Upon arriving at the stable, the person in charge of caring for all the horses was a professional horse breeder, whom Shang Shunan called Auntie Peng. She was a kind-looking auntie who led Shang Shujue and the others to the stable to select horses that caught their eye.
This horse ranch is quite large, with an endless expanse of green grassland. The grass is green and the sky is blue, and under the bright sunshine, it can really lift your spirits.
There are several stables on this pasture, so many that it's hard to count them all. They are divided into several areas, some for young and strong horses, and others for older horses.
Another area houses untamed, unruly young horses, while the remaining stalls house pregnant mares and underage foals.
"... Young people like you who haven't learned to ride horses before can choose a horse that catches your eye in this stable. They are all mature and steady horses, they won't kick or push, and they are all very docile, so you can ride them with peace of mind..."
Auntie Peng led them around the stables, showing them the rooms and names of each horse, and then told them which similar horses were suitable to avoid injury.
"Young Master, this is the stable where the eldest young master's newly purchased horse is kept. The white, handsome Akhal-Teke horse you like, Stephen, is also inside."
Auntie Peng quickly led them to the stable where Xinma lived, then turned to look at Shang Shujue with affection, her tone softening slightly as she spoke to him.
"Would the young master like to touch it and take a look?"
"Sure."
Having listened to the introduction for so long, Shang Shujue was already quite impatient. Upon hearing Auntie Peng's question, he agreed without the slightest hesitation. He even wanted to go for a few laps with the horse right now.
" Auntie Peng, could you introduce these horses in the stables to the children and see which ones are most suitable for them? Let them get familiar with them beforehand. Once the horses are used to their scent, they'll be more cooperative when learning to ride."
"I'll take Xiao Jue to see Stephen. After all, he's not a novice, and he'll be more familiar with the horses' habits. It'll be better for Stephen to get used to the new environment and new people beforehand. I'll leave the rest to you."
Shang Shunan, who had been silent and didn't say much, finally spoke up at this moment, asking to take her younger brother to the stable to see Stephen.
"Okay, I understand, young master. You and the young master can go now. I'll take care of these five children."
Auntie Peng looked at Xia Dongyuan and the other four children, and the more she looked, the happier she became. These children were about the same age as her son, and she liked them very much.
" Auntie Peng, thank you for taking care of us in the future."
The five people were quite perceptive; they immediately expressed their respect and deep gratitude to Auntie Peng, afraid that being a step too slow would be considered impolite, although that was only what they thought.
"You're too kind. Come, follow me. I'll give you a proper introduction to them, and then I'll take you inside to change into your riding gear..."
Auntie Peng took Xia Dongyuan and the other four away. Shang Shujue looked at the boys' bright eyes and couldn't help but smile. Then she turned to look at Shang Shunan.
"Big brother, how about we have a match?"
In his past life, Shang Shujue would learn the relevant skills in advance to portray a role well. Only when he couldn't learn them would he have a professional stunt double do it for him. He wasn't an all-powerful robot, and there were always times when he couldn't do something.
However, he is quite skilled at horseback riding; after all, he once went viral for looking so dashing and handsome while riding a horse in ancient costume.
"Okay, but..."
Seeing Shang Shujue's confident demeanor, Shang Shunan was a little unsure whether his younger brother could really ride a horse or was joking, so he asked him a question indirectly.
"It's been so long since you've ridden a horse. You won't even be able to climb onto its back later, will you?"
This tentative remark, when heard by Shang Shujue, was interpreted as a provocative statement brimming with a competitive spirit. He was almost amused by the provocation and launched into a tirade against him.
"Big brother, you're underestimating me! I'll make you lose miserably in a minute, so don't hold back!"
Looking at Shang Shujue's confident and high-spirited demeanor, Shang Shunan paused slightly, but his worries vanished in an instant. It seemed that he had worried for nothing; his younger brother could also ride horses, and judging from his appearance, he rode them very well.
"Alright, then call your second brother over and have him control the drone to follow us. No matter who wins or loses, we need to record the highlights. When we're old, we can look back on them as a keepsake."
"Okay, I'll definitely beat you."
As soon as Shang Shunan finished speaking, she and Shang Shujue went into the shed together. They both wanted to choose a new horse to get to know each other better so that things would go smoothly later.
Meanwhile, Shang Shuchen, who had been summoned by Shang Shunan with a phone call, had already parked his flashy convertible in a parking lot not far away.
He was very excited at the moment. Not only had the screenwriter prepared a special merman identity for Xia Dongyuan, but he could also see the horse race between the older brother and the younger brother again. It was incredibly exciting.
The drums sounded, signaling an upcoming horse race, and Auntie Peng emerged with five young men. "It seems the eldest young master is going to race the young master."
She turned around and smiled, "Young men, the horses you've chosen will be brought over in a bit. Now go change your clothes; there's a horse race to watch later."
The five people instantly became excited and were ready to take out their phones to take pictures, but before doing so, they politely asked Auntie Peng if they could take pictures.
"Theoretically, there's a rule against taking photos at the horse farm, but the young master is here today, so you can ask him; maybe he'll agree."
Auntie Peng spoke with considerable finesse; she didn't refuse the five people's request, but rather effortlessly left this crucial decision to the true owner of the horse farm to decide.
After all, the rules were set by the horse farm owner; she was just a worker hired to look after the horses and couldn't make any other decisions over the owner's authority.
"Okay, okay, thank you Auntie Peng, we'll ask."
The five people didn't quite understand the metaphor in Auntie Peng's words, but they weren't upset about it. Instead, they happily talked about Shang Shujue with their friends.
Their affection for the young master was genuine, heartfelt, and stemmed from the depths of their souls.
Auntie Peng was certain and proud of it; the young master was a very good person. Although he was a bit quick-tempered, he was very sincere.
I don't know why, but he never had many friends. But now it's great, he not only has friends, but lots of friends... That's good.
After changing into his white riding outfit, Shang Shujue's joints were well protected by black padding. He already had an outstanding figure and a majestic presence, and this outfit made him even more refined and unforgettable.
"Host, you're so handsome~"
Nuomi emerged from the System Space, covering its cheeks as it flew around Shang Shujue, peeking at him through its fingers with its eyes peeking out. It even started to wriggle and twirl its tail.
"Hahaha... Nuomi, I know I'm handsome, but please don't fall in love with me because of that. We're not only different species and different dimensions, but we've also crossed the boundary between humans and non-humans. There's no good ending for us."
Looking at herself in the mirror, Shang Shujue straightened her collar with great satisfaction, then took out her phone to take a picture of herself and send it to Song Yanqing, while joking with Nuomi.
Nuomi was so amused by his shamelessness that she lost all sense of shyness. "Host, sometimes I really want to poison you so you can't speak. You're more handsome when you're not talking."
Shang Shujue: "..."No more giggling now...