I Rely On The Collapse Of The Character Setting To Survive In The Hands Of The Male Lead Chapter 207

Chapter 207

As they were speaking, suddenly a roar like that of a dragon and a tiger echoed, and the horses in the field started to restlessly move about. Yuan Ye and the Third Prince, who had just mounted their horses, felt their steeds becoming uncontrollable and began to panic, hastily tightening the reins. Several horse trainers hurriedly surrounded the princes to protect them.

In the moment when everyone was startled by this neigh, a large red horse suddenly burst out from the direction of the stables. Like a flaming arrow shot from a bow, it soared over the fence, flying high above several people. Its fiery red tail waved like a banner in the air, while its four hooves were white, resembling snow as it galloped into the field. There was a white mark on the front of its head, shaped like a lightning bolt.

The entrance was like a wolf entering a flock of sheep, or a bully barging into a village, causing an uproar as soon as it entered. All the horses were frightened and retreated, but when it began to gallop wildly, wherever it went, all the other horses followed suit uncontrollably. Even if someone tried to stop or hold them back, it was useless. Eventually, all the horses in the field began to gallop freely along with it, while those outside kicked and neighed incessantly, as if staging a collective rebellion.

Most of the riders were thrown off their horses due to the sudden change in pace, and if it weren’t for the quick thinking of their attendants, they would have been trampled underfoot.

In the end, both Yuan Ye and the Third Prince were thrown off their horses in a sorry state, infuriated but too caught up in the chaos to pay attention to anything else. They hastily left the horse enclosure.

The fiery red horse raced at an incredible speed, leaving the other horses trailing far behind. All the onlookers watched as dust filled the air, feeling the vibrations of the hooves shaking the entire campsite. It was likely even felt near the Emperor’s tent.

The stable officials shouted to try to stop the horses, calling out to the one leading the pack, “Chi Teng.”

Yue Chen was also taken aback in time. “It’s him, he’s still around,” he exclaimed.

Yuan Ran’s horse? Lin Qingyang immediately widened his eyes, trying to get a closer look. The towering figure of the red horse flashed by, its mane seeming to flicker with flames, overshadowing all the other fine horses in its path.

Some tried to rein in Chi Teng with lead ropes and lassos, but it seemed that Chi Teng was just in a mood to frolic and play. Whether it was humans trying to control the horse or the horse playing with humans, it was all just a chaotic mess.

Finally, after having enough fun, Chi Teng decided to leap out on its own. However, the people tried to stop it, prompting Chi Teng to shake them off at the fastest speed. It chose a direction with fewer people and prepared to leap out. Coincidentally, it was where Lin Qingyang and the others were.

Lin Qingyang saw a burst of fiery red approaching.

However, Chi Teng wouldn’t easily trample people. It probably intended to leap out and continue running.

But the next moment, everyone was shocked because after Chi Teng leaped out, it didn’t immediately gallop away. Instead, it abruptly halted right in front of Lin Qingyang and the other three, to be precise, in front of Chu Lishu.

Both Yue Chen and Lin Qingyang’s hearts skipped a beat simultaneously. Did Chi Teng recognize Chu Lishu?

Chi Teng seemed cautious and puzzled, pacing back and forth in front of them. Finally, it chose to approach slowly, as if wanting to sniff closer.

A horse that had recognized its master wouldn’t approach others willingly unless its master had returned.

With so many pairs of eyes watching, both Yuan Ye and the Eldest Prince were present. Others might not understand, but at least Yuan Ye would be well aware of his brother’s affairs, and that wasn’t good.

Yue Chen felt a sense of urgency, with countless thoughts racing through his mind. Suddenly, Lin Qingyang shouted, “Watch out!” and swiftly reached out. Just as Chi Teng was about to take another step closer, Lin Qingyang pulled Chu Lishu close to his chest and turned his back to Chi Teng , ready to run with Chu Lishu.

To onlookers, it seemed like Chi Teng  had shown aggression, appearing dangerous enough to frighten the two young masters.

As Lin Qingyang’s sudden interference disrupted the situation, Chi Teng became furious. With a loud neigh, he swiftly advanced and lunged forward, his speed astonishingly fast, catching everyone off guard.

Then, a piercing scream tore through the air.

“Yaaaahhhh!”

In an instant, everyone instinctively reached out to cover their ears. They witnessed Chi Teng’s ferocious teeth sink fiercely into Lin Qingyang’s buttocks.

Chu Lishu and the people around immediately rushed forward to intervene. Naturally, they couldn’t pull Chi Teng away, but Chu Lishu simply reached out and gave him a push. Chi Teng  then released his grip, but only Lin Qingyang witnessed this. Chi Teng , pushed away, looked at Chu Lishu in confusion.

Wasn’t he supposed to protect his master? Why did he push away the person who seemed to be taking his master away? And… he didn’t bite too hard, did he? His master didn’t allow him to bite people randomly, so why was he making a fuss?

When they managed to separate them, everyone saw that Lin Qingyang’s robe was torn apart, revealing the white silk clothes underneath. Lin Qingyang was crying out in pain, and they couldn’t tell the extent of his injuries, but the whole situation seemed absurdly funny. Lin Qingyang was bitten on the buttocks by a horse?

This… Who had the mind to care about the previous weirdness? They could only watch sympathetically and amusingly as Chu Lishu went to find a court physician for Lin Qingyang.

Chu Lishu immediately took off his outer robe and wrapped it around Lin Qingyang. With a grim expression, he shot a sideways glance at Chi Teng, then lifted Lin Qingyang onto his back and ran.

“It’s okay… There’s no bleeding, probably not broken skin. We still have the Mu Huichun medicine with us. We’ll have the court physician look at it later. It’ll definitely stop hurting soon. It’s okay…” Chu Lishu whispered reassuringly as he ran.

Lin Qingyang’s voice gradually subsided. Well, he was just pretending. It was just a sudden twinge of pain. But if he didn’t exaggerate a bit just now, how could he divert everyone’s attention to Chu Lishu?

But after calming down, recalling the reactions of the people around him…

Ah, so embarrassing!!! I really want to live in a world without horses. It feels like I’ve lost all face at this autumn hunting and shouldn’t have participated.

“Ouch…” Lin Qingyang whimpered, burying his face in Chu Lishu’s back to avoid being surrounded by onlookers.

Chu Lishu, hearing the commotion, felt extremely sorry. Was it hurting him to the point of crying? Well, he always knew Lin Qingyang had a low pain tolerance.

Chi Teng was really becoming more unruly as it grew older. It was clearly taught not to bite people when it was young, but now it’s acting wild.

Arriving at the imperial physician’s tent, the imperial physicians had just heard the commotion from the horse camp. Expecting someone with broken bones, they were prepared, but when they saw the person lying down, they were surprised. Undoing the outer garment, they revealed the torn area…

The imperial physicians: ???

After some explanation and examination, Lin Qingyang remained silent with his head buried throughout the process. Fortunately, Chi Teng bit him on the upper part, otherwise, it would have felt like being surrounded by a crowd.

Lin Qingyang couldn’t see it himself, but Chu Lishu could. A prominent deep purple bruise protruded from his fair buttocks, indicating that the bite was severe enough to cause bruising, and a little more force could have led to bleeding.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Young master, you have plenty of flesh, and it didn’t damage the tendons or bones. Just apply some medicine, but it might hinder movement. If you need to ride a horse in the next few days, it will hurt. If you can’t bear it, it’s better to rest.”

All right, I will just listen to the imperial physician’s words then. Anyway, I can’t show my face now. It’s like dying before achieving anything. I should have known better than to join in the excitement.

They didn’t take the imperial physician’s medicine and just went back. They only came to check on the injury, but in reality, Chu Lishu could also assess such minor injuries. It’s just that sometimes, concern leads to confusion, and he was afraid he might not judge correctly alone.

Chu Lishu carried Lin Qingyang back again, and by then, Xu Wenze was already waiting outside. Seeing Lin Qingyang looking embarrassed, he didn’t inquire further but accompanied them back to the tent.

Chu Lishu directly took out the Mu Huichun’s medicine from the package, including a particularly potent painkiller. This painkiller was specifically formulated by Mu Huichun to counteract the side effects of Chu Lishu’s Tianxuan Pill. However, one pill wouldn’t be enough to relieve Chu Lishu’s pain; he needed to take one every hour.

This time, he brought it along because these few days were the onset period of his condition.

This medicine was hard to obtain, and the quantity was limited. Each bottle brought along was just enough for one bout of his condition. Nevertheless, Chu Lishu calmly took out one pill and intended to give it to Lin Qingyang.

Lin Qingyang quickly pushed it away, surprised and even a little angry. “I’m fine, it’s not that painful. Just applying some hemostatic and bruise-healing ointment will do. Don’t waste it, okay? It’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. If Mu Huichun finds out I took it for something like this, he’ll have my head.”

“Just one pill,” Chu Lishu frowned.

“Do you see any signs of me grimacing in pain on my face right now?” Lin Qingyang stared at Chu Lishu with wide eyes.

Chu Lishu indeed couldn’t see any traces.

Listening from the side, Xu Wenze chimed in, “If it really doesn’t hurt much, there’s no need to force it. Medicine can be a double-edged sword; applying it externally should suffice.”

“In that case, I’ll apply the ointment for you first,” Chu Lishu said, seeing that Lin Qingyang couldn’t be persuaded otherwise. He could only wait and see if Lin Qingyang truly didn’t feel any pain later.

Seeing they were about to administer the medicine, Xu Wenze discreetly left the tent.

Lin Qingyang had initially wanted to refuse, but recalling a previous experience, he decided against it. The pristine whiteness of those two patches of skin was long gone, so there was no need to be overly dramatic.

As Chu Lishu applied the ointment, Lin Qingyang winced slightly, but seeing him only furrow his brow slightly, Chu Lishu felt reassured.

“That’s it, just let it air out. Don’t move,” Chu Lishu adjusted the edge of Lin Qingyang’s inner pants, exposing only a small area.

“And don’t let anyone else in…” Lin Qingyang quickly added.

Chu Lishu nodded in acknowledgment before stepping out. Seeing Xu Wenze still there, he said, “It’s fine now. He’s just laying there and let the wound air out. But it seems Lin Qingyang won’t be able to participate in the hunt this time.”

Xu Wenze nodded. “That’s good then. I’ll take my leave now. My father and the others should be arriving soon, and I need to go meet them.”

As Xu Wenze left, Yue Chen arrived. Naturally, Chu Lishu didn’t let him in, but he briefed him on the situation.

“A minor injury? But he was screaming so loudly,” Yue Chen remarked.

“He’s afraid of pain,” Chu Lishu replied with a smile, as if finding it rather endearing.

Yue Chen raised an eyebrow, feeling a twinge of strangeness in his heart. He whispered, “He’s truly your lucky star. I was genuinely frightened by what happened just now. I never expected that even in such a situation, Chi Teng could still recognize you. Thankfully, Lin Qingyang caused such a commotion. It’s truly a heaven-sent coincidence. Otherwise… Now, everyone outside is talking about him being bitten by the horse. Nobody even thinks of you. Even when the Emperor inquired about what happened at the racetrack and the commotion, the eunuchs who reported only mentioned him being bitten. It seems to have amused the Emperor and his court.”

Chu Lishu’s expression noticeably darkened, and Yue Chen quickly moderated his tone. “By the way, what was he doing at that moment? Chi Teng couldn’t have been attacking you, right?”

“Perhaps Chi Teng’s behavior misled him. He’s always been like this, overly cautious when it comes to protecting me, regardless of whether he gets hurt or not. But indeed, he’s my lucky star. In that kind of situation, it’s hard not to arouse suspicion,” Chu Lishu explained.

Yue Chen felt a pang of jealousy but realized the truth in Chu Lishu’s words. Lin Qingyang indeed always seemed to be one step ahead when it came to Chu Lishu’s affairs. “I just went to check on Chi Teng. The Imperial Horsefarm have a special fondness for him, hoping to breed better horses from him. I reckon they’ll just come to apologize later. Chi Teng won’t be disciplined, fortunately. After all, he’s His Highness’s mount, and so loyal. He can’t be disposed of casually.”

“Perhaps His Highness is indeed upset with Chi Teng now. After all, His Highness himself might not have even been bitten before. They’re not all fond of… ahem… let’s just say Chi Teng got ahead and took advantage of the situation. He’s not afraid of being gelded,” Yue Chen chuckled at the thought.

After Yue Chen left, Chu Lishu came in to accompany Lin Qingyang. At the sight of the large marks on the round, protruding white flesh, faintly showing the imprints of Chi Teng’s teeth, it was truly irritating.

“When the opportunity arises, I’ll let you vent your anger,” Chu Lishu said as he stepped forward.

Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu, raised an eyebrow, and chuckled, “I’m not going to argue with a horse, but… with such a powerful horse, it would be an amazing experience to ride it.” It’s just like driving the most awesome car in real life, right? With Chu Lishu around, he should be able to ride it.

Chu Lishu smiled and reached out to touch Lin Qingyang’s head, saying, “Alright, I’ll make sure you get to ride it.”

After chatting for a while, Lin Qingyang had to put on his pants and go out with Chu Lishu.

As the campsite gathered, unless it involved bone injuries, everyone had to attend the assembly to witness the Emperor’s first arrow of the year.

Upon reaching the campsite, Lin Qingyang felt like everyone was sneaking glances at him, clearly aware of his recent escapade. Although he tried to appear composed, he had to move slowly to avoid pain, attracting even more attention to himself.

Feeling utterly helpless, Lin Qingyang finally stood still, and some familiar faces came over to inquire about his injury. He responded briefly.

“Why are you so unlucky?” A crisp voice tinged with displeasure sounded, and Lin Qingyang looked over to see Pei Jin, looking somewhat disdainful. “Is it because of your cousin again?”

Chu Lishu glanced at Pei Jin, looking somewhat displeased.

Lin Qingyang’s mouth twitched. “It was just an accident.”

“How bad is the injury?” Pei Jin inquired.

“It’s just a minor injury,” Lin Qingyang replied.

“Does that mean you can’t participate in the hunt?”

Lin Qingyang was somewhat surprised by Pei Jin’s concern and nodded.

Pei Jin’s eyes flickered slightly. “Well, it’s good this way. Just focus on recovering from your injury. Besides, the Fourth Prince hasn’t arrived, so you guys are just superfluous.”

Lin Qingyang was speechless and was about to reply when Pei Jin turned and left.

“Is Pei Jin trying to pick a fight?” Lin Qingyang asked incredulously, looking at Chu Lishu and Xu Wenze.

“It feels more like another kind of concern,” Xu Wenze said awkwardly.

Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu with some displeasure, only to find Chu Lishu gazing thoughtfully at Pei Jin.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Qingyang asked curiously.

Chu Lishu withdrew his gaze and slowly replied, “He… seems a bit different, doesn’t he? Has he changed?”

Lin Qingyang was seeing such a conflicted expression on Chu Lishu’s face for the first time. He looked at Pei Jin carefully, feeling puzzled. She seemed to have gained quite a bit of weight compared to before. Wait, no, not weight gain, considering her slender neck and wrists. It was… intentionally altering her body shape to conceal…

As age caught up, Pei Jin couldn’t conceal her beauty and figure anymore. No matter how she disguised herself, it would only seem odd. It was possible to pass off as a pretty boy when young, but it couldn’t be kept up forever. Especially for Pei Jin, trying to blend in with men, it was becoming increasingly awkward and less masculine.

Seeing Chu Lishu furrowing his brow, Lin Qingyang’s heart skipped a beat, and the next moment, a realization struck him.

【Ding, Side Quest: Assist the male lead in discovering Pei Jin’s secret】

Lin Qingyang: …

Well, here it comes, just as expected. Concealing Pei Jin’s identity so vigorously at the beginning was indeed the right choice. Now, the mission has arrived.

In terms of the plot, the Autumn Hunting originally had two major events. One was the rebellion of the Eldest Prince, and the other was Chu Lishu accepting the harem. It was here that the secret of Pei Jin was discovered.

In the original plot, Pei Jin had been feeling differently about Chu Lishu early on, but due to hostile forces and not revealing their identity, she had been suppressing these feelings. After Chu Lishu discovered Pei Jin’s secret, he instantly realized that Pei Jin might have feelings for him. Seizing the moment when Pei Jin was most vulnerable and needed to rely on him, Chu Lishu took advantage of the situation and made his move on Pei Jin, beginning the first step of utilizing Pei Jin.

However, according to the system’s mission, it probably wouldn’t be like the time with Cao Wanying where Chu Lishu had to pursue. It’s likely just to make Chu Lishu aware of the fact that Pei Jin is a woman.

Although it feels a bit unfair to Pei Jin, considering Chu Lishu’s current suspicions, he would probably realize even without assistance.

Following the original plot, it wouldn’t do to prevent Chu Lishu from discovering.

Amidst Lin Qingyang’s dilemma, the ceremony commenced. A flock of birds was released, and the Emperor shot an arrow into the sky, hitting two birds with one stone, displaying some impressive skills indeed.

Immediately afterward, the Emperor delivered some inspiring words before suddenly asking, “Where is Lin Qingyang?”

Lin Qingyang was taken aback, quickly stepping forward to bow, but the sudden movement caused him to stiffen in pain.

Amidst the surrounding chuckles, Lin Qingyang’s face flushed red. The Emperor smiled and remarked, “I heard that Chi Teng caused you injury?” He then rewarded Lin Qingyang with some potent medicine, instructing him to rest well. Additionally, the Emperor promised to gift him two horses as a form of compensation and consolation.

Lin Qingyang quickly expressed his gratitude.

The Emperor waved his hand, signaling for Lin Qingyang to leave. Suddenly, the Third Prince stepped forward and said, “Father, I heard that Chi Teng has been causing headaches for the stable attendants. How about gifting Chi Teng to me for training?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Yuan Ye, who had been suppressed recently, hurried forward and said, “Uncle, I also want to give it a try.” That was Yuan Ran’s horse, which he had always liked before and wanted to try taming, but it was useless. Later, he lost interest, but since the Third Prince wanted to snatch it, he had to get it as well. If he continued to disobey, he would be punished.

“Why does the Crown Prince want to compete with me? You just got married recently, and happiness should be on your mind. Can’t you give a little advantage to your younger brother?” The Third Prince said innocently. But this caused Yuan Ye and the Crown Princess Jing Rouyin beside him to change their facial expressions instantly.

Seeing this, Concubine Pei smiled and said, “Son, you must not be rude. Since your Crown Prince brother wants it, naturally, you cannot compete.”

The Emperor glanced at them and smiled, saying, “Chi Teng is a fine horse, just a little untamed. How about this, Crown Prince, Third Prince, whoever wins this year’s hunting competition, I will reward Chi Teng to that person.”

With the stakes set, the hunting competition naturally became even more intense.

Watching these two vie for ownership of Chi Teng, Lin Qingyang felt somewhat angry.

He finally understood why there was no specific mention of Chi Teng in the original plot. Actually, there was indeed a storyline in the original about rewarding the divine steed in the competition, but at that time, the male lead remained unresponsive throughout, and there was no chance for Chi Teng to appear. Although the rebellion of the Eldest Prince interrupted the proceedings in the end, there was a segment where Yuan Ye mocked the Third Prince, and the third prince retorted that if the competition hadn’t been completed, then the horse would be his. Clearly, it was Yuan Ye who acquired Chi Teng.

And considering Yuan Ye’s consistent attitude towards things belonging to Yuan Ran, it would have been fine if someone like Jing Rouyin actively sided with him, but for something as obstinate as Chi Teng…

Did the male lead in the original plot really not care about Chi Teng’s fate?

Perhaps… intervening might have exposed him, so the male lead avoided the topic altogether, showing no reaction at all. Or perhaps, at that time, he simply didn’t care about the horse’s situation, his mind consumed by thoughts of revenge.

Afterward, Chi Teng did not appear again, so it’s certain that he was gone.

Though bitten, facing such an outcome, Lin Qingyang still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Lin Qingyang stole a glance at Chu Lishu, only to see Chu Lishu’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, clearly displeased.

A thought crossed Lin Qingyang’s mind, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. The current Chu Lishu was no longer the male lead from the original plot; his heart was filled not just with hatred, but with the bitterness of a life consumed by hatred. Even though he continued to pursue various acts of revenge, his attitude towards everyone around him was different from the original. Perhaps he would find a way to rescue Chi Teng.

With this thought, Lin Qingyang inexplicably felt a surge of joy in his heart, a sense of accomplishment arising within him. He dared not make too much of a fuss, so he gently held Chu Lishu’s hand, using the closeness of their arms as an excuse.

In that moment, Chu Lishu, who had originally been filled with resentment, felt as if he had been scratched by a fluffy kitten’s paw. His heart softened, and the hostility dissipated. He glanced at Lin Qingyang with some helplessness, finding him anything but well-behaved, always touching and teasing him.

“Do you feel it? Chi Teng seems as pitiful as a delicate flower being targeted by two bullies,” Lin Qingyang remarked.

Chu Lishu found this description both amusing and exasperating but reluctantly admitted, “Yeah, it does seem quite pitiful.” So… they needed to come up with a plan. Perhaps they could make further use of the rebellion of the Eldest Prince.

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