"Jump..."
Serena Feng grabbed Caleb Wang, ready to crash against the carriage wall. But Caleb hesitated, causing Serena to miss the best moment—when they finally slammed into the wall, it stubbornly refused to break.
Not only that, she managed to hurt her own shoulder in the process.
Hiss...
Serena Feng gasped in pain, nearly in tears, cursing those damn TV screenwriters in her head.
"TV dramas are total frauds. They make crashing through a carriage look as easy as eating dinner—so why is it, when it's my turn, this carriage is built like a fortress? Damn, it hurts."
Still, complaining wouldn't solve anything. What had to be done, had to be done. If one hit wasn't enough, she'd just try again.
If this runaway carriage flipped, she and Caleb Wang would be in even worse trouble. If the carriage crushed their legs, her whole future would be ruined.
As Serena prepared to jump again, the reins snapped. The carriage, which had been racing forward, suddenly lost control and began to careen wildly like a headless fly.
Both of them tumbled back, nearly ending up in a tangled heap. If Serena hadn't reacted fast and grabbed Caleb, he would've been thrown out for sure—and she didn't even want to imagine what would happen then.
"Useless scholar," Serena muttered irritably, then, not bothering with herself, kicked Caleb Wang hard:
"Get out—otherwise we're both dead! Hug your head, and when you hit the ground, make sure to roll!"
That kick was powerful enough—it actually broke through the carriage wall.
Turns out, maybe TV isn't a total lie after all.
"Ah!" Caleb Wang screamed, rolling right out of the carriage.
Now, only Serena Feng was left on the rampaging carriage.
"Serena Feng, you crazy woman!" Caleb Wang crashed hard onto the ground, but at the last second remembered Serena's advice—he hugged his head and rolled a few times, escaping serious injury. Still, he accidentally sliced his arm with the surgical scalpel she’d given him.
Cold irony—Serena had given him the scalpel for self-defense, and he ended up hurting himself with it.
When Lance Quinn arrived, he saw this exact scene. He’d intended to keep chasing Prince Tyler Xiling, but paused when he heard Caleb’s shout.
He hesitated, looked resentfully toward the direction where Prince Tyler Xiling had vanished, then leaped toward the out-of-control carriage.
The carriage was out of control; the left wheel had already flown off. If Serena Feng didn't jump now, she'd almost certainly be buried under the wreck.
"Serena Feng, you really are a trouble-magnet. How do I always end up running into you like this?"
Annoyed as he was, Lance Quinn didn't abandon her. He vaulted onto the swaying carriage, doing his best to keep his balance, and ducked inside to pull Serena Feng out.
He owed Serena Feng a life. Today, he'd pay that debt...
As for what happened at the Third‑Month Peach Blossom Festival, Serena could handle that herself. Lance Quinn didn't owe anyone, and he never helped without a reason.
At that moment, Serena Feng was being tossed around, dizzy and unable to find a chance to jump out.
"Serena Feng, give me your hand!" Lance Quinn reached out, signaling her to hurry.
"You? The silver-masked guy?" Serena Feng froze for a moment, but instinctively reached out—her surgical scalpel had long since vanished.
"Hold on tight."
Lance Quinn's palm was warm, while Serena Feng's was icy cold. That contrast—hot and cold—felt almost electric. If the situation weren't so dire, Serena would've shaken off his hand immediately.
She hated that feeling. She didn't like this silver-masked man at all.
Lance Quinn pulled Serena Feng into his arms, looking for a chance to jump down. But just then, Prince Tyler Xiling—who had already ridden off—suddenly leapt down from a tree, his sword flashing with a spray of blossoms.
"Lance Quinn, if you want to play the hero and save the damsel, you'd better be up to the task."
His sword pointed straight at Serena Feng's heart.
So that's how it was...
Prince Tyler Xiling had been about to leave, but when he heard Caleb Wang call out "Serena Feng," he doubled back.
He was glad he came back—otherwise, he'd never have seen cold, ruthless Lance Quinn give up chasing him for Serena Feng's sake.
It looked like Serena Feng was Lance Quinn's weakness. But Tyler never expected that Lance would care for a woman with such a ruined reputation.
"Whether I'm up to it isn't for you to decide," Lance Quinn retorted, holding Serena Feng with one arm and blocking Tyler's sword with the other.
From Lance Quinn's actions and words, Serena Feng realized that this murderous man facing them was no match for Lance.
So, the silver-masked guy was called Lance Quinn. Not a bad name. The Ninth Royal Uncle also had 'nine' in his name—maybe Serena Feng was just destined to be tangled up with 'nine.'
Serena Feng was right—Prince Tyler Xiling was definitely no match for Lance Quinn. Otherwise, Lance wouldn't have chased him all over the mountains. But that was only true if Lance wasn't stuck with her as dead weight.
Now Lance Quinn was trapped on a carriage about to fall apart, burdened with Serena Feng. Facing Tyler's relentless attacks, he could only defend—he had no chance to counter.
Caleb Wang, lying on the ground, saw what was happening. Calmly, he chose not to get involved. Instead, he gripped his scalpel tightly and hid, figuring he'd only make things worse if he tried to help.
Ahem... He was definitely overestimating himself.
Lance Quinn would save Serena Feng only because she’d saved his life before. He was just settling the score—after this, their debts would be wiped clean.
As for Caleb Wang?
So what if he was the Wang clan's Seventh Young Master? If he died in front of Lance Quinn, Lance wouldn't even blink—he might even kick the body out of his way.
...
Tyler Xiling had no idea about any of this. He just assumed Lance Quinn and Serena Feng had something special, and the more Lance protected her, the better for him.
Tyler kept aiming his attacks at Serena Feng's vital points, making her wonder if this Tyler guy was actually her enemy.
Just as Serena was racking her brain, trying to remember if she had a nemesis named Tyler, the carriage she and Lance Quinn were standing on crashed into a tree with a thunderous bang and fell apart.
Tyler Xiling seized the moment, kicked off a tree behind him, and launched himself straight at Lance Quinn.
(This chapter isn't over yet~.~ Click to the next page for more!)
Lance Quinn spun with Serena Feng in his arms, midair.
Clang—two swords collided, sending sparks flying. Tyler Xiling staggered back several steps from the impact. Lance Quinn didn’t press the attack; instead, he sheathed his sword and, still holding Serena Feng, tried to get her out of the way. But Tyler wasn’t about to give him the chance.
Tyler Xiling let himself crash into a tree behind him, using the rebound to launch himself back. Just as Lance Quinn was setting Serena Feng down, Tyler kicked straight at Serena's abdomen.
... The wind howled, sharp as a knife, stinging her face painfully.
Serena Feng knew she was in trouble. Just as she was figuring out how to dodge, Lance Quinn reached out again, pulling her close.
Thud—