She tried to calm the surging hatred in her heart. She absolutely could not turn her head now. If she saw that face, she feared she wouldn't be able to control herself and would charge at him with an arrow.
Today was a joyous occasion; she couldn't ruin everyone's mood because of him.
At this moment, Wen Mengsheng gazed at Feng Jinyao's retreating figure, lost in thought. She was indeed a charming and lovely young lady.
He then recalled his father's instructions, and the hint of surprise in his eyes was gradually replaced by reason.
Feng Jinyao, was it?
He was determined to have her.
On the other side, Bai Siruo frowned. She could tell that Feng Jinyao had been affected when she threw the arrow, which caused her to miss.
Unfortunately, she had used all her arrows. Seven had hit the壶心 (pot's heart), and three had hit the壶耳 (pot's ear). As for Feng Jinyao beside her, five had hit the壶心, and two had fallen into the water. Even if her remaining three arrows all hit the壶耳, she still wouldn't be able to surpass Bai Siruo. The outcome was already decided.
What a pity!
If she could have fought with all her might, she would have lost with satisfaction. In this current situation, winning held no meaning.
Xu Mingyue walked forward and said to the two of them, "It's just a small competition between sisters. No one is allowed to take it to heart. How about I host a tea party at Changchun Tower another day?"
Fearing that the two might develop any ill feelings over this matter, she specifically intervened.
Everyone present was perceptive. They praised Bai Siruo's exquisite arrow-throwing skills while also encouraging Feng Jinyao, noting that at such a young age, she already possessed such ability and would surely impress everyone in the future.
It was Feng Jinyao who, seeing the slightly disappointed look in Bai Siruo's eyes, felt a surge of guilt and spoke up.
"Cousin, I still have three arrows. May I be allowed to finish throwing them? I want to lose with clarity."
Bai Siruo's spirits immediately lifted. Even though the outcome was already determined, she was impressed by her cousin's resolve. Feng Er, watching from the side, nodded in agreement. As expected of his sister, this was how she should be!
"Of course, that's wonderful! You truly are a member of the Bai family, possessing such backbone!"
After adjusting her emotions, Feng Jinyao shot two arrows in quick succession, both hitting the壶耳. Cheers erupted from the crowd, especially from Bai Siruo and Feng Er. Even Su Cheng and Xu Mingyue praised her highly.
For the final arrow, if it hit the壶心, she would lose by three points. If it hit the壶耳, she would lose by two points. Unless…
She closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and cast all distracting thoughts aside, focusing her entire being on the arrow.
Using her ear as her eye and her heart as the arrow, she held her breath and released the final shot.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the arrow lying perfectly on top of the lotus-shaped pot, having also pierced through two壶耳. It was a "穿耳过堂" (piercing the ear and passing through the pot), a feat rarely seen in years!
This shot landed like a thunderclap before everyone.
The situation, which had already been decided, was completely reversed. Feng Er and Bai Siruo looked at Feng Jinyao with ecstatic eyes, asking in unison, "How did you do that!"
They pulled Feng Jinyao to the side, demanding an answer.
Feng Jinyao hadn't expected to hit it either. She simply didn't want to lose too embarrassingly.
"An accident, an accident. I've never done this before."
However, the two were not willing to accept such a perfunctory answer. As top players in the arrow-throwing game, their positions were at stake, and improving themselves was their priority. They privately said, "You must teach me later, or I won't let you leave!"
Bai Siruo's fierce gaze was like that of a defeated fighting cock. Feng Jinyao gave a wry smile, realizing she had attracted too much attention and was in a difficult spot.
"Alright, the winner is decided. Miss Feng San wins."
As soon as Xu Mingyue finished speaking, everyone burst into applause.
They were all experienced individuals, yet they had never witnessed such exquisite arrow-throwing skills before. Miss Feng San was truly remarkable!
Even the brothers who always followed Feng Er now looked at her with admiration.
If the occasion were not inappropriate, they would have bowed down to her as their master on the spot.
Under the covered corridor not far away, a strong gust of wind blew. Yang Zhao supported Xiao Tingyi, with Feng Jinxu and the Sixth Prince following behind.
One, with a resolute face and deep eyes, was currently looking at his sister among the crowd with a displeased expression, contemplating how to discipline these two attention-seeking individuals.
The other, elegant and courteous, wore a gentle smile as he teased Feng Jinxu.
"The personalities of you three siblings of the Feng family are truly different. But that's good. If your sister had your rigid nature, I'm afraid Madam Feng would have a headache."
Feng Jinxu snorted, "Your Highness, please don't praise them. What time is it, and you're still focused on showing off."
The Sixth Prince chuckled. He was truly a carbon copy of his father, but his rigid demeanor surpassed his father's. It was likely that even Lord Feng himself didn't know why his eldest son was even more serious than he was.
Xiao Tingyi was somewhat surprised. This little girl was indeed full of hidden talents.
Quite interesting.
*Cough, cough.* A series of rapid coughs sounded. Feng Jinxu immediately held up his cloak with one hand to shield Prince Ding, Xiao Tingyi, from the wind, while saying,
"It's windy here. Please, Prince Ding, move to the warm chamber."
"Yes, Imperial Uncle, let's go over first."
"Mm." His words were devoid of any emotion, and his gaze quickly shifted away from Feng Jinyao. The group headed towards the warm chamber.
Meanwhile, Wei Lanxuan watched Bai Siruo and Feng Jinyao, who had stolen the spotlight, with growing displeasure.
Ever since she was born, she had always been the center of attention, and over time, she had become accustomed to this condescending life.
Although it was the Bai family's territory today, and it was reasonable for the Bai family to gain some attention, she felt her own status was being challenged, which made her expression turn unhappy.
Wen Yuwei had long disliked Feng Jinyao. She had kindly offered a jade, only to be treated so rudely by her. She had intended to use the Wei family's influence to suppress Feng Jinyao, but unexpectedly, she had garnered such attention. She was furious.
Liang Luo had no particular feelings for Feng Jinyao. What she couldn't stand was Bai Siruo's arrogance and Xu Mingyue's haughtiness. However, both of these individuals held higher statuses than her, so she, who always sought attention, harbored resentment towards them.
Bai Sihan observed coldly, seeing through the thoughts of the three women.
Although she was raised by her mother, she had inherited her father's caution and shrewdness.
These three high-born ladies, accustomed to being flattered by their subordinates, couldn't hide their true feelings. Even she could see through them. They were truly beautiful but empty-headed.
For some reason, when she looked at her cousin Feng San in the crowd, she seemed much more low-key and simple. However, Bai Sihan couldn't fathom what kind of person she truly was.
But one thing she understood clearly was that Feng Jinyao was far more difficult to deal with than Bai Siruo.
"I heard that Cousin Feng will be coming of age next year. I wonder which fortunate young man will have the opportunity to be with such a beauty."
Her words were filled with envy, which made Liang Luo sneer. What an ignorant girl.