lcionline Chapter 694 Escaping from the Bear's Mouth: Who is the Hero?
Chapter 694 Escaping from the Bear's Mouth: Who is the Hero?
The black bear, having missed its first attack, turned its attention back to Gu Qingchen, who was lying motionless on the ground.
Just as it pounced again, a sharp whooshing sound rang out.
An inconspicuous pebble struck the black bear precisely in the left eye.
The black bear, in pain, let out a deafening roar and paused for a moment.
Immediately afterwards, an arrow shot out from the depths of the dense forest, fast and accurate, hitting the black bear right in the right eye!
The blind beast went completely berserk, charging around wildly and roaring madly, but it could no longer find its target.
Qian Zhenyun emerged from behind a tree.
He didn't go to see Gu Qingchen first, but calmly gave orders to the Imperial Guards who arrived later.
"Trap it with a net."
Several imperial guards immediately stepped forward and subdued the raging black bear.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an has also arrived.
He glanced at the chaos at the scene, his gaze sweeping over Gu Qingchen, who had sprained his ankle, and Lin Jiayou, who was covered in bruises from the fall, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Gu Qingchen didn't notice Qian Zhenyun at all, nor did she see the Crown Prince.
In her eyes, in her world, all that remained was Lin Jiayou, who had been "injured" while saving her.
Dragging her injured leg, she crawled to Lin Jiayou's side without hesitation, reached out and helped him up, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Lin Jiayou! How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?"
In her heart, Lin Jiayou is the only hero of the day.
Lin Jiayou leaned against her, his face pale, and weakly shook his head.
"I'm fine... Qingchen, it's good that you're not hurt."
The more he said that, the more Gu Qingchen's heart clenched.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an walked over, his gaze passing over the disheveled Lin Jiayou and landing directly on Gu Qingchen's swollen ankle. The fabric there was torn, and the skin was swollen high, showing an ominous bluish-purple hue.
He sighed softly, looking at her stubborn yet pale face, and asked, "Can you still walk?"
These words finally brought Gu Qingchen back to her senses a little.
She belatedly felt the excruciating pain, bit her lip, and tried to stand up.
But as soon as her left foot touched the ground, a tearing pain made her groan, cold sweat instantly broke out on her forehead, and she fell back down heavily.
Zhao Chen'an frowned.
Looking at her like this, he remained silent for a moment, then slowly squatted down in front of her, his broad back facing her.
"Get on, I'll carry you out."
Qian Zhenyun stood to the side, watching the Crown Prince's strong back, his fingers hanging at his sides silently curling up, his knuckles turning white from clenching.
In the end, he said nothing, but simply turned his gaze away in a deep voice.
Lin Jiayou's expression also changed.
He struggled to stand up straight. "Your Highness, you mustn't!"
He blocked Gu Qingchen's path, saying, "Your Highness is of noble status; how can you condescend to do such a thing?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the imperial guards and palace guards who had rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.
"Moreover... Qingchen is not yet married, and it is in broad daylight that men and women should not be so intimate. If this gets out, it will damage Qingchen's reputation! I urge Your Highness to reconsider!"
Gu Qingchen was touched, feeling that Lin Jiayou was thinking of her in every way.
However, Zhao Chen'an didn't even lift his eyelids; his deep eyes coldly swept over Lin Jiayou.
"How dare you call Qingchen that?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an innate sense of authority, like a block of ice crashing onto the forest clearing.
Lin Jiayou's face stiffened, but he managed to maintain his composure and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, Qingchen and I have known each other since childhood and are friends for many years..."
“Even the best of friends need to know their limits,” Zhao Chen’an interrupted him. “Young Master Lin, aren’t you afraid of ruining her reputation by addressing an unmarried woman so intimately?”
This sentence directly returns Lin Jiayou's words verbatim, and also implies that he has ulterior motives and that his words and actions are inconsistent.
Lin Jiayou's face instantly turned extremely ugly, turning pale and then flushed, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
Seeing that Lin Jiayou was being harassed, Gu Qingchen felt a surge of protectiveness and spoke up without thinking.
"Your Highness! Lin Jiayou is my friend and my savior. It's just a title, why make such a fuss!"
"My savior?" Zhao Chen'an finally stood up straight.
He looked down at Gu Qingchen, who was still sitting on the ground, his eyes filled with obvious anger for the first time, angry that she was ungrateful and couldn't distinguish right from wrong.
He gave a cold laugh, and his tone became harsh.
"Alright. Then I'll give you two choices. Either I'll carry you out, or you stay here."
He surveyed the deep, silent forest, his voice laced with warning, "This is deep in the Western Mountains. The smell of blood just now attracted a bear. Who knows if it will attract other large animals?"
These words were a threat, and also an ultimatum.
Gu Qingchen was stunned by the anger in his eyes and was speechless for a moment.
She instinctively turned her pleading gaze to Qian Zhenyun, who was standing to the side.
But Qian Zhenyun remained as still as a stone statue, staring blankly ahead, not even sparing her a glance.
Under the Crown Prince's imposing aura, Lin Jiayou lowered his head and dared not utter another word.
Isolated.
Gu Qingchen's stubbornness kicked in, and he actually managed to stand up on his own, supporting himself with his mud-covered hands.
He dared not let his left foot touch the ground, and could only stand on his right foot, his body swaying precariously.
Without looking at anyone, she turned around and limped towards the edge of the woods.
Her fiery horse had long since disappeared.
With each jump, her ankles throbbed with excruciating pain, but she would rather endure the pain than see the Crown Prince's sour face again.
Looking at her unyielding demeanor, Zhao Chen'an's anger finally turned into a long, helpless sigh.
He nimbly mounted his horse, spurred it a few steps, and stood in front of her.
A tall black horse blocked their way.
Gu Qingchen raised her head and glared stubbornly at the man on horseback.
Zhao Chen'an looked down at her, his anger had dissipated, leaving only a sense of helplessness and exhaustion.
"I'll ride with you on the same horse, is that alright?"
This is already the biggest concession Zhao Chen'an has made.
Gu Qingchen's stubbornness finally began to crumble in the face of the sharp pain in his ankle.
She wasn't ungrateful; she knew that if the stalemate continued, she would only embarrass herself.
She bit her lower lip, and finally lowered her head slowly, which could be considered as tacit consent.
Zhao Chen'an didn't say anything more. He extended a hand to her. The hand was large and strong with distinct knuckles.
Gu Qingchen hesitated for a moment before finally placing his muddy hands on it.
The next moment, his body felt light, and he was easily lifted onto the horse's back and placed steadily in front of him.