Picturesque Rescue

Lei Jiahui and Xia Beilian looked up at her with startled expressions, the only difference being that Lei Jiahui turned paler and paler after realizing it was her holding onto the branch

Xia Beilian was the first to react. Manipulating his Inner Qi, he began to tread in the air. Like a leaf in a soft breeze, he smoothly traveled the meters up to Lei Mingxing's branch. She desperately continued to cling to it.

Assuming it to be fear of falling, Xia Beilian's usually cold, handsome face softened and he put on a reassuring smile.

"Second Princess, please allow me, you are safe, I wouldn't ever let you fall."

But no matter how gentle and heroic his words sounded, Lei Mingxing only wanted to scream, tears of unwillingness standing in her eyes. Unfortunately, no matter how much her heart and soul protested, her escape attempt was a failure with no possibility of recovery, and there was absolutely no way for her to avoid Xia Beilian and his 'rescue'.

In the end, it wasn't even up to her when she wanted to let go, as Xia Beilian gently wrapped his arm around her, holding on to the branch with the other and pressing her against his chest while pulling away from the tree, before separating from the wood and elegantly descending toward the ground, leaving her no choice but to withdraw her hands. They swiftly approached the bottom, undoing all of Lei Mingxing's hard work over the day. Frustration and a feeling of hopelessness were stuck in her throat, leaving her incapable of producing even the tiniest sound. She didn't even move, only her heart pounded fast and hard in her chest. She gritted her teeth in stubborn defiance of the sense of defeat that was threatening to wash over her. The moment Xia Beilian had his feet steadily planted on the ground, Lei Mingxing shifted her body and distanced herself from him, subtly pushing him away.

"Lei Mingxing, what were you doing up there?! And what's with that appearance?! How did you get here?!"

She didn't even spare her elder brother a single glance, remaining silent as she expressionlessly walked over to the spot her boot had fallen earlier. Picking it up, she examined it for but a moment before slipping it on and doing the same with the other boot still inside her makeshift pouch. Her outer robe could now finally return to its original function, even if it was caked with mud . Just as she finished tying her sash, a hand grabbed her upper arm and forced her to turn around.

Lei Jiahui's face had turned red with anger and embarrassment after being ignored the whole time by his unruly, waste sister, he hissed through his clenched teeth:

"Answer me."

These words were uttered with such anger that Lei Mingxing had no doubt, if it weren't for Xia Beilian's presence, her brother would have already begun beating her black and blue, but as it stood, Lei Jiahui still wanted to retain some dignity in front of his 'future brother-in-law'.

She glanced at Xia Beilian standing a few meters away, his countenance as elegant as always. It seemed so ridiculous that of all people, it was her archenemy who prevented her from getting harmed, that Lei Mingxing couldn't help twisting her lips into a smile as she looked at her pathetic older sibling. All this only made Lei Jiahui even angrier, clenching her arm tighter, he quietly hissed once again:

"Damnable disgrace, once Prince Beilian has left, I'll have you punished! I'll make you wish you died outside like the commoner b*tch you are!"

In the face of this threat, Lei Mingxing's smile grew wider, flashing her pearly white teeth, emboldened by the rage boiling in the pits of her stomach. It all felt so laughable. 

The feeling of defeat and hopelessness had disappeared, having been replaced by defiance and the almost suffocating urge to break free from this familiar cage or at least do everything in her power to make just as tortuous for her family as it was for her.

So, while holding her ground against Lei Jiahui's fiery gaze, simply raised her other hand and buried her nails in the flesh of her brother's arm in one swift motion, using the moment he instinctively loosened his grip to free herself. Immediately, she began to walk away, smoothly dodging the arm reaching for her once more, shooting him a mocking glance, but just when she was about to pass Xia Beilian and leave the Ancestral Temple for good, the other called out to her with a strange sparkle in his eyes.

"Second Princess, please allow me to escort you to your courtyard, night has fallen, you shouldn't walk alone during this time."

Lei Jiahui hurriedly tried to interject, his face growing pale.

"Ah, Prince Beilian this won't be-"

"It would be a pleasure, Prince Beilian," Lei Mingxing firmly, but at the same time reluctantly, stated, forcing herself to a pleasant tone and rendering any of Lei Jiahui's oppositions futile. 

But this also destroyed any hopes for her to get out of it. Which meant that when Xia Beilian offered her his arm, she had no choice but to begrudgingly place her hand on his underarm and join him. 

"Crown Prince, I will escort Princess Mingxing back. Would you inform our fathers that I will be joining a bit later?"

Now that it had already come to this, Lei Jiahui could only force himself to smile and answer with a slightly strange, "Alright.", hiding his true feelings to the best of his ability.

Xia Beilian accepted the response with a calm nod before walking away with Lei Mingxing, both their backs gracefully straight and gait matching in noble leisure, even if one looked much more disheveled than the other, leaving Lei Jiahui to silently shoot daggers at his younger sister's back with his eyes.

Small Theater:

*Lei Jiahui and Lei Mingxing, mocking, threatening, hissing at the other*

Xia Beilian: When two people quarrel, the third rejoices!