Xu Hongdou had no idea the two men were locked in a silent rivalry. Since she wasn't in a position to walk, she figured sitting on the horse was better than having Wang Yue carry her on his back or in his arms.
So she didn't refuse. After thanking him, she let Wang Yue help her onto the horse.
Once she was seated, she realized that from this height, the scenery all around her seemed even more beautiful.
Wang Yue had no idea what Xu Hongdou was thinking. He led the horse to the water, rinsed the shoe she'd taken off, then casually hung it beneath the stirrup. After that, he led the horse away from Xie Zhiyao's ranch.
They admired the scenery as they walked, but neither of them said a word.
After a while, Wang Yue decided that waiting for her to speak wasn't going to work. He glanced back at Xu Hongdou, wanting to see how she was taking things.
When he turned around, he found her looking from side to side, seemingly admiring the scenery. But from her wandering gaze, he could tell her mind was elsewhere.
She was looking everywhere except at him. Wang Yue realized Xu Hongdou was embarrassed.
It made sense. Having a girl step in cow dung in front of two men wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. Any normal girl would feel awkward about it.
To break the tension, Wang Yue said with a straight face, "They say stepping in cow dung is a good omen. Something wonderful might be coming your way."
When Xu Hongdou heard him mention the cow dung, she felt mortified. But since she could tell he didn't mean any harm, she relaxed a little. Still, she couldn't help retorting, "What wonderful thing? I came out to have