"It was Jia Yan Gege's arrow that hit first. I still have plenty of prey; Chi Dan and the others are carrying them. Jia Yan Gege doesn't need to let me have it." Yu Mingyue wanted to befriend Xie Jia Yan, so she naturally wouldn't be stingy with a fox.
Besides, she truly had enough prey.
"Even if I hadn't made a move, you would have hit it," Xie Jia Yan said with a smile.
Yu Mingyue lowered her head and looked at the two arrows lodged in the fox's hind leg. For the first time, she wished her archery wasn't so accurate.
Fine, she would keep it then.
However, she thought of a better idea.
Yu Mingyue handed the fox to Zhu Yu and hurried to catch up with Xie Jia Yan. "Did Jia Yan Gege not go into the mountains with the Seventh Prince and the others?"
"No."
Yu Mingyue: "..."
The Grand Chancellor's simple "no" had completely killed the conversation.
It seemed she had to liven things up herself!
"Did Jia Yan Gege come here chasing prey?"
"Mm!"
"What prey?"
"A deer!"
"Really? I've never hunted a deer before. Can I go with Jia Yan Gege?" Yu Mingyue genuinely wanted to hunt a small deer, but more importantly, she wanted to get closer to Xie Jia Yan.
What if the Seventh Prince eventually married Su Wanqing, as written in the storybooks? Su Wanqing would surely target the Yu family.
Xie Jia Yan was the perfect tool to restrain Su Wanqing.
"Mm!" Xie Jia Yan couldn't refuse, out of consideration for Yu Mingjing.
Yu Mingyue was small and had short legs, so she naturally walked slowly. To keep up with Xie Jia Yan, she had to trot step by step.
She was so focused on the path ahead that she didn't even notice when Xie Jia Yan stopped, bumping right into him.
Yu Mingyue was rushing, her steps a little unsteady. With the collision, she stumbled and landed squarely on her bottom.
The young man's back was straight and lean. Hitting it hurt.
Xie Jia Yan was taller than her brother but thinner, his back feeling hard.
Yu Mingyue's nose involuntarily stung.
Xie Jia Yan felt someone bump into him and quickly turned around. She was already sitting in the snowdrift.
Her face looked wronged, as if she were about to cry.
Xie Jia Yan reached out and pulled her up from the snow, then glanced at the snow on her clothes. The spot where she fell was sensitive, and it was inconvenient to help her brush it off. "Are you hurt?"
Yu Mingyue held back her tears and shook her head. Her bottom didn't actually hurt; it was her nose that stung.
She reached out and shook the snow off her cloak, then heard a faint sound ahead. She lowered her voice, "Jia Yan Gege, is there prey ahead?"
Xie Jia Yan nodded. He had stopped precisely for this reason. Judging by the sound, it seemed to be a large beast.
The rustling sound grew closer, and the commotion was significant. Yu Mingyue also realized it wasn't ordinary prey and instinctively clutched his robe. "Could it be a tiger?"
She felt a little nervous, yet also a little excited.
Tigers were very fierce.
Her father had once hunted a tiger bare-handed, a fierce-eyed white tiger at that. The tiger skin was given to her mother and placed on the soft couch; it looked so majestic.
"Don't be afraid!" Xie Jia Yan thought Yu Mingyue was scared and instinctively comforted her.
Yu Mingyue tightened her grip on her bow, eager and solemn. "I'm not afraid. Jia Yan Gege, I'll protect you later."
Her chance to shine had arrived.
Her archery skills were pretty good; she should be able to help.
Yu Mingyue, full of confidence, wanted to step out, but Xie Jia Yan firmly pressed her back with his arm. "Don't move!"
Their current position was the least likely to be discovered. If a large beast approached, they could strike first.
"I can do it!" Yu Mingyue was eager to prove herself.
She desperately wanted Xie Jia Yan to know that she was a trustworthy friend, definitely not a useless teammate who would drag him down.
"I know!" Xie Jia Yan almost wanted to laugh.
This was the first time in his life someone had so confidently vowed to protect him.
The two of them stared intently ahead from behind the snowdrift. Soon, the prey appeared.