Xiao Jinglin was momentarily taken aback upon clearly seeing the newcomer, but soon resumed her expressionless demeanor. She watched as the person rode up before her, remaining silent.
"How did you notice?" The newcomer looked at Xiao Jinglin, sighing with a smile. "I thought I was well hidden."
Xiao Jinglin replied calmly, "The sound of your horse's hooves is different from ours."
Hearing this, the newcomer glanced at Xiao Jinglin's horse and noticed that its hooves were wrapped in cloth, making travel more convenient and significantly quieter.
The newcomer dismounted, holding the reins in hand, and looked up at Xiao Jinglin with a smile. "Staying in comfortable surroundings for too long has made me careless."
Xiao Jinglin frowned, remained silent for a moment, and then also dismounted. "Why are you here? Is there something in the Yun Family that requires your presence?"
Instead of answering, the newcomer asked in return, "Are you returning to Jiajing Pass?"
The incident of Xiao Jingxi's injury had not been disclosed by the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, so only a few within the mansion were aware of it thus far.
Xiao Jinglin said coolly, "Are you trying to interfere with military affairs?"
The newcomer shook his head, looking at Xiao Jinglin earnestly. "No, I only care about where you're going."
Xiao Jinglin seemed taken aback by his words, pausing briefly before frowning again. "So, you plan to follow me all the way to Jiajing Pass?"
"What if I say yes?"
Xiao Jinglin grew somewhat impatient but restrained herself, replying calmly, "I recall your wedding is scheduled in just over ten days? A round trip to Jiajing Pass would make you miss it."
The newcomer, Yun Wenting, the Yun family's eldest young master, brightened at these words. "You know?"
While others might not understand Xiao Jinglin, Yun Wenting knew her well. She typically paid little attention to trivial matters, yet she was aware of his wedding date in just over ten days. This made Yun Wenting wonder if Xiao Jinglin cared about him, even just a little.
But Xiao Jinglin remained expressionless. "I heard it from my mother when I left. She asked me to prepare a congratulatory gift for you to avoid being impolite."
Yun Wenting's eyes dimmed once more.
Xiao Jinglin looked at him and said, "I have military affairs to attend to. Don’t follow me any further."
After saying this, Xiao Jinglin mounted her horse. Just as she was about to turn her horse to catch up with Hongying and the others, she saw Yun Wenting also mount his horse, showing no intention of leaving on his own.
Xiao Jinglin glanced at him, pursed her lips, and then struck her horse. Her steed shot forward like an arrow from a bow, its speed astonishing. Yun Wenting followed closely behind without a word.
Xiao Jinglin's horse was a warhorse, and ordinary horses could hardly keep up. Yet after galloping for about a quarter of an hour, Yun Wenting remained close behind, not falling behind.
Without warning, Xiao Jinglin suddenly lashed out, swinging her whip fiercely not at her own horse but toward Yun Wenting, who was trailing just half a horse-length behind.
She did not slow down as she struck, and the whip still carried a fierce momentum. If it had landed on a person, it would have torn the skin and flesh. Yun Wenting did not slow down either. As the whip was about to strike his arm, he leaned back abruptly, deftly avoiding it.Xiao Jinglin's first strike missed. She twisted sideways on her horse and swept her leg toward Yun Wenting. Yun Wenting had just begun to straighten up when he heard the rush of air and barely dodged her kick with a sideways roll.
Xiao Jinglin snorted lightly and swung her whip again. This time, she brandished it with such ferocity that it became a dazzling blur. Yun Wenting continuously dodged on horseback, looking somewhat disheveled but never struck by her whip—his agility was remarkably rare.
The two galloped onward, one attacking and the other evading, yet their speed never slowed. Fortunately, the road was remote, with no one else around to be caught in the crossfire.
Seeing that she hadn’t managed to unhorse Yun Wenting after a prolonged tussle, Xiao Jinglin aimed her whip at him while suddenly kicking the horse beneath him. She wasn’t usually so cruel to horses, but driven to desperation today, she controlled her strength to avoid injuring it, though the kick would certainly startle the horse and halt its gallop.
After dodging Xiao Jinglin’s thunderous whip strike, Yun Wenting realized her intent, but it was too late to steer his horse clear. Suddenly releasing the reins, he pushed off the horse’s back with his hands and leaped nimbly onto Xiao Jinglin’s horse, landing behind her before she could react.
Startled, Xiao Jinglin tried to shove him off with a backward thrust, but Yun Wenting wrapped an arm around her waist and cried out helplessly, “Lin’er, stop this! Someone could get killed!”
Xiao Jinglin gritted her teeth and hissed, “Get down!”
Yun Wenting fell silent for a moment, then said, “My horse has been scared off by you. We’re in the middle of nowhere—even if I get down, it’ll have to wait until the next town.”
Xiao Jinglin replied coldly, “If you don’t get down, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” She made to move against him.
Yun Wenting said, “Lin’er, if you keep this up, I’ll kick this horse and injure it. I don’t mind walking with you to Jiajing Pass.”
Xiao Jinglin stared blankly, as if unable to believe Yun Wenting would say something so shameless.
Having known Yun Wenting for over a decade, Xiao Jinglin had always found him accommodating—if not entirely obedient, then at least consistently deferential, and more mindful of propriety and etiquette than she, a girl, was. But today’s Yun Wenting felt unfamiliar to her. Whether it was his stubborn insistence on following her, sharing a horse with her, or even threatening her.
In their childhood, they had spent several years almost inseparable. Yet even then, Yun Wenting had observed boundaries between men and women, never overstepping.
Back then, Xiao Jinglin had liked Yun Wenting and pondered how to confess her feelings so that her beloved would willingly become her Commandery Princess’s consort. Recalling scenes of couples from beyond the frontier riding together on horseback—a beautiful image she yearned for—she invited Yun Wenting for a horseback ride outside the city. Then, while he went to pick wild berries for her, she intentionally let her own horse run off…
The young Commandery Princess Xiao said with utmost seriousness to the handsome youth who returned with berries, “Cousin, my horse got spooked and ran off just now. Take me back.”The handsome young man hurried forward to check if she was injured. Seeing she was unharmed, he sighed in relief, helped her onto his own horse, and then…
There was no "then."
The well-mannered young man Yun Wenting let Xiao Jinglin ride the horse while he led it all the way back.
Commandery Princess Xiao, having failed to confess her feelings, wore a cold expression for three days straight. She kicked a large tree outside the west gate of Jiajing Pass so hard that it grew crooked, eventually becoming a lopsided tree.
The Princess Consort often complained that her daughter had grown up without ever understanding matters of the heart. In truth, the Princess Consort misunderstood Xiao Jinglin. Having grown up in the rugged borderlands where customs were bold, Xiao Jinglin had known from a young age that matters of the heart should follow one’s own feelings. So, Xiao Jinglin wasn’t slow to understand—she had understood too early.
As Xiao Jinglin’s thoughts drifted far away, she forgot to struggle.
Yun Wenting gently wrapped his arms around her from behind, though his arms couldn’t help trembling slightly.
When Xiao Jinglin came back to her senses, she didn’t struggle. Instead, she said calmly, "Let go of me and sit properly. You’re shaking so much I can hardly hold the reins."
Yun Wenting: "…"
Exposing others’ weaknesses and striking where it hurts—this was a principle Commandery Princess Xiao had always upheld and practiced.
Yun Wenting loosened his grip slightly but didn’t let go completely. His hands hovered lightly at Xiao Jinglin’s waist.
"I’m not returning to Jiajing Pass for now. When we reach Da’an City ahead, find yourself a horse and go back."
Xiao Jinglin paid no further attention to Yun Wenting. Although his closeness made her feel somewhat awkward, it wasn’t unbearable. She had sparred with men before during fights, and physical contact was nothing new.
Yun Wenting, however, asked, "Where are you going?"
His breath brushed against the back of Xiao Jinglin’s ear, making her itch to shrink her neck, but she resisted.
"This is military business. I can’t tell you," Xiao Jinglin replied coldly.
Yun Wenting didn’t mind. He simply whispered, "Then I’ll go with you. My skills haven’t rusted—I can still be of help."
A belated second update…
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