Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 203: Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Childhood Sweetheart

Xie Xun raised his head to look at the sky. How could he not want to take their place? Before his Second Brother went to the battlefield, whenever a challenge came, it was either him or Fang Chuning who stepped up to fight in his stead.

Xie Jue spoke gently, "Mother, I will surely return safely."

"Good, Mother will prepare wine and wait for you and Chuning to come back."

Marquis Zhenbei only said one thing, "Just do your best!"

"Understood!" Xie Jue and Fang Chuning accepted the order and leaped onto their horses.

Ahead, Dugu Jing was already fully prepared. Twelve riders lined up at the starting point, and with the sound of a horn, twelve warhorses shot toward Xiyanshan like arrows released from their strings. Xie Jue and Fang Chuning slowly held back a few paces, then abruptly turned their horses toward the northwest to enter Xiyanshan, avoiding a direct confrontation with Dugu Jing. Otherwise, stepping into Xiyanshan would mean a death match, which was unnecessary.

Xie Xun couldn’t help but pray, hoping Xie Jue and Fang Chuning could swiftly hunt the sika deer.

Dugu Jing looked back and saw Xie Jue and Fang Chuning leading their people away to avoid them. He sneered, "Ignore them. Enter the mountain!"

"Yes!"

Xie Zhang also looked worriedly at Xiyanshan. Xie Xun moved closer to him, "Big Brother, why did you bring Chen Lin?"

"He was trained by the Jinyi Guard. Back then, he was specifically responsible for the defense setup in Xiyanshan and knows the terrain well. Besides..." Xie Zhang lowered his voice, "I fear there might be an ambush in Xiyanshan. He’s better aware than anyone where the Jinyi Guard might lay traps."

Xie Xun admired Xie Jue’s extraordinary memory ability. It seemed as if all the information about people – their identities and backgrounds – was mapped in his mind, ready to be accessed at any moment. When deciding on candidates, Chen Lin was Xie Jue’s first choice, without a second thought. When he accepted Dugu Jing’s challenge during the banquet, Xie Jue probably already had it all planned in his heart.

Unable to enter the mountain for the hunt, there were nonetheless plenty of activities at the camp. The Crown Princess Consort took the lead to organize polo matches and mounted archery, inviting the noble young descendants in the camp to partake. These were traditional pastimes during hunting trips. Every year, when the Emperor went hunting, he would bring many unmarried sons and daughters from noble families. Polo and mounted archery served as opportunities to foster connections.

Each year, the hunt resulted in several marriages. Su Yuejiao urged Fengyu to join Fang Lingjun in the sports. Having learned from Jiang Yang’s prior mistakes, Su Yuejiao was extremely cautious about Fengyu’s marriage. She hoped to find a match that Fengyu would genuinely like.

Fang Lingjun, ever carefree, had blind confidence in Fang Chuning. Even though she’d heard of Dugu Jing’s immense strength and formidable skills, she was unconcerned about Fang Chuning’s safety, pulling Fengyu along to play polo.

Xie Zhang raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly, "Zhixu, you should join in too."

Xie Xun had no interest in polo or mounted archery. His only concern was the outcome of the confrontation between Xie Jue and Dugu Jing. Marquis Zhenbei said, "Staying here won’t make the sika deer run to your Second Brother. Just eat and play as you should. If you carry that gloomy face, everyone will assume your Second Brother is destined to lose."

Xie Xun: "..."

In Xiyanshan, the mountain wind rustled through the forest, the chill sinking into the bones. Xiyanshan was not a natural habitat for sika deer. Every year during the hunt, a single sika deer would be released into Xiyanshan. Sika deer had incredibly sensitive hearing and smell, easily startled and inclined to hide in the mountains. The day before, even with a thousand people entering the forest, they hadn’t found the deer; it must have concealed itself somewhere, dreading human presence.

After entering the forest, Xie Jue and Fang Chuning tied their horses amidst the trees and proceeded on foot deeper into the mountains. Chen Lin cleared a safe path before them, while Shadow Guards One, Two, and Three spread out on the flanks, maintaining utmost vigilance.

When Chen Lin brought them to the designated area deep within the forest, Xie Jue and Fang Chuning hid in a lush, ancient tree. One Shadow Guard climbed another tree, while the remaining two joined Chen Lin on the forest floor in strategic concealment. The six of them, donned in light green garments, blended seamlessly with the colors of the forest.

In today’s forest, to Xie Jue and Fang Chuning, Dugu Jing was no less than the sika deer.

They wouldn’t wander aimlessly in the forest; instead, they would wait at the designated location, like hunters lying in ambush, as Dugu Jing and his party sought them. Fang Chuning and Xie Jue shared the same tree. The towering, ancient tree was lush and leafy, its canopy blocking out the sky and sun – a perfect hiding spot. The view was excellent, offering a clear sight of the four directions: east, south, west, and north. Fang Chuning carefully scanned the forest, while Xie Jue rested with his eyes closed.

"Ting Feng, sleepy?" The low murmur, hidden in the forest, was as intimate as a lover’s whisper, so quiet even the Shadow Guards on the ground couldn’t hear it. Xie Jue felt a bit drowsy. Since the peace talks began, the new policies and negotiations had drained his energy, coupled with suspicions concerning the Eastern Palace. Protecting the Marquis Mansion by any means possible, he often stayed up late, sleeping less than two hours a night – much more exhausting than his days in Ningzhou.

"Mm!"

Resting against the tree branch and hugging his sword, Xie Jue lightly dozed off. His long eyelashes cast shadows on his eyelids, and a shaft of sunlight filtering through the leaves painted a circular spot of light on his cheek. Fang Chuning thought to himself, he truly resembles an immortal, detached from mundane desires.

Cold and aloof, untouched by the worldly dust.

On the same tree branch with him, Fang Chuning’s gaze seemed almost tangible, peeling away Xie Jue’s outer layers inch by inch as it roamed over his features with unreserved boldness – as though he could only be so reckless when Xie Jue wasn’t looking.

The time Fang Chuning spent with Xie Jue far surpassed that with his parents, his sister – their bond closer than anyone else’s. Likewise, the time Xie Jue spent with him exceeded even that spent with his own family.

In the seven years in Ningzhou, they had shared the same tent nearly every night. Though Xie Jue appeared indifferent and aloof, Fang Chuning had an uncanny ability to sense his emotions. Thus, he also felt the invisible chasm slowly opening between them.

This feeling grew unprecedentedly intense when Xie Jue chose him over Xie Xun.

"Ting Feng, where are Seven and Eight?"

Xie Jue had eight Shadow Guards, each with a name and a story. Among them, three were blood-related brothers. Xie Jue had the habit of delegating tasks by their numbers – One, Two, Three – over time, this became so habitual that the Shadow Guards were simply referred to as One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. They had stayed by his side for many years, knowing precisely when he rose, when he ate, and when he rested – more intimately than anyone else.

Fang Chuning hadn’t seen Shadow Guards Seven and Eight in a long time, yet he had never doubted their absence. Since returning to the Capital City, Xie Jue frequently sent his guards to track and monitor others. This changed during the Xiyanshan hunt.

Dugu Jing was clearly after his life. No matter how urgent the matter, the Shadow Guards would never forgo accompanying him on a hunt.

Yet, Fang Chuning hadn’t seen Seven or Eight.

Xie Jue appeared to be fast asleep, but Fang Chuning knew he was listening. He couldn’t articulate what he felt – it was like treading the edge of a cliff, suspended mid-air, with an unshakable dread of falling. It was the same fear he’d felt when Xie Jue had recklessly ventured into the Beiman lands on his own – that same overwhelming terror that he might never return.

Those long lashes briefly fluttered. When Xie Jue turned his gaze to Fang Chuning, all of his earlier boldness and intense focus had been restrained. He smiled faintly, just as he had for over a decade of their daily companionship.

"I assigned them significant tasks and had them leave the Capital," Xie Jue said softly.

"What tasks?" Fang Chuning’s voice abruptly sharpened, "Don’t brush me off, Ting Feng."

Xie Jue answered mildly, "I had a bout of suspicion and sent them to Guli and Gaoping."

Fang Chuning’s heart skipped a beat violently. A bout of suspicion? No, Ting Feng never doubted idly; his so-called suspicions nearly always proved true. Guli and Gaoping were the two major barracks of the Capital’s garrison forces.