Page 7

Once he repaired the wire fence around the pasture, everything would be foolproof.

Shi Wen bent over mechanically as he worked, his thoughts drifting aimlessly.

Just then, a fish startled by the sound of him digging through the mud darted out of the grass in a panic and slammed straight into his calf, making it sting.

The fish seemed dazed from the impact too. It bounced aside and lay motionless.

He bent down and scooped it up.

It was not the Five-Stripe Black he recognized. It looked rather unusual.

Could it be some protected species?

Muttering to himself, Shi Wen dropped the fish into the bucket, casually wiped his hands on the newly sprouted tender grass, then pulled his phone from his coat pocket after cleaning off the mud and water. He snapped a picture of the fish he had just caught and was about to look it up when he suddenly heard shouting and the pounding of hooves.

Someone was in trouble!

He looked toward the hoofbeats and saw a horse racing toward him through a cloud of dust along the muddy road outside the pasture, separated from it by only a thin wire fence.

The horse seemed to have gone mad, running as though it had lost all sense of direction.

With his sharp eyes, Shi Wen saw a young man on its back clinging desperately to the reins and saddle. His eyes were wide, his body tipping to one side, and he looked about to fall.

Clearly, the horse was already out of control.

Seeing this, Shi Wen hurriedly stuffed his phone into his chest pocket, pulled his legs free of the mud, and slipped through the wire fence in a few quick movements, trying to help.

The galloping horse came straight at him, facing him head-on.

Perhaps because it saw him, the horse instinctively swerved aside.

The moment it changed direction, its speed immediately slowed.

The young man on horseback grew even more anxious. "Move! Get out of the way!"

Shi Wen hesitated, then bent slightly and assumed a ready stance.

If he stepped aside now and the horse crashed into the wire fence or fell, the young man might be seriously injured. A fracture would be lucky; if he injured his spine or broke his neck, things would be much worse.

The impact might also throw the young man from the saddle and drag him along the ground.

That would be terrible too.

In almost an instant, Shi Wen assessed how serious the situation was.

The horse was nearly upon him.

At that moment, he did not know where his confidence came from, but he was certain that even if he grabbed the horse, he would not be hurt.

With that thought, he reached out to the side and seized the reins, yanking them hard.

At that moment, Shi Wen seemed possessed by the strength of a giant.

The terrifying force wrenched the horse's head aside, abruptly slowing its charge. It reared high on its hind legs and neighed.

A horse was a living creature. It was powerful, but not absurdly powerful like a machine.

The instant Shi Wen pulled the reins, he let go.

Driven by his force, the horse staggered after neighing, clearly about to topple over.

The young man on horseback finally screamed, "Ah—"

Once again relying on his sharp instincts, Shi Wen reached out, grabbed the man by the collar, and rolled aside with him.

In the end, the two of them tumbled into a heap and landed on the grass by the roadside, thoroughly dazed.

Shi Wen quickly scrambled up and went to check on the horse that had just fallen.

The horse struggled to its feet. Shi Wen held its halter and, with a burst of strength, helped it stand, then hurriedly stroked its neck, rubbing it soothingly.

He was afraid the frightened horse would charge around wildly and cause them further harm.

Whether it was Shi Wen's Qilin Bloodline or simply his actions that worked, the horse paced a few steps in place, snorted, and gradually calmed down.

Shi Wen watched the horse's expression. Seeing that it had settled down, he loosened his grip and released the reins slightly.

The horse did not go mad again. Instead, it took two light steps and stood off to the side.

Only then did he look at the young man, who had just gotten to his feet. "Are you all right?"

Still shaken, the young man shook his head. "I'm fine. Thanks to you, I was worried I'd fall off and get dragged by the horse. What about you? Let me see your hand."

Shi Wen waved him off. "I'm fine. It's just a little red. The skin didn't even break."

Gong Jiang was full of gratitude. "Thank you so much just now—"

Shi Wen was about to say something when another round of hoofbeats sounded.

He looked in the direction of the noise and saw a man in high boots galloping toward them on horseback.

The horse was an excellent one, and the man was exceptionally handsome. The sight of him charging over like that was simply overwhelming.

Shi Wen's mind went blank, and he could not think of anything. He only stared dumbly at the man.

When the man was still some distance away, he reined in his horse, stopped, and jumped down. "Gong Jiang, how are you? Did you get hurt in the fall?"

The young man hurriedly shook his head. "No. Thanks to this brother here, he gave me a hand."

It had not been as obvious when the man was on horseback, but standing on the ground, his height of over six foot three and his exceptionally handsome face gave off enormous pressure.

Shi Wen met his gaze at first, then quickly looked away.

Yet he could not help shifting his eyes to the man's straight, long legs, then from his exceptionally slender fingers to his Adam's apple, before turning his face aside with restraint.

When he turned his head, he saw the young man beside him had noticed his bold gaze, and his face had nearly gone green.

Shi Wen coughed softly and looked toward the distant grassland.

The man asked, "Why did the horse suddenly get spooked?"

Gong Jiang said, "I don't know either. I was riding through the woods when it suddenly went mad. Maybe a branch brushed against it."

"Um," Shi Wen cut in, "a horsefly probably bit its ear."

Facing the two men's gazes, Shi Wen pointed at the red, swollen spot on the horse's ear and added, "Horse ears are very sensitive. It probably went mad from the pain."

The man nodded politely and held out his hand. "Thank you for saving my student. My name is Yan Kexing."

Shi Wen shook his hand and asked, "Yan Kexing?"

The man subtly caught his meaning and said, "The Ke in 'restrain oneself and return to propriety.'"