Nanny Liu continued to say, “It’s rare that Eldest Miss is so motivated. Old Madam, you should be supportive.”

Old Madam Yu sighed. “Yao Yao hasn’t been to her home school classes for so long. I’m sure Ms. Ye will have a lot to say about her, and she’ll definitely suffer.”

Ms. Ye had her own rules and principles when it came to teaching. Although she was hired by the Yu Residence, it wasn’t exactly appropriate for them to make comments or interfere with the way she taught. If Yao Yao didn’t learn well, she had to suffer the punishment herself.

Nanny Liu smiled. “Old Madam, you’re worrying too much. Eldest Miss’s illness was also a blessing in disguise as it has enlightened her. She has also been learning from Nanny Xu for a while now, and is indeed no longer the same as before.”

Old Madam Yu narrowed her eyes but said nothing else.

In The Green House, Chang An went to send Qiu Xing off. Zhou Linghuai looked at the pear juice dessert that Yu Youyao had just sent over and thought about how she had woken up even before the crack of dawn today, to get herself ready to attend her classes. His lips pursed lips slightly and he called out, “Yin San!”

The leaves in the courtyard rustled and Yin San appeared standing respectfully in the room. “Young Lord.”

Zhou Linghuai gently rubbed the sachet at his waist. The rough and uneven sensation between his fingers touched his heart deeply. “Do you still remember what I did when Big Sis was verbally taunted in the middle of the streets, which caused rumors to spread and made her furious?”

“Yes!” Yin San’s face was covered with a black cloth, so his expression couldn’t be seen, and only his slightly moving eyebrows revealed a hint of emotion.

“Go on then,” Zhou Linghuai instructed. Almost immediately, he frowned and added, “Be careful.”

Without a single sound or trace, Yin San disappeared on the spot. Zhou Linghuai picked up a small spoon and started enjoying the pear juice dessert. The familiar fragrant taste helped to soothe his furrowed brows out bit by bit.

The classroom was not far from the Jade Courtyard, so Yu Youyao walked along the corridor with Chun Xiao and Xia Tao. After passing through a limestone path in the Xiaoxiang Forest, they arrived at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

There was still an hour before dawn, and the other sisters had yet to arrive.

There were a few long benches in the room, which were covered with soft cushions. There was a calligraphy of “Diligent Study” hanging on the wall, while “Filial Piety” and “Wise Virtue” hung on the left and right sides of the wall respectively. Faint green smoke rose in spirals, emitting a refreshing fragrance, making the room seem quiet and peaceful.

Ms. Ye was quite a beautiful woman. Her hair was combed into a bun, and she was wearing a simple but lovely green jade pendant on her forehead scarf. She was wearing a dark green dress with brown patterns and a dark brown outer sleeve. This was the style that had been popular in the capital a few years ago, so it looked a little old-fashioned, but when matched with her green jade jewelry and accessories, she still looked rather elegant.

Seeing that Yu Youyao was attending the class today, Ms. Ye was a little surprised, and she placed her book down.

Yu Youyao stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “Good morning, teacher.”

Ms. Ye did not speak, but looked Yu Youyao up and down indifferently.

Her once chubby body was now slender and delicate. She was dressed in a green dress, looking simple and elegant, beautiful and charming. As she stood quietly in the hall, she exuded a graceful aura. There was a faint sense of wisdom and calmness in her eyes, and she looked as precious as a jade bead.

In the past, Eldest Miss Yu was impetuous and unwilling to study hard, but she’d heard that Old Madam Yu had hired a palace nanny to teach her etiquette and guide her in following the proper rules and practices. In just a month, she had changed so much.

Ms. Ye hid her surprise and only asked sternly, “Why haven’t you come for classes recently?”

The explanation given by the Yu Residence was that Yu Youyao had fallen seriously ill recently and was still weak. They planned to let her recuperate fully before resuming her home school classes.

Later on, when Eldest Miss Yu had recovered, the Yu Residence then said that Eldest Miss Yu was learning the rules and etiquette, so she did not have time to attend academic classes. She had thought that Eldest Miss Yu would never come for her classes again.

As a teacher who felt a sense of responsibility towards her students, she had briefly asked Third Miss Yu Jianjia about it a few days ago in class, but had only received a vague and perfunctory, “I don’t know.” At this, she couldn’t help but feel angry.

Yu Youyao lowered her head and retracted her gaze. “When Grandmother and Father found out that I had been impetuous, having made no progress in my studies at home and often disrupting your lessons, they found me a nanny to teach me to behave properly according to the rules, so that I could learn how to respect my teachers and learn diligently. That’s why I’ve delayed returning to your classes. I seek your forgiveness.”

Chun Xiao brought forward the snacks prepared by Nanny Xu and a premium Four Treasures of the Study set, placing them on the long table in front of Ms. Ye.

Ms. Ye took a look. The snacks were exquisite and looked delectable. She could sense Yu Youyao’s effort and sincerity.

The Four Treasures of the Study was also a perfectly suitable set—It wasn’t too expensive nor too shabby, so it wouldn’t make the other party feel bad about receiving the gift.

Only when the gift was prepared with a suitable value could it be accepted by the receiver comfortably and with pleasure.

She then looked up at Yu Youyao, who was still in a deep bow. Be it her polite words or her proper etiquette, they were all extremely sincere.

From the looks of it, Eldest Miss Yu was indeed vastly different from before. It was obvious that her words and manners were from the heart.

Ms. Ye said calmly, “Come forward.”

Yu Youyao did not understand. She took a step forward and saw that Ms. Ye was holding a long, shiny black ruler in her hand. “Hold out your left hand.”

Seeing this scared Yu Youyao so much that she panicked, but she swallowed and carefully extended her left hand. When she saw Ms. Ye raise the ruler, her face immediately turned pale with fright and in an instant, she closed her eyes and retracted her hand with a whoosh, causing Ms. Ye’s ruler to miss.

For some reason, Ms. Ye felt a little amused by this. She held back her smile and stared at Yu Youyao.

Yu Youyao knew that she was in the wrong. She lowered her head and very slowly stretched out her left hand in front of Ms. Ye again, while looking at her pitifully, almost as if she was saying, “Please hit me gently~”

Seeing her expression, Ms. Ye paused in the middle of raising her ruler. “You haven’t attended classes for more than a month, so I’ll punish you with ten strokes. Do you accept my punishment?”

“I-I accept!” Yu Youyao stammered. She clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and put on an expression as if she was ready to die. “Teacher, hit me. I promise I won’t move.”

Ms. Ye’s hand, which had just gathered momentum and power, seemed to have suddenly lost all its strength. With a “Slap,” sound, it landed on Eldest Miss Yu’s palm, with less than 30% of its usual strength.

Yu Youyao’s hands trembled, but she resisted the urge to retract her hand. When the ruler landed—

“Eh?” It didn’t seem to hurt too much?

She quietly opened her eyes and looked at her slightly red palm. Then, she looked at Ms. Ye, who was still frowning as she held the ruler. She couldn’t help but jump in shock and quickly closed her eyes again.

Ms. Ye composed herself and hit her nine more times, causing Yu Youyao’s face to turn white. She looked at her teacher with teary eyes, but still, she endured it all and kept her back straightened, not shedding a single tear.

After the beating, Yu Youyao’s left palm was red, numb, and in pain. Chun Xiao and Xia Tao, who had been watching from the side, felt their hearts ache.