Princess Ning De glanced back inadvertently, but found Ning Ruan's figure missing.
She was greatly surprised and looked around abruptly.
Zhen Lin also turned back at the sound.
The person who had been quietly following them was gone!
When did they disappear?
How did they not notice?
"Miss Ning was just here. Did we ride too fast? Did we leave her behind?" Zhen Lin was a little anxious, looking all around.
However, this was a mountain forest, with lush trees and grass everywhere, making it easy to lose sight of someone even a few meters apart.
"I'll go find her." Zhen Lin was truly uneasy.
Princess Ning De raised her hand to stop him. "Brother, I'll go find her. You focus on hunting. Don't forget our most important goal today. There are people everywhere in the mountains, and guards patrolling to ensure our safety. Miss Ning will be fine."
Hearing Princess Ning De's words, Zhen Lin's heart settled a little. After calming down and thinking carefully, he realized Ning De was right.
There shouldn't be any danger here.
Thus, Princess Ning De went to look for Yun Shu, while Zhen Lin continued to concentrate on hunting.
It was quiet all around.
Everyone knew not to startle the prey.
With his mind settled, Zhen Lin began to focus on finding prey. Having never truly participated in a hunt, his heart raced at this moment, filled with an unprecedented surge of excitement.
When the arrow left the bowstring, the sound of it piercing the air seemed to ignite his blood.
In an instant, he felt as if he had rediscovered the passion and sense of conquest that a man should possess.
Yes, a sense of conquest!
Princess Ning De, who was looking for Yun Shu at this moment, did not see the light in her brother's eyes. If she had, all her worries would have vanished.
Princess Ning De searched around and encountered some people, whom she questioned. However, no one remembered anyone following them, nor did they recall Ning Ruan's appearance.
Many people did, however, hint to Princess Ning De that they had seen Qin Linglong pursuing Prince Jin.
But Prince Jin seemed to disappear quickly, and no one saw where he went.
Glancing around at the lush forest, Princess Ning De frowned.
Given Ning Ruan's intelligence, if she had gotten separated from them, she would likely find a way out and wait for them.
After all, Ning Ruan had been in the martial world for many years and must have encountered various emergencies, coming up with solutions in the shortest possible time.
After pondering for a moment, Princess Ning De turned her horse back.
However, halfway back, she changed her mind and headed in the direction those people had indicated. She wanted to see for herself how Qin Linglong was trying to entice Prince Jin.
She had previously thought Qin Linglong to be timid, but it turned out to be an act. What a skilled pretender.
She brazenly displayed her underhanded tactics.
"Another one!"
"Second Young Master Zhen, you are truly skilled!"
"Skilled or not, it's just good luck!"
Zhen Xu's feigned humility could be heard from afar. Princess Ning De's red lips curled into a chilling arc upon hearing this.
Too many people, the forest too vast.
Unknowingly, an hour had passed.
Fortunately, Princess Ning De had also hunted while searching for people, and had already acquired some game.
Qin Linglong was also searching for someone, just like Princess Ning De.
Qin Linglong's face was now covered in a thin layer of sweat.
She had never imagined getting lost after entering the mountain forest. She had tried her best to follow Prince Jin, but for some reason, she couldn't see his figure even for a moment after entering.
She had only just learned to ride a horse and couldn't use a bow and arrow, so she hadn't caught any prey for some time.
But that wasn't important.
What was important was...
"Where is Prince Jin?"
There were few people around, and the light in the forest was dim, making the surroundings look gloomy and indeed frightening.
Qin Linglong, who had always been timid, now had red eyes from fear.
She suddenly regretted not staying out. She had originally thought that as long as she caught up with Prince Jin, she would follow him the entire way and wouldn't have to worry about anything else.
But it turned out...
Qin Linglong bit her lip.
Her gaze was fixed forward with determination. She would find Prince Jin!
At the same time.
In a secluded spot.
In front of a large tree.
Zhan Tianye held Yun Shu against him. His movements were gentle as he lowered his head to kiss her for a long time.
After leaving her room last night, he had been unable to close his eyes upon returning to his residence.
Her scent filled his mind.
That lingering kiss had left a deep imprint on his heart.
The warmth and texture of her lips remained.
When he saw her outside the forest earlier, he had suppressed the urge to embrace her.
But now, with no one around, and no need to be cautious, he could no longer restrain himself.
It was a longing hidden deep within.
Yun Shu sensed the change in his emotions and sank with him... sank...
He released her lips only when they were both breathless, resting his breathing on her forehead.
"I have the little pink flowers you gave me at my place too." His breathing finally stabilized, but it was still low.
Yun Shu hummed in response. "If the pollen from the little pink flower accidentally falls into the food you consume, it can cause you to become disoriented, unable to distinguish between reality and dreams, and act against your will."
Someone had indeed gone to great lengths to scheme against him.
Zhan Tianye's deep eyes gazed at her. "Is my amnesia related to it?"
Yun Shu looked up at his deep, bottomless eyes, her voice also somewhat hoarse. "It has nothing to do with it."
If it were truly the little pink flowers that caused his amnesia, it would be a small matter; she could have cured him of the poison.
But clearly, the little pink flowers were not that potent, and couldn't cause memory loss.
Therefore, she still couldn't find the reason.
"It's alright. As long as I remember you." Zhan Tianye's voice deepened, revealing his most genuine thought. He truly only needed to remember her.
Other matters, big or small, meant nothing to him.
Since losing his memory, he had always felt that he was missing someone or something most important, and had been searching.
Until he met her in the palace that day, and her single word, "Me," seemed to light up the dim lamp in his heart.
Yun Shu's heart trembled, and she clasped his hand.
Looking up at him, she said earnestly, "I will make you remember everything."
The sound of horses whinnying came from not far away.
It was likely someone's horse had been startled.
And it was heading in their direction.
Yun Shu sighed softly. She hadn't even exchanged a few words before being interrupted again.
Oh well, there were people hunting all around, and someone might suddenly appear here. She couldn't let her identity be known.
"I'll go on ahead." Yun Shu said softly.
Zhan Tianye, however, tightened his grip and didn't let her go.
Yun Shu looked up at him, her cheeks flushing prettily. "Someone is coming."