Jian Ran gripped the reins steadily, her legs gently squeezing the horse's belly, her body rising and falling lightly with the horse's gallop. Her expression was confident, bright, and bold.
Chu Lulin followed closely behind. The young man rode with ease, his gaze fixed on the figure ahead.
The horse ranch was quite large. After one lap, they were neck and neck, sometimes close, sometimes pulling apart, but in the end, Jian Ran's horse reached the finish line first.
"I won!" Jian Ran turned her horse around and lifted her chin triumphantly.
Chu Lulin reined in his horse, circled once, and stopped beside Jian Ran, admitting defeat generously. "Big Sister is amazing. I concede."
Jian Ran thought, not bad—he could take a loss gracefully. She reluctantly humbled herself. "You're not bad either."
Just a little worse than her.
Chu Lulin smiled. "I'm far worse than Big Sister. I still have a lot to learn from you."
The flattery worked on Jian Ran. She raised the reins. "Not satisfied yet. Want to go another round?"
"Sure."
Two people and two horses galloped across the grassy ranch, riding side by side, unknowingly becoming a beautiful sight on the field.
They say the dopamine released by exercise is second only to love. After galloping freely on the ranch for a few rounds, Jian Ran felt refreshed.
'Life lies in movement'—that saying had some truth.
The horses were tired too. They got off and tied the horses to a wooden post nearby.
"Big Sister, what would you like to drink? I'll get some water."
"Just mineral water is fine."
"Okay."
Chu Lulin went to the rest area of the ranch, grabbed some water, and ran into the owner on his way out.
The owner raised his hand and snapped his fingers meaningfully. "Young man, not bad."
Chu Lulin looked at him, puzzled.
The owner pointed toward the riding area. "You were holding back just now, weren't you?"
Others might not notice, but the owner was a professional. Chu Lulin had clearly been hiding his skill on the track. His equestrian skill was definitely above Jian Ran's.
Chu Lulin curled his lips, neither denying nor explaining further. He just said softly, "Please keep it a secret."
The owner immediately mimed zipping his lips and chuckled. "Don't worry, don't worry. I've been through it too. I know when to keep my mouth shut. I understand, I understand."
Chu Lulin nodded slightly in thanks.
The owner didn't want to let him go easily now that he'd found someone who understood his craft. He pulled Chu Lulin into a long chat, but Chu Lulin spoke little—the owner did most of the talking. Since he had a favor to ask, Chu Lulin couldn't interrupt and had to patiently listen. But his gaze would occasionally drift toward Jian Ran.
Suddenly, Chu Lulin's brow furrowed. He turned to the owner and said, "Sorry, something urgent just came up. Excuse me."
Then he turned and hurried away.
The owner looked confused. They were having a nice chat—why the sudden departure? But when he followed Chu Lulin's direction and saw a strange man holding up his phone, talking to Jian Ran, he understood. He shook his head with a smile and couldn't help sighing. Youth was truly wonderful.
*
Meanwhile, with Jian Ran:
After Chu Lulin left, she wanted to find a comfortable spot to sit and rest. A man dressed in ranch riding attire walked over. At first, she thought he was a staff member, but after a few exchanges, she realized he wasn't.
"Hello," the man smiled and nodded, pointing not far away. "My friends and I are playing a game, and we're short a partner. I saw you alone and wondered if you'd like to join us?"
Jian Ran looked in the direction he pointed. Indeed, there were a few men and women on the lawn. When they saw her looking, they waved. She didn't think much of it. Besides equestrian experiences and competitions, ranches often had fun group activities. It was common.
"No, thanks. Please ask someone else," Jian Ran politely declined.
A flicker of disappointment crossed the man's face, but he didn't insist. "Then could I add you on WeChat?"
Jian Ran was taken aback.
The man smiled, looking natural. "Maybe we can hang out sometime."
Jian Ran wasn't stupid. At this point, she clearly saw he was hitting on her. Just as she was thinking about how to politely refuse his friend request, a familiar minty fragrance came from beside her. She turned to see Chu Lulin back.
He unscrewed a bottle of water and naturally handed it to her. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Have some water."
The man was visibly startled when he saw Chu Lulin. He slowly lowered his hand holding the phone and swiped the screen a couple of times.
Jian Ran gave a soft 'mm' and took the mineral water from Chu Lulin. But she didn't drink right away. She looked at the man, since ignoring him would be rude.
Before Jian Ran could say anything, the man spoke first. He glanced at Chu Lulin, seemingly unwilling to give up. "And this is?"
Chu Lulin nodded slightly. "Hello, I'm Chu Lulin."
The man was stunned. Clearly, he wanted to know not the name but the relationship with Jian Ran. "Hello." He looked between them. "Are you two..."
"Wait a moment," Chu Lulin suddenly interrupted, for some reason. He stepped sideways, positioning himself between the man and Jian Ran.
The sudden closeness confused Jian Ran. Chu Lulin looked down at her, their eyes meeting. He raised a hand and gently brushed her head, then showed her his palm. "Grass clippings."
Jian Ran subconsciously touched her head. Such a big bit of grass—when had it gotten there? "Any more?"
Chu Lulin shook his head with a smile. "All gone."
Jian Ran said 'Oh.'