Realm of No Arrows

After waiting a while longer without seeing any sign of her brother-in-law, Wanyan Ping could no longer sit still. She turned her horse around and headed back the way she had come, anxiously scanning the surroundings as she rode. Brother-in-law, please, nothing must happen to you.

After searching for a long time, Wanyan Ping finally found Song Qingshu. But when she saw what he was doing, she was nearly furious enough for smoke to come out of her ears. "Brother-in-law, I searched so hard for you, and you're sitting here leisurely sunbathing?"

Song Qingshu was sprawled openly atop a huge boulder, a foxtail grass stem dangling from his mouth. His hands rested behind his head, one leg crossed over the other, his foot lazily swaying. Only upon hearing her voice did he open his eyes and grin. "Ping'er, you finally came."

"Came, my ass!" Wanyan Ping dearly wished she could pull out the whip at her waist and crack it across his face, but barely managed to restrain that tempting impulse. "What is the meaning of this?"

Not only did Song Qingshu show no hint of guilt, he even cried injustice. "Ping'er, be reasonable. Your brother-in-law is a patient right now, yet you made me race horses with you?"

Wanyan Ping's face reddened, and more than half her anger immediately vanished. She could not help muttering, "If you weren't well, you could have told me first."

Song Qingshu could not help rolling his eyes. "I wanted to tell you, but just as I was about to speak, you'd already galloped far away. How was I supposed to tell you?"

"Fine, fine, I didn't think things through this time. But I did come back to look for you..." As she spoke, Wanyan Ping suddenly caught her breath and eyed him suspiciously.