lcionline Chapter 695 Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Qian Zhenyun, are you trying to kill me?!
Chapter 695 Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Qian Zhenyun, are you trying to kill me?!
Gu Qingchen was completely encircled in his arms.
Behind me was the man's warm chest, and the scent of his body filled my nostrils.
Gu Qingchen froze, his ears burning uncontrollably.
This is even more disorienting than carrying her on my back.
"Sit tight."
Zhao Chen'an clasped his arms together and grasped the reins in front of her, holding her tightly within them.
He then squeezed the horse's flanks with his legs, and the steed beneath him began to stride steadily toward the edge of the forest.
Gu Qingchen stood stiffly, not daring to move, and could only watch helplessly as Qian Zhenyun and Lin Jiayou, who was being helped up by the guards, followed behind the horse.
Lin Jiayou raised his head, looking at the intimate posture on horseback, a sinister glint flashing across his eyes.
At the edge of the woods, a large number of people who had heard the news had already gathered.
Wang Ruoyu was surrounded by several noble ladies, her face pale. She had just escaped and hadn't had time to come up with a story yet, only managing to stammer out "Bear" and "Sister Qingchen is still inside."
As everyone was discussing and speculating about the dangers in the forest, they saw the Crown Prince's jet-black steed slowly emerge from the dense woods.
The sunlight shone on me again, dispelling the chill of the forest.
When everyone saw what was happening on horseback, all the discussions stopped abruptly.
His Highness the Crown Prince sat high on his horse, with a petite figure encircling him. That fiery red riding attire—who else could it be but Gu Qingchen?
She was held tightly in the Crown Prince's arms, their posture intimate and close, riding together on the same horse.
This scene is more impactful than any words.
All eyes were on that spot, filled with shock, envy, and jealousy.
Those noble ladies who usually considered themselves elegant all stared wide-eyed, their handkerchiefs almost being torn to shreds.
When has His Highness the Crown Prince ever been so close to any woman?
What merit or ability does Gu Qingchen possess?
Wang Ruoyu's face turned from white to purplish-brown in an instant, and finally turned into a liver color.
She went to great lengths to humiliate Gu Qingchen in front of everyone, even resorting to such underhanded tactics. But what was the result?
Gu Qingchen not only escaped unharmed, but also received the unique favor of His Highness the Crown Prince!
This was like a resounding slap across her face, stinging painfully.
She looked at the blinding red on the horse's back, and was so angry that she trembled all over, her eyes almost turning red.
Zhao Chen'an ignored the stares of those around him.
He rode his horse to the front of the crowd, nimbly dismounted, and then turned around. Before Gu Qingchen could react, he stretched out his arms and gently lifted her down from the horse.
This action caused another collective gasp of astonishment to rise from the surrounding area.
Zhao Chen'an gently placed her on the ground, and only let go of her hand after making sure she could stand firmly on one foot. His voice returned to its usual coldness and authority.
"Pass on the imperial physician."
Zhao Chen'an put Gu Qingchen down and handed her over to Qian Zhenyun.
"Take care of her."
Qian Zhenyun's fingers, hanging by his side, twitched slightly before he finally replied, "Yes, Your Highness."
Zhao Chen'an stopped looking at them and turned his gaze to Wang Ruoyu, whose face was pale in the crowd. The gentleness in his eyes had vanished.
"Men, seize Wang Ruoyu."
"Investigate thoroughly what happened in the woods just now!"
Wang Ruoyu's legs went weak, and she knelt down on the ground.
"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me!" She cried, tears streaming down her face, and kowtowed desperately. "This humble woman...this humble woman was just jealous of Qingchen and wanted her to lose the competition."
"I...I just set a small snare where the white fox was seen, hoping to trip her up...but shooting the horse and attracting the black bear were really not my doing!"
Soon, the commander of the Imperial Guards came to report.
“Your Highness, Miss Wang’s quiver is full and she has not fired any arrows.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Ruoyu felt a sudden sense of relief.
Fortunately, she wasn't that stupid. She did it herself, but paid a clean-cut servant to do it, and that servant had already run away by the time it was done.
The investigation has stalled, and the origin of the black bear remains a mystery.
Just when everyone thought the matter was hopeless, Lin Jiayou walked out with the help of the guards and bowed deeply to the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, this matter may just be a misunderstanding."
"There are many hunting dogs in Xishan. Perhaps one of the dogs was chasing its prey and accidentally startled the bear, which led to the accident."
"I beg Your Highness to consider the Minister of Personnel's feelings and show leniency."
His words were dignified and magnanimous, and the way the noble sons around him looked at him changed. Many of them nodded in approval, thinking that this scholar truly had the demeanor of a gentleman.
But Zhao Chen'an felt a sense of revulsion.
The person I was as a child has become so hypocritical.
He didn't even look at Lin Jiayou, but coldly spoke to Wang Ruoyu on the ground.
"Wang Ruoyu, your words and actions were inappropriate and disturbed the hunt. You are hereby punished with a three-month confinement to your home to reflect on your mistakes."
After saying that, he turned and left, ignoring the people behind him.
Because of this unexpected incident, the hunt had to be abruptly ended.
Inside a side hall of the imperial palace, the imperial physician examined Gu Qingchen's ankle.
"Miss Gu only sprained her ankle; her bones and tendons were not injured. We rubbed it in with a medicinal wine to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and she will be fine after a few days of rest."
Since Gu Qingchen didn't have any personal maids with her, the medicinal wine naturally ended up in Qian Zhenyun's hands.
He poured some medicinal wine into his palm and rubbed it to warm it up. He pressed one hand against Gu Qingchen's leg and the other hand over the swollen ankle.
"Gun Gun, be gentle..." Gu Qingchen had just finished speaking when Qian Zhenyun suddenly exerted force on his hand.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Qian Zhenyun, are you trying to kill me?!"
She screamed in pain, tears welling up in her eyes.
"If it doesn't hurt, how can I rub away your bruises?" Qian Zhenyun said expressionlessly, but his strength remained undiminished. "Bear with it."
Gu Qingchen gasped in pain, pounding the bed: "That bitch Wang Ruoyu! Three months of confinement is too lenient on her!"
She was furious, feeling that the punishment was too mild.
Qian Zhenyun continued working with his hands while explaining, "His Highness's decision was a matter of weighing the options; it served as a warning to the Wang family while also saving face for the Minister of Personnel."
Gu Qingchen pouted, still feeling indignant.
She suddenly remembered something else and turned to ask, "By the way, why didn't the Crown Prince give Jiayou any rewards? If it weren't for him today, I would have already..."
Qian Zhenyun's hand suddenly stopped moving.
He looked up at Gu Qingchen's matter-of-fact face, and a surge of anger welled up in his chest, making him unable to utter a single word.
After applying the medicine to Gu Qingchen, Qian Zhenyun made an excuse to leave.
Gu Qingchen lay on her side on the soft couch, her ankle burning with pain, but her mind kept replaying the image of Lin Jiayou standing in front of her.
The way Zhao Chen'an carried her onto the horse, their figures intertwined, left her feeling utterly confused.
On the other side, inside Lin Jiayou's tent, candlelight flickered.
He changed out of his dusty scholar's robe and stood facing the bronze mirror, wiping a scratch on his cheek from a pebble he had been splashed with while dodging a bear's paw.
The person in the mirror had shed the panic and fragility of the daytime; their eyes were calm and undisturbed.
The tent flap was suddenly pulled open, and a figure dressed in a black brocade robe walked in.