The next day
Xue Zining looked at Mo Yuan, who was unrecognizable from being beaten, and asked with a frown, "Mo Yuan, did you go out to fight last night?"
Mo Yuan remained silent.
"Miss Ning," Wen Nuan also arrived late.
Mo Yuan suddenly took a step back and retreated behind her, while Wen Nuan's expression soured when she saw Mo Yuan.
"What's wrong with you two?" Xue Zining couldn't help but ask.
Wen Nuan's face was grim, "Miss Ning, I didn't realize you had a voyeur by your side."
Xue Zining: "..." What is a voyeur?
Upon hearing this, Mo Yuan retorted, "I never imagined that Qian Jin Tower would have such a fierce woman. Who would dare marry her?"
"You..." Wen Nuan was completely enraged, her face looking as unpleasant as it could be.
Mo Yuan stood behind Xue Zining now, with a righteous air.
Wen Nuan said angrily, "For Miss Ning's sake, I won't argue with you, but if there's a next time, I'll dig out those eyes of yours and play with them."
"The most poisonous is a woman's heart, as expected," Mo Yuan snorted coldly.
Feeling the intense resentment between them, Xue Zining was somewhat bewildered, "I don't know what grudges you two have, but can you let go of them now? I will give you both a day to resolve it yourselves, how about that?"
Wen Nuan said, "Miss Ning, I, Wen Nuan, am not an unreasonable person."
Mo Yuan did not want to be outdone, "Your Highness, rest assured, Mo Yuan is not someone who cannot handle things."
Xue Zining nodded, "Mo Yuan, go to the carriage behind."
Mo Yuan refused, "No, Mo Yuan must follow Your Highness."
Wen Nuan sneered, "With your meager skills, you still want to protect Miss Ning?"
Mo Yuan said angrily, "I don't reason with women, but I ask Miss Wen to speak politely."
"Enough, Mo Yuan, go to the carriage behind," Xue Zining said coldly.
Mo Yuan reluctantly went to the back.
Wen Nuan sat down in the carriage, her expression very displeased.
A moment later, Hua Yunjin also came out, followed by Princess Fenghe, who was in tears, "Brother Jin, Fenghe was wrong, please don't go, okay? I really know I was wrong, even if you want to marry another woman, I won't stop you. Fenghe begs you not to leave."
Hua Yunjin looked at Princess Fenghe coldly and said, "Fenghe, I have made it very clear to you, don't waste your time with me, I will not fall in love with any woman."
"No..." Princess Fenghe slumped to the ground, her face filled with despair.
Hua Yunjin got into the carriage and said, "Let's start!"
Behind the carriage, Princess Fenghe's cries could be heard, "Brother Jin, Fenghe will wait for you to return."
Xue Zining looked at Hua Yunjin and felt his gaze. Hua Yunjin turned to look at her, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Princess Fenghe is actually quite good. Although she is a bit spoiled and willful, she has a good heart. She just likes you too much."
Hua Yunjin's gaze deepened, "Zining, you don't need to persuade me. I won't fall in love with anyone else. Rather than let them remain unmarried and lonely, it's better not to give them hope."
Xue Zining was slightly startled and turned her face away.
Hua Yunjin lowered his gaze and after a long while said, "I have been waiting for someone. In the past, I hurt her and betrayed her. I know I no longer have the right, but I still hold some hope in my heart."
"Hua Yunjin, the past is the past."
Hua Yunjin was startled and smiled, a hint of helplessness in his smile, "I know, what is missed is missed. That's why I don't want any resentful women in my harem. When I meet someone who makes my heart beat again, we'll talk then!"
The accompanying entourage was not large, consisting of two carriages and a few of Hua Yunjin's personal guards, and no one else.
They took a shortcut, but the road was not easy to travel.
The carriage stopped, and Hua Yunjin's men stepped forward to report, "Your Highness, we will likely have to spend the night here."
"Go and make arrangements," Hua Yunjin said as he alighted from the carriage.
Xue Zining also got out of the carriage. This was a dense forest, and she couldn't see the exit at a glance.
Wen Nuan followed and got out of the carriage, walking beside her and saying, "Miss Ning, I feel something is wrong."
Xue Zining nodded, "It's too quiet here."
Wen Nuan said, "Miss Ning, please don't leave, I'll go look around."
"Alright, be careful!" Xue Zining cautioned.
Mo Yuan, who had descended from the carriage behind, saw that Wen Nuan was not there and then came forward, "Your Highness, has that fierce woman left?"
Xue Zining heard this and said, "She has a name, it's Wen Nuan."
Mo Yuan couldn't help but complain, "What a waste of such a nice name."
Xue Zining couldn't help but laugh, "Who told you to look at her bathing?"
Mo Yuan's face instantly turned red, "It wasn't intentional. Who knew she was there too? She didn't even lock the door."
Soon, Wen Nuan returned and looked at Mo Yuan with disdain, "I found no abnormalities at all."
Mo Yuan sneered, "Let me go and see. Some people are just useless."
Wen Nuan glared at Mo Yuan.
Mo Yuan left smugly.
Wen Nuan was so angry her face darkened. Xue Zining shook her head and walked towards the rising bonfire. Suddenly, she heard a faint sound not far away.
"Someone," she whispered.
Hua Yunjin quickly walked over and stood in front of her, then instructed, "Hua Yun, go and check ahead."
"Yes, Your Highness," Hua Yun went to the spot where Xue Zining had detected movement.
Suddenly, a dark figure emerged. Although Hua Yun was prepared, he was still startled.
"Your Highness, it's a bear-man," Hua Yun said.
"Climb the tree," Xue Zining decided and was the first to leap up, onto the nearest tree.
Hua Yunjin and the others followed closely, all climbing trees. Once they reached a higher vantage point, Xue Zining realized, "They are surrounded by bear-men."
Before long, tall bear-men ran out, tearing at the carriages and trampling on things on the ground.
After about half an hour, the bear-men, finding no food, finally left.
Hua Yunjin leaped down and then said, "They've all left."
Xue Zining came down and looked at the things that were trampled to pieces and the carriages that were dismantled. She held her forehead and said, "We'll have to camp here tonight."
Hua Yunjin said, "Hua Yun, Hua Yu, go and gather some clean grass. We need to stay here tonight."
Soon, Hua Yun and Hua Yu returned with clean grass. Hua Yunjin spread it out and then took off his cloak, laying it on top. He walked to Xue Zining and said, "Zining, I'm sorry to trouble you tonight."
Xue Zining said, "No need for that. We'll make do for the night."
Hua Yunjin said nothing more, but took her hand and guided her to the spot he had prepared.
Although it was not as comfortable as inside the carriage, it was good under the circumstances.
"Get some sleep, I'll be on guard," Hua Yunjin said.
Xue Zining, perhaps because she was too tired, fell asleep as soon as she lay down.
"Your Highness. You..."
Hua Yunjin made a shushing gesture, stood up, and walked to the side to ask, "Is there a situation?"
Hua Luo, who had been sent to check, reported, "Your Highness, there are signs that these bear-men were also driven by someone."