When people are nervous and afraid, their pupils dilate, their heartbeat races, and cold sweat breaks out all over. Only at this moment did Miss Qiao realize that she was no different from anyone else. The only thing she could do was try her best to suppress these reactions and not let others notice.

That arrow aimed at her was like an invisible giant hand gripping her throat, making her want to flee immediately.

But in the end, Qiao Zhao straightened her spine and pressed all her emotions deep into her heart.

Though she had made a good start with Cousin Zimo today, following the normal course would take too long to wait. But she couldn’t wait any longer. With such an opportunity appearing, she had to grasp it with all her might to see her brother in the shortest possible time.

Even if they couldn’t recognize each other, just hearing her brother’s voice would be good.

The arrow flew toward her. Qiao Zhao suddenly closed her eyes, her mind going blank.

Her head suddenly felt lighter, and as the girls’ cries of alarm stopped, silence fell all around.

Qiao Zhao opened her eyes with trembling eyelashes.

The peach rolled on the ground, the feathered arrow lay quietly on the ground, quite a few girls covered their eyes with their hands, while some bolder ones watched silently.

In that instant, the feeling of surviving a disaster rose in her heart.

Qiao Zhao thought silently: The body’s instinctive reactions are difficult to overcome with reason alone.

That bastard Shao Mingyuan!

She secretly cursed Shao Mingyuan, though she didn’t know exactly what she should curse him for. It seemed that just cursing him once made her feel a bit better.

“Third Miss Li, I’m shooting the second arrow now,” Jiang Shiran called out with a smile. “I’ll shoot the peach on your left shoulder first. Don’t move around, or you might dislodge the peach.”

Qiao Zhao came back to her senses, her lips pale, curving into the slightest arc: “Very well.”

She didn’t dare say more, afraid of revealing her timidity to others. But there were still those with keen eyes who paid special attention to her and noticed.

Ouyang Weiyu whispered to Kou Zimo: “Sister Zimo, don’t you think Third Miss Li is quite afraid too?”

Kou Zimo withdrew her gaze and whispered, “Yes, it’s not just moving your mouth. Who wouldn’t be afraid to stand in Third Miss Li’s position? If Miss Jiang’s hand slips, even though they’re blunt-headed arrows, she could still get hurt. If it grazes her face, that would be even worse.”

As Kou Zimo said this, looking at the girl standing in the field with a solemn expression and pale face, she suddenly began to worry for her.

Ouyang Weiyu bit her lip and murmured: “I just don’t quite understand. Even if Third Miss Li had refused Miss Jiang, it really wouldn’t have mattered. The earlier couplet competition already made people look at her with new eyes. No one expects her to be perfect in everything.”

Just now, under the crabapple tree, when Third Miss Li was advising her, she had been a very calm and intelligent person. Why was she being somewhat impulsive now?

Ouyang Weiyu vaguely felt that Qiao Zhao’s behavior was somewhat inconsistent, but couldn’t figure out why. For Kou Zimo, Qiao Zhao was just a strange girl she had only had a little contact with today, so naturally, she didn’t think too much about it, saying quietly: “Probably just youthful pride. After all, Third Miss Li is still young.”

While the ladies were either holding their breath in attention or quietly discussing, Jiang Shiran released the bowstring, and the second arrow shot out.

This time, Qiao Zhao didn’t close her eyes. She watched the blunt-headed arrow fly straight toward her. Cold sweat instantly soaked her back, and despite the June weather, she felt as if she were in the depths of winter. Only when the blunt-headed arrow hit the peach did that suffocating fear dissipate.

“Excellent archery, Miss Jiang!” Having hit the mark precisely twice in a row, the tension in the ladies’ hearts faded, and they returned to their mood of watching the spectacle.

Hearing the ladies’ praise, the corners of Jiang Shiran’s lips lifted slightly, a flash of pride quickly passing.

She dared propose such a game because she was confident in her archery skills. It just depended on whether the person being tested had the courage.

Now it seemed that although this Third Miss Li from the Li residence didn’t have great courage, it was still passable.

Jiang Shiran glanced sideways at Li Jiǎo, thinking: Bullying an older sister who has no mother isn’t proper. Today could be considered a lesson for her.

She withdrew her thoughts and released the bowstring.

The feathered arrow shot out, but soon there were cries of alarm one after another. Su Luoyi and others even ran over directly, calling out: “Third Miss Li, are you all right?”

What happened?

Jiang Shiran was stunned, not reacting for a moment.

It wasn’t until someone cried out, “Third Miss Li is bleeding,” that she belatedly realized: Could it be that her hand had slipped and she had shot off target?

This was impossible!

Jiang Shiran, holding the bow and arrow, strode over with large steps, directly pushing aside the girls blocking her way. When she saw the condition of the person surrounded by the ladies, she looked incredulous.

“Where did I hit you?”

As soon as Jiang Shiran came over, the ladies instinctively moved to either side, their gazes falling on the bow and arrow in her hands before quickly looking away.

Qiao Zhao stood in the center of the crowd, her hand covering her right cheek. Blood seeped through her fingers and soon gathered into a small stream flowing over the back of her hand, staining her plain colored dress.

Her hands were slender and fair, her clothes plain and elegant, which made the blood appear even more striking. And because the injury was to a young lady’s most precious face, it made people’s legs go weak at first sight.

“What’s wrong with you? Did you move around carelessly?” Jiang Shiran bit her lip and asked in frustration, her face flushing hot.

“Miss Jiang—” A cool, clear voice came as Xu Jinghong spoke expressionlessly: “At this moment, shouldn’t you first check how serious Third Miss Li’s injuries are?”

Lan Xinong also frowned and asked Du Feixue: “Miss Du, where is your residence’s physician? Why haven’t you quickly summoned him?”

The ladies all echoed this sentiment. Du Feixue, with a pale face, instructed a maid to fetch the physician. Suddenly, she heard a young man’s voice: “Feixue, what’s happened?”

Du Feixue turned to look and saw her brother, Du Feiyang, frowning as he stood not far away. Beside him stood several other young men of similar age, with only two men half a head taller than these youths—they were Zhu Yàn and Yang Houcheng.

Seeing her brother, the panicked Du Feixue finally found her anchor. She lifted her skirts and ran over, saying with a pale face: “Someone is injured. I’ve already sent someone to fetch the physician.”

Yang Houcheng had sharp eyes and immediately spotted the feathered arrow lying on the ground. He whispered to Zhu Yàn: “Could it be that someone was shot by an arrow?”

Upon hearing this, Du Feiyang’s expression changed.

He knew that his sister was hosting a small gathering for the ladies of the Fushan Society at their residence today. The ladies of the Fushan Society all had extraordinary backgrounds. If someone had been shot by an arrow, then his sister, as the host, would also bear responsibility.

“What exactly happened? Who was injured? How were they injured?” Du Feiyang asked urgently.

Du Feixue was already in a panic. Hearing this, she poured everything out like emptying a bamboo tube: “It was Li Zhao! She newly joined the Fushan Society, and according to the rules, she drew Miss Jiang to set a topic for the new member. Miss Jiang wanted to test her courage, so she had Li Zhao place peaches on her head while Miss Jiang shot at them. But then—”

She had only gotten halfway through her explanation when Zhu Yàn and Yang Houcheng’s expressions changed, and they strode toward the group of ladies.