If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

The dark riding attire, like a black lightning bolt, cut in from the other side.

Xiao Yun's horse brushed past the side of the white horse, so close they almost touched.

In the instant they crossed paths, his hand firmly gripped Xi Lingxian's arm, and using the momentum of the two horses crossing, he pulled her off the mad horse.

Xi Lingxian felt dizzy and was pulled off the horse by a strong force, falling into a firm embrace.

The dark sleeves of the garment fluttered before her eyes, carrying a faint scent of wood.

Xiao Yun gently placed her on his horse's back, one hand loosely around her waist, the other hand holding the reins.

"It's alright now."

Xi Lingxian was trembling all over.

Her fingers were still gripping the horse's mane tightly—no, she was gripping his sleeve.

She quickly released her grip, her voice trembling slightly: "...Thank you, Your Highness."

Xiao Yun's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he dismounted and helped her down.

"careful."

When Wang Jue reined in his horse, Xi Lingxian was already standing firmly on the ground.

His hand froze in mid-air before slowly retracting.

His expression was very unpleasant. His eyes were fixed on Xi Lingxian, his gaze sweeping from her face to her hands, and then from her hands to her feet.

Then he moved toward the white horse that was still circling in place.

There was a small, almost invisible red dot on the horse's rump.

Blood was seeping out, mingling with sweat, starkly visible against the white horsehair.

Wang Jue's pupils contracted slightly.

"Chang'an." His voice was as cold as ice.

Chang'an strode forward, "Young Master."

"check."

Chang'an waved his hand, and four or five guards immediately rushed forward.

The trained men surrounded the white horse; some held its head to soothe it, some knelt down to examine its legs and belly, and others carefully inspected the saddle and stirrups.

In a short while, a guard pulled something out of the white horse's rump.

As fine as a hair, shimmering with silver light.

A needle, about an inch long, with bloodstains on its tip and a small piece of pale yellow silk thread wrapped around its tail.

The guard presented the silver needles to Wang Jue with both hands.

Wang Jue's gaze was deep and somber.

Shen Qingdai was the first to react, "Someone cheated! Someone tampered with the horse! Who's so vicious! I'll skin you alive!"

As she spoke, she rushed to Xi Lingxian's side, looking her up and down: "Fanfan, how are you? Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Xi Lingxian shook her head and her gaze fell on one person.

Xie Wanru, riding on her horse, avoided eye contact and shrank back into the crowd.

Xi Lingxian looked at her.

Recalling that fleeting moment when they brushed past each other, Xie Wanru's sleeve brushed against the horse's rump so lightly that she didn't even notice it at the time.

But looking back now, it wasn't a coincidence.

"It's her," Xi Lingxian said, her gaze fixed on Xie Wanru.

"When Miss Xie passed by me just now, her sleeve touched my horse. I didn't pay attention at the time, but now that I think about it, that touch seemed a bit deliberate."

Xie Wanru, of course, denied it.

"You're talking nonsense! When did I touch your horse? I was just playing my game, what right do you have to slander me?"

Xie Wanyi rode over and stood in front of her younger sister, "Sister Xi, you can't say things like that. Wanru is young and timid, how could she do such a thing? Could you have seen wrong?"

Xi Lingxian glanced at her, but did not back down: "I wasn't mistaken. She was the only one who passed by me at the time, and then the horse had an accident."

"That...that doesn't prove it was Wanru who did it!" Xie Wanyi's eyes were already red, and her voice was trembling with sobs. "Wanru has done you no wrong, why would she want to harm you? Isn't my sister ruining her reputation by pointing this out in public?"

As she spoke, she put her arm around Xie Wanru's shoulder. The two sisters stood together, one with red eyes and the other pale-faced, looking pitiful as if they had suffered a great injustice.

People around had already started whispering among themselves.

The Xie sisters' behavior did indeed draw a lot of sympathetic glances.

"Chang'an".

"exist."

"Take the thread from the needle and compare it. Examine everyone's clothes one by one."

Xie Wanru's body trembled violently.

Chang'an accepted the order and, with his guards, began to inspect the riding attire of everyone present.

No matching silk thread could be found on Xie Wanyi's riding outfit, nor on Xie Wanru's—

Chang'an's hand stopped at her sleeve.

A small section of thread broke off at the seam of the cuff.

The color and the silk thread wrapped around the needle's tail were exactly the same, pale yellow, silky, and even the thickness was identical.

Xie Wanru's face went from deathly pale to ashen.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but something seemed to be stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Xie Wanyi was also stunned; her arm around her sister's shoulder froze, and her expression was complicated.

"This...this is impossible..." Xie Wanyi murmured, turning to look at her sister, "Wanru, you...you really..."

Xie Wanru's tears welled up instantly and fell in large drops.

"I...I didn't! I didn't mean to!"

She cried as she spoke, her voice broken and fragmented: "This needle... I must have accidentally stuck it on the horse this morning when I was doing needlework and rushing out the door! I... I don't know how it ended up on the horse! Maybe it fell off when I was riding and the horse stepped on it..."

The more she spoke, the more reasonable she felt, and her voice grew louder: "Why would I want to hurt Sister Xi? I have no grudge against her! It was really an accident, I didn't mean to! Isn't it enough that I apologize to Sister Xi?"

"Sister Xi, I'm so sorry, it was my fault. I shouldn't have brought needles onto the stage. But I really didn't mean to. Please, don't hold it against me, okay?"

These words were spoken in a soft and aggrieved tone, as if if Xi Lingxian were to pursue the matter further, she would be considered petty and unforgiving.

Xie Wanyi: "Wanru is young and doesn't understand things, she must have meant no harm. Sister Xi, look how lucky you are, you're unharmed, and she's apologized, so let's just let it go. Making a big fuss won't be good for anyone..."

Xi Lingxian looked at the two sisters in front of her. One was crying with tears streaming down her face, while the other spoke softly and gently. Their cooperation was seamless.

It's ridiculous.

"Thank you, Third Miss." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and distinct. "You said you attached this needle this morning while doing needlework. Then I'd like to ask—what kind of needlework did you do so early in the morning? What were you embroidering? What kind of thread did you use?"

Xie Wanru's crying stopped abruptly.

"I...I..." Her lips trembled, her eyes darting around.

"Thank you, Third Miss." Wang Jue spoke slowly, and the entire room fell silent instantly.

Xie Wanru shivered and looked up at him.

"Did you take this needle out yourself, or should I send someone to the Xie residence to ask your parents?"

Xie Wanru's face turned completely pale.

Tears welled up again, this time from genuine fear: "Brother Qingyu, I... I really didn't mean to..."

Wang Jue interrupted her, "I don't have a sister with the surname Xie."

Xie Wanru's words caught in her throat.

Xie Wanyi bit her lip, wanting to say something, but seeing Wang Jue's expression, she swallowed all her words.

"Chang'an. Escort Miss Xie back. Tell Lord Xie everything that happened today. Let Lord Xie handle it himself."

With Xie Wanru taken away, the atmosphere on the field became somewhat awkward.

The crowd exchanged glances, some secretly observing Xi Lingxian, while others turned their gazes toward Wang Jue.

The heir of the Langya Wang clan dealt with the matter swiftly and decisively, showing no mercy whatsoever.

The Xie family of Chenjun and the Wang family have been on good terms for generations. His disrespect for Xie Wanru is clearly not just because of "playing tricks in public".

Wang Jue ignored the stares and turned his head to call out, "Chang'an."

"Call Dr. Chen over."

Chang'an responded and quickly left.

In no time at all, a middle-aged scholar carrying a medicine box hurriedly arrived at the scene.

"Let her see her hands."

Dr. Chen rushed forward. Xi Lingxian's fingertips were scraped in several places, with bits of horse mane and dried blood embedded in her fingernails. There were also several red marks on her palms from the reins, which were particularly glaring against her fair skin.

"Please bear with it, young lady, it will hurt a little." As he spoke, Dr. Chen took out silver needles and medicinal powder from his medicine box and carefully cleaned the debris from the wound.

"it is good."

When the powder was sprinkled on, the wound stung, and her fingers involuntarily curled up, but she didn't make a sound.

Wang Jue stood to the side, her hands behind her back, her gaze fixed on Dr. Chen's movements, without saying a word.

Xi Lingxian glanced at it out of the corner of her eye.

His face looked terrible.

Indeed, he is a very upright person and cannot tolerate anything that is not respectable, nor can he stand anyone using such vicious methods under his nose.

Xie Wanru cheated in public and almost caused a death. Given his personality, how could he not be angry?

After cleaning the wound, Dr. Chen carefully applied medicine and bandaged it with thin cloth strips.

He stepped back, looked at Xi Lingxian's face, then took her pulse, carefully examining her for a moment before his brows furrowed slightly.

"The young lady has suffered quite a fright today. Her pulse is somewhat erratic, and her blood is rushing upwards. She seems to be restless." He turned to Wang Jue. "Young master, she needs to take two calming pills and rest well for a few days. It's nothing serious."

Wang Jue hummed in agreement.

Dr. Chen took out a small porcelain bottle from his medicine box, poured out two brown pills, and handed them to Xi Lingxian.

Tao Zhi quickly handed over the water pouch, and Xi Lingxian took the pills and swallowed them with water.

Wang Jue watched her swallow the medicine, then suddenly turned around and nodded slightly to Xiao Yun.

"Thank you very much for saving my life, Your Highness. I am extremely grateful."

"Why did he thank you? What's your relationship with him that he'd thank you on your behalf?" Shen Qingdai nudged Xi Lingxian with her elbow, her tone incredulous.

Xi Lingxian gritted her teeth.

"Why did Young Master Wang go to thank Miss Xi on her behalf?" someone whispered.

"What's so strange about that? Aren't the two families discussing marriage? The Crown Prince is just taking advantage of Miss Xi being... you know..."

"The marriage proposal is one thing, but it's not settled yet. He's already making decisions for them when nothing's even started? The Xi family's daughter won't look too pleased..."

"What do you know? Who is Young Master Wang? The fact that he humbled himself to express his gratitude is a sign of respect for the Prince of Chenliu and the Xi family."

The whispers were low, like the buzzing of mosquitoes and flies.

Xiao Yun's smile was just right: "It was nothing, Young Master Wang, you're too kind."

Wang Jue didn't linger with Xiao Yun for long before returning to Xi Lingxian's side.

"Does your hand still hurt?"

Xi Lingxian's fingers curled slightly. "I will repay this kindness myself. There's no need for Young Master Wang to trouble himself."

She looked at him, her gaze clear and bright, so transparent that you could see right through her.

A slight feeling of suffocation suddenly welled up in Wang Jue's heart.