The competitions now were very different from before. The content was no longer limited to the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—anything could be competed in.

There was a Miss Cong who enjoyed fishing. She was originally a timid and quiet person, but caught up in the excitement of the girls, she unconsciously stood up and shouted, “I know how to fish. Does anyone dare to compete with me?”

After shouting, Miss Cong herself felt embarrassed—what kind of talent was fishing? But someone accepted the challenge, and then, Miss Cong won.

At that time, Chu Zhao pointed at that person and laughed loudly: “You can’t even beat a woman in recreation.”

So riding, archery, fishing, and other recreational activities were all brought out for competition. Today they were competing in arrow-throwing games, with teams of ten people. Because Chu Zhao knew how to ride horses and shoot arrows, with good arm strength and eyesight, she was allowed to join the team.

“But you should know that arrow-throwing is different from archery,” Qi Leyun anxiously reminded her. “Don’t just throw randomly, or you’ll make us all lose face if we lose.”

Chu Zhao smiled and pointed to the screen set up in the flower hall: “Who has lost face more often?”

After each competition, the winners would be recorded, and the losers too—in this way, the winners were more willing to win more, and the losers, in order to clear their names, became even more eager to compete.

Qi Leyun had lost more times than Chu Zhao.

Everyone could see this, so even if Qi Leyun wanted to argue, she had nothing to say. She gritted her teeth in anger: “We’ve all lost face. Fifty laughs at a hundred—you seem quite pleased with yourself.”

Qi Leyun was no longer afraid that Chu Zhao would hit people now—actually, although Chu Zhao spoke fiercely, except for that one time with Liang Qin, she had never hit any of the girls. Several times Qi Leyun had deliberately provoked her, but Chu Zhao had only cursed back, never hitting.

Indeed, Chu Zhao only laughed when she heard this, and the other girls all laughed too—they had long stopped being afraid that Chu Zhao would hit people.

They even felt that the previous incidents of hitting people weren’t such a big deal.

Girls were people too, and since they were people, they had all kinds of tempers. What was it if a girl had a quicker temper? When playing together, arguments were inevitable. Didn’t sisters at home often quarrel and fight?

Moreover, when Chu Zhao fought with Liang Qin, there was cause and effect; it wasn’t without reason or with malicious intent to harm.

When those boys got together, apart from discussing poetry and principles, they would often fight over a single disagreement. After fighting, they wouldn’t mind and would continue to associate, even being praised as “gentlemen with open hearts.”

So naturally, they could be open-hearted too.

“Alright, you two stop arguing about who’s winning and losing,” the girls laughed, pointing forward. “Go win against them instead.”

……

……

Chu Tang sat on the second floor.

Hearing cheers and laughter from outside, the maids who were organizing account books smiled and said, “Miss A-Zhao and the others have won.”

Chu Tang didn’t sit looking at the account books as she usually did, but got up to look. She saw the girls cheering and jumping for joy, with Chu Zhao surrounded in the middle. Several girls were holding Chu Zhao’s hands—

“Miss A-Zhao has become good friends with everyone,” a maid said with a smile.

Chu Tang nodded with a smile: “Yes, everyone likes her now.”

And this liking wasn’t because Chu Zhao had become like them, but because Chu Zhao was different from them.

Chu Tang found it amusing but also understandable. People are more curious about those who are different from themselves. Once curious, they become attached—women are willing to accept, while men want to conquer—

The Prince of Zhongshan must have felt the same.

Chu Zhao had been vague and unwilling to tell her, but she had guessed what had happened, especially after asking Chu Ke.

However, Chu Ke didn’t know about Chu Zhao falling into the water and being rescued by the Prince of Zhongshan, so this must have happened before Chu Ke caught up with them.

But Chu Ke did confirm that throughout their journey together, Chu Zhao’s attitude toward the Prince of Zhongshan was quite poor.

“The Prince of Zhongshan was so well-mannered, pleasant, and polite to her—” Chu Ke was still indignant.

Yes, other girls would be respectful and enthusiastic just hearing the name of the Prince of Zhongshan, let alone having a life-saving debt to him.

The women the Prince of Zhongshan usually encountered must be like this, so when he met the defiant Chu Zhao, he was naturally attracted.

Although she had never dealt with men, having grown up in the academy and seen many men’s behavior, Chu Tang believed she understood them well.

Chu Zhao was ignorant, being from the countryside, and had been taught by her uncle to look down on everyone, but Chu Tang was not like that. She knew what it meant to be able to connect with someone like the Prince of Zhongshan.

“You fight for admiration among the girls,” Chu Tang murmured. “I’m going to seek an opportunity for my future.”

The maids heard her mumbling and were about to inquire when a servant woman came up with a smile.

“Miss A-Tang, people from Zuixian Tower have sent a new order,” she said.

Chu Tang smiled at the woman and took the account book from the table: “I’ll go check.”

The maids didn’t find this strange. They bowed as she left. Not long after, they saw Chu Tang’s maid Linglong return and say something to Chu Zhao downstairs. Chu Zhao then told the girls, “I won’t be participating in the next round, don’t lose without me.”

The girls laughed as they shooed her away.

Chu Zhao then left with Linglong.

The maids upstairs didn’t think much of it. Although Miss A-Zhao had handed over the affairs of Chu Garden to Chu Tang, she couldn’t completely ignore them. Important matters still require Miss A-Zhao’s approval.

……

……

Chu Zhao left, but the competitions continued. Now it didn’t matter whether Chu Zhao participated or not, unless someone specifically named her as an opponent.

As soon as Chu Zhao left, a new girl joined. Ten against ten, and in this round, the girls still won.

The girls cheered and jumped for joy. The young gentlemen opposite only shook their heads, and some bowed to these ladies, but some said, “In these recreational skills, we humbly admit defeat.”

The girls naturally heard the sarcasm in these words, but it didn’t provoke angry curses from them.

One girl asked with a smile, “The young master is learned and talented. May I ask what you excel at?”

That young man naturally knew what this girl was asking for, but since she had first complimented him, he couldn’t refuse to answer; otherwise, wouldn’t he appear unlearned?

Moreover, no one dared to underestimate these girls now. The young man carefully considered and chose a skill in which he excelled the most.

The girl indeed smiled and said, “I also happen to know a little about this. I would like to exchange pointers with you.”

Since she spoke so politely, the young man could only agree. They began to compete, and in this round, the girl lost.

The young man sighed in relief but didn’t say anything arrogant or insulting. Instead, he bowed to the girl: “The young lady is quick-witted. I was fortunate to win.”

The girl also sincerely thanked him: “This exchange with you has been most enlightening.”

As they parted, neither the observing men nor the women made a commotion. The men didn’t praise the winner but pointed out his shortcomings, while the girls praised the loser, encouraging her not to be discouraged by defeat.

The atmosphere of the competitions in Chu Garden had also changed. The competitions were no longer aimed at putting someone down or defeating them, but had become exchanges to compare skills.

Since they were exchanges, one should neither be arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat. Learning was boundless; no one dared to say they were invincible after winning once.

This also meant they were regarded as worthy opponents, taken seriously.

As the girls were gathered around the girl who had lost, chatting and laughing in joy and excitement, suddenly a woman’s scream was heard, followed immediately by the sound of something heavy falling into water with a splash.

“Young miss—” A sharp shout rose at the same time.

Everyone’s gaze turned in one direction. It wasn’t far, just across the platform, by the lake, under the artificial mountain, stood a maid.

The maid wasn’t unfamiliar; everyone knew her—A-Le, who was always inseparable from Chu Zhao.

But now there was no Chu Zhao beside A-Le. A-Le’s face showed terror as she shouted at the lake.

“Help—”

Help? Had Miss Chu Zhao fallen into the water? Everyone was alarmed, their gaze turning to the water. Before they could see clearly, they heard another splash.

Someone came running, fast as the wind, and jumped into the lake, creating a big splash.