As they got closer, it became certain.
The moment He Xingluo approached the racecourse, he spotted Foreman Wang right on the spot. He hadn’t expected the man’s scope of work to be quite so broad, to the extent that even preparing the drinking water for guests at the racecourse fell under his purview. Heh.
He Xingluo forcefully supplied the second half of his thought aloud: “…I didn’t expect my colleagues at the old residence to be so mindful of hygiene.”
Not bad, very natural.
He Xingluo secretly observed Lu Zhanbei’s expression, figuring the young master likely took that remark as a boring piece of sycophancy. Naturally, plenty of people tried to cozy up to Young Master Lu, so a few clumsy attempts were entirely normal.
Only then did He Xingluo feel at ease to observe the scene. The racecourse looked vast and professional, though he couldn’t make head or tail of it. Still, to reinforce his persona, He Xingluo continued to flatter: “This racecourse looks like a place where one could truly gallop freely. With the wind blowing past your ears, you should be able to hear the sound of money directly.”
Lu Zhanbei replied, “You can try.”
He Xingluo rubbed his nose. “To be honest, Young Master, that sounded very much like a threat.”
Lu Zhanbei smiled faintly and had someone take He Xingluo to change clothes. He Xingluo went over in a daze, and emerged looking completely bewildered in a full equestrian outfit.
He asked blankly, “Young Master, is my job today by any chance leading your horse?” Weren’t his duties supposed to consist of simply standing to one side?
Lu Zhanbei didn’t mince words. “You know where to lead it? You’re quite eager to see me spend the latter half of my life as a cripple?”
He Xingluo muttered, “Then you might as well just give me a quick, clean end.”
Lu Zhanbei was speechless. “Going to the racecourse means riding horses, obviously.”
He Xingluo’s gaze drifted into the distance as he said in a daze, “Young Master, I am momentarily unable to decide at which spot in this racecourse I should conclude my life.”
Lu Zhanbei’s brow twitched. “You’re overthinking it.”
A few minutes later.
The two of them bypassed the outdoor racecourse and arrived at the… indoor racecourse.
He Xingluo offered a heartfelt review: “In literary works, I don’t believe I have ever encountered such a conservative way of conquering frontiers. It appears that Manager Xu, whom you mentioned, enjoys acting as a max-level veteran in the beginner village.”
The staff had already selected a horse for He Xingluo. Looking at the beast, He Xingluo executed a clean and decisive about-face. “Young Master, how about I perform a tactical retreat for you instead?”
Lu Zhanbei finally showed a shred of conscience, realizing he was being somewhat unreasonable. With zero practical effect, he offered comfort: “Don’t worry, this horse rarely throws tantrums.”
What, it still threw tantrums?!
Even more terrifying.
Before He Xingluo could voice his refusal, Lu Zhanbei began instructing him personally. His directions were: “Step on the stirrup, grab the reins firmly, lift your left foot first—don’t kick it—swing your right foot over, and sit tight.”
Turns out stuffing an elephant into a refrigerator really only takes three steps.
He Xingluo exclaimed in pleasant surprise, “I actually got up here!”
The next second, worry crept in: “Is it going to throw me off?”
Lu Zhanbei answered, “The probability is relatively low.”
With his feet in the stirrups, He Xingluo still felt rather unsafe, so he pressed further: “Just in case?”
“Then hug the horse’s neck tightly.” Lu Zhanbei paused for a second. “There’s a probability you’ll bounce back into the saddle, and an equal probability it will stop dead in its tracks.”
What!
He Xingluo’s scalp began to tingle. What kind of probabilities were these? Was this really the time to discuss odds? Before he finished being shocked, the horse began to move, though…
At a snail’s pace.
He Xingluo followed his line of sight. Was someone leading it by a lead rope as it slowly walked in circles?
He felt like he wasn’t riding a horse at all, but rather acting as the donkey turning a millstone.
Lu Zhanbei watched him and laughed.
Teasing him really was that much fun, wasn’t it?
At that very moment, the protagonist of this seamless equestrian setup finally entered the arena. Manager Xu beamed with radiance as he exchanged pleasantries: “Young Master Lu, it has been over a year since we last met.”
He Xingluo looked over. Manager Xu was around forty years old, and his riding gear didn’t look like it came off the same assembly line as his own, leading him to deduce that it was personally owned.
An ultra-relaxed vibe, rocking personal equestrian wear.
From his seat on the horse, He Xingluo could only see the top of people’s heads, so he wondered if he should dismount to greet the guest. He tested the waters cautiously by shifting a few millimeters.
While exchanging pleasantries with the guest, Lu Zhanbei somehow managed to keep an eye on him. Lu Zhanbei quietly signaled He Xingluo not to move, while introducing him to Manager Xu: “This is He Xingluo. He has worked at my family for many years and has always admired Uncle Xu’s equestrian skills, so he specifically came to witness Uncle Xu’s graceful demeanor. However, this horse threw a tantrum today and we only just coaxed it, so we won’t have him dismount to greet Uncle Xu.”
He Xingluo could manage nothing more than a faint smile.
Manager Xu’s passion for horses was evident, and he immediately declared it was no problem at all, suggesting they all race a few laps for fun. He Xingluo also began to feel eager—until he realized that Manager Xu didn’t enjoy bullying newbies in low-tier matches; rather, this was simply Manager Xu’s comfort zone.
Lu Zhanbei hadn’t brought him here because Manager Xu loved lively crowds; it was simply that only a complete novice experiencing their first time on a horse could highlight Manager Xu’s modest relative advantages.
What an exquisite matchmaking mechanism, though it was somewhat wasteful of butlers.
After all, a couple more rides and he wouldn’t even need Manager Xu’s guidance anymore; he’d transition straight from being guided by an expert to guiding experts.
Manager Xu himself was quite satisfied, stating right then and there that he would come again next time, and kindly praised He Xingluo: “Not bad, not bad. Young people should be as eager to learn as you.”
“That posture when you dismounted earlier…”
On the surface, He Xingluo listened attentively while feeling thoroughly perplexed. Therefore, once Manager Xu had been seen off, He Xingluo humbly asked for guidance: “This Manager Xu, is he someone of great background?”
Lu Zhanbei smiled. “What, didn’t you enjoy playing, Butler He?”
He Xingluo offered a tactful review: “By comparison, the carousel feels slightly more thrilling.”
Hearing this, Lu Zhanbei burst into laughter, completely abandoning any trace of his aloof young master demeanor. He Xingluo surrendered to his fate on the spot: “Earlier I thought the horse had fallen asleep, but I couldn’t be certain.”
“Craving something thrilling?” Lu Zhanbei asked.
“Seeking a bit of experiential value,” He Xingluo said.
“Then back on the horse you go.”
Once Lu Zhanbei and the others were seated securely, he mounted his own horse as well. His only instruction was: “Hold on tight.”
What, hold on to what?
Before He Xingluo could react, the horse bolted forward, clearing several wooden fences in succession as it charged toward the outdoor racecourse. How should one describe this sensation? As the wind rushed past his ears, only one thought echoed in his mind.
The speed was one hundred and eighty miles per hour.
Thrilling, oh absolutely thrilling.
“Don’t close your eyes, look forward, look into the distance.” Ignoring his emotional state entirely, Lu Zhanbei murmured right by his ear: “The reins are in your hands, are you certain you aren’t going to watch?”
He Xingluo snapped his eyes wide open.
A chuckle drifted from behind him once more. Lu Zhanbei loosely wrapped his fingers around his, asking with a thoroughly chuunibyou tone: “Butler He, is this the kind of thrill you wanted? How is the experiential value?”
The experience was fantastic; right now, the two of them were bonded by life and death.
Hopefully they would only share this bond once.
Once Lu Zhanbei had had his fill of galloping, He Xingluo was left completely numb from the bouncing. Upon returning to the stables, he felt a sense of relief so profound it felt like returning to his hometown.
He certainly deserved his past life as an ox and a horse.
Personally helped down from the horse by Young Master Lu, He Xingluo stood pale and speechless. He realized his self-assessment had been too conservative; being a tool character was already too high-end—he was probably the young master’s plaything.
Such as some game where you randomly grab a butler just to scare him.
Lu Zhanbei was evidently in a wonderful mood, displaying exceptional tolerance toward He Xingluo’s silence and magnanimously letting him off: “Grandfather’s birthday banquet is about to begin, we should head over as well.”
He Xingluo was left speechless; the young master looked much more eager to consume his funeral baked meats. Still feeling shaken, He Xingluo answered in a daze, “I’ll go change my clothes.”
Lu Zhanbei expressed concern: “Can you still go change on your own?”
He Xingluo replied, “It’s just my rear end that hurts, I can still walk.”
They both fell silent. What a dreadful piece of dialogue.