Chapter 21

Yue Bin let out a heavy breath, swung down from his horse, and casually tore Xing Yuan's stiff, numb body off the saddle as well. Lu Chi, still holding the lasso, rode over at an unhurried pace and gave Yue Bin a cheerful thumbs-up. "Impressive."

"Of course. I've had professional training," Yue Bin bragged without hesitation, then added, "But I didn't expect you to know how to rope a horse."

"I'm just fairly accurate!" Lu Chi shook his head with a wry smile. "I don't have much strength, and I'm not good at riding either. If I had to do it myself, forget roping a horse—I'd be lucky not to get roped by one."

"That's still pretty good." Yue Bin gave Lu Chi a thumbs-up too. "What a cool skill! Look, those girls' eyes are practically turning into hearts."

As they spoke, Qiao Shiyu and the other boys and girls came galloping over on horseback, followed by quite a few club members—and, of course, that group of Street Racers who had brought this upon themselves.

Yellow Hair's horse had also been calmed down through the efforts of two horse trainers. But Yellow Hair was not as lucky as Xing Yuan to escape unscathed. His right shin had been fractured under a hoof, his arm was dislocated, and he had abrasions all over his body. He looked absolutely miserable.

The club staff had already called 120. Several Street Racers crowded around Yellow Hair to inspect him, then walked toward Lu Chi and Yue Bin.

"What else do you want?" Before anyone else could react, Qiao Shiyu and several girls stepped forward first, lining up to shield the boys behind them as they demanded fiercely, "Don't go too far. If you start trouble again, we're calling the police!"

The Street Racers looked coldly at the girls putting on such a fierce front and could not help smiling. The red-haired young man scratched his face and said with a grin, "Don't be so tense. Relax. We're here to honor the bet."

"A bet is a bet. Since we lost the horse race, we'll keep our word and apologize to you." As he spoke, the red-haired young man led the Street Racers in bowing to Qiao Shiyu and the other girls they had harassed—

"First bow, second bow, third bow." With the solemn expressions of people attending a funeral, the Street Racers completed their three bows. Even Yellow Hair, lying on the ground waiting for the ambulance, painfully raised a hand to make the same gesture.

Qiao Shiyu and the other girls stared at the grinning Street Racers after their bowing apology, their faces turning livid. They were too angry to speak.

Seeing this, the Street Racers laughed even more smugly, as though they had gotten the better end of the deal. The red-haired young man looked past the girls' many obstacles at Yue Bin and Lu Chi, gave them a thumbs-up, and said, "Not bad skills. I, Thirteenth Young Master, rarely admire anyone, but a bet is a bet. You two really are something—capable and loyal. If you don't mind, how about we be friends?"

Yue Bin and Lu Chi exchanged glances. Standing on either side of Xing Yuan, they placed their hands on his shoulders and answered in unison, "We mind!"

Chapter 21

Although Yue Bin and Lu Chi's rejection had been expected, the Street Racers still burst into laughter when they saw the two respond in perfect unison.

That inexplicable smugness successfully enraged the boys and girls, who had already been holding back a bellyful of resentment. Dozens of Death Gazes shot their way—if looks could kill, the Street Racers present would probably have been chopped into pieces already.

A few minutes later, the ambulance arrived in time. Several middle-aged men in suits came with the medical staff. The leader looked to be in his fifties, tall and imposing, with a fierce air about him. He wore a white shirt with three buttons undone at the collar and his sleeves rolled above his forearms, exposing his broad chest and an amulet strung around his neck with black cord. Even beneath his shirt, his bulging biceps formed a terrifying outline. From the chorus of greetings from the staff and horse trainers, everyone learned that these men were the club owner and senior management.

Yue Bin and the others noticed that the moment the middle-aged man known as Brother Hao appeared at the track, the Street Racers led by the red-haired young man immediately fell silent. The seven or eight of them hurriedly put on helmets, covering their obnoxiously flamboyant dyed hair. Even Yellow Hair, lying on the ground, stopped clutching his leg and crying in pain. His miserable howls cut off abruptly, and he instinctively scooted backward, trying to let his companions hide his scrawny body.

Brother Hao cast the Street Racers a cold glance without saying anything, then walked straight to the girls and bent into a sharp ninety-degree bow. "I'm truly sorry. We gave our distinguished guests a fright."

The club managers behind Brother Hao also bowed and shouted in unison, "Sorry for frightening you."

Qiao Shiyu and the other girls had mostly recovered, but Brother Hao's display made their faces turn pale again. Unlike those loud, unruly Street Racers with their wildly dyed hair, Brother Hao's group looked even more intimidating despite their suits. At least Qiao Shiyu and the girls had dared to glare at and argue with the Street Racers before, but upon seeing Brother Hao and his people, their limbs immediately went weak and their faces drained of color—even though Brother Hao's group had come to apologize.

Seeing this, the boys who had been sheltered behind the girls stepped forward one after another, protecting the girls behind them.

Yue Bin smiled. "It's nothing. It's already over. Luckily, nothing happened."

Brother Hao took Yue Bin's hand and shook it, speaking in awkward Fragrant City Mandarin. "You can't put it that way. Since everyone came to my place—"

Before he could finish, someone behind him suddenly coughed. Brother Hao immediately changed his wording. "...came to my riding club, that's giving me face. You didn't have a good time today and nearly got into an accident. That is absolutely our club's responsibility."

As Brother Hao spoke, he raised a hand. Someone immediately brought forward a stack of gold cards. Brother Hao took the VIP cards and handed them out one by one, saying, "This is a small token of our sincerity. Please accept them. From now on, whenever you come to our club to ride, everything will be half price. Today's bill is waived as well. Oh, I heard someone here is having a birthday, right? Our club has also prepared a birthday banquet for you all, as an apology."