Tang Wen nearly died laughing at her amusing expression. “Your second brother specifically instructed that you ride the small one.”
Sheng Qing stared gloomily at the pony that was as tall as she was. “How about you secretly give me a big one, and I won’t tell him?”
“That won’t do. If he finds out, he’ll skin me alive.”
“…Fine then.”
She wouldn’t force the issue.
Tang Wen cleared his throat, then suddenly leaned in, gossiping: “Among these young men, is there anyone you can get along with?”
“We just met. It’s not that fast.”
“Then is there anyone you like?”
Sheng Qing was puzzled: “Brother Mosquito, you’re implying something.”
Tang Wen blinked: “What, you didn’t know this is a matchmaking event? Your second brother is picking out a husband for you.”
The fact that all these big shots were here as mere decoration—if word got out, who knows how many jaws would drop.
Sheng Qing was shocked too: “!!”
She really hadn’t expected Qin Shi to be choosing a boyfriend for her!
Why would he suddenly think of picking a boyfriend for her?
Did he think she was that desperate for a man?
She sat on the pony, utterly baffled.
“Don’t be scared. Relax your body, and the horse won’t be nervous either.”
Suddenly, a voice sounded beside her.
Sheng Qing snapped back to attention.
The speaker was a young man in his early twenties, sitting astride a tall, imposing horse, holding the reins.
He smiled at her: “The first time I rode a horse, I was even worse than you. I almost cried from fright.”
Sheng Qing wasn’t actually afraid, but since he was being kind, she nodded: “I am a bit nervous.”
He reined in his horse, jumped down, and walked over to say: “I’ll hold your reins and walk you around for a bit. Once you get familiar and relaxed, you can start trotting.”
Sheng Qing was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: “Sure, thank you.”
Since these people could enter Qin Shi’s circle, whether in character or family background, there was definitely no problem.
Since Qin Shi wanted her to date a good boyfriend.
Then she would listen to him.
Among these people, she would find herself a good boyfriend.
Not far away, Qin Shi watched the man holding Sheng Qing’s pony’s reins, his beautiful peach-blossom eyes narrowing slightly.
“Who is he?”
Ji Ziming followed his gaze. “From the Xue family. I think his name is Xue Yuan, 21 years old. Not a bad person, no messy romantic history. He fits the requirements you set.”
“I think those two are chatting quite well together—laughing and talking. They probably have mutual interest. It might work out.”
Qin Shi frowned: “He’s a bit young.”
Ji Ziming looked at him with surprise: “Didn’t you say it’d be better to find someone around the same age?”
Qin Shi’s expression instantly cooled: “Too young to know how to take care of someone.”
Ji Ziming’s expression turned strange. “Second Brother, do you really treat Sheng Qing as a sister?”
He was the one who said to find her a boyfriend, and now he was the one nitpicking everything.
This attitude was too weird.
Qin Shi frowned. “She’s just a little girl. If not a sister, then what?”
“Then just sit there as steady as an old dog and let them go fall in that sour, smelly love.”
Qin Shi turned his head to look at him, expressionless.
Ji Ziming inexplicably felt a chill down his spine and surrendered completely: “Of course, you’re the older brother. An older brother managing his sister is only natural!”
“It’s only their first day meeting—how can they get so close already!”
“That kid surnamed Xue has no sense of propriety. What a piece of work! As older brothers, we simply can’t stand to watch!”
He tossed aside the cards in his hand. “Come on, I’ll go with you to break up that lovey-dovey pair!”
**
Through chatting and getting to know each other, Sheng Qing learned that his name was Xue Yuan, and he was about her age.
Young people had no shortage of topics to talk about, and once they opened up, they quickly hit it off.
Xue Yuan personally taught her how to ride, offering her plenty of pointers along the way.
Sheng Qing was a natural talent—after watching something a few times, both her mind and her hands would basically get the hang of it.
Within ten minutes, she knew how to control the reins and was galloping along on the spirited little horse.
Still, she couldn’t help eyeing the others who rode the big horses. “So majestic and impressive. That’s really cool.”
Xue Yuan felt that a beginner wasn’t suited for something that difficult, but he couldn’t bear to dampen her spirits. “How about you try riding my horse?”
Sheng Qing’s eyes lit up, and without a moment’s hesitation, she hopped off the pony. “Sure!”
“A big horse is different from a pony—harder to control, and the height is different too. Be careful.”
“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.”
Sheng Qing patted the big horse’s head, stepped onto the stirrup, and mounted it with ease.
Once she got used to it, she gripped the reins and galloped off across the field.
Standing at the edge of the arena, Xue Yuan was slightly taken aback.
He had assumed she’d be like all the other girls who came here to ride for the first time—whining and fussing, afraid of this and that.
But to his surprise, she was the complete opposite.
Smart, beautiful, and not the least bit high-maintenance—she was exactly his type.
Xue Yuan found himself irresistibly drawn to her.
Suddenly, he felt a prickling sensation on his back, as if a needle were pressing against it.
He turned around and saw Qin Shi, who had appeared at some point, his deep, cold eyes fixed on him.
“Second Master Qin.” Xue Yuan quickly walked over and greeted him respectfully.
Qin Shi’s icy gaze swept over him from head to toe.
Then he asked, “Is she nice to look at?”
“Huh?” Xue Yuan wore a puzzled expression.
“Is Sheng Qing nice to look at?”
Xue Yuan’s face flushed slightly, and he nodded a little sheepishly. “She’s very special. She looks soft and delicate, like someone you want to protect, but there’s a toughness in her bones.”
“Like her?”
“Very much.” Xue Yuan nodded without hesitation.
Ji Ziming walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. “Kid, Sheng Qing is Second Master Qin’s sister. Can you afford to like her?”
Xue Yuan immediately said solemnly, “I know about Sheng Qing’s relationship with the Qin family. I have feelings for her, and I want to pursue her. I hope I can earn your approval, Second Brother Qin.”
“Not bad, not bad. That attitude is solid.” Ji Ziming nodded approvingly. “I think he’s genuinely sincere about our little sister. How about you give the nod and let him go for it boldly?”
Qin Shi said nothing, leaning lazily against the railing. His sharp, handsome features betrayed no emotion, his face utterly expressionless.
Under the weight of those dark, deep-set eyes, cold sweat slowly began to trickle down Xue Yuan’s back.
Had he said something wrong?
Ji Ziming felt uneasy too.
Why was it that when it came to this matter, he understood his good brother less and less?
“Xue Yuan, is it?” Qin Shi suddenly smiled, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re something.”
Xue Yuan was stunned.
What did that mean?
He shot a desperate look at Ji Ziming: What did I do? What does Second Master Qin mean by that?
Ji Ziming wore an expression that said, “You’re asking me? Who the hell am I supposed to ask?”
Just then, a girl’s scream suddenly rang out from the middle of the riding field: “Ah, get out of the way!”
In the field, two galloping horses were about to collide head-on.
And one of the riders was Sheng Qing.
Xue Yuan was startled and instinctively called out to the staff, “Open the gate, quick!”
A dark shadow flashed past—Qin Shi, beside him, vaulted over the railing with one hand and landed inside with a clean, agile leap.
His face was grim as he strode toward the center of the riding ground, his expression utterly frigid.
**
Just as the two horses were about to collide, Sheng Qing pulled on the reins in time, preventing the accident.
“Shanshan, are you okay?” Several people nearby rushed over.
Zhou Shanshan slid off the horse, her limbs weak. Had her friends not caught her, she would have collapsed to the ground.
Sheng Qing also dismounted.
Even though the girl had been the one charging recklessly, she thought it over and decided to check on her anyway. “Um… are you alright?”
Zhou Shanshan spotted the culprit and glared over, both shocked and furious. “Are you blind?! This area is my riding zone—what are you doing coming over here?!”
Sheng Qing found it amusing. “So public spaces can be privately claimed now? Then can I say the air here is mine, and your presence is just polluting the fresh air?”
Zhou Shanshan had never endured such treatment—she was used to being fawned over. At that, she swung her hand and slapped Sheng Qing across the face. “Still making excuses!”
Sheng Qing’s delicate face took the slap squarely.
Her expression turned cold in an instant.
“My face is insured for millions. If you ruin it, can you even afford to pay for that?!” The more Zhou Shanshan thought about it, the angrier she got. She raised the riding crop in her hand and lashed out.
Suddenly, a hand shot out from the side and intercepted the whip mid-swing without a word.
Zhou Shanshan was about to see who was meddling when a heavy kick slammed into her waist.
She tumbled to the ground in a clumsy heap, face-first.
The searing pain in her side made her cry out: “Ah!”
She twisted her head to look—a tall, imposing man stood over her, looking down from above.
It was Qin Shi.
His face was ashen, a cold gleam in his eyes, his terrifying gaze like a sharp blade of ice.
Zhou Shanshan flinched. “Qin… Second Master Qin?”
Qin Shi tossed the whip to the ground, his voice laced with suppressed fury. “Who brought you here?”
Zhou Shanshan struggled to her feet through the pain and answered nervously, “Second Master Qin, I… I came with President Gu…”
“Where’s Gu Beicheng? Tell him to get his ass over here!” A murderous edge lurked in Qin Shi’s eyes.
Ji Ziming and Xue Yuan hurried over at that moment.
“What happened? Weren’t you all riding fine? How did you almost collide?”
“It’s because Zhou Shanshan isn’t good at riding—she spooked her horse, and it bolted toward Sheng Qing.”
“Sheng Qing dodged in time and prevented the horses from crashing, but Zhou Shanshan seemed furious and suddenly hit Sheng Qing.”
Ji Ziming looked baffled. “Is she a fucking idiot? She makes a mistake and still has the nerve to hit someone?”
“She’s probably counting on President Gu’s favor. You don’t know, Ming-ge—President Gu dotes on her a lot. Whatever she wants, he gives it to her.”
“See, he even brought her to a gathering like this.”
Ji Ziming was speechless. “…”
This woman, just because Gu Beicheng spoiled her a bit, dared to hit someone Qin Shi brought to Qin Shi’s own gathering?
What an absolutely unprecedented brainless fool?!
Did she not stop to think—no matter how impressive Gu Beicheng was, could he compare to Qin Shi?
Soon, Gu Beicheng came rushing over.