He Ye and Ye Cong'an played cards with a group of people for a while. She was on Ye Cong'an's team, and their opponents were Wei Xing and Wu Ya. She lost every round. Her luck was really bad.
When the wealthy young masters played pai gow, they didn't bet on ordinary gold, silver, and jewels. Instead, they either had to act according to the winner's instructions or answer the winner's questions truthfully.
"Princess, do you have nothing left to lose? You can bet that bracelet on your hand. It looks quite nice," Wei Xing said, oblivious to the situation and completely immersed in the game. "Hey, it's actually the first - generation Kunshan Blood Jade. I'm going to make a fortune this time... It's worth a fortune."
Yi Zhici was already furious because of her losses. Now that Wei Xing was eyeing her bracelet, it added fuel to the fire.
"Don't even think about my bracelet!"
Wei Xing was startled by the sudden shout. He covered his ears and looked at Yi Zhici, complaining, "If I can't have the bracelet, I won't ask for it. Why are you so angry..."
Wu Ya said, "If you don't want to bet the bracelet, then answer a question."
Wei Xing was still in shock. "Brother, you ask. I'm scared of her."
Wu Ya laughed and then turned to Yi Zhici. "Princess, choose one between the Marquis' heir and Chong Jin."
This question...
It seemed that no matter which answer she gave, it wouldn't be right...
Yi Zhici pursed her lips and glared at Wu Ya for a while. Then she turned to Ye Cong'an and said, "You answer."
Ye Cong'an was stunned for a moment and stammered, "The... Marquis' heir..."
"Alright, alright. I'm not playing anymore," Yi Zhici waved her hand. "I'm really unlucky today. Let's play another day."
Ye Cong'an followed her. "Princess, wait for me—"
Only Wei Xing was left, looking stunned. "The princess has good sportsmanship... Why is she so angry today?" He didn't realize at all that he had angered Yi Zhici because of the bracelet.
When they arrived at the bathing pool outside the hot spring, Yi Zhici shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off her pent - up anger, but she didn't succeed after trying for a long time.
Ye Cong'an carefully pushed her into the women's bathing tent.
When taking a public hot spring bath, the most important thing is to take a shower first. Otherwise, if a bunch of people soak together and someone washes the dirt off their body... it would be really embarrassing.
When they went in, Yan Sijin had already finished bathing and was about to come out. Although she was used to holding weapons and was extremely skilled in martial arts, her figure was still exquisite. Her long legs were especially eye - catching.
Moreover, since she had taken off her armor, her usually expressionless face now looked gentle.
Yi Zhici said, "Sister Yan, you go first. Find a place to wait for us."
Yan Sijin nodded.
In the wooden bathtub, the steam was so thick that they couldn't see each other, so there was no sense of discomfort. Ye Cong'an said to Yi Zhici, "Princess, do you know what this occasion is for?"
Yi Zhici was confused. "... What occasion? For what?"
"Just this occasion of taking a public hot spring bath."
"I don't know."
Ye Cong'an became interested. "This occasion is actually an opportunity for the young masters and ladies of noble families to observe each other carefully. After this autumn hunting, there will probably be many families getting engaged."
Yi Zhici became interested. "How so?"
"Think about it. When a woman takes a hot spring bath, she has to take a shower and change clothes first. So she has to remove her makeup and show her true face. She also has to wear special clothes for the hot spring. When they get wet, her figure will be revealed."
Yi Zhici frowned slightly. "This... seems a bit vulgar. And it's not fair."
"Hey, we can't say it's unfair because the inspection of men is even more rigorous," Ye Cong'an probed. "Princess, how much do you know about men and women's affairs?"
Yi Zhici said boldly, "Don't worry. I've read all of them, like *Regrets in the Spring Mountains*, *Secret Affairs in the Wushan Palace*, *Shameless in the Misty Depths*, and *Blasphemy in the Thousand - Lamp Temple*."
"That's easy then," Ye Cong'an said. "The inspection of men is more rigorous because the temperature of the hot spring is too high. You can't soak in it for too long. So you have to get out and stay on the shore for a while. Then you can see their figures, and even... that part, you know, whether it's big or not."
Yi Zhici choked. "They... they even look at that? That's so hurtful to one's self - esteem."
Ye Cong'an thought for a while. "It is a bit hurtful to one's self - esteem, but I don't have to worry about the Marquis' heir. He just looks... hehe." She even blushed shyly.
Yi Zhici: "..."
The open - air hot springs were divided into men's, women's, and mixed - gender hot springs.
They were all close to each other, and you could see the other two hot springs from each one.
The air was filled with a fragrant aroma. The petals were intertwined with the thick steam, creating a dreamy and hazy beauty. It was like being in a fairyland.
It made people couldn't help but indulge in it.
When she entered the women's hot spring, the temperature was just right. Yi Zhici let out a comfortable sigh.
The married officials and their wives didn't come. Only the unmarried young masters and ladies of noble families were arranged for today. As for Gu Weifeng, he had his own private hot spring.
Yan Sijin had been soaking in it for a while. The high temperature in the hot spring had made her cheeks flush. It was very different from her usual cold appearance. She looked sexily gorgeous.
Yi Zhici stared blankly at Yan Sijin's good figure.
"Does practicing martial arts have such benefits? I should have studied hard with Master Cangyang earlier," Yi Zhici muttered as she got into the water.
Ye Cong'an leaned over. "What did you say, Princess?"
Yi Zhici turned her head. When she saw Ye Cong'an, she felt a little better. "It's nothing, nothing."
The hot spring was located in a natural hot spring in the back mountain. After a little renovation, the scenery was all natural. It was lush and green, surrounded by various kinds of trees. The cool wind was blowing, and the warm spring water was by her side. It was so comfortable that people didn't want to get out.
Over there, Ye Cong'an was still explaining the real purpose of this hot spring bath to Yan Sijin.
Yi Zhici swam to one side. She was born with sharp eyes and ears, much better than ordinary people. She heard Wei Xing's voice getting closer. As usual, he was chattering non - stop.
If Wei Xing was coming, then Lin Yuan should be arriving soon.