"Well done! Feng Er, you truly are amazing! You can hit the bullseye even with your eyes blindfolded!"
Second Brother?
What was happening? Was he showing off again, parading his skills?
Blindfolded archery, wasn't he afraid of someone reporting this to Princess Changlin, leading to a repeat of his tragic fate in his previous life?
Just as she was contemplating how to deal with him, she saw Bai Siruo excitedly pulling the two of them over.
The archery game was set up not far from the warm pavilion.
The birthday banquet today had already invited guests of both genders, so the archery area was already dotted with curious female guests.
Married women naturally were observing potential matches for their unmarried female relatives, and some bolder ones had already started cheering.
Everyone watched as Feng Er's arrows, as if possessing eyes, accurately landed in the bronze pots. The crowd around them began to praise him again.
The young gentleman who had lost to him, filled with resentment and dissatisfaction, could only huff and leave, defeated by superior skill.
"How boring, there isn't a single worthy opponent in this city!"
His triumphant demeanor made Su Cheng grit his teeth.
This brat, he'd be restless if he didn't show off for a day.
"Oh? Second Cousin, I find your words rather hard to swallow."
Bai Siruo squeezed her way forward from behind, not forgetting to bring Feng Jinyao and Xu Mingyue along with her, one on each side.
Feng Er was still basking in his glory when he saw his sister's wide eyes, seemingly warning him not to be ostentatious.
"Heh heh, Cousin, would you like to try?"
"Naturally. However, we won't be competing with blindfolded archery. If we're to compete, let's make it more difficult. I have a few lotus pots that can be placed on the lake pavilion. The lake is fed by an underground spring, so it hasn't frozen over. If Cousin isn't afraid, how about we have a water archery competition?"
Su Cheng clapped his hands in delight. "That would be wonderful! I've long heard that County Princess Bai's archery skills are no less than Feng Er's. It's a privilege to witness it today; we shall feast our eyes."
Bai Siruo beamed with joy. She wasn't good at riddles, but archery was her forte. She wanted to let Wei Lanxuan and the others witness it.
"Cousin, with such elegance, I shall naturally accompany you."
"Second Brother!" Feng Jinyao called out to stop him, but with so many people around, she couldn't elaborate on the reason.
So, she casually found an excuse and said to him again, "Didn't you injure your hand during the hunt? You should be resting. If Cousin insists on a competition, I'll do it."
She narrowed her eyes at Feng Er, her warning clear to anyone who saw it.
This time, it was Feng Er's turn to widen his eyes. When had he injured his hand? He had no idea!
Su Cheng was also puzzled. They had been together constantly during the hunt; how could he not know? Just as he was about to speak, Feng Er stopped him.
"It's my sister who cares about me. Brother's hand truly aches terribly."
With that, he clutched his right wrist and let out a groan. Those who didn't know would think he had genuinely injured his wrist.
Bai Siruo was also taken aback. What was this performance?
Did Feng Er have something he couldn't reveal to others?
But the preparations were complete; not competing would be a loss of face.
So, she took Feng Jinyao's hand and asked eagerly, "Cousin, you can also shoot arrows? I never knew! Are you sure you want to compete with me?"
Feng Jinyao pursed her lips helplessly. She didn't want to steal the spotlight.
But if her second brother continued to be so ostentatious, he might truly repeat his past mistakes. How could she allow that? So, she braced herself and said,
"Cousin, please don't worry. I do know a little. However, compared to you, I'm probably far behind."
"No boasting until the results are out. Let me see your skills. I'll say this now, no holding back! My eyes are sharp; if you deliberately lose to me, I'll deal with you!"
She playfully threatened Feng Jinyao, who could only nod with a wry smile, "I will do my best."
The archery competition was decided by points.
Hitting the bullseye of the pot earned one point, hitting the ear of the pot earned two points, and the most impressive was to shoot through the ear and into the pot, which would earn five points.
However, this move hadn't been seen in many years, so it was omitted when the rules were set.
Each person had ten arrows and no need to rotate. Soon, the lotus pots floated on the lake, moving with the underwater currents.
"Cousin, it's your turn," Bai Siruo announced and shot her first arrow, hitting the closest bullseye.
The crowd cheered, and even Feng Er looked at her with more admiration than usual.
"You little thing, I underestimated you," he said, laughing heartily. He walked over to Feng Jinyao and offered some pointers.
Although he didn't know why his sister wanted to stop him from participating, how could a brother let her be outdone? So, he quietly offered guidance from behind.
"Calm your mind, channel your strength to your right fingertips. Align your eye, the arrow, and the target with that lotus pot. Just shoot boldly."
Feng Jinyao nervously rubbed the arrow shaft. This scene reminded her of some past events.
Wen Mengsheng was no less skilled than Feng Er in archery. Shortly after they were married, to appear as a harmonious couple, he had taught her, a complete novice, to become quite proficient.
And due to the leisure of the inner court, archery had become one of her pastimes. Therefore, her archery skills were far beyond ordinary people, though she never displayed them publicly.
"Thud." Bai Siruo hit another pot. This was her fifth arrow. As the crowd applauded, they secretly chuckled at Feng Jinyao, who hadn't shot yet.
"Miss Feng San, can't you see clearly? Or are you lacking strength? You're squeezing the arrow so hard it's melting, yet you still haven't shot."
The speaker was the young gentleman who had lost to Feng Er. His desire for revenge was evident in his eyes, and his tone was naturally unkind.
Feng Jinyao glanced at the man and quickly recognized him as an old acquaintance of Wen Mengsheng.
In her previous life, he had flattered her to her face, but she had overheard him plotting against her a few times in private.
Truly birds of a feather.
Disgusting!
Turning back, she aimed at the pot and shot several arrows in quick succession, all hitting the bullseye.
Feng Er's jaw almost dropped in astonishment. He had never seen his sister practice archery before. Could she be a genius?!
His eyes filled with surprise, and just as he was about to say something, he heard a voice say, "Is she Miss Feng San?"
*Thwack.* Two arrows fell into the pond. Feng Jinyao's heart was in turmoil.
It was all because of that person; she would never forget him, even if she died a hundred times over.
Wen! Meng! Sheng!
It was his voice!