Good heavens! The Supreme God is being relentlessly harassed!

After changing their clothes backstage at the martial arts arena, Xie Yi and Shen Wangchuan rode up to Xie Liuyan.

Having had such a rare opportunity, Xie Yi looked at Shen Wangchuan, who was smiling brightly at Xie Liuyan, and made a plan in his mind.

Even though Shen Wangchuan is now the prince's personal bodyguard, Xie Yi has no intention of showing him any mercy.

Of course, Shen Wangchuan thought the same thing. Only a fool wouldn't seize such a good opportunity to showcase himself in front of Xie Liuyan.

If several people with Xie Yi's skills were to attack him together, he might be a little wary.

However, in a fair and square one-on-one competition, Shen Wangchuan was full of confidence in himself.

As the eunuch beside them shouted "Begin!", the two of them simultaneously drew their bows and arrows.

The targets they were competing against today appeared in the air.

Xie Yi focused his gaze and fired three arrows simultaneously, almost all of which pierced the bullseye with a single shot.

This drew unanimous praise from the onlookers, who remarked that he was indeed worthy of being the martial arts instructor personally chosen by the prince for His Majesty.

Even without the arrowhead, it still managed to shoot through the bullseye—that takes incredible arm strength!

What was most surprising was that Xie Yi fired three arrows simultaneously, and every single one of them hit its mark.

Targets were constantly being thrown into the air, and the two riders changed positions on horseback, creating a lively atmosphere on the field.

Shen Wangchuan was not to be outdone. He also took out three arrows from the quiver on his back and shot them at the target.

After all, it's about quantity, so there's no need for him to take it too seriously.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the ground was already covered with targets.

As the last target was launched into the air, the two men exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with unwavering determination.

Shen Wangchuan tightened the reins, and the horse neighed. He drew back the bow, aiming directly at the last target.

Xie Yi was in the same boat; this final shot had to succeed.

The two shot their arrows at the same time, and Xie Yi's arrow pierced the bullseye. This time, he conceded defeat.

Everyone felt that the matter was settled, since they had reached their limit and there was no way to go any further.

Xie Yi turned his horse around; the outcome was decided, and he should report to the prince.

But the next second, the onlookers gasped in surprise.

It turned out that Shen Wangchuan's arrow did not miss; it actually pierced Xie Yi's arrow and punched a hole in the center of the bullseye.

Xie Yi looked at the target that had fallen to the ground with a complicated expression.

At this moment, Shen Wangchuan dismounted decisively and walked to Xie Liuyan's side to claim credit:

"What does Your Highness think of my archery and horsemanship?"

His expression was very smug, and Xie Liuyan could see from his behavior that someone's tail was practically wagging in the air.

Shen Wangchuan is usually not this happy, but now that he has defeated Xie Yi, he is overjoyed.

In front of everyone, Xie Liuyan praised in a low voice:

"Not bad, it's basically a tie with Xie Yi."

Then, turning to Xie Yi who was walking over, he said, "You're not bad either. Go back and hone your skills, otherwise how can you teach His Majesty well?"

Xie Yi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, Your Highness. I understand."

Seeing this, Yun Qi seemed thoughtful. He hadn't expected Shen Wangchuan to be so skilled, able to fight his master to a draw.

With his birthday approaching, it's time to connect with the Shen family.

*

On the way back, Shen Wangchuan hummed a little tune as he pushed Xie Liuyan's wheelchair.

Xie Liuyan hadn't expected his good mood to last so long, and couldn't help but say:

"Did you enjoy coming to the palace with me today?"

Shen Wangchuan replied, "Of course, I didn't expect to encounter so many things on my first day of court. But fortunately, I'm with Ayan, so there's nothing to worry about."

"In short, it was a very fruitful trip. I'll continue to accompany Ayan to court tomorrow!"

Xie Liuyan smiled faintly upon hearing this. "Are you happy to be with him?"

He had thought that the intrigues in the imperial court and the martial arts competition would help this guy sort out his feelings.

In reality, Shen Wangchuan appeared very happy, but he knew exactly what was going on in his heart.

What he was dealing with was only a small part of Xie Liuyan's daily tasks.

The imperial court, imperial power, and aristocratic families—Xie Liuyan has always been at the center of it all.

He felt tired because of some trivial things, so what about Ayan?

Thinking of this, Shen Wangchuan stopped.

The wheelchair, which had been rolling, stopped moving forward because of his pause.

Xie Liuyan, puzzled, asked, "Why aren't we moving forward?"

"Ayan... Now that I've defeated Xie Yi, shouldn't you give me some reward?"

Unexpectedly, Shen Wangchuan stopped here to ask him for a reward. Xie Liuyan lifted his eyelids, a half-smile on his face:

"What does your rivalry with Xie Yi, your desire to outdo each other, have to do with me? And you even want a reward?"

Shen Wangchuan discovered that in private, if he slightly overstepped the line or angered Xie Liuyan, Xie Liuyan would invoke his status as a prince and address him as "this prince" repeatedly.

In the past, when Ah Yan was in the Prince's mansion, he could "use his power to suppress others," but now, on this secluded path, that might not be so effective.

Shen Wangchuan walked from behind Xie Liuyan to the front, half-squatting on the ground, his tone pitiful:

"Your Highness is magnanimous and forgiving. I've suffered terribly today. I haven't practiced archery in ages; my fingertips are practically blistered from this competition!"

As he spoke, Shen Wangchuan gestured to Xie Liuyan with an air of seriousness to his "injured" finger, specifically the fingertip that had been playing the string, which was slightly red and had some blood vessels.

0526 was shocked by Shen Wangchuan's behavior. Goodness, if he hadn't shown it to the prince to gain sympathy, it would probably have grown back by now.

It's also his own fault. He always had to show off in front of everyone on the training ground. Why did he want to do something if he didn't suffer this hardship himself?

0526 silently grumbled to himself.

Xie Liuyan's gaze naturally fell on his hands, and after looking at them, he moved his eyes upward and stared into Shen Wangchuan's eyes.

"So, what reward do you want?"

Hmm, I need to think about this carefully. I've been so busy lately that I almost forgot why I came to the Prince's mansion in the first place.

It's rare that his image in Xie Liuyan's eyes is becoming more and more reliable, so it's okay for him to make a slightly excessive request, right?

Shen Wangchuan laid the groundwork beforehand: "Ah Yan, to be honest, I really fell in love with you at first sight. Even if I had a few drinks, it didn't affect my truest feelings."

As he spoke, he himself sighed. He had seen many beauties in the vast capital city, and those were just people he had seen before. But the one who made his heart pound violently for a moment was the one standing before him.

It seemed as if something was drawing him in; once he saw Xie Liuyan, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Hearing him say that, Xie Liuyan's eyes flickered slightly. His understanding of Shen Wangchuan was also constantly evolving.

At first, I thought he was a spoiled brat with a frivolous personality, but now he seems quite reliable and has become much more composed.

After saying that, Shen Wangchuan started making demands: "As a reward for my victory, a hug isn't too much to ask, is it?"

Just as Xie Liuyan was about to speak, Shen Wangchuan leaned in.

The eye-level embrace made it easy for Xie Liuyan to see himself in Shen Wangchuan's eyes—not anyone else, not the regent carrying the heavy burden of the Yun Kingdom, but simply Xie Liuyan.

But what stunned Xie Liuyan was the warm breath on his ear and the whisper carried by the wind:

"Ayan, I love you."

Unbound by the constraints of time and space, Shen Wangchuan would always fall hopelessly in love with Xie Liuyan.