The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

Shen Jingyan pulled Xiao Yu back to their residence.

Before he could speak, she raised her hand—

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap landed hard on Xiao Yu's face.

"Xiao Yu!" Shen Jingyan's voice was sharp and filled with anger.

"You are my husband! My consort! Yet now you stare blankly at that wretched woman who stole my mother's favor and captured my father's heart? What are you thinking?"

She took a step closer, staring intently into his eyes, her voice forced out through clenched teeth:

"Do you like her? Have you been bewitched by that vixen?"

The burning pain on his face brought Xiao Yu back to his senses.

Aside from occasionally losing control and behaving in front of Shen Qingruo, he is usually a thoughtful and considerate heir of the Duke of Zhenguo.

At this moment, faced with Shen Jingyan's questioning and anger, his thoughts raced.

Concealing or denying would only make things worse, deepening Shen Jingyan's suspicions, given that she was already suspicious.

Xiao Yu raised his hand and touched his stinging cheek. His expression didn't show much panic, but rather a sense of helplessness and acceptance at being misunderstood.

"Princess, I was indeed looking at Consort Zhao just now."

His frank admission surprised Shen Jingyan.

Xiao Yu continued, his tone sincere: "But it's not as sordid as you think, Princess. I was just curious for a moment."

"I'm curious about what kind of magic this Consort Zhao possesses that makes His Majesty so fond of her, so favored, and even able to defy public opinion to place her father and grandfather in important positions."

He paused, observing Shen Jingyan's expression. Seeing that her anger had subsided slightly, but her suspicion remained, he changed the subject, his tone becoming worried:

"Princess, think about it carefully. Consort Zhao is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor. In a sense, she is our enemy. I can't help but think about the long term."

"If Consort Zhao gives birth to a prince in the future, with His Majesty's favor, then neither the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion nor you, Princess, will be in a good position."

"I was looking at her just now, and she was thinking about these things too."

His words were reasonable and logical, cleverly concealing his personal feelings under the guise of deep concern for the future of his family.

Seeing the worry on Xiao Yujun's handsome face, and finding no flaw in his expression, Shen Jingyan believed him to be mostly right.

"You...you really think so?" Her tone softened, tinged with uncertainty.

Xiao Yu reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, his gaze both gentle and firm: "Of course."

"You are my wife. The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the princess share the same fate, and I would not fail to consider our future."

He outwardly comforted Shen Jingyan, but inwardly he was warning himself:

Xiao Yu, wake up.

That was nothing more than a hopeless, fleeting glimpse, a tiny, insignificant flutter of the heart; it must not be revealed in any further.

Those shallow affections are not worth risking everything for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, or even your own life and future.

Looking into his sincere eyes, Shen Jingyan's doubts were dispelled.

She nestled into Xiao Yu's arms, her voice filled with grievance and lingering fear: "Husband, I misunderstood you. I was just too scared."

"Because Shen Qingruo is so beautiful, she quickly stole all of Father Emperor's attention."

"I'm really scared that she'll steal you away too."

Xiao Yu put his arm around her and gently patted her back to comfort her. His expression was gentle, but his eyes showed impatience.

"I know, Princess, you've been wronged. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the direction of the most magnificent main tent in the distance, his expression complex before finally settling into silence.

Some thoughts must be buried deep, until they rot away.

-

The autumn hunt officially began the following morning.

As the bugles sounded, the royal family members and military officers participating in the hunt were all fully prepared and ready to go, creating a lively atmosphere.

Shen Wangxi, dressed in black riding attire, sat atop Zhuifeng and turned his head to look at Shen Qingruo, who was also riding on Xueying's back.

Today she changed into a neat turquoise riding outfit, which made her look less delicate and more capable.

However, the hands holding the reins seemed somewhat tense.

"Are you scared?" Shen Wangxi asked in a low voice.

Shen Qingruo shook her head, then nodded, and honestly said, "A little. Will A-Ruo's inability to shoot arrows be a burden to His Majesty?"

Shen Wangxi chuckled softly, spurred his horse closer, and patted her waist with his large hand:

"Today I will not hunt large wild beasts, but just take you for a walk and shoot some docile deer and rabbits. You can just stay by my side and watch."

Shen Qingruo nodded obediently, relaxing a little.

With Shen Wangxi's command, the large group of people surged into the vast hunting ground forest.

Xiao Yu, as one of the officials in charge of security, rode a short distance behind.

Duke Qi Rui of Su rode beside Xiao Yu, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Shen Wangxi's sharp eyes quickly spotted a male deer grazing in a forest clearing.

He raised his hand to signal the people behind him to stop, took the longbow from his back, and nocked an arrow.

Shen Qingruo held her breath and opened her eyes wide.

Just as Shen Wangxi's bowstring was about to be fully drawn, a sudden change occurred.

Suddenly, a low growl of a wild beast came from the bushes to the side, and a gray-black shadow darted out and pounced on the stag.

It turned out to be a wild boar that appeared out of nowhere, with gleaming white tusks and a menacing appearance.

Startled, the stag let out a neigh and, in its panic, lost its bearings and charged toward Shen Qingruo's location.

"Protect His Majesty! Protect the Imperial Concubine!" Duke Qi Rui of Su State reacted swiftly, shouting loudly as he spurred his horse forward.

Xiao Yu's expression changed drastically. Almost without thinking, he spurred his horse forward, his hand already on the sword at his waist.

However, some people are faster than them.

The moment the stag charged, Shen Wangxi's eyes sharpened, and the arrow tip, originally aimed at the stag's leg, instantly moved upward, his finger releasing it—

"call out!"

The arrow pierced the air and precisely pierced the deer's neck.

The stag let out a mournful cry, fell heavily to the ground, twitched twice, and then lay still.

Almost at the same moment the arrow left the bowstring, Shen Wangxi loosened the reins, stretched out his long arm, and steadily scooped Shen Qingruo, who was leaning back in fright on Xueying's back, onto his own horse, holding her tightly in his arms.

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that no one had time to react.

"It's alright, Aruo," Shen Wangxi's voice rang in her ear, soothing.

Shen Qingruo was still in shock, her face pale. She clutched his shirt and buried her face in it, her body trembling slightly.

At this moment, the guards rushed forward and finished off the remaining wild boar.

Xiao Yu reined in his horse, looked at the woman being protected in His Majesty's arms, and then looked away.

Qi Rui spurred his horse forward, examined the fallen stag and wild boar, breathed a sigh of relief, and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty's archery is superb; the Imperial Concubine was frightened."

Shen Wangxi responded faintly, then looked down at the person in his arms: "A'Ruo, were you frightened? I'll take you back, okay?"

Shen Qingruo slowly raised her head, her eyes slightly red: "Your Majesty, just now, that deer, that wild boar..."

"It's all taken care of." Shen Wangxi patted her back, gently comforting her.

He looked up and said to the Duke of Su, "Clean up a bit, you all continue hunting, I'll take the Imperial Concubine back to camp first."

"yes!"

Shen Wangxi said no more, turned his horse around, still protecting Shen Qingruo in front of him, and slowly headed towards the camp.