Chapter 210: The Hidden One

Ning’an’s gaze fell on Juanjuan, and she said, “That salute was quite proper.”

Mu Zhaoyuan nodded. “Of course. Seventh Sister taught her personally. She’s only been learning for a few days, but she’s already picked it up. Very clever.”

“Mu Zhaoyao taught her herself?”

That piqued Ning’an’s interest. “What’s this child’s background? She’s got Mu Zhaoyao teaching her in the arts, and you training her in martial skills.”

“Nothing special. She’s just a likable child with talent. Who wouldn’t want a smart and agreeable little disciple?”

Ning’an thought for a moment, then reached for a small jade pendant hanging from her waist. “Here, take this. I’m not particularly fond of children, but I suppose this counts as fate.”

Juanjuan looked to Mu Zhaoyuan. After receiving her nod, she stepped forward and accepted the jade pendant from Ning’an with poise.

“Thank you, Princess Ning’an.”

Ning’an turned to Mu Zhaoyuan. “Shall we run a few more laps?”

Mu Zhaoyuan nodded.

Just as Ning’an mounted her horse, a young boy on horseback came galloping toward them from the distance.

He was small, but his posture was confident and carefree. His riding skills were clearly exceptional.

“This one’s not your student too, is he?” Princess Ning’an asked.

Mu Zhaoyuan replied, “He’s naturally gifted. I only gave him a few pointers, and he’s already riding like this. He got on a horse for the first time this morning.”

“That’s his little sister over there. Not even five years old, and after just two days of practice, she can already trot. If it weren’t for her age and height holding her back, she’d be progressing even faster.”

Ning’an couldn’t help clicking her tongue. “That’s impressive.”

Faced with such talented children, especially ones Mu Zhaoyuan had taken a liking to, Ning’an’s attitude softened considerably.

With talent like that, who knows? In a few years, they might become rising stars in the capital. It was wise to build goodwill early.

As they were about to part ways, Princess Ning’an said, “During the autumn hunt this year, let’s catch a White Rabbit too. Chaoyang got one recently, and I’ve been so envious.”

Juanjuan blinked in surprise.

Wait a minute. White Rabbit? Chaoyang?

She looked up at her second brother, tilting her head with a slight frown, as if asking: That White Rabbit wouldn’t happen to be ours, would it?

Bai Yunxing nodded.

If there wasn’t a second White Rabbit, then it had to be theirs.

Juanjuan rubbed her nose. She hadn’t expected to hear news about their little White Rabbit like this.

It felt… oddly magical.

But what exactly was the autumn hunt?

Princess Ning’an had already climbed into her carriage and departed with her attendants.

Juanjuan finally turned to Mu Zhaoyuan. “The autumn hunt—is it hunting in autumn?”

That was her literal interpretation of the term.

“That’s right, but the autumn hunt is an event for the royal family and high-ranking officials. The process is complicated, full of undercurrents, and sometimes even includes a little assassination here and there.”

Juanjuan frowned slightly. That sounds like a lot.

“Good thing I don’t have to go. Just hearing about it sounds like a headache.”

Mu Zhaoyuan chuckled. Still a child, after all. This was the first time she’d met someone who didn’t want to attend the autumn hunt.

“It’s not all that exciting anyway.”

Bai Yunqi: 【Hey! Not exciting? No way. I’m definitely going to check it out when the time comes!】

Juanjuan glanced at her eldest brother, then sighed softly.

Good thing Eldest Brother was strong and capable. If he wanted to go, let him. At least no one had to worry about him.

After ten straight days of lessons, Juanjuan finally got a break.

“You have tomorrow off, but when you come back the day after, I’ll still be doing spot checks. Though with your memory, you probably won’t even need to review.”

Mu Zhaoyao was very pleased with her little disciple.

She didn’t always say it aloud, but her subtle expressions made it clear: she was proud of this girl.

Juanjuan gave a polite bow, then hoisted her little satchel and dashed off.

Her steps were light and lively—she was clearly overjoyed.

Though she was more diligent than most children and enjoyed studying, she was still a child. After ten days of nonstop lessons, a day off was something to celebrate.

Finally, she could spend some time snuggling up to her parents.

During school days, she barely saw them.

She was busy with lessons, and her parents were busy running their shop. It had been ten days, and she still didn’t know how the shop was doing.

She’d even been too tired at night to stay up and listen in on her parents’ and brothers’ inner thoughts like she usually did.

Excited, Juanjuan woke up early the next morning.

She looked at her still-sleeping parents, tempted to poke them awake, but after a little shake of her head, she restrained herself.

Stepping outside, she found the courtyard empty.

Even her second brother, who always woke early, was still asleep. Juanjuan washed her face, then sat in the courtyard, staring at her brothers’ tightly shut doors, waiting to see which one would appear first.

After all, Second Brother was always up early. Eldest Brother and Third Brother were more of a gamble—who showed up depended on luck.

Today, Juanjuan’s luck was pretty good.

One of the doors opened, and out stepped a rare sight: the hidden one.

“Third Brother, morning!”

Bai Yun’an had just stepped out when he was met by the bright-eyed, energetic little girl.