Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 183: Poisonous Bee

Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Poisonous Bee

Princess Xue Lan fell ill and did not accompany Marquis An Yuan on the hunting trip this time. Some were fishing by the river, some were digging out bird eggs, and the Kyoto Capital Guard, without any duties, were running wild everywhere. When Fang Lingjun and Fengyu arrived at the riverside, Lin Xiao was lifting her skirt, wading in the cool stream, and skillfully spearing a fat fish with her longsword.

"Wow, amazing! With this skill of yours, we can have grilled fish tonight," Zhou Liyu joined the fun, while under the tree, a few reserved young ladies gathered together, wanting to join but hesitating.

"Let me try, let me try... My brother loves fish, I’ll catch one for him," Fang Lingjun snatched Zhang Boxin’s longsword. Zhang Boxin frowned and said, "Girls shouldn’t go into the water, though."

The men could lift their hems and go barefoot without much issue, but for women, it was considered improper.

"Who said I’m going into the water?" Fang Lingjun twirled the sword expertly. "Ayu, watch me show off a bit."

Fengyu clapped her hands, cheering her on, "Alright, alright!"

Lin Xiao quickly stepped out of the water when he saw Fengyu. He put on his footwear and tidied his attire, not wanting to appear disheveled before her, but Fengyu didn’t seem to mind. She looked on with curiosity at Fang Lingjun’s fish-spearing. Fang Lingjun stood on a rock, with a few other curious young ladies gathering around. Fengyu barely knew them, but since Feng Changqing had been appointed National General, no one dared to casually insult her anymore.

For a fifth-ranking military general and a second-ranking general with real power, their positions were worlds apart.

Fang Lingjun aimed at a fish and thrust her sword, hitting its body. She shouted excitedly, "Got it! Got it!"

Those skilled at pitch-pot games were naturally good at spearing fish. Zhang Boxin helped her put the fish into the basket, and Fang Lingjun managed to catch several more. "Ayu, do you want to try?"

Fengyu shook her head. "No, I can’t manage that."

With nothing better to do, Lin Xiao, Zhang Boxin, Zhou Liyu, and Cai Wensen led the girls to fish, hunt for bird eggs, and pick wild fruits throughout the mountains. In spring, the mountains were abundant with fruits, as Xiyanshan was a royal hunting ground where commoners dared not trespass, leaving the fruits untouched. Fengyu, curious and interested, followed them into the mountains.

The hunting grounds were not yet fully set up; the official hunt was to begin the next day.

It was Fengyu’s first time at Xiyanshan. Lin Xiao, Zhang Boxin, and Fang Lingjun were regular visitors, hunting here almost every year, so they were familiar with the terrain.

Xie Xun, after tidying his gear, found the racetrack already prepared. He wanted to challenge Fang Chuning to another race, and Fang Chuning was of the same mind. Xie Xun went looking for Fengyu to watch, but only found Qiuxiang and Chunlu.

"Where is your lady?"

"Miss Fang took her to pick fruits."

Xie Xun: "..."

She had promised to watch him race but ran away so quickly. She must have been taken off by Zhang Boxin and the others. That group of ruffians really enjoyed taking Fang Lingjun and Fengyu along for their mischief.

In the forest, another group of young nobles was also picking fruits. Having arrived later, many of the fruit trees had already been harvested. Seeing the disappointment on the ladies’ faces, Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin led them deeper into the woods.

"I know of a mangosteen tree with the biggest and sweetest fruits. I’ll take you there," said Zhou Liyu, familiar with Xiyanshan’s terrain. Sure enough, he found the mangosteen tree hidden between rocks in a secluded spot.

The mangosteens were perfectly ripe—golden skins with tender white flesh, exceptionally sweet. After tasting one, Fengyu’s eyes widened in delight, "Delicious!"

This wild fruit was rare, growing only in the wilderness. Hunters would casually pick them if encountered. Fengyu had never tasted one before and was utterly charmed by their sweet yet tangy flavor.

Seeing her delight, Lin Xiao grabbed her basket and climbed up the tree to pick more. The mangosteen tree grew on a rocky cliff with slender branches. Afraid he might fall, the rest of the group kept a watchful eye below.

Fang Lingjun whispered, "Lin Xiao is really good to you."

Fengyu felt a bit embarrassed. Honestly, she had intended for Fang Lingjun to do the picking instead.

Lin Xiao proceeded to pick every single fruit—ripe, unripe, and in-between—from the tree. Cai Wensen held his forehead, exclaiming, "Master Lin! The unripe ones aren’t ready yet, why pick them?"

Zhang Boxin laughed loudly, "This is what it means when locusts pass by—nothing remains."

The whole tree had around twenty fruits, all collected regardless of ripeness.

"They’ll ripen if you let them sit for a while," Lin Xiao said, jumping down with the basket and handing it to Fengyu. "All yours."

Quick-eyed, Zhang Boxin grabbed a large, golden ripe fruit, broke it open, and started eating. Zhou Liyu and Cai Wensen weren’t far behind, each reaching for their share.

Lin Xiao kicked them aside. Zhou Liyu protested, "You’re abandoning your friends for a girl, Lin Xiao!"

Fengyu felt a little uncomfortable. Fang Lingjun took the basket, saying, "Let’s find more fruits before it gets dark."

Fengyu, tempted by the taste, shared another mangosteen with Fang Lingjun, setting aside two of the ripest ones in her bag for Feng Shu so she wouldn’t finish them all herself.

They ventured deeper into the mountains and stumbled upon peach trees loaded with yellow and red fruit, sweet with a hint of tang and slight bitterness. These fruits were exclusive to noble families, and even this peach tree didn’t escape the fate of being picked clean. Fengyu’s little basket was nearly full by the time they decided to return, satisfied.

On their way back through a challenging mountain trail, Lin Xiao walked ahead and turned to help Fengyu. She handed him the fruit basket and leapt across by herself. Her fitness had improved recently thanks to her exercises under the young marquis. Even climbing the mountain didn’t tire her out, as Fang Lingjun had just pointed out.

"Wow, look at that huge beehive! Over there!" Zhou Liyu pointed to a bramble tree. "Does it have honey?"

"That’s not a honeybee hive, is it?" Fang Lingjun raised an eyebrow and crouched down to look.

The beehive, the size of a pumpkin, hung precariously from a tree branch, swarming with bees. The branch, weighed down, seemed ready to break at any moment.

"It’s not honeybees, but does it still have honey?" Zhang Boxin asked curiously.

This group of carefree nobles had no idea about such things. Fengyu, though not clueless, wasn’t certain about these bees and chose to stay silent.

Cai Wensen picked up a rock and hurled it at the hive. "Let’s see! If they all fly away, we’ll know."

"Don’t!" Fengyu immediately sensed trouble but couldn’t stop him in time. She watched helplessly as the rock struck the hive, and it crashed to the ground.

The hive shattered as it hit the ground, unleashing thousands of furious bees that formed a dark cloud and swarmed toward them. Terrified, they let out shrill screams and scattered in every direction. Fang Lingjun grabbed Fengyu while running and shouted angrily, "Cai Wensen, you idiot! Don’t run so fast; if Ayu and I get stung, you’re dead meat!"

The poisonous bees pursued them relentlessly. In their panic, they fled further into the forest. Cai Wensen, having caused the trouble, dashed off like the wind. Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin swung their swords at the bees, trying to fend them off, but the swarm was overwhelming and terrifyingly fast, enveloping them like a black tide.

"Ah! It hurts—it hurts so much! I got stung!" Fang Lingjun wailed, releasing Fengyu. Her hand, stung by a bee, swelled up with a large bump. "It hurts! It really hurts..."