Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Unable to Look Away
Qu Fulan rode the horse nimbly across the field, accompanied by the sound of the wind, displaying a heroic and elegant demeanor.
In moments like these, with the constant movement, every cell in her body seemed to awaken, her blood boiling.
The shackles of the era, the class oppression, the insignificance of identity—all temporarily disappeared on the field.
Those ordinarily demure girls, once on horseback playing polo, transformed with movements as swift as hares, swinging their arms naturally and agilely. At that moment, they temporarily threw away those cumbersome rules and etiquette, living their true selves.
Of course, some people’s true selves are selfish and unscrupulous, leading to scheming even on the field.
Qu Fulan found this utterly foolish.
Although many people had left, quite a number were still watching around the field. To play dirty tricks in front of everyone, without fear of being seen and leaving a bad impression.
Qu Fulan didn’t care about others’ tactics; she just focused on her own game. Having a rare chance to play, she naturally opened her heart and played with abandon.
Of course, she didn’t know that her earlier dazzling leap on horseback had left those outside the field in awe.
"I don’t think I can do that," Prince An murmured, still in disbelief.
"Remove ’think’, you simply can’t do it." His companion mercilessly exposed him.
"As if you could do it yourself!" Prince An almost jumped in frustration.
"I never had dreams of battlefield heroics; it’s fine if I can’t do it."
Prince An was so exasperated he beat his chest and stomped his feet.
Indeed, he dreamt daily of battlefield exploits, dominating the world, just like Pei Ji’an.
Before today, he always thought he was excellent at horseback riding, at least better than those playboys of Capital City.
Of course, he wasn’t oblivious; he had seen Pei Ji’an’s riding skills, which were too superb, beyond comparison. One could only admire, not imitate.
One must know one’s limits; he didn’t compare himself to Pei Ji’an, but with others, as long as he was better than them.
Today, however, he was shown up by a woman.
Wasn’t that awkward?
It’s no wonder Prince An was shocked; even Pei Ji’an watched speechlessly, staring at the field, while the marble he intended to use to block the polo ball for Pei Xiang didn’t get thrown.
Pei Ji’an had seen many women with superior riding skills; one swift leap on horseback was basic for those bold ladies from beyond the frontier. However, when Qu Fulan performed such a move, it felt different.
The specifics of why it felt different were hard to articulate.
The match continued intensely.
In polo, the key is riding skills; with good skills, one can play well.
Now Qu Fulan rode the horse with increasing ease, hitting and striking balls flawlessly whenever she made a move.
The cheers outside the field were loud, but she couldn’t hear them, focused solely on the polo game.
Yao Xing, however, heard the repeated cheers from outside, not directed at her.
Although she was married, she still wanted to shine, and now being overshadowed left her unwilling.
But she had already been warned once; breaking the rules again meant leaving the field, so no one dared to misbehave.
The match continued orderly.
The spectators’ gazes mostly fell on Qu Fulan, making her stand out.
Even Mr. Pei couldn’t help but praise her and engaged in an interested discussion with his second brother.
Pei Ji’an responded intermittently.
Pei Lian also couldn’t resist joining the discussion, "Is it taught by Second Brother? That’s amazing. It’s a pity you weren’t at home often before, so I couldn’t learn from your experience."
Even Pei Yuan thought it was taught by the second brother and looked at him.
Pei Ji’an was about to shake his head to deny it but fell silent for some reason.
If others mistakenly thought he taught her, it was better. If not, with her past identity not easily revealed, how could she explain her mastery of riding and polo?
She must have had similar motives to be so uninhibited.
Pei Lian’s gaze didn’t spare a glance for Yao Xing, focusing entirely on Qu Fulan.
Cheng Ru, listening to their conversation, watched the field with a faint, dignified smile. But a closer look revealed stiffness in that smile.
Among all the spectators, perhaps only one person’s gaze wasn’t on Qu Fulan.
That person was Wen Sichen, his eyes locked on another, unable to relax, watching others play was nerve-racking, only slightly less than playing himself.
Especially in the previous moment, his whole heart was on edge, almost rushing over, but in the end, it was thrilling yet safe.
The match ended, and naturally, Qu Fulan’s team won, with her scoring the most goals.
As she stepped off the field, Qu Fulan was still exhilarated. Returning the horse to Heir Pei, her words couldn’t hide the delight.
"Thanks to His Excellency’s fine horse, otherwise winning would’ve been impossible."
Pei Ji’an also looked at her, a slight smile curved his lips, "Your riding skills are excellent; it would be the same with any horse."
Having earned the Young General title at a young age, receiving his praise naturally made Qu Fulan happy.
"Miss Qu’s riding skills are impressive; I am in awe," Prince An humbly remarked.
Qu Fulan, in her strong attire, cupped her hands in acknowledgment, "You flatter me, you flatter me."
"You played the best on the field; why reject praise?" It was Pei Lian speaking.
Qu Fulan thought it’d be better if he kept quiet.
Seeing Yao Xing almost furious, she threw down her polo stick, "My feet are killing me! Why aren’t these servants helping already? You give them face all the time, and now they’ve forgotten their status?"
Her taunt was obvious; those who knew of Qu Fulan’s maid status could tell, though not as petty as Yao Xing imagined.
Seeing her heroic demeanor, people were in awe, hardly inclined to belittle her for being a maid.
No one was that narrow-minded.
Instead, Yao Xing’s behavior caused disdain among people.
Pei Lian quickly called servants to send this troublesome woman away.
He had deliberately not informed her today, yet somehow she tagged along, causing embarrassment.
Pei Lian felt his reputation was thoroughly humiliated.
Pei Yuan merely sighed; every family has its own troubles; he couldn’t intervene in the affairs of the third branch.
This only reinforced the importance of marrying a virtuous wife, or else the household would be restless.
Thinking of Miss Tan, Pei Yuan felt a headache; they say a fiery girl fears an eager suitor, but the reverse was also true.
He had to devise a way to completely extinguish her hopes soon.
Pei Ji’an, however, looked in the direction Yao Xing left, his gaze detached with a trace of coolness.