Chapter 18 The Prey He always seemed to spot her at first glance.

This was the first time the four of them had eaten together since arriving at the palace.

Yu Wenxue greeted them politely, then took out the silver needles she had prepared beforehand and tried them on each dish.

Although Gu Huaisheng's influence doesn't extend as far as the Lin family, she should still be cautious just in case.

Lin Qingwan couldn't understand her intentions, but she still respected her wishes and helped hand over the handkerchief.

Gu Rongting, standing to the side, couldn't help but ask, "Cousin, what's going on...?"

"I had a dream that someone wanted to harm Qingwan, so I have to be careful," Yu Wenxue said without changing her expression.

Gu Rongting was not in favor of it and advised, "It's just a dream. As the saying goes, dreams are always the opposite of reality."

"It's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't."

Yu Wenxue quickly tasted all the dishes and, seeing that the silver needles hadn't turned black, breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Alright! Let's eat!"

Gu Yun Shen glanced at the food on the table, picked up a piece of mung bean cake with his chopsticks, and handed it to Gu Rong Ting: "I remember, brother really likes to eat mung bean cake?"

Gu Rongting's expression softened slightly: "It's been many years since we last met. Xun Han still remembers what I liked to eat when I was a child."

"I'll never forget something like this, even if I die."

Yu Wenxue sensed a hidden meaning in his words, and her drowsiness vanished instantly.

When did Gu Yun Shen have such a kind heart? Her intuition told her that this was definitely not an ordinary mung bean cake. Although the silver needle hadn't detected any poison, it was possible that some random ingredients had been added.

Before Gu Rongting could take it, she picked it up and put it in her own bowl. Under the stunned gazes of everyone, she explained, "How did you know that I also love mung bean cake? When I was little, my parents wouldn't buy it for me, they only gave it to my brother. I could only secretly eat what they left over each time."

After saying that, she pretended to pinch herself, her brows furrowing in pain, looking extremely pitiful.

Gu Rongting sighed, "My cousin has suffered."

Lin Qingwan secretly wiped away a tear: "I'll make mung bean cakes for you from now on."

Yu Wenxue waved her hand: "It's okay, it's all in the past, let's not talk about it anymore..."

Gu Yun Shen ignored their sob story and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Mung beans are cold in nature, you can't eat them."

"I only eat this once in a while." As if afraid he would snatch it away, she hurriedly stuffed it into her mouth, "Delicious, delicious."

She ate too quickly and choked, her face turning red from the effort.

Gu Rongting got up and poured her a cup of tea. Lin Qingwan gently patted her back to help her catch her breath and said with increasing pity, "Eat slowly, this plate of mung bean cakes is all for you."

Aww, this is so nice!

Yu Wenxue was about to throw herself into the fragrant and soft arms of Lin Qingwan when Gu Yunshen grabbed her arm, pinched her wrist, and said slowly, "If nothing unexpected happens, tonight will be even more uncomfortable."

"Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Qingwan asked worriedly. "Wenxue, where exactly are you feeling unwell? Let me take a look."

Yu Wenxue casually made up a reason, saying, "I've had my menstrual period..."

Lin Qingwan suddenly realized.

No wonder the second young master wouldn't let her eat cold foods like mung bean cake; he was afraid it would worsen her pain.

While feeling sorry for him, she was also amazed that the second young master remembered even something as simple as a woman's menstrual cycle so clearly. Her face flushed red, and she quietly moved aside.

Gu Rongting also noticed that something was wrong between the two, but for some reason, when Lin Qingwan approached him and gestured to him with her eyes, he immediately understood.

The two exchanged a glance and came to the same conclusion from each other's eyes: Wen Xue Xun Han was true love!

Yu Wenxue was unaware of their ulterior motives.

On one hand, there's the Begonia Spring on her body, and on the other hand, there are the system's tasks. These things combined have kept her extremely busy.

Most importantly, there was the sachet that Gu Yun Shen had asked her to make...

I've already experienced the pain of the 996 work schedule before even starting work.

well……

*

As the weather gradually gets hotter, Lin Qingwan doesn't want to go out in the sun after lunch and stays indoors grinding herbs.

Yu Wenxue was unbearably hot. With only ten days left until the mission deadline, she paced back and forth anxiously and couldn't help but ask, "Qingwan, aren't you curious about the Marquis and the others going hunting together later?"

Lin Qingwan shook her head: "Brother Ting is not good at these things. Going there would probably be in vain. Besides, if he stays in the sun for too long, his skin will get darker."

"Dark skin doesn't look good."

Yu Wenxue then asked, "The other girls would bring water or pastries, don't you want to prepare something for the Marquis?"

“His servants will take care of these things.”

Lin Qingwan stopped what she was doing, blinked her innocent eyes, and as if she remembered something, smiled and said, "Wen Xue, do you want to go and see the Second Young Master's charm?"

"..."

Why are we bringing up Gu Yun Shen again? That doesn't seem to be what she meant.

Yu Wenxue met her curious gaze, gritted her teeth and nodded: "Yes, so can you come with me?"

Lin Qingwan smiled but remained silent. She quickly tidied up the mess on the table, then pulled Yu Wenxue to sit in front of the dressing table. Looking in the mirror, she sighed, "You dress too plainly every day. Shall I do your makeup?"

Yu Wenxue, afraid of wasting time, immediately sat up and refused, "No need..."

Lin Qingwan stroked her soft, long hair: "My parents only have one daughter, me. I've always wanted a little sister so I could dress her up beautifully."

"Your hair is so beautiful, so black and shiny..."

Yu Wenxue's eyes stung, but looking at herself in the mirror, she felt a warm glow in her heart.

Under the bright afternoon sun, the young men of noble families gathered together, set up camp in their respective territories, and began their first hunting expedition.

Hunting is conducted regardless of gender, with only the winner taking the lead. The women, dressed in neat and smart riding attire, looked dashing and spirited.

Yu Wenxue carefully walked along, carrying the new dress Lin Qingwan had given her.

She rarely wore such a vibrant red; her skirt swayed and sparkled as she walked. She took Lin Qingwan's hand and looked around curiously, exclaiming, "So natural, so beautiful."

Lin Qingwan said with a doting look, "You seem to find everything interesting, just like a little child."

“That’s called enjoying life!” Yu Wenxue gave a thumbs-up.

Two beautiful young women walked in the sunlight, one gentle and graceful, the other bright and charming, standing out on the wide lawn and attracting the attention of many people.

Not far away, Gu Yunshen, hidden in the shadows, gazed intently at the beautiful figure, his hand pausing as he led the horse.

No matter where he is, he always seems to spot her first.

"Hey, which family's daughter is that next to Miss Lin?"

"I wonder which high-ranking official's beloved daughter she is, kept hidden away in seclusion, never shown to the public?"

"It seems she was brought by the Gu family. I've never heard of the Gu family having such a beautiful woman..."

The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves. Upon hearing this, Prince Pingkang pursed his lips and said to the guard beside him, "Go and find out who she is."

Gu Rongting was a civil official and not skilled in riding and archery, so he did not participate, but only came to join in the fun. Seeing Lin Qingwan and Yu Wenxue bringing him a food box, he hurriedly accepted it, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Sister Wan and Cousin Wenxue."

Yu Wenxue didn't want to be a third wheel, so she decided to use Gu Yunshen for a short time and said, "You two talk, I want to go find the Second Young Master."

Lin Qingwan blushed, stole a glance at Gu Rongting, and slowly nodded.

For once, Gu Rongting was surprisingly clever, speaking kindly as if he were treating a junior: "He will be very happy that you've come."

That's not necessary.

Yu Wenxue thought.

The trombones sounded, and the hunt officially began.

To avoid an incident like the one involving Haitangchun, Yu Wenxue didn't go far, staying in the crowd and occasionally keeping an eye on Gu Rongting and Lin Qingwan's movements.

She's already tried so hard, can't Gu Rongting stand up straight and be a little braver?

The green grass stretched to the horizon, and wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze.

It's probably the offspring of a stray cat from the neighborhood. Arrows have no eyes in the hunting grounds, and it's easy to accidentally injure someone.

Yu Wenxue, with a soft heart, ran towards the kitten and found it near a burrow.

The kitten's eyes were wet, and it hid behind the tree, afraid to approach her, but then peeked out a little bit of its round head.

"Poor little thing." Yu Wenxue tore a sliver of cloth from under her skirt, knelt down to bandage its calf, and stroked its head: "Are you all alone too?"

“It seems we’re quite destined to meet. I’m alone too.” Yu Wenxue sighed. “It’s just a pity that I can’t support you right now. But when I can, I’ll definitely bring you home. I can’t let you live with me as a dependent…”

After bandaging the kitten, she placed it beside the burrow and left reluctantly.

I turned around and bumped into a greasy face.

Prince Pingkang waved his hand, and his men stepped back. He then looked her up and down and asked, "This young lady looks familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"

Yu Wenxue remembered this person; he was the one who sent people to bully Gu Yunshen last time. His fat head, big ears, and big belly were really hard to forget.

She said, "You've mistaken me for someone else."

After saying that, he turned and walked away.

"Hey, don't go!" Prince Pingkang blocked her way, stroking his chin with his thick fingers. "How about we play a game?"

Not very good.

Yu Wenxue didn't want to talk to him. What if he recognized her as the woman who drugged him that day?

She still wants to survive!

"Sorry, I have something to do." Yu Wenxue kept backing away until she was close to the riverbank, where she stopped.

“What important business could a cousin staying at the Gu family’s place have?” Seeing that she remained silent, Prince Pingkang lost his patience and his expression changed drastically: “Young lady, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.”

He shouted behind him, "How about we make her our prey? Hahahaha..."

The wealthy young men following behind him exchanged bewildered glances. They dared not offend the Prince of Pingkang, yet they could not accept his tyrannical ways of behaving.

The game involves using people as targets, with apples placed on their heads; whoever hits the target wins.

If she were skilled in archery and defeated Prince Pingkang, she would inevitably displease him; if she lost, this beautiful young lady might lose her life...

Prince Pingkang looked around and, finding no one daring to step forward, roared, "Who will fire the first arrow?"

No one answered.

"Useless thing." He casually kicked the guard beside him, took a handful of arrows from his quiver, and said, "It's a pity I didn't bring a bullseye with me. How about we use the lady's earring as the bullseye?"

What a pervert! What a scumbag!

Yu Wenxue's face turned pale, and she cursed him in her heart.

Prince Pingkang twisted his obese body, stretched, and smiled maliciously: "It's not too late to beg for mercy now."

"As long as you serve me well, everything is negotiable."

Yu Wenxue racked her brains for a solution, but her intelligence wouldn't allow it. Prince Pingkang wasn't a patient man; not waiting for her reply, he drew his bow and sneered, "Since that's how it is..."

Suddenly, an arrow streaked across the sky like a meteor, knocking the Prince of Pingkang's arrow to the ground.

A white figure swooped down from the tree; the young man's clothes fluttered, and he lowered his head to conceal the coldness in his eyes.

Gu Yun Shen stepped forward, a smirk playing on his lips, and said, "What's the point of playing with her? How about I play with Your Highness instead?"

A note from the author:

The previous chapter added plot details and increased word count!