A few days later, Xin Jiuwei returned home.

She stood in the courtyard, watching the cat she had rescued earlier, who was on the verge of death, now lively and chasing butterflies.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Despite the beautiful weather, her heart was heavy with worries.

"Miss, the master requests your presence." Wang Qing's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Inside the study, Xin's father was flipping through an account book. Seeing her enter, he put down the book and said, "Jiuwei, the Princess is holding a hunting festival tomorrow and has invited young men from all the families in the city. Your sister has been in low spirits lately. Take her and your brother with you to relax."

Xin Jiuwei's heart tightened. The hunting competition? Qi Huaiyu would definitely be there too. She instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing her father's expectant eyes and remembering her sister's recent melancholy due to Xie Changjing's harassment, she could only nod and agree, "Your daughter understands."

"Your sister has a gentle nature, so you need to take good care of her." Father Xin gave her a meaningful look. "As for Yunzhou, he's been working very hard lately, let him have some fun."

"Father, rest assured." Xin Jiuwei curtsied and left the study.

Back in her courtyard, Xin Jiuwei immediately instructed Wang Qing to prepare the clothes needed for tomorrow's hunt.

She specially chose a riding outfit that allowed for easy movement—a light blue top paired with dark riding breeches, which maintained the elegance of a well-bred lady while allowing for swift action when necessary.

"Miss, do you think Young Master Xie will bother you again tomorrow?" Wang Qing asked worriedly while tidying her clothes.

Xin Jiuwei sneered, "If he dares to come, I'll make sure he regrets it."

Her fingers unconsciously caressed the keepsake her mother had left her, a source of strength she drew from her difficult times.

The next morning, the gates of the Xin residence were bustling with carriages and horses. Xin Yunzhou was already mounted on his horse, looking impatient. Xin Xiyao stood pale-faced beside the carriage, her eyes darting around.

"Sister." Xin Jiuwei stepped forward and took Xin Xiyao's cold hand. "The weather is nice today, let's take a good walk and relax."

Xin Xiyao forced a smile: "I'm fine, I just didn't sleep well last night."

Xin Jiuwei knew her sister was troubled by Xie Changjing's matter, but she didn't point it out. She simply helped her sister into the carriage, then mounted her own horse and rode alongside Xin Yunzhou.

The hunting grounds were located on the outskirts of the city, covering a vast area with lush forests. When the Xin family arrived, many noble youths had already gathered there. The eldest princess sat gracefully on a high platform, exuding elegance and nobility. Upon their arrival, she nodded slightly in greeting.

As soon as Xin Jiuwei dismounted, she felt a burning gaze fall upon her. She turned her head and saw that it was indeed Qi Huaiyu.

He was dressed in dark blue riding attire, his handsome face showing just the right amount of concern, and he was walking towards her.

"Jiuwei." Qi Huaiyu's voice was sickeningly gentle. "I heard you weren't feeling well the other day, and I was worried about you for many days."

Xin Jiuwei suppressed her disgust and gave a cold smile: "Shouldn't you be the one who knows best why I'm in poor health?"

Qi Huaiyu's smile froze for a moment, then quickly returned to normal: "What do you mean by that, Miss Xin? My concern for you is as clear as day."

"Is that so?" Xin Jiuwei raised her eyes slightly, a cold glint in them. "Then Young Master Qi's concern is truly unique." She deliberately emphasized the words "unique."

Qi Huaiyu said, "Miss Xin seems to have misunderstood something. If there's an opportunity, I'd like to explain it to her in person."

Xin Jiuwei, too lazy to engage in any pretense with him, was about to turn and leave when she heard a commotion behind her. She turned around and saw Xie Changjing carrying a bouquet of flowers toward Xin Xiyao, a disturbing smile on his face.

"Xi Yao, I picked these flowers especially for you." Xie Changjing's voice was sickeningly sweet. "I know you love jasmine the most, so I went to the flower garden outside the city before dawn—"

"Young Master Xie, please show some respect." Xin Xiyao frowned and took a step back. "I have no connection with you, please don't address me like that."

Xie Changjing's smile froze, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes, but he quickly replaced it with a smile: "Xi Yao, why be so distant? Our two families have been friends for generations."

Seeing this, Xin Jiuwei immediately stepped forward and stood in front of her sister, saying, "Young Master Xie, my sister is unwell and needs to rest. We appreciate your 'kindness'."

A flash of anger crossed Xie Changjing's eyes, but he had to suppress it due to the occasion: "In that case, I will visit you another day." After saying that, he gave Xin Xiyao a deep look, then turned and left.

Xin Jiuwei noticed that he wasn't heading towards the crowd, but rather deeper into the woods, and alarm bells immediately went off in her head. She knew Xie Changjing all too well; once rejected in public, he would never give up easily.

"Sister, you go and rest in the tent first. I'll go see where brother has run off to," Xin Jiuwei said to Xin Xiyao, while giving Wang Qing a wink.

Wang Qing understood and immediately stepped forward to help Xin Xiyao: "Miss, let me help you to your tent to rest."

After Xin Xiyao left, Xin Jiuwei quickly chased after Xie Changjing in the direction he had disappeared. She tiptoed through the woods and soon spotted Xie Changjing. He was crouching by a path, furtively fiddling with something.

Xin Jiuwei hid behind a large tree, watching intently. She saw Xie Changjing take out a roll of thin rope from his pocket and skillfully set up a tripwire between two trees. Then he dug a shallow pit in the middle of the path and covered it with branches and fallen leaves as camouflage.

"Hmph, when Xin Xiyao's horse passes by here later, it'll be in for a real ruckus," Xie Changjing muttered to himself, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "Then I'll 'coincidentally' appear to save the damsel in distress, and let's see how she refuses me then."

Xin Jiuwei was furious and wanted to rush out immediately to expose his plot. But she quickly calmed down—acting rashly would not only alert him, but might also allow Xie Changjing to turn on her.

She had to come up with a foolproof plan.

After Xie Changjing finished setting the trap, he looked around to make sure no one had noticed, then left triumphantly. Xin Jiuwei waited until he was far away before immediately going to inspect the traps he had set.

The tripwire was tied very discreetly; it would be difficult to notice unless one saw it with their own eyes.

Although the pit wasn't deep, it was enough to cause a horse to slip and fall. Xin Jiuwei sneered, took out a small knife from her waist, and quickly cut the tripwire.

Next, she re-tied the tripwire a few steps away from its original position, adjusting the height to a position suitable for tripping an adult man.

As for the shallow pit, Xin Jiuwei found several sharp stones nearby, carefully buried them at the bottom, and then covered it with camouflage again. After doing this, she patted the dirt off her hands, a cold glint in her eyes: "Xie Changjing, since you enjoy setting traps so much, then taste the consequences yourself."