Amor bajo las estrellas lejanas

Capítulo 111

These past few days, Tian Yong has been training the newly arrived guards in the mansion, and he went to the back mountain early in the morning.

After Tian Shuang finished packing, she helped Xi Ri get up, wash, and eat. She kept glancing outside the door, seemingly anxious. Xi Ri shook her head and laughed when she saw this, "Why do you look so impatient? Be careful that Prince Ming doesn't see you and embarrass your young lady."

Upon hearing this, Tian Shuang blushed slightly and stammered, "Miss, you don't know, that snow fox has quite a background. Not just anyone can hunt it."

"How so?" Xi Ri asked.

“I’ve occasionally heard people say that if you hunt a snow fox, you must give its pelt to your beloved, and the two of you will love each other until death do you part.” Tian Shuang’s eyes shone brightly as she said this, unable to hide her fervor.

"Really?" Xi Ri asked somewhat awkwardly.

Tian Shuang didn't notice that her young lady's expression was off, and murmured to herself, "So I want to hunt one too, to give to Brother Yu..."

Xi Ri overheard her murmur and suddenly thought of a question: Does that mean that people who are in unrequited love all want to hunt snow foxes? And, to this day, have snow foxes not become extinct?

"When did you hear this claim?" Xi Ri asked Tian Shuang.

Tian Shuang thought for a moment and said, "About three years ago."

No wonder it hasn't gone extinct yet, but it'll be soon... Rumors are really scary; she's already experienced it a few times.

Minglu arrived as promised, having informed the Emperor's brother-in-law, Lord Tian, beforehand. Although it was improper for Minglu to accompany Xiri, who had not returned home all night, Lord Tian still agreed, saying that this daughter was destined to be Minglu's. Seeing how much Prince Minglu cherished and cared for her, he was naturally delighted.

Minglu picked up Xiri and Tianshuang and they went together. Xiri changed her clothes and discussed with Minglu that they would ride horses once they left the city and would not take a carriage. Minglu smiled and said that everything had been prepared for her in advance.

When the group arrived at the city gate, Xi En, Nalan, Fu Jin, and a group of guards were already waiting there with their horses.

Upon seeing Xi Ri alight from the carriage, Fu Jin rushed forward and asked, "Fifth Sister, did you also go to Yun Que Courtyard yesterday?"

Xi Ri was secretly alarmed, but outwardly she put on a puzzled expression and said, "No."

Fu Jin looked embarrassed and muttered, "I must have been mistaken. No wonder I saw Fifth Sister step over my head."

Stepping over Fourth Brother's head? Xi Ri was momentarily stunned, but immediately realized that it must have been Long Ming's doing!

At this moment, Minglu led over a chestnut-red horse, handed the reins to Xiri, and said, "Let's set off."

The group rode swiftly and arrived at Phoenix Mountain before noon.

Phoenix Mountain is named so because it has two main peaks, one called Phoenix Peak and the other called Phoenix Peak. The two peaks are connected like holding hands, resembling a pair of lovers, hence the name Phoenix Mountain.

Phoenix Mountain stretches for miles, its peaks majestic and magnificent. Now covered in snow, the mountain glistens and sparkles as far as the eye can see, inspiring a sense of vastness and grandeur in all who behold it!

The trees once stood upright and easy, but now, weighed down by snow, their branches are leaning. When the wind or other external forces come, they shake off the snow and fall in a soft rustling sound, creating a unique and charming scene.

Despite their fatigue, the group was invigorated by the scenery and galloped straight towards the highest and steepest peak, Phoenix Peak. The mountain path was rugged, and by the time they were nearing the summit, their horses could no longer continue. Undeterred, they entrusted their horses to their accompanying guards and continued on foot. The others, skilled in martial arts, found the ascent effortless, but Tian Xiri, lacking such skills, gradually fell behind. Fu Jin, following beside her, repeatedly offered to carry her up the mountain, but she refused. Then, Ming Lu chuckled from the side, "Fu Jin, you dare to steal what I'm about to do?"

Fu Jin hurriedly smiled and said, "Fifth Sister is the future Princess Ming. If I don't hurry up and curry favor with her now, I'm afraid it won't be my turn later."

Minglu chuckled lightly.

Fu Jin continued, “Minglu, you are so lucky to have married such a beautiful woman as Fifth Sister. I secretly went to see Fifth Sister’s younger sister, Tian Xiyun. Alas, she is far inferior. Fifth Sister, what I said when I was drunk that I would marry your sister doesn’t count. I was confused at the time, so it doesn’t count.”

Everyone laughed. Who ever took what you said back then seriously?

Nalan, who was in front, turned around and laughed, "Fu Jin, I heard that Princess Ningxiang has been sending people to keep an eye on you all day long. Wherever you appear, she appears. She keeps calling you 'Young Master Bai.' I wonder if she will chase you all the way to Phoenix Mountain today!"

Everyone burst into laughter. "Young Master Xiaobai..." Fu Jin's courtesy name was Xiaobai. But for some reason, he loathed the name, so no one ever called him Xiaobai. Now, Ningxiang called him "Young Master Xiaobai" the moment she saw him, which naturally infuriated him!

Everyone thought that Fu Jin would one day be chased by a beauty. It was really upside down. In the past, he was the one chasing after beauties, but today it was the beauty chasing him.

Xi Ri laughed along with them. These brothers were used to speaking and acting freely when they were together, saying whatever came to mind. They truly trusted each other. Every time she was with them, she could feel that their world did not exclude her. They treated her as before, like brothers, like siblings, not just as a young lady from a noble family who only needed to be loved or cared for. She liked this feeling, the natural freedom and joy.

Just then, her third brother suddenly whispered in her ear, "If you don't let me carry you, I'm going to hug you instead."

Upon hearing this, Xi Ri couldn't help but blush slightly, not knowing what to do, when Fu Jin shouted from the side, "Ming Lu threatened Fifth Sister, saying that if she doesn't carry her on her back, he'll have to hug her."

Nalan stumbled ahead, and Xi'en burst into laughter.

The guards all turned to look at them with chuckles. Laughter echoed across Phoenix Mountain, and a mountain breeze blew, causing the snow on the pine branches to fall, sparkling and dazzling, making it hard for people to open their eyes.

Tian Xiri's face turned bright red.

Nalan suddenly turned around and shouted, "Hug! Hug! I want a hug!"

Nalan's shout caused the crowd to be bewitched and shout in unison, "Hug! Hug!" The sound echoed through the valley.

In the midst of the shouts, Fu Jin suddenly yelled, "No, we have to carry it! Carry it! Carry it!"

A snowball suddenly hit Fu Jin's hair ornament, stopping him from shouting any further.

Snowballs bloomed on Fu Jin's head, showering him with snow, some even falling into his neck. Fu Jin screamed from the cold, his eyes flashing with malice as he turned back angrily, only to see Ming Lu throwing countless snowballs at him one after another. Immediately, his eyes widened in terror, and he covered his head and ran away.

While running, Fu Jin didn't forget to counterattack, occasionally throwing a snowball haphazardly behind him.

A snowball hit Xiri squarely. Xiri winced as the snowball hit him, then rolled up a snowball himself and joined his third brother in chasing after his fourth brother, Fu Jin. Back and forth they went, and before long, the group was engaged in a fierce snowball fight, with snowflakes filling the air.

When the endless snowballs finally stopped, Xi Ri, covered in snow, knelt in the snow, unable to stand. Fourth Brother was so cruel, bullying her like this; she was beyond tears.

Tian Shuang, who was in no better shape, was about to try to help the young lady up when Ming Lu suddenly approached, reached out and picked Xi Ri up from the snow, saying in a serious tone, "If you won't carry me, I'll just have to carry you." After saying that, he ignored Xi Ri's struggles and strode away expressionlessly.

Tian Shuang was taken aback, but remained silent and followed behind.

Looking at her third brother's expressionless face, Xi Ri didn't know what to say for a moment. She stammered and finally said, "Let's just memorize it."

Minglu chuckled, looking tenderly at her in his arms, his eyes full of teasing. Xiri only then realized that her third brother was deliberately teasing her, and she was speechless for a moment. She had never seen her third brother like this before.

Third Brother blinked and laughed, "What? You don't recognize me after just a short while?" Xi Ri was speechless for a moment, while Ming Lu smiled nonchalantly, no longer looking at her, and looked up at a snowman who had been buried in the snow by the crowd and was struggling to get up, and shouted, "Fu Jin, do you want me to have someone carry you?"