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After shouting, Shen Chuwei realized her tone was somewhat harsh—the person was dressed in a dark night outfit, and it was very possible they were a ruthless killer.

If she angered the person in black and couldn’t beat them in a fight, she was done for~

But it wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t control her tone when clutching onto Xiao Jinyan’s pet without letting go.

Back then, when Xuetuan was merely sleepy, Xiao Jinyan thought she wanted to poison Xuetuan and almost locked her in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Shen Chuwei revealed a polite smile, "Um, Xuetuan is lost. Thank you for bringing it back."

The sudden change from before to after made the person in black stunned for a moment.

Seeing the person in black reacting indifferently, Shen Chuwei wondered if she had spoken too gently, making them think she was easily bullied?

She gazed at Xuetuan in the arms of the person in black, hands on her hips, and commanded with the air of an owner, "Xuetuan, come here."

The person in black saw Shen Chuwei’s hands-on-hips gesture and her commanding tone—it was strikingly similar to the little ninth.

During the moment the person in black was distracted, Xuetuan struggled free from the embrace and jumped down, swiftly running to Shen Chuwei’s side.

Shen Chuwei joyfully bent down to pick up Xuetuan and stroked its fluffy head; the ham sausage she had fed it over the past two years wasn’t in vain—it still listened to her.

The person in black did not attempt to stop Xuetuan’s struggles, and watched as it dashed to Shen Chuwei and let her pick it up, leading him to make a bold guess.

"Is this pet yours?"

Shen Chuwei hugged Xuetuan tight, thinking that the person in black had surely noticed Xuetuan’s human-like intelligence and wanted to take it away.

"This is my husband’s pet, which is the same as it being mine. You will not take it away," she contested.

Of course, the person in black knew that the ’husband’ Shen Chuwei referred to was Xiao Jinyan. Still not giving up, he asked again, "Then who named Xuetuan?"

Shen Chuwei replied, "Of course, it was my husband. It’s natural for him to name the pets he raises."

Upon hearing this, the brows of the person in black furrowed deeply. Was it a coincidence that Xiao Jinyan raised this pet, or was there something more to it?

Just then, a flurry of footsteps echoed from all around, rapidly approaching like a swift thunderstorm.

The person in black knew that a group of people was quickly coming their way—after all, it was the Royal Hunting Grounds, with plenty of Imperial Guards and officers.

To avoid alarming others, the person in black had to leave first.

Shen Chuwei had just taken out a medicine that caused diarrhea and was considering how to inject it into the person in black when she saw them fleeing.

She raised the needle in her hand, already prepared; if not used within a short time, it would go to waste.

Qin Xiao hurried over and seeing Shen Chuwei safe, he sighed with relief, "Crown Princess, are you alright?"

Shen Chuwei looked up to see Qin Xiao suddenly running over and shook her head, "I’m fine."

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw a group of guards following him.

They were likely searching for her~

It was high noon, and the Princes and ministers were returning from the hunt one after another.

From a distance, Shen Chuwei could see Xiao Jinyan on his tall horse, dressed in a dark brocaded robe with black armguards, looking dashing and spirited.

Without having to see the game on his horse, she knew Xiao Jinyan had had a successful hunt.

Qin Xiao had already gone up to greet him.

Xiao Jinyan dismounted, tossing the reins to Qin Xiao, and walked straight towards Shen Chuwei.

As he neared, Shen Chuwei saw that Xiao Jinyan was sweating profusely, and she picked up a teapot to pour him a cup of water, "Your Highness, have some water."

Xiao Jinyan was indeed thirsty, and he took the teacup and drank a few sips to quench his throat.

It was at this moment that a cry of alarm was heard, "The Emperor is injured."

The current Emperor’s injury shocked all the Princes and officials, and the scene became somewhat chaotic for a moment.

As Shen Chuwei followed Xiao Jinyan to the Emperor’s tent, the Imperial Doctor was treating the Emperor’s wound.

The Empress stood by, her hair somewhat disheveled and bloodstained, gazing anxiously at the Emperor on the bed.

Xiao Jinyu stood beside the Empress, ensuring she was unhurt, before asking with concern, "Mother Empress, how did Father Emperor get injured?"

The Empress roughly described the incident with the python.

It sounded incredibly perilous just listening to it.

After the Imperial Doctor’s examination, it was determined that apart from an injury to his arm, the Emperor was largely unharmed, allowing the Empress to breathe a sigh of relief.

"His Majesty was injured while saving me; that python was truly fierce and formidable."

Xiao Jinyu clenched his fist in secret, the affair was too dangerous, and he suddenly thought of the secret guards, "What about the secret guards? When Father Emperor and Mother Empress encountered the python, why did the secret guards not appear to save them? Isn’t this neglect of duty?"

The Empress had been frightened at the time, and it was only now that she remembered the secret guards, "Who was on duty today?"