AUBTN -Chapter 38 Are You Afraid?

She immediately filled her eyes with tears, acting even more dramatically than Su Hewan. Burying her head straight into Shen Jue’s chest, she cried pitifully, like pear blossoms drenched in rain.

“Chief~ Didn’t you just say you were going to take us to watch the stars? Why did we end up here instead~?”

Shen Jue’s body stiffened for a moment, clearly stunned by the two women’s acting skills.

But he quickly regained his composure. Not only that—he even took advantage of the situation and casually patted their shoulders. Raising an eyebrow at Prince Ning, he smiled.

“Your Highness, look at them. These two little vixens are timid—they’ve been completely frightened by you. If they get scared out of their wits, then all of my fun tonight will be ruined.”

“Enough!”

Prince Ning finally lost his patience, his face so gloomy it seemed ready to drip with water.

“Shen Jue, stop pretending to be a fool in front of me! I know exactly what kind of person you are. Do you think putting on the act of a man obsessed with women will make me believe your nonsense?”

Prince Ning’s gaze was sinister as he stepped closer, his tone cold.

“You appearing here tonight is certainly not for some romantic nonsense. That traitor Lu Yan… he’s nearby, isn’t he?”

At the mention of Lu Yan’s name, a flash of cold light flickered in Shen Jue’s eyes. Yet his expression remained as carefree and roguish as ever.

Shen Jue blinked in mock surprise.

“Your Highness, what are you saying? He’s a poor wretch hunted by the Jinyiwei. I’d avoid him if I could—why would I have anything to do with him?”

“Lies!”

Prince Ning snorted coldly and waved his hand. Instantly, the surrounding archers stepped forward, their gleaming arrows aimed directly at the three people standing by the cliff.

“I don’t have time to listen to your nonsense. No matter what you’re here for—since you’ve fallen into my hands tonight, don’t even think about leaving alive!”

Killing intent flashed in Prince Ning’s eyes, and a cruel smile curled at his lips.

“This is the middle of nowhere. Even if the Chief of the Eastern Depot dies here, who would know? When the time comes, I’ll simply announce that you ran into mountain bandits, or slipped and fell off a cliff—no one will be the wiser. As for these two women…”

He glanced disdainfully at Su Hewan and Yu Qing.

“They’ll just be buried with you as playthings.”

“Prepare—!”

With Prince Ning’s command, dozens of powerful bows were drawn to their limits.

The scent of death rushed toward them.

Yu Qing trembled violently in fear, her fingernails digging deep into Shen Jue’s flesh.

The most intense situation she had ever faced in her life was failing a final exam—how could she have ever seen a life-or-death scene with real weapons like this?!

Su Hewan’s heart had also risen to her throat, her palms slick with cold sweat.

At that critical moment—

Shen Jue suddenly lowered his head.

In this desperate situation filled with killing intent—where the only sounds were the wind and the creaking of drawn bows—his voice was as light as a feather, yet it clearly slipped into Su Hewan’s ears.

“Are you afraid?”

Su Hewan froze and subconsciously looked up.

Their eyes met.

Those eyes of Shen Jue’s—usually filled with gloom and calculation—were strangely calm at this moment, even carrying a trace of… gentleness?

It was the kind of peace felt by someone who had walked alone in darkness for too long and had finally found a sliver of light.

At this life-and-death moment, Su Hewan suddenly felt that perhaps it wasn’t so frightening after all.

She was Su Hewan—a researcher who had thoroughly studied history.

She knew Shen Jue had spent his entire life in revenge and slaughter. History books cursed him as a treacherous eunuch of a corrupt faction. Yet at this moment, the man standing in front of her was simply a living, breathing person—someone willing to risk even his life to protect them.

Su Hewan took a deep breath. The panic in her eyes faded, replaced by an unprecedented firmness.

Looking straight into Shen Jue’s eyes, she slowly shook her head.

“I’m not afraid.”

However—

“But I AM!!!”

A wailing cry, thick with tears, instantly shattered the beautiful atmosphere.

Yu Qing had completely collapsed by now. Listening to the conversation between the two of them, she felt like she was about to go insane.

“Big brother, big sister! What time do you think this is?! And you two are still staring deeply into each other’s eyes?! This isn’t the final episode of some idol drama! Think of a plan already!”

Su Hewan: “…”

Shen Jue: “…”

Prince Ning looked at the scene before him, a trace of impatience and cruel delight flashing through his eyes.

“Don’t worry.”

He raised his hand, his voice as cold as a judge from hell.

“Once you’re dead, you won’t be afraid anymore.”

“Loose the arrows!”

Dozens of sharp arrows tore through the night sky, screeching as they rained down toward the three of them!

It’s over!

This time we’re really going to die!

Yu Qing shut her eyes in despair.

“Close your eyes.”

At the very instant the rain of arrows was about to fall, Shen Jue’s voice pierced clearly into Su Hewan’s ears.

Out of instinctive trust in him, Su Hewan did not hesitate for even a moment and tightly shut her eyes.

“Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!”

The shrill sounds of arrows slicing through the air rang out like the wail of blades tearing through the wind.

Yet the agonizing pain of being pierced by countless arrows never came.

Instead, there was a succession of sounds of weapons plunging into flesh, followed by the dull thuds of heavy bodies hitting the ground and a series of muffled cries of pain.

“Ugh!”

“Ah—!”

Soon after, the air filled with the chaotic sounds of hurried footsteps and clashing weapons.

“Open your eyes.”

Shen Jue’s voice sounded again, once more carrying the usual casual coldness he always had.

Su Hewan’s eyelashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes.

The scene before her made her pupils shrink.

The black-clothed assassins who had just been so arrogant—bows fully drawn and ready to shoot them down—were now lying in heaps on the ground, their blood staining the wild grass red.

And surrounding those men in black, countless figures had appeared at some unknown moment, silently and without warning.

They wore flying-fish uniforms, pointed hats, and held powerful crossbows in their hands.

They were agents of the Eastern Depot.

“What… what’s going on? Did reinforcements just drop from the sky?!”

Yu Qing poked her head out from Su Hewan’s arms and stared at the scene in front of her, her jaw practically dropping. Just moments ago she had been crying in terror, but now her eyes were shining with gossip and excitement.

【Holy crap! What a plot twist! What a grand entrance! Is this the script of some overpowered male lead from a power fantasy novel?! Director Shen is amazing!】

Prince Ning, who had been certain of victory, now looked as if he had swallowed a dead fly.

He stared at the suddenly appearing elite troops of the Eastern Depot, then looked toward the calm and composed Shen Jue. His eyes were filled with disbelief and fear.

“How… how is this possible…?”

Shen Jue leisurely released the two girls from his arms.

“Your Highness is being too formal.”

A faint, ambiguous smile curled at the corner of Shen Jue’s lips, though his eyes were filled with icy mockery.

“Didn’t I just say? Tonight I only brought my two sweethearts out to admire the moon and have a little fun. Since we’re out enjoying ourselves, of course I had to bring a few attendants along. What if we happened to run into some blind bandits on the road and they disturbed the ladies’ refined mood?”

When he said the words ‘blind bandits,’ he deliberately emphasized them, his gaze sweeping blatantly across Prince Ning’s face.

Prince Ning trembled with rage, even the hand pointing at Shen Jue shaking.

“Shen Jue! You… you actually dared to secretly mobilize the Eastern Depot’s imperial guards outside the city! This is—”