After flying kites, Xiao Huayong took Shen Xihe hunting. In the spring of March, the game wasn’t particularly plump, but with nature’s revival, playful wild rabbits were a common sight. Before their arrival, Xiao Huayong had already instructed Lüling to have people clear the area of any large beasts.

“When drawing the bow, tilt your head toward the target, keep your drawing arm level with your eyes, and maintain the bow’s height parallel to your line of sight…” Xiao Huayong instructed Shen Xihe in archery while mounted on his horse.

For Shen Xihe’s first attempt at archery, Xiao Huayong had come prepared with a lighter bow suitable for a lady.

Xiao Huayong drew his bow, his ears suddenly twitching. Shen Xihe only heard what seemed like a slight breeze rustling through the grass, and from the corner of her eye, she caught a fleeting shadow – Xiao Huayong’s arrow.

Tianyuan immediately ran into the grass, retrieving both the arrow and a gray rabbit with a bleeding leg.

Shen Xihe’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked at Xiao Huayong’s precise archery – before she had even noticed the prey, he had already captured it.

Being gazed at with such admiration by the woman he admired made Xiao Huayong feel as if he’d shot a tiger rather than a mere rabbit.

“Your Highness, what should we do with this rabbit?” Tianyuan asked, holding up the animal.

Caught between the struggling rabbit and Shen Xihe’s admiring gaze, Xiao Huayong felt the rabbit unworthy of such praise. His smile instantly vanished: “Give it to Lady Ziyu, let her decide what to do with it.”

Tianyuan, sensing his master’s sudden mood shift, quickly lowered his head and hurried off with the rabbit to find Ziyu.

Naturally, he was unaware that under the Princess’s gaze, the Crown Prince’s male vanity had swelled to the point where he practically believed he’d hunted a tiger. Unfortunately, Tianyuan’s tactless presentation of the rabbit had shattered the Crown Prince’s fantasy, making him acutely aware that Shen Xihe’s admiring look wasn’t due to any extraordinary feat, but rather her inexperience in this area.

Though Shen Xihe had previously been indifferent, she noticed Xiao Huayong’s change in demeanor and asked uncertainly, “What’s wrong, Your Highness?”

Xiao Huayong, suddenly realizing how drastically his attitude had changed and worried Shen Xihe might misunderstand, quickly restored his playful smile: “Why should I smile at a servant like Tianyuan? I only smile for you.”

Shen Xihe took a deep breath, choosing to ignore him. She spurred her horse forward into the woods, eager to experience the joy of hunting herself. However, having never trained her arm strength or aim, she initially could barely draw the bow far enough to shoot.

After finally mastering the proper force, she still struggled with accuracy. This sparked her competitive spirit, and she became determined to hit some prey. Xiao Huayong followed behind her, occasionally using his arrows to drive game toward her when he spotted it.

However, whether due to lack of natural talent or inexperience, after more than an hour of pursuit, Shen Xihe had caught nothing, while Xiao Huayong had inadvertently shot several prey while trying to assist her.

Shen Xihe remained enthusiastic, though her stomach was growling: “Let’s go back for some food, then return.”

Pleased by her continued enthusiasm despite her lack of success, and impressed that she showed no signs of discouragement, Xiao Huayong gladly agreed: “Alright. I’ll set up a training ground in the Eastern Palace, and after we’re married, I’ll teach you horsemanship and archery.”

“Good,” Shen Xihe nodded in agreement.

As they rode back, they came upon a spotted deer drinking from a small lake. It stood with a lowered head and perked ears, its slender form reflected in the mirror-like surface of the lake alongside the blue sky, surrounded by dark and tender green trees and grass.

The peaceful scene brought a warm smile to Shen Xihe’s face. Just then, Xiao Huayong drew his bow and aimed in the deer’s direction. Before Shen Xihe could speak, an arrow whistled through the air, striking not the deer but the ground beside its feet.

The deer startled and jumped, and Shen Xihe saw that the arrow had pinned a poisonous snake to the ground, which continued to writhe. She hadn’t noticed it before, its coloring having blended with the ground while her attention was focused on the deer.

“It might not have bitten the deer,” Xiao Huayong said, lowering his bow. “But if it had, one bite would have meant certain death for the little deer. Since you liked this deer, I naturally had to protect it.”

Shen Xihe turned to look at Xiao Huayong, silent and contemplative.

Xiao Huayong smiled at her tenderly: “Whatever you care about becomes what I must protect.”

How could someone as intelligent as Shen Xihe miss his implied meaning? He was telling her that because of her, he would also strongly protect the Northwest.

“I will remember Your Highness’s words,” Shen Xihe’s soft pink lips parted as she spoke.

Xiao Huayong smiled too. She hadn’t rejected him, hadn’t questioned him, and hadn’t said as before that she believed his current sincerity – this told him she was willing to give him a chance to prove his words true.

Wearing a faint smile, Shen Xihe rode ahead, with Xiao Huayong following behind.

When they returned, the aroma of cooked food filled the air – Ziyu’s cooking. For such outings, meals were always taken outdoors. Since having too many people from the Eastern Palace would be inconvenient, Shen Xihe had early on said she would bring Ziyu along.

There was a roasted rabbit, fish soup, fish stew, roasted chicken, and exquisite pastries brought from the residence. Shen Xihe ate with Xiao Huayong in one spot, while Zhenzhu and the others ate in another. Shen Xihe noticed that Zhenzhu and Sunaxi had gathered many medicinal herbs.

After eating, Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong walked along the stream to aid digestion, then resumed hunting.

Though Shen Xihe caught nothing that day, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. Throughout the spring, Xiao Huayong frequently invited her out for such recreational hunting trips, which she gladly accepted. She also began practicing archery at her residence. After a month of practice and with Xiao Huayong’s help, she finally managed to shoot her first prey – a turtledove flying over the lake.

Though there wasn’t much meat on it, Ziyu, wanting to please Shen Xihe, deboned and minced it to make a bowl of meat porridge.

“Give this to His Highness,” Shen Xihe instructed Ziyu. “We’ve eaten so much of his catches lately, today I return the favor.”

Ziyu was instantly displeased – had she known it was meant for His Highness, she would have simply roasted it rather than putting in so much effort.

Xiao Huayong noticed how Shen Xihe’s maids had varying attitudes toward him. Hongyu was extremely attentive to him, though slightly less so than to Shen Xihe. Zhenzhu and Biyu showed only proper respect, while Ziyu alone seemed to particularly dislike him.

If she weren’t just a maid, Xiao Huayong would have suspected her of viewing him as a romantic rival, as if he were stealing away her beloved.