I looked up and saw Yu Chi Cheng looking at me with a half - smile. I couldn't help retorting, "Who's trying to run away? As for you, dancing with me openly, aren't you afraid of being called a homosexual?"
"Who says only men and women can dance together? Look behind you," Yu Chi Cheng jerked his chin towards my back. Curious, I turned around and saw many same - sex pairs dancing merrily. Among them was the dance leader who had invited me to dance before. When she saw me looking at her, she shyly turned her head away, which drew a burst of laughter from Yu Chi Cheng. "She's been stealing glances at you for a long time, and I've caught her every time."
I turned my head and glared at him. "Mind your own business!"
Yu Chi Cheng said, "Tsk tsk, I never thought that in this disguise, you'd be more attractive than me."
I quickly pinched him and said, "That's because the girls who take a fancy to me are all quite young. How can you, a sinister old man, compare to my innocence!"
Yu Chi Cheng quickly nodded. "Yes, yes, I'm an old man."
As soon as he said this, I saw Ao Qing pushing through the crowd behind him. I laughed at him. "Hey, here comes the one who likes old men."
Yu Chi Cheng looked back. When he saw it was Ao Qing, he immediately pulled a long face and dragged me away. "All right, we've had enough experience. Let's stop playing."
This guy. Just now he laughed at me for trying to run away, but now it's his turn.
I couldn't help looking back. I saw Ao Qing being jostled left and right in the dancing crowd, unable to come after us. Suddenly, I felt extremely sorry for her.
...
"Where are you taking me?" It wasn't until the noise of the crowd faded away that I realized Yu Chi Cheng and I had come to an unfamiliar and deserted place.
Yu Chi Cheng gave a mischievous smile. "What? Are you scared already?"
"Hahaha," I forced a laugh. "How could I be?" But despite my words, a shiver ran through me.
Seeing my reaction, Yu Chi Cheng had no intention of scaring me anymore. He just said, "This is a shortcut back. The official hunting will start tomorrow. You'd better get some rest earlier."
Hearing this, I immediately felt relieved. I bravely patted his shoulder. "I knew you were the best!" Then I ran off ahead.
He sighed helplessly behind me before catching up. Just then, a cloud covered the moon in the sky, and neither of us noticed a corner of a garment flickering in the darkness behind us.
After Yu Chi Cheng sent me back, he went to a meeting to drink with Yue Ze. Before he left, I told him to drink less, but he just smiled and told me not to worry, saying that he could hold his liquor. For some reason, a sense of unease welled up in my heart.
...
The hunting on the next day began grandly. The drums thundered, and the people in the field shouted and galloped on their horses. For a moment, the yellow sand billowed, blotting out the sky and the sun.
Since Yu Chi Cheng and I had chosen a rather eye - catching position, we quickly separated from the yellow sand and entered the forest area in front.
"Stay close to me. Don't get lost," Yu Chi Cheng rode ahead and looked back at me with a smile.
I ignored him. I kicked my horse's belly and shouted, then rode towards the jungle on the other side.
"You're really..." Yu Chi Cheng smiled helplessly and immediately spurred his horse to catch up.
In a moment, the two of us entered the jungle.
"Do you think the hunting prey is wild or artificially reared?" I put away my whip and suddenly turned to look at Yu Chi Cheng who was catching up.
He smiled upon hearing this. "Naturally, there are both wild and captive ones. This area of Chi Mo has always been rich in resources. Apart from a wide variety of species, there are also protections during the non - hunting period. So hunting in the North Cold Region always starts from Chi Mo."
"So, should I thank you for showing me something new?" I raised my eyebrows at him teasingly.
"Of course," he whipped his horse and caught up with me, riding side by side. Then he said in an annoying voice, "Well, isn't it great to be alone with me this time?"
I couldn't help rolling my eyes, but I started to look around the forest.
"Hey, I feel something's not right about this forest."
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know..." Halfway through my words, I suddenly felt a chill all over my body. I stopped my horse and said, "Let's go back!"
"What's going on?" Yu Chi Cheng also sensed something was wrong and turned his horse around with me.
Just then, a cold arrow shot straight at us. The horses neighed in panic.
"Run! There's an ambush!" Without hesitation, I slapped Yu Chi Cheng's horse on the rump, urging him to leave first. It wasn't that I was worried about him, but his horse was blocking my horse's way.
But the look in his eyes at that moment really misinterpreted me. Was it gratitude or a mixture of joy and sorrow?
One cold arrow after another came in succession. We didn't even have time to think about where to go. We just ran out in a hurry. We really were running for our lives. At this moment, I suddenly remembered what was wrong. After we entered the forest, we hadn't seen a single prey. Now that I thought about it, they must have been driven away by the ambushers.
"Not good. There's an ambush ahead," Yu Chi Cheng suddenly reined in his horse in front. When I saw this, I also quickly tightened the reins. But I don't know if it was because Yu Chi Cheng's shout was too urgent or something else. In my nervousness, I tightened my horse's belly while pulling the reins. As a result, the horse didn't stop but rushed forward even faster.
A horse - tripping rope was pulled up. My horse was tripped by the sudden rope and fell forward...
"Ah—" Just as I was about to fall off my horse and hit the ground, Yu Chi Cheng suddenly shouted, "Let go!" He pulled me up. When I came to my senses, he had dismounted and caught me in his arms. A familiar and warm scent came from his body again. Still in shock, I slumped into his arms and hugged him tightly. Only then did I find that his body was so strong.
Hey, his figure is really good? I must be out of my mind to think about this at this moment.
However, the next second, Yu Chi Cheng let go of me. He looked around and protected me behind him. He said seriously, "Who are you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the grass rustled, and a flower - clad man with his face painted white walked out. The man's clothes were extremely loose, making his whole body look empty, like a paper man in flower clothes that would fall apart with a single puff.
The flower - clad man slowly walked towards us in cloth shoes. After sizing us up carefully, he grinned and said in very unskilled Dayong dialect, "Tsk tsk, I really didn't expect the eldest prince of Dayong to look so weak. But Yu Chi Cheng, since you've brought him here, leave the rest to us."
As he spoke, countless men in earth - colored clothes stood up from the grass. They held their bows and arrows and carefully approached us.
Hearing this, I nervously looked at Yu Chi Cheng. Yu Chi Cheng protected me well behind him and said in a deep voice, "Don't listen to their nonsense."