May 21st.
Qingying put on a new dress specially made by Jinxiu Manor. It was a maple leaf-red color with narrow sleeves and a cinched waist, making her look bright and energetic.
When they arrived at the horse farm on the outskirts of Pandu City by carriage, they saw Wei Huaixu standing tall and waiting there from afar.
He came over and personally helped her down from the carriage.
"Your Highness has kept you waiting." Qingying said with a smile.
“It didn’t take long.” Wei Huaixu looked at her and said, “You today…”
"Um?"
"It looks great."
Qingying smiled, "Your Highness's vocabulary for praising people is truly lacking."
He said helplessly, "Before this, I have never praised the appearance of any other woman."
"Oh? So, this is your first time?"
"..." He felt that there was something strange about what was said, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why, so he nodded.
The two walked side by side, and upon entering the horse farm, a servant came to lead the way.
They arrived at a stable, where the stableman led out a magnificent black horse with long, thick legs, a perfectly proportioned body, and bright, piercing eyes.
Qingying could tell that this was a rare and excellent horse, but unfortunately she dared not ride it.
As she waited to see what kind of horse Ma Yu would find for her, Wei Huaixu had already led the horse forward.
Ma Yu stood respectfully in front of the stable with his hands folded in front of him, giving her a slight smile.
Qingying and Ma Yu looked at each other for a moment.
Then Wei Huaixu's voice came: "Why aren't you following?"
She then hurriedly lifted her skirt and chased after him, "Your Highness, I..."
"You don't mean you're thinking of riding one yourself?" Wei Huaixu turned his head and saw her expectant look. He frowned and said, "That's not a good idea. You've never learned how to ride a horse, and you're very likely to get injured."
Qingying was taken aback, thinking: You don't mean you want me to just watch you ride, do you? Then what am I even doing out here?
Wei Huaixu patiently explained, "Your health is not good. If you were to fall or bump into something, I would not be able to explain it to the General's Mansion. Therefore, I can only ask you to ride with me for the time being so that I can better protect you."
"Riding the same horse?!"
"What? You don't want to?"
She quickly denied it, "No...that's not what I meant."
Wei Huaixu said, "Don't worry, there's no one else at the horse farm today."
Having said that, she could only nod obediently.
"Come, let me help you up first."
As soon as Qingying reached out her hand, he grabbed her waist and lifted her up. She was startled and wrapped one arm around his neck before shakily stepping onto the stirrup.
Qingying finally managed to sit on the horse's back. Everything in front of her seemed to open up before her. Under her feet was a vast expanse of green grass. In the distance, the wind blew, and the grass danced in the wind, like waves rising from a large green lake.
She smiled brightly. "Your Highness, you look so beautiful. I have never felt so happy before."
Wei Huaixu was not in a hurry to mount the horse, but instead walked to the side and helped her hold the reins as they slowly moved forward.
Seeing her smile, he couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile as well.
The little girl is so easily satisfied.
He walked for a while, and once she had adjusted, he pulled on the reins and mounted the horse. His movements were swift and clean; before Qingying could even react, he was already sitting steadily behind her.
The man's hard, warm chest pressed against her back, and even through several layers of clothing, the sensation was clearly felt.
Qingying's heart pounded uncontrollably, and her ears gradually grew hot. She lowered her eyes, but her gaze was fixed on a red rope on his left wrist, where he was holding the reins.
Is this red string you gave me the same one?
"Yes, we asked for them together," Wei Huaixu replied absentmindedly.
Because he was sensitive enough to notice that the person in front of him was a little stiff, and being so close, he could smell the faint fragrance of orchids on her body. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that her delicate little ears were tinged with a faint pink.
So cute, he really wanted to take a bite.
He leaned closer, little by little...
Qingying felt the presence behind her getting closer and closer... She immediately held her breath and couldn't help but shrink back.
Wei Huaixu's rationality gradually returned. He paused, his thin lips stopping less than an inch from her ear. Then, he suddenly sat up straight.
"I'm sorry." His voice was as full and deep as ever, but with a slight hoarseness.
"No, it's alright." Qingying cautiously tucked a strand of hair that had blown against her cheek behind her ear.
Wei Huaixu restrained himself from the swirling thoughts in his mind and changed the subject: "There's a flower field over here, it's very beautiful, would you like to go and take a look?"
"OK."
Qingying just wanted to end this suffocatingly awkward situation as soon as possible.
Wei Huaixu pulled on the reins and turned the horse around, heading southeast.
After walking slowly for about 15 minutes, we gradually began to see small flowers dotting the green grass. The further we went, the more flowers appeared, from scattered like stars to blooming in patches. What we could see was no longer a monotonous green, but a colorful tapestry.
The horses walked into the flower field, where the flowers were blooming high and butterflies were playing among them.
Wei Huaixu reached out and picked the flower he thought was the most beautiful, and presented it to her, saying, "I offer this flower to my beauty."
Qingying smiled and brought the flower to her nose to smell it. It wasn't very fragrant, but it was indeed beautiful. She wanted to put the flower in her hair, but because she couldn't see, she couldn't do it successfully after several attempts.
Seeing her slightly clumsy movements, Wei Huaixu smiled, reached out his hand, and said, "Let me help you."
Qingying then handed the flowers to him.
Wei Huaixu tilted his head slightly, found a spot in her hair, and carefully inserted the hairpin.
"Flowers complement a beautiful woman, but the woman is more beautiful than the flowers."
Qingying glanced at him and said, "Your Highness, you speak sweet words so readily. I'm starting to doubt whether the rumors about you are true."
"Oh? What is the public's opinion of me?"
"Gentle and refined, dignified and elegant, and..." She paused deliberately at this point.
"what else?"
Qingying smiled gently and said softly, "And also, not getting close to women."
Wei Huaixu nodded solemnly, pursing his lips. "The assessment is very fair." He then asked, "What is your doubt? Is it your gentle and refined nature? Your upright and dignified demeanor? Or your aversion to women?"
His serious tone made Qingying feel guilty for a moment.
She touched her nose and honestly said, "Actually, I have a lot of doubts about it."
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly put one hand under her armpit and the other on her waist, turning her around.
Qingying was suddenly lifted up and spun around half a circle, startling her into a scream. The horse quickened its pace due to their violent movement, and she instinctively grabbed his arm tightly.
When she realized that she had turned from having her back to him to facing him, her already restless heart jumped into her throat.
"What...what are you doing?"
With one hand supporting her slender waist and the other holding the reins, Wei Huaixu gradually slowed the horse's pace before turning his gaze to her face.
“I want to tell you this to your face. Before you, I have never acted like this in front of anyone else.” He said earnestly, “I used to be truly indifferent to women, but from now on, I will only be close to you.”
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