Fu Dan expected Yun Ni to be nervous after agreeing to the bet, but instead, she found her leisurely feeding the horse grass, showing not a hint of anxiety.
After waiting for a while and realizing time was of the essence, Fu Dan interrupted the peaceful atmosphere. “Miss Yun, it’s time for us to practice riding.”
Yun Ni fed the last bit of grass to Black Panther and nodded slowly. Fu Dan led the horse out of the stable.
“Is this Miss Yun’s first time riding?” Fu Dan asked as she led the way.
Yun Ni tilted her head. “Does watching riding videos count?”
“No,” Fu Dan frowned. Seeing the unchanging smile on the girl’s face, she asked, “Aren’t you nervous? There’s a bet on the line, after all.”
Yun Ni’s smile deepened. “What’s there to be nervous about?” She stepped forward and took the reins from Fu Dan’s hand.
Fu Dan stopped gossiping and began explaining the essentials of mounting a horse, demonstrating several times. Yun Ni played the part of the diligent student. When it was her turn, she intentionally moved with a bit of “clumsy” hesitation before swinging herself up.
“Not bad,” Fu Dan praised. She had taught many actresses; most were delicate and needed several tries just to get into the saddle. Yun Ni was doing quite well.
Hearing the praise, Yun Ni rubbed her nose sheepishly. It felt like she was back in her childhood learning horse archery, receiving praise from her tutors for every bit of progress. The memory made her feel momentarily wistful, but she quickly pulled herself together and dismounted.
After a few rounds of practicing mounting and dismounting, Yun Ni felt she had the rhythm down. “Coach, let’s practice riding now.”
“Haste makes waste,” Fu Dan started to say, but before she could finish, Yun Ni had mounted the horse in one fluid motion, pulled the reins, and steadied the horse with a soft “Whoa.”
Fu Dan’s mouth twitched. “Didn’t you say you couldn’t ride?” That movement didn’t belong to a novice who had only just practiced mounting.
“I’m not very good; I just learned a bit for a previous role,” Yun Ni lied effortlessly. “Coach, can we go now?”
Shock flickered in Fu Dan’s eyes. She began to see Yun Ni as a natural prodigy. She led the horse, instructing her on posture and balance. Yun Ni sat atop the horse, barely suppressing her urge to break into a gallop at such a slow pace.
Once she saw Yun Ni was stable, Fu Dan let her increase the speed. After one lap, Yun Ni fully regained her past “feel” for the saddle.
“You can go faster!” Fu Dan shouted.
Yun Ni didn’t hesitate. she tightened her grip on the reins and let the horse gallop. Fu Dan’s eyelids jumped. Too fast!
A coach passing by with Dong Menglian remarked, “Fu Dan, your student has great technique.”
Fu Dan watched thoughtfully. She had been worried about the speed, but she noticed that Yun Ni was listening to her instructions perfectly—adjusting her posture to match the horse’s rhythm. There was no problem at all.
Nearby, Dong Menglian was just finishing learning how to mount. Looking at Yun Ni galloping past her, she felt a bitter taste in her mouth. She actually knew a bit of riding from past roles and thought she would learn faster than Yun Ni. Reality, however, was a slap in the face.
Why does Yun Ni get Director Zhou’s favoritism on set and the coach’s admiration here?
As Yun Ni galloped past her again, an icy impulse seized Dong Menglian. She suddenly yanked her own reins with all her might. Her horse, startled and in pain, reared its front legs and lunged sideways into Yun Ni’s path.
Yun Ni had sensed something wrong the moment she saw the cold glint in Dong Menglian’s eyes. When she saw her pull the reins, she guessed her intent.
Yun Ni sneered. She didn’t retreat. Instead, she gripped the horse’s body with her legs and—contrary to expectation—accelerated, heading straight for the other horse.
In a collision, people instinctively try to dodge. Dong Menglian expected Yun Ni to swerve; at that speed, Black Panther would become uncontrollable, and Yun Ni would likely fall and be badly injured, while Dong Menglian’s horse would only be slightly spooked.
But Yun Ni didn’t follow the script. Instead of dodging, she charged.
Fu Dan and the other coach shouted “Watch out!” and ran over, but it was too late.
BAM—!
Both horses went down, and the two riders were thrown.
Having fallen from horses many times as a child, Yun Ni knew exactly how to minimize the impact. The moment the horses collided, she pulled her feet from the stirrups, pressed her upper body against the horse’s neck, and as the horse fell sideways, she used the momentum to jump clear and roll on the grass.
She didn’t get up immediately. She stayed face-down, planning to see Dong Menglian’s situation before making her next move.
Dong Menglian was not so lucky. Paralyzed by fear, she forgot everything the coach had taught her. She was thrown violently, and because her foot got caught in the stirrup during the fall, her leg snapped.
“Ow, ow, ow!” Dong Menglian screamed once before passing out from the pain.
Hearing the commotion, Yun Ni slowed her breathing and played dead.
“Don’t touch her! If it’s a spinal injury, we can’t move her. Call 120!” Fu Dan was the first to reach them. She checked Dong Menglian first, then turned to Yun Ni. Seeing Yun Ni unconscious, she checked her over. Compared to the grisly state of Dong Menglian’s leg, Yun Ni only had some scrapes. Fearing internal injuries, Fu Dan ordered a second ambulance.
The hospital was nearby; within five minutes, the ambulances arrived. The paramedics noted Dong Menglian’s severe condition, stabilized her neck and spine, and took her away. Then they checked Yun Ni.
“How is she?” Fu Dan asked anxiously.
The paramedic clicked off a penlight. “Just some scrapes, but we need scans to check for concussion or internal damage.”
Fu Dan followed them to the hospital. On the way, she called Director Zhou Sheng. Hearing that both leads were unconscious, Zhou Sheng left the set to his assistant and rushed to the hospital.
“Coach Fu, what on earth happened?” Zhou Sheng demanded. “It was just practice! How did they both fall?”
Fu Dan had been discussing it with her colleagues. The accident started with Dong Menglian’s movement, though they hadn’t realized Yun Ni had secretly accelerated at the last second.
“Miss Yun was practicing normally when Miss Dong’s horse suddenly lost control and veered into her lane,” Fu Dan explained. “The distance was too short. We tried to pull the reins, but the horses collided.”
Zhou Sheng narrowed his eyes. “You’re saying Dong Menglian’s horse ‘accidentally’ blocked Yun Ni?”
Fu Dan nodded.
“How was their progress?” Zhou Sheng asked.
“Miss Yun was already able to ride independently. Miss Dong was still adapting,” Fu Dan replied. “Miss Yun is a natural talent.”
Zhou Sheng already had a hunch—this was likely no accident.
Fu Dan added, “They also had a bet. The loser had to do whatever the winner asked.”
“And under normal circumstances, the winner would have been Yun Ni, right?” Zhou Sheng’s suspicion was confirmed. He massaged his temples.
He first visited Dong Menglian. Her right leg was in a heavy cast, suspended high in the air. “Her leg is fractured, and she has a mild concussion and scrapes,” Fu Dan explained. “She’ll be in the hospital for a few days.”
Zhou Sheng frowned. A cast meant the filming schedule was in ruins. He turned to Yun Ni. “If she’s like this, isn’t Yun Ni even worse?”
Fu Dan’s expression became complicated. She led him to the next room.
When Zhou Sheng saw Yun Ni, he froze. Unlike Dong Menglian, Yun Ni had no neck brace and no cast. She was sitting up, leisurely eating an apple. When she saw him, she even had the nerve to wave “Hi,” toss the core into the trash, and say, “Director Zhou.”
The contrast was staggering. “Coach, what’s going on with her?”
“The doctor said just a minor concussion. She can leave tomorrow if she feels up to it,” Fu Dan said. She had been just as shocked as him. Logically, Yun Ni should have been hurt worse, but she only had minor scrapes.
Yun Ni chimed in innocently, “It’s because I remembered what the coach said about how to protect myself in an accident.” She smiled at Fu Dan. “I really have to thank the teacher for the warning, otherwise I…” Her voice trailed off weakly.
Zhou Sheng accepted the explanation and dismissed Fu Dan.
In the room, Yun Ni checked her phone. She felt a bit dizzy—the fall hadn’t been completely harmless—so she lay back down. Well, a day or two of rest for me, but weeks for Dong Menglian. Not a bad trade-off.
Her phone buzzed.
You were injured in a fall? Lin Zijin
Yun Ni raised an eyebrow. It hadn’t even been an hour. How did Lin Zijin, in another province, know already?
Before she could reply, the door creaked. Zhou Sheng walked back in. Yun Ni quickly hid her phone and half-closed her eyes, looking “frail.”
“Are you in pain?” Zhou Sheng asked. “Should I call the doctor?”
“No, just dizzy. I’ll be fine if I lie down,” Yun Ni replied weakly. “Director Zhou, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“I’ve delayed the shoot. I’ve let you down.”
“If you’re really sorry, just rest and come back healthy tomorrow,” Zhou Sheng said. Then his tone shifted. “What exactly happened between you and Dong Menglian?”
Yun Ni recounted the events without adding “oil or vinegar,” though she conveniently left out that she had accelerated. Her version matched Fu Dan’s but added the detail that she saw Dong Menglian yank the reins.
“You’re sure you saw her do that?”
Yun Ni smiled. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Miss Dong.”
Zhou Sheng already believed her. He sighed. “This is no small matter. I’ve already notified President Lin.”
Yun Ni’s brow furrowed. So that’s how she knew.
Zhou Sheng didn’t say how he would handle it, but Yun Ni could guess from the fact that he called Lin Zijin immediately: he didn’t intend to let this “accident” slide quietly.