When Xi Zhuoyu saw Jiang Yuchao in the crowd, leaning over the railing with a face full of smiles, he couldn't help but smile back. He could already hear the screams in the heart of his die-hard fan.

"I didn't expect Prince Yuling to be so amazing. How did you catch these live deer? It's rare to see you without many injuries." A group of people surrounded him. Hearing various questions, Xi Zhuoyu smiled and blinked, "This is all thanks to the big dogs by my side."

In fact, much of the prey in this hunting ground had been released a few days in advance for the noble sons to catch. These particular deer seemed to have been pen-raised. When he encountered them, Xi Zhuoyu didn't even draw his bow; his dogs simply went up and surrounded them. Strictly speaking, he hadn't caught the docile deer himself.

The crowd didn't know about these things. They surrounded him with flattery, making Prince Yu, who was beside him, look extremely gloomy.

After the excitement, it was almost dark, and everyone returned to their respective tents. Jiang Yuchao had drawn strength from her idol and was once again in high spirits, feeling that she could continue to tear apart three Princess Chunxis with her bare hands.

She returned to her own tent and saw a familiar man waiting not far away. She recognized him as You Wu, the captain of her idol's bodyguard team.

"Third Young Lady Xiao, you're back." You Wu came over with a cloth bag, pulling out a long-eared rabbit from inside. It looked like a wild rabbit, still hopping around alive.

"Our master asked me to send this to you. He had bad luck today. He walked in the woods for a long time and only encountered a group of deer, which were caught by the dogs. This rabbit is the only thing he hunted with his own hands. He said that since it looked quite intact, he wanted you to have it."

Jiang Yuchao: Oh my god, my divine idol sent me something again. How can he be so good? I'm going to die, I'm going crazy!

She accepted the rabbit with gratitude, "Please convey my thanks to him. I'm really happy."

You Wu agreed with a smile. He was about to take his leave when he saw Lan Qiao behind Jiang Yuchao winking at him hard. So he didn't go far and waited nearby. Sure enough, after a while, Lan Qiao came over quietly.

The two had been in frequent contact these days and were more familiar than before. As soon as Lan Qiao came over, she said directly, "Brother You Wu, something happened! Our mistress encountered something today, I don't know what. When she was changing clothes, I saw a long whip mark on her shoulder and back. It seemed like someone had hit her. She didn't want to cause trouble, so I couldn't ask anything."

When You Wu heard this, he thought, well, someone hit the master's wife, isn't that the same as hitting his master? This matter was serious. So he turned around and went back to tell Xi Zhuoyu.

Xi Zhuoyu hadn't returned from seeing the emperor. You Wu waited for a long time, fidgeting. Unable to sit still, he went out and asked around for information, but couldn't find out anything. He could only turn back to the big tent.

By this time, Xi Zhuoyu had already returned and was sitting by the water basin, wiping his face and washing his hands. Seeing You Wu come in, he asked without raising his head, "Did you send the rabbit?"

You Wu exclaimed, "Master, why are you still concerned about the rabbit?!"

Xi Zhuoyu: "What's the matter?"

You Wu: "Third Young Lady Xiao was hit by someone today. Her maid secretly told me that there was a long scar!"

Xi Zhuoyu frowned and put down the towel he was wiping his hands with, "Is that so? I'll go and see."

The camp was a bit chaotic, with many teams patrolling around. But seeing Prince Yuling, no one dared to stop him, allowing him to walk smoothly to the vicinity of Jiang Yuchao's tent.

"It's not good for me to go in rashly. I'll wait here and talk when she comes out," Xi Zhuoyu realized.

You Wu: What are you, a grown man, being reserved for? Rushing over here only to wait foolishly outside.

Fortunately, after a while, Lan Qiao came out and also saw Xi Zhuoyu and You Wu. She was so excited that she turned her head and said something inside. Jiang Yuchao immediately lifted the door curtain and walked out.

Jiang Yuchao's tent was located in a somewhat remote area. The two talked in a dark corner nearby, with a few guards standing at attention in the distance.

With the person in front of him, Xi Zhuoyu found that he couldn't directly ask about her injuries. He could only start with some irrelevant chatter, "That rabbit, do you like it?"

Jiang Yuchao smiled at him, "It's a fat rabbit. I just skinned it and put it in the pot to stew. It's not cooked yet. When it's done, I'll have someone send a portion to you! The taste will definitely be good."

Xi Zhuoyu: "You... cooked it?" He thought the rabbit was quite cute, and girls usually liked these furry little animals, so he had You Wu send it over. Who knew it had already become a dish on the table so quickly?

Jiang Yuchao saw his reaction and also felt that she might have misunderstood something, "Could it be... that it wasn't meant for me to eat? It was for me to keep as a pet...?"

Xi Zhuoyu: "No, it was meant for you to eat." He immediately covered up the truth considerately.

Jiang Yuchao: "No, I understand now. I didn't grasp your intention." She immediately uncovered the truth her idol was trying to bury.

Xi Zhuoyu coughed, "That's not the point. The main reason I came over was to ask if you have any difficulties recently that you need my help with?"

Jiang Yuchao answered without thinking, "No difficulties."

"Are you hurt?" Xi Zhuoyu asked directly. "If you're facing any difficulties that I can help with, I will. If it's a private matter and you don't want me to know, then I apologize."

Jiang Yuchao replied, "No, no, no, it's nothing that can't be shared. It's just... just that Princess Chunxi took me with her today, and I... well, I got into a fight with her."

Xi Zhuoyu knew Princess Chunxi and had a deep impression of her temper and personality. Without needing any explanation, Lady Jiang must have been bullied by her.

Looking at his devoted fan in front of him, who was trying to act casual while forcing a smile, he felt guilty. He knew from the Empress about Princess Chunxi's feelings for him, so when he learned she was causing trouble for Jiang Yuchao, he knew it was undoubtedly his fault. This was terrible.

"It's still my fault for implicating you. Don't worry, I'll handle this matter. She won't be able to harm you anymore."

Jiang Yuchao, who was genuinely at ease and not pretending, with a very real and not forced smile, said, "No, listen to me, brother. I'm fine. You don't need to trouble yourself over this..."

Xi Zhuoyu interrupted, "No, I will take responsibility." After saying that, he left with a stern face and quick steps.

Prince Yuling was angry.

Author's Note:

We were not fated to be together, but we received assistance from all sides—help from allies and even from enemies. At this point, not ending up together would be against the laws of nature.