Seeing it act spoiled, Qi Huan simply blocked it out.
On such a fine day with beautiful scenery, she only wanted to focus on being with Shu.
When the horse ambled to a flatter area, Qi Huan had a sudden thought: "Shu, can you teach me how to ride a horse?"
Although she had a bicycle, pedaling was tiring, and if she were to run, she couldn't outrun the horse and might arouse suspicion.
As the saying goes, having many skills never weighs one down.
Learning more skills is always beneficial.
To her request, Li Shuchen naturally agreed.
Stopping the horse, Li Shuchen helped her dismount, and began teaching her the skill of mounting the horse.
"Stand here, which is beside the horse's front legs, facing the saddle. Use your left hand to hold the reins tightly in your palm, and grasp the front pommel of the saddle. Then raise your left foot, use your right hand to slip the stirrup onto your left foot, hold the back pommel of the saddle with your right hand, and simultaneously exert force to swing yourself onto the saddle."
Li Shuchen demonstrated while explaining, repeating the motions several times, ensuring Qi Huan understood every movement before letting her take a turn.
The first time, Qi Huan stepped on the stirrup, stood for a moment, then jumped back down.
The second time, she mustered her courage, but as soon as she raised her right leg, the impatient horse moved, scaring her into falling back into Li Shuchen's embrace.
The third time, she persisted, took a deep breath, steadied herself on the stirrup, and with a forceful swing of her leg, she sat upon the saddle.
This time, without Li Shuchen's sturdy chest behind her, only the gentle breeze caressed her, and the empty feeling made her feel rather unaccustomed.
Adjusting her mood, her gaze gradually became more determined.
Having someone to rely on is certainly a blessing. But more importantly, one must have the ability to walk independently, to be self-reliant, and to be strong.
Today, she must learn how to ride a horse.
With this resolve, she slowly straightened her back, bravely grasped the reins, and listened attentively as Li Shuchen expounded on the art of horsemanship.
"Qi Huan, once seated, look ahead, use your legs to gently squeeze the horse's belly, pull the reins sideways, and lightly sway the whip. Start slowly at first."
Qi Huan followed his instructions, and the docile horse, sensing its master's commands, raised its hooves and started walking leisurely.
After she grasped the basic skills, Li Shuchen further elaborated on the deeper aspects of horsemanship.
By the time Yan Qinghe and the others returned, she was able to ride the horse at a trot.
"Wow, Qi Huan, you've learned how to ride a horse!" Lu Yueming exclaimed in surprise as she looked at her.
"Yeah!"
After a brief reply, Qi Huan remained focused on the reins in her hands.
Seeing that she was a novice, Lu Yueming refrained from further disrupting her and rode towards the river to find Xiu Wen.
"Xiu Wen, Qi Huan can ride a horse now, and you're the only one who can't," she teased.
"It's fine, I can ride in a carriage," he replied nonchalantly.
Lu Yueming faltered, swiftly dismounted, and gently nudged him with her whip. "If Qi Huan can learn, so can you. I'll teach you!"
"That doesn't seem appropriate," he protested.
"What's inappropriate about it? Don't tell me you think it's beneath you to learn from your disciple?"
"No, that's not it."
"Well, since that's not the reason, then learn how to ride a horse from me!"
Without further ado, Lu Yueming grabbed his sleeve and ushered him in front of the horse.
Just as Lu Yueming was about to start explaining the techniques, Yan Qinghe and Yan Wu also came over to join the fun.
Lu Yueming suddenly felt uneasy and spread her arms protectively in front of the horse. "Don't any of you dare try to take him from me!"
"Why not?" they asked in unison.
"You couldn't even outrun us earlier! How can you claim to be better than us?"
Rendered speechless by their questions, Lu Yueming still refused to back down, determined to keep her claim on the person she had secured.
She waved her hand, shooing them away. "First come, first served, don't you understand?"
The two were still hesitant, as they were brothers to Xiu Wen. If Xiu Wen wanted to learn horseback riding, how could they not help him?
Moreover, their horsemanship was undoubtedly superior.
They looked towards Xiu Wen, but he averted his gaze.
At this moment, Qi Huan also rode her horse over slowly, gazing at the two simpletons with a wry expression. She then suggested, "I was too focused on riding earlier to notice who came back first. Why don't you two have another race?"
After a pause, she added an incentive, "Ride to the foot of the mountain ahead and back. Whoever gets here first wins two taels of silver."
Originally, the two had been considering not abandoning their brother for the sake of competition.
But upon hearing about the silver prize for the winner, they immediately turned their horses around and galloped off, kicking up clouds of dust.
The dust billowed towards Qi Huan, forcing her to turn away. When she looked back, she met her friend's grateful gaze.
She understood.
It was time for her to leave.
So, she smiled and said, "I'll go for another ride. Take your time, no rush."
However, Xiu Wen seemed to lack the natural talent.
After studying for a while, he still couldn't mount the horse, occasionally tumbling off and being caught by Lu Yueming.
Gazing at the pair in the distance, Qi Huan couldn't help but wonder if Xiu Wen was feigning his inability.
"Shu, is Xiu Wen really a eunuch?"
"Yes."
"Is it possible that he's a fake eunuch?"
"No."
Seeing his decisive response, Qi Huan felt disappointed but stubbornly muttered, "But you haven't seen it..."
"..."
Li Shuchen fell silent with a dark expression.
"Shu, don't be angry, hehe." Realizing her remark was inappropriate, Qi Huan quickly dismounted and tugged at his sleeve, explaining, "I was just curious."
"Don't be curious about others."
"Oh." Qi Huan obediently nodded.
However, her gaze still couldn't help but wander towards Xiu Wen, secretly wishing that if only Xiu Wen were a fake eunuch, Lu Yueming could be happier with him.
She stared at Xiu Wen's back, so engrossed in her thoughts that she failed to notice Li Shuchen's expression, which had initially cleared, clouding over once more.
Covering her eyes, Li Shuchen's voice deepened as he uttered through gritted teeth, "Haven't... you... had... enough... of... looking?"
Qi Huan removed his hand, smiling brightly at him and coaxing him again, "Enough, enough, you're the only one in my eyes. Shu, don't be so jealous. You should have more confidence. You're the only one in my heart."
"And you are the only one in mine."
True love is exclusive, unable to tolerate the existence of a third person.
At this moment, Li Shuchen suddenly understood the Ming Dynasty's Hongzhi Emperor, Zhu Youtang.
He was a character from the book Qi Huan had given him, the enlightened ruler who initiated the Hongzhi Restoration of the Ming Dynasty. The only criticism of him in history was that he married only Empress Zhang, leading to a decline in imperial heirs.
Yet, at this moment, Li Shuchen fully agreed with the Hongzhi Emperor.
Having encountered a precious pearl, all others become mere fish in the eye.
Qi Huan was his one and only, now and forever.
In their eyes, there was only the reflection of each other. They gazed at each other in silence, yet their feelings flowed through the stillness.
They didn't even hear the approaching hoofbeats until a hand reached between them.
Dismounting, Yan Qinghe wiped his sweat and extended his hand toward Qi Huan: "I won."
Qi Huan: ......
She silently took out a tael of silver and placed it in his palm.
At that moment.
In the sky, the sunset was resplendent.
On the ground, Yan Qinghe's smile was even more radiant than the sunset.
Not only did he win, but he also gained a tael of silver, truly a wonderful day.
Qi Huan was also delighted, for she had learned how to ride a horse that day. Looking at Lu Yueming's beautiful smile, she felt the journey was not in vain.
Originally, the horse race was meant to help Lu Yueming relieve her worries, and now that the goal was achieved, it was only natural to be happy.
The group galloped away, singing as they rode, hurrying to enter the city gates before sunset.
Everyone unanimously decided to escort Lu Yueming back to her residence first. Just as they reached the Lu residence, they saw her maid waiting anxiously outside for their arrival.
