Surviving In Another World With My Three Cups!-Chapter 181 -

Soon, the royal hunting field was already busy before sunrise. Horses stamped on the ground. Bows were checked. Servants hurried back and forth. The men gathered at the front, waiting for the signal to begin.

The women sat together on raised seats to watch.

Lin Xu sat beside Yan Mei, quiet and thoughtful. She kept her eyes forward, but her mind wandered back to the news of Chu Ming’s release... and to Xuen Lu’s silence.

Yan Mei leaned closer.

"Stop thinking about it," she whispered. "You didn’t cause any of this."

Lin Xu smiled faintly. "I know."

On the other side, Mo Lan, Mo Qing, and a few noble ladies sat together — clearly enjoying themselves far too much.

Mo Lan folded her fan and looked over with a sweet, poisonous smile.

"Well, well. Lady Lin looks very calm today. I’d be nervous too if every powerful man in camp was fighting because of me."

A few ladies giggled.

Mo Qing added lightly, "She doesn’t have to worry. With the general protecting her, she can do anything she likes. Some people are just lucky."

Another lady whispered loud enough to be heard,

"Lucky? She has three children and still walks around charming men. I’d say that’s a skill."

Yan Mei stiffened and started to rise.

"I swear, I’m going to rip her hair out—"

Lin Xu gently caught her sleeve.

"Don’t. They want a scene."

Yan Mei huffed but sat back down.

Mo Lan smirked.

"Oh? Did I say something wrong? I only meant that Lady Lin must be... very talented. General Mo Ying. The Crown Prince. Two great men obeying her every word. Meanwhile, the rest of us still behave like proper ladies."

Her tone was sugar.

Her eyes were knives.

Lin Xu turned slowly, meeting Mo Lan’s gaze — calm and unbothered.

"If you think I control them," she said softly, "maybe you should ask yourself why they never look twice at you."

The laughter stopped immediately.

Lin Xu continued, her voice steady — not loud, but every word clear.

"You call me plain. You call me a mother of three. But even like this, I still live the life I want. I run four pavilions in the capital. I earn my own money. I make my own choices."

She tilted her head slightly.

"And what about you? You spend your days hiding behind your family name, gossiping about women you wish you could be. If I am so beneath you... why are you so obsessed with me?"

Mo Lan’s face darkened.

Lin Xu gave a small, cool smile.

"I may not be perfect. But at least my life is mine. I don’t have to cling to my parents’ house just to matter."

Yan Mei covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

A few ladies turned away quickly pretending not to listen, but absolutely listening.

Mo Lan’s fan trembled in her hand.

"You—!"

Before she could continue, the announcer’s voice rose across the field, calling all attention forward.

"The Royal Hunt begins now!"

Horns sounded. Horses surged forward. The men rode out in formation, armor flashing beneath the sun.

Among them, Mo Ying rode at the front.

Xuen Lu was close behind.

Both looked straight ahead.

Neither looked back.

But somewhere in the stands, both men were thinking of the same quiet woman...

...who had no idea how deeply she lived in their hearts.

...

The men rode toward the forest, horses moving in a steady line.

Mo Ying guided his horse beside the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness," he said quietly, "I want to ask about Chu Ming."

Xuen Lu’s tone was flat.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Mo Ying’s face darkened. He moved his horse forward and blocked the Crown Prince’s path.

Everything fell silent.

The Crown Prince’s guards reacted at once, hands on their swords.

Fuhan and Mo Ying’s men also stepped forward, ready to protect him.

The tension was sharp.

Xuen Lu slowly raised his hand.

"Put your weapons down."

His guards obeyed but they stayed alert.

He looked at Mo Ying.

"General Mo, what is the meaning of this?"

Mo Ying met his gaze.

"If you really care about Lin Xu," he said, calm but firm, "then why did you release the woman who tried to kill her?"

The road went quiet.

"She planned it. She almost caused deaths. Yet you let her go... and called it illness."

His eyes were cold.

"Tell me, do you think Lin Xu is safe like this?"

The Crown Prince’s expression stayed controlled.

But his silence said enough.

The Crown Prince looked straight at Mo Ying.

"I will not let anything happen to Lin Xu," he said calmly. "Chu Ming will never touch her again. I can promise you that."

Mo Ying gave a short laugh.

"We both know Chu Ming isn’t the real problem," he replied. "She’s vicious, yes. But she’s not bold enough to act like that without someone powerful behind her."

The Crown Prince’s brows tightened.

"Everything was caused by Chu Ming," he said firmly. "She will be punished. The matter ends there."

His tone closed the conversation.

He pulled his reins and rode forward. His guards followed, leaving Mo Ying and his men behind.

The forest path grew quiet again.

Fuhan rode up beside Mo Ying.

"General... he’s hiding something," Fuhan said in a low voice.

Mo Ying’s jaw tightened, but his voice stayed calm.

"I know."

He looked ahead, eyes hard.

"But if anyone dares touch Lin Xu again... Crown Prince or not..."

His words were cold.

"I will kill them."

He kicked his horse forward.

His men followed.

The hunt continued

but a storm was already forming.

***

Back at the camp,

Lin Xu relaxed a little as she talked with Yan Mei. Before long, a few noble ladies gathered around them. At first they were shy then, realizing Lin Xu wasn’t cold or arrogant, they quickly warmed up to her.

They laughed. They chatted. They praised her intelligence and courage during the attack.

Yan Mei grinned proudly beside her like a guard dog finally at ease.

On the other side, Mo Lan and Mo Qing were nearly shaking with anger.

Mo Lan’s smile was stiff.

"Unbelievable," she muttered. "She charms everyone without even trying."

Mo Qing bit her lip.

"Why do they like her so much?"

Because she was real and they were not.

Lin Xu didn’t notice their looks. She was about to reply to another question when she suddenly saw San Na stand up and leave quietly with her maid.

Her gaze sharpened.

This was her chance.

She smiled politely to the ladies.

"Please excuse me for a moment."

And she slipped away.

---

San Na returned to her tent and had barely sat down when the flap opened.

Lin Xu stepped inside.

San Na frowned, surprised.

"...Lady Lin?"

Lin Xu bowed slightly.

"There are some things I wish to speak to you about."

San Na hesitated, then gestured to the seat across from her.

"Sit."

Lin Xu did.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then San Na spoke first.

"Before anything else... thank you. For saving me yesterday."

Lin Xu let out a small, dry laugh.

"It was nothing."

San Na looked at her carefully.

"Why did you help me?" she asked. "After everything between us?"

Lin Xu’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"I never hated you," she said simply. "You hated me. I’m not the type to fight another woman over a man."

San Na went quiet.

Her fingers tightened slightly in her lap.

"...I see."

Another silence passed.

Then she lifted her gaze.

"Then why are you here?"

Lin Xu took a breath and tried to sound casual.

"I wanted to ask you about Mo Sheng."

At first, San Na answered normally, his age, his current small baby habits.. he was already two years at least.

But then Lin Xu’s questions became more personal.

What he feared.

What comforted him.

What he resembled most.

San Na suddenly stiffened.

Her voice sharpened.

"Why are you asking so many questions about my son?"

Her eyes were guarded now.

Almost defensive.

The air in the tent grew still but Lin Xu didn’t back down.

Instead, she looked at San Na directly.

Because this time...

she needed the truth.

"Who’s the father?" Lin Xu went straight to the point, her words taking San na by surprised.

"What’s the meaning of that question Lady Lin"? San an frowned.

But Lin Xu was calm, as she crossed her legs slightly.

"Isn’t the meaning obvious.. I wanna know who the father of Mo sheng is.. what’s wrong about me asking? Or isn’t the child Mo Ying’s because why on earth are you overreacting.. hahahaha" She laughed slightly amused at how uneasy San bas was feeling at this moment.

It confirmed everything. The child wasn’t Mo Yings but who the hell did the child belong to, was the San Na’s or was the child stolen.

"Lady Lin, if you are here to speak complete nonsense then please leave my tent.. I am not in any mood for any of this." San Na stood up pointing towards the door.

But Lin Xu only sighed, "You are way more vicious than I thought."