I woke up as the Villainous Empress
Chapter 317: Shoot!

After the guards left and emptied the training ground, only Xiaowei and Gu Lan were left in the vast space filled with training equipment. Gu Lan, who watched the guards leave the area, glanced back at the woman who was still hiding behind him, cleared his throat with a cough, and said, "Everyone left. You can relax now."

Xiaowei, nervously clutching onto her skirt and with her head lowered from embarrassment, sighed in relief. She raised her head, stepped aside from Gu Lan's shadow, and stood in front of him to face him.

After everyone left, a sudden awkward silence settled between the two. Xiaowei pursed her lips and awkwardly stared at Gu Lan. She wanted to thank him for supporting her earlier; however, expressing gratitude for his words seemed unnecessary as it was his subordinates who were making fun of her and him, after all.

She stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say to keep the conversation going. Generally, whenever she confronted him, sharp words came out of her mouth easily without any hesitation. However, for some reason, today she couldn't even utter a word facing him.

Was it because they were alone in the vast training ground, or was she feeling shy and embarrassed from the teasing comments earlier? She wondered.

While Xiaowei was going through an inner turmoil and wondering what to say, Gu Lan took the initiative and said, "I brought you here because His Highness wanted me to train you for self-defense." He started, trying to get to work directly.

Gu Lan didn't look into her eyes; instead, he kept his gaze on the boundary wall of the training ground behind Xiaowei and continued, "Self-defense training needs strict physical training, which will be difficult in your state. Neither your clothes nor your physical condition is strong enough to handle the strenuous training." He said while looking at her petite weak stature.

"So, we won't be doing the physical self-defense training today." He stated.

For self-defense training, one needs to change into a training uniform for smooth, restraint-free movements and needs to exercise regularly to make the body physically strong before learning any self-defense movements.

Xiaowei, who is petite and looks frail like glass, made Gu Lan worried that she would get hurt if he attempted to teach her self-defense movements, and she might cry if she got hurt because of it.

Gu Lan could bear strong men crying from torture and pain, but his biggest weakness was seeing a woman crying in front of him. He doesn't know what to do in such moments and he doesn't want such situations to occur. Therefore, he decided to teach her self-defense using other techniques.

Xiaowei frowned at his words and could see the judging gaze in his eyes, "I might look weak, but I am quite strong. I move a lot, from cleaning the royal chamber to Her Highness's study room and managing all her small tasks to accompanying her to outside ventures. I am the one who accompanies her all the time.

I don't laze around the palace all day; I also work hard." She said, worried that he might think of her as weak and lazy.

Gu Lan, who wasn't even thinking about such things, chuckled to see her explaining her side with determination and said, "When did I say that you laze around the palace all day? I was simply explaining that physical self-defense training might not be suitable for beginners like you. It's not like I am not going to teach you." He said, softening his voice to not scare her from his strong demeanor.

Generally, his voice is deep and cold, but seeing Xiaowei's hesitant actions earlier when she entered the training ground and how nervously she was looking around, he was reminded that she is also a girl and might not be used to such a cold and harsh way of training. That is why he did his best to soften his tone as much as possible.

"Since it was an unexpected situation today, I don't have anything planned for you today. So I will teach you how to hold and use the bow and arrow. Using a weapon is the best way to protect yourself, and an arrow and bow can be the most effective means of self-defense without even entering into physical combat." Gu Lan explained himself.

"Also, since Her Highness is quite familiar with it, I am sure you will pick up soon as well." He said and walked towards the arrow and bow stand, picking up an easy bow and arrow meant for beginners and handing it to Xiaowei.

"Hold the wooden side of the bow with your left hand between your fingers while holding the string side with your right hand. Grasp the arrow between your fingers and position it to the crook of the wooden side of the bow to target the target board." Gu Lan instructed as he helped Xiaowei to hold the bow and arrow in her hands.

"Like this?" Xiaowei somehow grasped the bow and arrow in her hands with his instructions and asked him to confirm if she was holding it right.

Gu Lan frowned at her awkward posture and took a deep breath before standing behind her. He held her hand, attempting to adjust her posture.

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Xiaowei, confused by Gu Lan's sudden move to stand behind her, flinched in surprise at the unexpected intimacy. "What…what are you doing?" She asked nervously. He was standing close behind her, holding her hand that gripped the bow and arrow. The proximity made her ears turn crimson with embarrassment.

Gu Lan, nervous about her reaction, explained, "I wasn't doing anything. I was simply trying to adjust your posture. If you stand stiffly like that, you will get a cramp in your hand or legs."

Although he told her not to get nervous, he couldn't help but feel nervous himself. Their close proximity made his heart beat faster, and he noticed her crimson earlobes, causing him to shy away at her response as well.

He attempted to act as normal as possible, tapping her shoulders and instructing her, "Relax your shoulders. Also, hold the bow and arrow together like this. Close one eye, focus on the red circle in the center of the target board, and release the arrow when you're ready." Gu Lan provided instructions while helping her hold the bow and arrow, standing behind her and emphasizing the need to focus.

However, Xiaowei, frozen in place, couldn't focus at all. How could she concentrate when Gu Lan was standing so close behind her, holding the bow and arrow with her? Her back was against his sturdy chest, and she could feel the warmth of his body, causing her cheeks to blush. This was the closest she had ever been to a man intimately. How could she possibly focus on the target in this situation?

Gu Lan observed the girl standing there rigidly, seemingly dazed, and an unfamiliar smile appeared on his lips. Managing to control himself from smiling, he tried to be as strict and professional as possible. Holding her hand, he stretched the arrow against the string while encouraging her, then shouted, "Shoot!"

~Shoong~