CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43 JEALOUSY

When the girls laughed at her recklessly, Fengyu released her third arrow, hitting an orange with precision. Fang Lingjun jumped up joyfully, "Ayu, you’re amazing! Keep it up!"

Fang Lingjun was even happier than if she had hit the target herself.

"Hmph, it’s just good luck."

"Exactly, a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse," Lin Yu Yan mocked.

Then, Fengyu set her sights on chrysanthemums. Six consecutive arrows nailed her targets, leaving one final shot. Fengyu had scored thirty-seven points.

"She’s lost!" Lin Cheng laughed. "The last shot is the copper coin. Even for men, hitting the copper coin is challenging — let alone Fengyu. She’s bound to fail."

King Qi stroked his chin, eying the fiery red figure intently. "What a pity."

Xie Xun, with a semi-smile, rested his chin on his hand. The little fox’s tail couldn’t stay hidden any longer.

Wu Changhuan and Zhang Jingmiao were already congratulating Lin Yu Yan on securing first place, and Lin Yu Yan herself was gleefully smug. "Fengyu, if you think you can beat me, maybe next lifetime. Stop humiliating yourself."

Fengyu stayed focused, calculating her score. If she hit the copper coin, she’d surpass Lin Yu Yan. Hers was never a cautious temperament; she preferred to bet it all, taking unconventional risks.

With dignity and honor hanging in the balance, she was ready to put Lin Yu Yan in her place.

The autumn wind was sharp; her crimson attire burned like fire. Her gaze was steady and unwavering. The noisier the surroundings grew, the calmer Fengyu became. She bent her bow, aimed at the copper coin, and released the arrow. It pierced the coin and knocked it clean down.

The entire arena fell silent. The scorn, the disdain—all transformed into awe and shock. Who could have imagined that in their eyes, the foolish, shameless Fengyu excelled at archery? Composed and unpretentious, she unfurled like drifting clouds and soaring skies, likened to an unattainable princess.

Fengyu’s heart finally settled.

Forty-seven. She had won!

Fang Lingjun was the first to scream, "Ayu, you’re my goddess! You hit the copper coin! You won!"

Lin Yu Yan screamed in frustration, "Impossible! How could this idiot Fengyu hit the copper coin? She... she... she cheated! This doesn’t count! This doesn’t count!"

Others gazed at Fengyu in astonishment.

The young men nearby began discussing.

"Fengyu isn’t foolish or incapable? I thought she was always last in archery?"

"This... a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, perhaps? Her luck is insane."

"I think she’s outright humiliating Lin Yu Yan. Forty-seven points, just one more than Lin Yu Yan."

Fengyu dismounted from her horse while Fang Lingjun ran over to hug her tightly, more thrilled than if she’d taken first place herself. "Ayu, this is the happiest day of my life! You smacked Lin Yu Yan hard across the face. You really love avenging yourself, hahaha! I’m overjoyed!"

Lin Yu Yan rushed up to Fengyu. "Fengyu! So this whole time, you’ve been deceiving everyone!"

"Just lucky!" Fengyu teased intentionally, giving a mocking wink to infuriate Lin Yu Yan further. "I just happened to score one point higher than you. Thanks for the game."

Lin Yu Yan’s eyes burned with rage as she spat a threat, "There’s still the third round. Don’t celebrate too soon."

She stormed off furiously. Fengyu had avenged herself and felt utterly elated. She received a bracelet and gifted it to Fang Lingjun. Fang Lingjun initially planned to pass the bracelet to her mother but happily accepted it instead. Everyone was delighted.

Fang Lingjun dragged Fengyu to meet Princess Xue Lan. Feng Wan, seeing the storm settling, felt her heart calm too. Feng Ling, transitioning from shock to confusion, asked Feng Wan, "Big Sister, Third Sister is so skilled in archery. Why does she always perform poorly during academic evaluations?"

"Perhaps she doesn’t care to compete with others," Feng Wan said self-mockingly. "She lives freer than we do."

Clearly, she could’ve hit roses or chrysanthemums to beat Lin Yu Yan, but under Lin Yu Yan’s smothering stare, she opted not to provoke. Fengyu was braver; in the instant Fengyu triumphed, Feng Wan felt both joy and utter shame.

Princess Xue Lan was the legitimate daughter of Marquis An Yuan. Her life had been fraught with twists—switched at birth by her wet nurse, she grew up in rural mountains and villages. Only when Princess Xue Lan secretly followed the wet nurse to Shangjing and was spotted at the Marquis Mansion did the truth come to light. Her resemblance to the Marchioness made suspicions arise. Sensible and observant, the Marchioness deduced the truth from the wet nurse’s behavior and ordered a full investigation, unveiling the tale of swapped children.

The enemy’s daughter had been raised richly in the mansion, educated and spoiled, while her own daughter suffered in the countryside enduring hardships. The Marchioness painfully sent the fostered child away and brought Princess Xue Lan back home. The Marquis sought imperial favor and successfully titled his daughter Princess Xue Lan. Hence, Princess Xue Lan remained unfamiliar with the noble girls of Shangjing and often stumbled over etiquette due to her rustic upbringing, garnering ridicule. In the past two years, she seldom left home.

After meeting Princess Xue Lan, Fengyu sat to her right. The princess, charming and delicate, spoke softly, praising Fengyu’s archery skills. Fengyu invited her to hang out sometime, and Xue Lan happily agreed.

"You two should go out together more often. One hides away to avoid ridicule, the other stays home to dodge gossip—both cowards. Why care about them? Let’s enjoy ourselves and have fun—that’s what matters!"

Princess Xue Lan flushed at these words, and Fengyu laughed, saying, "Sister Xue Lan, come visit me often in the future."

"Alright," Princess Xue Lan replied apologetically. "On the day of your coming-of-age ceremony, my mother was a distinguished guest. I had originally wanted to accompany her and offer my congratulations, but I couldn’t get out of bed due to illness."

"The Marchioness brought over your prepared gift. I loved it; you were very thoughtful, Commandery Princess."

"I’m glad you liked it, Sister," Xue Lan said.

Seeing them converse so well made Fang Lingjun equally pleased. Fengyu said, "Junjun, call Qiuxiang over. I have something to ask her."

"Sure." Fang Lingjun instructed Qiangwei to go find Qiuxiang. Once the maids arrived, they were led to a designated courtyard to rest. Fengyu was aware of Lin Yu Yan’s intentions to harm her, but with so many people around, Lin dared not act rashly.

Qiuxiang arrived quickly, and Fengyu said, "Go find Big Sister, tell her to keep an eye on Fourth Sister. They can play inside the archery field, but don’t let them go to the garden."

"Understood!"

Fengyu thought for a moment, pulling Qiuxiang close to whisper something in her ear. Qiuxiang looked surprised but nodded and left.

Fengyu knew Lin Yu Yan was plotting to compromise her reputation in the garden’s annex rooms. As long as she stayed on the field, Lin couldn’t succeed. She only needed to ensure her sisters’ safety, fearing Lin might vent her anger on Feng Wan or Feng Ling instead.

Keeping Feng Wan and Feng Ling within sight, Fengyu noticed Qiuxiang had already joined Feng Wan. Soon after, the maids of both sisters arrived beside them. Feng Wan led Feng Ling to play leaf cards with familiar girls on a high platform.

Qiuxiang had delivered the message to the garden’s depths, taking two whole incense sticks’ time before returning to Fengyu’s side.

Lin Yu Yan returned to the field alongside Wu Changhuan and Zhang Jingmiao, the latter looking tense and worried. But Lin Yu Yan stared at Fengyu relentlessly. Everything was prepared—she just needed to lure Fengyu to the pavilion. There, she planned to ruin Fengyu’s reputation. Moreover, she intended to let an audience witness the spectacle, ensuring Fengyu’s disgrace as the shameful "fallen woman" became a public scandal.