Page 46

By the end of the afternoon, everyone was about to return to the yamen.

"Young Master Rong," Qin Ke suddenly blocked Rong Xi's path before everyone, "there are still things I do not understand. May I ask you to explain them to me in private?"

Rong Xi was slightly surprised, yet he said, "Your Highness flatters me. I will certainly do my best."

The two left together, heading toward Linxi.

Within the crowd, Chen Chuangu could not help rolling his eyes. That Qin fellow had actually abandoned him to enjoy the feast alone!

In autumn, the grass withered, flowers fell away, and dead leaves danced in the wind.

Rong Xi and Qin Ke walked side by side in silence, with only the sound of hoofbeats remaining.

"That will do." Qin Ke suddenly stopped and spoke.

Rong Xi looked up at him, knowing that Qin Ke had sought him out alone not to clear up doubts, but for another matter.

"Yesterday, you said you were not skilled at riding. I will teach you." Qin Ke's eyes were pale, his long lashes lowered as he watched the young man before him.

Rong Xi suddenly smiled. "Why?"

Their statuses were worlds apart, and their ambitions entirely different. They should have had nothing to do with one another, merely passing strangers. Yet Qin Ke had given him a horse last night and was teaching him to ride today. Did the dignified Prince Qin truly have so much spare time?

"Do you know what an achievement the horseshoe you mentioned in your letter would be for the Wei Kingdom?" Qin Ke asked seriously.

So that was why.

Rong Xi understood at once and smiled. "Then I will certainly do my best to learn."

The magnificent red horse suddenly snorted, seemingly unwilling to let anyone else approach.

Qin Ke stroked its head. After a moment, the red steed quieted down, glanced at Rong Xi, and shifted its hooves.

Seeing that horseshoes had already been nailed to its feet, Rong Xi smiled faintly.

"It is called Red Flame." Qin Ke extended his hand in invitation. "Come."

Red Flame shot Rong Xi a sidelong glance with its big eyes, seeming to disdain him. Rong Xi found it rather amusing and smiled. "What if it bullies me?"

Qin Ke chuckled softly. "I am here."

With his promise, Rong Xi slowly mounted the horse. It was not that he could not ride at all; after all, he had gone to racetracks a few times in his previous life.

Yet those horses had all been gentle and obedient. Even with an instructor accompanying him, he could only make them walk. If they truly broke into a full gallop, he would not be able to handle it.

Seeing that Rong Xi was not completely ignorant of riding, Qin Ke's eyes held a smile as he carefully taught him. His expression was cold and stern, his tone detached, and he seemed difficult to approach. Anyone else would surely have been nervous, afraid of making a mistake.

But Rong Xi listened with utmost attention, clearly committing every word to memory.

"Try it." After pouring all his riding knowledge into him, Qin Ke spoke.

He was not a good teacher, but Rong Xi was exceptionally talented. Following his instructions, he urged Red Flame forward. Fortunately, Red Flame gave him some face and slowly lifted its hooves to walk on.

As he gradually got the hang of it, Rong Xi pressed his legs against the horse's sides and gripped the reins, turning back to look at Qin Ke. The man stood tall and elegant, the orange sun at his side. A breeze swept past, making his robes flutter as though he were glowing.

Red Flame began running circles around Qin Ke, its hoofbeats ringing clearly across the open wilderness.

Rong Xi gradually became intoxicated by the thrill of racing, his expression brimming with excitement.

So different from his usual temperament, he appeared somewhat childlike.

Before half an hour had passed, Red Flame slowed and stopped before Qin Ke, rubbing against his shoulder. Qin Ke praised it once, and it wagged its tail a few times.

Rong Xi slowly dismounted, his cheeks flushed from riding, like white jade brushed with red, strikingly beautiful.

"Thank you, Brother Sizhi." He thanked him sincerely.

Qin Ke fixed his gaze on him for a moment, then took something from inside his robes and held it out before Rong Xi.

"Does this pouch belong to you?"

The pouch was old and embroidered with a rabbit. Every strand of its white fur was vividly rendered, and its adorably guileless appearance made it exceedingly cute.

Aside from the fine embroidery, there was nothing unusual about it.

Yet Rong Xi seemed to have been struck by lightning. It was not his own emotion, but an utterly unfamiliar feeling that suddenly burst forth from the depths of his mind. Its bitterness, sorrow, joy, and confusion tangled together, nearly bringing him to tears.

The youth's grief-stricken expression and reddened eyes all fell into Qin Ke's gaze.

He did not disturb him, merely waited quietly for Rong Xi to regain his composure.

After a while, the aching sorrow gradually faded. Memories flickered through his mind, and Rong Xi calmed down. His eyes curved slightly as he accepted the pouch with a smile and carefully tucked it into his robes.

"I lost it. I thought I would never see it again." The youth seemed to force a smile, looking rather pitiful. "For this kindness, Brother Sizhi, I have no way to repay you."

A faint sting pricked his heart before vanishing in an instant. Qin Ke's brows seemed to draw together. This feeling was truly strange.

He deliberately ignored it, his expression indifferent. "Your achievement already counts as repayment."

Rong Xi suddenly broke into a radiant smile. "I also have a gift for Brother Sizhi. Would Brother Sizhi be willing to come to my humble home and see it?"

"It would be my honor." Without even thinking, Qin Ke neatly mounted the horse and extended his hand toward Rong Xi.

His hand was long and slender, with thin calluses covering his palm and fingertips. Rong Xi did not hesitate in the slightest before clasping it.

The youth's hand was warm and soft, smooth to the touch like warm jade. Qin Ke lowered his long lashes, exerted force through his arm, and easily pulled Rong Xi up behind him.

"Hold tight." The man's clear voice brushed past his ear with the wind, magnetic and pleasant. Rong Xi's ear twitched slightly.

He wrapped his arms loosely around Qin Ke's waist, avoiding too much contact with his body.

However, Red Flame suddenly sped up. In his panic, he tightly hugged Qin Ke, pressing half his face against the man's back.

A faint, cool fragrance drifted into his nose.

Red Flame was incredibly fast. In no time at all, the two arrived at Rong Residence.

Rong Xi instructed Liu He to lead out the white horse to play with Red Flame, while he himself led Qin Ke toward the study.

The sky had been dark last night, so the benefits of the glass had not been obvious. Now, however, it was indeed clear and bright, letting in ample light.

Qin Ke considered that before returning to the capital, he should purchase some glass and replace the paper windows in his residence.

"Brother Sizhi," Rong Xi said with a broad smile as he took a cylindrical object from a wooden box, "come with me."

The two left Rong Residence again, each on horseback, and rode side by side to the open wilderness.

Rong Xi dismounted and asked Qin Ke, "I have heard that martial artists possess keen eyes and ears. If Brother Sizhi stands here, can you see the things on the mountain clearly?"

They were quite far from the hill at the moment. Apart from clusters of withered trees, nothing else could be seen clearly.

Qin Ke did not know his intention, but he answered seriously, "Other than the dense trees, I cannot see much clearly."