After being drugged by Lu Zhuo once, Wei Rao no longer resisted his company during their hunting trips.
Her previous reluctance stemmed from two reasons. First, aside from their seamless cooperation in maintaining appearances, they had no personal rapport. Lu Zhuo looked down on her unconventional behavior, while she disliked his self-righteousness. Since they didn’t get along, Wei Rao naturally didn’t want Lu Zhuo hovering around, forcing her to face his hypocritical demeanor daily.
Secondly, Wei Rao was confident in her exceptional swordsmanship, believing she could protect herself even while traveling alone. Thus, she resented Lu Zhuo treating her like an ordinary sheltered maiden.
However, last night, Lu Zhuo had subdued her with just two pieces of sour plum cake.
This made Wei Rao realize that, despite her swordsmanship, her understanding of the world’s dangers was far from sufficient. Traveling with Lu Zhuo might teach her many practical survival skills—not the art of navigating social intricacies or engaging in covert conflicts within inner households, but how to thrive when stranded alone. Like the knockout drug Lu Zhuo carried, or the dried meat and provisions he always kept in his saddlebag.
Of course, when she first discovered Lu Zhuo had drugged her, Wei Rao was furious. She hated that while she had focused on preparing for their duel, he had exploited her trust to resort to underhanded tricks. It wasn’t until she washed her face and sat at the dressing table, her long hair gently combed by Bitao, that her rage seemed to dissipate. Slowly calming down, she began to see things more clearly.
As she finished her hair inside, Lu Zhuo waited in the Hall.
Though Wei Rao had thanked him earlier, her words were gritted with resentment—she likely loathed him intensely.
Lu Zhuo gazed at his teacup, feeling no regret.
Had he truly dueled her and defeated her within three moves relying solely on skill and strength, Wei Rao’s pride would have made her even angrier. Every future encounter would remind her of the humiliation of losing to him, making a genuine marital relationship impossible. By deliberately using a dishonorable tactic to win, he ensured she would attribute his victory to deceit. Her anger would fade after a few days, without leaving lasting bitterness.
Thinking of her gritted teeth expression, Lu Zhuo smiled.
In truth, her anger made her far more vibrant than when she feigned docility in the inner quarters. It was as if she were merely a painted beauty indoors, but when her true nature emerged, that beauty stepped out of the canvas—every glance and smile captivating.
Footsteps sounded, and Lu Zhuo glanced toward the doorway.
Bitao lifted the curtain, and Wei Rao emerged. Dressed for the hunt, she wore a cyan brocade robe with a white cap adorned by a luminous, translucent pearl at the front. The attire exuded elegance, which would only highlight flaws in ordinary wearers. Yet on Wei Rao, no matter how refined or opulent the clothing and accessories, they merely served as complements to her.
The maids arranged by the post house waited under the eaves. Setting down his teacup, Lu Zhuo teased her, “Madam, dressed like this, the Yang siblings might not recognize you. They’d think I brought a clansman brother.”
Wei Rao smiled and bowed. “Then I’ll trouble you, elder brother, to make the introduction.”
Rising, she lifted her gaze, her clear spring-like eyes calmly meeting Lu Zhuo’s.
Lu Zhuo could see that Wei Rao was no longer angry about the drugging—at least, not as furious as she had been that morning.
Such magnanimity earned his admiration. Had it been Qi Zhongkai, he’d likely have been cursed at for days.
The two shared breakfast at the same table, rested briefly, and then set out.Wei Rao rode her chestnut steed, while Lu Zhuo accompanied her on Flying Ink. Both wore light-colored brocade robes and possessed jade-like complexions. At first glance, the commoners lining the streets might have mistaken them for brothers born of the same mother. It was only when the horses drew nearer that observers, looking closely, realized the tall gentleman on the black horse was truly male, while the one on the chestnut mount was a captivating beauty with enchanting eyes and brows.
Zhao Song and Zhao Bai followed behind. Though both were tall and handsome, they appeared as dull pebbles overshadowed by their masters' radiance.
Beyond the city gate of Jincheng, Yang Yan and her brothers, along with their guards, had been waiting for some time.
Yang Yan, dressed in feminine attire, had a honey-toned face that did not diminish her beauty but rather accentuated her heroic bearing. When she spotted Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo, she hesitated to recognize them at first. It was only after Wei Rao smiled at her that Yang Yan urged her horse forward, circling Wei Rao's mount once before exclaiming in admiration, "Young Madam looks even more stunning in men's attire than in women's!"
Wei Rao smiled lightly, her peripheral vision noting how Lu Zhuo had halted his horse the moment Yang Yan approached—perhaps related to that nonsense she had fabricated earlier.
Wei Rao gestured for him to come closer and introduced Lu Zhuo to Yang Yan: "This is the heir. He had some free time today and wished to join us for a stroll in the mountains."
Yang Yan nodded to Lu Zhuo, performed a courteous bow, and summoned her two brothers to make introductions.
Lu Zhuo had met the Yang brothers before and acknowledged them with a nod.
Wei Rao observed the second and third Yang brothers with smiling eyes. Both were around twenty years old, their features bearing some resemblance to Yang Yan's but with more rugged and resolute qualities. They sat astride their horses like small mountains. Lu Zhuo stood at a similar height, but his shoulders were noticeably slimmer. Together, they resembled a silver spear and a broadsword—each excelling in their own way.
The second Yang brother, skilled in social interactions, engaged Lu Zhuo in lively conversation, while the third brother, more honest and reserved, followed silently beside his sibling.
Both brothers cast only brief, polite glances at Wei Rao without any impropriety.
Upon entering the mountains, the party dismounted and continued on foot. The Yang siblings led the way upfront, while Lu Zhuo and Wei Rao followed about ten steps behind.
In early March, the mountain trees were gradually regaining their verdure. Tender green buds on the branches greedily absorbed sunlight, creating a scene of vibrant prosperity.
After her long journey, today's hunting excursion felt to Wei Rao like visiting her grandmother's Secluded Manor outside the capital—refreshing and delightful.
After walking some distance, the Yang siblings paused to drink water.
Noticing this, Lu Zhuo handed a waterskin to Wei Rao.
He carried two waterskins at his waist. The one given to Wei Rao was distinguished by a colored cord tied around its opening.
Yang Yan, watching her second brother gulp water from the skin she had just handed him, gazed curiously at the couple below.
Lu Zhuo noticed her attention and explained with a smile, "Mine contains plain water. My wife dislikes drinking plain water, so hers is filled with floral tea."
Wei Rao had been drinking with her back turned upward out of propriety, unaware of Yang Yan's gaze. Suddenly hearing Lu Zhuo's fabrication about floral tea, she choked, spilling some water.
Lu Zhuo immediately produced a white handkerchief from his sleeve and approached. Supporting her back with one hand, he used the other to dab the corners of her lips, his expression both helpless and doting. "Take your time."
Wei Rao glared at him.
Lu Zhuo smiled, finished wiping her flower-like face, and glanced down at her water-sprinkled hand.
Wei Rao thrust the waterskin back to him and turned away. "I'll manage myself."Lu Zhuo's handkerchief might not be clean, so Wei Rao discreetly wiped the corner of her mouth with her own.
The couple appeared so affectionate that the Yang siblings had already tactfully averted their gaze. Yang Yan's cheeks flushed slightly. She used to think no man was worthy of her, but if she could encounter someone like the Young Lord—both handsome and tenderly considerate—she would be willing to marry.
As they ventured deeper into the mountains, the five split into two separate groups, with Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo naturally paired together.
Without outsiders present, there was no need for pretense. Wei Rao paid no attention to Lu Zhuo and focused solely on moving forward, carefully scanning the surroundings for prey.
Lu Zhuo lagged a few steps behind, his gaze often lingering on her profile.
He recalled their first meeting, also during a mountain hunt. Wei Rao, dressed in red, had leaped down from a tree and with a few light bounds found a hiding spot, then shot the wild boar he and Qi Zhongkai had been chasing for some time.
At that moment, Lu Zhuo had mistaken her for a young man and praised her agility and archery. Realizing the boar already had owners, she immediately left without any intention to compete, demonstrating her upright character. Lu Zhuo felt inclined to befriend her, but when she turned around, he discovered she was actually a stunningly beautiful woman.
Deep in the wilderness, alone with a woman, Lu Zhuo naturally maintained distance and privately disapproved of a woman hunting in the mountains.
She must have noticed his reservations, and thus their first encounter sowed the seeds of discord.
Who could have predicted that twists of fate would eventually make them husband and wife?
Wei Rao suddenly turned and signaled to him.
Lu Zhuo halted, following her pointed direction to spot a dark shadow swaying slightly in the distant woods—barely noticeable without its subtle movement.
Lu Zhuo quietly approached Wei Rao.
Wei Rao had limited experience with such prey and whispered, "Is it a wild boar?"
If a black boar were rooting in the ground with its back to them, its rear might appear like that.
Lu Zhuo shook his head, speaking almost directly above her earlobe, "It's a black bear."
Wei Rao's eyes lit up—she had never seen a bear on Cloud Mist Mountain before.
Lu Zhuo estimated the bear was about five hundred paces away. Fortunately, the distance was sufficient to avoid startling it.
"Bears have limited eyesight but sharp hearing and sense of smell, capable of detecting scents from a mile away. It hasn't noticed us because we're downwind. Even if we sneak closer, it will hear us within three hundred paces."
Wei Rao was startled. With her archery skills, she could only ensure a vital hit if she closed within a hundred paces of the bear. At three hundred paces, even with Lu Zhuo's strong arm strength, it seemed impossible.
"Is the bear fast?" Wei Rao stood on tiptoe to peer at the bear, thinking its mound-like shape suggested it might not be a swift runner.
"Faster than me."
Wei Rao leaned back in disbelief.
Lu Zhuo looked down, meeting her eyes. "Appearances can be deceiving."
Just like her—outwardly resembling a vixen, yet every night she securely locked doors and windows, guarding vigilantly against him.
Unaware of Lu Zhuo's thoughts, Wei Rao remained entirely focused on the bear that looked clumsy but was reportedly swift. Alert and fast—how could they hunt it?
"If you want to hunt it, hide in a tree. I'll lure it over," Lu Zhuo murmured lightly by her ear.He had just finished speaking when the black bear suddenly made a big move. It staggered to its feet—previously sitting on the ground, now on all fours—and four wild boars combined might not match its size. This alone was enough to shock Wei Rao, but then the bear unexpectedly stood upright, leaned against a nearby tree, and began scratching itself in a clumsy posture.
The bear was so heavy that the tree it rubbed against swayed along with its movements.
Wei Rao wasn’t afraid of wild boars, nor would she fear one or two lone wolves, but facing this black bear, she had no confidence.
As for Lu Zhuo, he had already said the bear could run faster than him. What if he went to lure the bear but was pounced on before reaching her ambush point?
Wei Rao merely found Lu Zhuo irritating; she didn’t hate him enough to wish him dead.
"Forget it, let’s go over there…"
Before she could finish, Lu Zhuo suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her onto a nearby tree.
Wei Rao, caught completely off guard, was set down on a slender branch and instinctively clung tightly to his waist.
Lu Zhuo held her with one arm while steadying himself against the tree trunk with the other. Gazing at the girl buried against his chest, their bodies pressed so closely together that he could almost feel the soft, peach-like curves pressing into him, his entire body stiffened.
Fortunately, Wei Rao, having found her balance, immediately released him and grabbed the tree for support.
"Watch for the right moment. I’ll go lure the bear."
Afraid she might react strongly, Lu Zhuo promptly leaped down from the branch and stealthily approached the black bear.
Author’s Note: Haha, wild boars can’t showcase our young master’s skills—let’s switch to a bear.
Black Bear: @#￥￥%!
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