Chapter 55 Horse Riding "There's a less tiring way, want to try it?...

After leaving the training ground, Xie Lanzhou ordered his men to bring over a group of pure white horses.

He reached out and approached, and the horse obediently lowered its head to let him stroke it, gently rubbing against his palm.

Su Panyue couldn't help but exclaim, "What a beautiful horse!"

"This horse is named Yingxue. It was a fine steed presented as tribute from the Northern Region last year. The Sima Supervisor has been training it well for a year. Would you like to give it a try?"

Xie Lanzhou handed the reins to Su Panyue as he spoke.

Su Panyue turned her head and forgot that she had mentioned this when she came. Instead, she asked, "How did Your Majesty know that I can ride a horse?"

Xie Lanzhou was amused by her memory and deliberately said, "I was fortunate enough to experience it in bed."

Su Panyue was stunned for a moment, then, seeing the playful expression on the man's face, she suddenly realized what was happening, raised her hand and slapped him, her ears turning red unnaturally.

She had previously learned to ride a horse for a while under the arrangement of her adoptive father in the State of Lu, but it was only to cater to the hobbies of some important figures, so she only learned the basics.

She stood hesitantly in front of the horse, and the white horse, as if sensing her hesitation, actually bent its front legs and lowered its body.

Su Panyue gratefully patted its head and deftly stepped onto the horse using the stirrups.

The white horse slowly straightened up and took two steps forward.

Xie Lanzhou followed beside her, one hand lightly supporting her from behind.

Su Panyue smiled at him and rode slowly for a while. Xie Lanzhou saw that she had gotten used to it, so he mounted his own black horse.

This black horse was exceptionally tall; simply standing still, it towered over Su Panyue by a considerable distance.

Xie Lanzhou sat on top, pulling the reins closer, so that the two horses walked side by side.

Seeing that they were getting further and further away from the training ground, and that the accompanying guards had not followed, Su Panyue turned her head and asked, "Your Majesty, where are we going?"

Xie Lanzhou replied, "How about I take you horseback riding?"

Su Panyue's eyes lit up immediately. She loved the feeling of riding on horseback and readily agreed.

The two walked along the path for a while, but Su Panyue was no longer satisfied with a leisurely stroll, so she slightly tightened her flanks and increased her speed.

Xie Lanzhou also sped up, always keeping a distance of no more than one meter from her.

The late summer breeze carried a hint of coolness, blowing Su Panyue's long, upright hair even higher. It swayed wildly with the swaying of the horse's back, and Xie Lanzhou, standing beside her, seemed to smell the fragrance emanating from her hair, his gaze following her intently.

The path gradually cleared, and it seemed that we had arrived at a deserted wilderness, with dense grass stretching as far as the eye could see.

Su Panyue became even more excited, leaned down slightly and patted the head of the white horse beneath her, saying, "Please~"

With that, he spurred his horse and suddenly accelerated, leaving behind a string of silvery laughter, "Come and chase me, Your Majesty."

Dressed in a red dress, she rode a white horse at full gallop, becoming the most eye-catching sight in this wilderness.

Xie Lanzhou looked at her with a smile, then rode off on his black horse to catch up.

One in black and one in white, one in front and one behind, the two ran happily for half an hour before stopping to rest.

The crystal-clear mountain spring water converged into a stream, where two horses were drinking. Su Panyue leaned against a large tree, still breathing slightly.

Xie Lanzhou took a pot of water and handed it over.

Su Panyue asked curiously, "Why didn't Your Majesty have the guards accompany you? It's not good for you to do such a small thing yourself."

Despite saying it wasn't good, she gulped down two big mouthfuls of water from the kettle.

Xie Lanzhou replied, "The guards would be in the way."

"What if there's danger?" Su Panyue asked, looking around. Fortunately, there was no one there.

Xie Lanzhou said nonchalantly, "This is my private property, there's no danger."

Su Panyue's eyes widened in surprise: "You mean this entire grassland is your private property?"

Xie Lanzhou gave a faint "hmm," and said, "I sometimes come here to ride horses and relax."

Su Panyue was once again shocked by his wealth, muttering, "It's so good to be rich."

Xie Lanzhou reached out and pulled her into his arms, whispering in her ear, "If you like them, they are all yours."

"Really? Then wouldn't I be the richest woman in the world?" Su Panyue said with a smile.

"Yes." Xie Lanzhou responded softly, his tone so doting it was as if he were coaxing her to be happy, but Su Panyue, leaning against his chest, clearly heard his true feelings:

If you like, I and the whole world are yours.

She blinked, then nestled closer to him, muttering softly, "What use is this world to me..."

Seemingly not hearing what she was saying, Xie Lanzhou leaned slightly closer and asked, "What?"

Su Panyue looked up and saw his Adam's apple bobbing right in front of her. As if possessed, she gently kissed him.

He froze for a moment, clutching his arms, then suddenly tightened them.

Between breaths, Su Panyue hooked her arm around his neck, tilted her head back, and kissed him.

The man's black cloak was thrown to the ground, its dark gold patterns shimmering in the sunlight, but it was no more dazzling than the woman's fair and snow-white skin lying on it.

"Won't anyone come here?" Su Panyue asked, sounding a little uneasy, but the blush on her face and her bright eyes betrayed her.

Xie Lanzhou was busy with his head down and didn't have time to answer her, so he just gave a soft "hmm" in his throat.

Not far away, two horses had finished drinking and were leisurely grazing, occasionally letting out a few breaths. In such a quiet environment, the gurgling sound of the water was even more noticeable.

Su Panyue looked up at the sun overhead, squinting slightly in comfort. Knowing that there was truly no one else within several miles of where she had just run, she gradually relaxed.

A gentle breeze rustled through the branches, causing the blossoms to fall softly.

There were moments when she felt as if she could reach out and touch the clouds in the sky, wanting to grab a handful and give them to Xie Lanzhou so that he would let her go.

Her high-tied hair fell to her front, intertwining with the man's dark hair, swaying gently without stopping, whether from the wind or from her own movement.

Exhausted, Su Panyue had exhausted all her knowledge but still couldn't make him surrender. Feeling ashamed and indignant, she grabbed his chest.

Xie Lanzhou smiled and whispered in her ear, "Tired?"

Su Panyue hummed in agreement, but her tone took many unexpected turns.

Xie Lanzhou smiled even more indulgently, stroking her hair as he asked, "I have a less tiring way, would you like to try it?"

"You should rest now, then I won't be tired anymore," Su Panyue said, glancing down at the person who was still working hard. She sounded a little annoyed.

"You won't be tired if you go on horseback." Xie Lanzhou pulled her along with one hand and led the white horse to the side with the other.

Su Panyue's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at him in disbelief. He actually wanted to... on horseback.

Xie Lanzhou didn't give her a chance to refuse, and lifted her onto his horse.

"Don't be afraid, you won't fall." He sat facing her, feeling Su Panyue's slight trembling, and whispered to comfort her.

Su Panyue wanted to say that she wasn't trembling because she was scared, but before she could say a word, she was pulled along and started running.

Xie Lanzhou no longer had his hands to hold the reins, but the white horse seemed to be in sync with him, speeding up or slowing down in response to his movements.

After running two laps, Su Panyue, on horseback, was on the verge of tears. She still apologized to the white horse in her heart: I'm sorry, Little White, I really couldn't control myself. I'll give you a bath later.

When the white horse slowly came to a stop, Xie Lanzhou asked in a hoarse voice, still feeling unsatisfied, "How was it? Wasn't my method tiring?"

Su Panyue rolled her eyes at him, gave him a sharp slap, and only after hearing the man groan did she speak, "Quickly carry me downstairs."

She had no strength left in her body, let alone the ability to dismount.

Xie Lanzhou sighed softly, took six inches back, dismounted, and then helped her down with both hands.

Back on the ground, Su Panyue's legs were so weak she could barely stand, and she felt she never wanted to ride a horse again.

Xie Lanzhou fetched clean water for her to wash, then led the white horse into the water, scooped up the water and poured it on the horse's back. The white horse snorted comfortably.

Su Panyue lay beside it watching, not forgetting to remind it, "Give it a good wash."

Xie Lanzhou chuckled, patted the white horse's head, and let her go to play on the side, while he himself plunged into the stream.

Su Panyue was dozing off with her eyes closed at that moment. When she opened them again, there was only a white horse left in the water. The tall and strong man from before had disappeared without a trace.

She turned her head and looked around but couldn't see Xie Lanzhou. Somewhat flustered, she stood up and called out, "Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"

No one responded.

She panicked, put on his black robe, and stumbled to the stream, calling out, "Xie Lanzhou? Xie Lanzhou, where have you been?"

With a splash, water gushed out, and the man emerged from the water. Glistening water droplets slid down his muscular physique, but Su Panyue had no interest in appreciating it.

She said, somewhat annoyed, "What are you doing? You scared me to death!"

Hearing her voice trembling with tears, Xie Lanzhou suddenly asked, "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I'll die?"

Are you afraid that if I die, you won't be able to live either?

Su Panyue frowned slightly, listening to his questions and unspoken thoughts.

He tossed his outer robe onto the shore and jumped into the water with a splash.

Xie Lanzhou quickly reached out to help her, his strong arms encircling her waist. The warm, smooth touch stirred his imagination again, but Su Panyue interrupted his reverie:

"Of course I'm afraid you'll die. If you die, what harm is there in me going with you?"

Xie Lanzhou reached out and covered her mouth, saying in a deep voice, "Don't talk nonsense. Once I take you to the North to remove the curse, you won't have to be tied to me anymore. Even if I die, you will live to be a hundred years old."

"Not only that, I want you to live to be a hundred years old and stay with me forever," Su Panyue said, looking steadily into his eyes.

At such close range, she could clearly hear the man's heartbeat quickening and the secret joy welling up inside her: "She said she wanted to be with me forever."

The two stared at each other for a long time before Xie Lanzhou asked in a low voice, "Do you really think so? If you want to leave after the curse is lifted, I can set you free."

Looking at the flame in his eyes, Su Panyue suddenly chuckled softly: "Since Your Majesty is so magnanimous, I will think about it some more."

Xie Lanzhou's expression changed slightly, and he remained silent. Then Su Panyue heard his inner thoughts: [No, I can't leave you, and I can't let you leave!]

Just as she expected, Su Panyue laughed even more happily, and taking advantage of his distraction, she also dove into the water, launching a surprise attack.

Caught off guard, Xie Lanzhou suddenly pulled her legs together, bent over slightly, and covered her face. "Su Panyue! How dare you! You just wait!"

However, Su Panyue swam underwater like a slippery fish, quickly creating some distance between them, and then surfaced to look back at him.

Xie Lanzhou remained standing in the same spot, his thin lips slightly pursed, seemingly enduring the pain while also desperately wanting to catch up with him.

This was the first time Su Panyue had ever seen Xie Lanzhou look so defeated, and she couldn't help but smile even more brightly.

He had just said all sorts of nice things, calling him "good emperor," "good husband," "good brother," and "good husband," but the man wouldn't stop. His second brother had eaten too well today; he deserved to suffer a bit.

After she finished laughing, Xie Lanzhou finally calmed down, splashed water towards her, and said:

"If you break it, see what you'll do then."

Seeing his serious expression, Su Panyue couldn't help but ask doubtfully, "Is this thing really that easy to break?"

"You'll know whether it's broken or not in no time." Xie Lanzhou frowned slightly, seemingly somewhat displeased.

Su Panyue approached with suspicion, put her hand underwater, and after a moment blushed, said, "You're lying again!" Then she turned and tried to run away.

But Xie Lanzhou grabbed him, saying, "The fish that's been hooked, you think you can get away?"

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Author's Note: Hehehe, time for fried rice again! [rice][rice][rice]

By the way, I'd like to recommend my upcoming novel, "The Stolen Sister-in-Law Has Amnesia." It's a story of a seemingly innocent but actually cunning noblewoman versus a ruthless general, a love triangle where brothers fight over a wife. Please add it to your favorites! [Please!]