Chapter 14: Taking the Lead

After noon had passed, all the invited young heirs for the hunting gathering had arrived. Each of them found a flat and sheltered spot at the foot of the mountain to set up their camps.

"Miss, I've already inquired with the Qingxiao guards," said Hutao, carrying a basin of clear water into the tent. She helped Yu Lingxi roll up her sleeves and continued, "Originally, the stable boys who were supposed to accompany us fell ill with stomach troubles last night, vomiting and having diarrhea. They couldn't get up from bed. The steward couldn't find anyone else, and by chance, he saw that beggar who was adept at handling horses. So, he temporarily called him to replace them, saying he would only be responsible for taking care of the horses and wouldn't be allowed to get close to the young lady. I don't think there should be any issues."

While Yu Lingxi soaked her hands in the water, her mind was occupied with another concern. Despite Ning Yin being ignored in the palace and lacking a significant presence, he was once an imperial prince. In this hunting gathering, where there were many young heirs from prestigious families, including those with royal connections, wasn't he afraid of being recognized?

The more she thought about Ning Yin's past, the more mysterious it seemed. She had never fully understood it.

"Sui Sui, come out! All the families are ready, preparing for the hunt," Tang Buli's voice came from outside the tent, interrupting Yu Lingxi's thoughts.

The afternoon sun was just right, making people's pores open up under its warmth. The young heirs had already gathered outside the forest, each holding a fine bow. Some families, emphasizing grandeur, even had falconers and hunting dogs. The air was filled with the sounds of birds and barking dogs, creating a lively atmosphere.

Yu Lingxi changed into a crimson riding attire suitable for archery. She held a golden-hilted riding crop, guiding the Western Region red horse her father had acquired at a high price.

The horse was precious, and the rider was a beauty. In her crimson attire, she shone brilliantly under the sunlight, more eye-catching than her usual appearance in jade hairpins and azure skirts.

For a moment, the gazes of the young heirs were filled with obvious amazement as they looked at her. They probably hadn't expected the sickly daughter of the Yu family, kept hidden in the inner chambers, to be such a stunning beauty.

Xue Cen was the first to ride over. He circled around her, then stopped his horse and said gently, "Second sister, the terrain in the forest is complicated. When we move later, stay with the crowd and don't stray too far."

"Okay," Yu Lingxi nodded and joined the hunting party, standing beside Yu Xinyi.

When the horn sounded, a hundred riders swept across the gentle slope, racing towards the forest, disturbing countless birds that flew up into the air.

At the forefront was Yu Xinyi in warrior attire, accompanied by a luxurious young man holding a finely crafted golden bow. The two were side by side, indistinguishable in status.

The figure of that young man seemed somewhat familiar to Yu Lingxi. He must have been someone she saw at a banquet in her past life.

Yu Lingxi kept an eye on him and rode forward to ask Tang Buli, "A-Li, who is the young man with the golden bow at the front?"

Tang Buli, shading her eyes with her hand, looked ahead and then said, "Nanyang's Junior Prince Ning Zizhuo, the current emperor's nephew."

Then, she squinted her eyes and lightly tapped Yu Lingxi's shoulder with her riding crop, mysteriously saying, "Although the Little Prince is of royal blood, he's just a spoiled playboy. Don't even think about it! Stay honest with your Second Brother Xue, among all the unmarried heirs here, only he matches your looks and talents..."

The topic went off on a tangent, and Yu Lingxi stopped her, saying, "I just asked casually. Where were you going with that?"

As she spoke, she suddenly heard a familiar female voice behind her, softly calling, "Cousin Yu Lingxi."

Yu Lingxi turned her head and saw Zhao Yuming, sitting rigidly on her horse. 

Unconsciously, she tightened the reins. Various overlapping memories of her stay in the Zhao family in her past life flashed through her mind, finally freezing on Zhao Yuming's face, which had been blurred by blood.

Perhaps she should feel pity.

But as long as she remembered the sedan chair of the Regent's Mansion she was forced to press down on in her past life, and Zhao Yuming's indifferent words, "Cousin, accept your fate," all the feelings of injustice and resentment disappeared. All that remained was an endless emptiness.

Yu Lingxi sat upright on her horse and responded lightly, "Cousin."

Behind Zhao Yuming, there was a young man, with slender eyebrows and a thin face, looking very delicate and silent. He was an adopted son of the Zhao family.

Zhao Yuming was not skilled in archery and rode the horse awkwardly and slowly. It took her a while to reach Yu Lingxi. Her gaze swept over the pearl hairpin in Yu Lingxi's hair, and she smiled, "These pearl hairpins of yours are quite beautiful. I wonder which shop you bought them from?"

The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows in Yu Lingxi's eyes.

Others had said that Zhao Yuming bore some resemblance to Yu Lingxi, but now, it seemed not at all.

Zhao Yuming's features were much softer and less distinct, her eyes appearing misty and charming but lacking brightness.

Yu Lingxi naturally wouldn't speak the truth and casually replied, "Last year's old style, nothing special."

Zhao Yuming's smile froze for a moment, her face quickly turning red and then fading into paleness. She lowered her eyes, looking down at her own clothes. Her family background was not as good as Yu Lingxi's. Without reliable support from father or brothers, she wore last year's old clothes.

Cheers from a distance broke the silence in the forest.

Tang Buli's eyes brightened, "Looks like someone got the first prize already, so fast!"

"Let's go, take a look," Yu Lingxi didn't have time to pay attention to Zhao Yuming, raising her whip and riding through the woods.

Yu Xinyi had hunted a stag, taking the lead. She casually planted the flag with the Yu family crest in the forest, looking extremely imposing. Meanwhile, the Nanyang Junior Prince had failed in the competition, exhausted and gasping for breath on his horse. He stared at Yu Xinyi resentfully.

"Just because I thought you were a woman, I spared you three points earlier. Next time, I won't show mercy!" Ning Zizhuo threw an arrow at Yu Xinyi's feet, arrogantly declaring, "Again!"

Yu Xinyi raised her eyebrows and smiled, flipping onto her horse, "Little Prince, if you lose face again later, no crying allowed!"

The crowd cheered, and Ning Zizhuo, feeling humiliated, blushed even more. He angrily shouted, "Whoever cries is a dog!"

With that, he whipped his horse and chased after Yu Xinyi, leaving his guards behind. Nanyang Junior Prince had a childish nature, and Yu Lingxi found it amusing. In her heart, she was certain that he couldn't be one of the political enemies of the Yu family.

Tang Buli instructed someone to carry the stag back to the camp, and the onlookers scattered to hunt.

The crowd had run far, and Yu Lingxi's archery skills and stamina were not as good as her elder sister's. After circling in the woods a few times, she returned to the camp with Tang Buli and other noble ladies.

The slanting sun was beautiful, and the creek sparkled with golden light. Yu Lingxi had two gray rabbits hanging from her horse. She guided the horse towards the makeshift stable behind the camp.

The horseback was high, and she hesitated whether jumping down would cause an injury. Just then, a familiar figure walked over, overlapping his arms and half-kneeling on the stirrup, creating a human ladder for her.

Ning Yin?

Yu Lingxi was stunned, standing on the stirrup without moving.

"I don't have the habit of using people as stepping stools. Step aside," she said, her tone gentle but with a hint of displeasure.

Since she had decided to keep Ning Yin, she had to gradually change these bad habits of his that discrediting to others. Ning Yin pursed his lips, following her instructions and stepping back.

Yu Lingxi steadied herself and stepped down from the horse, landing a bit unsteadily.

"Be careful."

Ning Yin immediately supported her, his long fingers carrying a hint of coolness as they firmly grasped her wrist. Yu Lingxi's heart tightened, and her fingertips trembled unconsciously. Their eyes met, and Ning Yin's dark eyes were calm, devoid of any sense of control or desire. It was only then that Yu Lingxi came back to her senses. The young man in front of her was indeed not the Ning Yin from her previous life.

"Thank you," she breathed a sigh of relief and moved her wrist.

Ning Yin obediently let go of her hand. After a moment of thought, he raised his eyes and showed Yu Lingxi a generous smile.

The beautiful sunset painted the sky, tired birds returned to the woods, and the young man's smile was like the purest spring in the mountains, capable of washing away all the troubles.

They say Xue Cen has a refined and handsome appearance, akin to Pan An, but when Ning Yin smiled, even ten Xue Cens couldn't compare.

Since the New Year's Eve night when Yu Lingxi asked Ning Yin to "smile," every time she saw him, he would show a harmless and friendly smile.

It seemed like this could make her happy, make her not dislike him so much.

Yu Lingxi thought that over the years of his wanderings, Ning Yin must have developed an extraordinary level of alertness and sensitivity. Otherwise, how could he keenly perceive the resentment and distance hidden in Yu Lingxi's heart, and seize every opportunity to please and perform well?

"Don't force yourself to smile in the future," she said.

Ning Yin showed a slight confusion and asked, "Miss doesn't like it?"

"Not exactly," Yu Lingxi replied.

There was a faint smile in Yu Lingxi's eyes, deliberately pursing her lips. She earnestly instructed him, "But laughing for no reason looks silly."

She handed the reins to Ning Yin and spoke in a much lighter tone, "Take care of the horses for me."

After saying that, she swayed the little horsewhip in her hand and walked towards the camp in the light.

At sunset, the drums sounded to end the hunt.

On the grassy ground by the creek, there were many birds and beasts. Tang Buli was having someone count them, determining the number of prey each family had based on the emblems on their arrows to select the winner.

After several rounds of counting, the Yu family had the most prey, whether in quantity or rare animals like deer and roe deer. Nanyang Prince Ning Zizhuo came second, followed by Xue Cen and others. The least were the arrows from Zhao Yuming's house, with only a rabbit and a poorly colored fox.

At night, a bonfire was lit in front of the tents. Men and women, young and old, formed circles to share and feast on today's spoils.

Yu Lingxi had someone cut a leg of venison and distributed it to the accompanying attendants. Then, she picked some fruits and hot roasted meat, instructing Hutao, "Give these separately to Ning..."

Pausing for a moment, she changed her words, "Go and give them to that beggar who takes care of the horses."

Just as she finished arranging this, someone among her female companions asked, "Why don't we see Miss Zhao from the Zhao family?"

The eldest daughter of Liu, the assistant minister of war, glanced at Yu Lingxi, smiling but with a hint of needles in her words, "Because someone took all the limelight, hunted all the prey in the woods, and left no room for others. How could Miss Zhao from the Zhao family dare to show her face?"

During the Northern Expedition, Yu Lingxi's father and brothers were the first to suspect Assistant Minister Liu. Now, looking at the attitude of Liu's daughter, it was clear that the relationship between the two families was not good.

This hunting event had brought prominence to the Yu family, and Yu Lingxi remembered all the envy, jealousy, and hostility from these young men and women. After all, the families behind these young heirs represented the interests of their elders.

Outside the tent, the bonfire was lively, but Zhao Yuming's tent was silent.

A few figures walked past the tent, discussing, "I used to think that Miss Zhao was a potential beauty, but today, standing next to the Yu family's young lady, she looks like a lifeless statue, colorless."

Another person laughed, "Indeed! If I were Xue Cen, I would also prefer Miss Yu. That appearance and figure... tsk, tsk!"

The sound of footsteps receded, and outside the voices of discussion abruptly stopped.

Zhao Yuming looked at the bag of arrows on the table, and as she heard the words, her five fingers tightly clenched, the sorrow in her eyes deepening, almost on the verge of tears. In no time, Zhao Xu entered with a roasted rabbit leg. Seeing Zhao Yuming sitting alone in a melancholic mood, there was a clear look of distress in his eyes.

"Have something to eat, Yuming."

Zhao Xu tore off a piece of rabbit meat and carefully fed it to Zhao Yuming's lips. "Those who talked nonsense have been driven away."

Zhao Yuming shook her head, "They're not wrong. A dazzling and delicate girl like my cousin is meant to be liked by everyone."

"But I don't like her," Zhao Xu said.

Zhao Yuming glanced at him, tears uncontrollably streaming down, "What's the use of you not liking her? I don't have a good father or elder brother like her. Wherever I go, I'll be compared and ridiculed, deemed inferior to her."

"No, during the hunt tomorrow, I will definitely be in the lead, and I will definitely support you and give you face."

Whenever he saw his younger sister in tears, Zhao Xu's eyes would flash with a hint of darkness. "By then, no one will dare to ridicule or belittle you."

...

With the waning moon in the west, the bonfire extinguished, leaving only a spark rising and disappearing in an instant.

Everyone was asleep, and the camp was quiet. 

The cold air seeped through the dense trees, and a grey falcon cut through the night sky, landing accurately on Ning Yin's arm. Just as he retrieved the information, deliberately soft footsteps were heard from outside the forest. Ning Yin had excellent hearing and immediately recognized that the sound was coming from Yu Lingxi's stable.

He raised a finger to his lips, indicating the well-trained falcon not to move. Then he turned, hiding in the darkness behind a tree, observing. A shadow sneaked to the stable, pulled out something, poured it into the horse trough, stirred it with their hands, and hastily left.

Once the shadow completely disappeared, Ning Yin raised his arm and released the falcon. Then he walked leisurely to the stable, casually grabbed a handful of fodder, and sniffed it at his nose. A faint smile appeared on his lips, a low sneer echoing in his throat. Under the moonlight, his eyes emitted a cold and sharp light.

It seemed that he didn't need to take action; someone was eager to wreak havoc.

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