Chapter 484 - 483: First Time Riding a Horse

Truth be told, aside from seeing horses from a distance, Yun Zijin had never actually touched a real one.

Lu Yunque wasn’t in a hurry to go riding himself, staying by Yun Zijin’s side so he could offer her some suggestions when it was time to choose a horse.

The riding club manager soon led the two of them to the stables, where rows upon rows of horses in every color imaginable left Yun Zijin dazzled.

"The horses over here are quite spirited, so I wouldn’t recommend Miss Yun choose one of them.

The ones on this side are much gentler, but those two inside have been reserved long-term. You can pick any of the horses from here to this point."

Yun Zijin looked around and her eyes finally landed on a reddish-brown steed. It had a white blaze on the bridge of its nose that made it look exceptionally noble.

"This one. It’s beautiful."

As if it understood what Yun Zijin said, the reddish-brown horse neighed at her twice. You could tell from the sound that it was quite happy.

"You’ve made your choice?"

Yun Zijin nodded. "This is the one."

"Alright. Why don’t you give it a little snack? A staff member will lead the horse out for you in a moment."

There were snacks available next to the stables, but you had to pay for them. A single carrot could cost twenty or thirty dollars.

However, since Lu Yunque was the owner and Yun Zijin was his guest, they naturally didn’t have to pay.

Yun Zijin fed a few snacks to the horse she had chosen, but the riding club manager came over to stop her.

It wasn’t good to feed it too much, since the horse would be exercising soon.

Exercising on a full stomach could give it cramps, which would pose a safety risk to Yun Zijin.

Lu Yunque kept his own horse at the riding club, so after Yun Zijin made her choice, he had someone lead his out as well.

But before they could ride, they needed to change into riding attire. Lu Yunque took Yun Zijin to pick out a new set.

When Yun Zijin came out in her riding attire, Lu Yunque’s eyes lit up. "Beautiful."

Yun Zijin usually projected the image of a sweet, gentle girl, but the riding attire added a touch of dashing valor to her presence.

It was a completely different side of Yun Zijin, and Lu Yunque couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Yun Zijin smiled faintly. "It’s my first time wearing something like this. I was afraid you’d think it looked strange."

In any case, Yun Zijin felt so awkward she could barely walk properly.

"Not at all. It looks great. Come on, I’ll lead you around for a few laps first."

Lu Yunque took Yun Zijin’s hand, leading her out of the changing room and back onto the riding grounds.

A staff member held Lu Yunque’s horse while he, in turn, attended to Yun Zijin. After helping her mount her horse, he personally took hold of the reins.

Yun Zijin was a little apprehensive at first, but looking down and seeing Lu Yunque gave her an inexplicable sense of security.

If a staff member had been holding the reins instead, Yun Zijin probably would have needed much more time to relax.

"Do you want to try holding the reins yourself?"

Seeing that Yun Zijin was adapting well, Lu Yunque decided to let her try riding on her own. Having someone else hold the reins meant she wasn’t really in control. No matter how relaxed she became, she wouldn’t truly have learned to ride.

Yun Zijin was eager to try, but at the same time, she was also a little afraid.

"I don’t dare..."

Yun Zijin looked at Lu Yunque, her voice unconsciously taking on a cajoling tone. It was so adorable that Lu Yunque nearly had a nosebleed.

"I’ll teach you."

As soon as the words left his lips, Lu Yunque stepped into the stirrup and swung himself onto the horse, settling in behind Yun Zijin.

As he took the reins, Yun Zijin found herself naturally encircled in his arms.

"Watch my hands. Pulling the reins this way means turn left, and this way means turn right..."

Lu Yunque explained to Yun Zijin how to use the reins. Nearby, the club manager, Ren Yao, held Lu Yunque’s other horse and watched the scene, overwhelmed with emotion.

’If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it.’

’Lu Yunque, patiently teaching someone to ride a horse? Who would even believe that?’

’Then again,’ Ren Yao thought, recalling Yun Zijin’s appearance, ’it makes sense that Lu Yunque would be so completely smitten.’

’Heroes have always had a weakness for beautiful women, and even the ice-cold Mr. Lu is no exception.’

’His past disinterest in women was simply because he hadn’t yet met the one to capture his heart.’

’Just look at him now. When it comes to love, even Lu Yunque is just like any other guy, completely defenseless against the girl he likes.’

"Did you get it?"

’My brain says I get it, but my hands might have other ideas,’ Yun Zijin thought.

"I’ll try. But... don’t get off."

Yun Zijin took the reins from Lu Yunque, her palms already sweating with nerves.

"Don’t be afraid. Just have fun with it. I’ve got you."

Lu Yunque’s hand rested on Yun Zijin’s waist. Seeing her hesitate to use the reins, he quickly encouraged her.

Yun Zijin first squeezed with her legs to get the horse to walk forward. Then, slowly recalling Lu Yunque’s instructions, she began to control the horse, guiding it left, then right. "AH!"

She accidentally gave the horse some unknown command, and it suddenly broke into a run, making her cry out in alarm.

Lu Yunque quickly tightened his hold on Yun Zijin’s waist and pulled back sharply on the reins. "Whoa!"

The horse finally stopped, and Yun Zijin patted her chest. Her heart had nearly leaped out.

"That scared me to death! I don’t even know what made it start running."

’Riding a horse alone is definitely not for me,’ Yun Zijin thought. ’I need someone behind me, acting as my guardian.’

It seemed she wasn’t going to master horse riding anytime soon.

"It’s okay, it’s okay. You probably just squeezed its belly too hard. The horse misunderstood, it’s not your fault."

Lu Yunque was still trying to comfort Yun Zijin, but she felt it would have been better if he hadn’t said anything at all.

"You’re really good at making excuses for me."

A horse only knows so many commands. If she hadn’t given the signal improperly and made the horse misunderstand, it wouldn’t have suddenly bolted.

Yun Zijin was well aware of her own limitations.

Lu Yunque rubbed his nose. ’Well, I was just afraid she’d fixate on it being her fault, lose her nerve, and never want to ride again.’

"So... still want to ride?"

"You go ahead. I’m going to rest on the side for a bit."

Lu Yunque hadn’t gotten to ride at all today, having spent all his time teaching her.

"Then I’ll go? You just sit here, don’t wander off."

Although this was a riding club he co-owned with three others, the people who came here every day were a motley crew, and he couldn’t guarantee that everyone in Dijing had seen Yun Zijin and knew she was his girlfriend.

"Okay, I know."

Lu Yunque’s worry was actually a bit unnecessary. Anyone who wanted to cause trouble for Yun Zijin would have to get through Zero One and his men first.

Lu Yunque walked toward his horse, and Yun Zijin sat down in a chair at the edge of the riding grounds.

Ren Yao had been holding the horse for Lu Yunque, but now that Lu Yunque was going to ride, Ren Yao hurried over to Yun Zijin’s side.

"Miss Yun, the club also offers a selection of juices and drinks. Please let me know what you’d like, and I’ll have it brought right over."

Ren Yao produced a menu from somewhere, listing a wide variety of snacks and beverages.

It was a selection of light refreshments, much like an afternoon tea menu.

"I’ll have the mango juice."

Yun Zijin glanced at the menu and chose the mango juice.