Chapter 64 Meeting Fang is the best possible outcome.

Chapter 64

Shen Suining and He Hansheng rode two horses, one black and one white, galloping ahead. The wind whistled past their ears, and the two men smiled and competed with each other, as spirited as young men, as they roamed freely across the vast grassland.

Jiang Yuchu and Shen Fengyu drove the carriage behind, and soon they had distanced themselves from each other.

Shen Suining watched as He Hansheng was always slightly faster than her, and even when he was occasionally at a disadvantage, it was difficult for him to be outpaced.

The horse he was riding was a Tianshan Ferghana horse, a tribute from the Western Regions. It could travel a thousand miles a day without getting tired, and its breed was much better than her black horse. Seeing that she was about to fall behind him again, Shen Suining complained, "He Hansheng, let's switch horses!"

He Hansheng tightened the reins and stopped, shaking his head helplessly, "When we were choosing earlier, you insisted on the Black Horse Steed, but now you realize you can't ride it?"

“You didn’t remind me when we were choosing,” Shen Suining jumped off the black horse, walked to the white horse, and corrected him: “Besides, it’s not that I can’t ride as well as you, it’s that this steed can’t compare to the natural racial advantages of the Akhal-Teke. In terms of riding skills, we’re at best evenly matched.”

The two of them mounted their horses.

After Shen Suining finally mounted the Akhal-Teke horse, she didn't immediately try to outdo He Hansheng. Instead, she sat leisurely on the horse, her legs dangling at her sides, looking quite content.

He Hansheng asked her, "Aren't you going to compete?"

“You’re really competitive,” Shen Suining glanced at him and said matter-of-factly, “I’ve already said that different breeds of horses are different, there’s no point in trying to compare them. Besides, we still have to wait for Feng Yu and the others.”

He Han chuckled. She was always quick-witted and could argue even when she was wrong. Now, her ability to turn the tables on him was also growing day by day. She was clearly driven by her competitive spirit, but she insisted on saying that he was competitive.

The two walked side by side through the ankle-deep grassland, while the horse also enjoyed a leisurely and carefree ride, grazing as it went.

Occasionally, a few eagles soar overhead; between heaven and earth, all things are free and at ease.

The autumn sun wasn't so harsh, and it felt warm on her skin. Shen Suining looked up at the cloudless blue sky and couldn't help but sigh, "He Hansheng, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could live like this forever? Free and easy, going wherever we want, it's so comfortable."

He Hansheng remained silent, a hint of bitterness hidden beneath the smile in his eyes.

Akhal-Teke horses have natural breed advantages, so they are often kept in captivity by royalty and nobility, unlike ordinary horses that roam freely on the grasslands.

Similarly, He Hansheng, though born into a noble family, carries heavy burdens and responsibilities that he cannot shirk, preventing him from providing Shen Suining with the carefree life she desires.

He and she may seem to be walking together now, but in reality, they are two people on completely different paths. She is only forced to stand beside him, but one day they will go their separate ways. She will return to her own path, like the eagle that just took off into the wind, soaring freely and growing wildly in the vast sky, never restrained.

She should be like this. She was meant to be like this.

But human nature is always greedy and insatiable, and dark, selfish thoughts would always quietly grow in He Hansheng's heart. He would speak grandly, but in reality, he would sometimes think—

If only she would stay, would stay by his side.

"He Hansheng," Shen Suining called his name, reined in her horse and rode up to his side, bringing her face close to his and asking, "What are you thinking about again? Making such a sad face will make you look older."

He Hansheng paused slightly. He was always good at hiding his emotions, but she always saw through him at a glance, leaving him no room to hide them.

His throat moved, and he softly called her "Ningning," his burning gaze seeming to urgently need something from her. He restrained his emotions and whispered, "Can you kiss me?"

Shen Suining exclaimed "Huh?" and looked at the carriage that was gradually catching up in the distance. She seemed to be confused by He Hansheng's sudden request.

"Is it okay?" He Hansheng looked at her and asked again, unwilling to give up.

He sounded like someone drowning in a pond, desperately grabbing onto a piece of driftwood to save their life, his voice carrying a hint of pleading.

Shen Suining was somewhat confused. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Yuchu stop the carriage some distance away from them. The wind on the grassland brought waves, and the horses in the distance made low neighing sounds.

She looked at He Hansheng. His face was calm, but the unreadable emotions in his eyes were like a turbulent deep sea, engulfing her.

Shen Suining didn't speak, but loosened her grip on the reins, wrapped her arms around He Hansheng's neck, and kissed his lips.

As if he had been given a brief rebirth, He Hansheng looked down at her, feeling her soft lips touch his own. He felt like a devout believer who had finally received the blessing of the gods.

But he remained unmoved, sitting firmly on his horse, letting her repeat the kisses and tracings he used to perform to comfort her. Now she was doing the same thing, patiently nourishing his barren heart with the methods he had taught her.

She kissed him, again and again, tirelessly.

After a long while, He Hansheng finally couldn't help but want to respond, but Shen Suining released him at that moment.

Her cheeks flushed, but she maintained a calm expression as she asked him, breathing softly, "Is that enough?"

He Hansheng didn't answer, and lowered his head to continue, but Shen Suining reached out and covered his lips, reminding him, "We still have a long way to go, He Hansheng."

He froze for a moment, then pulled her hand away, the lust in his eyes hard to extinguish.

He Hansheng kissed her hand, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Shall we go back to the carriage?"

...

That night, the group arrived at an inn where they would rest.

Jiang Yuchu parked the carriage, and after he and Shen Fengyu jumped out, he gently knocked on the carriage door. "My lord, my lady, we've arrived."

"Understood," came the reply from inside.

The two went to the inn to settle in first. After a while, He Hansheng carried Shen Suining out of the car. She was wearing one of his outer garments, and only one shoe was hanging on her feet. The other shoe was in He Hansheng's hand.

He Hansheng was dressed neatly and calmly. He carried Shen Suining back to the room and instructed Jiang Yuchu before closing the door: "Have Fengyu bring some hot water and dinner to the room as well."

"yes."

After Jiang Yuchu left, He Hansheng closed the door, placed Shen Suining on the bed, and took off her remaining shoe and put it aside.

Shen Suining let out a soft breath and lifted He Hansheng's outer robe off her body.

Her clothes were neatly dressed, but there were several places where they were torn, especially around the neckline. The tattered brocade could hardly cover the ambiguous red marks on her body, so when she got out of the car, He Hansheng covered her with his own clothes.

Shen Suining glared fiercely at He Hansheng, "If you dare to tear my clothes again, I'll make sure you're childless!"

He Hansheng coughed awkwardly.

At this moment, Shen Fengyu knocked on the door from outside. She brought in water, poured it into the bathtub, adjusted the water temperature, and then went out.

He Hansheng tested the water temperature and said, "Dinner will probably have to wait a while, let's wash up first."

Even though she was furious, Shen Suining nodded and let He Hansheng carry her into the bathtub to wash her.

Shen Suining has very fair skin, so even the slightest mark is very noticeable. Now, her body is covered with the marks left by He Hansheng.

It is impolite not to reciprocate. He Hansheng took off his clothes and was not much better off than her.

Moments later, water splashed everywhere in the shower room.

The two of them didn't get out of the bath until the water had cooled down a bit. After He Hansheng dried them off and changed them into clean clothes, Jiang Yuchu brought over dinner.

Shen Suining was exhausted and hungry but had no appetite. After a long while, she finally managed to eat a couple of mouthfuls of food. Then, He Hansheng carried her to the bed, where she lay down like a dead fish, completely still.

He Hansheng was worried that she would be hungry at night, so he asked Jiang Yuchu to prepare some snacks in the room.

Shen Suining was so tired that she could barely lift her eyelids. She lay on the bed with her eyes closed, drifting off to sleep.

A short while later, He Hansheng also got into bed and reached out to embrace her.

Shen Suining jolted back, pushing him away forcefully while shouting, "I already admitted defeat and begged for mercy! I really can't go on anymore!"

"..." He Hansheng paused for a moment, then coughed lightly, "I just wanted to hold you."

Shen Suining stared at him warily, clearly because she had been burned before and no longer believed his nonsense.

He Han sighed and had no choice but to withdraw his hand and lie quietly beside her.

Shen Suining was relieved, after all, He Hansheng was quite restrained in this matter, at most he would only coax and seduce her with words and actions, he would not really force her.

But as she closed her eyes, the more she thought about it, the more something seemed off, so she simply turned over and asked, "He Hansheng, are you doing this on purpose?"

He Hansheng didn't understand. "What?"

"During the day on horseback, you had that expression on your face, like you were very sad and upset, but I can't think of anything that could make you look like that," Shen Suining said belatedly. "He Hansheng, were you so sure that I would be soft-hearted towards you that you did that on purpose?"

Hearing this, He Hansheng turned to face her and asked, "Would you be soft-hearted towards me?"

“Of course,” Shen Suining frankly admitted, “I’ve always been a magnanimous person. Even if complete strangers say a few nice words to me, I won’t hold it against them, let alone someone like us.”

He Hansheng pressed further, "What's our relationship?"

“Husband and wife,” Shen Suining looked at him as if he were an idiot, and solemnly counted on her fingers, “a couple married by imperial decree, by the parents’ command, and through proper channels.”

"Besides that?" He Hansheng continued to press, a hint of expectation in his eyes. "Ningning, have you ever had the urge to be with me forever?"

Shen Suining didn't speak. She turned over and lay flat on her back, quietly staring at the ceiling.

“He Hansheng,” after a long silence, Shen Suining finally spoke softly, “The word ‘forever’ is too big for me. If you are troubled by this, I don’t know how to respond to you.”

“I want to cherish the present moment with you, and that’s absolutely true. But if you ask me how long this sincerity can last, I can’t give you a definite answer. People’s hearts have always been fickle. You’re always thinking about what the future will hold, but what if,” she paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “what if you grow tired of me first?”

He Hansheng opened his mouth, wanting to tell her he wouldn't.

But Shen Suining is frighteningly rational. She seems to never believe these words. Even if he swore an oath in blood in front of her today, as she said, she will only believe that he is sincere at that moment. For her, this promise may change at any time after that.

A promise that is not believed is meaningless. He Hansheng could only smile bitterly and say, "You're right. I was too greedy and too concerned about gains and losses."

Shen Suining stopped dwelling on these things, simply turned to the side, opened his arms, snuggled into his embrace, and gently hugged him.

“He Hansheng, you should be happier. In this vast sea of ​​people, meeting is the best of luck. No matter what the future holds, at least I'm by your side now. Just cherish the present moment, just like I do.”

After saying this, she seemed exhausted and closed her eyes. "Go to sleep. We have to travel tomorrow."