The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 97: Their Status Is in Jeopardy

Chapter 97: Their Status Is in Jeopardy

As the autumn hunt approached, Nanli began to prepare herself.

Although Chu Shuo had no intention of going, he had to prepare the attire for his younger sister.

As for the bows and arrows, Chu Yang had long been making preparations.

Chu Yan, unwilling to fall behind, asked Chu Shuo about the desired style and took the opportunity to make matching wooden or bamboo hairpins for his sister.

The three brothers were busy preparing, but to their surprise, two days later,

Ye Siheng arrived with a group of people, bringing all the necessary items for the autumn hunt.

It was a total of ten large boxes, containing everything from riding equipment, clothing, bows and arrows, to daily necessities.

When Chu Shuo and his two younger brothers saw this, they suddenly felt useless. Their status was in jeopardy.

Nanli was the first to examine the longbow in the box.

Its lines were simple and smooth, crafted with an unknown material, devoid of any unnecessary decorations.

When held in her hand, it felt neither light nor heavy.

Even its length was suitable for her stature.

Nanli was overjoyed and immediately picked it up to try it out.

Setting up the target at a distance, Nanli nocked an arrow, pulled back the bowstring, and aimed at the target.

With a loud bang, the arrow swiftly shot through the air, hitting the bullseye without piercing through.

"Excellent!" Chu Shuo was the first to exclaim, "Impressive, little sister!" Chu Yang and Chuyan also cheered in agreement.

Qing Feng couldn’t help but interject, "My lord’s archery skills are even more extraordinary."

Chu Yang’s eyes lit up, "Ninth Prince, why don’t you compete with my sister?"

Ye Siheng hesitated, but before he could refuse, Nanli had already handed him the longbow, saying, "Since your legs were not in good condition before, I didn’t want to challenge you. But now, it’s a good opportunity."

Ye Siheng had no choice but to ask, "Do we really have to compete?"

Nanli nodded, her eyes clear, "But you mustn’t let me win."

Knowing her temperament, he dared not defy her. They all arrived at the small training ground.

Qing Feng asked, "Miss Chu, should we follow the rules of our Black Armor Guards?" Nanli inquired, "What are the rules of your Black Armor Guards?"

Qing Feng explained, "We throw up small wooden boards as targets, and hitting them earns one point."

Chu Yang frowned, "That’s not fair. My sister hasn’t tried that before."

On the contrary, the Ninth Prince must have trained countless times and was already proficient.

He couldn’t let his sister be at a disadvantage!

Ye Siheng also wanted to shoot at regular targets, but to his surprise, Nanli readily agreed, her excitement evident.

"My lord, let’s do it together." Ye Siheng couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Shooting individually was different from shooting together because the opponent could interfere with their arrows.

In the Black Armor Guards’ camp, he had never encountered an opponent.

He raised an eyebrow, his expression serious, and agreed.

Upon hearing this, Qing Feng immediately made arrangements.

The wooden boards were small and thrown from both sides.

The two of them immediately nocked their arrows, pulled back their bowstrings, and with two loud bangs, shot towards the wooden boards.

Originally, both arrows could hit the boards, but when competing against each other, not only did they have to hit their own targets, but they also had to prevent their opponent from scoring.

Ye Siheng deliberately delayed his shot, waiting for Nanli’s arrow to hit first, and then swiftly followed, pushing her arrow aside.

Naturally, Ye Siheng scored a point.

Everyone was stunned. I

t was only the first arrow, yet it was already so intense.

Their palms were sweating.

Chus Shuo gritted his teeth and muttered, "Why doesn’t the Ninth Prince understand the concept of chivalry and gallantry?"

Chu Yang sarcastically replied, "Second brother, I don’t think our sister wants the Ninth Prince to go easy on her. It wouldn’t be fun otherwise."

Chu Yan nodded, "Indeed, our sister can handle losing."

Meanwhile, Zhi Mi stood calmly on the side and said, "Senior Sister should start taking it seriously now."

The three brothers tilted their heads, wondering if their sister hadn’t been serious just now.

Or perhaps Zhi Mi understood Nanli better.

Nanli’s first arrow was just a warm-up.

When the second wooden board was thrown, she immediately shot her arrow.

Chu Shuo exclaimed, "Oh no! Sister, why did you shoot the arrow so quickly? You should have waited for the Ninth Prince to follow, like a sparrow following a swallow."

A loud bang echoed through the air as Nanli’s arrow shattered the wooden board into pieces.

Even the Black Armor Guards on the training ground, including Qing Feng, widened their eyes in astonishment.

Such... such strength!

Due to the board breaking apart, Ye Siheng’s second arrow missed its mark.

"Well done, Sixth Sister!" Chu Shuo shouted loudly from the sidelines.

Chu Yang and Chu Yan also showed excitement, cheering in unison.

Zhi Mi, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, standing quietly to the side.

With Nanli’s victory in this round, the two were now tied, and they would have to be even more serious in the following rounds.

Thus, whether it was Ye Siheng shattering the board or Nanli, the ultimate goal was to see who was faster and more accurate.

After ten boards, they each scored five points, unable to determine a winner.

Their intention was to spar, not necessarily to determine a victor.

However, in the military camp, no one could match Ye Siheng, so the Black Armor Guards looked at Nanli with admiration and respect.

Nanli rarely found a worthy opponent, and she was in a good mood.

So much so that when she had free time, she would seek out Ye Siheng at the Mansion of Prince Yu to spar with him.

At first, Ye Siheng thought it was fine, but later he felt something was amiss.

After all, he was supposed to marry Nanli in the future, and if they continued to spar like this, wouldn’t they become comrades-in-arms?

Therefore, one night, he specifically booked a private room at the Bright-Moon Tower and invited Nanli to enjoy the moon together.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Nanli arrived, her brows furrowed.

Ye Siheng poured her a cup of tea and asked, "What’s wrong? Is this place not clean?"

"It’s not that, but it gives me a strange feeling," Nanli couldn’t quite grasp what that feeling was.

Ye Siheng knew she wouldn’t be like this without reason, and his expression turned serious.

"Shall I accompany you for a stroll then?"

The Bright-Moon Tower was one of the famous restaurants in the capital, and whether it was day or night, the scenery was splendid.

Nanli nodded.

Now that Ye Siheng’s legs had healed, he no longer needed someone to assist him, allowing the two of them to have some alone time.

Tonight, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

The Bright-Moon Tower was illuminated every three steps, making both the main building and the backyard as bright as day.

Guests came and went, creating a lively atmosphere.

With their exceptional appearances, they naturally attracted many gazes.

However, because Ye Siheng exuded a strong aura, people dared not look at him for too long.

After wandering around the courtyard for a while, Nanli finally noticed someone with dirt on their body.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the Second Prince, Ye Chengbo.

Ye Chengbo also noticed the two of them and hurriedly came over to pay his respects.

Although Nanli had not yet married into the Mansion of Prince Yu, Ye Chengbo still politely addressed her as the Sixth Miss.

Ye Siheng’s expression remained indifferent as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Ye Chengbo replied, "Nephew is just meeting with a friend."

Nanli then took out a talisman of protection and said, "The Second Prince has some dirt on him. This talisman can help dispel it."

Ye Chengbo’s face showed a mix of surprise and fear as he quickly accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Sixth Miss."

"Never mind, it’s three hundred taels," Nanli said.

"If you don’t have the money now, you can have someone deliver it to my residence tomorrow."