Chapter 197 – Unconvinced? Suffer in Silence (6)
Jiang Pengji leaped down from the horse, and the Great White Horse, understanding her well, affectionately nuzzled her cheek before trotting off to munch on some grass.
“I wonder when I can eat pears…”
Looking at the pear trees by the banks of the Han River, Jiang Pengji took a deep breath, the fresh scent of pears filling her nose.
At this moment, there was no one hosting an Elegant Gathering by the riverbanks, so no one was in sight, except for the incessantly swaying behinds of horses.
Jiang Pengji walked straight to the bank, kicked off her wooden clogs, and took off her socks, plunging her feet directly into the water with a sigh.
The icy sensation spread from her toes to her entire body as she leaned back against the riverbank stones, gazing up at the sky.
【Mister Loves Lolis】: Silently lurking, but the anchor’s feet have brought me out!
【Old Driver Alliance】: I guess this is today’s treat; foot lovers are in for a treat.
Liu Xi, being pampered from a young age, had delicate skin that showed signs of irritation from riding, shooting, or running. Now, her soles had developed a few red blisters, and they felt fiery against the cool river water, a mixture of comfort and slight shivering.
“It seems I need to practice more… It’s not good to keep getting blisters like this…”
Jiang Pengji playfully dipped her toes to create ripples, waiting until the blisters weren’t so painfully hot before she prepared to pull her feet out.
Just as she was about to withdraw them, she noticed a tall young man standing not far away, dressed in a lake-blue scholar’s robe. He looked to be around eighteen or nineteen, with flawless porcelain-like skin, bright eyes, and a red mouth with a charming smile.
It was a face that easily elicited fondness, seemingly smiling at everyone.
However, the young man had his lips pressed tightly together, slightly displaying a hint of anger.
The comment section exploded with fans gushing over his looks, and the barrage of lovey-dovey comments flooded in.
【Durian Milk】: I can’t take it anymore! What a beautiful boy! Ahh—though I know ancient times were brutal and dangerous, seeing this boy for a moment makes all the hardships disappear—looks come first!
【Nose-Picker Eating Rice】: Unfair! Why are all ancient people so good-looking? Aren’t they supposed to be ugly?
【The Anchor Is My True Love】: Though the anchor is my one and only, seeing this young man makes me want to cheat!
These comments nearly covered Jiang Pengji’s entire view, forcing her to block some of them out.
Looking around to ensure there was no one else but her, she realized the young man must be upset with her?
His porcelain-like cheeks seemed to flush with anger as his accusing gaze fell on her, as if she had committed some outraging crime.
Wait!
What wrong did she commit? Other than soaking her feet, she had been tending to the twenty-some horses, right?
Could it be that the horses she had set loose went and caused him trouble?
Just then, a comment sparked her curiosity.
【Aize Huohuo】: Haha, by the way, anchor, that handsome young man isn’t trying to drink from downstream, is he? He looks pretty angry.
Jiang Pengji: “…”
She looked down at her feet still soaked in water and then up at the almost flushed face of the young man, speechless.
Is it her fault?
Calmly putting on her socks and slipping back into her clogs, Jiang Pengji gave a whistle, and the Great White Horse came trotting over.
Trailing behind were twenty-seven horses of various colors, all well-proportioned and strong.
Clearly, the Great White Horse had become the leader of the herd, requiring no effort from Jiang Pengji to drive them.
Jiang Pengji murmured, “In this age, even horses are becoming smart.”
As she mounted her horse, she gave a fleeting glance at the still-standing young man and gently pulled the reins, signaling for the Great White Horse to approach.
From her perch, she clasped her hands together in a polite greeting, “May I ask how to address you, young sir?”
The young man was quite tall, but still shorter than the Great White Horse.
When the Great White Horse lowered its head to greet him with a snort, he quickly stepped back, a hint of panic on his face.
Seeing this, Jiang Pengji lightly patted the horse’s neck, signaling the Young Girl not to tease him intentionally, “Judging by your attire, you don’t seem to be from around here.”
The young man steadied himself and gazed conflictedly at her.
After a moment, he clasped his hands and replied, “I am from Langya; you can call me Han Yu.”
Han Yu?
What about his courtesy name?
Jiang Pengji instinctively thought of that question; naming conventions in ancient times were indeed frustrating.
But then she remembered that only close friends or elders called each other by their courtesy names. She quickly adjusted her expression and asked, “I am Liu Xi, a local from Hejian. I noticed you staring at me; do you… have any grievances?”
As soon as she asked, the young man’s expression darkened a touch, and Jiang Pengji couldn’t help but chuckle inside while the livestream viewers criticized her for being ruthless.
Han Yu was momentarily caught off guard by her straightforward question but couldn’t possibly admit that he had been trying to quench his thirst with water from downstream, could he?
Realizing this, his face paled even further. After all, his water pouch was empty, and there was still a way to go to the city, so he had to resort to drinking from the river. He had no idea someone would be soaking their feet upstream… At least, he was glad it wasn’t something worse?
Han Yu instinctively lowered his gaze to Jiang Pengji’s feet still dipped in water, feeling a faint churn in his stomach, not feeling so great.
Jiang Pengji added, “I was rude earlier; after a long journey, my feet were sore, so I soaked them for a bit. Seeing you staring at me, I thought it was my horses that bothered you… They didn’t trouble you, did they?”
Hearing that, Han Yu’s pale complexion improved significantly, the color returning to his porcelain cheeks.
“Those horses didn’t play tricks on me… They… are all war horses?”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the “horses” Jiang Pengji mentioned, seemingly noticing something as his pupils slightly contracted.
“Whether they are war horses, I can’t say, but they are definitely good horses,” Jiang Pengji smiled as she patted the Great White Horse’s mane, which affectionately rubbed against her palm, occasionally licking her hand, “I took Great White out for a couple of laps, let it roam free for food, and was surprised when it returned with so many horses; I too was amazed…”
Han Yu listened, his fascination evident as his gaze sparkled at the Great White Horse, “This horse has a well-proportioned body, strong legs, sparkling eyes, and a fierce spirit that ordinary horses lack… Is it a fine horse from the Northern Border?”
“Probably, my father sent it specially. I heard it was handpicked from the royal stables in the Northern Border,” Jiang Pengji replied, “I know little about horses, but Great White indeed has a lot of spirit; it seems to understand my words and is closest to me in the entire estate.”
Jiang Pengji felt she was being a bit shameless saying that.
The Great White Horse seemed to be annoyed by this too. If it weren’t for her spiritual intimidation, it might not have even cared.
