He Yi raised her eyes and said coldly. Li Yanran was taken aback by her sharp gaze, then burst into laughter: "It's not a matter of instruction, but it's a rare opportunity to meet you today. I wonder if Princess Zheng would be willing to have a match with me? What do you say?"
Li Yanran was certain she could win, and chuckled, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. "But of course, I can't force you. Don't worry, if you admit defeat, just pretend I didn't say anything."
[It's here! The battle of the ladies is about to begin!]
[Li Yanran is courting death! How annoying.]
[Waiting to see her get her comeuppance! That vicious female supporting character will soon learn what it means to be outmatched! There are always people more powerful than you, and monsters above demons.]
Gu Minghe frowned slightly, seemingly wanting to speak up to stop her, but He Yi sneered, her sharp eyes fixed on Li Yanran, and said calmly, "Fine."
Zheng Heyi spoke gently, as if she had only agreed to a trivial matter, "Since Miss Li is in the mood, Heyi will naturally accompany her to the end."
Li Yanran was taken aback by her unexpectedly quick agreement. Then, as if she had thought of something, she raised her eyebrows slyly.
"Then please!"
The two then went to the racetrack in the distance, where a young eunuch had already brought two fine horses. Li Yanran chose a spirited chestnut horse, while He Yi led over a light blue dwarf horse not far away.
With a shout of "Start!", the two horses galloped off towards their destination like arrows released from a bow. Li Yanran's riding skills were truly remarkable; she held her body firmly on the horse's back, gripped the reins tightly, and the chestnut horse had already sped off into the distance.
He Yi fell behind instead. Looking again, the wild horse was incredibly fast, and in no time it had left He Yi far behind. "Princess Zheng, don't suffer the consequences of your actions. I think you need to step up your game!"
Li Yanran turned around and glanced at He Yi, her face full of sarcastic mockery.
Instead of being flustered, He Yi gently patted the horse's neck. The horse seemed to understand He Yi's meaning, and in that instant, it suddenly accelerated, its four hooves flying like a gust of wind.
Seeing this, Li Yanran became anxious and tightened the reins, hoping to give the chestnut horse a head start when it turned. However, the horse was startled, reared up, and neighed.
Li Yanran screamed and fell off her horse, rolling a considerable distance away. He Yi quickly reined in her horse, turned around, and rushed over: "Miss Li, are you alright?"
Li Yanran clutched her right foot, her face pale.
But at this moment, her eyes were filled with resentment: "It's all your fault, Zheng Heyi! You deliberately scared my horse!"
"Miss Li, are you snoring and talking in your sleep?" He Yi frowned, crossed her arms and took two steps back. "You were clearly outmatched just now. Now that you've lost, you've lost. I wanted to help you up, but it seems unnecessary now. What does your defeat have to do with me?"
Gu Minghe was clearly terrified and rushed over.
Zheng Yu, who was not far away, also ran towards them with unease.
Gu Minghe didn't even glance at Li Yanran on the ground, but went straight to He Yi's side and asked with concern, "He Yi, are you alright?"
Wow! Gu Minghe only has eyes for He Yi! Li Yanran has really lost face!
Your eyes hold the stars and the sea, but mine only holds you, hahaha.
[I feel sorry for Li Yanran for a second, but she deserved it! Isn't this just reaping what she sowed?]
Wait! Zheng Yu is here too! The male supporting character and the male lead are bound to spark some romance.
Seeing that Gu Minghe ignored her and was so concerned about He Yi, Li Yanran was so angry that she trembled all over. She struggled to stand up, but fell down again with a cry of "Ouch!" and looked at Gu Minghe with teary eyes.
"Young Master, I twisted my ankle, and it hurts terribly. Could you... could you help me up?" she said, blinking her pitiful eyes, hoping that Gu Minghe would pick her up like a hero in a play.
Who knew...
Gu Minghe didn't even lift his eyelids, only coldly saying, "Someone, take Miss Li to rest." His gaze remained fixed on He Yi, and Li Yanran's face instantly turned pale, her lips trembling so much that she couldn't utter a single word.
The surrounding ladies whispered amongst themselves, their gazes towards Li Yanran filled with mockery and ridicule. He Yi watched this scene with nothing but disgust. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Zheng Yu step forward and walk towards Gu Minghe.
He bowed politely to Gu Minghe, "Young Master, we've met by chance today, and I have quite a few things I'd like to say to you. May I speak with you in private..."
Gu Minghe raised an eyebrow, smiled and gazed at Zheng Yu, then glanced at He Yi before walking with Zheng Yu to a quiet spot to the side.
"Young Master Zheng, what advice do you have for me?"
Gu Minghe's tone was indifferent, clearly not taking Zheng Yu seriously. Zheng Yu looked him straight in the eye, "Young Master, you've been frequently getting close to my sister today. What's your intention?"
Gu Minghe scoffed, his tone surprisingly heavy: "Heyi and I were betrothed since childhood. It seems you, as her older brother, always forget this. What's wrong with me being close to her? But you, Young Master Zheng, seem to be a little too concerned about my fiancée!"
"Heyi's marriage is not yet settled."
Zheng Yu's voice suddenly turned colder. "If the young master truly cared for her and betrothed her to you, my father would naturally be happy. However, it seems that the young master is selfish and self-serving. If you don't love her, why hurt her?"
When Zheng Yu questioned him, Gu Minghe realized that they were having a frank conversation. However, after hearing these opening remarks, Gu Minghe felt as if he had heard the funniest joke.
"Given my status and position, she and I are truly a perfect match. As for you, there are some things I didn't want to say, but since you've forced me, I'll speak my mind. The situation in the capital is complex and unpredictable, and He Yi needs a guardian to protect her. If you know what's good for you, stay away from her, and I can protect her myself."
Zheng Yu's eyes turned cold. "Gu Minghe, are you threatening me?"
“It’s not a threat,” Gu Minghe said, flicking his sleeve. “It’s just stating the facts.” He straightened up and laughed heartily, but his face showed an expression of complete confidence.
"The highlight of today's Hundred Flowers Banquet is actually the introduction of Jiang Shu and the third-ranked scholar by Princess Ning. Speaking of which, isn't today an auspicious day? I will propose marriage to He Yi in front of everyone in a little while..."
Before Gu Minghe could finish speaking, Zheng Yu abruptly interrupted him: "Don't even think about it!"
[Holy crap! Gu Minghe is the female lead's official love interest, okay? This is too explosive!]
[Male lead, stop him! We can't let He Yi jump into this fire pit!]
This is going to be quite a show! Zheng Yu and Gu Minghe are about to clash head-on.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. He Yi watched the two of them talking back and forth from a distance, but because of the distance, she naturally couldn't know what they were whispering about.
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