Organizing her thoughts, Lu Anru shifted her body slightly to the side, edging closer to the right side of the house. She hid under the red mushroom-shaped eaves, observing the situation and waiting for an opportunity to act.
The vast grassland stretched out endlessly under the scorching sun. Even though she crouched in the only shaded spot outdoors, she still felt unbearably hot, with the temperature easily reaching around forty degrees Celsius.
She futilely fanned herself with her hand, trying to alleviate the heat, but to no avail. A desire to seek shelter inside the house and cool off surged within her.
Being exposed to the sun for too long not only led to exhaustion but also agitation.
Clenching her fists, Lu Anru reminded herself that the road ahead was long and challenging, but she could endure this little hardship.
After enduring for a few more minutes, her unwavering principles gave way to overwhelming thirst. In just a few seconds, she found herself standing in front of the door.
Silently apologizing to her father for not heeding his wise teachings, she decided to forgo the struggle and opt for the quicker, albeit more painful, solution.
Her hand gently touched the wooden door, and with a creak, the door swung open from the inside.
A gentle breeze greeted her as Lu Anru stepped inside, intoxicated by the cool air.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up from her other foot.
Infuriated, she looked down to see one, two, three, several rabbits, all as ugly-cute as the one that had bitten her before.
The malicious rabbit clung tightly to her calf, its conspicuous black spot on its nose confirming it as the same habitual offender from the forest.
Despite her vigorous attempts to shake it off, she only succeeded in exhausting herself, unable to dislodge it. She cursed under her breath.
"Damn it! Aren't rabbits supposed to be gentle and cute? Could it be that they've gone mad from hunger and want to eat meat, bringing their accomplices to commit crimes together? Let me tell you, even if rabbits are cute, I'll eat them. If you push me too far, all of you won't stand a chance, I'll eat you one by one."
The rabbits seemed to understand her intimidation, as they not only didn't flee but also coordinated to bite her legs at different positions.
In just a few seconds, her legs were adorned with rabbit ornaments, looking exceptionally cute from afar.
However, upon closer inspection, especially when seeing Lu Anru's contorted expression of pain, no one would find it cute. Instead, they would find it both amusing and heartbreaking.
Gritting her teeth and enduring the pain, Lu Anru dragged her leg towards the house. She planned to shut the door behind her and deal with these bad rabbits, cutting off their escape route.
But as she moved even slightly, the pain intensified, nearly causing her to scream out loud, while the rabbits bit even more fiercely.
Stuck in place, she realized that as long as she didn't move towards the house, the rabbits would lessen their bite force.
The Moon Soaring's female school uniform came in two versions for summer and winter. In summer, it was a blue and white sailor dress.
In winter, there were the addition of temperature-regulating leggings, but these high-tech socks were extremely thin and delicate, unable to withstand such all-round nibbling.
"Who's at the door?"
Hearing the familiar inquiry in the local Han language, Lu Anru looked up to see the real-life version of the prince from the portrait, walking towards her from the depths of the house.
Her first reaction wasn't to marvel at his proficiency in the Han language. There was no need to dwell on it; Moon Soaring students, hailing from eleven countries, were the cream of the crop, and the entire campus was equipped with a language auto-conversion system. She was familiar with the Han language, so what she heard naturally was Han. Outside of school, one only needed to wear the Bluetooth earphones developed by the school to achieve the same effect.
Nor did she dwell on why she had carefully observed the house before and confirmed that there was no one inside.
Her first reaction was relief that the dead rabbits had finally scattered, sparing her poor legs.
Glancing at the rabbits hiding in the bushes, she gave them a contemptuous look and successfully intimidated them, causing the rabbits to bristle and hop away.
"Are you lost, dear girl?"
Lu Anru turned her head again, and the prince had already approached her.
She widened her eyes and subconsciously took a step back, vaguely remembering that he had been some distance away just a few seconds ago.
"Sorry to startle you," the prince apologized with gentlemanly grace.
Lu Anru froze, not swooning over him but suddenly recalling two close friends from Ojian, a neighboring country.
They were called Bronte and Charlie, both with deep facial features, twins who had entered the Intermediate Law Society. With their proficiency in practicing spells, their original blonde hair and blue eyes would change color according to the five elements of the spells.
Comparing the two images, Lu Anru immediately felt that the self-proclaimed handsome representatives of Ojian were completely defeated by the twin brothers. The difference in quality and temperament was not related to spell practice; it was a difference in every aspect, from character to demeanor.
Sensing her relaxed expression, the prince smiled softly and invited, "It's very hot outside. If you'd like, you can come in and rest for a while. Tell me about your experiences, maybe there's something I can help with."
As she began to move her legs again, Lu Anru caught sight of a spotted rabbit sneaking back, trembling as it approached her feet, revealing two big front teeth as it looked up at the red marks on her legs.
Lu Anru, glaring back at the rabbit that had just tried to scare her, no longer hesitated to enter the house. With a swift motion, she closed the door, keeping the rabbits outside.
"Please, have a seat."
Following the prince to a low stool in front of a wooden table, the sweet scent of lavender drifted from a vase on the table.
Lu Anru stared at the vase, an empty vase devoid of any flowers, yet exuding a strong floral fragrance.
Following her gaze, the prince noticed her confusion and gently explained, "It's from my beloved. She likes to pick flowers. Unfortunately, the lifespan of flowers once they're removed from the soil is only a week. This morning, the flowers wilted completely. My beloved cleaned out the vase, and now she's out picking new flowers."
Lu Anru shifted her gaze away, nodding at the prince, and asked the question that needed clarification, "Is your beloved Snow White?"
"Yes."
The prince replied with a gentle and polite smile, his eyes filled with an increasingly intense happiness as he looked at Lu Anru.
"Wow, that's really something. I really like you guys."
Meeting the prince's inadvertently joyful gaze, Lu Anru casually asked, "Why don't you return to the castle?"
In Lu Anru's imagination, the most likely sequel to the story of "Snow White" would involve the couple joining forces to fend off external enemies, aided by the prince's loyal subjects, easily reclaiming Snow White's kingdom.
The prince blinked rapidly, his golden eyelashes
trembling violently.
"Because, because, we," hesitating for a moment, he suddenly locked onto Lu Anru's clear eyes, as if making a momentous decision, and lowered his voice to ask, "Do you need directions? If you're lost, I can show you the way."
The sudden question confused Lu Anru, and she blurted out, "What do you mean?"
"If you're lost and need directions, I can show you right away."
The prince said enthusiastically, but Lu Anru sensed a forced dismissal in his tone.
Unwilling to indulge him further, she raised an eyebrow in displeasure, pinching out the deeper meaning behind his words, "Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"No, you can rest here until the sun sets. By then, the temperature will be cooler, and you can set off again. But there's one thing I need to trouble you with. When my beloved returns, please make sure to tell her that you came asking for directions when lost."
The prince tried hard to maintain a friendly smile, but when he mentioned the need for trouble, a flicker of fear flashed in his eyes.