Good Ending: She Swears She Will Not Let Him Die!

Chapter 180: Chapter 179: Distracted

Sending a horse to the Du Mansion?

Upon hearing this, Du Yunluo paused, looked at Mu Lianxiao who was walking ahead, and then at the docile horse he was holding.

When he noticed Du Yunluo stop, Mu Lianxiao turned back around.

Their eyes met, and Mu Lianxiao’s gaze was deep and unreadable. He raised a hand to pat the horse on its back, speaking in a measured tone, "After all, it’s a horse from the palace."

Du Yunluo understood.

She had been practicing riding with this horse for the past few days, and when going to the hunting ground, she was to take it along.

However, while palace horses appeared reliable, they could be quite unpredictable.

Du Yunluo was not skilled in riding, and if Princess Yunhua did something, should an incident occur, regrets would be pointless.

Horses reared by one’s own family brought some assurance in such matters.

Du Yunluo realized that Mu Lianxiao was considering her safety. Although he didn’t understand the subtle ways her girls’ thoughts wound about, he wasn’t naive. A person favored by the Holy Emperor, closely allied with many royal family members, and capable of leading troops into battle, could hardly be without some insight.

Thinking of this, Du Yunluo’s heart felt a hint of bitterness.

In the past, he hadn’t escaped the schemes of his second family not because Mu Lianxiao wasn’t smart or cautious, but because his loyalty and deep emotions had blinded him. He never expected to be betrayed by those closest to him.

Du Yunluo sighed quietly; no one wishes to project malice onto their own kin—this is human nature.

Just as if someone were to tell her now that her uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters were eyeing her life fiercely, she surely wouldn’t want to accept or believe it.

But, in this life, she must face it. There will come a day when Mu Lianxiao has to face it too.

Though painful, Du Yunluo believes that Mu Lianxiao will know what to do.

Du Yunluo gently curved her lips and said with a soft smile, "Then pick a gentle and obedient one."

As they walked back to the horse arena, the competition was still ongoing, amidst the thick clouds of dust, Li Ke’s fluid skill in passing and scoring the ball was both elegant and deft, followed by a triumphant laugh.

Du Yunluo glanced twice, then asked Mu Lianxiao in a lowered voice, "The Crown Prince is very good at polo?"

While she asked, there was no amazement in her tone, rather, a hint of speculation and teasing.

Mu Lianxiao couldn’t help but laugh. He understood what Du Yunluo meant, and after some thought, he answered lowly, "The Crown Prince plays well, after all, he is the Crown Prince."

Du Yunluo’s eyes twinkled as she chuckled.

She considered that the Crown Prince’s skill wouldn’t be so outstanding as to control the game single-handedly and outclass opponents, but he was the Crown Prince, and even the upright and brave people from the Central Army Commander’s Mansion had to temper their actions when necessary.

The horse arena was vast, and as a novice, Du Yunluo didn’t need to gallop at full speed, merely using the space nearby.

Mu Lianxiao carefully explained the essentials to Du Yunluo.

These were things Du Yunluo had heard from Mu Lianxiao before but hadn’t paid much attention to. She had listened absentmindedly, recalling bits and pieces afterward. Once on the horse, she was flustered, which had quite startled the teaching Mu Lianxiao.

Recalling past events, Du Yunluo couldn’t help but narrow her eyes in a smile, so much so that she only snapped out of it after Mu Lianxiao finished speaking.

Oh...

It completely went in one ear and out the other.

Du Yunluo pursed her lips, and looking up at Mu Lianxiao, her dark bright almond eyes twinkled as she said, "I, I didn’t understand."

Mu Lianxiao had long noticed she was distracted and, seeing her speaking nonsense with a straight face, leaned slightly over using the horse to block the view of the polo field, teasing her, "Didn’t understand or were distracted?"

His smile suddenly enlarged before her, eyes filled with undeniable amusement, heating Du Yunluo’s heart as she mumbled, "You’re allowed to be distracted, but I’m not?"

Mu Lianxiao was rendered speechless.

She was referring to at the Guoning Temple, where she had written characters in his palm, taking up all his thoughts such that what she wrote he understood not a bit.

Recalling the moment made Mu Lianxiao a bit embarrassed.

Du Yunluo’s voice was naturally soft and gentle, and when muttering, it carried a hint of coquettishness, captivating to the ear. Mu Lianxiao lightly coughed, creating some distance between them but couldn’t help lifting his hand softly, ruffling her hair, "Of course, you are allowed."

Du Yunluo felt as if her entire head of hair was tingling.

She regarded herself as thick-skinned. Not to mention that it wouldn’t be long before Du Yunru, who turns away after three teasing words, and even Mrs. Zhen would find her shamelessness amusing, saying she had the thick hide of a donkey which could stew a pot of gelatin. But somehow, facing Mu Lianxiao, her thick skin failed her.

In their previous life, when they were husband and wife behind closed doors, what hadn’t they discussed? What hadn’t they done? Regardless of what Mu Lianxiao said or did at this moment, Du Yunluo should have been as unshakable as Mount Tai. It was merely holding her hand or gluing his eyes on her, nothing too embarrassed about.

But somehow, Du Yunluo’s heart raced and her face flushed like a young girl experiencing her first love.

She gazed at Mu Lianxiao, witnessing the gentle surge in his eyes that engulfed her, making Du Yunluo think, this was all Mu Lianxiao’s fault.

To Mu Lianxiao, she was a fiancée appearing in his awareness only a year ago, and he slowly felt joy, slowly wanted to be close. This youthful sentiment infected Du Yunluo, causing her to involuntarily follow his emotional ups and downs.

I must say, this experience was indeed delightful, warming her whole self with sweetness.

Before, she did not have such feelings towards Mu Lianxiao. By the time she understood what deep affection was, what holding hands meant, she no longer had his hand to hold.

All the so-called sweetness and happiness turned into ’Mirror Flower Water Moon,’ into red bean cakes poisoned with countless amounts of arsenic, as sweet as they were, the aftertaste was agonizing, as if heart and lungs burned.

Now life was giving them another chance to interact like this was a whole new experience for Du Yunluo.

Du Yunluo gave Mu Lianxiao an endearing look.

Mu Lianxiao withdrew his hand, still smiling, then repeated the essentials of riding, saying, "If there’s still something unclear, I’ll explain it again."

Du Yunluo snorted lightly, "I didn’t get distracted this time."

Though she said that, riding a horse wasn’t like writing or drawing; knowing the essentials and learning them were two different things.

Du Yunluo supported herself with Mu Lianxiao’s hand, stepping into the stirrup and mounting the horse. Suddenly high above, she felt somewhat panicked.

Mu Lianxiao noticed and said, "Yunluo, first get used to sitting on the horse."

Du Yunluo knew her limits and didn’t act strong but sat upright instead. This horse was quite docile, yet it would snort now and then, stamping a hoof and stirring up dust.

Every slight movement caused Du Yunluo’s heart to skip a beat.

Mu Lianxiao spoke to Du Yunluo while casually leading the horse around.

Gradually, Du Yunluo relaxed and followed Mu Lianxiao’s advice to sense the balance on the horse.