Chapter 30 : The Enmity Between Them

A dark shadow suddenly rushed over from the side and kicked Wen Jun away.

Wen Jun was struck hard, his whole body slammed into a cylinder and then bounced back onto the ground.

“Are you okay?”

Song Ying stared blankly at the man in front of her. “Why… are you here?”

Huo Zhen replied proudly, “Who am I? I come when I want to, and I don’t when I don’t want to.”

A breeze drifted by, and Song Ying seemed to catch the scent of rust in the air.

“Are you hurt?”

Huo Zhen was slightly taken aback, then quickly denied it. “No.”

Wen Jun got up from the ground, rubbing his back where he had been kicked. He spat out a mouthful of blood and phlegm and snarled, “Huo Zhen!”

Huo Zhen shielded Song Ying behind him and looked at him disdainfully. “Calling me now, is that it?”

The nearby guards heard the commotion and hurried over.

In the light, Song Ying could see clearly that Huo Zhen was dressed all in black, but…

Looking at the trembling figure of the man in front of her, she frowned.

“Who’s causing trouble here?!” The patrol leader stepped forward but quickly recognized Huo Zhen. “Oh, it’s the General. Eh? Young Marquis, what are you—”

Wen Jun wiped the dust off his face with his sleeve and returned to his usual smug demeanor. He looked at Huo Zhen provocatively and said, “Song Ying, I’ll come to propose marriage another day. Wait for me.”

Huo Zhen was so furious he wanted to rush over and beat that dog head of his, but Song Ying grabbed his hand and said, “Let’s go, this is the palace.”

News of this would surely reach the palace soon, so she had to get out before that happened.

She led Huo Zhen to the carriage area. When Faer saw them, the worry on her face turned to joy. “General Huo, did you come to climb over the palace wall again today?”

This silly girl…

“Stop talking. Let’s go.” Song Ying got into the carriage first. When she saw Huo Zhen hadn’t followed, she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him in. “You too.”

The carriage bumped its way toward the palace gates. Only after passing through the archway and heading onto the road home did Song Ying breathe a sigh of relief.

Across from her, Huo Zhen still sat stiffly like a wooden dummy. Song Ying waved a hand in front of him. “Why did you come to the palace?”

Huo Zhen was still lost in the moment when Song Ying held his hand. Coming back to his senses now, he mumbled, “I just came.”

Song Ying said, “Today was supposed to be a celebration for your father’s success. Why’d you come now?”

Huo Zhen looked away, clearly guilty. “I didn’t want to go. I thought it’d be boring… But I came back again because staying home was even more boring. Good thing I came.”

Song Ying narrowed her eyes. “Really?”

Huo Zhen slowly lowered his head. “Really.”

His lie couldn’t be more obvious.

When they arrived at Xiaohanju, Liu Lingyan was already waiting with her two children.

“You’re back.” Seeing that her best friend was fine, no injuries except for slightly messy hair, Liu Lingyan felt relieved.

The two children weren’t afraid of Huo Zhen at all and immediately started climbing all over him.

Noticing Huo Zhen’s awkwardness and the sweat on his forehead, Song Ying and Liu Lingyan each picked up one of the kids.

“Okay, Uncle still has something to say to Auntie. You two go play.”

Dali grabbed Huo Zhen’s hand and said, “But we want to—Ouch!”

After getting a slap on the back of the head from Liu Lingyan, Dali could only rub his head and follow her.

Huo Zhen said, “It’s fine if they want to play…”

With a cold expression, Song Ying pulled him to the backyard.

Huo Zhen thought she was going to make him climb back over the wall and said dutifully, “No need to chase me away. I can climb back out myself…”

“Come in.”

“Come in where?”

When Song Ying pulled him into her boudoir, Huo Zhen’s heart was bursting with joy.

Ahhh——

Aying brought me into her boudoir!

“You—lie down.” Song Ying pointed at the couch.

Huo Zhen blushed for once and stammered, “Aying, I saved you today purely out of instinct. You don’t need to thank me like this.”

“Lie down!”

After being scolded by Song Ying, Huo Zhen obediently lay down on the couch.

“Aying…”

“Don’t move.”

Song Ying turned and walked away, calling out, “Xiaomi, come with me.”

In the study, Song Ying rummaged around, found two bottles of medicine, and handed them to Xiaomi. “General Huo has a wound on his back, go and apply the medicine for him.”

Xiaomi took the medicine and replied, “I’ll go right away.”

Huo Zhen was still lying obediently on the couch. Hearing footsteps, he assumed it was Song Ying and asked without turning his head, “Aying, what are you doing? Can I get up now?”

Xiaomi laughed out loud. “General Huo, it’s me.”

Huo Zhen turned his head awkwardly. “Where’s Aying?”

Xiaomi pulled over a stool and sat beside him. “Miss asked me to apply medicine for you. General, may I help you undress?”

Huo Zhen was moved, Aying actually noticed his injury.

“No, I can do it myself.”

Meanwhile, Song Ying went to Liu Lingyan’s place. The two children ran up and hugged her legs.

“Auntie, where’s Uncle? We want to play mountain climbing with him!”

“Be good now, Uncle is sick. He’ll play with you when he gets better.”

Liu Lingyan could tell Song Ying had come to talk seriously, so she asked a maid to take the children away and brought Song Ying into the house.

“What happened in the palace? And is Huo Zhen really sick?”

Song Ying told Liu Lingyan everything that happened. Liu Lingyan’s heart trembled as she listened.

“Aying, I’ve been meaning to ask do you have some kind of grudge against this Young Marquis Wen? Why does he keep harassing you like this?”

Song Ying nodded. “Yes, I do. It’s a grudge that started when I was thirteen…”

When she was thirteen, Song Ying accompanied her father to Su Township to visit a friend. 

While the elders were busy discussing matters, Song Ying played with several young ladies and gentlemen from the host family. They decided to go hunting in the mountains. The boys rode off bravely, while Song Ying and the other girls waited at the campsite.

Suddenly, Wen Jun stormed in with a group of well-trained guards.

The little girls had never experienced such a scene before, they were terrified and burst into tears.

Noticing that Song Ying, the oldest among them, wasn’t crying or panicking, Wen Jun walked over and asked, “What’s your name?”

Song Ying answered, “My name is Chen Yinyin.”

“Yinyin?” Wen Jun laughed. “I’m bored. Want to go hunting with me?”

Song Ying replied, “What if I say no?”

Wen Jun glanced at the trembling girls behind her and the helpless servants.

“Then I’ll throw your little sisters into the mountains.”

Knowing he meant it, Song Ying nodded. “Fine. I’ll go.”

Wen Jun reached out his hand. “Come up.”

Without hesitation, Song Ying reached for his hand but just as she tried to climb up, Wen Jun suddenly let go, and she fell hard onto the ground, landing on her backside. The pain left her legs numb.

“Hahaha! Idiot,” Wen Jun mocked.

Song Ying gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay calm.

“Sir, do you still want me to go? If not, we’ll leave,” she said as she patted the dust off her skirt.

Seeing her composed demeanor, Wen Jun lost interest and said lazily, “Come with me. If you dare run away, I’ll throw all your little sisters into the mountains for the wolves.”

Glancing back at the girls surrounded by Wen Jun’s guards, Song Ying said, “Fine. I won’t run. But I’m not good at walking fast.”

Wen Jun signaled for Zuo Yin to lead a horse over. “Get on the horse yourself.”

Watching Song Ying struggle clumsily to mount, Wen Jun couldn’t stop laughing.

Once she was seated, Wen Jun whipped the horse’s hindquarters and it bolted.

“Sister…”