last time and left.

Now, Ye Zhen was alone so she should have no scruples.

After being reborn as her sister for so long, she was always on guard against life, afraid to let people see something strange. Now in the place she used to be very familiar with, her mood was somewhat out of control.

She sank to the bottom again and swam across the wooden wall flexibly, which is what she used to do. The hot spring pool outside the wooden wall was so much larger than that in the courtyard, and the surrounding scenery was more beautiful.

And at last, she found comfort…