This was different from what she had imagined.
She had firmly believed he liked her.
So when she encountered danger, she had resolutely thought he would save her!
However.
He remained as cold as an ice mountain!
Even when she softly called out to him, he showed no pity.
Zhan Tianye did look at Qin Linglong after hearing the words "His Highness the Prince of Jin".
His gaze was so indifferent, as if he were looking at a stranger.
Seeing the situation unfold, everyone was stunned.
What the hell was going on?
Did His Highness the Prince of Jin care about Miss Qin or not?
Qin Linglong's body was incredibly stiff, stiffness replacing the pain throughout her body. She clenched her fists tightly and said, "I..."
After uttering a single word, she suddenly found herself at a loss for what to say.
She had so many words she wanted to speak, but under so many watchful eyes, she couldn't utter a single one. She felt like a joke under His Highness the Prince of Jin's coldness.
"I'm fine, Your Highness, please don't worry." She still endured the stinging pain in her heart, trying to salvage some dignity.
She had just seen Ning De County Princess.
At first, she was unhappy that Ning De County Princess was with His Highness the Prince of Jin. Now, she suddenly felt fortunate. If Ning De County Princess hadn't been there, the scene of her being neglected by His Highness the Prince of Jin just now would have been a source of mockery!
Now, people would only think that His Highness the Prince of Jin was being so indifferent to her because of Ning De County Princess.
Zhan Tianye did not respond. He was in a bad mood, and he was not one for many words. He preferred to say as little as possible. He took the horse beside him and mounted it directly.
Without a word, he spurred his horse and galloped away.
Through several encounters, everyone had a general understanding of His Highness the Prince of Jin's cold and taciturn nature.
So, they were not surprised.
But the two, Ning De County Princess and Miss Qin, must have been heartbroken by His Highness the Prince of Jin's indifference, right?
The onlookers knew they shouldn't linger and quietly rode away as if they had seen nothing.
Suddenly, the surroundings fell silent.
It took Qin Linglong a long while to recover. Once everyone was gone, she realized the pain all over her body.
Tears streamed silently down her face. Just as she turned to get back on her horse to go home, she saw Ning De County Princess.
Ning De County Princess hadn't left?
Her body tensed again. She pursed her lips and spoke first, "Ning De County Princess."
She had thought everyone, including Ning De County Princess, had left.
Ning De County Princess's expression was extremely somber as she walked step by step towards Qin Linglong.
They were similar in height, but their imposing presence differed greatly.
Qin Linglong felt guilty and dared not look directly at Ning De County Princess.
"When cleverness backfires, Qin Linglong, I advise you to stop making so many little moves." Ning De County Princess could have avoided wasting words with Qin Linglong, but at this moment, she couldn't help herself.
She was too much of an eyesore.
It also reminded her how foolish she had been in front of His Highness the Prince of Jin just now! She had actually asked him what he disliked about her, and the answer she received had slapped her face soundly.
A very harsh slap!
It left her utterly humiliated!
"I... County Princess, have you misunderstood something? I... I haven't done anything." Qin Linglong's eyes were red, and she appeared incredibly wronged.
Why was Ning De County Princess being so aggressive?
Clearly, she was the one who had lost face in front of everyone just now. Her mind was in a turmoil, and she didn't even know how to deal with this chaotic situation.
Ning De County Princess's face was ice-cold, and she didn't want to watch Qin Linglong feign innocence. "Do you think your schemes can hide from His Highness the Prince of Jin? Or from me? Qin Linglong, if you were still as obedient and sensible as before, perhaps you would still have a place in the Prince of Jin's manor in the future. But if you continue with your frequent little tricks, don't blame me for losing my patience. You won't be able to set foot in the Prince of Jin's manor again."
If it were before today, she would have never bothered to waste words with Qin Linglong. If His Highness the Prince of Jin didn't care about such a person, she could simply get rid of her when she got annoyed.
But today was different from yesterday. Her emotions were turbulent, her anger burned fiercely, and she found it difficult to calm down.
It just so happened that Qin Linglong ran into her.
Qin Linglong's face was horrified, and she stumbled back a few steps. "County Princess..."
Ning De County Princess's gaze was so terrifying!
She had never seen such a fearsome Ning De County Princess before. Every word, every glance, felt like a knife. The Ning De County Princess in public had always been gentle, magnanimous, and compassionate.
But...
"Remember my words." Ning De County Princess said no more.
Qin Linglong stood rigidly, watching Ning De County Princess leave. Her lips quivered, wanting to retort, but she couldn't. She lacked the confidence!
She could only bite her lip filled with hatred.
She recalled the words that woman had spoken to her that night, and her choice.
She murmured to herself, "Was I wrong? Was I really wrong? No... no, I wasn't wrong. It must have been because Ning De County Princess was there just now that His Highness the Prince of Jin was so indifferent to me. Ning De County Princess threatened me just now because she's jealous of me! Yes, she's jealous of me!"
His Highness the Prince of Jin loves her!
Definitely not the woman from that night!
Definitely not!
Qin Linglong's gaze gradually turned manic, and then fierce.
...
After parting ways with Zhan Tianye, Yun Shu wandered aimlessly in the forest.
Occasionally, she would find a prey or two and hunt them.
Perhaps she might encounter Zhen Lin and Ning De County Princess.
Just as she was about to aim at a small rabbit, an arrow whizzed through the air.
With a "swoosh," it pierced through the air with intense killing intent.
It was heading directly for Yun Shu's heart.
Yun Shu narrowed her eyes.
She unhurriedly shifted the bow and arrow in her hand, gently drew the string, and released.
Instantly.
Two arrows collided.
The arrow that had come with killing intent was split in half, while the arrow shot from Yun Shu's hand continued forward.
From behind a large tree, Zhen Xu rode over on his horse.
He caught the arrow shot by Yun Shu in his hand.
If one looked closely, they could see his hand bleeding where he held the arrow, and his entire arm was trembling uncontrollably. The reason it was slight was because he was gritting his teeth to control it.
He never expected to be injured by a woman!
He glared fiercely at Yun Shu, "You dare to injure me?! You are courting death!"
He had originally intended to kill this woman stealthily, thus resolving a problem. He hadn't expected her to also be skilled with archery! And, as luck would have it, she had broken his arrow!
Even worse, the arrow had then flown towards him, nearly injuring him!
No, it had already injured him.
Without even looking, he knew his palm was bloody and mangled.
He hadn't expected such a mere female swindler to know how to ride and shoot! And it looked like she wasn't just skilled, but proficient!