Seducing the Heart - Chapter 32

A pure black horse galloped through the dense, sun-obscuring forest; only the sound of its hooves could be heard as it left no visible trace behind.

It was not until she caught sight of that familiar figure that Qin Zhanluo finally breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Having identified the newcomer by the sound, Yun Jin leaned against a tree trunk, smiling at the valiant beauty on horseback. There were no signs of a fierce struggle in the vicinity; everything was calm and tranquil. Yun Jin herself showed no signs of distress or dishevelment.

With a light tap of her toes, Yun Jin descended gracefully, landing right in front of Qin Zhanluo, who had already dismounted.

Qin Zhanluo had already scanned the surroundings. She raised her eyes and asked, “Where is the tiger?”

Yun Jin remained composed and replied with ease, “It is dead.”

Qin Zhanluo’s gaze shifted slightly, and she could not help but frown. This person spoke lightly of it, but a fierce beast was not like a human; dealing with one was actually fraught with extreme danger.

Yun Jin reacted quickly, catching the hand that was reaching toward her. “Princess?”

Qin Zhanluo’s hand felt soft and incredibly smooth to the touch. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, Yun Jin gave her slender, white fingers a gentle squeeze.

“I… was only checking to see if you were injured,” Qin Zhanluo explained, withdrawing her hand. She acted somewhat awkwardly, pretending not to care about Yun Jin’s small gesture.

“Rest assured, Princess. This Prince is unharmed.”

Yun Jin’s horse had been spooked and had run off. To return, she would have to share Qin Zhanluo’s horse. However, since such an act was far too intimate, they reached a silent understanding to walk back together instead. In any case, there was no urgent business to attend to.

However, they were currently deep within the hunting grounds where the forest paths were intricate and confusing. For a moment, they could not easily find their way.

After walking a few more steps, Yun Jin remembered something and could not resist a light chuckle. “Princess, you surely do not truly believe that this Prince has the ability to kill a fierce tiger with bare hands, do you?”

It was a wild beast, after all. Ordinary human strength was hardly enough to deal with one, let alone someone like Yun Jin, who was not a burly, powerful warrior.

Qin Zhanluo pondered for a moment but still could not guess how she had escaped the danger.

Seeing that she had no clue, Yun Jin stopped teasing her. “The tiger is not dead; I simply tied it up.”

Earlier, Yun Jin had used her effortless lightness skill to lure the tiger deep into the forest to prevent others from encountering it. During that time, she watched it crash headlong into several trees. Perhaps driven by pain, the tiger roared repeatedly. Fueled by rage, it actually managed to use its sharp claws to climb to a certain height.

Yun Jin realized that if the stalemate continued, her physical strength would give out first, so she focused her mind to find a way out.

The medicine Xie Lianjing had left for Yun Jin came in handy. Yun Jin first estimated the tiger’s meridians and shot arrows to restrict its movement, then took advantage of the tiger’s fury to throw the medicine into its mouth. The dosage was not enough to kill the tiger instantly, but it served to paralyze it.

Yun Jin seized that moment to tie it firmly to an ancient tree, thereby making her escape. She intended to spare its life; as for what would happen to the tiger afterward, that would depend on its own fate.

Direction was hard to discern, so Yun Jin and Qin Zhanluo picked a single heading and kept walking.

Qin Zhanluo had been in such a hurry when she arrived that she had not noticed her surroundings. Now, looking at the trees that all seemed the same, she felt a sense of both familiarity and strangeness.

The forest was originally calm, but the black horse suddenly seemed frightened. Its front hooves left the ground as it reared up. Qin Zhanluo was caught off guard and lost her grip on the reins. The horse then bolted as if it had gone mad.

Animals are always more sensitive than humans to threats from natural enemies. This abnormality in the black horse quickly caught the attention of the two women.

There seemed to be a sound.

Yun Jin and Qin Zhanluo sensed the danger almost at the same time.

It was a massive wild boar. It likely had not eaten for a long time, as it was filled with a violent aura. Even from a distance, it had frightened the horse into fleeing like a bird startled by a bowstring. Now, it was staring at the two of them with predatory eyes, clearly viewing them as prey.

Seeing this, Yun Jin instinctively reached for her quiver, only to find it empty. She then remembered that she had discarded not only her arrows but also her bow long ago.

Because Qin Zhanluo had been worried about Yun Jin, she had rushed over in haste and had naturally neglected these things as well. She had actually come alone without a bow or arrows.

Yun Jin did not know what to think. If she had not dealt with the tiger earlier, had Qin Zhanluo intended to come here just to die? Even with great martial arts, one surely could not kill a tiger with bare hands.

Qin Zhanluo noticed the silence of the person beside her. “I brought a dagger.”

At this moment, the wild boar was panting and kicking its hind legs against the ground, gathering strength to charge.

Yun Jin was the first to react. She grabbed Qin Zhanluo’s hand and began to run. Yun Jin did not believe that Qin Zhanluo could withstand that violent wild boar with only a small, sharp dagger, even if her martial arts were strong.

By utilizing the terrain of the layered trees, they managed to keep the wild boar from catching up immediately. There were two of them, but only one wild boar.

Yun Jin glanced back. “Princess, guess who it will follow if we split up and run?”

Yun Jin suddenly let go of Qin Zhanluo’s hand, quickly picked up some small stones, and ran in the other direction. Using her inner energy, she flicked the stones, hitting the wild boar hard.

Sure enough, the wild boar gave up chasing Qin Zhanluo and was lured away by Yun Jin.

In a flash, Qin Zhanluo understood her purpose. She immediately picked up several stones and did the same. The wild boar had limited attention; whichever side hit it with stones and caused pain would attract its focus, causing it to charge wildly in that direction.

It chased back and forth between the two different directions for a long time until it finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Yun Jin breathed a sigh of relief and walked toward Qin Zhanluo with some fatigue. However, the wild boar somehow found one last burst of strength. It lunged from the ground and charged toward Qin Zhanluo.

Qin Zhanluo instinctively stepped back a few paces, only to find herself stepping into thin air.

“Princess, be careful!”

In her desperation, Yun Jin fortunately arrived just in time. Protecting both of their heads, they rolled down the slope together.

Yun Jin lay on the ground, her eyes closed as if she were unconscious. Despite the danger just now, she had still firmly protected Qin Zhanluo.

A rare look of panic appeared on Qin Zhanluo’s face. “A-Jin? A-Jin?”

Her heart was filled with unutterable worry and confusion.

Yun Jin slowly opened her eyes, which still held her usual smile. “Why do you keep calling me?”

Qin Zhanluo quickly helped Yun Jin up. “Are you injured anywhere after the fall?”

“It is only a slight sprain to my foot.” Yun Jin tried to stand up, but the pain in her foot was unbearable. Other than that, she was fine.

Qin Zhanluo supported Yun Jin steadily. Her lowered eyes made it difficult to discern her emotions. “Why did you jump down to save me just now?”

Yun Jin paused slightly, then gave a soft sigh, answering with a question of her own. “When the Princess knew that Yun Jin was facing a dangerous beast, you still resolutely came at once. Why?”

“You are Zhanluo’s husband.”

“The Princess is also Yun Jin’s wife.”

Qin Zhanluo raised her eyes at that moment. The two of them looked at each other in silence for a while, and a strange connection seemed to form in their hearts.

Yun Jin was the first to look away, coughing twice. “Let us go and find a place to rest for a bit. The guards will find us eventually.”

She had consumed a vast amount of physical energy today and was reaching her limit. She needed a temporary rest.

Zhou Zhongguang had not only failed to find Yun Jin, but he later discovered that the Princess’s whereabouts were also unknown. He was filled with immense regret, especially now that he knew they were in this situation because they had tried to save his close associate.

The truth could not be hidden. Every minute of delay meant more danger for those two, so he immediately and decisively went back to confess his guilt.

“You fools! If anything happens to the Princess and the Consort, I will certainly not show you mercy!”

If the Prime Minister had not insisted on stopping him, Qin Yuxiao would have likely led the search party himself. “What are you all standing there for? Keep searching!”

Meanwhile, the two people everyone was searching for were perfectly safe and had already started a fire. They had managed to catch a small wild boar, which would serve as their dinner.

Yun Jin was skillfully roasting the meat, and a fragrant aroma occasionally filled the air. She was extremely good at roasting food, always getting the temperature just right; it was likely a natural talent.

Qin Zhanluo tasted a few pieces of meat roasted by Yun Jin’s own hands. The skin was crispy, and the inside was tender. It had the same flavor as the roasted fish she had eaten before—exceptionally delicious.

Watching Yun Jin expertly flip the remaining meat, Qin Zhanluo could not help but feel a bit curious. “Besides roasting, does Your Highness know how to cook any other dishes?”

Yun Jin smiled. Instead of telling her directly, she raised an eyebrow and told a small story about a time she had once tried her hand at cooking.

“A-Ning, where is the Prince?” Xie Lianjing asked with some surprise when she saw Nangong Ning standing outside the bamboo corridor of the front hall with a solemn expression.

“In the kitchen.”

“…The kitchen?”

Xie Lianjing was puzzled. What was Jin-er doing there? Do not tell me she went to cook on a whim!

Nangong Ning nodded her head slightly: Yes, it is exactly what you think.

The two of them exchanged a knowing look and finally stood together in the bamboo corridor, waiting for dinner to begin—the dinner prepared personally by Yun Jin.

Xie Lianjing and Nangong Ning sat at the table, looking curiously at the four dishes and one soup neatly arranged on the table. This was likely Yun Jin’s first time cooking. They did not know how it would taste, but at least the presentation looked decent.

The omelet was shaped nicely, surrounded by yellow chives like a small sun radiating light. The tofu soup also looked clean, with white blocks of tofu floating in a white porcelain bowl.

Under Yun Jin’s somewhat expectant gaze, Nangong Ning was the first to use her chopsticks. She picked up a piece of food, put it in her mouth, and swallowed. Then, the corner of her eye twitched slightly.

“A-Ning, how does it taste?” Seeing her eat some white rice with an expressionless face, Xie Lianjing could not tell how it was.

“Acceptable.”

Is that so? Hearing this, Xie Lianjing also picked up a piece of radish. Her expression became strange. The taste was very odd. She could not be sure, so she had to try more.

She picked up a piece of yellow chive, a piece of pork knuckle, and even tried the tofu soup.

Yun Jin sat to the side, watching her taste every dish on the table. Feeling a bit nervous about the result, she called out softly, “Senior Sister.”

Xie Lianjing did not answer. She quickly ate several mouthfuls of white rice, trying to suppress the strange flavors she had just tasted.

Yun Jin was stunned. She then saw Xie Lianjing look at her with a pained expression and advise, “Yun-er, listen to me. Whatever you do, never cook again.”

She had thought Yun Jin was truly gifted. She had not expected her to be “gifted” in creating bizarre new flavors.

The tofu soup was sweet. The omelet with chives had a lot of vinegar added to it. The most ridiculous part was the strangely flavored braised lion’s head meatballs; Xie Lianjing could not even identify the ingredients. It seemed like minced meat, yet also like tofu, and she even seemed to taste some wild herbs. She was not sure. In summary, it was very strange.

Yun Jin raised an eyebrow, picked up her chopsticks, and tasted everything herself. She then calmly summoned the maidservants of the manor. “Take it all away. Tell the kitchen to prepare some new dishes.”

Yun Jin’s expression was neutral as she rinsed her mouth with tea. These two had given her a great deal of face by refraining from spitting the food out just now.

After hearing Yun Jin finish the story of that past event, a smile immediately appeared in Qin Zhanluo’s eyes. “Was the taste of those dishes truly that miraculous? After hearing what the Consort said, I want to taste them even more.”

It was more than miraculous; it was almost unforgettable for a lifetime.

Yun Jin suppressed her embarrassment and forced herself to remain calm. “If the Princess wants to try, she certainly can. There will be an opportunity in the future.” She hoped that when the time came, the Princess would not be unable to resist spitting it out.

Qin Zhanluo thought for a moment and looked at the other person with an intent to tease. “Your Highness, there is no time like the present. After we return, why do you not try making them?”

Yun Jin returned the smile, easily seeing through the other person’s true intention. She handed over the most tender piece of leg meat from the roasted wild boar. “Sure, but we also have to see if Senior Sister Xie has the time.”

At first, Qin Zhanluo did not understand her meaning and instinctively asked, “Hmm?”

Yun Jin clarified for her in a serious tone, “If the food is eaten here, she can immediately provide medical treatment over there.”

Qin Zhanluo could not help but laugh softly. The wooden stick she held, which Yun Jin had just handed her with the leg meat, shook along with her laughter.

Yun Jin captured that smile, and her eyes flickered slightly. “The Princess should smile more in the future.”

The burning campfire occasionally let out small, crackling sparks. It made her face look soft. At that moment, Yun Jin added with a faint smile, “It looks very beautiful.”

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