When Song Qingqian stepped out of Kunning Palace, she found Xiao Beitang waiting for her. The Princess looked up and said flatly, “What took you so long?”
Song Qingqian smiled. “Was Your Highness waiting for me?”
Xiao Beitang stiffened momentarily. She looked away, her voice a clumsy attempt at nonchalance. “I was simply afraid my Aunt would return and bully you again while I wasn’t around.”
“In that case, my thanks to Your Highness.” A ripple of amusement danced in Song Qingqian’s eyes. What a contrarian, she thought. She clearly wants to be kind, yet she hides it behind such a prickly exterior.
Xiao Beitang added with a huff of feigned arrogance, “I’m planning to go play polo. If you don’t like it, shall I have you sent back to Zichen Palace first?”
“Oh? Is Your Highness no longer annoyed by me following you?” Song Qingqian teased.
“Fine, go back to Zichen Palace then!” Annoyed, Xiao Beitang spun around and began to stride away with great, huffing steps.
There it is, Song Qingqian thought, the childish temper again. The Princess was like a stubborn mule; you had to stroke her fur in the right direction to get anywhere. She hurried to coax her. “Alright, Your Highness, don’t be angry. Take me with you. I’ve been longing to see your heroic grace on the polo field.”
Xiao Beitang’s pride swelled instantly, and most of her irritation vanished.
The morning mist had completely evaporated, and the sun hung high in the sky. When they arrived at the polo field, a match was already in full swing. The intensity was palpable, with the spectators on the sidelines completely engrossed in the action.
Liu Zi moved to announce their arrival, but Xiao Beitang raised a hand to stop him. She hurried toward an open spot by the railing and asked the person next to her, “Which team is leading?”
The person, a Zhongyong (Beta), answered without looking, “The Black Team is leading.”
Xiao Beitang studied the Red Team carefully. “No wonder. The Black Team has several players who served in the cavalry camps.”
“Actually, it’s Master Zhang,” the Beta corrected. “He’s incredible. He’s practically turned the tide single-handedly.”
“Dammit, I arrived too late,” Xiao Beitang muttered, punching the railing in frustration.
Hearing the voice, the Beta turned around and gasped. “Your Highness!”
The crowd on the sidelines turned to look, and the players in the field immediately reined in their horses to dismount and pay their respects.
“No need for formalities,” Xiao Beitang waved them off, her eyes scanning the field.
As the players rose, Xiao Lin hurried over. “Beitang, you’re finally here! If you had stayed away any longer, we would have definitely lost.”
“I was delayed by some matters,” Xiao Beitang said, her eyes gleaming with sudden competitive fire. “Rest for a moment, everyone. I’m going to change.”
While Song Qingqian waited by the sidelines, a young man named Zhang Dingyuan walked over and bowed. “Sister Qianqian? It truly is you! It’s been so long.”
“And you are?” Song Qingqian studied him, searching her memory but coming up blank.
The young man laughed brightly. “I’m A-Yuan! My older sister is Zhang Dingqing. We’ve met before.”
Song Qingqian’s eyes widened as she took him in. “You’ve grown so much! The last time I saw you, you were just a child.”
Zhang Dingyuan rubbed the back of his head shyly. “Well, many years have passed. My sister has been away at the border for seven years now.”
“Seven years.” Song Qingqian looked at Zhang Dingyuan, who now stood a full head taller than her, and felt a wave of melancholy.
“My sister mentioned you in her last letter home,” he added with a smile.
Song Qingqian paused. “And how is A-Qing? Is she well?”
“The border is cold and harsh,” Zhang Dingyuan said, his smile turning a bit bittersweet. “I imagine she has endured a great deal of hardship.”
“Please, send her my regards.”
Zhang Dingyuan beamed. “I will! I’m writing back to her today; I’ll be sure to pass along your words.”
Song Qingqian nodded with a warm smile. However, when Xiao Beitang emerged from the changing room and saw them chatting and laughing, her expression soured. How is it that no matter where she goes, Alphas flock to talk to her? Does she have no sense of her status?
To the Princess, their shared smiles were an eyesore.
Xiao Lin nudged her with an elbow, fanning the flames. “Hey, Beitang, I was keeping an eye on them for you. Those two look quite close, don’t they? All smiles and secrets.”
Xiao Wanqi cut her off with a sharp whisper. “Stop talking nonsense.”
Xiao Lin raised her chin, enjoying the drama. “How is it nonsense? Look at them, smiling like flowers in spring. Especially Zhang Dingyuan; his eyes have practically disappeared from grinning so hard.”
Xiao Beitang flicked her sleeve, her voice icy. “What does it have to do with me?”
She strode toward the center of the field. Xiao Lin followed, snickering. “True, it’s not like you actually like her.”
Liu Zi led out a magnificent steed named Jifeng (Gale). Xiao Beitang stroked the horse’s mane, her face expressionless as she patted its back. Song Qingqian watched the Princess from afar, her attention starting to drift away from Zhang Dingyuan’s conversation.
As the players mounted their horses, Zhang Dingyuan bowed to her and took his leave. Xiao Beitang swung into the saddle, gripping the reins in one hand and her mallet in the other. Her face was a mask of cold intensity.
Song Qingqian could sense the Princess was upset, though she couldn’t fathom why. Teenagers and their strange moods, she thought.
She didn’t have time to dwell on it. The gong sounded, and the field erupted into chaos. Polo was a test of both horsemanship and accuracy. The air was filled with the neighing of horses and clouds of dust as the teams collided in a frantic struggle.
Xiao Beitang proved she hadn’t spent her days in idle vanity for nothing; she had genuine skill. Shortly after she entered the fray, the Red Team’s score began to climb. The atmosphere turned electric, the crowd cheering at every turn.
“Her Highness is exceptional today!”
“The score is almost tied already!”
Sitting in the pavilion, Song Qingqian watched the horses thundering back and forth. Polo had once been a grand tradition in Great Yu, loved by Alphas, Betas, and Omegas alike. She, too, had once galloped across these fields. Before her manifestation, she had played alongside the Alphas. Since then, she had barely touched a mallet.
Watching Xiao Beitang’s youthful, carefree spirit, she was reminded of her own vigor at sixteen. A pang of longing struck her heart. Even little Zhang Dingyuan, who used to follow his sister around with a runny nose, was now a man grown. She herself was only twenty-two, yet she felt a lifetime away from the girl who used to outshine her peers before they all went their separate ways.
The sun shone down equally on everyone on the field, bathing them in light. Only she sat in the shade of the pavilion. It felt as though even the sun deemed her too fragile to touch.
A roar went up from the crowd, the score was tied. Xiao Beitang reined in her horse and trotted toward the sidelines with an air of studied indifference. “Song Qingqian!” she called out.
Song Qingqian looked up, startled.
“Come here.”
Song Qingqian walked to the edge of the field. “Does Your Highness need something?”
Xiao Beitang leaned forward, resting her arms on the horse’s neck in a rakish, rebellious slouch. “Tell me,” she said lazily. “Do you know how to play polo?”
“I know a little.”
Xiao Beitang seemed pleased with the answer. A smirk played on her lips as she sat upright. “Go change.”
“Change?”
“What, are you unwilling to play with us?”
“Give me a reason why I should.”
“She’s ‘injured,'” Xiao Beitang said, pointing vaguely toward a player on her team. “You’re taking her place.”
The player pointed at herself, looking completely baffled. “Me?”
Xiao Lin, seeing the girl’s lack of tact, shouted impatiently, “What are you staring at? She means you! Get off and go rest!”
The “injured” player dismounted and hobbled toward the sidelines, looking unsure if she was supposed to actually fake a limp.
Telling lies with a straight face, truly a classic move for her, Song Qingqian thought with a smile. “She doesn’t look particularly injured to me.”
“If you don’t want to play, I’ll find someone else,” Xiao Beitang said, giving her a sidelong glance and turning her horse to leave.