Between heaven and earth, it seemed as if the howling cold wind and the exclamations of the bystanders had all vanished, leaving only the voice of the young man by her ear—
“Gu Wuyou, I like you. A long time ago, I already liked you.”
As if afraid that the heavy sound of breathing would disturb the atmosphere of the moment.
Or perhaps, thinking that she was dreaming…
Gu Wuyou subconsciously lightened her breath. Her small hand was still tightly clutching Li Qinyuan’s lapel, beneath her delicate fingertips was the cloud pattern embroidered with silver thread, and further down, the passionate and intense heartbeat of the young man.
Thump, thump.
Just like hers—intense and burning.
It wasn’t a dream. It was real. He really said it. He… liked her.
How should she describe her feelings at this moment? Gu Wuyou didn’t know. Her mind was still dazed, her eyes fixed blankly ahead. Even though she was certain this was reality and not a dream, she still found herself unable to react properly.
It was like tasting an especially delicious candy but not yet biting into its core, unsure whether it was sweet or sour. Or like carefully dipping her foot into a river, only to have a passing fish lightly nibble at her toes. The ticklish sensation made her want to withdraw her foot, yet she was reluctant to leave the clear waters.
So, she could only stare blankly at the young man before her. Her young man.
“Hey, little fool.”
Li Qinyuan was actually nervous. It was his first time confessing to a girl, and at such a moment—how could he not be nervous? Even he could feel how fast his heart was pounding when he spoke, his breath nearly catching in his throat.
But seeing her dazed look, he couldn’t help but laugh.
His youthful voice rang in her ears.
The smile on his face was brighter than the rising sun. His long, phoenix eyes, which always held an air of casual indifference like a lazy fox, now seemed to be born with a natural laughter in them, brimming with waves of mirth.
Radiant and full of youthful energy.
He leaned close to her ear, lips curling into a smile.
“Are you so happy that you’ve gone dumb?”
The horse beneath them, having been subdued for a long time, was no longer as wild. But Li Qinyuan, overwhelmed by emotions, found himself reluctant to leave just yet. He wanted to stay on this horse with her, carefree and unburdened, holding her—like this, forever.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Gu Yu and Meng Hui still chasing behind them.
The crowd around them was still calling their names.
But the young man, gripping the reins, lowered his head, his lips curling as he spoke to the girl in his arms—
“Little fool, brother will take you horse riding, alright?”
Gu Wuyou had actually snapped out of her daze the moment he called her “little fool.”
Her face flushed red, wanting to argue that she wasn’t stupid. But before she could say anything, she heard his next words—
“Brother will take you horse riding, alright?”
She froze for a moment, unsure if it was because of his words or because of the way he said “brother.”
But in the end, caught in the depths of his smiling eyes, she really did seem like a little fool as she nodded.
“Close your eyes and hold onto me.”
The moment Li Qinyuan finished speaking, he saw the girl in his arms immediately shut her eyes. Her small hands, which were already gripping his lapel, tightened their hold.
Looking down, he saw the little girl furrowing her brows, her nose twitching slightly as if she were terribly scared—
Yet she obeyed him completely.
When he said to close her eyes, she closed them. When he told her to hold on, she held on. She was so obedient.
Li Qinyuan’s heart melted into a pool of spring water.
When he was young, he would accompany his mother and grandmother to watch operas at home. The dan roles1Dan roles (旦角) refer to the female roles in traditional Chinese opera (such as Peking Opera). In historical times, these roles were typically played by male actors due to restrictions on women performing on stage. on stage often sang love stories, entanglements of emotions, and lingering grudges—tales that women loved.
He never believed in those things.
He never believed that there was any emotion in this world capable of stirring two hearts so profoundly.
And he certainly never believed in a love that could soften a man of iron and blood into tenderness wrapped around a finger.
But now, he believed.
Li Qinyuan lifted the corners of his lips. “Hyah!”
With a subtle squeeze of his legs against the horse’s belly, the steed that had just begun to slow down surged forward once more.
From behind, Meng Hui’s voice rang out—”Qilang, be careful!”
A flash of mischief flickered in his eyes.
He said nothing, merely holding the girl in his arms as they continued galloping across the racecourse.
In the piercing cold wind, atop the wildly running horse, was a pair of young hearts stirring for each other. In this world unseen by others, the girl clung tightly to the boy’s lapel, while the young man… he used his still-growing yet firm shoulders to shield her securely in his embrace, keeping the biting wind from touching her.
Round and round they rode, the two of them on horseback.
Gu Wuyou had lost count of how many laps they had completed. She only knew that the sunlight above her seemed brighter, that the once razor-sharp cold wind had turned gentle. Clutching the boy’s clothing, she couldn’t help but sneak a peek through a tiny slit of her barely opened eyes.
The terrifying scene from earlier—
Now, it no longer felt so frightening.
“Still scared?” A voice suddenly came from above her.
Gu Wuyou froze.
At last, she understood why he had suggested taking her horse riding just now.
This young general of the future… he didn’t yet know how to show kindness to someone.
So, he could only use his own way to tell her:
“I’m right here beside you. I will protect you, so don’t be afraid.”
Her heart softened instantly.
Her apricot eyes, shimmering with warmth, grew bright and gentle.
Raising her head from within his embrace, she gazed at him, unwavering, and shook her head with a smile.
“I’m not afraid anymore.”
Never again.
If not for this moment, perhaps she would never dare to ride a horse again.
But now—
She wasn’t afraid. Never again.
Because she knew that as long as he was there—
She had nothing to fear.
Li Qinyuan, caught under her gaze, felt his face grow warm. He mumbled under his breath, “Shameless little fool.”
But he was happy too.
So much so that he couldn’t hide his smile.
If someone placed a mirror in front of him right now, he probably wouldn’t even be able to look at himself. He might even blurt out—
“Who is this idiot?”
They went around two more times before the horse’s speed finally slowed.
Li Qinyuan tugged at the reins, bringing the once-mad stallion back to docility. With a sidelong glance at the two figures chasing after them, he let out a soft sigh.
Even if he was reluctant, he had to let go.
Releasing his hold, he swiftly dismounted, leading the horse aside.
Meng Hui and Gu Yu had been following behind the entire time.
Now that they had stopped, the two of them also dismounted.
Gu Yu had run so many laps that her head was spinning, and her legs felt weak. The moment her feet hit the ground, she nearly collapsed.
Fortunately, Meng Hui caught her in time, helping her stay upright.
“Thank you, sir.”
After speaking, she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to steady her body as she walked forward.
By the time she reached Gu Wuyou’s side, her eyes were already red with emotion.
Grasping Gu Wuyou’s hand, she examined her closely, her voice a trembling whisper—
“Thank goodness… thank goodness. Hands and feet are all still here.”
Gu Wuyou couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation at those words. What kind of reaction was this?
She had just opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, Gu Yu suddenly let out a loud “Wah!” and burst into tears.
“You scared me to death!”
Gu Yu was even stronger than Gu Wuyou.
Gu Wuyou was the type to hold her pride in front of others, only shedding tears in secret. Gu Yu, on the other hand, had never been one to cry since she was a child. But now, the sudden outburst of tears completely pulled Gu Wuyou out of her previous thoughts—thoughts like “The great general confessed to me,” “The great general said he liked me,” “The great general took me horseback riding.”
Flustered, she bent down to wipe away Gu Yu’s tears. “Don’t cry, I’m fine.”
As she spoke, she prepared to dismount.
But she was just like Gu Yu—her head was spinning, and her legs ached. As a young lady raised in comfort, cherished since childhood, she had been pampered like a delicate flower. When she was in Li Qinyuan’s arms, she hadn’t felt anything, but now that she was trying to get off the horse, she realized that her entire body was sore and weak.
She had barely begun to dismount when she nearly toppled forward.
Fortunately, Li Qinyuan had been watching her closely. The moment he saw something was wrong, he immediately reached out and steadied her by the arm, keeping her from falling.
“Are you alright?” He frowned as he asked.
Gu Wuyou’s face turned red.
She wasn’t sure if it was from the embarrassment of being helped in front of everyone or from the shame of admitting where she was hurting. Lowering her head, she murmured, “…I’m fine.”
Li Qinyuan wanted to say more, but by then, Fu Xian and the others had already arrived. He had no choice but to withdraw his hand, though his gaze never left her, afraid she might stumble again.
A group of students from the academy gathered around, their voices overlapping as they asked if she was alright.
Gu Wuyou shook her head and smiled. “I’m fine.”
“Better go to Madam Zhang for a checkup, just in case.” Meng Hui suggested from the side.
Aside from the teachers, Luming Academy also had several physicians on staff. Madam Zhang was specifically responsible for treating the noble young ladies.
Hearing this, Gu Yu immediately reached out to support Gu Wuyou, intending to take her to see the physician. But Gu Yu herself wasn’t in great condition—her body felt weak, and she was afraid she might accidentally drop Wuyou. So, she turned to Lu Yan, the daughter of the Cavalry General, and called out—
“Ah Yan, help her to Madam Zhang’s place.”
Lu Yan quickly responded, “Alright.”
Then, she gently supported Gu Wuyou and began to walk forward.
But Gu Wuyou turned her head to look behind her.
There, the young man in white was surrounded by the crowd. When he caught her gaze, he smiled faintly.
His lips moved slightly, forming silent words—“I’ll be with you.”
She understood.
A bright smile spread across her face again. Without hesitation, she allowed Lu Yan and the others to help her away.
After such an incident, there was no way the riding and archery class could continue. Some people accompanied Gu Wuyou to Madam Zhang, while others were sent back to their respective classes by Meng Hui.
Fu Xian pulled at Li Qinyuan. “Come on, let’s go see if the little chili pepper is alright.”
In the past, he and Gu Wuyou didn’t get along, but after growing up together and spending time recently, he didn’t find her as unbearable as before. Now that she had gone through such a terrifying ordeal, he couldn’t help but feel anxious for her.
Li Qinyuan had no objections.
He had already promised to check on her. “Let’s go.”
“I’m coming too!” Qi Xu chimed in, following behind them.
Only Jing Yubai hesitated.
He was about to take a step forward when his peripheral vision caught sight of the horse—the same one that had gone wild earlier, now calmly lowering its head to graze.
He frowned.
In the end, he chose not to follow the others. Instead, he turned and walked toward the horse.
Meanwhile, Gu Yu had stayed behind.
Several people around her were asking, “Ah Yu, you don’t look well either. Should we take you to see Madam Zhang too?”
She was about to nod in agreement when she noticed Jing Yubai heading toward the horse.
Something stirred in her heart.
She didn’t know what she was thinking, but after a moment of hesitation, she shook her head at the others. “I’m fine. You all go ahead. I’ll rest a bit before checking on Gu Wuyou.”
Her tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
The others had no choice but to leave first.
Once they were gone, Gu Yu limped toward Jing Yubai.
She saw him pursing his lips as he inspected the horse.
“Was there something wrong with the horse?” she asked.
He seemed surprised that she was still there.
Jing Yubai turned his head and gave her a polite nod. “Seventh Miss Gu.”
Then, he turned back and continued his inspection. As he checked the saddle, he said, “I’m just taking a look. I haven’t found anything yet.”
Just as he finished speaking, his gaze landed on a tiny puncture mark beneath the saddle.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Yu noticed his expression darken and quickly leaned in. When she saw the tiny hole, her own face fell. In a low voice, she murmured, “It’s an embroidery needle.”
“Mm.”
Jing Yubai gently rubbed his fingertip over the puncture and then examined the direction of the hole. “It must have been when Princess Leping suddenly squeezed the horse’s belly. The needle hidden in the saddle pierced into the horse, causing it to go berserk from the pain.”
“The puncture is very fine. If no one had stayed behind to check, no one would have thought twice about it. They would only assume…”
Before he could finish, Gu Yu, lips pressed tightly together, continued in a heavy tone, “Everyone would just think that Gu Wuyou was too eager to win, and the horse went wild from the pain.”
Even she had thought the same just moments ago.
That was why none of them had second-guessed it. They had immediately helped Gu Wuyou away without further inspection. If Jing Yubai hadn’t been meticulous enough to stay behind, no one would have discovered… the truth behind this incident.
In the academy, the only people who regularly used embroidery needles were the girls of Pingshuo Courtyard.
That meant that Gu Wuyou’s accident was undoubtedly connected to Pingshuo Courtyard!
Gu Yu’s expression darkened further, and beneath her sleeves, her fists clenched tightly.
Jing Yubai, however, said nothing more. He merely lowered his gaze, lightly tracing the puncture mark as if muttering to himself, “This hole… it seems finer than a normal embroidery needle.”
His mother was highly skilled in needlework, and all the clothes worn by his brothers were handmade by her.
Whenever he had spare time, he would sometimes help untangle threads and listen to his mother talk about the differences between various embroidery needles.
This puncture mark seemed finer than a standard embroidery needle.
If one didn’t look closely, it would be nearly impossible to notice.
“Finer?”
Gu Yu frowned and leaned in a little closer, her voice puzzled. “All the embroidery needles used in Pingshuo Courtyard are the same. How could there be a finer one?”
As soon as she spoke, a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning—
A memory flashed through her mind—
“Ah Yu, look at this needle. I had it custom-made in Jiangnan. The embroidery done with this needle will have much more delicate patterns.”
That voice…
Xiao Yi.