Zhao Haoran looked at Shi Qingxue, with certainty and obvious admiration in his expression. “I mean it. I have practiced archery since childhood and seldom slack off. Although I don’t dare to say that I can make every shot tell, I am second to none in the Zhao Country.
“However, when I saw your posture when you were shooting that day, I knew that somebody in the world is fit for shooting innately. Every movement of you was accurate. No matter how confident I am, I admit defeat in front of you.”
“Eh, you are exaggerated.” Shi Qingxue couldn’t help but cover her mouth to chuckle. If Zhao Haoran’s eyes were not upright and sincere, she almost thought that he was flirting with her.
So Shi Qingxue didn’t feel offended, but she didn’t take his words seriously either.
She changed the subject casually. “We have run for a long time today. Let’s compete next time. And, do you remember the way back?”
Shi Qingxue stared into the distance on horseback and found the surroundings unfamiliar, so she looked awkward at once.
Zhao Haoran’s face stiffened, too. He looked back and found that there were no roads. Just now he intended to show off his horsemanship and didn’t take the path but went anywhere as he liked. He forced a smile and pointed at a direction randomly. “Maybe it’s here?”
Shi Qingxue leered at him in doubt. “Really?”
Zhao Haoran argued, “Do you have a better choice?”
Shi Qingxue looked around and finally had to say, “Okay! Just try as you said.”
The two made the horses walk in the direction as Zhao Haoran pointed at, but when they went back, they didn’t dare to run quickly. After all, if they got lost again, they couldn’t manage to go back.
After nearly fifteen minutes, they finally walked through the ground full of leaves and saw two paths.
They had to make a choice between the two.
Shi Qingxue looked at Zhao Haoran once more.
Zhao Haoran leisurely stroked his beard which not even existed. After quite a while, he pointed to the left. “This way!”
Shi Qingxue didn’t remember whether they came from this path. Even though she didn’t believe Zhao Haoran, she had to accept his idea and walk in that direction.
In no time, a scream suddenly came from ahead.
There was somebody.
Before Qingxue felt pleasantly surprised, she saw that Zhao Haoran’s expression changed and he urged the horse to where the voice came from. Then she had to follow him.
Shi Qingxue saw a horse and two people on the crossroad in the front far away. Before she saw their faces clearly, she heard Zhao Haoran’s roar. “Mo Junyang, what are you doing?”
It stunned the four people present.
Shi Qingxue looked into Mo Junyang’s eyes from several meters away and meanwhile saw Zhao Niaoniao who tried to rush into his arms.
Before she could react, she grabbed the rein on impulse.
She turned around and waved the horsewhip.
The treasured horse ran quickly like the wind, and Shi Qingxue disappeared from the other three’s sight instantly.
Being held by Mo Junyang in his arms as her foot was “injured”, Zhao Niaoniao felt happy, but Zhao Haoran’s arrival disturbed them, so she shouted in anger, “Brother, I just wrenched my ankle. Junyang carries me out of kindness. Why were you shouting?”
“I…” Zhao Haoran was used to his sister’s behavior as she ignored anybody else when she saw Mo Junyang and he doted on her, so he didn’t get angry. Knowing that Zhao Niaoniao was not bullied, he didn’t say anything and turned around to look for Shi Qingxue but to find she was nowhere to be found.
“Carry her.”
A deep male voice came from behind. Before Zhao Haoran came to his senses, he saw Mo Junyang throw the “wounded” Zhao Niaoniao to him. Mo Junyang didn’t care if Zhao Haoran could catch her or not but went away on horseback.
“Junyang!” Zhao Niaoniao shouted in a rage, but Mo Junyang ignored her and soon disappeared.
Shi Qingxue urged the horse to run all the way and used almost all the skills she had just learnt just to avoid seeing the offending scene.
This morning when she saw Zhao Haoran in King Rui’s mansion, she felt a little restless, and when she found that Mo Junyang and Zhao Niaoniao hugged each other closely, she was more depressed. She didn’t even have the courage to ask but just ran away.
When she came back to earth, she found that it was strange around again.
She got lost once more.
Shi Qingxue slowed down and grabbed the rein, letting the horse go ahead. Even if she might be unable to go back because she got lost, she refused to turn around and was even unwilling to look back to keep the guideposts in mind.
It seemed that there was a fierce beast behind, and it could swallow her as soon as she looked back.
“It’s so boring!” Shi Qingxue murmured crossly.
She didn’t understand what was wrong with her. She just rode the horse in low spirits and took it as a walk.
“Be quick!”
When Shi Qingxue moved forward on horseback, a low voice urging a horse came from behind all of a sudden.
She felt nervous and looked back subconsciously, seeing a figure rushing to her in the forest full of trees.
Shi Qingxue trembled and raised her hand to whip the horse’s ass, running away by instinct again.
The anxious voice calling her was left to the wind.
Mo Junyang followed Shi Qingxue and whipped his fast horse, but Shi Qingxue was in panic and didn’t take the right path. Her horse ran crazily, and they were farther away from the main road.
After a while, Mo Junyang finally realized that there was something wrong. Just now Qingxue’s horse ran quickly and smoothly, but now it was almost crazy and she was off balance as if she would fall off the horse at any time.
It was too dangerous!
“Qingxue, it’s too dangerous. Stop, now!”
Nobody knew if Shi Qingxue heard him or not, but her horse still sped up, and a cliff was in the front.
Mo Junyang’s pupils shrank suddenly and he stepped on the horseback, seizing the chance to jump. Then he jumped off behind Shi Qingxue in an instant.
“You…” Shi Qingxue was startled.
Mo Junyang hugged her waist with one hand and pulled the rein with the other, shouting in an anxious and hoarse voice, “Don’t move. There is something wrong with this horse.”
He tried to stop the horse forcefully, but he found that it was restless. It hissed miserably and rushed forward risking its life. Even Mo Junyang who grasped the rein couldn’t stop the horse.
The cliff was right under their noses, and the two would rush down it with the horse next second. Shi Qingxue was so frightened that she stiffened, letting Mo Junyang hold her and roll after jumping onto the grass field.
There was a hill aside. Mo Junyang embraced Qingxue and rolled down along the grass slope. On the way, they bumped into several raised stones, and he blocked them for Qingxue with his body, but he still heard the girl in his arms suddenly grunt.
Mo Junyang gritted his teeth, regardless of the chance that he might dislocate his arm and abruptly grabbed one small stone to stop by force.
Before he settled himself, he hurriedly helped Shi Qingxue up and asked worriedly, “What’s wrong with you?”
Shi Qingxue was still in shock and stared at him blankly without saying a word.
“Where is your injury? Tell me now. I will check on you.” Mo Junyang was more anxious and wanted to examine her. He reached out his hand to Qingxue but then withdrew it hesitantly.
Shi Qingxue raised her head and glanced at him. Her face was bright red and attractive, as if it were under the sunglow. Then she lowered her head again and said glumly, “I wrenched my right ankle.”
When they fell from the hill, she was tripped by a stone by accident, and she felt a severe pain on her right ankle. Now she felt that her right foot was numb.
Mo Junyang didn’t care about anything more and stretched out his hand, trying to check her right foot, but she dodged.
With tears in her eyes, Shi Qingxue stated angrily, “I am fine. the one who is injured must be the princess from the Zhao Country, right? She came from her country far away to pursue you in the capital city. Doesn’t she want to marry you? Why did you chase me? You should continue to hug her closely.”
Mo Junyang opened his mouth and wanted to explain that he hugged Zhao Niaoniao just because her foot was hurt and her horse ran away. He wasn’t interested in her at all and nothing would happen between them.
But looking at Shi Qingxue’s furious face, he immediately realized why she was angry.
He had complex feelings as he was happy, but he had more feelings of loss and didn’t know what to do.
Mo Junyang stiffened, like a hard rock. Then he stood up and changed the subject coldly. “Since you are fine, let’s hurry up and go back.”
He raised his right hand and whistled with his thumb and index finger. His horse in the distance hissed loudly and ran back to them.
“Can you get up?” Mo Junyang stood with his back to Shi Qingxue, asking impassively.
Shi Qingxue was stunned. It was true that she was mad at Mo Junyang, but she didn’t lose her mind and found that his reaction was unusual. His indifference was worse than his amity and solicitude in the past, not to mention his considerate concern and care when she was in the Love Xue House.
Mo Junyang seemed to take her out of his world.
Qingxue was in panic and blurted out, “Have you fallen in love with the princess from the Zhao Country?”
“Of course not!” Mo Junyang denied decisively and turned his head to gaze at Shi Qingxue all of a sudden.
His eyes were serious, and he stressed each word. “I never want anybody except Shi Qingxue.” He did so in his two lives.
He added in his heart silently.
Shi Qingxue heard her name and felt joyful, but then she suddenly thought of Mo Junyang’s attitude.
She mumbled resentfully, “Why are you so cold to me? Even sometimes when I see your eyes looking at me, I think you hate me.”
“I…” Mo Junyang felt his body was rigid and clenched his fists with secret light flowing in his dark eyes.
Mo Junyang had to admire Shi Qingxue as she was really sensitive. For a moment, maybe he once hated her.
However, he didn’t want to confess these words to the girl in front of him. He didn’t answer but said, “It’s getting dark. Let’s go back first.”