Thunk!

 

Cui Xi frowned at the target, clenched her jaw, and kept running. She’d hit further off the centre than she would have liked, but her head was not in it and she knew it.

 

Zhao Ling Xian you bastard! I wish it were your head!

 

Gritting her teeth, she continued running, avoiding the slicker sections where the fallen leaves were mashed into the ground, creating a slippery sludge.

 

Haaah. In truth…I’m so embarrassed and he didn’t deserve that…Ugh..Focus…Focus!

 

“Mistress, fighting*!” Xiao Hei called encouragingly from behind her. She grunted, ducking around a bush and carefully picked her way down the rocky part of the path. It was muddier here. The summer had given way to autumn, spraying the mountain side with the red gold fire, but that also meant rain and soon it would also mean snow.

 

It was her suggestion to set up the mountain path like an obstacle course for training. Tired of standing in front of targets, she thought that going out would improve her mood, but she was beginning to regret this because her general conditioning wasn’t great. She did her dance practice every day and she was practicing moves with her ring, but she would have to build her endurance. Unfortunately, her bow skills had definitely moved beyond mere target practice. The next logical step was to learn to shoot on the move, and thus far Xiao Hei had been proving himself an excellent teacher.

 

It also made a difference that she had insisted on having a bow made just for her height and draw ability. She’d discussed trying to design a compound recurve bow with Xiao Hei and although he understood the cams and pulleys in principle, they weren’t able to find materials that suited the design. In the end, the failure still grated on her. As the bow was smaller than average to fit her size, it’s lethal force and range were reduced. She could make this up with weight training and move to a longer bow, but it would be hard to get accuracy at full draw given her small frame. I still have time to train.

 

Crunch.

 

She jerked her head towards the sound.

 

“Mistress…I’m going to investigate…” Xiao Hei’s voice floated from behind her and was caught by the breeze.

 

“Alright.”

 

Jogging forward, she saw two targets close to together and aimed as she ran.

 

Thunk, thunk!

 

Ah…dead centre.

 

Pushing through some branches, Cui Xi was panting slightly as she entered into a clearing.

 

She turned her head to the left and then froze as she saw a fully grown stag, horns majestically rising from his head. Nostrils flared as the stag’s liquid black eyes widened to white. Oh no! It’s the middle of the rutting season…!

 

Cui Xi drew three arrows, nocked, and loosed just as the stag began its charge, and then jumped out of the way as the beast reached her far faster than she had anticipated. Three arrows thunked into a tree across the clearing.

 

“Xiao Hei!” she screamed as she scrambled to the side, banging her elbow on the ground as the enraged stag lowered its head to gore her. Pushing herself to her feet, she stumbled backwards, trying to draw, but she was too close to it to fully draw the bow.

 

Her next scream was cut off as someone jumped in front of her and shoved her off to the side.

 

Thunk!

 

The stag toppled over, pierced through with a single, abnormally large, black fletched arrow as a handsome man she had never seen before stepped out from the trees. With his hair flipped dashingly over one eye, a long braid hung loosely down his back, over his leather light armour. As he walked over to the stag and crouched down to ensure that the beast was dead, she noticed a giant black recurve bow decorated with silver and jade gripped in his hand.

 

Her heart thudded madly in her ears as she tried to slow her breathing. Somewhat belatedly, she also became aware that she was being crushed under something, but in her confusion, she didn’t realize that it was the Seventh Prince, who groaned, rolled to the side, and slowly sat up.

 

Cui Xi stared at the man with the bow as he walked over to them.

 

“Your Highness? Are you…?” the man said, trailing off as his eyes met hers.

 

In the abrupt silence, Murong Yan looked like he had seen a ghost. Sitting on the ground was a girl he had not seen for more than half a year…the girl he had promised to marry.

 

“Miss Yang…are you hurt?” he asked, holding out his hand to her with utmost gentleness.

 

Surprised, she shook her head and grasped his hand, letting him pull her up, peaking at him curiously from under her lashes as she stood up.

 

Ah…so this must be the Murong Yan that Yifu told me about…hmmmn…uhm, he’s handsome…

 

She blushed.

 

“General…”

 

Completely forgotten, the Seventh Prince was still sitting on the ground and had abruptly stopped rubbing his head.

 

“Yang?” he burst out, startled both by the name and the shy redness of two faces. Something roiled around deep in his belly and he didn’t like it at all. His gaze shot back and forth between the two of them.

 

The situation became exponentially more complicated when Xiao Hei burst into the clearing and screeched to a halt in front of them.

 

Cui Xi immediately saw from their faces that Murong Yan was related and shot a glance at Xiao Hei’s startled expression.

 

“A’Yan!” he exclaimed in shock.

 

“Shi’er,” Murong Yan nodded to him, seeming less surprised.

 

The Seventh Prince stood and brushed himself off. He wasn’t sure he liked this situation at all. The look on Murong Yan’s face was one he had never seen before, but one that he had immediately recognized as infatuation. He reached out and very carefully took Cui Xi’s hand out of Murong Yan’s.

 

“Xi’er you’re sure you’re alright? Let’s give the two brothers some time to talk. I can send you back on my horse…” he said.

 

“I’m fine, your Highness,” she nodded, brushing him off, and then turned to Murong Yan.

 

“General Murong, thank you again for saving my life. This debt, I will pay it back” she said, bowing deeply.

 

The Prince looked exceedingly stiff.

 

“No need, Miss Yang. I’m just glad you are safe,” Murong Yan said a little embarrassed. From his expression, it was clear that he wanted to speak to his younger brother, but he was reluctant for her to leave.

 

She turned to Xiao Hei, searching his face. So, it turned out that the little black puppy that she had adopted had come from the Murong General’s house! She would have to ask him more about this, but it would have to wait.

 

“Murong Shi, will you go back with me or stay?” she asked lightly, using his real name.

 

Xiao Hei, being of two minds, gave her an aggravated look, but she simply laughed in response.

 

“Go then! You owe me an explanation, but I can wait. Obviously, you have lots to discuss with your brother. Your Highness, General…I take my leave,” she said coolly, picked up her bow and turned to walk away, but Murong Yan caught her wrist again before she could leave.

 

Stunned, she stopped, glancing up at the handsome man. The look he gave her was earnest and a bit shy.

 

Realizing that he had acted without thinking, he flushed and then let go, but not before the look on the Seventh Prince’s face became thunderous. For a moment, Cui Xi thought that the black eyes had glowed like burning coals.

 

What is with that look on the Prince’s face?

 

Even though Murong Yan stood right in front, she found that she could not look away from the Prince’s expression.

 

“Miss Yang…Your Highness, let’s escort her back? I have a matter that needs to be discussed in private…”

 

The Prince nodded impatiently, trying not to scowl. He burned with the urge to demand an explanation from Murong Yan, but it would be useless to lose his temper right now.

 

“Very well, we’ll escort them back, A’Yan,” he said, hiding his aggravation.

 

In the end, Xiao Hei deferred their reunion chat and helped Murong Yan get the stag onto a horse while the Prince insisted on taking Cui Xi up behind him, wrapping her up in his cloak.

 

For most of the ride back, Murong Yan stole glances at her, while the Seventh Prince was sullenly silent. Even Xiao Hei who was normally oblivious to tension shifted uncomfortably in the saddle.

 

The mood only seemed to become worse as it started to drizzle.

 

What bad atmosphere…This really sucks, thought Cui Xi.

 

Toward the end, she surprised herself by dozing off and only realized that she had been resting her cheek against the Prince’s back when he chuckled. Coming fully awake, her arms spasmed a bit, squeezing him from behind.

 

He grunted.

 

“Oh…the rain stopped,” she muttered, loosening her arms.

 

“Tired, my little cat?” he murmured. “Hold on, we are only a little way from your place.”

 

“Ennn,” she said.

 

“Xi’er, you don’t have to stick to me so much…I might get the wrong idea. Are you worried that you’ll fall? I won’t let you,” he teased. He sounded as though he were smiling, though she could not see his face.

 

“Who’s sticking to you?” she retorted, annoyed.

 

Somehow, holding him like this felt natural, as if she had held him like this forever. She had to admit that she didn’t dislike it, his warmth, the solid feeling of his back. He had been surprisingly gentle with her since the incident at the breeding farm, though she didn’t have much confidence in the change in attitude. And yet…

 

What if I wanted you to get the wrong idea? she wondered. What if I don’t want you to let me go? What would you do then?

 

Cui Xi felt that her heart had turned in on itself. He had asked her if they could start again. Could they start again?

 

Seeing the shy look on Murong Yan’s face should have moved her heart, even if it was only to feel flattered by such regard, but she had felt as indifferent and distant as snow on the mountain top.

 

The shadow of her previous life prevented her from admitting her confusion over how she felt.

 

The first one to fall in love is the loser: I craved love so badly that I recklessly threw myself at men who only despised me. It always ended badly, and in the end, I chose someone who didn’t understand me at all, who wanted to make me into something I wasn’t. I hated myself…I still hate myself…But I’ll sit like this just a little longer and steal your warmth. Only a little…so you that you can’t capture my heart.

 

“Zhao Ling Xian…let me down. I want to walk,” she whispered.

 

He jerked at the sound of his name. It was the first time she had actually said it of her own accord, and he couldn’t hold back his exclamation of surprise. Guiding the horse off to the side, he dismounted and carefully circling her waist with his large hands, he gently let her down but did not let go. The look her gave her, as he searched her face, was complicated.

 

You’re making that face again, she thought. Don’t make that face like you’re worried for me, like you care.

 

She looked up at him until the moment was broken by Murong Yan and Xiao Hei, who had caught up to them and dismounted.

 

The Seventh Prince reluctantly released her.

 

“General, perhaps we should settle things?” she said, turning to Murong Yan.

 

Murong Yan looked to the Seventh Prince who only nodded, swinging up into the saddle once again. Although the Seventh Prince was uneasy about whatever they had between them, he was at least reassured that Murong Yan would act like a gentleman. He resisted the urge to drag her onto his horse and take her back to his manor, but only just barely.

 

“Xi’er, I’ll wait for you in your courtyard,” he tossed over his shoulder without a backward glance.

 

Xiao Hei followed the Prince with a set look on his face, but he supposed that it couldn’t be helped. Given that he could no longer conceal his identity as a son of the Murongs, he would have to explain his circumstances to the Mistress. Whether or not he continued in her service, would depend on what his older brother had to say. He sighed, knowing a reckoning had been inevitable since Murong Bo had spoken with him at the horse farm, but he still resented it.

 

These many months, he had grown comfortable under his young Mistress, and his nightmares about the assassination attempts had grown fewer. He didn’t want to return to being the Murong General’s heir, but he could not run away his entire life.

 

Cui Xi waved after Xiao Hei, and then brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Nervously smoothing the front of her robes, she suddenly found that her fingers came away wet. Alarmed, she looked down, finally noticing the dark, damp stain on the front of her robes. She stared at her fingers, recoiling from the sticky sweet smell of blood.

 

How did I not notice??

 

“Murong Yan! The Prince is hurt!” she exclaimed, taking off at a dead run.

 

 

 

 

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* 加油- literally “Add oil”. It is a Chinese form of encouragement/cheer that means ‘Keep at it/You can do it!’ It is sometimes translated into English as ‘Fighting!’ which is used here.