Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Galloping
Chapter 9
"Xiaoyan, I'm really sorry about what happened last time. Are you angry with me?"
It was more than a week later when Qiao Qianqian came to visit.
She took the initiative to bring up the night of the cocktail party. "I don't know why I suddenly felt unwell and embarrassed you in front of so many people."
No, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten such a great front-page headline.
Ruan Yan shook her head: "It's okay, Sister Qianqian. How are you? I've been so worried about you."
"I'm fine. I originally told Ayan that I could go back on my own, but he was really worried," Qiao Qianqian said with a helpless expression. "Don't be angry with him. If you want to blame someone, blame me."
Ruan Yan was very calm: "Sister Qianqian, I'm not angry, and I don't blame you. Brother Ayan has already explained it to me clearly. In that situation, it was his responsibility to send you back. If he didn't, I would blame him later."
Now they are trying to compete with each other in pretending to be proficient, right? Ruan Yan will not admit defeat easily.
Qiao Qianqian: “…”
In a private setting where only the two of them were present, Ruan Yan was still pretending?
Qiao Qianqian didn't understand. She was acting too fully.
However, this is not the point now.
"Xiaoyan, how did you end up with Lu Peishi after we left that day? Are those reports about you two in the news true?" Qiao Qianqian said deliberately, "Ayan was very worried after seeing the news."
Sure enough, Qiao Qianqian couldn't hold back anymore.
Today she came to the Ruan family under the pretense of concern, but in fact she came to inquire about the news.
Ruan Yan thought, ok, then I will satisfy your curiosity.
"Oh, you mean Brother Pei Shi," Ruan Yan said, as if she knew him very well. "That night after you left, a large group of reporters came to surround me. Brother Pei Shi saw how helpless I was and felt pity for me. So he stepped forward and helped me to scold those annoying reporters away."
“…”
"Maybe he felt sorry for me. He saw me being abandoned by my boyfriend and looked so pitiful. He couldn't bear it, so he took me to the lounge."
“…”
Seeing Qiao Qianqian's face becoming increasingly ugly, Ruan Yan performed even harder.
"In the lounge, Brother Pei Shi kept comforting me. He was really considerate. He was worried that the reporters would continue to harass me, so he insisted on sending me home. I couldn't stop him. I didn't expect that I would be photographed by the lingering reporters. Afterwards, Brother Pei Shi was worried that I would be affected, so he called to express his concern..."
Anyway, the person involved is not here, so I can make up whatever story I want.
If you are not convinced, go find Lu Peishi to testify in person.
"Do you have phone numbers for each other?" Qiao Qianqian was shocked and couldn't help but interrupt and ask.
"Oh, yes, Brother Pei Shi gave it to me privately. He said that if I have any problems, I can call him."
“…”
Go, go with your heart itching, go in the wind.
It's all done as long as you don't regret it after seeing it.
After a long pause, Qiao Qianqian regained her smiling expression: "Xiaoyan, as you know, I've been busy with the Wanlai interview recently. If it's convenient, could you give me Lu Peishi's contact information? This might be helpful for my interview..."
That's just nonsense. Why did you ask for Lu Peishi's phone number during the interview? Did you expect him to do favoritism for you?
"I'm sorry, Sister Qianqian, that's Brother Pei Shi's personal phone number. He specifically told me not to tell anyone else," she said, looking very embarrassed. "As you know, he's very low-key in private and never shares his contact information with others. This time, he made an exception for me."
“…”
This is a naked show...
Qiao Qianqian felt even more unhappy after hearing this, but she could only take a deep breath and continue to put on a smile. "Xiaoyan, you and I are not strangers, are we? I rarely ask you for help, so just think of it as doing me a favor."
"Sister Qianqian, I really don't feel comfortable sharing other people's privacy, so please don't embarrass me." Ruan Yan didn't back down, but instead offered a roundabout answer. "How about this? I'll go ask Brother Peishi. If he agrees, I'll give you his phone number. Is that okay with you?"
The tone seemed soft, but in reality there was absolutely no room for negotiation.
very good.
Qiao Qianqian looked at her silently, her eyes looking as if they would shoot out sharp knives at any moment, but then she just smiled: "Xiaoyan, I feel like you have really changed a lot."
"Oh?" Ruan Yan blinked. "So, Sister Qianqian, do you think I've gotten better or worse?"
Qiao Qianqian said with a hint of meaning: "It's all good, but I'm still more used to the old you."
Ruan Yan twisted her fingers around the ends of her slightly curly hair: "Sometimes I'm curious about what I was like before I lost my memory."
"Really?" Qiao Qianqian smiled a little coldly, "You really can't remember anything about the past?"
"Hmm...sometimes, familiar fragments flash back in my mind, but the next second, they seem to be blown away by the wind, and I can't grasp their shape no matter how hard I try." Ruan Yan gently grasped her arm. "Sister Qianqian, the doctor told me to go to familiar places with my old friends more often. It will be very helpful in regaining my memory."
Qiao Qianqian: "Oh? That's great. If I have time, I can accompany you to the places we used to go, but..."
"Really, Sister Qianqian?" Ruan Yan happily shook her arm. "It's a deal then. You have to come and walk with me outside more often from now on."
If I lose my memory, can I become thicker-skinned?
No matter whether Ruan Yan was pretending or really doing it, Qiao Qianqian was unwilling to continue to accompany her.
If I hadn't come here with a purpose, I wouldn't have the time to waste smiling with her today.
I even felt a lot of frustration and anger.
Just when she was about to find an excuse to refuse, Qiao Qianqian suddenly remembered something.
She smiled again. "That's perfect. I have an appointment with some friends at the equestrian arena on Thursday afternoon. Do you want to come?"
"Equestrian arena... horseback riding? Did I go there often?" Ruan Yan asked. "Do I know those friends you mentioned?"
Qiao Qianqian replied, "Well, I've been there with you a few times before. On Thursday, there were a few of our mutual friends there, and we usually get along pretty well."
"Then I'll go too. Maybe I can find some memories there!" Ruan Yan smiled with her eyes slightly narrowed.
Qiao Qianqian: "Okay, then I'll come see you on Thursday afternoon."
The brighter Qiao Qianqian smiled, the more Ruan Yan felt that she must be secretly doing something bad in her heart.
But Ruan Yan was still quite curious about how many tricks she had left to perform.
Thursday came quickly.
The equestrian club that Qiao Qianqian mentioned is in the suburbs of City C.
She drove Ruan Yan through the gate with the sign "Tianjun Equestrian" and saw an extremely wide green meadow that was obviously carefully tended. The surrounding area was lush with green plants and clusters of flowers. The blue sky and white clouds set off the pleasant scenery. It was a good time of early summer.
Drive a little further in and you'll see a wider view: a winding, clear artificial lake connected to a golf green.
Their destination was in front of a magnificent tall building, which was a place for VIPs to rest and entertain. It was three stories high and had transparent floor-to-ceiling windows with gold edges on all four sides. It was decorated very grandly.
Ruan Yan got out of the car and followed Qiao Qianqian in.
In the garden-style open-air coffee bar, several people were gathered together chatting and laughing.
As soon as they took a few steps closer, someone noticed them.
"Hey, look who's here?"
"Oh, isn't this Ruan Yan?"
“It really is.”
Ruan Yan, who suddenly became the focus of everyone, then looked at Qiao Qianqian beside her.
Qiao Qianqian said calmly: "It's okay, we are all friends."
After taking a seat next to the others, a shrill female voice jokingly said, "Hey, Qianqian, you really brought Miss Ruan with you."
"Yeah, I thought you were joking at first."
"You are really something, Qianqian."
Ruan Yan felt a little uncomfortable being surrounded by everyone, and didn't know how to start the conversation. She could only try to ease the awkwardness by saying hello: "Hello..."
Her greeting made everyone happier.
"'Hello?' Hahaha Ruan Yan, please stop being so funny."
"Looks like he really has lost his memory. I've only seen this kind of plot in TV dramas before. It's really strange."
"Miss Ruan, is this true? No way, you really don't remember us?"
"Hey, I wonder if she's still as bad-tempered as before. Go and try it."
"I'm not going."
…
They chatted with each other, teasing Ruan Yan like a monkey. Qiao Qianqian just watched the fun from the side, with no intention of helping her out.
Before coming, she had already spread the word in the group that she would bring Ruan Yan here today.
Among the people gathered today, two of them had conflicts with Ruan Yan and had a secret grudge against her.
One of them is Ye Zi, a socialite from City C, whose family’s business is a competitor of Ruan’s. The other is her best friend Jiang Jingjing, who is now a well-known internet celebrity model.
"Okay, stop teasing me. After all, Miss Ruan is sick, and she's in a serious condition right now." The person who spoke was Ye Zi, who had been silent the whole time. She leaned back in her chair with a cup of coffee, seemingly trying to smooth things over, but in fact she was being sarcastic.
"Of course not. I heard Miss Ruan is different this time around. She's even been rumored to be having an affair with the famous Lu Peishi," Ye Zi's best friend Jiang Jingjing replied. She looked at Ruan Yan and said, "I thought you were only devoted to your Jia Yanyuan."
Someone else said, "I saw that report, Ruan Yan. You and Lu Peishi looked so close in the photo. Could it be that you and Jia Yanyuan really broke up?"
Everyone sang in unison, making so much noise that Ruan Yan's head was buzzing.
"No, you misunderstood. Brother Pei Shi and I are just ordinary friends."
This seemingly ambiguous answer actually added a bit of ambiguity to their mysterious relationship.
"Brother Pei Shi?" Ye Zi snorted lightly, with a disdainful expression.
Ye Zi and Ruan Yan were classmates before. At the beginning, their relationship was average and not to the point of being in dire straits.
Ruan Yan is extremely beautiful and has been the class beauty since she was a child. In addition, she comes from a wealthy family and is used to being cold and arrogant towards people around her, so she doesn't have many friends.
Ye Zi comes from a well-off family, but he is friendly and gentle to others, rarely puts on airs, always looks kind and beautiful, and is always surrounded by friends.
But she had an ordinary appearance, and even after she learned how to put on makeup and dress up, she could still hardly be called a beauty.
Since their school days, every boy Ye Zi had ever liked had a crush on Ruan Yan. Even though she had a more interesting soul and a better personality, they just liked her pretty appearance more.
Ye Zi, who was unable to get the love he wanted, gradually developed hatred in his heart and started to oppose Ruan Yan in everything. Several arguments and quarrels in public made their relationship increasingly strained.
No matter how much they mocked her, whether openly or covertly, or how jealous she was, Ruan Yan always had a smile on her face and looked at them calmly.
Ruan Yan roughly understood the relationship between them. They were all from the side of the man in the denim shirt named Ye Zi. In short, everyone was looking at her expressions when speaking. Perhaps she had a conflict with Ye Zi in the past, so they were all hostile to her.
While everyone was talking, a slim and beautiful woman came in from the door.
A short white T-shirt, a pair of straight jeans, and a black baseball cap on top of her fluffy curly hair.
Even her extremely low-key dress cannot conceal her strong aura.
She ignored everyone and walked straight to another empty table next to her and sat down, throwing her Celine cowhide handbag aside casually, and started playing with her phone.
"Luna, you're here!"
"Luna, long time no see, I missed you so much."
"Luna—"
Everyone greeted him enthusiastically, surrounding him like a star.
It’s Luna!
Ruan Yan was also very excited. She didn’t expect to meet her idol here. She was so lucky!
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but greet Luna excitedly.
However, Luna ignored her and just gave her an extremely cold look without any response.
Luna's reaction caused the crowd to chuckle, and everyone had a gloating expression on their faces.
"Oh, you really think you have a lot of face."
"It's funny. She wants to get close to everyone, but why would anyone care about her?"
"I never thought that you, the eldest lady who was always so high and mighty, would be able to curry favor with others."
Ruan Yan sat alone at the empty table, and even Qiao Qianqian went to Luna.
Ruan Yan didn't care about them, but Luna's indifference made her a little disappointed. She didn't know how she had offended her, nor did she know if she was also in Ye Zi's team.
"Luna, did you see the scandal about Lu Peishi last time?" Jiang Jingjing over there deliberately brought up the topic. "Ruan Yan just said that she and Lu Peishi are very familiar with each other. Is that true?"
Luna continued playing with her phone, not even glancing in Ruan Yan's direction. She just snorted softly, "How would I know if they know each other? What does it have to do with me?"
"Yes, yes, you are so busy, how could you pay attention to those messy scandals?"
"That's right. Luna has been in the entertainment industry for so long, what kind of attention-grabbing tricks has she not seen? Those despicable tricks are not even worth mentioning in her eyes."
"Lu Peishi is a big shot who has been in the business world for many years. He has seen many big scenes and will not be fooled by those small tricks."
"Yes, Lu Peishi definitely doesn't like this type, someone like him..."
"You guys are so boring," Luna said before they finished speaking. She raised her head from her phone with an impatient expression, "Isn't it a bit too much to discuss my brother's private life so brazenly in front of me?"
"No, no, Luna, you misunderstood! What we mean is that Lu Peishi was taken advantage of by someone with ulterior motives, and we stand up for him!" Jiang Jingjing replied immediately.
"Heh," Luna found it funny. "Does my brother know you? Does he need you to stand up for him? You guys can have your own quarrels, don't be so shameless as to drag my brother into this."
Jiang Jingjing hurriedly explained: "That's not what I meant, I just..."
Ye Zi next to her gently pulled her back, signaling her not to continue.
Then, Ye Zi looked at Luna with a smile: "It is indeed inappropriate to discuss people behind their backs. We went too far."
Luna snorted in displeasure and ignored her.
Everyone looked at each other awkwardly and stopped arguing.
After a while, Luna got up and went to the stable, and the others in the coffee bar followed closely behind.
Ruan Yan thought, no wonder everyone was sitting here without saying anything to talk about, it turned out that they were all waiting for the central figure Luna to move.
Only at this moment did she understand the purpose of Qiao Qianqian bringing her here today.
Ye Zi and Jiang Jingjing, who had conflicts before, plus Luna, who also didn't like her very much...
She is really cruel to the 2 plus king bomb.
Ruan Yan felt sad when she thought that her idol didn't like her.
Thinking about whether she could do something to restore her impression in her idol's mind, she quietly followed everyone to the stable.
The indoor area of the stable is covered with transparent glass on all sides and on the ceiling, allowing large patches of bright sunlight to pour in.
Each stable is fully equipped with air conditioning, large sliding windows for ventilation, special salt bricks and accompanying dolls.
Seeing someone coming, many horses poked their heads out of the stable windows and looked at him curiously.
"Wow, that's so cute."
Ye Zi and the others held carrots in their hands and couldn't help but gently stroke the horses while feeding them.
They followed Luna wherever she went, and Ruan Yan had no chance to squeeze in.
Never mind, she can play by herself.
She was just about to go to the other side when she saw a rider leading a horse back from a walk in the grazing area.
What a beautiful horse.
He has a tall body, long limbs, and short dark chestnut fur that is shiny in the sun and as smooth as silk, making him very handsome.
Ruan Yan couldn't help but walk over.
It was even more beautiful when seen up close. When those moist, dark eyes looked at Ruan Yan, she couldn't help but ask, "Can I try this horse later?"
The manager of the nearby stable heard this and immediately said with embarrassment, "I'm sorry, Miss Ruan, this horse is privately fostered here."
Ruan Yan nodded: "It's okay, I understand."
Such a beautiful thoroughbred horse must be very expensive, and she felt sorry for herself in her heart.
Everyone heard the noise over here and looked over.
"Wow, isn't this the purebred racehorse that Lu Peishi bought from England? It's so handsome!" someone said.
"Is that Leo? I heard it won several championships before!"
Qiao Qianqian had also heard of this famous thoroughbred horse. It was transferred to Tianjun Horse Farm by Lu Peishi last year. She happened to miss it every time she came here recently, but she didn't expect to finally see it today.
Luna came over after hearing the noise and called out affectionately, "Leo——" before asking the manager, "What's wrong?"
After learning of Ruan Yan's idea, before Luna could say anything, Jiang Jingjing had already snorted disdainfully: "You're the only one who wants to ride Leo? You're so shameless!"
"That's right, this is Lu Peishi's favorite horse. She thinks she's a real dish just because she's had a scandal with him."
As if a button had been pressed, the group of followers who were bragging about horse riding started again in unison.
"Besides, this is a thoroughbred racehorse. Even if someone lets you ride it, would you be able to do it?"
"That's right, even if anyone rides, it's Luna who rides."
"I watched 'The Long Night' and saw that Luna's riding skills were really good. Besides Lu Peishi, only Luna could control Leo."
Luna: “…”
In fact, her horse riding skills are very ordinary. They are not bad, but not very good either. She learned them while filming. Although she has ridden racehorses a few times, her riding skills are really average. Those heroic and difficult shots in the drama rely heavily on stand-ins and post-production.
So she felt a little guilty at this time and didn't say much.
but……
"Ah, Luna, I also really love your drama 'The Long Night'. The horseback riding scenes in it are so cool!"
"Luna, you're truly an all-rounder. You sing beautifully, act well, and ride superbly. There's nothing you can't do!"
"That's for sure. That's why I said that besides Lu Peishi, only Luna is worthy of a thoroughbred horse of Leo's level."
“…” Luna caressed Leo, and her brows gradually furrowed.
What do these people mean? Didn't they see I haven't dared to admit it? How can I say my riding skills are superb? Are they deliberately pushing me into a trap?
And I didn’t say I wanted to ride Leo…
"Wow, we're so lucky to see Luna riding Leo today! A beautiful horse and a chivalrous woman, a classic scene from the show recreated!"
"Ahhh, Luna, can I take a picture later? I promise not to spread it!"
"What a magical day today! Not only can I see the handsome Zhao Zhao (Zhao Zhao is Luna's name in the show) galloping on his horse, but I can also see Leo running so handsomely!"
Luna: “…”
She didn't say a word from beginning to end, so how could she be brought here for no reason?
"I...well," Luna coughed lightly, turned around, and placed her last hope on the horse farm manager, "Brother Shi said..."
The manager nodded immediately: "No problem, no problem. Of course it's fine if Miss Luna chooses Leo!"
Lu Peishi had brought Luna here several times before, and Luna had also come here by herself. Every time she would look for Leo to play for a while. The manager knew that Lu Peishi doted on this sister very much, so he didn't dare to neglect her, let alone offend her.
Besides, Leo has just been taken for a circle by the rider to burn off his energy, so it shouldn't be a big problem.
Luna: “…”
You guys are in collusion, right?
At this time, Qiao Qianqian finally showed up, walked to Ruan Yan's side, and pretended to comfort her, "Xiaoyan, don't take their words to heart."
Ruan Yan was not keen on equestrianism in the past. She gave up after learning it twice out of impatience. After that, every time she went to the horse farm, she would pose for photos and post them on WeChat Moments. Her riding skills were even worse than Qiao Qianqian's.
The reason why Ruan Yan was brought here this time was, on the one hand, to deliberately embarrass her by Luna, Ye Zi and the others, and on the other hand, to make her look bad in front of everyone.
"It's okay," Ruan Yan smiled heartlessly. "So that horse is so expensive, and it's a thoroughbred racehorse. I was overestimating myself."
Qiao Qianqian didn't expect Ruan Yan to be so patient. If it were in the past, if someone humiliated her like this, she would have been so angry that she would have rushed up to pull her hair, slapped her, and started to fight.
"Don't say that. You've lost your memory, so it's normal for you to not know a lot of things," Qiao Qianqian said hypocritically. "Have you chosen your horse?"
Ruan Yan nodded.
When that group of people were flattering each other just now, Ruan Yan was not interested in watching their exaggerated performance and had already quietly chosen her horse.
She didn't want to be too flashy, so she chose a more low-key warmblood horse.
Qiao Qianqian knew that her skills were not good enough, so she chose a mare with a gentle temperament.
It was basically not everyone's first time riding a horse, and they quickly chose a suitable horse based on their own circumstances.
When they were changing in the locker room at the beginning, Qiao Qianqian stood by and pretended to be considerate and caring to Ruan Yan. "Xiaoyan, if you have any questions when you are riding later, please tell me immediately."
Ruan Yan adjusted her clothes in front of the mirror: "Okay."
Qiao Qianqian smiled, silently looking forward to seeing how Ruan Yan would make a fool of herself.
But I never expected that when we got to the venue, Ruan Yan was the first to mount the horse so skillfully.
She shortened the reins, grabbed the saddle with both hands, and with a flick of her legs, she mounted the horse smoothly and easily.
Qiao Qianqian was watching her from a distance, feeling very surprised.
Is it just a coincidence?
The horse that Ruan Yan rides is a warm-blooded horse from Belgium. It is 165 cm tall and seven years old. It has a good personality and is very smart, but maybe because it is young, it seems a little naughty.
Ruan Yan worked with it for quite some time before finally figuring out its temperament and developing some tacit understanding. It would cooperate well with every instruction she gave it.
She was indeed a clever horse, and her judgment was correct.
At the beginning, when they were running in the small round field, Qiao Qianqian could barely keep up with Ruan Yan. Later, when they moved to a larger field, Ruan Yan rode her horse very fast, but Qiao Qianqian was still afraid to run freely. Even though she had chosen a relatively lazy horse, she was not a good rider and was still trying to adapt cautiously, and she was unable to take care of herself at all.
While Qiao Qianqian was still struggling to keep up the waves, Ruan Yan was running with increasing energy and jubilation.
So when Lu Peishi came, he saw the woman running freely in the wind on the field.
She galloped on her horse, leaning forward slightly, and her handsome riding clothes made her look even more heroic.
The faster she rode the horse, the more confident and indulgent her eyes became, a kind of arrogance that seemed to put the whole world under her feet.
Lu Peishi was stunned for a moment.
This was a Ruan Yan he had never seen before. She was unrestrained, bold and uninhibited, a world apart from the usual hypocritical and cunning little fox who always acted coquettishly and pretended to be innocent.
This was the first time he looked at her with new eyes.
But the strong contrast also made him feel a little strange inexplicably.
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Lu Peishi: My wife is so good at riding a horse?
Ruan Yan: I’m not just good at riding horses (lighting a cigarette)
Happy reading everyone! Good luck to all you college entrance exam candidates!!!
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