Chapter 9: Spring Hunt (3)

Chapter 9: Spring Hunt (3)

After the laughter died down, the group made their way together to the designated hunting grounds, each one cracking their knuckles, eager to show what they've got.

The mountain path was narrow, and Chen Shuoan and his companions were squeezed in the crowd, barely able to breathe.

"The great Mr. Lu Xun once said: 'There is no road in the world at first, but when many people walk on it, a road is made.' Brother Yuanzhi, why don't you shift over a bit and pave a new path for everyone? You're about to step on my foot." Chen Shuoan tiptoed to dodge Zheng Yuanzhi's radar-guided boots, grumbling through gritted teeth.

"Why don't you shift over instead?" Zheng Yuanzhi shot back without missing a beat, taking a few steps forward to put some distance between himself and Chen Shuoan.

Li Wei, standing nearby, suddenly sniffed the air, then covered his nose and said, "Do you guys smell something?"

Chen Shuoan had been too busy bickering with Zheng Yuanzhi to notice, but at Li Wei's words, he looked up and took a deep breath—his face went green on the spot.

"Who farted?" Zheng Yuanzhi said, holding his nose.

Zhang Chenggong, walking ahead, turned back with an awkward smile, then played the victim and announced loudly, "Did you hear that? Brother Zheng's calling you out! Whoever farted, own up!"

Li Wei saw right through him. Since they were kids, whenever Zhang Chenggong so much as twitched, Li Wei knew exactly what kind of crap he was about to pull.

He kicked Zhang Chenggong square in the shin and roared, "What the hell did you eat that smells so bad? Are you trying to kill the guys behind us?"

Chen Shuoan stared at Li Wei with a strange look, his expression subtle as he said, "Come on, Brother Li, don't be greedy. Just getting a whiff should be enough—why are you hounding him for the recipe?"

"..." Li Wei withdrew his foot from Zhang Chenggong and grinned like a wolf at Chen Shuoan. "Shuo'an, today we're settling old scores and new grudges together. If I don't shut that yap of yours for good, I'll take your last name."

Chen Shuoan let out a hearty laugh at that, patting Zheng Yuanzhi on the shoulder and saying, "Brother Yuanzhi, listen to what Chen Wei here is saying. Since when do brothers nickel-and-dime each other?"

Li—now stripped of his surname and seething with helpless rage—Wei: "..."

Zheng Yuanzhi chuckled under his breath and reached out to block the wild punch Li Wei was swinging at Chen Shuoan, intervening, "You might wanna dial it back."

Yuan Rang watched the commotion from afar, his brow furrowing just barely.

Yuan De was also drawn in by the noise, and chuckled, "That's the young master of Grand Tutor Chen's household. Seventeen and still this rowdy."

He added with a sigh, "Sixth Brother's always been the quiet type. Three years ago, he wouldn't have laughed like that."

Yuan Rang ignored him, his dark eyes locked on Chen Shuoan, who was laughing and tangled up with the others. For no reason at all, a dark cloud settled over his mood.

Yuan De figured Yuan Rang wouldn't respond, but to his surprise, Yuan Rang gestured for a guard to approach and ordered, "Send someone over to tell them to quiet down. Don't scare off the game in the woods."

The guard acknowledged and left.

Yuan De felt a surreal sense that the sun must be rising from the west today.

I must be coming down with a cold, he thought.

Chen Shuoan and the others stayed quiet for a good while after being reminded.

Such a familiar feeling—like getting chewed out by a teacher on an elementary school field trip for being too wild.

Chen Shuoan laughed at the thought.

Li Wei watched him laugh until he looked like he might convulse, wondering what kind of episode he was having now.

Zheng Yuanzhi elbowed him and gestured, "The hunting grounds are just ahead."

Chen Shuoan looked closely—whoa, the stone gate had a plaque reading "Qingfeng Hall," the calligraphy bold and imposing—pretty impressive!

He scrunched up his nose in disgust and whispered to Zheng Yuanzhi, "What a lousy name. Makes it sound like we're heading in for a little opera show."

Zheng Yuanzhi shook his head slightly and whispered back, "It was named by His Majesty. Maybe we're just not classy enough to appreciate it."

Chen Shuoan figured he had a point and started wondering why he couldn't appreciate the name like all those high-minded folks.

————

At the whistle, six wild horses all bolted forward.

The young men on horseback were full of swagger and sunshine, cracking their whips as they charged toward the stone gate, kicking up thick clouds of dust behind them.

Chen Shuoan stared blankly at Yuan Rang's retreating back, reminded of the description in the book.

The current emperor had seven sons in total, and everyone said each one was a dragon among men. But anyone with half an eye could see that the crown prince, Yuan Qi, was the most outstanding of them all.

With so many sons, the emperor naturally had his favorites. The seventh prince, Yuan Rui, as the youngest, was the most doted upon. But when it came to the least favored, the sixth prince, Yuan Rang, was the odd one out.

That single character "Rang"—meaning to yield, to not contend, to stay obedient—fit him perfectly. At just fourteen, he'd fully committed to the "three nos" policy: not smart, not useful, not likable.

The book didn't waste much ink on Yuan Rang, repeating the same few lines over and over. But Chen Shuoan disagreed with the author's portrayal of him.

He would step in to help him out of trouble, tease people like a real kid, carefully attend to his feelings, and keenly pick up on everyone's emotions.

He was clever, capable, and likable.

He just didn't know how to express himself, and like every teenager in that awkward phase, he was covered in soft spikes—they might poke you, but they wouldn't draw blood.

Chen Shuoan saw Yuan Rang as a troubled kid and resolved to help him open up.

If he remembered correctly, the plot in the book had already reached the part where the crown prince, in his brilliance and bravery, risked himself to save the emperor from under a bear's claws.

As for why the emperor was being chased by a bear, the author never explained—only highlighting how handsome the protagonist was and how intense the fight was.

The writing lacked logic, but readers found it thrilling.

That, however, spelled trouble for Chen Shuoan, who had transmigrated into the book. Even with his omniscient perspective, he couldn't prevent the event from happening.

He let out a long sigh, feeling his current situation was extremely precarious.

There was a bear in the woods.

And he had to go in.