A soft whinny sounded as two tall, sturdy adult horses tossed their heads against the pull of the reins, looking this way. Their dark eyes held a trace of gentleness.
What fine horses!
Lin Haobai couldn’t help admiring them inwardly.
“Xiao Bai, these are Peiqi and George,” Ren Tianxing said, already taking the reins from the handler with one hand while the other gently patted the horses’ sleek backs.
Led by their owner, the two horses finally settled down. Their hooves, which had been clopping restlessly, grew still.
Lin Haobai liked horses too. He happily moved closer, carefully taking in the two handsome animals. Still, he found it amusing that Ren Tianxing had given them piglet names.
“Don’t laugh. George and Peiqi weren’t named after pigs, they already had those names when I bought them,” Ren Tianxing said, picking up a small pouch and taking out a little apple to hand to Lin Haobai. “Want to try?”
Lin Haobai nodded, accepted the apple, and cautiously held it out toward the horses’ mouths. Catching the sweet scent, one horse swiftly curled its tongue and swallowed the small apple whole.
So adorable!
Delighted, Lin Haobai took another apple from Ren Tianxing and fed it to the other horse, which had been patiently waiting.
After chatting and laughing while feeding the horses, the two began adjusting the props attached to the horses’ tack.
Their easy banter and the unspoken coordination in their gestures made the photographer, who had been directing the crew from the side, light up with excitement. Forgetting all about the set arrangement, he lifted the camera hanging around his neck and snapped away, capturing dozens of high-quality shots in rapid succession.
Highly sensitive to cameras, Lin Haobai immediately patted the hand resting around his neck and gestured with his eyes for Ren Tianxing to look.
“It’s fine. If he wants to shoot, let him. None of the footage from this show will go out without my approval,” Ren Tianxing said, pulling him closer and continuing to tell stories about the horses when they were young. Inwardly, he wished the high-priced photographer would take even more beautiful pictures.
After a moment’s thought, Lin Haobai let go of his worries. After all, Ren Tianxing would never harm him.
Once the set was ready, the two changed into another set of clothes and prepared to shoot.
According to the requirements, they needed to sit on the horses and ride slowly along a path lined with roses. The scene was simple; the only real requirement for them was to look natural.
Lin Haobai reached up and tugged at the riding outfit he had just changed into, feeling a rare flicker of nervousness.
Ren Tianxing stood beside him and immediately caught the hint of tension in his expression. “What’s wrong? Don’t know how to ride?” During the planning stage of the program, he had already learned that Lin Haobai could ride.
“It’s just that I haven’t ridden in a long time. I’m a little worried I won’t be able to handle it.” Ever since filming that historical drama last time, he hadn’t been on a horse for nearly a year. After listening to Ren Tianxing talk at length about horses just now, he knew the man was an expert. If his mounting posture turned out to look awkward later, he was afraid the other would be disappointed.
Ren Tianxing was amused by his little expression. He reached out to straighten the riding helmet Lin Haobai was wearing and said with a smile, “If you can’t get on later, I don’t mind holding you up…”
Lin Haobai, who had been nervous just a moment ago, immediately stiffened: Oh, thanks a lot! With a push from his leg, he vaulted onto the saddle. The movement was clean and decisive, carrying a hint of flair. Even Ren Tianxing, who had just teased him, couldn’t help but clap in praise. Not to be outdone, he strode to Peiqi at the back and sprang onto the saddle as well.
Their movements were so quick that before the staff could even react, they were already tugging on the reins and walking their horses forward.
Since it involved live animals, the set was arranged on a very large scale. The entire rose-lined path stretched a little over a thousand meters. Once Lin Haobai mounted, the sudden elevation of his view calmed him. When he saw Ren Tianxing get on so swiftly, he couldn’t help feeling envious. Although he had mounted smoothly himself, the inner part of his thigh seemed a bit uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong?” Ren Tianxing leaned forward slightly and gently pressed his legs against the horse’s sides, signaling it to move ahead.
Lin Haobai’s body stiffened for a moment. After a brief hesitation, he reached out and pulled the reins, guiding his horse closer.
The two horses moved side by side at an unhurried pace.
Afraid his voice might be carried off by the wind and overheard, Lin Haobai lowered it. “When I got on just now, I think I strained my inner thigh.”
Ren Tianxing lowered his gaze toward Lin Haobai’s inner thigh, but with the neat riding attire on, he couldn’t see anything with the naked eye.
He looked around and noticed that while the two of them were walking their horses, the photographer had probably already taken quite a few shots and was now looking down at the camera.
After a moment’s thought, he said quietly, “Hold the reins tight and follow me.”
As he spoke, he leaned forward and applied a bit of pressure with his legs. Receiving its rider’s command, the horse immediately kicked off and picked up speed. The horse Lin Haobai was riding followed suit. In no time, the two of them had left the area surrounded by staff and galloped into the distance. Once he felt they were far enough away, Ren Tianxing gradually slowed the horses until they finally stopped beneath a large tree.
“Don’t move yet. Wait for me to get down.”
Ren Tianxing jumped off his horse and tied both his own and Lin Haobai’s to the tree. Then he walked over to Lin Haobai, who was still sitting stiffly on horseback.
“Try and see if you can get down by yourself?”
Ren Tianxing spread his arms, giving Lin Haobai some space. “Try and see if you can get down by yourself.”
Lin Haobai shifted his legs and shook his head.
The moment he moved, a dull ache flared in the inner part of his left thigh.
“Wait.”
Ren Tianxing walked over to the horse, gently patted it, and whispered a few words near its ear. Then he came back, pulled Lin Haobai’s foot out of the stirrup, placed his hands on his waist, and with one strong motion, lifted him off the horse before Lin Haobai could react.
Lin Haobai thought: What kind of divine strength is this?!
“Y-you… you can put me down now, right?”
Suddenly being carried like a princess, Lin Haobai looked up at Ren Tianxing’s exquisitely handsome profile and felt his heart flutter slightly.
Ren Tianxing, either intentionally or not, brushed his forehead against Lin Haobai’s and said gently, “Wait a moment.”
Feeling the grip on his hands tighten slightly, Lin Haobai finally instinctively wrapped his arms around Ren Tianxing’s neck to help him use less effort. After all, he was over 1.8 meters tall and worried that Ren Tianxing might tire quickly. Even though Ren Tianxing was almost 1.9 meters tall, his appearance gave off a delicate, almost fragile impression.
“I won’t drop you,” Ren Tianxing said with a low laugh.
Lin Haobai felt the subtle rise and fall of Ren Tianxing’s chest against his own with each laugh, and his cheeks suddenly warmed. He took a deep breath, shifting his gaze from Ren Tianxing’s striking Adam’s apple, and finally noticed that not far from the tree, there was a small wooden cabin.
The cabin looked very rustic, built from raw logs stripped of bark. Its exterior was rough, but the wood had been treated with natural varnish and was well preserved.
Once carried inside, Lin Haobai realized the interior was dry and comfortable. When he was set down on a wooden chair, he took a careful look around.
The cabin was only a few square meters, furnished with a table and a few chairs. On the table were some office supplies and several unopened bottles of mineral water.
“This is the rest area within the garden,” Ren Tianxing said, moving around with familiarity. He tidied up a few things, then removed his helmet and gloves and placed them casually on the table.
“Is your leg feeling any better?” Ren Tianxing asked. He had just thought about helping Lin Haobai back, but the other seemed reluctant. Still, how could a young man possibly pull his thigh just from getting on a horse?
“It’s nothing, an old issue. A little rest will fix it,” Lin Haobai deflected, not wanting to say more. If he had gotten down in front of everyone earlier, people would have noticed. With all the recent news about him, he didn’t want anyone finding out. Besides, it wasn’t a serious injury.
Ren Tianxing narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re only 22, where would an old problem come from?”
Ignoring Lin Haobai’s protests, he pulled over a chair and sat beside him. One hand rested on Lin Haobai’s sore left thigh.
Ren Tianxing could feel the muscles in Lin Haobai’s leg tense under his touch.
“Relax,” Ren Tianxing said, raising his other hand to gently pinch the exposed back of Lin Haobai’s neck, trying to help him loosen up.
Lin Haobai’s whole body erupted in goosebumps from the pinch.
“I said it’s fine. Just let me rest a bit, it’ll be okay soon,” he said.
Ren Tianxing murmured, “If you don’t behave, I’ll take action…”
The sense of being watched made Lin Haobai freeze mid-struggle. He realized that Ren Tianxing’s hand on his thigh had nearly reached a sensitive spot during his earlier wriggling.
“You… you… I won’t move, just take your hand away!”
Lin Haobai swallowed nervously, noticing sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.
Ren Tianxing had only intended to check where the pull was, but Lin Haobai had practically offered himself.
He didn’t let go. One hand held Lin Haobai’s neck, the other gently pressed on the sore spot. Gradually, the man who had been resisting stiffened like a cat caught by the scruff, then relaxed almost completely, except for one tense area.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Lin Haobai asked through gritted teeth, falling into Ren Tianxing’s arms. But with the sensitive spot still held, he dared not move.
“You were moving around. Be careful or it’ll hurt more,” Ren Tianxing said calmly, easing the pressure with his hands. He didn’t want Lin Haobai to get angry by pushing too hard.
“I just wanted to check your injury, not on purpose,” he added. Seeing Lin Haobai finally calm, he properly massaged the sore left leg.
Lin Haobai looked down at the man who had just acted like a pervert pinching him, now behaving perfectly like a careful little wife, massaging his leg. It left him biting back all the words he had wanted to shout.