Quick Transmigration: The Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character's Revenge

Before he had taken more than a few steps, Qi Ning suddenly whispered in his ear, "Your Highness seems to have been injured as well while saving me..."

Because the two were so close, Xiao Yu could feel her breath as she spoke, and he could also smell her faint fragrance.

Xiao Yu's ears burned, and he tilted his head slightly.

"It's just a minor injury, Your Majesty need not worry about it."

Qi Ning looked at his slightly reddened ears, but seemed unaware, and moved even closer to him.

"Regardless, I still want to thank Your Highness."

"Your Majesty, you're welcome."

Xiao Yu nodded in response and quickened his pace without making a sound.

He was tall and upright, with long and powerful legs. He moved with incredible speed and agility, and before long, he easily carried Qi Ning up the steep slope.

He put Qi Ning down as soon as he went uphill.

But at this moment, Xiao Yu and Qi Ning's two horses had disappeared.

It's quite a distance from here to the camp, and it won't be easy to walk back, especially now that Qi Ning is injured.

Xiao Yu couldn't possibly carry her back like that in front of everyone.

"Your Highness?"

Suddenly a sound came, followed by the sound of horses' hooves approaching from afar.

It was Xiao Yu's servant, Fang Ping, who came looking for them.

Upon seeing Xiao Yu, Fang Ping rode over quickly and dismounted, asking, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Qi Ning beside Xiao Yu, feeling somewhat puzzled. Why was there a woman beside His Highness, and why did the two of them look so disheveled, with His Highness even supporting the woman's arm?

Xiao Yu shook his head slightly: "You've come at the right time. Bring the horse over here."

"Yes." Fang Ping led the horse over.

"Consort Ning, your horse must have been startled and run far away. It won't be found for a while. Why don't you ride this horse back to the camp first, so you can treat your foot injury as soon as possible?" Xiao Yu said to Qi Ning.

Qi Ning naturally did not refuse: "Okay."

However, she was clearly unable to mount the horse herself in that state.

After receiving her permission, Xiao Yu said "I apologize for the intrusion" and then lifted Qi Ning onto the horse.

Qi Ning seemed much calmer at this moment. She tidied her hair and riding clothes, and then pulled her cloak tighter.

Then she looked at Xiao Yu: "And what about Your Highness?"

There was only one horse at the moment, and Xiao Yu had no intention of sharing a ride with Qi Ning.

"Your Majesty, I will escort you back."

Qi Ning had just fallen off her horse; it wouldn't be right to let her ride back alone, in case she fell again.

With that, he took the reins and headed towards the camp.

Fang Ping followed them at a distance, holding the prey that Xiao Yu had just hunted—a pure white rabbit.

The rabbit had been shot in the leg with an arrow, but it wasn't dead yet and was struggling in Fang Ping's hands.

Qi Ning glanced at it and asked knowingly, "Your Highness was hunting here just now?"

"Exactly."

"What a beautiful rabbit..."

Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "Does Your Highness like rabbits?"

Qi Ning gave a soft "hmm": "They look rather pitiful."

"If Your Highness likes it, then it shall be given to Your Highness."

Qi Ning's face lit up with surprise: "Really?"

Xiao Yu turned around and gestured for Fang Ping to bring the rabbit over. He then handed the rabbit to Qi Ning.

Qi Ning quickly took the rabbit and hugged it to his chest: "Thank you, Your Highness!"

The rabbit was placed in her arms, and after being stroked a couple of times, it gradually calmed down and stopped struggling.

Xiao Yu looked up and saw Qi Ning's smiling face, then looked back ahead.

He curled his lips into a smile: "It's just a rabbit, as long as Your Majesty likes it."

Fang Ping followed behind Xiao Yu with a complicated expression.

Next month is the birthday of Prince Yu's mother, and this rabbit was personally hunted by His Highness Prince Yu for her.

He deliberately shot the arrow into the rabbit's leg so that he could preserve a complete pelt to make a scarf as a birthday gift for the old queen.

I never expected him to give the rabbit away like that...

Xiao Yu planned to lead Qi Ning to a place closer to the camp and then let her ride back slowly on her own.

After all, she was an imperial concubine, and it would be inappropriate for others to see her alone with a man.

However, they hadn't gone far when they suddenly saw a figure appear ahead.

"Miss!"

Qiu Lu rushed over: "Your Highness, are you alright?"

"It's nothing," Qi Ning replied, then said to Xiao Yu, "Your Highness, this is my maid."

Qiu Lu looked at Xiao Yu and Fang Ping with some wariness.

Xiao Yu nodded slightly: "This place is not far from the camp. Since someone has come to fetch Your Highness, then..."

Qi Ning understood Xiao Yu's meaning; he wanted to avoid suspicion.

"Your Highness is right, there's no need to see me off."

Xiao Yu released the reins from his hand, and Qiu Lu hurriedly came over to take them.

After Qi Ning thanked them again, he and Qiu Lu said goodbye and left.

Xiao Yu stood with his hands behind his back, watching the mistress and servant leave.

Before he could look away, Qi Ning, who was on horseback, turned around and looked back.

When Xiao Yu met Qi Ning's gaze, for some reason, he subconsciously looked away.

When he looked up again, Qi Ning had already turned around, and he could only see her back.

"Your Highness... Your Highness..."

Fang Ping called out twice before his lord came to his senses.

Xiao Yu looked at Fang Ping and said expressionlessly, "Let's pretend we didn't see anything today."

As he spoke, he bent down, flicked the dust off the hem of his clothes, and then turned and left.

Fang Ping dared not ask any further questions and quickly replied, "Yes, this servant understands."

He chased after him: "Your Highness, where are we going? Are we hunting another rabbit?"

Xiao Yu said lazily, "Find a horse."

On the other side, Qi Ning was also facing Qiu Lu's questions.

"Your Highness, what happened to you just now? Why are you with Prince Yu? And this horse doesn't seem to be the same one as before?"

As she spoke, she noticed the bandage on Qi Ning's ankle: "Oh dear, what happened to your foot?"

Qi Ning stroked the rabbit in her arms and explained simply, "The horse was startled just now, and it was thanks to His Highness Prince Yu that I was saved."

Qiu Lu was initially wary of Xiao Yu, but after hearing what Qi Ning said, her wariness instantly turned into gratitude.

She looked full of self-reproach: "It's all my fault. I should have brought more palace maids who could ride horses to accompany Your Highness."

Qi Ning comforted her, "Don't blame yourself. It was just an accident. How can I blame you? Besides, I'm fine, aren't I?"

"Your Majesty is injured, how can you say you're alright?"

Upon hearing of Qi Ning's injury, Qiu Lu quickened her pace, leading her horse: "We must hurry back and fetch the imperial physician to treat Her Majesty!"

When they returned to their tent, Qiu Lu immediately sent for the imperial physician.

After examining the wound, the imperial physician said it was just a superficial injury and that the tendons and bones were not damaged.

To be honest, Qi Ning wasn't even as badly injured as that rabbit.

After the imperial physician bandaged her and the rabbit, Qiu Lu asked him some more questions about precautions before seeing him off.

After a while, Qiu Lu returned to the tent and saw Qi Ning with a faint smile on his lips, gently stroking the rabbit in his arms.

She leaned closer and said, "Your Highness, the rabbit that His Highness Prince Yu hunted is truly beautiful. It's pure white, without a single stray hair."

Qi Ning hummed in agreement.

This rabbit was indeed an unexpected bonus.

"Since Your Highness wants to keep it, shouldn't you give it a name?"

Qi Ning pondered for a moment: "Then let's call it Tuanzi (Dumpling)."

"This name is really nice, but if word gets out that you're raising a rabbit given to you by His Highness Prince Yu, I'm afraid it won't be good," Qiu Lu said worriedly.

Qi Ning chuckled lightly: "Then just don't tell anyone. Not only about this rabbit, but you can't talk about anything related to His Highness Prince Yu today."

Qiu Lu nodded repeatedly: "This servant understands!"

Although His Highness Prince Yu saved Her Majesty today, this matter must not be known to outsiders, otherwise it will affect Her Majesty's reputation.

As for the origin of this rabbit, that's even more impossible to say.

Qiu Lu understood that her mistress had only saved the rabbit out of kindness, but outsiders wouldn't think that way.

If word got out that His Highness Prince Yu was sending gifts to His Majesty's concubines, it would be considered an act of illicit exchange.

Qiu Lu kept this secret to herself.

The next day.

Xiao Yu planned to wander into the woods again to see what prey he might find.

He led Fang Ping halfway there, when he suddenly saw two figures under a big tree ahead.

He stopped his horse and looked at the people not far away.

Ning Zhaoyi was dressed in a light blue waist-length ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and a matching cloak. Her face was gentle and her expression serene. She was staring intently at a rabbit on the grass, and the injury on her foot seemed to have healed.

The rabbit on the ground was the one he had hunted yesterday; its leg wound had already been bandaged.

The rabbit probably knew it was injured and wouldn't survive if it ran away, so it obediently lay down at Ning Zhaoyi's feet and ate grass.

Xiao Yu found it strange. Logically speaking, Consort Ning should have many servants around her, but she only brought one palace maid with her, just like yesterday.

Hearing that during the autumn hunt, the other concubines were thinking about how to show off their riding and hunting skills to His Majesty in an attempt to attract his attention and win his favor, only Consort Ning did not try to get close to His Majesty.

Thinking back to their first meeting, she risked her life to deliver soup to the imperial study, seemingly someone who would stop at nothing to win favor.

But now that she has such a good opportunity, why doesn't she want to compete for favor?

It's really hard to figure out.

Just as Xiao Yu was staring at Qi Ning, slightly lost in thought, Qi Ning suddenly looked up and happened to see him.

Xiao Yu felt somewhat embarrassed, as if he had been caught red-handed while trying to investigate someone.

He composed himself, jumped off his horse, and went to pay his respects.

"I have met Consort Ning."

“Your Highness Prince Yu, what a coincidence.” Qi Ning smiled slightly.

Xiao Yu glanced down at Qi Ning's feet, but her ankles were hidden by her skirt, so she couldn't see anything.

"Is Your Highness's foot injury any better?" Xiao Yu asked.

Qi Ning replied, "I had the imperial physician examine me. It was just a minor superficial injury. After resting overnight, I'm much better now."

She pointed to the rabbit on the ground: "This little dumpling doesn't eat anything else, so I thought I'd bring it out to eat some grass."

Hearing Qi Ning say that, Xiao Yu nodded: "That's good."

At this point, Qi Ning asked him with concern, "Your Highness was also injured yesterday while saving me. I wonder if you have had the imperial physician examine you?"

Xiao Yu did suffer some minor injuries yesterday, but it was just a few cuts on his hands and a scratch at the end of his eyebrow.

This minor injury was nothing to him; he didn't even bother to call the imperial physician or apply any medicine, let alone seek medical help.

He smiled nonchalantly: "It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about, Your Majesty."

"So, His Highness didn't summon the imperial physician?"

Qi Ning frowned slightly, seemingly disagreeing with this approach.

"Qiulu." She called out to Qiulu.

Qiu Lu understood and took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve and handed it to her.

Qi Ning held a small porcelain bottle in her hand and said, "This is a wound medicine that I brought from home before entering the palace. It can not only reduce swelling and bruising and help wounds heal quickly, but also prevent scarring. Your Highness has a scratch on the end of your eyebrow. It would be bad if it left a mark."

"I originally intended to have Qiulu deliver this medicine to Your Highness later, but I didn't expect to run into you here by chance. Since Your Highness didn't call the imperial physician, please accept this medicine; otherwise, I will feel uneasy."

After she finished speaking, she handed the small porcelain bottle to Xiao Yu.

"This……"

Xiao Yu looked at the porcelain bottle in Qi Ning's hand: "Actually, Your Highness doesn't need to be so polite."

"Does Your Highness find this medicine unpalatable?"

Hearing Qi Ning's slightly disappointed tone, Xiao Yu quickly reached out and took the porcelain bottle from her hand.

"Thank you very much, Madam."

Seeing that Xiao Yu accepted it, Qi Ning's face finally showed a smile again.

Today is the last day of the autumn hunt, and we will set off back to the capital tomorrow.

Time was limited, and Xiao Yu was in a hurry to go hunting, so he didn't stay long and quickly said goodbye before heading into the woods.

Before going to the bonfire dinner that evening, he remembered to apply the ointment that Qi Ning had given him.

The white ointment, with a faint herbal scent, was absorbed into the wound in a short time after being applied, leaving no trace of the ointment.

However, before Xiao Yu even reached the location of the bonfire banquet, he encountered the emperor and his entourage.

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