In an instant, the riding field was filled with loud cheers and shouts. Some called out, “Wuyou, go faster!” while others cheered, “Gu Yu, speed up!” Eventually, the crowd split into two factions, each competing to see who could shout louder.
Gu Yu was clearly surprised as well. She glanced at Gu Wuyou beside her and asked, “Since when did you get this good at riding and archery?”
“A long time ago.” Gu Wuyou smiled. Her whip swayed in the biting wind, and her voice, carried by the breeze, scattered slightly. She turned her head to look at Gu Yu and grinned. “Come on, let’s keep going!”
With that, she raised her whip and charged forward.
Hearing this, Gu Yu’s face also lit up with a smile. She flicked her whip, looking at Gu Wuyou’s retreating figure, and shouted, “I’m coming!”
The spectators were utterly thrilled, and the competitors were fully immersed in the race. But when the three laps were completed, the result turned out to be a tie between Gu Yu and Gu Wuyou.
The students who had placed their bets were somewhat disappointed and started clamoring for a rematch.
Meng Hui chuckled and said, “Daring to place bets in my class? If your Instructor Pan finds out, you’ll all be in for a scolding.”
“Sir, didn’t you enjoy watching too? Weren’t you cheering just as loudly as us earlier?”
Meng Hui was a lenient teacher who never acted overly strict, often mingling casually with his students. Hearing this, his face turned slightly red, and he cleared his throat before saying, “Class time is limited. If they race again, some of you might not get a turn to ride.”
“No problem!”
“It’s not like we haven’t ridden horses before!”
“Exactly, exactly! We want to see them race again!”
…
The noisy crowd chattered away, giving Meng Hui a headache. He shook his head, but in the end, he could only laugh helplessly and scold, “You little troublemakers, at least ask the participants if they agree first.”
Gu Yu hadn’t had enough fun yet. The moment she heard this, she immediately responded, “I agree!”
Then she turned to Gu Wuyou, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “What do you say? Let’s go again?” She hadn’t felt this thrilled in a long time!
Gu Wuyou naturally had no objections. She enjoyed the feeling of galloping freely, the rush of wind dispersing all her worries… She nodded. “Alright.”
The onlookers cheered excitedly when they heard their agreement.
Meng Hui, being the more rational one, chuckled. “Let them rest first. They can go after the second group finishes.”
No one had any objections to this arrangement.
The second batch of riders mounted their horses. This time, it was a group of familiar faces, and since there weren’t any particularly outstanding competitors, the enthusiasm for watching wasn’t as high. Those practicing archery resumed shooting, and those chatting continued their conversations.
Many people wanted to talk to Gu Wuyou, but due to her status and temperament, they hesitated to approach.
Fu Xian, however, had no such reservations. He dragged Qi Xu and the others straight over to where Gu Wuyou and Gu Yu stood. His face was flushed with excitement, and as soon as he saw Gu Wuyou, he blurted out, “Little Pepper! When did you become this good?”
Gu Wuyou smiled at him and repeated what she had said to Gu Yu earlier. “A long time ago.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Li Qingyuan.
The young man in white stood at the back. When he noticed her looking at him, he didn’t avert his gaze. Instead, he lifted his brows slightly and smiled at her.
Her heart suddenly raced, and a faint blush spread across her face.
Just moments ago, she had remained calm and composed despite all the praise and attention. Yet now, just from seeing the young man’s smile, her face turned red…
She was always like this—whenever she saw Li Qingyuan, no matter what he did or said, she couldn’t help but feel shy.
Fu Xian and the others didn’t notice her change in demeanor and continued talking. “You hid this skill too well! When we all have time, let’s go hunting in the northern outskirts together.”
When Gu Wuyou didn’t immediately respond, Fu Xian didn’t mind and instead turned to tease Gu Yu. “Seventh Miss Gu, I actually bet on you just now, and you still lost! Useless!”
The two of them had long developed the habit of bickering whenever they met…
Now, one retorted, “Who told you to bet on me?” while the other shot back, “I can bet on whoever I want! Hey, you better not slow me down later—I bet real silver on you. If you lose, you owe me money!”
Amidst their noisy quarrel, Gu Wuyou, under Li Qingyuan’s warm gaze, finally walked up to him. She tilted her head up and, with a hint of anticipation, asked, “Did you see everything just now?”
Her little face was flushed, her eyes sparkling. She looked up at him as if she were a child seeking recognition and praise.
Li Qingyuan gazed at her and suddenly felt a strange itch in his palm. He had the urge to pat her little head, to bend down and whisper close to her ear, “I saw it. You were amazing.”
But the bustling environment around them wasn’t the right place for such an intimate gesture. He could only clasp his hands behind his back, suppress his emotions, and softly hum in acknowledgment.
Then he frowned slightly.
Was that too cold of a response?
After a moment’s thought, he adjusted his tone to be gentler. Looking into her eyes, he said, “I saw it. You were incredible.”
Hearing his praise, Gu Wuyou’s smile widened. Her brows arched with delight as she gazed at him, unable to hold back her excitement. “I’ll do even better next time!”
She paused briefly before adding, “I’ll win first place for you, okay?”
The little girl was full of determination.
Li Qingyuan found it amusing. Looking at her bright, eager face, he felt his heart soften into something indescribably tender. His voice, too, grew even gentler. “Alright, I’ll be waiting for you to come back with first place.”
“Okay!” Gu Wuyou was about to say more when Gu Yu’s voice rang out behind her.
“Gu Wuyou, let’s go! It’s our turn!”
“I’m coming!”
Li Qingyuan’s clear voice sounded before Gu Wuyou could even bid him farewell.
“Go on, I’ll be watching you… waiting for you to come back in first place.”
The last part of his sentence was spoken in a lowered tone.
Yet, it was precisely this deliberate softness that added an inexplicable sense of intimacy to the moment.
Gu Wuyou’s face flushed red, her ears burning. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different about the Young General today. Though she couldn’t quite put it into words, it seemed as though he was less reserved, more open than before.
As she turned to leave, she kept pondering this thought.
But the moment she mounted her horse and saw the refined young man in white smiling at her from the crowd, she stopped overthinking.
Forget it.
She would win first place for him first!
With that thought, she withdrew her gaze, tightened her grip on the riding whip, and fixed her eyes on the path ahead, her expression serious and focused.
This time, it was just her and Gu Yu competing. The track was wide open, and Gu Yu had clearly become more serious as well. Before Instructor Meng even gave the signal, she turned to Gu Wuyou and said, “I won’t underestimate you this time.”
Gu Wuyou raised a brow and smiled. “Neither will I.”
“All set?” Meng Hui asked from the side.
Both girls nodded, and only then did he step aside with a chuckle. “Get ready!”
The whistle blew.
Gu Wuyou and Gu Yu charged forward simultaneously.
Students from all three academies lined both sides of the track, cheering for their chosen rider. The enthusiasm was overwhelming, with some even shouting encouragement for the competitor they had bet on.
Not everyone shared their excitement, though.
Xu Wan, who had always been at odds with Gu Wuyou, now found herself equally displeased with Gu Yu, who fiercely defended her. Seeing the crowd so fired up, she curled her lips in disdain. “It’s just horse riding. Is it really worth getting this excited?”
“Ah Yi, let’s go somewhere else. It’s too crowded here.”
She received no response.
Frowning, she turned around to find that Xiao Yi was staring blankly ahead, her fists clenched tightly, her face deathly pale.
“Ah Yi?” Xu Wan called again.
Still, no reaction.
She furrowed her brows and tugged lightly at Xiao Yi’s sleeve, only to see her suddenly jolt awake as if from a trance. Her abrupt movement startled even those around her, drawing curious glances. Embarrassed, Xiao Yi hurriedly muttered apologies to the people she had bumped into before finally turning to Xu Wan, her voice hoarse. “…What is it?”
“You’re asking me? What’s wrong with you?” Xu Wan frowned. “You looked like you lost your soul. I called you so many times, and you didn’t even respond.”
Xiao Yi shook her head, her voice still strained. “I’m fine… I just didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Let’s step outside; it’s too crowded here.” Xu Wan was growing impatient, her own mood souring from being jostled by the crowd.
Xiao Yi nodded, but as she left, she glanced back at the racetrack one last time—or rather, at Gu Wuyou, who was still galloping at full speed.
She hesitated for a moment, as if torn by something, but in the end, she followed Xu Wan out of the crowd.
The race had reached its most intense moment.
The two riders were on their third and final lap, but neither had managed to pull ahead. Their horses galloped neck and neck, making it impossible to determine a winner.
Fu Xian was more excited than if he had been competing himself. He clutched Qi Xu’s arm with an iron grip, his eyes locked onto the race without blinking.
Jing Yubai chuckled at his enthusiasm before shifting his gaze to Li Qingyuan. Smiling, he asked, “Who do you think will win?”
At these words—
Li Qingyuan raised an eyebrow and, without even looking, confidently stated, “Her.”
He didn’t care who the actual winner would be. In his heart, the little girl was always first… Besides, he truly believed she would win.
The young man in white crossed his arms and watched the red-clad girl in the arena. He recalled how, before she left, she had declared with such certainty that she would take first place. His face remained expressionless, but the corners of his lips unknowingly softened into a gentle smile.
But then—
Gu Wuyou’s expression suddenly changed.
The horse beneath her, which had been running steadily just moments ago, suddenly reared up wildly, as if possessed. It lifted its front hooves high and then bolted forward at an uncontrollable speed.
At first, the spectators around them hadn’t noticed anything unusual. Even Gu Yu, focused entirely on the race, was oblivious to the situation.
But Li Qingyuan, who had been watching Gu Wuyou the entire time, sensed immediately that something was wrong.
His previously relaxed face turned sharp in an instant.
Then, amidst the startled cries of the crowd, the young man burst through the spectators—
The bitter cold wind slashed against his face, but he paid no mind.
He ran with all his might, cutting through the chaotic scene, and reached out toward the panicked girl on horseback.
“Manman, don’t be afraid!”