Shen Youying circled the woods and returned with a pheasant and two rabbits.
She hadn't been so unrestrained in a long time, and when she returned with her prey hanging from her saddle, her face was still flushed with excitement. Since there was no one to share her joy, she saw Xue Shen waiting for her at the edge of the hunting grounds, and despite her efforts to hold back, she couldn't help but boast to him with a hint of pride: "I hunted two rabbits and a pheasant. I can roast the pheasant myself, and I can ask the kitchen to make a rabbit hot pot for the two rabbits tonight."
She sat on her horse, her Hu clothing stained with mud and dust from the mountains and forests, and a few specks of prey's blood splattered on her fair cheeks. She looked somewhat disheveled, yet exuded a vibrant wildness.
Like a sika deer running happily in the mountains, but not as docile and harmless as a sika deer, they harbor a little wildness within. If they encounter danger, they will also show their claws and teeth to fight back.
Xue Shen looked at her against the light, his eyes narrowed slightly, and beckoned to her: "Come closer."
Shen Youying, not understanding why, spurred her horse over, nimbly leaped off, and handed the prey to the accompanying guards.
Xue Shen then took out a handkerchief, gestured for her to lower her head, and carefully wiped the dust and bloodstains from her cheeks. His movements were very light and gentle, almost tender, giving one the illusion that one was a precious treasure being treated with utmost care.
This feeling was something only her father and brothers had ever given her.
Shen Youying's eyelashes trembled, and she didn't dare to meet Xue Shen's gaze. Her beautiful eyes darted left and right, glancing around erratically.
But the less you look at it, the more vivid the tactile sensation becomes.
Calloused fingers roamed over her face through a thin silk handkerchief, the warmth of her body traveling through her fingertips. It wasn't very hot, but it made her heart pound and fine beads of sweat appear on her neck.
After Xue Shen finally wiped her face clean, Shen Youying quickly straightened up and took a few steps back, asking awkwardly, "Does Your Highness still want to wander around?"
Xue Shen said, "Didn't you want to roast a pheasant?"
Shen Youying exclaimed, remembering what she had said just moments before. Now that she couldn't go back on her word, she could only say, "Then I'll go gather some branches to start a fire."
"Let the guards handle these chores." With a glance from Xue Shen, the accompanying guards went to collect the branches.
Having lost her excuse to leave, Shen Youying could only stay there uncomfortably, looking down at her hands.
Xue Shen, on the other hand, seemed to be in a good mood for conversation today, and asked again, "There are sika deer in the hunting grounds, why didn't you hunt any?"
"..." Shen Youying glanced at him and whispered, "The sika deer runs too fast, I can't shoot accurately."
She used to rely on her father and older brother to teach her when she was young. But as she grew older, she learned about the difference between boys and girls and no longer wanted to trouble her father and older brother with these playful things, so she rarely had the opportunity to learn anymore.
Upon hearing this, Xue Shen smiled, his usually gloomy face even showing a hint of a smile.
Shen Youying suspected that Xue Shen was mocking her for being stupid, but she had no evidence. She just said with some indignation, "Am I wrong?"
There are indeed many sika deer in this forest, but not everyone can hunt them.
Sika deer are alert, fast runners, and not small in size, so it is safer to shoot them in vital areas such as the neck with a large bow and arrow.
If the bow doesn't have enough stones and doesn't hit a vital spot, the startled deer might run away.
Shen Youying's crossbow bolts were powerful enough, but each time she couldn't get close, the sika deer would warily run away. The leaping and bounding deer were too difficult to aim at, so she had to give up.
“That’s true.” Xue Shen smiled and said, “Hold the crossbow steady and shoot the yellow leaf hanging on the branch of the second tree on the left for me to see.”
With a slight sense of resentment, Shen Youying did as she was told, and even aimed specifically at the center of the leaf. The crossbow bolt struck the center of the leaf, creating a hole, and then struck the tree trunk behind it.
She turned to look at Xue Shen, her untamed spirit written all over her face.
Xue Shen spun his wheelchair up behind her, tapping her arms, waist, and hips, and said, "Your body is too tense, and it takes too long to lock onto your prey."
He took the crossbow bolt from Shen Youying's hand, casually fiddling with the crossbow's shaft, his voice unhurried: "The ancients said that a swordsman must reach a state of perfect harmony with the sword to achieve mastery; the same principle applies to archery. Excessive focus on aiming will only lead to missed opportunities—"
Before he finished speaking, the crossbow string was released, the sound of the arrow piercing the air whistling past their ears, and a crow fell from the sky more than ten paces away from them.
Shen Youying didn't even see how he moved; she only saw him casually fiddling with the crossbow bolt before shooting a crow in the distance.
The crow had just flown in from further away and was circling in the air, seemingly choosing a branch to perch on.
Xue Shen didn't even need to aim; he shot it down with ease.
Shen Youying's eyes were full of surprise: "Your Highness's archery skills are so good."
She thought of the young men who were eager to hunt the white tiger today, and couldn't help but compare them to the King of Qin in her heart. If the King of Qin had a place in today's hunt, those young men would probably have returned empty-handed.
When Shen Youying looked at Xue Shen again, a hint of regret appeared in her eyes.
Xue Shen, however, seemed unconcerned and instead raised an eyebrow slightly, asking, "Would you like me to teach you?"
Before, Shen Youying's answer would definitely have been no; but after witnessing Xue Shen's superb archery skills, she shamefully wavered.
She convinced herself that she was just learning archery and it didn't count as overstepping her bounds.
She nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xue Shen, eyes that were so captivating they could melt anyone's heart, even more so than the most lively deer in the forest.
"Come closer."
Xue Shen taught her without holding back, giving her earnest guidance.
Shen Youying was a very good student, obedient enough, and able to apply what she learned to other situations. After the guards had lit the fire and plucked and cleaned the pheasant, Shen Youying reluctantly ended the lesson.
Seeing that the guards were about to put the skewered pheasants on the fire to roast, she quickly stopped them, saying, "Let me do it."
Perhaps the lesson they had just had brought them closer, because when Shen Youying looked at Xue Shen again, she was surprised to find that he wasn't actually that intimidating. Besides, he had just taught her so generously and without reservation, so she should reciprocate.
"My older brother taught me how to roast pheasants to make them taste the best."
As Shen Youying spoke, she took out a small packet of seasoning she had prepared beforehand from her waist and sprinkled it evenly inside and on the surface of the pheasant. After she finished sprinkling it, she squatted between the fire branches and carefully roasted the pheasant.
The firelight made her cheeks blush slightly, and her eyes were so moist they seemed to be about to burst with tears.
Shen Youying stared intently at the roasting chicken, completely unaware that Xue Shen's gaze remained fixed on her.
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