The road back to the camp was neither short nor long. Leng Jiu leisurely enjoyed the journey, feeling no discomfort whatsoever. Glancing at Hua Jinzhi riding beside him, he noticed her looking at him. His expression immediately soured, and he turned his head away, refusing to look at her. Seeing this, Leng Jiu chuckled, “It seems that Young Master Hua isn’t very willing to accompany this prince. Why don’t you just not come? Go back and accompany those beauties for the hunt!”
Hua Jinzhi snorted, “This subject is not unwilling. The Empress Dowager has misunderstood!”
Raising an eyebrow at her response, Leng Jiu turned to look at her again, only to receive a glare in return. He couldn’t help but feel puzzled. He had just shot her and then saved her, but overall, it should have been his fault, right? Moreover, she was now the Empress Dowager, so why would she look at him with anger? When did she offend him?
Leng Jiu silently looked up at the sky, while the burning gaze behind him continued to radiate anger as if it were substantial. However, she really didn’t know where she had offended this young master. Could it be… because of her current status? But Hua Jinzhi didn’t seem like someone who would hold a grudge for unrequited love, right?
Just as Leng Jiu was entangled in confusion, the horses emerged from the forest. A breeze blew, carrying the scent of grass mixed with a strong smell of blood. Leng Jiu’s heart skipped a beat, throwing aside his thoughts. He narrowed his phoenix eyes and said, “Stop!”
“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?” Lu Chang stepped forward and asked.
“There’s a smell of blood, and a murderous aura!” This time it was Hua Jinzhi who spoke up. His gaze finally moved away from Leng Jiu and landed on the nearby tent. None of the maids and guards who were originally there could be seen now!
“Blood? Murderous aura?” Lu Chang didn’t understand, but he also sensitively noticed that something was wrong. “Why are all the people here gone?”
As soon as he finished speaking, several black-clad assassins leaped out of the tent and immediately drew their swords to attack.
“Protect the Empress Dowager!” Ten imperial guards finally had a chance to demonstrate their skills, drawing their long swords to shield Leng Jiu behind them.
“Empress Dowager! Quickly go!” It was obvious that someone had noticed the strength of the opponents and immediately shouted!
Leng Jiu narrowed his eyes and suddenly leaned forward. It turned out that Hua Jinzhi had pulled on her reins, pulling her horse backward. Seeing her as the Empress Dowager, Hua Jinzhi’s expression was serious as he said, “The opponents are highly skilled. They can’t hold them off. I’ll escort you to safety!”
“Yes! Empress Dowager, let’s go quickly, or it will be dangerous!” Lu Chang’s face turned pale.
“Let’s go!” Hua Jinzhi led Leng Jiu’s horse and rushed into the forest. Lu Chang hurriedly followed behind them. Not long after they entered the forest, the last imperial guard fell, and a group of assassins rushed into the forest.
“They’re coming!” Hua Jinzhi’s expression darkened, immediately speeding up!
“Go!” Three horses galloped through the forest, startling countless birds and beasts.
“They are in the southeast direction, we’ll be safe if we go there!” Lu Chang reminded.
“It’s too late!” Hua Jinzhi turned his head and glanced behind, “They’re already here!”
Leng Jiu looked sideways, and the foremost black-clad assassin had already caught up, less than a hundred meters away. Leng Jiu narrowed her eyes slightly and pulled out a golden hairpin adorned with jade, which she usually used to fasten her hair. She felt a bit regretful as it was her favorite hairpin. The assassin’s lightness skill was exceptional. Even as the horses galloped, he could catch up, and the distance between them was closing rapidly.
Ninety meters, eighty meters, seventy meters… Thirty meters… Twenty meters… Fifteen meters…
“Swish!” Leng Jiu’s eyes narrowed, and the hairpin flew out swiftly. Her aim was precise, targeting the assassin’s forehead without any deviation. However, the assassin’s martial arts were too high. In the critical moment, he leaned his body to the side, and the hairpin only pierced his shoulder. Nonetheless, his speed faltered for a moment, creating a brief opportunity to widen the distance between them!
Hua Jinzhi naturally saw the golden hairpin and glanced at Leng Jiu with some surprise. However, he knew it wasn’t the time for questions. He swiftly pulled Lu Chang up and threw him into the bushes. Then, he stabbed the backsides of the three horses with his sword. The horses went mad and galloped, while he lifted Leng Jiu in his arms, using lightness skill to fly in another direction.
The surrounding scenery quickly receded, and the rushing wind could be heard in their ears, indicating that Hua Jinzhi’s lightness skill was also excellent. Leng Jiu was held in his arms, and although he was still a teenager with an immature appearance, at this moment, he made her inexplicably feel at ease. When she raised her head for a moment, she looked at the young man holding her tightly. Unexpectedly, her gaze fixed on him for a moment, and then she became infatuated… There was once a young man who held her tightly and desperately fled with her, even sacrificing himself to let her survive. The face that had always been deeply buried in her heart and never dared to touch seemed to overlap with his side profile, causing her heart to ache unbearably…
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Out of topic:
I wonder if portraying Hua Jinzhi as the male lead will make him seem a bit too tender? He belongs to the youthful, sunny, and tsundere type. Although it hasn’t been shown yet, I will try to write more about it later. However, if I deviate from the character, don’t blame me!