The bear hunt had been quite perilous, but it didn't take long. With plenty of time left before meeting up with the Yang siblings, Wei Rao wandered aimlessly for a while before suddenly changing direction and heading deeper into the mountains. She wanted to see if she could hunt something worthwhile—a trophy entirely her own.
Lu Zhuo followed her silently.
In the bird-filled mountain forest, only the rhythmic footsteps of two people could be heard.
Since he wasn't chattering in her ear, Wei Rao gradually let go of her anger. It hadn't been a big deal to begin with. Regardless of her reasons, she had jumped down from the tree to help Lu Zhuo, and he had promptly pursued and shot the black bear. Their mutual disdain was just that—when danger arose, they still aided each other. Their arguments were merely temporary clashes of words.
"Wait a moment, I need to check over there," Lu Zhuo suddenly said.
Wei Rao turned and saw him pointing toward a direction with only a few large trees, nothing particularly remarkable.
Wei Rao walked to a tree and sat down, closing her eyes to rest.
This was her way of saying she would wait for him. Lu Zhuo smiled and strode off quickly.
The mountain wind whistled briskly through the trees, carrying the refreshing scent of reviving vegetation. Wei Rao heard Lu Zhuo walk away, but before long, he returned just as swiftly—too quickly for it to have been a bathroom break. Puzzled, she opened her eyes and saw Lu Zhuo approaching empty-handed, his bow and arrows on his back, a jade pendant and water pouch hanging from his waist.
Though curious about what he had done, Wei Rao didn't ask. Their relationship was limited to that of a fake couple—they weren't even friends. When she met Qi Zhongkai, she could at least chat calmly. With Lu Zhuo, it was either acting, sarcasm, arguments, or negotiations—as if they had never had a normal conversation.
When they were about five or six steps apart, Wei Rao stood up as if she had rested enough, brushed the dust from her robes, and prepared to continue.
"Have some water," Lu Zhuo called out to her, unfastening her water pouch from his waist.
Wei Rao wasn't particularly thirsty, but drinking now would save her the trouble of asking him for water later.
She stopped and reached out as he handed her the pouch.
Lu Zhuo smiled at her, his jade-like face brightening the surrounding woods.
Wei Rao didn't understand why he was smiling and lowered her gaze. Just as her fingers were about to touch the pouch, she noticed a delicate, fresh yellow wildflower tied to the red cord at the opening. Its single-layered petals were dewy and vibrant—the most beautiful color she had seen since entering the mountains.
"I am not skilled with words and often misspeak, offending you. This flower is a humble apology for my earlier rudeness. I hope you can forgive me," Lu Zhuo said gently.
Now Wei Rao knew what he had been doing over there. She had to admire his sharp eyes—spotting this splash of yellow from such a distance.
Her eyes flickered with amusement as she plucked the small yellow flower from the red cord. She twirled the stem between her fingers, then suddenly laughed and said to Lu Zhuo, "You always apologize after offending me, yet you do it again and again. I can't tell if you're sincerely remorseful or if you simply enjoy provoking me, knowing I have a tolerant temper, and then casually find another way to placate me afterward."
Lu Zhuo straightened his expression. "I wouldn't dare. My apology is genuine. If you find this token too humble, I will seek a more valuable gift for you upon our return to the city."
Wei Rao replied, "That won't be necessary. I will forgive you if you wear this yellow flower in your hair until we leave the mountains."Her lips were pressed together, yet Lu Zhuo saw a peach-blossom-bright smile in her eyes.
Lu Zhuo smiled, lowering his head toward her and gazing at her deerskin boots. "I must trouble the young lady to put it on for me."
Wei Rao hadn’t expected him to be so agreeable. She paused, her gaze circling Lu Zhuo’s head, then carefully tucked the flower into the hair above his left ear. She secured it firmly—unless Lu Zhuo deliberately jumped around wildly, even chasing prey wouldn’t shake the little blossom loose.
"Done." Wei Rao clapped her hands, gloating with schadenfreude.
Lu Zhuo lifted his head.
He was handsome, yet entirely devoid of feminine delicacy, radiating the refined elegance of a noble scholar. Even with a flower tucked behind his ear, he appeared anything but ridiculous—it only enhanced his graceful demeanor.
Nevertheless, Wei Rao was quite pleased.
Having seen enough, Wei Rao prepared to leave.
"Young lady, wait." Lu Zhuo stepped in front of her, smiling. "There’s no mirror here. Please stay still—let me use your eyes as my mirror."
With that, he suddenly leaned in, his handsome face now only half a foot from Wei Rao’s.
He gazed so intently into her eyes that Wei Rao, unsure what he saw in hers, instead saw her own reflection in his star-cold pupils—lips slightly parted, stunned by his sudden proximity.
Flustered and annoyed, she shoved him away and strode off without looking back.
Lu Zhuo’s smile deepened as he caught up. "You haven’t had water yet."
"Stay away from me!"
After wandering the mountains for over an hour, Wei Rao spotted a young deer—so delicate and endearing she couldn’t bring herself to hunt it.
"I never thought the young lady had a soft heart," Lu Zhuo teased beside her.
Wei Rao felt like shooting an arrow into his stomach.
The deer bounded away, and it was time to reunite with the Yang siblings at the mountain peak. On the way, Wei Rao noticed a large hedgehog about three feet long. Confident in its spiky armor, it curled into a prickly ball at their approach, tucking its head toward its belly and freezing in place.
Wei Rao, with pent-up frustration to vent, shot an arrow at the hedgehog.
It fell, struck.
Noticing Wei Rao’s smug curl of the lips, Lu Zhuo had a sudden foreboding.
"This hedgehog is my prey. Zhao Song and the others are moving the bear—would you mind carrying it for me, Young Lord?"
Since he enjoyed pretending to wipe water for her act, since he loved playing the sincere, apologetic gentleman—let him play the part once more.
Wei Rao stood by the hedgehog, smiling at Lu Zhuo.
Resigned, Lu Zhuo pulled the arrow from the hedgehog’s back, flipped it over to expose its belly and short legs, and lifted it by one limb. It was a large hedgehog, its spines sharp as needles. Lu Zhuo had to hold it at arm’s length to avoid being pricked by its swaying form as he walked.
Watching his awkward posture, Wei Rao’s mood lifted considerably. She abandoned further hunting and headed straight for the summit.
The three Yang siblings had already arrived. Hearing footsteps, they turned to see Wei Rao beaming while Young Lord Lu Zhuo walked beside her with a helpless expression. The Yangs first stared in shock at the hedgehog in his hand, then noticed the conspicuous little yellow flower above his left temple…
Yang Sanlang was the first to turn away, coughing as he stifled laughter.
Wei Rao, unperturbed, took a seat beside Yang Yan.Lu Zhuo explained apologetically, "I startled away a deer you had your eye on, so I must atone by adorning you with flowers to amuse you."
Wei Rao glanced at him, thinking how surprising it was that the usually aloof Young Lord could be so adaptable.
Lu Zhuo gazed at her with adoration.
Wei Rao immediately averted her eyes.
The second and third Yang brothers were already inquiring about the deer, shifting the topic to ease the Young Lord's embarrassment. Yang Yan leaned close to Wei Rao's ear and whispered with boundless envy, "The Young Lord treats you so well. Watching this makes me want to marry."
Wei Rao naturally couldn't undermine her own position. Smiling at Yang Yan, she said, "Then you must choose carefully."
Yang Yan replied, "I didn't know how to choose before, but now I do. Whoever wants to marry me, I'll bring him hunting. If he's willing to adorn me with flowers and carry my hedgehog like the Young Lord does, I'll marry him."
Wei Rao quickly cautioned, "You can't be so hasty. What if he's just pretending to be sincere?"
Yang Yan assured her, "Don't worry, Madam. I can definitely tell if someone's feelings are genuine or fake."
Wei Rao thought to herself, Silly girl, always so naive. If Yang Yan truly had the discernment to see through people, she should realize that Lu Zhuo's current behavior is all an act.
The five of them, along with their attendants, lit a fire at the mountaintop to roast game—pheasants and hares hunted by the Yang siblings. Lu Zhuo's black bear would be transported back to the city, while Wei Rao's hedgehog remained untouched, as no one there had ever eaten hedgehog meat.
On the descent, Wei Rao said nothing, yet Lu Zhuo automatically picked up the hedgehog himself without delegating the task.
Zhao Song and Zhao Bai walked side by side behind them, watching the Young Lord carry the hedgehog while chatting and laughing with the Young Madam. Exchanging a glance, the brothers confirmed once again: even heroes falter before beauty. Their Young Lord had completely fallen into the Young Madam's tender trap. If the soldiers of the Divine Martial Army saw this, what would become of the Young Lord's authority?
However, the brothers worried needlessly. When the group returned to Jincheng, Lu Zhuo and Wei Rao rode side by side on horseback, while the enormous black bear was transported in a cart driven by Zhao Song, following closely behind the couple. Most townsfolk had never seen a black bear before, and they gathered with friends and family to marvel at the spectacle. Though Zhao Song and Zhao Bai intended to remain humble, the second Yang brother boisterously promoted Lu Zhuo's feat.
Thus, the people of Jincheng came to learn that the Divine Martial Army, foremost among the Four Elite Armies, had come to recruit in Jincheng. Lu Zhuo, Deputy General of the Divine Martial Army and Young Lord of the Duke of Yingguo, was not only young but extraordinarily brave—having hunted a massive black bear taller than a wall!
As she rode, Wei Rao observed the townspeople's reverence for Lu Zhuo and heard their praises for the Divine Martial Army. Suddenly, she understood why Lu Zhuo had hunted the black bear. Everyone praised the Divine Martial Army's prowess, but aside from enemy generals or court officials who had witnessed their skills firsthand, how could ordinary people distinguish true capability from mere reputation?
By demonstrating his skill today and bringing back such a rare and ferocious beast, Lu Zhuo had allowed the people of Jincheng to see with their own eyes. The prestige of the Divine Martial Army had taken root in their hearts, and men who might not have considered enlisting before were now eager to join.
Wei Rao looked at Lu Zhuo. He had already removed the yellow flower from his ear, and the hedgehog had long been discarded in the cart. Now, he appeared both handsome and heroic, as if the gods of literature and war had been reincarnated in him alone.
"I would never risk my life just to amuse you."
His lightly mocking words from the tree echoed in her ears once more. Wei Rao smiled. Fortunately, she had never entertained such a thought.Returning to the posthouse, Wei Rao instructed Bitao to prepare bathwater and soaked comfortably in a warm bath.
"It's inconvenient on the road. You haven't had a massage in so long, miss. Let me give you one," Bitao said sympathetically, watching her mistress resting with closed eyes in the tub.
Wei Rao nodded. After drying off, she wore only undergarments and lay face down on the bed.
Bitao had already secured the doors and windows, drawn the curtains, and knelt by the bed to attend to her mistress.
When Lu Zhuo arrived at the rear courtyard, the young maid guarding the area nervously bowed to him, her voice faint.
Lu Zhuo nodded, dismissed the maid, and made his way toward the Hall.
The Hall was empty. Lu Zhuo proceeded to the inner chamber, and just then, a series of seductive moans that tightened his abdomen drifted out—one fading, another rising.
It was Wei Rao.
What was she doing?
"Miss, this part seems to have grown a bit larger."
"What's the use? It just gets in the way."
"Not at all. Liu Momo said some women wish they could grow but can't. You're naturally blessed."
"If it were truly natural, why would Liu Momo teach you these techniques?"
"To add perfection to perfection, of course."
The mistress and maid had lowered their voices deliberately, but Lu Zhuo's exceptional hearing allowed him to catch every word.
He dared not advance further and quietly retreated, instructing the maid outside to act as if he had never visited.
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