Zhou, who claims to be innocent and pure, remained silent and made no comment on the matter.

Little do people realize that the darker others are, the less innocent they appear to be.

Jiang Yue raised her eyes, a hint of understanding in them: "I've known for a long time that you're all in cahoots."

One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black.

We should never miss the lessons learned from our ancestors.

Zhou Ji: "..."

Jiang Yue immediately abandoned him and turned to go into the house.

Ning Zhi's bedroom was on the second floor. Jiang Yue held onto the stair railing, making her footsteps soft, and went upstairs, raising her hand to knock on the door.

Ning Zhi had just woken up and went to open the door in her pajamas.

Jiang Yue asked politely, "May I come in?"

Ning Zhi's eyes lit up when she saw her, and she stepped aside to make way for her. "Of course."

The master bedroom also has a constant temperature system on, and the temperature is just right, neither too hot nor too cold.

Her pajamas were a bit loose, revealing her collarbone just below the neckline. Several mottled marks, a mix of blue and red, were clearly visible on her porcelain-white skin.

Jiang Yue is no longer a clueless little girl.

Her face flushed bright red instantly.

Ning Zhi noticed her flushed face and thought she was a little hot, so she poured her a glass of cool water and said, "A-Yue, your face is so red. Is it very hot outside today?"

The weather is getting warmer; it must be really hot outside.

Jiang Yue gripped her water glass, suppressing the awkwardness that had just welled up inside her. She took two sips of lukewarm water to moisten her throat, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she hesitated, unable to continue: "You..."

Ning Zhi didn't tell her because she didn't want to.

Jiang Yue didn't want to be arrogant. Her relationship with Fu Qingnian was her private matter, and if she asked about it rashly, it would only make Ning Zhi feel embarrassed.

Ning Zhi was naturally shy and reserved.

Jiang Yue was afraid that she would make her cry, so after thinking it over, she swallowed back all her doubts.

Ning Zhi wouldn't say, and she couldn't ask.

Ning Zhi winked at her and asked curiously, "What's wrong with me?"

Jiang Yue awkwardly rambled on, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Ning Zhi slept very well last night, but... she went to bed too late.

She couldn't tell whether she couldn't accept Fu Qingnian or whether it was societal ethics. She felt useless and cowardly, afraid that outsiders would expose her twisted relationship with Fu Qingnian, yet she didn't have enough courage to resist him.

She is too weak.

I guess I'll just have to let it go myself.

If you can't resist, then give up.

Gradually, Ning Zhi also lost the ability to distinguish between right and wrong.

Sometimes she could even find some satisfaction in this clandestine relationship, but occasionally, in the dead of night, during the pleasure of their intertwined embrace, she would raise her tearful eyes and say, while shedding tears, that this was wrong.

Fu Qingnian is a bad seed.

He's also a vengeful and wicked person.

He didn't like hearing things he didn't want to hear from her.

Fu Qingnian just smiled and considerately wiped away her tears, saying, "Yes, sister-in-law."

"So we did it quietly."

"Be good, keep this a secret, and don't let my brother find out."

With each word Fu Qingnian spoke, her face paled further, and gradually she stopped saying things that Fu Qingnian didn't want to hear.

She was no match for him; she was just asking for trouble.

Ning Zhi snapped out of her reverie and said softly, "I slept very well."

Seeing that Ning Zhi's complexion was rosy, Jiang Yue believed what she said. She felt that Ning Zhi's personality made her easy to bully, especially by someone like Fu Qingnian who was taciturn and cunning.

Moreover, Ning Zhi seems to be a homebody.

I can stay home for a whole month without leaving the house.

Wouldn't that make people feel suffocated?

Jiang Yue took her hand: "I heard there's a horse farm here. I'll teach you how to ride a horse in a bit, okay?"

Ning Zhi was tempted, but also a little scared: "I can't."

Jiang Yue felt her hands were soft and comfortable to touch. "That's why I said I'd teach you."

Ning Zhi hesitated, "But... I'm not very athletic, I'm a bit clumsy, so maybe I should just give up."

Jiang Yue could tell she was willing. "As long as you're not afraid of pain or falling, you'll definitely be able to learn." She paused, then said, "I won't let you fall, trust me, okay?"

Ning Zhi struggled for a few seconds before giving up and nodded emphatically to her: "Okay."

The horse farm is located within the estate.

However, the estate is too big; it takes several minutes to drive from the main house to the horse farm.

The sight of two girls holding hands is quite pleasing to the eye on this sunny spring day.

Jiang Yue first picked out a docile foal at the horse farm. She led the horse out, and there were a few more people outside.

Ning Zhi had already been pulled to Fu Qingnian's side.

When Fu Qingnian saw Jiang Yue, he said indifferently, "I won't trouble you to teach her. I'll do it myself."

Jiang Yue: "I won't argue with you. Ask Azhi who she's willing to teach."

The back-and-forth arguing only put Ning Zhi in a difficult position, leaving her caught in the middle, unable to express her feelings.

Ning Zhi's hand was held in Fu Qingnian's palm, and she couldn't escape. She was still very afraid of him, but she didn't want to disappoint Jiang Yue's kindness.

She kept her face down, her eyes red like a rabbit's, thankfully no one saw it.

She said softly, "My back hurts a little, so I won't learn today. I'll just watch you guys play."

Fu Qingnian gave a cold laugh and said nothing more.

Jiang Yue didn't say much. It was all Fu Qingnian's fault for coming at the wrong time and ruining the mood.

The docile foal that Jiang Yue was leading was originally chosen for Ning Zhi, so she had to go back and choose a spirited horse instead.

She mounted her horse with a graceful and heroic air.

Jiang Yue held the reins, her back straight, her gaze fixed calmly ahead, the fierce wind whipping her long hair high in the air.

She cracked her whip, and the horse beneath her reared up and flew off.

She was like a free wind, going wherever she wanted without any constraints.

Jiang Yue learned horse-taming skills from her uncle. She rode faster and faster, but she wasn't flustered at all.

The long wind whistled past my ears.

She forged ahead relentlessly.

Looking at the distant sky, Jiang Yue couldn't help but wonder if she could keep running like this, running this fast, and one day she would be able to run back.

In a daze.

Jiang Yue seemed to hear the sound of hooves behind her. She looked back and saw Zhou Ji sitting high on the horse's back. He was tall and casually holding the reins, looking quite at ease.

White shirt, black vest.

Very refined.

The muscle definition beneath the shirt looked just right.

Jiang Yue quickly looked away, ignoring the man behind her. He didn't seem to intend to stop her, and simply followed quietly behind her.

As if she wanted to compete with him, Jiang Yue cracked her whip, and the horse ran even faster, charging wildly.

Others who saw it found it shocking.

There are quite a few tragedies involving people falling off horses, and some of the most severe falls result in lifelong disabilities.

Jiang Yue didn't seem afraid at all.

At least you can't see fear on her expressionless face.

Perhaps it was because she had chosen a wild and untamed horse; the faster it went, the more out of control it became.

It charged into the depths of the woods like a wild horse.

The withered tree, seemingly lying across the rock, seemed to be running straight ahead.

By the time Jiang Yue saw the obstacle ahead and tried to stop it, it was too late; tightening the reins was of no use.

She wasn't afraid of falling.

I've fallen quite a few times since I was a child.

Even during those two years when Jiang Guo was on the verge of collapse, she considered how she would die. Hanging herself was too shameful, and living a cowardly life was humiliating.

Why not jump off the city wall?

It can also be considered a form of sacrificing oneself for one's country.

Jiang Yue closed her eyes, but she wasn't thrown off. The man had already caught up, his voice still calm and collected: "Give me your hand."

Before Jiang Yue could react, her arm was suddenly grabbed and kicked hard, and the next second she fell onto the man's horse.

He gradually slowed down, and the sound of the wind in his ears also stopped.

The man dismounted first, looked at her quietly, and extended his hand to her.

Jiang Yue looked at him for a moment, then slowly stretched out her arms and jumped into his embrace, resting her chin gently on his shoulder: "Thank you."

Zhou Ji asked, "Did you have fun?"

Jiang Yue didn't want to answer.

In fact, her mood didn't improve.

Zhou Ji lifted her face, his expression not much better, cold as if covered in frost, his eyes also cold, he spoke without any emotion: "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were trying to kill yourself."

Jiang Yue pursed her lips: "I didn't intend to die."

Zhou Ji seemed not to hear her. He gripped her wrist tightly with his knuckles and uttered expressionlessly, "Dead is dead. Once you're dead, you're nothing."

There will be no resurrection.