Chapter 16 The Horse is Startled
The next day, Gu Qingxu acted quickly, coming to find her early in the morning.
Ruan Xingzhu hadn't expected Gu Qingxu to act so quickly. While she was suspicious, she still followed Gu Qingxu out the door with a skeptical attitude.
The wheels rolled across the asphalt road, and the carriage passed through the bustling streets towards the outskirts of the city. Seeing this, Ruan Xingzhu couldn't help but ask, "Fifth Sister, where are we going to meet?"
As Gu Qingxu saw that their destination was getting closer, a little excitement appeared on her face. Hearing Ruan Xingzhu's question, she quickly lowered the side curtain, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and said, "You'll know when we get there!"
That smile held a hint of mystery, as if it were searching for some fun, which made Ruan Xingzhu feel a little uneasy.
The carriage rounded a lush bamboo grove and finally arrived at the place Gu Qingsu had described. Ruan Xingzhu was stunned the moment she stepped off the carriage.
A scent of grass and earth wafted towards her, and before her stretched a vast horse ranch. The empty ranch radiated heat under the blazing sun.
She was stunned. Ordinary people would choose a quiet or leisurely place to find a husband. Gu Qingxu, on the other hand, had chosen a horse farm.
She knew Gu Qingxu loved horseback riding, and on several occasions when Gu Qingxu secretly went horseback riding, she had helped cover for him. She couldn't ride a horse, so this was the first time Gu Qingxu had brought her to the horse farm.
Ruan Xingzhu followed behind Gu Qingxu, who was so excited to see the horse farm that she walked quickly and almost couldn't keep up.
Gu Qingxu led Ruan Xingzhu into the horse farm with practiced ease. Upon hearing the noise, the horse grooms greeted Gu Qingxu with beaming smiles.
"Miss Gu has arrived. Please have some tea here first. I'll go and invite the master over right away."
After saying that, he hurriedly walked towards a house. Gu Qingxu, on the other hand, made no attempt to be polite and poured himself some tea, as if he were at home.
Just as Ruan Xingzhu took a sip of tea, a man dressed in a dark blue riding outfit walked towards her. From a distance, the man appeared tall and slender, his height not much different from Gu Yun'an's.
His gait was steady, exuding a carefree and unrestrained air, which suited the horse farm perfectly. Lou Hongyi was somewhat surprised when the servant announced that Gu Qingsu had arrived, after all, Gu Qingsu hadn't been to the horse farm for a long time, and he had almost thought she had forgotten about it.
As soon as he arrived, Lou Hongyi cheerfully teased, "What day is it today that Miss Gu Wu has time to come?"
Gu Qingxu ignored his teasing and was only anxious to see her beloved horse, so she replied, "It's been a long time since I've been here, so I came to check on you."
"Speaking of which," Gu Qingxu asked impatiently, getting to the point: "By the way, are you taking good care of my horse?"
Gu Qingxu is indeed Gu Qingxu. There's no need for any pleasantries. The moment she arrived, all she cared about was her horse. She really didn't take him, her friend, to heart at all.
He shook his head and said loudly, "Of course, we'll take good care of them."
As he spoke, he looked at the coachman beside him and said, "Go and bring Miss Gu's horse to her."
After he finished speaking, he noticed Ruan Xingzhu standing next to Gu Qingxu. The bright green dress Ruan Xingzhu was wearing today made her face look rosy and her skin looked delicate and smooth.
Her petite appearance instantly evoked a protective instinct in one's heart, like that of an older brother. Lou Hongyi, who frequented the horse farm and was used to seeing boisterous riders, rarely saw a delicate, petite, and exquisitely cute girl like Ruan Xingzhu at the horse farm.
Amazed, he couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"
Gu Qingxu then withdrew her eager gaze from her beloved horse and hurriedly introduced, "This is my younger sister, Ruan Xingzhu. I brought her here to have some fun."
Then she looked at Ruan Xingzhu and said casually, "This is the big boss of this horse farm, Xiao Louzi. This horse farm belongs to his family."
Lou Hongyi's lips twitched slightly at Gu Qingsu's casual way of addressing him. It was one thing in front of Gu Qingsu, but now, facing such a delicate and adorable little sister, for her to call him that, it really left him feeling a bit helpless.
He glanced at Gu Qingxu and quickly interjected, "Hello, Sister Ruan, my name is Lou Hongyi." Hearing Gu Qingxu call her "little sister," he naturally followed suit.
Ruan Xingzhu was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. After all, apart from Gu Yun'an, no other man had ever called her "sister" so affectionately.
She nodded gently and said softly, "Greetings, Young Master Lou."
Seeing Ruan Xingzhu's reserved demeanor, Lou Hongyi, who was always warm and welcoming to people, especially since she was Gu Qingxu's younger sister, naturally wanted to take good care of her.
He quickly smiled and invited, "Would you like to ride a horse, Miss Ruan? I'll help you pick out a gentle one."
Lou Hongyi didn't think much of it, just assumed that since he had come to the horse farm, he probably wanted to ride a horse.
Upon hearing this, Ruan Xingzhu became somewhat flustered, her face flushing slightly. She softly replied, "I can't ride a horse."
After speaking, she looked away somewhat embarrassed, her hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her skirt, her slender fingers creating wrinkles in the fabric.
Lou Hongyi was somewhat surprised. Why would someone who doesn't know how to ride a horse come to the horse farm?
Looking at Lou Hongyi, this blockhead-like straight man, Gu Qingxu couldn't help but gently tap him on the head.
"Why can't I come if I can't ride a horse?"
She crossed her arms over her chest, a hint of anger on her face.
Seeing that Gu Qingxu was about to make a move, Lou Hongyi quickly reacted and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, you can come even if you don't know how, you can come even if you don't know how..."
"Alright, that's settled then," Gu Qingxu said with satisfaction.
As she spoke, her gaze drifted to the deserted horse ranch, and a burning desire for riding ignited within her. She hadn't ridden a horse in a long time since Cheng had forced her to go on the blind date. Now, the groom brought her beloved horse, which she hadn't seen in so long. Her eyes shone, and she stroked the mane several times, appearing even more impatient.
She turned to look at Lou Hongyi, "You take her for a stroll, I'm going for a run."
With that, she deftly mounted her horse, giving Ruan Xingzhu a meaningful look before leaving. Ruan Xingzhu didn't immediately grasp the meaning and was pondering it when Gu Qingxu spurred her horse and galloped away like an arrow, leaving only a cloud of dust behind.
The words "Fifth Sister" that were about to be uttered were swallowed back down.
Watching Gu Qingxu's figure disappear, Ruan Xingzhu felt a pang of regret. She realized that Gu Qingxu hadn't come to introduce her to a potential husband at all; he was just using her as an excuse to ride a horse.
Lou Hongyi was at a loss when he saw this. He didn't expect Gu Qingxu to so readily hand over such a delicate and lovely little sister to him.
He hadn't spent much time with girls before, and was feeling rather flustered. After thinking for a while, he scratched his head and asked, "Would you like to learn to ride a horse, Miss Ruan? I'll pick out a gentle pony for you to learn from."
Ruan Xingzhu wanted to refuse, but looking around, there was nothing fun to do at the horse farm except for horse manure. After hesitating for a long time, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.
Before long, Lou Hongyi carefully selected a pony for her. The pony had a glossy coat that shimmered softly in the sunlight, and it looked gentle and adorable.
Its eyes were big and lively, and its tail would occasionally swirl. Although it was a pony, it would still be a little difficult for Ruan Xingzhu, with her petite and adorable figure, to get on it.
She didn't even dare touch the horse right now, standing next to the pony with a slight tension in her body. Lou Hongyi didn't notice Ruan Xingzhu's fear, and just watched from the side, unable to help but say, "Sister Ruan, get on the horse."
Hearing this, Ruan Xingzhu mentally prepared herself, biting her lower lip. She took a deep breath, silently encouraging herself. She slowly walked towards the horses, her steps somewhat hesitant, each step feeling like a beat against her own heartbeat.
She was startled when the horse suddenly moved.
Seeing her so timid, Lou Hongyi couldn't help but walk up to her, restrain the horse, and look at her again.
"Alright, it's not moving anymore, Sister Ruan, get on the horse."
Seeing Lou Hongyi restrain the horse for her, Ruan Xingzhu felt a mix of emotions. She pursed her lips, mustered all her strength, and finally managed to mount the horse with Lou Hongyi's help.
Upon sitting down, Ruan Xingzhu's heart leaped into her throat due to the height, as if it were about to jump out. She froze, too afraid to move, her breathing becoming rapid.
Seeing this, Lou Hongyi quickly comforted her gently, "Don't be afraid, Sister Ruan. You can hold the reins; it might make things a little easier."
Ruan Xingzhu then took the reins with both hands and held them firmly in her hands. Whether it was psychological or Lou Hongyi leading the horse for her, Ruan Xingzhu felt less afraid.
Seeing that Ruan Xingzhu was no longer so frightened, Lou Hongyi led the horse and slowly began to walk. The horse was indeed very docile, taking slow, leisurely steps forward, covering a short distance.
As Ruan Xingzhu felt the horse's steady gait, her mood gradually relaxed, and her tense body eased slightly. She rode on the horse and exhaled softly, the breath seemingly carrying away the tension and fear in her heart.
During this time, one of the underlings ran over and said something to Lou Hongyi, but Ruan Xingzhu didn't pay much attention, as she was focused on looking ahead.
After walking for a while, she felt a little tired and was about to say that she wanted to dismount when she turned around and found that Lou Hongyi, who was supposed to be holding the reins, was nowhere to be seen.
A sudden unease gripped her; the breath she had just released instantly tightened again. As if sensing her tension, the horse quickened its pace and began to head towards the edge of the riding arena.
Ruan Xingzhu panicked for a moment, her expression tense. She hurriedly called out, "Young Master Lou, Young Master Lou..."
Not only did she not receive a reply from Lou Hongyi, but she also felt that the horse beneath her seemed to be startled by the sound and ran even faster.
The sound of hooves was as rapid as drumbeats, pounding on Ruan Xingzhu's fragile nerves. The horses galloped out of the paddock and plunged into the narrow path.
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