The three of them worked in the courtyard until the sun began to set. Only when Liu Ruyun finished preparing the meal did they stop. Yet, in that short span, their first crossbow arrow had already been completed.
“Xiaoyue, try it! I want to see how powerful it really is!” Lu Yanqiu urged impatiently.
Lin Xiyue picked up the arrow Lu Yanqiu had sharpened, mounted it neatly, and drew the bow. With a sharp whoosh, the arrow flew so fast they could hardly follow it with their eyes. Moments later, a sparrow perched on a large tree outside the courtyard was struck and fell to the ground.
Lu Yanqiu quickly ran to pick it up. Seeing the sparrow dead, he was shocked—but Lu Jinghuai’s surprise was even greater. Lu Yanqiu marveled at the speed and power of the crossbow, but Lu Jinghuai was astounded by Lin Xiyue’s accuracy.
Even he would have struggled to hit such a tiny sparrow at that distance, yet she managed it effortlessly.
“Xiaoyue, you’re incredible! Teach me, I want to try too,” Lu Yanqiu said, admiration sparkling in his eyes. He had always envied Lu Jinghuai’s hunting skill, yet despite repeated attempts, he had never mastered it—and had even broken Lu Jinghuai’s bow.
Lin Xiyue saw his awestruck expression and felt a rush of satisfaction.
“See this sight? That little notch at the front? Line it up here, then aim at your target, and you’ll hit it,” she explained, standing behind him and guiding his hands.
With a whoosh, Lu Yanqiu’s arrow struck the sparrow dead on.
“Ah! Big Brother, did you see that? I hit it! I did it!” Lu Yanqiu exclaimed, jumping for joy, then ran over to scoop Lin Xiyue up and spun her around several times.
Lin Xiyue laughed, caught off guard by his excitement.
“You’re amazing, Xiaoyue! With this crossbow, I can hunt on the mountain and catch plenty of game. Then I can earn lots of money for you and Mother,” he said, beaming. His joy came not from skill, but from the potential to provide for the family.
Lu Jinghuai understood that Lu Yanqiu’s success was not due to talent, but the crossbow’s excellence. He could only imagine the impact if such a weapon were used in the military…
Standing at the doorway, Lu Wenyuan shared the same thought. He had just witnessed it too. Who was she, capable of crafting such a powerful weapon so effortlessly?
“Yanqiu, let me see that crossbow,” Lu Jinghuai said, curious.
Without hesitation, Lu Yanqiu handed it over. Lu Jinghuai examined it, noting its light weight and compact size—half that of a regular bow, making it convenient to carry.
After loading an arrow, he aimed at a distant black crow—far beyond normal bow range. The moment the arrow shot out, the crow fell struck.
Lu Yanqiu ran over again to retrieve both arrow and prey. This time, the bamboo arrow had not penetrated the crow fully. Without a metal tip, its power was limited; suitable for small animals, but large, tough-skinned beasts would require iron tips to inflict serious damage.
“Big Brother, this crossbow is amazing, right?” Lu Yanqiu asked eagerly.
Lu Jinghuai nodded. “Very powerful. Xiaoyue, where did you learn this?”
Lin Xiyue couldn’t reveal her past life, so she boldly claimed, “I designed it myself. It’s really simple, just a modification of a regular bow. Our materials are crude, so the power is limited. But if we add iron tips, hunting large beasts would be no problem.”
Lu Jinghuai felt tempted by her words. Excited, Lu Yanqiu said, “Easy! Tomorrow I’ll have someone in town forge more iron tips.”
“Enough for now. Come eat. Yanqiu, go call your second brother,” Liu Ruyun called, as darkness fell and she set the table.
They all washed up and sat down to eat. Lu Yanqiu still giggled at the crossbow, asking Lin Xiyue to make him another one tomorrow. She happily agreed—it had been her plan anyway.
The family ate together, content and joyful. Seeing her sons grow well and now having Lin Xiyue as a daughter-in-law, Liu Ruyun felt at peace.
After dinner, Lin Xiyue and Lu Yanqiu helped clean up, while Lu Jinghuai continued examining the crossbow.
No one noticed that Lu Wenyuan had already left the house some time ago.
In the bamboo grove behind the mountain, Lu Wenyuan confronted a man in black kneeling before him.
“I’ve told you, I’m not the person you’re looking for, and I won’t go back with you. Don’t appear before me again,” Lu Wenyuan said firmly, turning to leave.
The man in black bowed. “Young Master, the Old Madam has been sending people for years to find you and the Sixth Prince. She knows it’s hard for you to accept your identity, but she is seriously ill. I beg you to see her once more.”
He was certain Lu Wenyuan was indeed the young master, even if temporarily in denial.
“There’s no young master or prince here. Appear again and don’t blame me for being unkind,” Lu Wenyuan said, walking away.
The man in black sighed. He would have to wait for a response from the Old Madam.
Back in the courtyard, Lin Xiyue was teaching Lu Yanqiu how to throw flying arrows by hand, using wrist power to launch them.
In her previous life, Lin Xiyue excelled at this. Her usual weapon had been silver needles—any small object she threw could become a weapon. That skill explained how she had effortlessly struck a rabbit with a machete earlier. Tonight, she casually demonstrated again, leaving Lu Yanqiu utterly fascinated and eager to learn.
The moonlight was bright enough that they didn’t need lamps.
Standing close to him, Lin Xiyue held his wrist, guiding him in applying the right force. Feeling the small, delicate body in his arms, Lu Yanqiu’s heartbeat quickened, and his left hand instinctively wanted to draw her closer.