"Hiss..."
Ling Zhenhe's hand was being squeezed so hard it hurt. He was just giving Xie Zhuzhou a small punishment, but he didn't expect Xie Zhuzhou to actually do it!
"Brother Ling, I've heard Ling Zhenyang mention you. He said you seem to have some osteoporosis."
Ji Wangyan knew that his brother was not one to be bullied, and if anyone bullied Xie Zhuzhou, he would not stand idly by.
Moreover, he had disliked Ling Zhenhe for a long time, but since they were all in the same industry, they hadn't openly broken off relations.
"He said that?!"
"Of course, you can ask him if you don't believe me."
Xie Zhuzhou's gaze swept through the crowd and landed on Ling Zhenyang, who was standing at the very back. Ling Zhenyang shrugged but did not deny it.
Ling Zhenhe rubbed his fingers in pain.
I originally wanted to test if this guy was the volatile type, and it seems I am. This guy doesn't even give his third brother any face! He's supposed to be Ji Wangyan's friend, yet he just said it so bluntly?!
Xie Zhuzhou clearly wasn't one to mince words; he calmly released his grip and shifted his gaze away from Ling Zhenyang.
Now that's settled, no one dares to shake hands with Xie Zhuzhou! Xie Zhuzhou is satisfied with this. He simply doesn't like formalities.
Afterwards, Ji Wangyan gave a perfunctory introduction of her friend, simply stating his name, Xie Zhuzhou also did so casually that he didn't remember it at all.
"Are you sure you can ride a horse?" Ji Wangyan raised an eyebrow.
Xie Zhuzhou came out after changing his equipment.
He straightened his sleeves, which had horseshoe-shaped cuffs—a retro and practical design that also provided better protection for his wrists.
His polo suit also features two patch pockets with flaps, adding a touch of style, and a back waist design to secure the belt, making it both aesthetically pleasing and comfortable for movement.
Ji Wangyan's clothes were the same as his.
Hearing Ji Wangyan ask again, Xie Zhuzhou nodded. "Yes."
During the period right after the original owner finished the college entrance examination, he went to the horse farm to ride horses every day, and even went to the grasslands. He went crazy for two months before returning to study properly. He also rode horses at Great Yan, but he was led by a servant.
Now is the perfect time to test my control over my Internal Energy using polo.
In fact, for beginners, 20 lessons may only be the beginning. Learning equestrianism requires maintaining an independent and stable center of gravity, and at least 100 lessons are needed to build a solid foundation.
However, if Xie Zhuzhou has some basic skills, it wouldn't be a problem for him to play polo and join in the fun. Ji Wangyan doesn't have high expectations for Xie Zhuzhou; he can just go up and play a few laps, and then quit when he gets tired.
Anyway, there are plenty of substitutes to play with.
Ji Wangyan first rode with Xie Zhuzhou and taught him the modern way of playing polo, which was very similar to the way it was played at the Great Yan. In the Great Yan, playing polo was called "jiju".
The rules of polo are somewhat similar to those of ice hockey.
Polo matches are typically played between two teams, each consisting of four players: a forward, a center forward, and a defender.
Forwards and center forwards are primarily responsible for attacking, while defensive players are responsible for defense and passing the ball back.
Players need to perform the swing from horseback, with goals at opposite ends of the field.
"Did you remember?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Don't take it too seriously when you go on stage later. They're all experienced and will usually let you win. If something goes wrong, it's because they did it on purpose, so don't hold back. After all, it's just a game."
Subtext: This is just a game. Getting hurt or crippled is just the price of the game; there's no need to worry about it.
Xie Zhuzhou glanced at Ji Wangyan's serious expression and nodded to indicate that he understood.
"They're finally here. We've already fought a battle." Ling Zhenhe rode a tall, chestnut horse. Seeing that Ji Wangyan had finally brought his precious younger brother, he realized that Ji Wangyan had only given him a cursory lesson and brought him along. It seemed that Ji Wangyan didn't treat his little brother very well.
Ji Wangyan no longer looked down on Xie Zhuzhou, and believed that the other party would not do anything unprepared. After spending many days together, he could guess Xie Zhuzhou's general thoughts from his eyes, which was that Xie Zhuzhou was very interested in polo.
The two brothers were on the same team, and Ji Wangyan was confident of winning. He originally planned to have Xie Zhuzhou play defense, but then thought that the opponent was a novice.
Xie Zhuzhou ultimately decided to play as a striker; he had no other thoughts than scoring goals.
Men's competitive spirit is no joke.
After everyone had rested, the referee blew his whistle, and the competition officially began.
The two teams rode their horses at breakneck speed across the field, almost all eyes focused on a small ball, as if it would disappear without a trace if they weren't paying attention. Ji Wangyan's skill in stealing the ball was superb; before anyone could react, the ball was already glued to his stick.
The Ling brothers Ling Zhenhe and Ling Zhenyang, relentlessly pursued their opponent. Although they weren't professional players, they fought even more fiercely than the professionals, completely contrary to Ji Wangyan's claim that they were just playing around.
Xie Zhuzhou: "..." Perhaps everyone's understanding is different.
The horses galloped across the meadow, bumping into each other.
Ji Wangyan rode his black horse effortlessly, whipping it into the fray. With a swing of his club, the ball flew far away, almost out of sight of Xie Zhuzhou, a novice.
Their teammate caught the gold-plated polo mallet, watched him dart around the field, juggle the ball a few times, and then swung it towards him, the furthest point from the herd.
Xie Zhuzhou squinted slightly. "..."
He received the ball as expected, gave it a perfunctory juggling, and then unleashed his Internal Energy to swing it out. The trajectory of the ball curved like a curveball, making the goalkeeper look ridiculous for a moment.
"It's in!" the team member exclaimed.
Ji Wangyan received a look from his brother as he walked through the crowd, as if to say, "How about it? Aren't you super handsome?"
Yes, he is indeed handsome.
Xie Zhuzhou's shot was as swift as lightning, like a terrifying hurricane. If that ball had hit Ling Zhenhe's head, it would definitely have left a bloody hole.
Ji Wangyan swallowed hard, hoping his brother would restrain himself.
On the horse track, Xie Zhuzhou merely twitched his eyebrows and eyes. He gripped the horse's belly with his legs, his movements skillful and elegant. The horse's hooves pounded the ground, and his figure rose and fell with the horse's gallop.
After scoring a few goals, Xie Zhuzhou gradually found his rhythm, and loosening his muscles and joints felt really good.
Ling Zhenyang was initially quite focused, but later, for some reason, his gaze fell entirely on that spirited man.
The Xie Zhuzhou of today is someone he has never seen before; he no longer meekly awaits his response, and he doesn't even spare him a glance.
Ling Zhenhe was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. During halftime, he couldn't help but exclaim, "That kid's cheating! Every time they pass the ball to him, he scores! Is he some kind of monster?!"
Wang Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel. "I was going to tease him, but now he probably thinks we're hilarious."
Damn, it feels like these amateur players have encountered god-like players and are being completely manipulated!
"Hey, Ling Zhenyang, are you just going to let your brother get bullied?"
"My brother is getting old, it's normal that he can't keep up with his speed."
Ling Zhenhe glared at him fiercely. "Useless thing, didn't score a single goal."
Ling Zhenyang: "I'm just a companion, not as professional as that older brother."
Ling Zhenhe suddenly chuckled and turned to Wang Chen, saying, "Look at them, these days even illegitimate children dare to swagger around on our heads."
Wang Chen really wanted to cover his ears; what business was it of his?
"Damn it, I've never lost so badly in my life. You, go and make him bedridden for a few months." Ling Zhenhe was so angry that he didn't even want to give Ji Wangyan face.
"Brother, I advise you not to touch him." Ling Zhenyang's eyes were deep and cold, like a damp, venomous snake coiled around a person's neck, exuding a chilling aura.