Chapter 29: Changfeng's legs were worn out.

Jiang Mingxue suddenly felt a lightness in her body, and the dizziness of being lifted off the ground lasted for a moment. She instinctively hugged his neck.

She was held tightly in his arms, and when she looked up, all she could see was the man's clearly defined jawline.

"I'm exhausted, your horses must be on performance-enhancing drugs..." Yu Feijie rushed to the finish line marker, and before he could even catch his breath, he saw this scene. "...Damn it, are you guys even human?!"

"Are all wives this clingy?" Song Shaojun jumped off his horse, resting his chin on his hand in deep thought.

“Never tried it.” Pei Yichuan sat on his horse and tugged at the reins. “Let’s go, Flying Pig, let’s rest over there.”

Yu Feijie: "......"

Song Shaojun burst into laughter.

Several men led the horse to the riverbank, making room for the couple.

Jiang Mingxue's cheeks flushed as she overheard the conversation behind her.

She raised her hand and pushed him: "Put me down."

Rong Chengzhou ignored her, and even while holding her, his steps and voice remained steady: "We're almost there."

"......"

There were equestrian club apprentices nearby, so Jiang Mingxue could only lower her head, press her forehead against his chest, and cover her face.

The steady, strong heartbeat came through his chest, and he was finding it easier and easier to hold her now.

The tiny bundle nestled in Rong Chengzhou's arms, like a cat held in the palm of his hand.

The apprentice standing nearby would occasionally glance up, but would quickly look away when he received a look from Rong Chengzhou.

Rong Chengzhou carried her to the pavilion and bent down to place her on the stool next to the stone table.

Sit next to her, let her legs drape over your body, and gently massage her with your palms, starting from her ankles and moving up to her thighs.

When he pressed above the knee, his hand was about to move upwards when Jiang Mingxue stopped him in time: "You don't need to press anymore, it's not numb anymore."

Thinking she was avoiding suspicion, Rong Chengzhou withdrew his hand, his expression unreadable: "Mm."

Jiang Mingxue pulled her leg back, letting it dangle to the ground.

She took off her heavy helmet, and outside the pavilion, the grass was lush and green, and a gentle breeze blew through her hair.

There were people practicing their horses on the lawn. It was a rare moment of relaxation, so I watched for a while.

Rong Chengzhou picked up a bottle of mineral water from the stone table, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her.

Jiang Mingxue took it and drank a sip: "Do you usually come in first place when you compete with them?"

Rong Chengzhou opened a bottle for himself, but didn't drink it. He answered her first, "I guess so. Sometimes Pei Yichuan comes first."

He didn't go to the horse farm often, unlike the three of them.

However, because he has been controlling high-precision fighter jets for many years, he can control the horse's pace and rhythm very well, so he is in first place most of the time.

Pei Yichuan only gets his turn when he's not in a good state.

Yu Feijie often suspected there was something wrong with his horse, and swapped horses with him several times, but it still came in last place.

He didn't tell Jiang Mingxue about these things; he didn't really like sharing his personal matters with others.

Jiang Mingxue guessed it; he was able to tie for first place with Pei Yichuan despite falling so far behind her.

No wonder Yu Feijie tried to trick her into being with him.

She tightened the bottle cap, feeling inexplicably relieved.

A distinct smile curved her lips, and her voice carried a hint of pleasure she herself didn't even realize: "Well, thankfully we still came in first place this time."

It wasn't an important match, and it wouldn't even have any impact on him.

But she just didn't want to be a burden to him.

Rong Chengzhou turned his head to look at her. She had two small dimples when she smiled, but they weren't very obvious, so he had never noticed them before.

It was the first time he had ever seen her smile so happily, her hair fluttering across her face, her shallow dimples seemingly filled with shimmering light.

Would winning first place make her happy?

Then he'll have to take it more often in the future.

The wind whipped up his stray hairs, obscuring his vision.

Rong Chengzhou suddenly raised his hand and tucked his hair behind her ear.

His warm palm brushed against her earlobe, the calluses rough and itchy, like sandpaper gently rubbing against delicate white porcelain.

Jiang Mingxue looked up in surprise, her gaze meeting his directly.

Neither of them looked away, and they stared at each other for a few seconds.

He didn't say a word.

Rong Chengzhou tidied her hair and slowly withdrew his hand.

Ten minutes later, Yu Feijie and the others had rested enough, so they led their horses over from the riverbank and sat down at the stone table to drink water.

They were so thirsty they were practically parched, trying to make room for the two of them.

Yu Feijie gulped down more than half a bottle, then asked Rong Chengzhou, "Brother Rong, how about another obstacle course later?"

Having finally captured Rong Chengzhou, Yu Feijie wished he could run a horse for an entire afternoon.

Although he can't outrun him, he can ignite his fighting spirit. Every personal record he sets is inspired by Rong Chengzhou.

"What's it called again?" Song Shaojun thought for a long time but couldn't remember.

Pei Yichuan coldly added: "He's a terrible cook but has a huge addiction to bad food."

Yu Feijie: "Shut up, you two!"

Jiang Mingxue couldn't help but chuckle. Rong Chengzhou, already used to their banter, listened expressionlessly.

He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, without answering immediately.

The obstacle course was too bumpy to carry Jiang Mingxue.

But he was worried about leaving her sitting there waiting for him alone.

He said calmly, "You guys have fun, I'm going to take a break."

Yu Feijie turned directly to Jiang Mingxue, his face contorted in a grimace: "Sister-in-law—"

"..." Jiang Mingxue couldn't stand seeing a grown man acting coquettishly towards her, so she turned to Rong Chengzhou and said, "Go run with them, I'd really like to see you ride a horse and run the obstacle course."

With his lips pressed into a straight line, Rong Chengzhou thought for two seconds before saying, "Then call me if you need anything."

"good."

The apprentices and waiters marked out a distance not far from the pavilion, moved obstacles to set up a crossbar, and the four of them rode their horses to the starting point.

Before it began, Rong Chengzhou looked at her from across a patch of greenery.

Jiang Mingxue waved to him from afar, and they smiled at each other.

She's not bad at sports; if her legs hadn't been blistered, she would have loved to run a couple of laps on a horse.

With the sound of a whistle, the four red-brown horses started moving at the same time. Although the horses were similar in size, Rong Chengzhou's horse reacted much faster and its front hooves took a larger stride.

Unsurprisingly, without her holding him back, Rong Chengzhou easily ran in the lead.

Before the first obstacle, he pulled hard on the reins, and the chestnut horse instinctively reared up and leaped into the air.

His body was lifted into the air along with the horse, hovering for two seconds before the horse's hooves hooked its hind legs, and it landed steadily.

Almost the instant he landed, he straightened up, his gaze already passing over the dust and sand that had been kicked up, and landing on the next obstacle.

Jiang Mingxue stood up involuntarily, watching his smooth movements intently.

The setting sun cast its golden rays upon the racecourse, and as he crossed the second obstacle, he took out his phone from his pocket and captured the moment.

He chose burst mode and captured the moment he and his horse crossed the obstacle bar under the setting sun.

Jiang Mingxue looked down at the photo when a clear female voice suddenly came from behind her:

"You must be Dr. Jiang from Yuanhe Medical Clinic."

Jiang Mingxue turned around and saw a girl dressed in a burgundy knight's outfit walking over with a riding whip.

Her features beneath the helmet were delicate and petite, her skin fair, and the form-fitting knight's uniform accentuated her graceful waistline, giving her an overall heroic and dashing appearance.

A glint of light flashed in Jiang Mingxue's eyes as she gazed at her, making no attempt to hide her admiration.

She thought back and confirmed that she had never seen her before.

If she had seen such a spirited young girl, she would never forget her.

She nodded slightly and asked, "May I ask who you are?"

The girl walked into the pavilion, smiling brightly and extending her hand: "My name is Ning Jialing, and I'm a friend of Yu Feijie and his friends."

Jiang Mingxue understood and shook hands with her in return.

Seeing the sweat on her forehead, I guessed she had just finished riding a horse.

He took a pack of tissues out of his bag and handed it to her: "Wipe it off."

"Thank you," Ning Jialing said, accepting the gift.

Jiang Mingxue: "Why didn't you ride horses with them?"

Ning Jialing wiped the sweat from her face and said in a light tone, "I came by myself without telling them."

"Were you filming Rong Chengzhou just now?" she asked.

She recognized her from the photos she took.

"right."

The phone was still lying flat on the stone table with the screen still on.

"These photos are really good." Ning Jialing has a pair of beautiful doe eyes that sparkle when she looks at people. "Can you take some pictures of me next time?"

Actually, the photos were quite mediocre; Jiang Mingxue never thought she had any talent for photography.

But the girl had a very endearing personality, so she smiled and agreed, "Sure, just let me know in advance next time you come."

"You said it yourself."

"certainly."

Ning Jialing wiped her sweat and looked at her with bright eyes: "By the way, there's something I want to tell you."

"What is it? Tell me."

Ning Jialing beckoned Jiang Mingxue closer.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered something.

--

The two chatted in the pavilion, while on the other side, the obstacle course for several men had ended. Except for Pei Yichuan, who was pushed to second place because he was a few seconds slower, the rankings of the others remained unchanged.

Before they knew it, dusk was approaching, and the apprentice led the horse away.

There was a distance along the way, and several people walked from the finish line, chatting as they went.

Yu Feijie took off his helmet and let out a comfortable sigh: "Not bad. Although I was always fourth all afternoon, I had a lot of fun riding today."

Song Shaojun: "I've had my fill of riding too, so I'm happy to compete with you. There's absolutely no pressure."

Yu Feijie: "Get lost."

The group walked toward the pavilion and saw a striking red figure in the distance.

The person wearing the custom-made red riding outfit at the horse farm is obviously someone you can guess.

Why is she here?

Yu Feijie's heart skipped a beat, and he carefully observed Rong Chengzhou's expression.

Rong Chengzhou was walking at the very front, taking the biggest steps, so he naturally saw it too.

Seeing that he remained calm and expressionless, Song Shaojun was slightly relieved and answered Yu Feijie's question:

“The Ning family’s long-lost biological son has been found. She must have been feeling down these past few days. Come to the horse farm to clear her mind.”

"That's true." Yu Feijie also felt some sympathy for her.

Ning Jialing wasn't from the military compound; she was someone they met in high school. She was a notoriously spoiled young lady.

They would usually invite her to ride horses together, but since Rong Chengzhou was there today, they didn't.

Unexpectedly, we bumped into each other, and it seemed she was chatting with Jiang Mingxue.

Yu Feijie felt a vague sense of unease and could only pray that she wouldn't say anything inappropriate.

“Oh right, Rong-ge,” Song Shaojun remembered, “didn’t you marry your wife just to stop Aunt Ren from going on blind dates? You haven’t thought of coming back to visit for a year. I thought you didn’t like your wife. But judging from your attitude today, you don’t seem to have no feelings for her.”

Rong Chengzhou's gaze was fixed on the quiet figure in the distance, and he said in a deep voice, "Isn't this how husband and wife should be? Since she is my wife, I should fulfill my responsibilities as a husband."

He neither refuted nor admitted to the phrase "no feelings," and his answer was ambiguous.

It was a fact that he had no feelings for her, and he couldn't deny it, but he wouldn't show this attitude in front of others, lest they look down on her.

Song Shaojun scratched his head, seemingly understanding but not quite.

All I know is that Brother Rong respects his sister-in-law very much.

Yu Feijie has already steered the conversation to Pei Yichuan, who may also be in a relationship.

"Hey, Pei-ge, where are you? I haven't seen your little sister with you lately?"

Song Shaojun nudged him with his elbow: "Don't bring up things you shouldn't talk about. Can't you see that Brother Pei is in a bad mood today?"

"I was just showing concern," Yu Feijie retorted, boldly adding, "If you ask me, your little sister is just using you. Once she gets what she wants, she'll dump you. Growing up in that kind of environment, she's not innocent at all. Why are you still hung up on her?"

Pei Yichuan kept a straight face and didn't say a word. His riding boots rustled on the grass.

After a long pause, he coldly said, "I'm afraid I don't have anything she wants to use."

Yu Feijie: "......"

Well, another one with a love-struck mind.

"Hurry up, hurry up."

Worried that Ning Jialing might say something inappropriate, he urged her on.

--

"I confessed my feelings to Rong Chengzhou before."

Ning Jialing covered her lips with one hand and spoke softly, word by word.

After speaking, she lifted herself up, a smile still on her lips, and carefully observed Jiang Mingxue's expression.

"..." Jiang Mingxue blinked in surprise, unsure how to react for a moment.

She showed no reaction to the incident, but was quite puzzled by the behavior.

Why should I tell her this?

Ning Jialing really liked her somewhat dazed expression; it was much more endearing than her usual solemn and composed demeanor.

It will make her want to get closer.

"Because I want to be your friend." Seeing through her thoughts at a glance, she proudly raised her head and said nonchalantly, "You don't need to worry. I confessed five years ago. I was young and ignorant back then, and it was just a momentary impulse. I stopped liking him as soon as Rong Chengzhou rejected me. I, Miss Ning, am not the kind of person who pesters others."

She was frank and straightforward, so Jiang Mingxue naturally trusted her and didn't care about the matter.

But now she doesn't know how to get along with her.

"Come on, don't stand up, sit down and have some water to calm your nerves." Ning Jialing smiled and pulled her to sit down.

Jiang Mingxue followed her to the table, and as she bent her knees to sit down, the fabric of her pants rubbed against the chafed area on her inner thigh, causing a sharp pain.

He paused for a moment before sitting down again.

Ning Jialing was an experienced horse rider and could tell at a glance what was wrong with her leg.

He reached into his pocket for some wound medicine, but paused when he touched the bottle. His eyes flashed, and he put the medicine back.

Ning Jialing took her hand out of her pocket: "Is this your first time riding a horse?"

Jiang Mingxue took a sip of water and paused for a moment: "Yeah, I've never tried it before."

"Horse riding is a lot of fun. Tell me next time you come, and if you take a picture for me, I'll teach you how to ride."

Jiang Mingxue smiled, liking her straightforward personality: "Okay."

Several men happened to walk outside the pavilion and climbed the stairs.

"Oh, Miss Ning is here too." Yu Feijie pretended to have just noticed her, trying to liven up the atmosphere.

Ning Jialing raised her chin slightly and said haughtily, "You're too late. I'm already going back."

She stood up and smiled at Jiang Mingxue: "I'll teach you to ride when your husband isn't home."

She waved and walked out of the pavilion: "My family is here to pick me up. I'm going back now. See you next time."

Jiang Mingxue watched her retreating figure: "Okay, see you next time."

As Ning Jialing passed by Rong Chengzhou, she suddenly stopped and moved closer to him.

Everyone except Jiang Mingxue held their breath.

I don't know what she's going to do.

Rong Chengzhou stood beside the steps, quietly watching her.

Ning Jialing kept a distance of three inches from him, speaking very softly so that others wouldn't hear:

"Oh, by the way, her inner thighs are chafed, remember to apply medicine for her."