NOVEL NEXT Chapter 148 - 148: Entangle Him, Tease Him
Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Entangle Him, Tease Him
That evening, Leng Yu Yan slept restlessly.
In her dreams, he was strangling her, his voice so cold it sent shivers down her spine.
“This is what you brought upon yourself!”
“Don’t blame me for not being gentle enough…”
Leng Yu Yan suddenly woke up, her body covered in cold sweat and her forehead beaded with perspiration.
In her dreams, when was he ever gentle?
Not tormenting someone to death did not suit his cold and unhinged nature!
Remembering the way he pressed his lips against hers, it truly felt like he wanted to swallow her whole.
Leng Yu Yan clutched the blanket, shivering uncontrollably—his real-life demeanor was becoming increasingly like the menacing aura in her dreams.
She needed to get away from him as soon as possible!
But, how could she escape?
He had actually sent people to secretly watch her—how had she not noticed it?
Could it be that all the people he sent were masters, or perhaps, the ones watching her were just keeping their distance?
Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ƝօνǤ0.сο
Either way, she had to leave.
—
The following day, the Imperial College held its monthly archery exam.
In this month’s exam, Li Yuyue was absent. Without him, the chance for first place was up for grabs, prompting quite a few students to eagerly try their luck.
Last night’s incident, coupled with the subsequent dream, left Leng Yu Yan feeling out of sorts even on the drill ground.
The female students from Xinya Academy gradually arrived at the Imperial College to watch the archery.
As soon as Lai Jiajia, Mi Xinmei, and Luo Meng’er arrived at the drill ground, they saw Leng Yu Yan sitting alone in silence on the stands, so they approached to console her.
Lai Jiajia whispered, “Sister, if you lose the contest later, it is all right.”
Mi Xinmei nodded in agreement, “Yes, after all, competing against men, it’s no disgrace to lose.”
Luo Meng’er also comforted her, “I couldn’t even draw my father’s bow when I was overweight, let alone now. Yu Yan, if you lose the archery, it doesn’t matter—we are good at calligraphy and dancing.”
It was only then that Leng Yu Yan managed a slight nod, “Don’t worry, I’m not concerned about that.”
“What is it then?” The three girls asked in unison.
“It’s nothing major, just that I didn’t sleep well last night, and I was just sitting here daydreaming. Besides, I knew you were coming, so I was holding the best seats in the stands for you.”
“I see.”
The four of them then sat together and started to whisper among themselves.
Soon, a large number of people from the noble families in the capital arrived.
Glancing sideways, Leng Yu Yan saw Zheng Liqi chatting cheerfully with Zheng Likuo, his gaze casually drifting her way.
If Zheng Liqi wanted to be Ye Yiheng’s Crown Princess Consort, she didn’t have to keep targeting her.
Just go convince that certain someone—that treating her as a thorn in your side, is it really appropriate?
One can only say that some people’s thought processes are indeed strange.
And now she was dragging her brother into this—was she aiming to embarrass her?
Leng Yu Yan shook her head slightly. She didn’t even have the luxury to think about escaping from that certain someone.
But there were principles she adhered to—if anyone wanted to take advantage of the situation to humiliate her, they wouldn’t succeed.
In today’s archery contest, her goal was the Ministry of War—she could only win, not lose!
Zheng Liqi, oh Zheng Liqi, if you truly like Ye Yiheng, go pester and flirt with him, just don’t focus your attention on targeting me!
Zheng Likuo patted Zheng Liqi’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, I’ll bring back the top spot for you. That way, the Crown Prince will surely see the Zheng Family’s children as exceptional, and by then, when you go to the Eastern Palace, you’ll have plenty to talk about.”
“Thank you, brother!” Zheng Liqi smiled coyly.
Seeing her brother’s glances flickering in Leng Yu Yan’s direction, she lowered her voice, “Brother, don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to her?”
Zheng Likuo coughed lightly, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Actually, sister thinks that if brother and her really became a couple, it wouldn’t be too bad.”
Zheng Liqi played her little schemes—then the position by the Crown Prince’s side would be vacated.
Heeding his own sister’s praise, Zheng Likuo couldn’t help but cast another glance towards Leng Yu Yan.
Setting aside the fact that she was the designated Crown Prince Consort and was competing with his sister for the title of Crown Princess Consort, he had to admit that the girl in the distance was indeed the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
However, her temperament was too fierce, too wild—she had actually come to the Imperial College to show her face, completely lacking the grace of a typical lady from a noble family.
He found this very displeasing!
Soon enough, many princes and princesses arrived, and then the Emperor, accompanied by the Empress Dowager and Consort Xian, also came to the drill ground.
The Sacrificial Officer, seeing that most had arrived, announced loudly, “The Imperial College’s archery monthly examination officially begins!”
He then proclaimed a series of rules, which were as follows: in the first round, each student has one chance, and those who hit the target advance to the second round; those who score above five rings in the second round advance to the third; in the third round, those who hit the bullseye advance to the fourth; and in the fourth round, the top three places compete for the final victor.
The ultimate victor will have an opportunity to train at the Ministry of War.
The first round started promptly.
—
In the Eastern Palace, a small study room.
Song Guo reminded in a low voice, “Your Highness, today the Crown Princess Consort is at the Imperial College’s monthly examination. It’s for archery, and many noble families are there. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager are present in person. Will you go, Your Highness?”
Ye Yiheng, with eyes closed and pinching the bridge of his nose, said indifferently, “No.”
Song Guo pursued, “If Your Highness went, it could boost the Crown Princess Consort’s morale.”
Ye Yiheng suddenly opened his eyes, “What does it matter to me if she performs well or not?”
Pondering, Song Guo smiled and said, “Eldest Princess Heng Yuan, Marquis Jiangyang, and Prince Qing will most likely be there.”
Mentioning his family, the Crown Prince would surely feel a sense of crisis, and thus he might be compelled to attend.
With the Crown Prince present, the Crown Princess Consort might gain the momentum to achieve good results.
In truth, it was rare for women to shoot arrows well.
If the Crown Princess Consort failed to hit the target today, it would probably lead to much discussion and could result in ridicule for the Crown Prince as well.
But if the Crown Prince did go, it would hold sway over the crowd, thus reducing the pressure on the Crown Princess Consort.
With these thoughts, the smile on Song Guo’s face became more sincere and intentional.
“Heh, you’ve become quite cunning,” Ye Yiheng said, glancing at him expressionlessly, “I said I won’t go.”
At the Imperial College drill ground.
The stands were abuzz with voices, and the students were lined up neatly on the field.
Following the names called out by their teachers, the students each took their turn on the practice platform to shoot.
Any hit was met with applause from the stands.
Misses, on the other hand, were greeted with jeers.
When it was Leng Yu Yan’s turn, Lai Jiajia, Luo Meng’er, and Mi Xinmei all felt nervous for her.
And the spectators in the stands were buzzing with discussion.
Many who were unaware asked, “Why are there female students at the Imperial College?”
Someone explained, “This one is the Crown Prince Consort-to-be.”
“So, she got in through the back door?”
Despite the explanation, the questioning party persisted, saying relentlessly, “Isn’t it just based on her connection with the Crown Prince?”
As Leng Yu Yan stepped up, she surveyed the array of bows.
Most of these bows were admittedly prepared for men.
Which one should she choose?
While she pondered, she stood still for a moment.
Seeing this, the crowd laughed.
“Woman by nature are weak, how can she compare with men?”
“She probably can’t even draw the bow.”
“Look at her, her arms are so slender, she probably can’t even lift the bow, let alone draw it.”
Just then, Leng Yu Yan walked over to the smallest bow and took her position.
The laughter in the stands grew louder, and the commentary was unending.