Chapter 59 Polo 3 Cui Ying really knows how to play and win.

"Whose young master is that? He's so handsome."

A young noblewoman sitting in the back row covered her face with a round fan and exclaimed in a low voice to her companion, her eyes full of amazement and curiosity.

All eyes turned to the field, to the tall, upright "young man" riding a white horse.

Xiao Shu was drinking tea when she heard the commotion and instinctively looked around. When her gaze fell on the beautiful and delicate face on the white horse, Xiao Shu spat out her tea.

"That, that's Cui Ying?" Xiao Shu gasped, her eyes wide with shock, her voice trembling. "She...she...how did she get up there!"

Under the blazing sun, golden rays bathed the field. Cui Ying, dressed in fiery red riding attire, stood ramrod straight, holding a red lacquered golf club, and skillfully controlled his horse.

The autumn wind ruffled the ends of her high ponytail. The young woman, who usually wore gorgeous clothes and smiled brightly, now exuded a compelling, heroic spirit that rivaled any young man's.

After Xiao Shu finished speaking, the scene fell into an extremely eerie silence, like cold water being poured into boiling oil. Then, it instantly erupted into chaos.

"What? It's Cui Ying?"

"Why is she on the field? What's going on?"

Amid the gasps of the women, Qin Wan was also filled with disbelief. She tightly covered her slightly parted lips with her embroidered handkerchief, her eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions. For a moment, she forgot to look at Xiao Qiyu, her gaze fixed on the red figure that had attracted everyone's attention.

The men's section was in an uproar, with low, unsettling whispers rising from the floor.

"That's... the seventh young mistress of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion? The daughter of the Duke of Wei's mansion?"

"How could a woman like her put on riding clothes and go to the field? This is outrageous!"

Amidst the clamor, only Xiao Qiyu remained silent. His dark brocade robe accentuated his cold and aloof demeanor, and his gaze was fixed on the figure in the center of the room, a man in bright red with a radiant smile.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't shocked.

But compared to the astonishment of others, his reaction was almost nonexistent.

After all, no matter how earth-shattering or awe-inspiring something is, as long as it's associated with Cui Ying's name, he doesn't find much of it unreasonable.

Beside him, Cui Yan was so surprised that his mouth gaped open, unable to close it for a long time. Finally, he slammed his hand on the table, his anger blazing: "This troublesome brat! Where did she get this outfit from? And she went to the polo field? Does she know what kind of place that is? The Empress Dowager and all the civil and military officials and their wives are watching! Does she know what she's doing!"

"Father, please calm down," Xiao Qiyu said calmly, though his voice sounded a few degrees lower than usual. "You know Cui Ying's temperament. Although she is bold, she is not entirely without rules. Besides, there was indeed an eunuch who entered the room to communicate with the judge just now. It seems that she must have obtained His Majesty's tacit approval."

After calming down, Cui Yan realized that what he said made sense. He was so angry that he slapped his forehead again, pointed at the conspicuous red figure in the middle of the field, and said with great distress: "Third Sister! Third Sister! Today I will see what you are trying to do!"

On the field.

Despite the shocked and scrutinizing gazes around him, Cui Ying remained calm and composed.

Her cheeks were flushed with a vibrant red, and her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. She easily adjusted her club and scanned the opposing field with her gaze. Far from being timid, her eyes even carried a hint of obvious provocation and smugness.

Faced with the astonishment of her teammates, she even deliberately raised her small, fair chin at them, saying with considerable pride, "How about it? Surprised? Unexpected?"

All the young men present were dumbfounded.

Xiao Lin stared in disbelief, nearly slipping off his horse, and stammered, "Brother, sister-in-law? What are you doing? This isn't a place for you!"

Xiao Sheng also said, "Your fifth brother is right. Sister-in-law, stop making trouble and go back quickly."

Cui Ying raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling: "Whether I should have come or not, I'm already here. Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother, don't just stand there. You two focus on defense and hold them off for me. Leave the attack and breakout to me. Let's try to turn this game around in one fell swoop."

Xiao Sheng: "But..."

"No buts," Cui Ying interrupted him, her voice clear and decisive, "I'll just ask you one question: do you want to win?"

Several people instinctively exclaimed in unison, "Yes!"

"Then follow my command!" Cui Ying made the final decision, tightened the reins, and the white horse reared up, letting out a loud neigh.

Perhaps Cui Ying's confidence was too overwhelming, for Xiao Sheng and Xiao Lin were so stunned that they could only nod dumbly.

"Thump—"

The sound of the gong pierced the clouds, and the polo match continued.

The Blue Team kicked off, and Cui Ying rode up on horseback, facing Shen Che, who was wearing a blue brocade robe.

Shen Che had often followed Cui Ying in causing trouble when they were young, but they gradually lost contact as they grew up. At this moment, his mind was not on the ball at all, but he looked at Cui Ying anxiously and asked nervously, "Third Sister? Is it really you? What are you doing here? Playing polo is extremely dangerous. This is not like when we were kids playing house. Take my advice, you should get off the field right away!"

Cui Ying: "Enough with the nonsense!"

She crouched low, close to the horse's neck, her fiery red sleeves fluttering in the wind, her red lacquered mallet flashing like lightning as she precisely intercepted Chen Che's pass.

"What incredible speed!" someone on the viewing platform exclaimed in surprise.

Having successfully intercepted the ball, Cui Ying didn't hesitate. He immediately turned his horse around, stabilized the ball, and launched a charge towards the Blue Team's half.

"Stop her!"

The blue team members then realized what was happening, and two defenders immediately rode up to attack from both sides, trying to use their bodies and the collision of their horses to force Cui Ying to stop or be pushed out of bounds.

The horses' hooves kicked up billowing dust, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

However, Cui Ying seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Just as the opponents were about to surround him, he suddenly pulled on the reins. The white horse neighed, raised its front hooves, stopped abruptly, and turned around. Not only did it skillfully avoid the encirclement, but it also deftly passed the ball to Xiao Lin, who was unmarked behind it.

"Fifth Brother!" Her clear voice rang out from the crowd, cutting through the noise.

Xiao Lin caught the ball instinctively, still in a daze.

He never expected that Cui Yingzhen could actually break through, and that the message would be delivered so timely and accurately.

"What are you standing there for! Attack the right flank!" Cui Ying roared, while simultaneously making a run and instantly attracting the attention of another defender, buying time for Xiao Lin.

Startled awake by the shout, Xiao Lin instinctively swung his club in the direction she indicated.

The ball was passed in place, and Xiao Sheng on the other side finally reacted, rushed over, received the ball, and swung his club to shoot without hesitation.

Unfortunately, the angle was slightly too straight, and the goalkeeper of the blue team narrowly saved it.

"What a pity!" A chorus of sighs rose from the viewing platform.

Xiao Qiyu's eyelashes trembled. He could almost hear his heart fall back into place. Just a moment ago, he had held his breath.

Although the ball didn't go in, this fluid and well-coordinated attack greatly boosted morale.

Cui Ying is truly skilled at fighting and knows how to win.

Xiao Qiyu straightened his back almost imperceptibly, his knuckles turned slightly white from the effort, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and his phoenix eyes were fixed on the fiery red figure in the arena.

The Blue Team was clearly enraged by this sudden attack. They quickly kicked off and launched a fierce offensive, aiming directly at Cui Ying.

Chen Che dribbled the ball straight at Cui Ying, his competitive spirit fully ignited. His eyes shone brightly as he shouted, "Third Sister! Well done! But this time I really won't hold back!"

Before he finished speaking, he spurred his horse on and shouted "Giddy up!" attempting to use the greater impact and the advantage of a man's physique to knock Cui Ying, who looked much thinner, aside, horse and all.

On the viewing platform, Xiao Qiyu's brow twitched suddenly, and his fingers gripping the barrier tightened abruptly, his knuckles protruding and veins bulging.

However, faced with the fierce oncoming collision, Cui Ying laughed loudly, neither dodging nor avoiding, and charged straight at it.

Some of the women on the viewing platform covered their eyes in horror, unable to bear the sight.

But in the split second before the two were about to make contact, Cui Ying suddenly spurred her horse, and the white horse lurched half a step to the side. At the same time, she nimbly shifted her body to the side, and instead of clashing head-on with her club, she cleverly hooked and pulled, using a soft force to deflect the ball from Chen Che's hand in an instant!

Shen Che was propelled far away by inertia before he realized the ball had changed hands, his face filled with disbelief and astonishment.

"Beautiful!" Even Cui Yan couldn't help but cheer this time, pointing to Cui Ying in the center of the arena and saying to the people next to him, "Look! My daughter!"

Xiao Qiyu's brows remained furrowed, his worries not completely dissipated. He leaned forward slightly, focusing intently on the match, his gaze fixed on the red figure launching another counterattack.

On the field, Cui Ying, after successfully intercepting the ball, did not hesitate for a moment and immediately launched a counterattack.

"Fourth Brother, advance down the left flank! Fifth Brother, provide support from the center!" Her instructions were concise and clear. Accompanied by the crisp sound of horses' hooves, she had already dribbled the ball and made a rapid advance from the center.

The blue team quickly organized a defense, with two players moving forward to block them.

Facing the interception, Cui Ying maintained his horse's rhythm while flicking his wrist, striking the bottom of the ball with his mallet. Instead of rolling along the ground, the ball traced a low, flat arc, precisely clearing the head of the defender in front, landing not far in front of Xiao Lin.

"An over-the-top pass! She can do that too?" Xiao Lin was shocked, but his body instinctively rushed forward to receive the pass.

All the firepower was drawn to Cui Ying. After receiving the ball, Xiao Lin was in a semi-single-way position. He took a deep breath and calmly swung his club—

"Bang!"

The ball went into the net!

"Goal!" Xiao Shu jumped up excitedly from the viewing platform, shaking the noblewoman beside her wildly. "The one who passed the ball was my sister-in-law! Isn't that amazing! Isn't that incredible!"

On the imperial viewing platform, even the Empress Dowager couldn't help but praise, nodding and saying, "Good shot."

The princess's gaze shifted from worry to pride as she smiled at her granddaughter.

The score became 2-3.

After scoring, Xiao Lin stared at his club in disbelief, then suddenly looked at Cui Ying.

Cui Ying rode over and lightly tapped his polo mallet against his, beaming, "Beautiful! Fifth Brother, remember that, play like that!"

Xiao Sheng also rode over, and his gaze towards Cui Ying completely changed, from initial shock and doubt to utter admiration and excitement: "Sister-in-law! You're truly amazing!"

Xiao Qiyu stood on the viewing platform, his gaze always following that red figure.

The initial shock and worry have long been replaced by a more complex emotion.

He watched her gallop across the field, surrounded by people and cheered by the whole audience. He should have been happy for her, but for some reason, his heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by something, both sore and swollen, with a surging and passionate palpitation churning deep within him.

The polo match is not over yet.

Cui Ying received a pass back from Xiao Lin, and after another well-coordinated attack, he unleashed a powerful shot that sent the ball flying into the top corner of the goal like a shooting star.

Three to three, tie!

With little time remaining and the Blue Team forced into a draw, they became increasingly impatient and their actions became more aggressive.

In the final moments, Shen Che made a desperate gamble, dribbling the ball and forcefully breaking through, knocking aside the somewhat exhausted Xiao Sheng, and facing the goal directly!

Just as he was about to shoot, Cui Ying suddenly appeared from the side, anticipated his intention, and returned to his defensive position in time. With a precise sweep of his club, he not only cleanly intercepted the ball but also launched a final counterattack.

She dribbled the ball straight towards the blue team's open goal. Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, she calmly feinted, deceiving him, and then deftly pushed the ball aside.

The polo ball rolled steadily into the empty net.

Four to three!

A game-winning shot!

The entire stadium erupted in cheers, and many people had long forgotten about Cui Ying's cross-dressing, completely captivated by the excitement of the match.

Cui Ying, riding on horseback, was slightly out of breath. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, his cheeks were flushed, and a few strands of hair were damp with sweat and clung to his rosy cheeks.

She wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, casually slung her golf club over her shoulder, lightly squeezed her calves against the horse's flanks, and calmly walked off the field under the watchful eyes of the crowd, chin held high.

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Author's Note: The kitten, hands on hips: I'm so awesome! [shy]

Actually, the polo match scene was quite well-written. Being loved by many is Mei Bao's destiny, and falling in love with Mei Bao is Xiao Qi Yu's fate. [shy]