Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Xu Jingxuan's Bad Intentions Chu Tang and Jiang Shixu returned after running two laps. Chen Yuanyuan, Qin Yan, and Zhou Xueluo were nowhere to be seen. They must have gone horseback riding. Only Xu Jingxuan remained where they had been. Seeing them return, Xu Jingxuan approached with a sweet smile. "Wow, Sister Ruan, you looked so cool riding that horse! Could I learn to ride from you?" Chu Tang was taken aback. Hadn't she just been acting coy, saying she only wanted her brother to teach her? Chu Tang replied, "There are riding instructors over there. Let me go call one over to teach you." Xu Jingxuan pouted, her tone carrying a hint of coaxing. "But instructors put pressure on me, and I don't know them. I'm afraid of being scolded. You're so nice, Sister Ruan—you definitely wouldn't scold me, right?" Chu Tang wasn't used to people she didn't know well acting coy with her. She turned to look at Jiang Shixu. Wanting to hear what he had to say. Jiang Shixu happened to turn to look at her at the same time, asking for her opinion: "Tangtang, are you willing to teach her?" He tossed the question right back to her. Chu Tang thought for a moment. After all, Xu Jingxuan was Jiang Shixu's sister. She would also be her future sister-in-law. Although Xu Jingxuan's attitude had been poor at their first meeting. But that wasn't a big deal—she had apologized afterward. Now Xu Jingxuan was being fairly friendly toward her. Chu Tang was kind by nature, and she generally didn't assume ill intent in other girls. She felt that Xu Jingxuan wouldn't harbor any bad intentions toward her, and after some thought, she didn't refuse. "Alright." Chu Tang looked at Xu Jingxuan. "I can teach you some basics today, let you get a feel for riding and have some fun. In a few days, have your brother sign you up for a proper riding course to learn systematically." "Really?" Xu Jingxuan said with a beaming smile. "Then I'll trouble you, Sister Ruan." She kept calling her "Sister Ruan" so sweetly. Chu Tang couldn't help but think, a little embarrassed—had she been overthinking things before? Xu Jingxuan didn't seem to harbor any ill will toward her. Chu Tang smiled politely and said, "You're welcome." Xu Jingxuan looked at the woman before her. Ruan Chutang, her sister-in-law. She should be calling her "sister-in-law." But those two words—Xu Jingxuan simply couldn't bring herself to say them. Deep down, she didn't want to acknowledge at all that Ruan Chutang would one day be her sister-in-law. She couldn't accept Jiang Shixu being with another woman. Jiang Shixu said gently, "Thank you for your trouble, Tangtang." When he turned to Xu Jingxuan, the tenderness in his eyes faded, reverting to his usual cold demeanor. Jiang Shixu spoke to Xu Jingxuan in the tone of an elder brother: "Learn well from Tangtang. Listen to her, do whatever she tells you, and be careful." "I know, brother." Xu Jingxuan smiled with her eyes curved into crescents, looking obedient and well-behaved. "Come with me." Chu Tang turned, leading her horse. Xu Jingxuan followed. "Come, let's get you on the horse first." Chu Tang said patiently to Xu Jingxuan. "Mount from the left side. Put your left foot in the stirrup, swing your right leg over the horse's back, and sit down." Chu Tang helped steady Xu Jingxuan as she mounted. "Careful." Though Xu Jingxuan wasn't wearing riding attire, her sportswear today was suitable for riding. After Xu Jingxuan was seated on the horse, Chu Tang led the horse slowly from below. The little white horse, led by its owner, was very gentle and walked at a slow pace. "Are you comfortable?" Chu Tang looked up at Xu Jingxuan and asked. With her back to Jiang Shixu, Xu Jingxuan no longer felt the need to pretend to be well-behaved. The smile had vanished from her face, her eyes cold and indifferent as she replied flatly, "Mm, it's fine." Chu Tang didn't pay much attention to the shift in Xu Jingxuan's attitude. They weren't familiar with each other anyway, and this kind of demeanor felt more comfortable than forced closeness. Chu Tang began explaining the basics: "For beginners, posture is very important. Once you're on the horse, sit upright in the saddle." "Try holding the reins." Chu Tang released the reins from her hands, letting Xu Jingxuan hold them. "Now, to make the horse move forward, be careful not to pull the reins too hard. Don't pull backward. Release the tension on the reins and reduce the pressure on the horse—then it will walk forward at a slow pace." Xu Jingxuan did as Ruan Chutang said, simply holding the reins without pulling back. Xuebao walked forward slowly, very obediently. Chu Tang said warmly, "Her name is Xuebao. She's very well-behaved. You don't need to be afraid of her." "Is that so?" Xu Jingxuan's voice carried no warmth, and her words were slightly odd. Chu Tang replied, "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, nothing will go wrong." Xu Jingxuan curled her lips and said with an unreadable expression, "Well then, thank you very much." Chu Tang continued explaining: "If you want the horse to speed up, try gently squeezing the horse's side with your lower legs to give it some pressure. This is called leg pressure. When the horse receives your signal, it knows to accelerate." "Generally speaking, the greater the leg pressure, the faster the horse runs." "When the horse starts moving faster, you should release the leg pressure promptly." After Chu Tang finished speaking, she thoughtfully asked Xu Jingxuan, "Can you understand?" Xu Jingxuan replied, "Yes." As they spoke, the two had already drifted further and further from their original spot. Xu Jingxuan glanced back and could no longer see Jiang Shixu. Chu Tang continued explaining the basics of horseback riding. But Xu Jingxuan was distracted. In her right hand gripping the reins, she clutched a brooch. This was something she had deliberately removed and hidden in her palm just moments ago. Chu Tang, completely unaware, asked her, "We've been walking for a while now—how do you feel? Isn't riding a horse pretty exhilarating?" Xu Jingxuan answered perfunctorily, "Mm, it's pretty great." "What a beautiful day today." Chu Tang gazed at the sunset on the horizon and sighed with emotion. It was now early evening, the setting sun infinitely lovely, brilliant clouds painting the sky, and a gentle breeze sweeping across the meadow. Chu Tang strolled leisurely, admiring the enchanting scenery. After walking for a stretch, Chu Tang said, "That should be about enough, right? Let's head back." Xu Jingxuan smiled meaningfully. Chu Tang was somewhat puzzled. That was when the accident happened. The little white horse suddenly bolted forward as if possessed, galloping wildly. Xu Jingxuan gripped the reins, screaming in panic on the horse's back. "Ah—help! Help!" Ruan Chutang stared at the scene before her, completely stunned. What was going on? How could gentle Xuebao suddenly lose control? It all happened so abruptly—within just a few seconds—that Chu Tang had no time to grab the horse's reins. Her mind went blank for a brief moment. Once she snapped back to reality, she called the equestrian center's emergency rescue line. After being carried a distance by the horse, Xu Jingxuan was thrown onto the grass and rolled far away. The horse continued running wildly out of control. The emergency rescue team arrived quickly and lifted Xu Jingxuan onto a stretcher. Jiang Shixu and the others hurried over behind the rescue team to check on the situation. Seeing Xu Jingxuan injured, Jiang Shixu furrowed his brow and cast a grave look at Chu Tang. Chu Tang stared back at him blankly, her eyes filled with confusion.