freenovelworld Chapter 693 White Fox as Bait, Danger Lurks in the Dark
Chapter 693 White Fox as Bait, Danger Lurks in the Dark
The noisy crowd dispersed, and everyone began their hunt.
Lin Jiayou, citing his lack of skill in riding and archery, rode alone and strolled slowly along the edge of the woods.
He hadn't gone far when Gu Lanxin rode up to him on a gentle mare.
"Aren't you going to stay with Qingchen?" Gu Lanxin asked softly. "She only went to compete in this competition because of you."
Lin Jiayou reined in his horse, turned to look at her, his face no longer displaying the humility he had shown in front of others, but instead a gentle sense of control.
"She has a quick temper, so we always have to let her have her fun."
He paused, lowering his voice even further so that only the two of them could hear him.
"Besides, if I went with you, how could I be here talking to you alone?"
Gu Lanxin looked at the face that had haunted her dreams in countless midnights, her voice tinged with an unconscious melancholy.
"I'm several years older than you."
Upon hearing this, Lin Jiayou's smile deepened, and his eyes shone with a gentle light that seemed to melt the ice in people's hearts.
"A woman three years older than her husband is like holding a gold brick. Have you forgotten that old saying, sister?"
He moved slightly closer, lowering his voice, which carried a seductive intimacy.
"Besides, during the ten years we spent in Chengdu, my sister took great care of me. I will never forget that kindness."
His words were perfectly tactful, expressing gratitude while also using a joke to bridge the gap.
But Gu Lanxin couldn't smile.
All she heard was "care" and "gratitude," which was not what she wanted.
A sense of loss crept into her heart. It turned out that in his heart, she was ultimately just an "older sister" who needed to repay a debt of gratitude.
Lin Jiayou noticed the subtle changes in her expression, but he didn't reveal them to her.
He enjoyed the feeling of having people's hearts and minds at his fingertips.
Gu Lanxin lowered her eyes and lowered her voice as she spoke of the matter that had weighed on her heart for many years.
“After my fiancé died in the line of duty, people in Chengdu have been spreading rumors behind my back that I am a jinx to my husband.”
She raised her head, her eyes slightly red, like a wounded fawn seeking shelter.
Lin Jiayou's heart skipped a beat; this was exactly what he wanted.
He immediately dropped all his joking expressions, looked at her with heartache, and spoke with unprecedented seriousness.
"Sister, you are the best woman I have ever met." He said each word with utmost solemnity.
"Those people are just ignorant and talking nonsense. Don't take them to heart. They don't recognize a precious jade and mistake a bright pearl for a fish eye."
These words were like a warm current, instantly dispelling all of Gu Lanxin's defenses.
She had never heard anyone defend her or affirm her like this before. A lump formed in her throat, and her cheeks flushed uncontrollably.
Deep in the dense forest, Gu Qingchen was completely focused.
She lay prone on the horse's back, her figure blending seamlessly with the crimson flame beneath her as she weaved through the forest.
A broken branch, a tuft of white down brushed off—none of these escaped her notice.
Finally, in a clearing beside a mountain stream, she saw that snow-white figure.
The white fox was pure white, without a single stray hair, and was drinking water with its head down, its ears twitching warily.
Gu Qingchen gently reined in his horse, carefully drew an arrow from his quiver, nocked it, and pulled the string.
The bow is fully drawn, the arrow is on the string, waiting for the moment.
Just as she held her breath and was about to let go, a sharp whooshing sound came from the side!
"call out--"
That shot wasn't aimed at the white fox, but straight at the crimson flame beneath her!
"Xi Yuyu—"
The arrow pierced deep into the horse's rump. Chi Yan cried out in pain, and the horse reared up abruptly, throwing its rider to the ground like a madman.
Caught off guard, Gu Qingchen fell heavily to the ground.
A sharp, piercing pain shot through her left ankle, turning her face pale instantly, and she was unable to stand up for a moment.
Startled, the white fox vanished into the forest in a flash.
"Tack, tick, tick..."
The sound of horses' hooves grew louder as Wang Ruoyu rode up. Upon seeing the scene before her, an undisguised smug smile immediately appeared on her face.
"Gu Qingchen, it seems you have lost today."
Instead of dismounting to help, she calmly reined in her horse and stopped a short distance away, looking down at Gu Qingchen's current disheveled state as if admiring a trophy.
Gu Qingchen gritted her teeth and tried to stand up, but the sharp pain in her ankle made her fall back down.
Just then, a deep roar came from deep within the forest.
"Roar--"
A black bear, as large as a small mountain, slowly emerged from the dense forest, following the scent of blood emanating from the crimson flames. Its eyes, as large as copper bells, were fixed on Gu Qingchen on the ground.
Wang Ruoyu's smug smile froze instantly, turning deathly pale.
She only wanted to embarrass Gu Qingchen and have someone shoot an arrow to startle the horse, but she never expected that the smell of blood would attract a bear!
Wang Ruoyu couldn't even let out a scream. Without thinking, she suddenly pulled on the reins and turned the horse around.
The horse was already frightened, and with her rough tug, it almost immediately lost control and galloped wildly back the way it came.
Wang Ruoyu abandoned her and fled for his life in a panic.
In the blink of an eye, only Gu Qingchen and the ferocious beast remained in the forest clearing.
My ankle hurts so much it feels like it's broken.
Gu Qingchen gritted her teeth and tried to get up by pushing herself up, but the excruciating pain caused her to collapse as soon as she put her left foot down.
She picked up the longbow from the ground; it was icy cold to the touch.
But her sprained ankle made it impossible for her to stand steadily, and she couldn't even draw the bowstring.
This was the first time in her life that she had felt death so clearly approaching.
Father, Mother, your daughter can no longer fulfill her filial duties!
If her mother saw the horrible sight of her being eaten by a black bear, sob sob...
Brother, please come home soon! Mom misses you so much... Sigh, I'll never have a chance to say it!
Just as the black bear was about to pounce, a blue figure suddenly rushed out from the side of the forest.
"Qingchen!"
It's Lin Chia-yu.
His face showed panic, but his steps did not falter in the slightest.
He didn't even stop beside Gu Qingchen, but rushed straight to her, opened his arms, and shielded her tightly behind him.
An unarmed scholar used his frail body to shield a furious black bear.
Gu Qingchen's mind went blank. He was so scared, yet he still stood in front of her.
"Jiayou! Go quickly! Don't worry about me!" she cried out.
The beast roared, and its huge bear paw, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, swung down hard.
Lin Jiayou scrambled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, his clothes covered in dust.
He appears brave, but he's just stalling for time.