«You're coming too?!»
Yang Yulan stood at the exit, her mouth agape. Shin Zuzhou was in the courtyard. She seemed to be waiting for her.
«Of course. I must make sure you do everything correctly.»
The villainess's words seemed logical to the girl, but she still felt a certain dislike towards her, so she didn't reply.
All last night, Yang Yulan couldn't sleep due to mixed feelings after the training session, so she fully dedicated the free time that appeared to preparing for the upcoming mission. Warm clothes, basic hunting gear, and even food in pouches—everything was ready in the best possible way.
This morning was cold and damp. The ground was still fresh from the night rain. The wind blew the last leaves from the bare trees and pierced right through Yang Yulan's body, vulnerable to the cold.
The girl tightened the scarf around her neck and rubbed her frozen hands together.
«Winter is coming soon.»
Yang Yulan got into the carriage next to Shin Zuzhou. It wasn't much warmer inside than outside. This made the girl shrink even further into her seat.
«If only the trip wouldn't be long.»
The girls headed for the entrance to the Imperial Forest. This forest was the perfect place for an outing. It had many paths and beautiful views. No wonder the Prince had brought his beloved there for a date.
The day was nasty from start to finish. The only thing that could fix it and somehow comfort Yang Yulan's wretched heart was the canonical romantic event.
«Alright. Can't give in to despair.» Yang Yulin mentally clapped her hands. «Our goal today is to do everything perfectly.»
A few seconds later, the girl slumped again, remembering the last few times she tried to do something properly.
«If only I don't ruin anything this time...»
«What are you thinking about?» asked Shin Zuzhou, hearing another sigh from her companion. Yang Yulan was sitting in the carriage directly across from her. «Regretting you agreed?»
«Not at all! I'm just... just a little nervous.»
«Is that so.» Shin Zuzhou smiled at the corner of her lips and adjusted her dress. «You shouldn't worry. If you fail this mission, someone else will handle it.»
Yang Yulan tensed at these words.
«That's exactly what I'm afraid of.»
No. She had to do it herself. Who knows what might happen if the Northern Princess really hired a whole squad of warriors to kill the heroine.
Yang Yulan straightened up in her seat again and tried to regain her confidence. This time, she absolutely couldn't mess up. Another person's life depended on it.
***
As they approached the designated place, Yang Yulan looked out the window of her carriage. A crowd had already gathered at the spot where the Prince and his beloved were supposed to arrive. There were servants preparing the horses for the journey, guards, and unexpectedly, people of noble blood.
«Why are they here?» Yang Yulan asked, hinting at the high society representatives.
«Not sure. Though I can say these fools know how to pick their time.»
«Maybe you should leave after all? It's not too late. What if they start saying nasty things about you? You came to your fiancé's date with his mistress.»
«Don't worry. I informed them in advance of my intention to attend today's meeting. So my arrival won't be news.»
«She calls someone else's date a 'meeting'?»
«No one objected. I suppose, if that's the case, I can observe my fiancé and finally understand what game he's playing.»
«Maybe he truly loves that girl? And he's driven only by sincere feelings.»
Shin Zuzhou rolled her eyes.
«Love is love, but you can't postpone a wedding because of it. He's not a little boy and should understand the weight of the responsibility placed upon him.»
Once again, Yang Yulan had nothing to say. Shin Zuzhou's words didn't seem devoid of logic, but the girl still couldn't agree with her, for she wholeheartedly rooted for the main characters' love. And the villainess, and politics in general, were just irritating additional plot devices.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Shin Zuzhou got out and immediately headed towards the Prince and the young girl.
«The show is about to begin,» Yang Yulan smiled and hurried after her companion. However, halfway there, she was rudely stopped by a group of people. They were nobles.
«Excuse me, I'm in a hurry,» Yang Yulan desperately looked over their heads, trying to see what was happening at the main scene. But they surrounded her, giving her no chance to go further.
«Damn it, I'm going to miss everything because of you.»
«What do you want?» Yang Yulan snapped, finally giving in and turning her gaze to these irritating people.
«Sir? How should we address you?»
«Call me whatever you want.»
«Don't be so harsh. We merely wished to exchange a few words with you.»
«Indeed, indeed! We've heard so much about you. You seem to be no ordinary person.»
«Where are you from? Do I know you?» one of the men asked, addressing her directly.
«I very much doubt it.»
«Wait, I saw you at the imperial hunt.»
«I saw you there too. It was definitely you.»
«You even came with the First Prince. Are you friends?»
«Yes, yes,» Yang Yulan brushed it off, waiting for this interrogation to end. She tried to ignore most of the questions being asked.
The ladies and gentlemen flushed with pleasure. They seemed to find his secretiveness even more intriguing.
«Why do you always wear that mask? Does it mean something?»
«What's it to you?»
«We didn't mean anything bad. Just became curious.»
«Yes, yes, simple curiosity.»
«My god,» Yang Yulan was ready to cry from discomfort. «They won't leave me alone until I answer.»
«I wear a mask because of my curse,» she threw out, making up an excuse on the spot.
Everyone nearby gasped in surprise and became even more inflamed with interest. They hungrily caught every word that came from the boy's mouth.
«A curse? What kind of curse?»
«The curse of beauty, of course,» Yang Yulan stated with full confidence in her voice. «If I take off the mask, I might blind people with my irresistible face. I wear it for your own good.»
For a while, the ladies and gentlemen maintained a tomb-like silence, then suddenly erupted into loud laughter.
«Oh, you're quite the joker.»
«Yes, yes, you're very funny.»
«But it's the pure truth,» Yang Yulan insisted, suddenly offended by such a reaction. In her real world, the girl was a true standard of beauty. Even without using makeup or fancy clothes, she still often attracted the attention of modeling agencies thanks to her tall stature and sharply defined face.
She was used to considering herself beautiful, so now, being in the body of a sick girl, she felt a blow to her pride.
«Then perhaps your appearance is the secret of your closeness with Princess Shin Zuzhou?» one of the ladies suddenly asked, hiding behind her fan and looking slyly at the boy.
«What? What closeness?»
That woman continued speaking.
«I suppose the Princess doesn't want you to reveal your face. How cruel of her to claim your beauty only for herself.»
«Oh, you silly girl!» another girl from the crowd supported her. «I'd also hide my beloved if he were divinely handsome.»
«What are you talking about?» the girl genuinely didn't understand.
What else had these foolish people come up with? The realization came belatedly.
«Wait! You think I'm sleeping with Her Highness Shin Zuzhou?!»
After these words, the faces of all the ladies in the crowd flushed so red that Yang Yulan felt like a farmer in a field of ripe tomatoes.
«Oh, heavens, no! We merely made a bold assumption.»
«Yes, yes, it wasn't said with the intent to offend you.»
«But isn't it true?» Despite the general panic, the lady hiding her face behind the fan continued to push her line.
Yang Yulan thought before answering.
«What makes you think that?»
The woman stepped very close to her and whispered:
«Well, your close friend, His Highness the First Prince, told us.»
Yang Yulan wasn't surprised by this news at all. From an idiot like Yang Yusheng, you could expect anything. Even such a setup.
And this time, she could even understand his motives. The guy definitely wanted to stir up trouble in the palace again. If these rumors about their closeness with Shin Zuzhou spread further, the Prince's honor could suffer. Imagine the scandal if your fiancée were cheating on you. The entire honorable imperial court would become a laughingstock, and the political marriage could be seriously threatened again.
«So that's why he gave me to Shin Zuzhou. What else is he planning?»
Yang Yulan fell into thought again.
On the other hand, the villainess herself would suffer more from these rumors than the Prince. Yang Jinlong couldn't be removed from the throne even if he didn't marry Shin Zuzhou. Yang Yulan knew that for sure, because at the end of the story, the Prince would have one faithful, beloved wife in the form of the heroine. And if the villainess's honor suffered before that, it would even be to Yang Yulan's advantage.
Let her pay for all her sins and for the attempt to kill a beautiful and innocent girl.
«So is it true?» one of the ladies couldn't hold back and asked again.
«It's true,» Yang Yulan smiled to herself. «I can even prove it to you.»
Upon learning the boy's intentions, all the people immediately made way for him.
He, in turn, walked quickly towards Shin Zuzhou.
The crowd slowly and unobtrusively followed him.
Shin Zuzhou was already standing aside, not far from the main characters. She was apparently intimidating Mei Baijie again but hadn't succeeded. She could tell just by looking at the heroine's happy face as she sat on a snow-white horse.
The Prince seemed impressed by the girl's riding skills. However, Yang Yulan still wondered why the main hero didn't suggest Mei Baijie ride on the same horse with him. Wouldn't that be more romantic?
Anyway, that wasn't important right now.
«My beloved!» Yang Yulan shouted and ran up to the villainess.
Shin Zuzhou and everyone else who witnessed this scene stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what was happening.
«What did you just call me?» Shin Zuzhou glanced menacingly at Yang Yulan, not yet fully comprehending what was happening. Her eyes glowed red.
«You should control your anger,» Yang Yulan smirked, noticing her mood.
«You don't want to reveal yourself, do you?» she continued in a whisper.
«I'll kill you!»
«You say that often.»
«Because you test my patience too often. What new trick is this?»
«What trick? Can't I call someone 'beloved' if I want to?»
«No! You can't!»
«So, where's my gear?» Yang Yulan immediately changed the subject, understanding she was playing with fire. She didn't want to be accidentally killed by the enraged villainess.
Not giving a second for an answer, she ran off to get ready for her mission.
Shin Zuzhou, left alone in a confusing situation, cursed the vile fish many more times in her head. Meeting the gaze of the crowd of nobles humbly awaiting her reaction, she merely bowed modestly and hurried to leave the awkward scene. Behind her back, fervent whispering began.
Yang Yulan, at that moment, was bursting with happiness. The risk was worth it to humiliate the arrogant princess.
With one task done, it was time to move to the other.
Now a more important matter lay before her. She needed to inconspicuously follow the couple deep into the dense forest and shoot the horse's legs at the moment when the heroine was riding over the high cliff.
Fortunately for the girl, the main characters were moving slowly, and she could follow them on foot.
From the realization of what she had to do, Yang Yulan periodically felt nauseous. She felt her hands trembling more and more with each second as they approached the right place.
«I have to do this. If I don't, someone else will, and then it's truly unknown what might happen to Mei Baijie.»
«I'm actually saving her life.»
Yang Yulan peeked from behind the bushes at the loving couple. Fortunately, they still hadn't discovered her.
Mei Baijie seemed absolutely happy to be on this outing. She smiled all the time and chatted about something. The Prince, for his part, remained silent and even frowned, clutching his head.
«A true cold prince. Do girls really like guys like that?»
While Yang Yulan secretly enjoyed the sweet scene, the time for shooting arrived. The girl grabbed her bow, waiting for the right moment.
At that very second, Mei Baijie was gently stroking a little bird perched on her palm.
«I'm so sorry,» Yang Yulan lamented, drawing the bowstring. «But it must be done.»
***
«Do you see this little bird, dear?»
«Mhm.»
Yang Jinlong paid no attention to the girl.
«Doesn't it have wonderful feathers? They're so bright and beautiful. And how wonderfully it sings.»
«Mhm.»
«You don't like it at all?» Mei Baijie asked again. Her large, bright eyes were full of hope.
«Don't know. An ordinary bird.»
«Not at all!»
«It's of no use. If it were bigger, you could at least dress it and eat it.»
«What are you saying? How can you treat innocent creatures like that?»
«When you're on the battlefield and dying of hunger, you don't care what you eat. Bird, fish, or even a demon.»
The girl paled and didn't dare speak for a while.
«Have the nightmares been tormenting you again, Your Highness? Did you dream of him again? Your Highness, if you miss him so much, then perhaps...»
«That's none of your business,» the Prince interrupted the girl. «Better stay quiet. My head hurts enough as it is.»
«I see.» Mei Baijie smiled her usual kind smile. «Sorry, I'm probably really annoying. Always talking. And I even made you come on this walk with me.»
The Prince didn't answer, and the girl continued to look at the forest, not letting herself get upset over such a trifle. Only now she tried to maintain silence.
The weather wasn't the best, but the fresh air and the wonderful sounds of nature, not yet asleep, somewhat brightened the rather gloomy sight of the trees and grass.
Mei Baijie released the brightly feathered bird from her hands and noticed how it, rushing far into the sky, joined other birds flying south.
«She must be so happy to fly somewhere with friends,» the girl thought and smiled again. «I hope I'll find friends here too.»
The silence of nature and the rustling of grass were interrupted by the Prince's suddenly wary voice.
«Something's wrong,» he said and moved closer to the girl.
«What is it, Your Highness?»
The second the girl's words were uttered, an arrow struck the ground. The horse carrying her neighed loudly and reared up.
«Whoa, whoa! Careful!» The Prince tried to calm the horse, but his attempts were futile. The horse only got more frightened and bolted forward at full speed.
Mei Baijie was seized by panic. She gripped the reins tightly but couldn't subdue the steed. Another shot, and the horse jumped on the spot, finally throwing the frightened girl from its saddle.
The Prince watched helplessly as Mei Baijie fell down the cliff, powerless to help her. Endless despair could be read in his eyes.
The cliff was high. The princess immediately disappeared from view among the thick branches, trees, and bushes.
Tracing the direction from which the arrow came, the Prince immediately sent part of the guard towards that place. The rest headed to rescue Mei Baijie.
The man was gripped by uncontrollable horror. The thick grass might have softened the girl's fall, but it didn't eliminate the risk of serious danger to her life. What if she... She...
Yang Jinlong tried with all his might to drive away the frightening thoughts.
Can't lose my composure. Must keep a clear head.
Fortunately, his time at war hadn't passed for the guy in vain. He quickly pulled himself together and ran towards where the arrow had come from. He needed to first eliminate the invisible enemy so he wouldn't shoot in a moment of helplessness, and then run to find the girl.
«Must not act recklessly.»
***
Noticing the two-meter-tall Prince charging at her with a drawn sword and bared teeth, Yang Yulan immediately tucked her tail and hurried to retreat.
The deed was done. Though with a slight miss. After all, the horse had run a little further before throwing off the princess. But the main thing was done!
«The princess fell where there's lots of grass and thin branches. Nothing to fear.»
Prince Yang Jinlong was serious in his intentions. He discovered the girl's location very quickly. Luckily, she was prepared for such an outcome.
«System!» Yang Yulan shouted on the run, already feeling death breathing down her neck. «Teleport to spawn point. Now!»
That second, a bright pink screen lit up, notifying the girl of the successfully accepted command, and Yang Yulan, as usual, left her pursuers in bewilderment with her sudden disappearance.