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墨書 Inktalez
The next day was the Hunting Competition.
He Yu got up early in the morning, kissed Xiao Yao, who was still sound asleep with her blanket, and gave a few instructions to Yun Zhu before heading out.
There was really no need for her to come out in the morning; the humidity was quite heavy. As He Yu walked, he thought that hunting would be just about enough. He didn't expect to win first place anyway. He planned to return by noon to have lunch with his daughter-in-law and then take her out for a couple of strolls. Life sounded pretty good. He Yu couldn't help but smile contentedly, and Zhao Hezhong, who was attending to him, noticed that the lord was in a good mood. When the master was happy, naturally, the servant felt good too.
Thinking this way, Zhao Hezhong hurriedly followed behind He Yu to gather with the others.
When Xiao Yao woke up, she felt a chill in the spot beside her, indicating that someone had already left. She got out of bed, and when Yun Zhu heard the movement, she lifted the curtain and saw that Xiao Yao was already up, so she quickly came over to assist her.
"When did the lord leave?" Xiao Yao asked while getting dressed.
"He left early in the morning," Yun Zhu replied. "It's been about an hour now. Before leaving, the lord instructed me not to disturb you, which is why I didn't wake you."
"Oh." It seemed that it wasn't an important occasion; otherwise, He Yu would have definitely asked her to get up.
After thinking this through, Xiao Yao felt more at ease. After all, with so many people around, if she made even a small mistake, it would be magnified many times over. However, since He Yu hadn't asked Yun Zhu to wake her up, it probably wasn't a big deal.
As usual for breakfast, she had a cup of milk with a steamed bun and two dishes. When eating outside, one couldn't be too picky about food. However, since Xiao Yao was pregnant, if they served something greasy or meaty for breakfast, she probably wouldn't be able to eat it anyway. After having a few bites of breakfast, Xiao Yao asked, "Will the lord be back for lunch?"
"Yes," Yun Yue said as she walked in. "He wants you to wait and have lunch together."
Xiao Yao nodded and swallowed what was in her mouth; that was enough for her. There was still an hour until noon; if she ate too much now, she wouldn't want to eat at lunch. It was better to just have a little for breakfast and save room for lunch.
After wandering around the tent for a bit and finding nothing entertaining to do,
she said to Yun Zhu, "Let's go outside for a stroll."
"Sure," Yun Zhu replied without objection but smiled as she added, "However, the lord instructed that you shouldn't go too far since this is the Hunting Ground; there are always wild beasts around."
"Huh? There are wild beasts?" Xiao Yao asked curiously. "Aren't they supposed to clear them out?"
"Cleaning will be done, but with the entire Western Mountain Hunting Ground being this large, there are bound to be oversights. Moreover, there are always a few that need to be left behind, like the Eldest Prince or several generals, who all enjoy hunting fierce beasts," Yun Zhu explained to Xiao Yao.
Now understanding the situation, Xiao Yao acknowledged that she got it.
Just a few steps out the door, she ran into Sun Ruoxue, and neither of them reacted at first.
It was Sun Ruoxue who smiled first and greeted Xiao Yao, to which Xiao Yao hurriedly returned the gesture.
Sun Ruoxue smiled and asked, "Are you going out for a stroll, Princess?"
"Yes, just taking a breath of fresh air since I have some free time," Xiao Yao replied politely with a smile.
As the saying goes, one should not strike someone who offers a smile. Since she was being courteous, Xiao Yao felt she couldn't respond with a sour face. After hearing Xiao Yao's words, Sun Ruoxue said, "That's perfect. How about we go together?"
Xiao Yao remained silent; after all, she felt a bit awkward, but it was hard to refuse the invitation.
Sun Ruoxue noticed Xiao Yao's discomfort and smiled knowingly as she said, "It's fine. I suspect the Fourth Prince will be back soon. I'll go check over there first."
"Okay, see you later," Xiao Yao immediately replied and then bid farewell to Sun Ruoxue as she walked in the opposite direction.
She walked quite a distance while still feeling the sweat in her palms.
Meanwhile, after Xiao Yao turned away, Sun Ruoxue did not leave but continued to watch her retreating figure. A nearby maid looked at Sun Ruoxue curiously and asked, "Why are you being so friendly with Consort Xuanping?"
"Naturally," Sun Ruoxue replied without turning her head.
"But..."
"I know what you're thinking," Sun Ruoxue continued. "Given how tense the relationship is between the Sun Family and Xuanping Prince's Mansion right now, it seems unlikely to mend things. I'm just seeing if I can help the Fourth Prince."
"But, the Fourth Prince and Xuanping Wang..."
The Fourth Prince and Xuanping Wang did not usually get along well, so suddenly approaching with goodwill might seem a bit abrupt. The maid looked at Sun Ruoxue's expressionless face, and the words that followed were automatically muted.
Sun Ruoxue did not respond to the maid's words; she only murmured, "Now all of the Sun Family's hopes rest on the Fourth Prince." After that, she glanced a couple of times in the direction Xiao Yao had left before saying, "Let's go."
This matter could not be rushed.
Because of He Yu's instructions, Xiao Yao did not dare to wander too far and only strolled around the vicinity of the camp.
However, sometimes luck just strikes unexpectedly, and no amount of rushing can change that.
In the late autumn season, the mountains were filled with bare branches, and stepping on them produced a crisp sound. Xiao Yao noticed fallen trees lying across the path. Above, towering trees blocked out the sun, making the entire forest feel even colder than outside.
Yun Zhu involuntarily shrank her neck, her eyes flashing with fear and panic. "Master, it's so eerie here. Shouldn't we go back?"
"Are you scared?" Xiao Yao teased.
"It's just so eerie," Yun Zhu admitted without putting on a brave front. "It's quite creepy."
Yun Zhu's comment made Xiao Yao, who had initially felt indifferent, also sense a hint of the chilling atmosphere. She nodded, "Alright, let's head back."
Just as they were about to turn back, they suddenly heard a rustling sound from behind the bushes.
What was that?
The two stopped and exchanged glances, holding their breath.
After a moment, the rustling sound came again, as if something was scraping across the ground.
"Could it be a snake?" Yun Zhu said, trembling.
As soon as the words were out, both of them froze in place, looking at each other with faces full of fear, too scared to move.
They were afraid that a snake's head would suddenly pop out and bite each of them, so they could only stand still.
Cold sweat broke out on Xiao Yao's body, and she felt regretful for coming to such a place. If she had stayed in the tent, none of this would have happened.
Yun Zhu's face was even paler, but she managed to stay calm. She bit her lip and resolutely said, "If there really is something like that, you run first, and I'll hold it off!"
"How can that be!" Xiao Yao exclaimed anxiously.
"I am a Servant; a Servant's life is not worth much," Yun Zhu smiled, appearing more composed. The more composed she seemed, the more frightened Xiao Yao felt. "What do you mean a Servant's life is not worth much? We are all born of our parents; we are all the same!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the rustling sound came again.
The two people who had been arguing instantly stopped and exchanged glances. This time, Xiao Yao listened carefully and realized that the sound seemed to be flopping around in place, showing no intention of moving forward. Moreover, the sound was somewhat chaotic.
"Wait." Xiao Yao listened carefully for a moment and said, "It seems it's not a snake."
"Whatever it is, let's go," Yun Zhu pleaded with Xiao Yao; she didn't want to stay in this cursed place for another second.
Actually, Xiao Yao wanted to see what it was, but seeing Yun Zhu's trembling body softened her heart. She nodded, "Let's go."
Yun Zhu let out a long breath and was about to leave while supporting Xiao Yao when suddenly she saw a section of dry wood with something furry struggling to climb up it, followed by a series of cries, "Aow!"
"Hey? What is that?" Xiao Yao curiously looked at the furry creature. It must have been this little guy causing the commotion earlier. Upon realizing it was an animal resembling a cat, both of their hearts relaxed.
The creature turned its two round eyes and looked fierce; it seemed to be a cub. Curious, Xiao Yao walked over. The creature wasn't afraid of her and tried to climb up her clothes. Xiao Yao found it amusing and picked up the "kitten," noticing its patterns didn't look like those of an ordinary wild cat at all.
"Leopard?" Xiao Yao looked at the pattern and guessed.
Yun Zhu took a look as well and thought it resembled one, but still found it a bit strange. "Usually, the cubs here should be accompanied by their mother. Why haven't we seen any adults?"
"Could they be nearby?" Xiao Yao glanced around, but there was no sign of the Mother Leopard. If the Mother Leopard did come, the two of them would likely be unable to handle it.
However, they couldn't just leave the cub here. What if the Mother Leopard couldn't find it? Wouldn't the cub starve to death?
While they were scanning the area, they suddenly heard the sound of hooves not far away. Someone must have returned from hunting and passed by. Xiao Yao's eyes lit up; this was perfect, they could ask for help.
So Yun Zhu and Xiao Yao stood in place waiting for the pair on horseback to approach. The sound of hooves grew closer, and just as they were about to come into view, Xiao Yao, being pregnant, handed her things over to Yun Zhu. Unfortunately, when the items bumped into Yun Zhu, she bared her teeth and showed her claws again, forcing Xiao Yao to take them back.
Just as she was struggling with her belongings, she suddenly heard a familiar voice. "Yao Yao?"
Xiao Yao looked up in surprise. "Prince!"
"What are you doing here?" He Yu dismounted and walked towards Xiao Yao, noticing the cub in her arms. "Did you find this leopard?"
"Yes," Xiao Yao nodded and even lifted the cub's paw to greet He Yu.
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