Two foxes were playing, their small forms almost invisible as they darted through the grass. Shen Yue tightened the reins and quietly approached.
She nocked an arrow and took aim.
"Fourth Brother!"
The arrow whizzed through the air, but the fox, having heard the sound, instantly fled and vanished without a trace.
Shen Yue pursed her lips, turned her head, and looked over.
Shen Yaojin galloped over on his horse. He didn't know what mistake he had made, but he happily approached Shen Yue, a silly smile on his face. "Fourth Brother, I caught up to you! Fourth Brother runs so fast, Yaojin almost couldn't catch up."
Shen Yue's face was as cold as ice. She approached, holding the reins, and without warning, slapped Shen Yaojin across the face. Her voice was chillingly sharp. "Idiot, you scared away my prey!"
Shen Yaojin's head was knocked to the side by Shen Yue's blow. The force was considerable, and half of his face turned red. Shen Yue hadn't hit him in a long time, so the pain made him somewhat dazed.
Feeling both wronged and sad, his eyes reddened. He wanted to cry but held back tears. His voice, however, couldn't help but carry a hint of choked sobs as he tearfully complained, hoping for pity. "Fourth Brother, my face... it hurts."
Shen Yue's temperament was notoriously capricious; she could be smiling one moment and stab someone with a knife the next without batting an eye.
A slap was considered relatively mild. For anyone else, it would have been more than just a slap.
Shen Yaojin was also a simpleton. For a grown man to cry so easily only made Shen Yue more disgusted.
Lifting her chin slightly, Shen Yue's gaze was calm and unfathomable. She coldly warned, "Don't follow me."
With that, Shen Yue took up her reins and turned to leave. As she moved, Shen Yaojin grabbed her arm, calling out "Fourth Brother" persistently.
Her arm was held fast, preventing her from moving. Shen Yue turned her head to look, her expression as cold as ice. She raised her hand, about to slap him again, but then she saw Shen Yaojin's swollen half-face. His clear eyes were filled with adoration and appeasement. Seeing Shen Yue raise her hand, he made no move to dodge, as if he harbored no resentment no matter how Shen Yue treated him.
After a few seconds of stalemate, Shen Yue finally lowered her hand, the coldness in her eyes slightly softening.
Shen Yaojin's cheeks were still burning with pain, but when he saw Shen Yue's slightly softened expression, the pain didn't seem so bad anymore.
He tightened his fingers, holding her slender arm securely in his palm. His eyes were fixed on her, and he affectionately called out, "Fourth Brother, please let Yaojin follow you. I'll be very good."
Despite having just been slapped, and his face still swollen, he looked at Shen Yue with anticipation, pulling on her arm. His eyes reflected only Shen Yue, as if he feared being abandoned.
Shen Yue frowned slightly and shook off Shen Yaojin's hand. Shen Yaojin immediately became uneasy, calling out "Fourth Brother" pitifully, but Shen Yue ignored him.
Shen Yue rode at a moderate pace. She could clearly hear someone carefully following behind her.
Turning her head, Shen Yue raised an eyebrow, her tear mole alluring. "If you get lost, I won't wait for you."
Shen Yaojin was stunned at first, then his face flushed red with excitement, and he happily followed.
With Shen Yaojin, this burdensome presence, the difficulty of Shen Yue's hunt increased considerably. Moreover, it was she who had allowed him to follow. Even if she wanted to drive him away now, it would be inappropriate. She could only grudgingly let him follow, not giving him a pleasant look the entire way. Shen Yaojin was utterly simple-minded; in front of Shen Yue, he loved to fawn over her.
The hunt also had mapped-out zones. Going beyond the hunting grounds was more dangerous. Shen Yue was experienced in hunts. She had ventured beyond the hunting grounds before in search of fiercer prey and had always managed to escape perfectly, even hunting tigers and lions.
The sky had begun to darken, the sunset was nearing its end, and night was about to fall. Soon, the last ray of sunset faded.
In the dense forest, the chirping of cicadas and insects was exceptionally loud.
Because of Shen Yaojin, Shen Yue's harvest today was much more meager than usual. The sky had also darkened, so Shen Yue had no choice but to turn back, filled with reluctance.
Along the way, Shen Yaojin had only managed to hunt a small white rabbit. It was still alive. No matter how careful he was, he had pinned the rabbit's ear, and he was saddened by it for a long time, apologizing to the little rabbit with guilt.
This foolish boy had been chattering nonstop all along, which greatly annoyed Shen Yue. Yet, seeing the slap mark on his face, the cold words remained stuck in her throat, ultimately unspoken.
Shen Yue had a strong sense of direction. She returned the way she came. Suddenly, Shen Yue's eyes sharpened, and a chill ran down her spine.
She whipped her head around. The leaves were thick, obscuring the faint light. In the dark, dense jungle behind them, several pairs of glowing green eyes shone.
Shen Yaojin looked over, a beat late, his pupils widening.
"F-Fourth Brother, there are wolves..."
His voice trembled with fear.
With the darkness as their cover, the glowing eyes appeared even more sinister.
Shen Yue calmly observed her surroundings and quickly concluded there were five wolves. Her arrows were all gone, and her horse had run all day without food, so its speed would surely be no match for the wolves, especially a pack of them.
Her only weapon was a dagger, but it was obvious that fighting the pack alone would be an extremely foolish endeavor.
Furthermore, there were no torches, and the wolves were already becoming restless.
It was getting very late. The Emperor would surely notice something was amiss. He knew Shen Yue liked to hunt outside the hunting grounds, and he would send guards to look for her at specific times for emergencies.
Shen Yue calmly analyzed the situation.
The only solution was for one of them to stay behind and hold them off, while the other went to find help.
It was clear that Shen Yue was very familiar with the area. She knew the closest paths and the fastest routes.
Shen Yaojin had already moved very close to her, as if this gave him some sense of security and dispelled a sliver of his fear.
He dared not look directly at the green glowing eyes.
He grasped Shen Yue's cool, soft hand, his voice low, his hand starting to tremble.
"Fourth Brother, I'm so scared..."
Shen Yue looked at him. In the darkness, Shen Yaojin couldn't quite make out Shen Yue's expression, only feeling her gaze as indifferent as if she were looking at an object of no value.
Her tone remained calm as she called out Shen Yaojin's name, "Shen Yaojin."
This was the first time Shen Yue had called Shen Yaojin by his full name. Before, she had always called him "idiot," as if he didn't deserve a name.
But at this moment, Shen Yaojin felt no joy. Instead, a strange panic arose, as if he had a premonition. He tightened his grip on Shen Yue's hand, his fingertips digging into her arm.
"Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, don't leave me. I'm scared, Fourth Brother."
His distress and panic made him incoherent, merely clinging to Shen Yue's hand as if it were his last lifeline.
Shen Yue lowered her gaze, her voice faint. "If we continue like this, we'll both die. You stay here and stall them. I will call for help. This is the only way."