Chapter 27

Yiling was pulled in front of Xie Hengzhi with nowhere to escape and had no choice but to meet his gaze.

It was only when she was extremely frightened that Yiling’s reactions slowed down significantly compared to usual.

It seemed like an eternity had passed before she slowly realized that Xie Hengzhi’s gaze wasn’t the murderous intent she had thought it was.

Instead, there was a strong, aggressive aura, staring at her directly, conveying an unspoken meaning, forcing her to give an answer.

After recalling Xie Hengzhi’s words more carefully, Yiling finally understood.

It turned out that he wasn’t questioning her identity.

He was doubting whether she had been involved with another man.
“Of course, it’s my older brother.”

Adhering to the principle that speaking more leads to more mistakes, Yiling lifted her chin and stubbornly refused to admit it. “And what’s so hard about riding a horse? Do you expect someone to hold your hand and teach you how to ride a horse?”

After a long while, Yiling didn’t hear any response from Xie Hengzhi.

She couldn’t help but raise her eyes, meeting his gaze, trying to read his thoughts.

The winter morning sunlight was already hazy, and it reflected in Xie Hengzhi’s dark eyes, making them appear shallow and unreadable, leaving her unable to guess what he was thinking.

Under his jade-like, gentle appearance, it seemed that Xie Hengzhi possessed an extraordinary aura.

Yiling began to doubt if the Shang family really had some hidden past that was unknown to others.

At this moment, Xie Hengzhi released her hand.

He then straightened her collar, pulling it up to shield her from the cold wind.

He gestured for her to mount the horse.

Yiling couldn’t believe that Xie Hengzhi had just let her go like this.

After a moment of hesitation, she didn’t dare say anything more and immediately scrambled to mount the horse, raising the whip and heading toward the western hills.

The horse wasn’t particularly docile, and there were many servants trailing behind. Yiling took quite a while to get the hang of it, and the sound of the hooves gradually faded into the distance.

Once her figure had disappeared, the steward, Fu Rui, hesitated before stepping forward.

“My lord, the lady has taken your horse. What about you?”

Though the sunlight was nice today, the cold wind hadn’t relented at all.

Xie Hengzhi withdrew his gaze and said in a low voice, “Prepare the carriage.”

This trip up the mountain wasn’t an official royal hunt but rather a spontaneous plan by the crown prince, so the scale wasn’t large.

Fortunately, the camp had been set up with numerous tents, coal stoves were prepared for warmth, and all kinds of food and drinks were arranged. Even beds were laid out for the nobles to rest temporarily.

When Yiling arrived, she spotted the crown prince’s procession from a distance.

After inquiring with the palace maid, she learned that the crown prince had arrived earlier and had already entered the forest, allowing the guests to rest first.

Since this is the case, Yiling allowed the palace maid who came to guide her to take her directly to the tent, preferably to one that was empty.

The little maid naturally agreed, though along the way, many people still turned around, curiously eyeing Yiling, who was traveling alone.

Once inside the tent, Mallow lowered the curtain. Yiling walked to the charcoal stove and warmed her stiff fingers before she could think about anything else.

Recalling the scene in front of the Xie mansion, she still felt a bit of lingering fear.

She didn’t mention it in front of Xie Hengzhi, but did Mama Cao and Mallow, who came as her dowry, begin to suspect her?

Today, Mama Cao stayed in the mansion, and only Mallow had come along.

Yiling turned around and looked at her, only to see Mallow curiously eyeing the tent, staring at the tiger skin behind the rattan couch for a long time, her small hand itching to touch it.

Yiling: “…”

Forget it. Mallow probably didn’t have the brains to suspect her.

As she thought about Xie Hengzhi, the anger in her chest burned even hotter than the fire in the charcoal stove.

If he had even a slight doubt about her identity because of horseback riding, Yiling could still admire his intelligence. But to think that he suspected his own wife’s loyalty over such a trivial matter—it was truly petty and paranoid!

Speaking of him, Yiling fumed while looking toward the tent’s entrance.

She didn’t ride fast, and even if Xie Hengzhi had lagged behind by a step, he should have arrived by now. Why hadn’t there been any movement?

As she thought this, she focused on the faint voices outside the tent.

It seemed to be the guests who came for the hunt today, casually chatting outside. Occasionally, someone would ask if Xie Hengzhi had arrived yet.

If Yiling didn’t mishear, she thought she even heard Princess Yu’an’s voice.

Yiling couldn’t sit still anymore. She stood up from the couch, lifted the curtain slightly, and peered outside.

Seeing this, Mallow immediately asked, “Are you looking for the master, Madam?”

Yiling furrowed her brows and said, “Go outside and see if he’s arrived.”

When Mallow went out, Yiling was left in the tent with a few maids, and her unease only grew.

Although they had brought enough guards for the trip, they could never compare to Xie Hengzhi’s presence beside her.

But he still hadn’t appeared. Could it be that he truly wasn’t coming because of that small matter of riding a horse and sulking in the mansion by himself?

That would be incredibly petty.

The Crown Prince was hunting today, and as his sister, Princess Yu’an would definitely be there.
Wasn’t Xie Hengzhi worried that his wife might be in danger?

The more Yiling thought about it, the more she felt the hunting grounds were filled with hidden dangers. Even the tiger skin hanging inside the tent looked ominously frightening.

Not long after, Mallow returned, bringing both bad and good news.

The bad news was that Xie Hengzhi hadn’t arrived yet. The good news was that the Crown Princess had heard she had come and invited her to the pavilion by the lake in the woods to enjoy the scenery.

On ordinary days, Yiling would rather stay with Xie Hengzhi than make a public appearance at such an event.

But now that Xie Hengzhi hadn’t shown up, she had no choice but to see Shen Shufang as her only protection.

Moreover, since she was already here and the Crown Princess had extended the invitation, how could she refuse?

Yiling thought for a moment, then stood up and said, “Take me there.”

Shen Shufang’s pavilion by the lake was located at the top of Xishan, near Tongmu Lake, and was somewhat famous.

However, it was quite a distance from the camp.

Yiling sat in the carriage, still angry at Xie Hengzhi, and the jolts of the ride only worsened her mood.

Having lived two lives, she had never seen such a petty man.

Now, just a little suspicion could make him abandon his wife. If they were to encounter life-threatening danger, wouldn’t he—

Suddenly, the carriage lurched violently, interrupting Yiling’s angry thoughts.

She glanced fearfully at Mallow, about to ask what had happened when the sound of rushing hooves came towards the carriage, followed by the clash of swords.

Before Yiling could process what was happening, the sound of fighting could already be heard outside the carriage.

Two men in black suddenly emerged, charging fiercely. Catching the guards off-guard, they quickly shot down several of them with arrows.

A fierce battle ensued, but the two black-clad men were highly skilled, and the ordinary guards quickly fell. Only two of the elite guards were still fighting back.

At this moment, Yiling still didn’t know what was happening outside.

All she was certain of was that her prediction today had been right—

Someone was indeed trying to harm her!

The coachman, too, was startled, and the whip was cracked urgently, causing the carriage to lurch wildly.

“Madam, be careful!” the coachman yelled.

Just as Yiling was about to crash into the side of the carriage, Mallow held her steady while trying to see what was going on outside.

When she leaned out, the carriage suddenly veered sharply, throwing Mallow out.

In the blink of an eye, Yiling instinctively reached out to grab Mallow.

But all she grabbed was the coachman’s blood spraying out—

Blood…

Yiling stared at her blood-soaked hand, and everything went black as she lost consciousness.

Without the coachman, the startled horse bolted, charging toward the woods.

The two men in black immediately ceased fighting with the elite guards and turned their horses to chase after the carriage.

Hidden in the nearby bushes, Yiyun stood frozen for a long time.

No, wasn’t this supposed to be a performance, with him playing the hero saving the damsel?

Why did Princess Yu’an’s people actually kill someone???

And they were still relentlessly chasing the carriage, clearly aiming to take Mrs. Xie’s life.

Had they gone mad??

Yiyun trembled all over, shaking with fear as he cautiously walked out from the bushes, seeing the bodies of the fallen guards and their horses.

He swallowed hard and suddenly rolled over, mounting one of the horses.

By the time Yiyun galloped into the forest, the fighting had stopped, but there were now three corpses on the ground.

Several elite guards from the Xie Mansion had already been killed, and one of the black-clad men had been cleaved in half, leaving only one who was seriously wounded.

Hearing the sound of hooves behind him, the black-clad man turned around. His face was covered in blood, and he was gripping a broken sword.

Seeing the man’s condition, Yiyun was so scared that he fell off his horse. He tumbled twice before scrambling to his feet, attempting to flee.

But it was too late.

The black-clad man, with bloodshot eyes, rushed at Yiyun, holding the broken sword.

Yiyun, who had been pampered since childhood, had never witnessed such a scene. He was not one to kill, but at this moment, his instinct for self-preservation kicked in.

If he didn’t kill the man, the man would definitely kill him.

In his near-death panic, Yiyun’s mind went blank. He yelled and wildly swung his sword.

A moment later, a gush of hot blood sprayed across Yiyun’s face.

He opened his eyes and watched as the black-clad man, struck in a vital spot, fell to the ground.

At the same time, Yiyun heard a loud crash and turned to see something that nearly caused his eyes to burst open in shock—

The carriage carrying Yiling had lost control and was hurtling toward a deep ravine!

Yiyun frantically mounted his horse and chased after it.

But the runaway carriage was almost rolling toward the steep slope and abyss.

He was so close, just an inch away from grabbing the reins.

There was a loud “bang.”

The violent sound of water splashing reached him.

Yiyun dismounted in a panic, standing rigidly at the edge of the ravine.

Watching as the waves from the carriage falling into the water splashed onto his shoes, Yiyun, who wasn’t good with water, felt his hair stand on end. He stood there, stunned for a long while, unsure of what to do.

The bone-chilling water of winter rushed into the carriage, and Yiling suddenly opened her eyes.

The world around her was dim, like the night, and her ears and nose were filled with the constant invasion of icy water. She was rapidly sinking.

She couldn’t breathe, and as soon as she opened her mouth, the cold water choked her, causing her head to spin. She couldn’t even comprehend what was happening. It felt as if she were trapped in a narrow space, plummeting downward. She immediately struggled, her fingers grasping anything she could find to propel herself upward.

Before she lost consciousness from choking on the icy water, she finally managed to grip the doorframe of the carriage and crawl out.

But what awaited her was an even more desperate fall.

She could no longer find anything to grab hold of. The abyss’s icy waters seemed like an invisible giant swallowing her, no matter how much she struggled. She could only feel herself falling faster and faster.

Yet, Yiling continued to fight until the last of her strength left her, unable to lift her arms or move her legs anymore.

The water was so cold.

She was scared, but she couldn’t close her eyes.

She watched as the light from above dimmed more and more, her body frozen and losing all sensation.

No one would come to save her, right?

The water was so cold, and no one would come to save her.

The water had completely blocked her nose, and all her breath was trapped in her chest, ready to burst.

The falling seemed to slow.

But Yiling knew she was going to die.

Was Shang Shi also in so much pain when she drowned?

Yiling’s thoughts were like floating weeds in the water, drifting weakly.

She should return this life to heaven.

It was never meant to be hers in the first place.

But…

Why was it still her?

Had she known she was going to die, she would have dragged Xie Hengzhi down with her.

Why was she the one to die?

Why wasn’t it Xie Hengzhi?

Why didn’t he die?

The water was really so cold.

She watched as darkness engulfed her, the only light in the lake growing fainter and fainter, shrinking smaller and smaller.

In the end, it turned into a faint halos.

Yiling closed her eyes.

With a loud “bang,” a huge wave of water hit Yiling and tossed her around.

Before she could think, as soon as her eyes opened, she struggled to move her vision in the dark, searching for the source of the impact.

Then she saw the faint halo seemingly being broken open.

A pale figure, dressed in white, broke through the chaotic water layers, growing clearer as it descended toward the deepest part of the ravine.

His robes and hair floated in the water, as if the immense water pressure was trying to tear him apart.

But Yiling still saw him getting closer and closer to her, closer and closer.

When she finally made out his face, Yiling’s fingers, numb from the cold, trembled slightly.

She couldn’t move, but still, she wanted to reach out to him.