Chapter 104 This Lady Lu has actually tamed your wild horse!
Lu Bohong felt both happy and worried.
I was delighted that my younger sister had such courage, but worried that the horse was clearly terrified!
The horse, suddenly ridden by a stranger, let out a furious neigh, reared up, and charged wildly like an arrow released from a bow!
"Scatter! Everyone, get out of the way!"
Lu Bohong shouted urgently, directing the people to make way.
The onlookers screamed and scattered, fearing they would be trampled by the mad horse.
On horseback, Lu Zhaoruo was suddenly thrown into the air by a tremendous force, but she remained calm and composed. She gripped the horse's belly tightly with her legs and pressed her body against the horse's neck. No matter how wildly the horse jumped, shook, and neighed, she gritted her teeth and refused to let go!
"Good heavens!"
A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd; no one could believe that this seemingly frail merchant woman possessed such amazing horsemanship and courage!
Li Nian'er sneered and curled her lip: "Show-off! Let's see how long she can hold out!"
Lu Bohong prayed silently in his heart: "Little sister... please hold on..."
The wild horse was completely enraged and began to kick, spin, and thrash wildly, trying to throw the audacious person off its back.
Amidst the rising dust, only a man and a horse could be seen locked in fierce combat.
Meng Xi, Chang Sui, the Li siblings, Lu Bohong, and others followed, while some bolder commoners also followed from a distance.
Meng Xi's gaze lazily followed the figure battling the wild horse in the middle of the street.
They did have a certain fearless spirit.
He watched as she remained crouched low, clinging tightly to the horse's back, refusing to let go despite the violent jolting.
With each subtle tug of the reins in her hand and each shift of her body's center of gravity, she skillfully guided the horse, neutralizing the ferocious force that was capable of overturning everything.
Lu Zhaoruo's tiger's mouth had already been rubbed raw and bleeding from the reins, and her arms ached terribly, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered.
The horse seemed to have learned its lesson about the stubbornness of the person on its back, and stopped trying to throw her off. Instead, it began to gallop wildly, its hooves thundering, leaving all the noise behind it far behind...
Lu Zhaoruo finally breathed a sigh of relief.
That's fine.
It's much better than jumping around like crazy!
Lu Bohong was shocked and hurriedly pleaded with Meng Xi.
The servant had just brought over a stool for Meng Xi to sit down when he smiled lazily: "This was something your sister agreed to herself. Whether she dies or is injured, it's no one else's fault."
There was not a trace of pity in his eyes.
After all, he's not a good person.
The spirited horse had already galloped out onto the long street. Lu Zhaoruo, judging the time perfectly, began to emit low, rhythmic "whoosh...whoosh..." sounds.
The sound wasn't loud, but it steadily drowned out the howling wind and thunderous hooves, carrying a peculiar, soothing rhythm that drifted continuously into the horse's ears.
The galloping horse unconsciously slowed its pace.
As the gentle, unhurried "whoosh" sounds, as if calling to its companions, continued to emanate, the rampant wildness within it was gradually soothed by the peaceful yet firm rhythm.
Its speed gradually decreased, from a frantic sprint to a brisk walk, and then from a brisk walk to a steady jog.
Time passed slowly, but Lu Zhaoruo and Liema were nowhere to be seen at the end of the long street.
The onlookers began to whisper among themselves, their faces showing worry and regret.
"He hasn't come back for so long... I'm afraid he's probably in grave danger..."
"Alas, how could a young lady possibly tame such a spirited horse..."
Seeing this, Li Nian'er's face lit up with a sneer of pleasure, her voice sharp: "I knew she was just showing off! By now she's probably been thrown off her horse and is probably stuck in some ditch, unable to move! She deserves it!"
After saying that, he glanced at Lu Bohong and said, "Inspector Lu, aren't you going to collect your little sister's body?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Bohong's face turned deathly pale. He could no longer contain himself and abruptly pushed through the crowd, rushing towards the direction where the horses had disappeared, shouting anxiously, "Little sister..."
But he had only run less than a hundred paces when he saw a light cloud of dust rising in the distance.
A figure calmly and slowly emerged from the dust and smoke.
Everyone's eyes turned in that direction without prior arrangement...
Even Meng Xi, who had been lounging lazily, unconsciously straightened up, his gaze fixed on the gradually becoming clearer figure.
Lu Zhaoruo sat upright on the horse, her hair disheveled, her clothes stained with dust, and even a trace of blood from exhaustion on her lips.
The spirited horse beneath her moved with steady steps, without the slightest wildness, obediently carrying her as it slowly walked towards them, facing the wind.
The sunlight shone on her, and although she was disheveled, she possessed a calm and dignified air that came from having gone through a battle.
She's back.
Lu Bohong's eyes welled up with tears, and he almost cried out, "It's my little sister... She's back! She's really back!"
His clenched fists trembled slightly with excitement as he gazed at the upright figure on horseback, a surge of burning pride welling up within him.
His younger sister is really something!
The servant could not hide his astonishment and leaned close to Meng Xi, whispering, "Young Master, this Lady Lu has actually tamed your wild horse! For a woman to have such courage and riding skills is truly... truly rare!"
Meng Xi did not respond.
His phoenix eyes, which were usually uninterested in everything, were now clearly reflecting the slender yet imposing figure on horseback.
In the depths of his eyes, the long-dormant pool seemed to be ignited by a spark, suddenly bursting into a dazzling light.
Li Nian'er's face turned deathly pale, her lips trembling as she said, "No...it's impossible...how did she do that?"
She turned around abruptly to look at Meng Xi, just in time to catch a glimpse of amazement and focus in his eyes that he had never shown to her before.
In an instant, she was filled with extreme jealousy!
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, and his vicious gaze seemed to want to gouge a hole through Lu Zhaoruo.
Lu Zhaoruo returned on horseback and nimbly dismounted.
She was still breathing heavily, a few strands of hair were damp with sweat and stuck to her cheeks, and her skirt was covered in dust, but her eyes were clear and piercing.
She stood before Meng Xi: "Young Master Meng, does this still stand?"
Meng Xi clapped his hands, a genuine smile playing on his lips, though faint, it was sincere: "Good! As expected, Madam Lu has not disappointed. Let's leave it at that."
He waved his hand, his posture languid yet carrying an undeniable decisiveness, "You can leave now."
Lu Zhaoruo and Lu Bohong exchanged a glance.
Lu Zhaoruo was smiling.
Lu Bohong's eyes reddened again.
The brother and sister bowed to Meng Xi in unison, and Lu Zhaoruo said, "Thank you, Young Master Meng."
Lu Bohong also said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Young Master."
After the ceremony, the two said no more, turned around, and quickly passed through the crowd and left.
The people behind him were still praising him.
Completely forgetting what was defiled, chastity gone, only admiration remains.
Meng Xi's gaze didn't linger on their retreating figures. Instead, he swept his eyes with disgust over the ashen-faced Li siblings beside him, and his tone instantly turned cold: "As for you, go back to your residence and tell Magistrate Li everything that happened today. I think Magistrate Li knows how to handle this."
These words, though seemingly light, carried a weight heavier than a thousand pounds, causing Li Yanei and Li Nian'er to tremble all over, not daring to even beg for mercy.
The brother and sister were helped away in a disheveled state.
The servant stepped forward and whispered in Meng Xi's ear, "Young master, that Lady Lu just now... could she be the one whom the stepmother specially requested from the Empress when she entered the palace a few days ago, and who was bestowed with the chastity arch? I heard that the Empress personally inscribed the four characters 'unyielding and righteous,' and wanted to establish her as a model of chastity for all women in the world. The stepmother also received many benefits."
The lingering interest in Meng Xi's eyes suddenly deepened.
He looked in the direction Lu Zhaoruo had left, watching the backs of the brother and sister, and the corners of his lips curved into a smile again: "Oh?"
"If it really is her... then this trip to Jizhou is much more interesting than I imagined."
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