Chapter 79: Mine
Lu Huaiyu looked in the direction Yu Pingchuan was pointing and then raised a brow.
Yu Pingchuan was pointing at the horse that Ning Li was riding.
The man was a VIP of the club, and since the horse caught his attention in the first place, he would not simply let someone else ride it on the track.
In other words…
“Ning Li came here with you?”
It was Yu Pingchuan’s turn to be shocked. “You know Lili?”
Judging from Lu Huaiyu’s tone, the two seemed close as well. He would not have called the girl’s name otherwise.
Lu Huaiyu nodded. “We ran into each other just now, and I was wondering who brought her here. I did not expect it to be you.”
He had thought of many possibilities but did not consider Yu Pingchuan at all.
After all, Yu Pingchuan was a national-level painter who was famous and reputable in his field, a respectable figure, to say the least. A lot of people wanted to lick his boots for a favor but were always denied. Who would have thought that the man would know Ning Li?
If Yu Pingchuan could bring Ning Li to the club, it would mean that the two of them were close as family.
Yu Pingchuan smiled. “That’s right. I have some free time today, so I thought of bringing her along.” His love for the girl was overflowing in between his lines.
Lu Huaiyu looked at the girl and chuckled. ‘This little girl knows someone this influential. That’s some connection…’
“Is she having a race with someone?” Yu Pingchuan asked. He had just gone away to answer a phone call, and a lot seemed to have happened.
Lu Huaiyu briefly explained the situation, “That girl is her classmate. They ran into each other, and she asked for tips about riding a horse.”
Gu Tinglan and Tang Ziqing heard what Lu Huaiyu said as they walked closer. Both of them were stunned for a moment.
Gu Tinglan was able to recover quickly, but Tang Ziqing had been stunned more than once today, and he had yet to recover from his astonishment. He really wanted to clap his hands out loud.
It was only a few words, but Lu Huaiyu had turned the situation around. If Cheng Xiangxiang heard what he said, the girl would erupt like a volcano.
‘This man is really…’
Yu Pingchuan nodded but was surprised. “Her eyes are quite sharp.”
The other men were surprised at his words. Judging from Yu Pingchuan’s tone, Ning Li should have outstanding riding skills. Even though it was already obvious, they were still quite surprised.
“Mr. Yu, you seem to be quite close with Ning Li. Why haven’t I heard you talk about her before?” Lu Huaiyu asked nonchalantly.
“I remember you were in Lincheng for quite some time, am I right?” Yu Pingchuan smiled.
“I have to give it to your memories,” the man admitted indirectly that he knew Ning Li back in Lincheng. Lu Huaiyu stopped asking any more questions after that.
“Hmm? Where did she get her helmet and knee guards?” Yu Pingchuan asked curiously when he spotted the extra protective gears on the girl.
Lu Huaiyu said, “They are mine.”
“You bought them?”
“No. They are my personal gear.”
Yu Pingchuan finally realized what Lu Huaiyu meant. A slight surprise later, he said, “I thought you bought them at the front.”
The club was huge, to begin with. There were racing tracks behind and a grand parlor at the front; there was also a shop specializing in horse-riding gear such as saddles, whips, and boots.
“Really? I’m not a regular here, so I’m not that familiar with all this,” Lu Huaiyu said nonchalantly.
Tang Ziqing reacted to his words in disbelief. ‘If you are not a regular here, why would we have a special rest room just for you?’
‘Why would you have custom-made gear? Are you so rich that you decided to spend money on things that you are going to throw away after one use?’
Yu Pingchuan found Lu Huaiyu’s words strange as well. Given his understanding of Lu Huaiyu, the man would never take the initiative to lend someone his belongings.
As though he sensed Yu Pingchuan’s doubts and suspicion, Lu Huaiyu explained, “It’s better to keep the girl safe.”
Yu Pingchuan nodded in realization.
Safety first, indeed.
Everything aside, Lu Huaiyu’s own protective gears were of good quality and they fit Ning Li nicely.
“Good, good protection.”
Lu Huaiyu smiled. “Mm-hmm, it’s what I should do.”
…
A while after the race started, Cheng Xiangxiang started to regret her choice. She realized that Ning Li’s skills were better than hers but not overpoweringly so.
After Ning Li seized a head start, Cheng Xiangxiang had to play catch up. She was able to shorten the distance but the track was huge and she still could not catch up or overtake Ning Li after half a lap.
Soon, the distance between the horses shortened to less than 5 meters.
Cheng Xiangxiang got excited. She accelerated and shouted at Ning Li, “Is that all you’ve got?”
Ning Li looked asquint at her. Cheng Xiangxiang did not know what her narrowed eyes meant, but it made her uncomfortable.
In the next moment, Ning Li shook her reins and her horse accelerated, so the distance between them widened again.
Cheng Xiangxiang was immensely frustrated—she was so close to overtaking Ning Li!
She tried to chase after Ning Li again. She could lose to anyone but Ning Li; she would not be able to sleep well otherwise.
In the spectators’ seat, Ye Cheng was also cheering excitedly, “Sister Xiangxiang, go, go! Overtake her!”
Cheng Xiangxiang’s years of experience allowed her to adjust her posture for another acceleration.
The distance between them shortened gradually.
She clenched her teeth. ‘I have to overtake her this time no matter what!’
However, right when she tried to overtake Ning Li from the outside track, Ning Li’s horse accelerated again.
This time, Ning Li was faster than before.
Cheng Xiangxiang was stunned. She soon realized that Ning Li had done it on purpose.
Ning Li intentionally slowed down and waited for Cheng Xiangxiang to catch up before she accelerated again to draw the distance. She repeated the taunt over and over again as if it was child’s play to her.
Cheng Xiangxiang was enraged when she realized she was being insulted. The angrier she was, the more she could not afford to lose!
She accelerated without saying anything.
However, Ning Li had the race under control. The result was in the bag before the race even started.
Ning Li purposely slowed down so that Cheng Xiangxiang could play catch up, or else the latter would never be able to get close to her.
Evidently, their skills were on both different levels.
Therefore, Cheng Xiangxiang was already panting heavily when she was just halfway through the lap. She was already fatigued. If it were just a normal sprint around the track, she would not have exhausted herself.
It was Ning Li’s taunting with her carefully controlled speed that infuriated Cheng Xiangxiang.
Cheng Xiangxiang messed up her breath after the first gibe, and she did not bother to adjust it anymore.
As the vicious cycle continued, it got worse for Cheng Xiangxiang. She was on the verge of giving up.
It was then that Ning Li slowed down and turned around to Cheng Xiangxiang for a mocking glance. “It seems like this is the best you can do.”
Her words destroyed Cheng Xiangxiang’s intention of giving up.
If she simply allowed Ning Li to insult her like this, she would not be able to face the girl in the future.
Right before she could say a word, Ning Li sprinted away. Clouds of dust were left behind in the wake of the horse’s gallops.
Mad with rage, Cheng Xiangxiang gave chase without a second thought.
This time around, Ning Li did not hold back anymore. Her explosive sprint widened the distance between the two horses.
Just when she was about to reach the finish line, she slowed down and pulled the reins. The horse stopped right in front of the finish line, so she was literally one step away from crossing it.
Then, she turned her horse around to face Cheng Xiangxiang while slightly lifting her chin and curving her lips into a grin.
She put her right hand out and beckoned Cheng Xiangxiang with her finger.
Chapter 80: Ning Li Likes It
Cheng Xiangxiang’s rage and grievance rose to its boiling point.
Although Ning Li could easily win the race, she refused to cross the finish line. She was one step away from the line, and yet she decided to turn around to taunt Cheng Xiangxiang.
This was even more insulting to Cheng Xiangxiang than Ning Li winning the race straightforwardly. Furious, she kicked the horse’s belly to vent her anger.
“That’s it!”
She wanted to get off the horse, but her kick was a little too strong for the horse. It lifted its front hooves angrily and tried to shake off its rider.
“Aaah!” Cheng Xiangxiang screamed in shock as her body fell backward. She was almost flung towards the ground.
The attendants beside the track were shocked and anxious as they screamed, “Hold on to the horse’s neck!”
Anxious as she was, Cheng Xiangxiang accidentally grabbed the horse’s mane.
The sudden tug on its mane put the horse in even more discomfort. It neighed sharply and struggled violently.
Cheng Xiangxiang buckled up and down, the violent movements almost rearranging her organs.
The attendants quickly came around and yanked at the reins. Several attendants were watching the track at all times, and once they noticed the horse trying to cause a scene, they jumped in right away.
After struggling for quite a bit, the horse finally calmed down.
One of the attendants helped Cheng Xiangxiang down.
She was exhausted. Her hair was messy as if she had just gone through the mill while her hands and inner thighs were severely chafed.
“Ms. Cheng, how are you feeling?”
Cheng Xiangxiang took a moment to catch her breath before she mustered enough strength to shake her head. She looked as pale as a sheet.
Appalled, her two friends ran over from the spectators’ seats.
“Xiangxiang, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Ye Cheng followed the girls into the track, but he was horrified and did not know what to say.
“It seems like your training hasn’t been teaching you the necessary skills,” Ning Li said nonchalantly
One of the girls cried out, “Ning Li, you are really mean!”
They noticed that Ning Li had been fooling around with Cheng Xiangxiang during the race.
Aside from putting Cheng Xiangxiang through all the insults and the scary experience, she even mocked the poor girl at the end, which was a little harsh.
Ning Li looked at the girl. “I didn’t propose to race, did I? Besides, she doesn’t understand her horse well and still treated it poorly and scared it. After she frightened the horse, she could not even protect herself from being flung off. I’m just telling the truth. How mean does that make me?”
The girl was silenced as she had no words to argue with.
When Ning Li stepped up, the two girls took a step back nervously.
Cheng Xiangxiang patted her chest repeatedly to catch her breath. It was then that she saw a pair of slender legs in front of her. Her heart almost stopped because she could clearly feel Ning Li’s gaze above her. It was brazen and somewhat intimidating.
“Here’s a piece of advice: know your place. I’m not that easygoing every time,” Ning Li said coldly. She was soft, but her tone was firm and there was an indescribable aura around her when she said that.
Cheng Xiangxiang’s lips moved. She wanted to argue, but all she could think of was Ning Li taunting her in front of the finish line.
Her rival’s gaze was cold and sharp. Cheng Xiangxiang had never experienced such a fearsome gaze before. It felt so sharp that it could penetrate her.
However, in the blink of an eye, the sharp gaze disappeared. It was replaced by a pair of charming and bright eyes. There were no signs of the sharp and intimidating gaze at all
…
Ning Li was not surprised to find Yu Pingchuan beside Lu Huaiyu and the others.
She greeted everyone.
Yu PIngchuan had a quick glance at Cheng Xiangxiang. It was obvious what had happened and who had started it. Fortunately, he did not have to interfere because Ning Li had solved it on her own.
He slightly lifted his chin and looked at the girl with anticipation. “How is it?”
Some thought later, Ning Li shook her head. “It’s okay, but it’s not the best. You can wait a little longer.”
Yu Pingchuan knew that Ning Li did not agree with him on buying this horse.
The man sighed heavily. “Well, okay then.
Tang Ziqing could not help but laugh at Yu Pingchuan’s sigh. “Mr. Yu, you brought Ning Li here today because you want her to help you make a decision which horse to buy?”
Before this, he thought that Yu Pingchuan had simply brought Ning Li here for sightseeing, but now, it seemed like the elderly valued her opinion.
“Yeah. If that’s the case, I guess that’s it for now.” Yu Pingchuan did not try to hide his brazen affection and trust for Ning Li.
Tang Ziqing said, “Mr. Yu, are you sure you don’t want it? That horse is a very valuable breed. If you don’t want it, we might not be able to find a better one in the foreseeable future.”
Yu Pingchuan was slightly moved, but after another quick glance at Ning Li, he ultimately clenched his teeth and shook his head. “I don’t want it!”
Tang Ziqing smiled. “How unfortunate.”
He did not expect the young Ning Li to have such insights for a horse. She did not even like the horse that she had ridden just now. If he had not witnessed the race earlier, Tang Ziqing might have thought that the girl was simply choosing a horse that looked pretty.
Now, he thought otherwise. Ning Li obviously knew a lot about horses.
“If that’s the case, what I have currently might not be up to your expectations, Mr. Yu, Ms. Ning.
“That’s actually wrong,” Ning Li said, “We had our eyes on one of the horses back at the stables, but too bad it already has an owner.”
Tang Ziqing immediately knew which horse Ning Li was talking about. “Are you talking about the Akhal-Teke?”
Ning Li nodded.
The attendant told her and Yu Pingchuan that the horse was reserved for the club owner, hence no one would have the chance to take it.
Tang Ziqing immediately knew what happened. He did not know whether to laugh or to cry. “Ms. Ning, the horse that you like belongs to Master Gu.”
Gu Tinglan?
Ning Li and Yu Pingchuan looked at the man in surprise.
“I thought it was your horse, Mr. Tang…”
“He actually had his eyes on the horse some time ago and spent quite a fortune to bring it from another country back to our motherland. I’m just fostering the horse for a while.
Meeting his horse was one of the reasons why Gu Tinglan came to the club. He did not expect Ning Li to like his choice.
Gu Tinglan eased his furrowed brows. “I was planning to send the horse to Gangcheng, but if you like it, Mr. Yu, I can give it up.”
Yu Pingchuan was slightly moved when he heard that, but he quickly wrung his hands. “No, no, a gentleman should not steal another’s choice.
Gu Tinglang chuckled elegantly. “Well, Ning Li likes the horse as well.”
The atmosphere turned quiet again.
Tang Ziqing noticed the unusual silence and he looked at Ning Li. ‘What is Gu Tinglan trying to do? Why did it make it sound like he was close to Ning Li?’
Lu Huaiyu slightly opened his eyes and stared at Gu Tinglan.
Gu Tinglan turned a blind eye at the man and continued to stare at Ning Li, asking, “So, what do you think, Ning Li?”
Chapter 81: Am I Not Kind To You?
Ning Li did not want to answer the question. In fact, she wanted to run away if she could.
She did not expect Gu Tinglan’s unexpected question, and it made the atmosphere thick with tension and awkwardness.
A slight pause later, she said, “Thank you, Master Gu, but no thanks.”
The horse itself was expensive and was not something one could give away like candy. Moreover, Gu Tinglan had gone through a lot to get the horse from another country.
Gu Tinglan found it unfortunate that Ning Li and Yu Pingchuan rejected his present firmly. “Okay, then. But if you have the time, do visit us in Gangcheng, Mr. Yu. You can watch it race, and I’ll be sure to accompany you the whole trip with utmost hospitality..”
Gu Tinglan might have grown up abroad, but the Gus owned a lot of properties in Gangcheng. As a result, in the entire Gangcheng, the man was as good and influential as a local.
Ning Li considered the offer seriously.
However, Lu Huaiyu said, “I remember that the race in Gangcheng is held in March every year. Lili is in her third year of high school this year, so I don’t think she will be able to make it to the race next March.”
Gu Tinglan did not seem to mind Lu Huaiyu’s rejection. “There’s one more race in August. She can visit us then.”
Lu Huaiyu went silent.
Tang Ziqing held his breath nervously, itching to leave right away.
If he had known that Gu Tinglan called Lu Huaiyu out today just to tell the man all those strange things, he would never have agreed to accompany him.
Abruptly, Ning Li broke the awkward silence. “Thank you for your invitation, Master Gu. If we have the time, we’ll be sure to visit.”
She had to show some respect for the kind invitation, after all.
Lu Huaiyu frowned slightly.
Gu Tinglan nodded with a smile. “It’s a deal.’
…
Su Yuan waited for Ye Cheng in the parlor, but the boy had been gone for a long time. Her patience was wearing thin. She thought that the boy was being mischievous and wanted to skip equestrian class.
After some consideration, she decided to go and look for him.
The moment she walked out of the parlor, she saw a few people heading towards her.
It was Cheng Xiangxiang and her friends. Ye Cheng was also there, but the boy looked dispirited like a deflated basketball. The excitement and joy he showed earlier were gone.
Su Yuan wanted to ask the reason why, but she soon noticed that Cheng Xiangxiang was not in the mood as well.
Worried, she walked over, and the two girls told her what had happened earlier.
“Ning Li is here as well?” Su Yuan was astonished. “What’s she doing here?”
Ye Cheng pouted. “I don’t know, but even that Lu dude is here.”
Su Yuan knew that she was referring to Lu Huaiyu. It was not surprising to see Lu Huaiyu in the club, but why would he bring Ning Li along?
Moreover,…
“She knows how to ride a horse, and even defeated Xiangxiang in a race?”
It sounded even more outrageous.
Everyone knew Ning Li’s background before she came to the Ye family, so where and when did she learn how to ride a horse?
…
“Are you talking about her riding skills?”
“I have a friend who runs a horse club at Lincheng, and Lili would visit from time to time. Gradually, she learned how to ride and mastered the techniques,” Yu Pingchuan explained as he paced.
He walked into the parlor with Lu Huaiyu, and the two of them sat down opposite each other.
Tang Ziqing had gone off to handle some private matters whereas Gu Tinglan was checking on his horse. In the meantime, Ning Li went to the bar to get a drink.
As Lu Huaiyu took a glance at the bar, Yu Pingchuan decided to answer honestly since his companion was curious.
“I see. She’s a smart girl.”
Yu Pingchuan was happy to hear praises being sung about Ning Li. “Isn’t she?! She learns very quickly!”
Lu Huaiyu was in deep thought. A moment later, he marched to the bar as well.
Ning Li was waiting for Lu Huaiyu’s coffee when she heard footsteps behind her. She spun around.
Lu Huaiyu said, “I didn’t know you were this close to Mr. Yu.”
“Mm-hmm. Mr. Yu is very kind to me.”
Ning Li did not want to delve into the topic, but since she ran into Lu Huaiyu here, there was no reason for her to hide it anymore.
The attendant then brought the cup of coffee over.
“Sir, your coffee.”
Ning Li ordered a glass of lemon water. She also told the attendant to serve Yu Pingchuan a glass of water.
While the aromatic fragrance of the coffee permeated the air, Lu Huaiyu took a sip and asked nonchalantly, “So, are you saying I am unkind to you?”
Ning Li was speechless.
He then quickly shifted the topic.
“Did you know Gu Tinglan before this?”
Ning Li simply shook her head. “No. The first time I saw him was at Old Master Cheng’s birthday dinner.”
Lu Huaiyu rubbed the edge of the coffee cup softly with his finger. “So, he’s like a stranger to you, right?”
Ning Li took a sip of her lemon water to calm herself down.
The man had always sounded laidback with a hint of arrogance, but his words were not to be disputed.
He then said, “If someone you are not familiar with wanted to invite you to some event, you can always say no if you don’t want to go.”
Ning Li knew what he was trying to imply. From an outsider’s point of view, she had only met Gu Tinglan a few times and they were by no means close.
Lu Huaiyu seemed to think that she only accepted the offer because she was too shy to reject it.
Ning Li shook her head. “No, I actually wanted to go.”
Lu Huaiyu turned to her and propped his elbow on the counter.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I think he’s quite a nice guy.”
Lu Huaiyu took a sip of coffee. His nonchalant look remained as he answered, “Is that so.”
…
Gu Tinglan let out a sneeze in the middle of checking on his horse at the stables.
Annoyed, he sniffed and scratched his nose. Someone must be gossiping about him behind his back.
“Are you hiding here because you don’t want to go back?”
Tang Ziqing came down to the stables after settling his own business. He scoffed and mocked Gu Tinglan when he found the man there, “Why must you step on the tiger’s tail? Are you trying to make him mad?”
Tang Ziqing finally experienced Lu Huaiyu’s overprotection first-hand and found it astounding.
Nevertheless, Gu Tinglan had basically asked for it when he tried to reach out to Lu Huaiyu’s ‘food’.
Gu Tinglan smiled. He had done it because, first of all, he wanted to find out more about Lu Huaiyu’s condition.
Second of all,…
“No, I actually thought Ning Li and I clicked quite well back there.”
…
Ning Li stole a glance at Lu Huaiyu. She actually had limited meetings with Gu Tinglan, even in her past life, but she trusted the man with her heart because he had saved Lu Huaiyu’s life before.