“Who’s there?” Liu Yan’s voice trembled as he called out. “Hero step forward and let me thank you properly!”
Duan Mingxi’s lips twitched. She leapt gracefully from the tree and looked at Liu Yan. “That day Liu Shizi spoke out boldly. Consider this repayment for your kindness.”
“Miss Duan?” Liu Yan braced against a tree to keep himself from collapsing in disgrace. “Impressive skill—truly unexpected.”
Duan Mingxi retrieved her arrow, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.
“Wait!” Liu Yan called out.
She stopped and looked at him. “What else do you need, Liu Shizi?”
“You’re just going to leave like this?” he asked incredulously.
“What else should I do?” she replied.
Liu Yan: “…”
She had just saved his life!
Anyone else would seize this chance.
“You saved my life!” he reminded her.
Duan Mingxi raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “As I said, I’m repaying a favor. That’s all.”
“That’s not the same thing! I didn’t help you for your sake—I just disliked Gao Zhan!”
“It’s the same to me,” she said. “That’s enough. Don’t dwell on today’s events—we’re even now.”
She turned and walked away.
“Hey! Wait!” Liu Yan tried to follow, but his legs buckled, and he fell face-first to the ground. He had forgotten his legs were still weak.
Duan Mingxi heard the commotion but didn’t look back. Her debt to Liu Yan was paid.
In her previous life, though severely injured, he hadn’t died. His guards were probably close, so she didn’t need to worry further.
After walking a few steps, she suddenly noticed a pair of green boots in her path. Stopping in her tracks, she looked up.
There stood Duan Wang, Xiao Muchen.
Duan Mingxi was startled. She hadn’t expected to meet him like this in her new life.
She was covered in dust and dirt from saving someone in the woods, while Xiao Muchen stood there spotless, his attire immaculate.
“Greetings, Duan Wangye,” she said, taking a step back and bowing.
“And you are?”
“Duan Mingxi of Dingyuan Marquis’s household.” She didn’t hesitate—her background wasn’t something to hide. In her previous life, she had felt shame over it, but after dying once, she understood such concerns were meaningless.
She was who she was.
“Ah, the eldest daughter of the Duan family.”
Duan Mingxi frowned slightly. Did he already know of her?
Her puzzled expression must have been obvious because Xiao Muchen explained calmly, “The incident at Peony Terrace—your name is well-known in the capital.”
Duan Mingxi understood—her notoriety had spread.
Expressionless, she replied, “I see. I wouldn’t dare disturb Wangye further. I’ll take my leave.”
Now was not the time to engage with Duan Wang. She needed to wait for the right moment, when she had the leverage to negotiate.
Xiao Muchen nodded slightly.
As she walked away, she sensed something was off—he was following her.
She turned to look at him.
Xiao Muchen met her gaze. “Same path.”
Duan Mingxi frowned slightly, feeling a bit awkward.
Noticing her conflicted expression, Xiao Muchen stepped forward and said gently, “I heard that Miss Duan grew up in Jiangcheng?”
Surprised that Duan Wang would initiate a conversation, Duan Mingxi thought for a moment. Since they were indeed going the same way, staying silent would seem odd. She nodded. “Yes.”
“Jiangcheng is a fine place—connected by both land and water, a vital hub for the empire’s tax revenues.”
Duan Mingxi wasn’t sure what he meant by that. After some thought, she replied, “Jiangcheng is by the sea. The merchants and common folk make their living off the ocean. As long as they’re willing to work hard, they can always lead a good life.”
“Did you live well in Jiangcheng?”
Duan Mingxi smiled at the question. “Very well. My foster parents treated me like their own, with kindness as deep as the mountains.”
Xiao Muchen lifted his gaze to her. “From what you’re saying, it seems you’ve always known you weren’t their biological daughter?”
“Indeed.”
“You’re quite fortunate, Miss Duan.”
Fortunate?
Reflecting on her past life, she wouldn’t agree.
But this time, she was determined to live well.
“Thank you for your kind words, Wangye,” Duan Mingxi replied. This version of Xiao Muchen seemed different from the one she had known in her past life.
Perhaps the struggle for the throne had not yet reached its peak, and people’s mindsets and actions were still less strained.
From ahead came the faint sounds of voices, accompanied by the clash of weapons. Duan Mingxi instinctively stopped walking.
Xiao Muchen noticed her reaction, then stepped protectively in front of her. “Stay here and don’t move. I’ll go take a look.”
Before Duan Mingxi could respond, he pressed her into the thorny underbrush and strode forward.
Duan Mingxi hesitated for a moment, then stealthily took a detour, closing in on the source of the commotion. Through the gaps in the trees, she saw a herd of wild boars rampaging through the forest. The guards were busy shielding the Wangyes and young nobles from harm.
The wild boars charged wildly, throwing the area into chaos. Trees, shrubs, and dirt flew everywhere as people scattered in all directions.
Duan Mingxi’s gaze quickly caught sight of a boar charging straight for Chu Qingying, whose face turned pale as she turned to flee. A guard stepped in to shield her, slashing at the boar with his sword.
The boar’s tough hide resisted the blade, and the guard’s strike only grazed its skin, enraging the beast further. The boar rammed the guard, sending him flying and leaving him motionless on the ground.
Without hesitation, Duan Mingxi notched an arrow, aiming at the wild boar. Her hands trembled slightly as she took a deep breath, telling herself to stay calm.
She followed the boar’s movements, her muscles tense, waiting for the right moment. She released the arrow, which whistled through the air toward the boar’s neck.
But the arrow deflected slightly off a tree trunk, piercing the boar’s back instead. The beast let out a terrible scream and charged around blindly. Qingying, terrified, tripped and fell to the ground.
Duan Mingxi readied another arrow, but before she could release it, another arrow came whistling through the air. It struck the boar’s abdomen with immense force, causing it to veer off course. A nearby guard seized the opportunity to drive his sword into the boar’s neck, pinning it and the weapon into the ground.
Duan Mingxi looked up and saw that the arrow had been loosed by Duan Wang.
Their eyes met briefly, and Duan Mingxi stiffened. His gaze quickly shifted away, and she melted into the crowd. She hurried over to Chu Qingying, pulling her up and dragging her away.
“Duan Mingxi?” Qingying exclaimed in delight. “Is it really you?”
“Don’t speak. Let’s find somewhere to hide,” Duan Mingxi replied. “Did you all disturb the wild boars’ den?”
Chu Qingying, both laughing and crying, replied, “Who knows? Someone must have shot an arrow and provoked them. I thought I was done for today, but thankfully, you saved me.”
“It wasn’t me. It was His Highness Duan Wangye.”
Duan Mingxi guided Chu Qingying to safety. The guards, directed by the Wangyes, began surrounding the wild boars. Arrows flew and swords slashed in unison.
The wild boars’ agonized squeals echoed through the forest, chilling the bones of anyone who heard them.
Once the tide turned in favor of the hunters, the group’s courage returned, and the mood grew more lively.
Chu Qingying, clutching Duan Mingxi’s arm tightly, no longer felt weak-kneed. She even craned her neck to watch the action, clapping and cheering.
Duan Mingxi: What a headache…
In the distance, Xiao Muchen glanced briefly in her direction, his expression unreadable.
First, she had saved Liu Yan. Now, she had saved Chu Qingying.
Does she enjoy playing the hero that much?
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