Chapter 10 Closely Clinging Bodies

Are you questioning Her Majesty's decision?

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Qiurong's hand holding the cup trembled, and her brows furrowed tightly. "What are you saying, you little brat?"

"I'm doing this all for... for our Marquis's mansion."

She abruptly changed the second half of her sentence, then looked up at Shen Yao's expression.

Shen Yao wasn't angry. He just paused for a moment, then looked at Shen You and said, "Since Her Majesty the Empress has ordered you to enter the palace, be careful in everything you do."

Shen Yao did not explicitly reject Chen Qiurong's suggestion, but the meaning behind his words to Shen You was all too clear.

Since the Empress only summoned Shen You, then it is fine for only Shen You to go.

Too much of it might backfire.

"Yes, Father."

Shen You replied calmly and turned to leave the front hall, but his gaze lingered on Shen Xiangning for a moment.

But it was only for a moment before it was moved away.

***

Two days later.

The weather was sunny and the sunlight was gentle.

In the royal horse farm next to the palace, as soon as Shen You entered, she saw Qi Zhaoyan standing next to a bright red foal, stroking its mane and talking to it in a very professional manner, "Don't worry, this princess will definitely have the groom braid the most beautiful braid for you."

"She's the most beautiful one in this stable!"

As if making a promise, he patted the little red horse on the neck and said, "It's a deal."

The old woman standing to the side covered her mouth and laughed.

Shen Youyi smiled and walked over, saying, "The mane is clean and neat, the bones are strong and the spirit is clear. Your Highness's eye for choosing horses is truly remarkable."

"Fairy Sister!"

Upon hearing Shen You's voice, Qi Zhaoyan stopped talking to the little red horse and quickly ran towards her.

The old woman called out urgently from behind, "Your Highness, please slow down!"

Shen You reached out and caught her steadily, smiling as he looked at her, "The horse Your Highness chose is really beautiful."

"Really?" Qi Zhaoyan was very happy to receive the praise. "But Uncle Chu said before that we can't just choose the best-looking horse."

Shen You: ......

She paused for a moment, then bent down and whispered, "Your Highness should stick to your own ideas. We women should naturally have a higher standard when it comes to choosing horses."

It should have both good appearance and good inner qualities.

“Okay,” Qi Zhaoyan nodded with a smile, “I’ll listen to you, Fairy Sister.”

As they were talking, Ye Mingyu came out of the stable, leading a tall, fine horse of excellent quality.

Upon seeing Shen You, he smiled and said, "Shen You has arrived."

"Perfect timing, let's go pick out a horse."

Shen Youwei curtsied slightly, about to perform a proper greeting, when she was stopped by her raising her hand. "I said last time, if it's just us meeting in private, there's no need for this."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Shen You stood up and followed Ye Mingyu into the stable, with Qi Zhaoyan also going in.

The horses at the Royal Stud are naturally the best.

However, Shen You was not very confident in his riding skills, so he made docility his primary requirement when selecting a horse.

The groom was carefully introducing the horses to Qi Zhaoyan, who must be a frequent visitor to the horse farm and knew many of the horses there like the back of his hand.

She could tell exactly which horse was fiery and which was lazy without hesitation.

Laughter and chatter filled the stable for a time.

After circling around for a short while, Shen You's hesitant gaze finally landed on a white horse.

This horse looks strong with powerful limbs and a thick back, but perhaps because it is all white, it looks much more docile than the other horses.

When Shen You approached it, it did not resist.

"Miss Shen has good taste," Ye Mingyu smiled, a hint of teasing in her eyes.

Before she could finish speaking, Qi Zhaoyan interjected, "Uncle Chu also really likes this horse!"

Shen You immediately withdrew his hand, which had been about to reach out to touch the horse's neck.

It's likely that someone like Chu Xiao would prefer to tame wild horses.

Perhaps this horse is not as docile as it appears.

But as soon as she withdrew her hand, the horse came closer on its own, stretched its neck and approached her, as if inviting her to pet it.

"Fairy sister, this horse likes you!"

Ye Mingyu laughed along, "You have good taste."

Chu Xiao was a veteran of the battlefield, so the horses he chose were naturally top-notch. Shen You was able to pick this one out of so many horses, which just shows that they both had excellent taste.

Or perhaps, the two have similar tastes.

"Miss Shen has a discerning eye," the coachman said with a smile. "This is a Ferghana horse, a tribute from Dayuan. White Ferghana horses are even rarer."

Upon hearing this, Shen You looked at the white horse in front of him with even more seriousness and attention.

The Ferghana horse is renowned for its excellent physique, stamina, and powerful limbs. It is a rare breed of horse, and most of them are obedient and tamable.

She raised her hand and gently stroked the horse's bright white mane. As if it were sentient, it nudged its head closer so she could stroke it.

Shen You's heart stirred slightly, and she looked at Ye Mingyu, "Then this subject will choose it."

***

The horse ranch is spacious and stretches almost as far as the eye can see.

After saddled the horse, Shen You led the white horse out.

Because she was going to the horse farm today, she wore a simple and elegant outfit when she went out. At this moment, a gentle breeze blew, and the girl's skirt swayed gently. Against the backdrop of the white horse beside her, it showed a bit of crisp and neat beauty.

"If you're scared, just ride it slowly," Ye Mingyu thoughtfully reminded him, remembering what Shen You had said that day.

“Okay,” Shen You replied, then reached out and patted the horse’s head.

It was well-behaved from beginning to end. Shen You recalled the riding skills she had learned before and, with the help of the groom, mounted the horse.

These movements clearly show that the person has actually learned them.

Ye Mingyu finally felt relieved.

Shen You gently squeezed the horse's belly with his legs, pulled back the reins, and the horse slowly began to walk.

After riding around a few times, the long-lost feeling of moving forward on horseback relaxed her, and the smile in her eyes and brows became more and more obvious.

She gestured to the coachman, "Thank you for your help, young man. I'll try to do it myself."

“Yes,” the coachman obeyed her, released her hand, and stood aside.

It was summer, and the area around the horse farm was lush and green, with beautiful scenery.

Riding on horseback felt like climbing a mountain, and Shen You enjoyed the feeling, gradually urging the horse to gallop.

A breeze stirred at the horse ranch, and the girl's jade-colored skirt swayed gently with the sound of horses' hooves, her silhouette graceful and elegant.

Ye Mingyu and Qi Zhaoyan's eyes both fell on her. The little girl opened her mouth wide and exclaimed, "Fairy sister is so beautiful!"

Ye Mingyu touched her little face, "That's why your Uncle Chu can't forget her."

Qi Zhaoyan looked up at her, "Mother, what does it mean to never forget?"

"We separated because of some things, but I still can't forget her. I often think of her, and she occupies the most important place in my heart. This is what it means to never forget someone."

Qi Zhaoyan nodded, seemingly understanding, "So Uncle Chu really likes Fairy Sister?"

“Of course,” Ye Mingyu answered without hesitation, “Your Uncle Chu can’t live without her.”

"Does the fairy sister also like Uncle Chu?"

"Well..." Ye Mingyu looked up, her gaze falling on the slender, jade-colored figure not far away, and said softly, "It all depends on your Uncle Chu's own abilities."

The mother and daughter were talking, keeping a distance from Shen You.

Ye Mingyu was about to lead Qi Zhaoyan onto her horse and head towards her, but in the instant she lowered her head, she heard a loud neighing of a horse suddenly erupt.

Then came Shen You's panicked scream.

Chaos suddenly broke out on the racecourse.

Shen You was still some distance away from Ye Mingyu and Qi Zhaoyan. He was jogging slowly with his horse, enjoying the scenery around him, and was about to marvel at how his riding skills had not diminished when, for some reason, the horse suddenly went out of control.

The white horse leaped high on its forelegs, kicking wildly in all directions, as if trying to throw Shen You off its back.

Shen You tried to pull on the reins to control the horse, but it was already out of control, constantly changing direction, whipping its tail and kicking.

Her palms were red from the reins, her eyebrows were furrowed, and she was in a panic.

The horses suddenly turned around and galloped away into the distance.

"ah--!"

In the blink of an eye, Shen You was jostled around on the horse and was about to fall off.

"Chen You!" Ye Mingyu shouted, shoving Qi Zhaoyan into the nanny's arms.

The guards all rushed towards Shen You, and the stable boys from the horse farm followed them.

However, no one could outrun a figure in black.

In the blink of an eye, Chu Xiao strode over from the entrance of the horse farm, his toes barely touching the ground as he leaped into the air and flew onto the horse's back.

He held Shen You's waist with one hand, pulled hard on the reins with the other, and pressed his legs tightly against the horse's belly.

After a loud neighing, he finally managed to steady the white horse.

Shen You was clearly frightened by the horse's sudden madness; her small face turned ashen.

Noticing someone leaping onto the horse behind him, he quickly pressed his back tightly against the man's chest for support.

“Chen You,” the man’s voice was low and slightly cold, right next to her ear, “It’s alright, don’t be afraid.”

Shen You suddenly looked up and saw Chu Xiao's sharp jawline. Above that, his deep black eyes held an unfathomable emotion.

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she murmured, "Chu Xiao..."

That one word, "Chu Xiao," made the man's heart clench.

This was the first time she had called his name since they reunited.

Chu Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed heavily. He pressed his palm against her cheek, wanting to pull her completely into his arms, but the next moment, she suddenly pushed him away, leaned forward, and widened the distance between them.

"Thank you for saving me, Your Excellency."

Shen You was still shaken, her voice trembling slightly, her lips still pale and her color not yet restored, but pressed into a straight line.

Stubborn and aloof.

A gust of wind on the racetrack cleared her head considerably.

Chu Xiao's gaze fell on her face. He suppressed the disappointment in his eyes and asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

The two rode together, and under his control, the white horse was no longer as wild as before, obediently following the direction he was pulling the reins.

Shen You's heart was still beating fast. The hand that had been gripping the reins tightly just now had lost its strength and was so limp that it was almost impossible to lift it.

She shook her head. "I'm not hurt. Please put me down, Your Excellency."

The man held the reins tightly with both hands, his arms wrapped around her, making it difficult for her to keep her distance.

A familiar yet unfamiliar masculine scent enveloped her, and Shen You could only purse her lips to remind herself of their identities.

The clattering of horses as they walked back echoed intermittently. The next instant, a small, apricot-white shadow arced across the sandy ground of the horse farm.

A very soft sound was heard, and Shen You lowered his eyes to look. Then an idea flashed through his mind.

"Do you always carry this sachet with you?"