Chapter 34: Pei Ji Injured?

"I lost my way for a moment, Your Majesty; I have caused you worry."

With the support of Liuyan, Shen Yuan managed to stand. She did not intend to expose Shen Wanning’s schemes for the time being; besides, no one would believe her anyway.

The Empress looked Shen Yuan up and down, and only after seeing that she had truly suffered no broken bones did she let out a sigh of relief.

"Shen Lang, take your sister back. She fell from such a high cliff—care for her well and ensure nothing goes wrong!"

Shen Lang, hearing his name, was momentarily dazed. As he came to his senses and met Shen Yuan’s gaze, he caught sight of the wound on her right arm and felt such guilt that he dared not look her in the eyes.

He stepped forward slowly and said awkwardly, "I will carry you back to the Shen residence."

Shen Yuan nodded gently. "Thank you, Second Brother."

Feeling the genuine weight on his shoulders, Shen Lang realized this was not a dream. A-Yuan was not dead!

"My sister has been found, but what about Governor Pei?" Shen Wanning’s voice chimed in, sounding deeply concerned for Pei Ji.

The Empress finally recalled the situation and began questioning the Imperial Guards about Pei Ji’s whereabouts. Logically speaking, in terms of horsemanship and martial arts, there was no one on the hunting grounds who could compare to Pei Ji. How could a perfectly capable man simply vanish during a routine spring hunt?

"Search! Search for him at once!"

"Make sure there is no delay..."

The clamor of the crowd grew more and more distant to Shen Yuan. Resting her head on Shen Lang’s shoulder, she said in a whisper, "Second Brother always puts Wanning first."

Shen Lang replied with some discomfort, "She is my sister; naturally, I... cherish her."

The implication was clear: *You are not my true sister.* If that was the case, what was wrong with him favoring Wanning?

Shen Yuan exhaled softly, accompanied by a faint, inescapable sigh. "How can Second Brother be so certain that Wanning is your biological sister? And why, for that matter, am I not?"

"There is Nanny Yun’s testimony, and Father performed the blood-drop test in person. How could it be false?" Shen Lang countered immediately. On the day of the verification, the entire Shen clan had served as witnesses. Everyone had seen the blood mingle with their own eyes. How could that not be proof?

"I am very sorry about what happened today," Shen Lang finally could not help but apologize.

In truth, he had not wanted to loose that second arrow. But the situation had been critical. From his perspective, it looked as if Shen Yuan and Wanning were struggling over something; if he did not intervene, and something happened to Wanning... he dared not think of it. And when Shen Yuan jumped, although he was shocked, he still felt relieved that Wanning was safe.

"It is fine, Second Brother. I do not care," Shen Yuan said, as calm as still water.

The more composed she was, the more uneasy Shen Lang felt, as if a great wave were about to come crashing down upon him.

After returning to the Shen residence, Madame Chen heard that Shen Yuan was injured and summoned the family physician. Fortunately, the bottom of the cliff was a pool of water, and she had not hit anything hard, so there was no major damage.

"You are a fragile girl; how did you end up in the Yinxiu Mountains?" Madame Chen asked, feigning concern.

Shen Lang coughed, seemingly to remind Shen Yuan not to reveal the truth. In fact, he had already guessed a portion of it. Shen Yuan would not have invited Wanning to meet, so it must have been Wanning’s doing.

Shen Yuan replied quietly, "Mother, I lost my way by accident. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

"As long as you are safe. I heard that Governor Pei is also missing?" she asked again. When she first heard the news, even Madame Chen found it too suspicious. How could two people go missing at the exact same time? Was there some hidden story?

Shen Yuan remained silent, appearing to wait for Shen Lang to answer.

"The Yinxiu Mountains are treacherous; perhaps... he got lost as well," Shen Lang explained hesitantly. He still could not fathom how, if Pei Ji had jumped down with Shen Yuan, he had simply disappeared.

Madame Chen thought of Wanning and worried, "I only hope nothing untoward has happened."

An hour later, Shen Wanning returned looking disheveled. Upon seeing Madame Chen, she ran into her arms and sobbed, "Mother, Pei Ji, he..." Before she could finish, her weeping overwhelmed her.

Shen Lang’s heart tightened, and he immediately thought of Shen Yuan. He could not help but raise his voice, "Is he truly involved with Shen Yuan?"

Shen Yuan scoffed, "Do not drag me into everything."

"Then how do you explain that you both jumped together, yet no trace of him was found?" Shen Lang could not understand. A person does not simply vanish in mid-air.

Madame Chen, confused by the exchange, was about to ask when she heard Shen Wanning cry out, "Governor Pei fell from the cliff while chasing prey and is still unconscious!"

"What?" Madame Chen shrieked. Unconscious—did that mean his life was in danger?

Thinking that Wanning had been betrothed to him—though the marriage had not progressed, the connection was public—if something happened to Pei Ji, the world would surely link it to Wanning. By then, rumors of her being a "husband-killer" or a bringer of misfortune would undoubtedly spread!

"How is the Governor's condition? Have you seen him?" Madame Chen asked anxiously.

Shen Wanning wiped her tears. "I haven't seen him, but I heard from his subordinate, Song Lin, that the Governor is severely injured, perhaps with a broken leg, and has already been taken back to the Pei residence..."

"Impossible!" Shen Lang instinctively retorted, looking at Shen Yuan. They fell from the same spot; one was unscathed, and the other had a broken leg?

Shen Yuan ignored him, pretending not to hear.

"Are you certain?" Madame Chen felt Shen Lang was acting strangely.

"I..." Shen Lang hesitated, unsure whether to reveal the truth about Shen Yuan’s fall. Shen Wanning looked back at him and shook her head slightly, clearly not wanting it to be exposed. Shen Lang silently closed his mouth.

"Mother, if there is nothing else, I will return to Qiushui Garden." Shen Yuan did not want to stay here and listen to them discuss Pei Ji’s injuries.

Madame Chen gave a silent nod. At this moment, she only cared about the state of Pei Ji’s injuries and whether they would affect Wanning’s marriage prospects. As for Shen Yuan, although she had fallen from such a high cliff, she was fortunate enough to be unhurt, so there was no need to worry.

Back at Qiushui Garden, Liuyan brought a bowl of hot ginger soup, worried that Shen Yuan would catch a cold from falling into the water. Shen Yuan drank it all in one breath and handed the bowl back, only to turn around and see, to her surprise, that Shen Lang had followed her.

"Second Brother, this is..."

"How could Pei Ji be injured?" He stepped forward and asked bluntly, "He fell down with you, so why was he found in a different direction?"

Shen Yuan was silent for a moment, then said, as calm as water, "So, Second Brother believes that Wanning was right to lure me to the Yinxiu Mountains. The mistake was mine for remaining silent instead of making Pei Ji’s situation public?"

"That is Governor Pei! How can you address him by his given name?"

"Even a stray cat or dog on the road has a name. He is just a man; why can I not use his name?" Shen Yuan’s gaze sank in an instant, and the weight of her tone made Shen Lang freeze.

He hung his head, looking somewhat abashed. It seemed he would get nothing more out of Shen Yuan. Just as Shen Lang prepared to leave, he suddenly thought of something.

"Why did the Governor jump off the cliff after you?"