The sun shone on her smooth, white and tender face. Li Rui stood pretending to be scared. Her eyes flickered with surprise on seeing that this time the arrow was really aimed at her. She closed her eyes as she calmly waited for the coming arrow. It had to be done or else something else might happen in the future which she can’t afford.

The arrow never came. It never hit her. Instead of the arrow what came was the shout.

“Young Miss….”

Then followed the sound of something hitting the ground.

Li Rui’s body trembled a little. She didn’t wish to open her eyes. She recognized this voice but she didn’t have the courage to see what would be in her sight after opening her eyes. But she knew there was no escape from this.

Her eyelashes trembled as she opened her eyes.

Xi Ying heard the shout and swiftly turned around. A wave of relief washed over him. Rui was safe and unharmed.

On the ground was lying her maid, Li Mei. Her eyes were barely open. The arrow was stuck in her stomach making that spot look bloody red. Tears were streaming down her eyes perhaps because of pain or something else.

He saw Li Rui stiffly kneeling by Li Mei’s side as she placed Li Mei’s head in her lap. She stroked her hair gently like a mother and whispered to her maid

“Don’t be afraid. Your Young Miss will not let anything happen to you.”

Still, in tears, Li Mei passed a small smile to her mistress. Her voice was very low and shallow as she spoke.

“This servant …..is not afraid. Will never be…if can save … Young Miss.”

After this, she closed her eyes leaving Li Rui staring at her face.

A few steps far away, on the trees, sat a man whose face was covered with a black mask as his eyes coldly looked at his target. Another man behind him whose face was covered with the same mask looked startled at him and then whispered sharply

“What are you doing? Her Highness didn’t order us to kill Lady Li so why did you shoot your arrow on Lady Li.”

The man who was asked turned around to look at him coldly and with a swift motion of his hand he killed the man who was reprimanding him a moment ago.

However, as soon as turned around to shoot another arrow, his eyes widened. He could not believe that he lowered his guard for a moment and now this happened. He slowly raised his head to look at the front. The woman he was asked to kill was now looking in his direction with her cold eyes as if she could see him even behind these leaves of trees. Then his gaze went down. Red blood flowed out from his body.

Soon he fell down from the tree and his back hit the ground. The small dagger that Li Rui hid in her sleeve in the Imperial Palace was stuck in his chest.

Xi Ying who saw all this looked startled. He looked at Li Rui with a confused expression. Why did she look so afraid a few seconds ago when she could protect herself?

However, his heart was relieved. Nothing matters as long as she was alive.

Li Rui glanced at Li Mei. Li Mei was already unconscious. She knew that she had to take out the arrow first from Li Mei’s body. She looked around for a few moments.

As gently as possible, she lifted Li Mei’s body and walked towards the nearby dense bushes. She slowly laid Li Mei on the ground without any noise. She softly murmured.

‘I will save you.’

Xi Ying didn’t know she was assuring herself or unconscious Li Mei. He felt that his throat was clogged and he glanced away because he knew that Li Mei was already dead. Her unmoving chest showed that she was not breathing at all. He also knew that Rui could see this but she was in ignorance.

Li Rui’s hands trembled as she held the arrow to take it out from Li Mei’s stomach. However, her body has already reached its limit. Everything was blurry before her eyes. Her lips were chapped dry. Li Mei’s young, lively and rebellious figure revolved in front of her eyes before she lost consciousness.

Just at this moment, the third shadow guard passed by but he didn’t notice them.

A few minutes passed, Xi Ying who was sitting worriedly by Li Rui’s side felt a movement.

A group of men surrounded Li Rui and Li Mei. A man stepped forward who was supposedly their leader and lifted Li Rui from the ground. His eyes remained at her face for a few seconds.

Then his gaze fell on Li Mei. He glanced at his left side. A shadow guard lifted Li Mei and then they left the forests.