Chapter 15

Chapter 15

In my youth, when my heart first began to stir, I once loved someone.

Unfortunately, that person was of lowly status-nothing more than a groom in my family’s stables.

Unfortunately, this affection was absurd; it withered away before it could ever be voiced.

On the night of the Lantern Festival when I was thirteen, the east wind seemed to make a thousand trees burst into bloom. Lanterns glowed like daylight, their brilliance scattered across every household.

As fireworks blossomed in the sky, a lethal, cloud-piercing arrow shattered the festive clamor.

A riot broke out in the city. A band of masked thugs raised their bows, shooting down people in the streets.

I was on the city wall with my mother that day when I heard the Chancellor’s Wife scream at the top of her lungs, “Protect them! Protect them! Protect the Princess!”

It was said that the Crown Prince had brought a princess along to view the lanterns from the city wall.

The Princess was among the ranks of the noblewomen at the time, surrounded by people like the moon encircled by stars. In truth, my mother and I couldn’t even get close to her.

However, while descending the city wall, the County Princess Rongjia, who was by her side, accidentally tripped and fell.

The Chancellor’s Wife was solely focused on escorting the Princess out first, leaving the County Princess Rongjia behind.

My mother grit her teeth, let go of my hand, and went to help her.

The situation that day was utter chaos. The crowd, scrambling to get down, pushed me toward God knows where.

By the time I realized what was happening, I had already reached the bottom of the wall and was standing in the street, unable to find my bearings.

A thug hiding in the shadows aimed his bow and arrow directly at me.

At that critical moment, Liang Zhi appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed my arm and shielded me as we fled for our lives.

It was a truly soul-stirring night.

The two of us hid in a chicken coop on the outskirts of the city, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Liang Zhi told me that these thugs were no ordinary criminals; they were all expert killers who knew how to disguise themselves and blend into the crowd.

It would likely take some time for the capital guards to apprehend them all.

The chicken coop was tiny and smelled foul. I was pressed so close to Liang Zhi that I couldn’t help but vomit all over him.

I had been pampered since childhood and had never experienced such peril.

This narrow escape from death left my mind feeling dazed and surreal, yet at the same time, I felt a faint stir of excitement in my heart.

My heart pounded wildly. Only when I had completely calmed down did I realize that Liang Zhi was injured.

While we were running for our lives, he had focused entirely on protecting me and had been grazed by an arrow on his arm.

With a sob in my voice, I said, “Liang Zhi, you’re bleeding.”

The fifteen-year-old boy flashed a toothy grin at me, feigning composure. “It’s nothing, Fourth Miss. It doesn’t hurt.”

He had saved my life and was injured because of me. Filled with gratitude, I pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it against his wound.

I said, “Don’t call me Fourth Miss anymore. Since you call my grandfather ‘Granduncle,’ and my childhood name is Yuan Niang, you can just call me Ah Yuan.”