Chapter 29

"Qin Zhou, do you want to give it a try too?" Fang Jimin suggested with a smile after seeing Xue Chen nod.

"Fine." A cold glint flashed across Qin Zhou's face before he nodded.

"Haha, that's great." At Fang Jimin's command, three tall horses galloped into the center of the field, drawing cheers from all the spectators. "To keep things fair, I'll provide the horses for your race. How about it?"

"No problem." Fu Hengzhou raised a brow at the black horse on the right, which kept snorting and repeatedly shaking the reins on its body.

"Fine. Ji Min, switch it for another one." Qin Zhou seemed to have noticed the problem with that horse as well. One look at Fang Jimin told him the brat had tampered with it. "How about we make this interesting?" He was asking Fu Hengzhou.

"That won't be necessary. I rather like taming wild horses, so I'll take this one." Fu Hengzhou had not expected Qin Zhou not to cheat. Apparently, Fang Jimin had acted on his own. "As for the stakes... how about you stop pestering Xue Chen from now on?"

Qin Zhou frowned and glanced back at Xue Chen. "Fine."

Xue Chen had run over as well. Although he was not particularly skilled at riding, his physique was far stronger than the average person's. At first glance, he had taken a liking to the white horse in the middle, which looked very much like his Little White.

"Pfft... pfft!" Perhaps the white horse was quite pleased with Xue Chen. After eating a red apple from his hand, it actually began rubbing its head against his neck.

"Good boy, don't move around." Xue Chen suddenly felt as if Little White had returned to his side. He reached out to stroke Little White's head, then looked at the white horse.

The feeling was strange, an inexplicable sense of closeness. To everyone else, the man and horse looked like they had taken a liking to each other.

Xue Chen rubbed Little White's head again. Little White clearly enjoyed it and even burrowed into his arms, making Fu Hengzhou and Qin Zhou temporarily call a truce and unite against a common enemy. "Ji Min, I think you should change horses. This one's too clingy. It won't be good for racing."

"Indeed. It looks pretty useless. I suggest changing it." Fu Hengzhou spoke with a look of utter disdain. "And its leg muscles aren't developed enough. What if it can't exert enough force on the track and makes Xue Chen quit halfway through?"

"Pfft, pfft..." The white horse seemed to understand their disdain. It immediately buried its head against Xue Chen's neck and wagged its tail unwillingly, looking as aggrieved as could be.

"This horse..." Fang Jimin was rather speechless as he watched the two men and one horse. Were they fighting for attention?

"I think Little White is great. I'll take him." Xue Chen truly liked the white horse. He had even given it a name.

"Uh... Old Xue, his name is Chasing Wind." Fang Jimin came up with that name.

"Mm, he seems to prefer the name Little White. He'll be called Little White from now on." Xue Chen made the decision, and the white horse's reaction clearly showed that it loved the name.

Fang Jimin: "..."

"Young Master Fang, the riders are ready. What about the three vacant stalls...?" Just then, the person in charge of the racetrack hurried over and reported to Fang Jimin respectfully.

Urged on by the manager, Fu Hengzhou, Xue Chen, and Qin Zhou all mounted their horses and entered the track. Once the starting pistol fired and the gates opened—

"Little White, we don't need to try too hard. It's all about participation." Xue Chen bent down and gently stroked the white horse's mane. He smiled at Fu Hengzhou beside him, then tightened his legs around the saddle beneath the horse's belly, ready to charge forward with all his strength.

Bang! The gunshot rang out. In an instant, all three horses shot out like arrows released from a bow, tracing three perfect arcs through the air before landing steadily on the track.

Unlike the others, Xue Chen truly only wanted to participate. But from the moment they entered the track, Fu Hengzhou and Qin Zhou had begun battling each other. Neither gave way, one attacking while the other defended. Their fierce competition also prompted the gamblers in the stands to hurl insults at one another as they continuously cheered for the two men.

Xue Chen, trailing behind them, paid no attention at all to what was happening between them. He only watched his Little White, constantly rubbing the white horse's head with a gentle gaze.

Perhaps the white horse wanted to perform better in front of Xue Chen. It seemed more hardworking than usual today, as though determined to prove itself. It sprinted forward all the way, looking ready to overtake the two men ahead.

Fu Hengzhou and Qin Zhou had already entered the third lap one after the other, but they soon drew level again, neither willing to yield.

Chapter 29

A spark flashed through both their hearts, and they pushed themselves even harder, determined to widen the gap.

Both were extremely fast, and both were professional athletes. In such a high-intensity race, speed and endurance were heavily drained—especially for Qin Zhou and Fu Hengzhou, neither of whom slowed down in the slightest.

Xue Chen, however, failed to notice the undercurrents between them. Still brimming with energy, he urged Little White onward. Though he was fast as well, he lacked the tense, drawn-sword atmosphere surrounding Qin Zhou and Fu Hengzhou.

"Oh—!" The sudden cry of surprise snapped Qin Zhou and Fu Hengzhou back to their senses. They stopped at the same time, only to see Xue Chen already at the finish line.

The two glared at each other, both wearing displeased expressions, before turning to look in Xue Chen's direction. At that moment, the racetrack's broadcast was excitedly announcing the results of the race.

Over in the stands, those who had been cheering and shouting for Qin Zhou and Fu Hengzhou deflated like punctured balloons, instantly wilting. Everyone's gaze shifted to the small group embracing one another on the other side. They had only chosen Xue Chen helplessly after the betting slips for the others had sold out, yet he had pulled off a massive upset.

But those who had lost their bets did not dare say anything loudly. After all, this race had mostly been for fun. Who would take it seriously? Besides, they had just heard that the riders of those two horses were not people to be offended.