Chapter 3 (continued)

Just then, a fish startled by the sound of his digging darted blindly out of the grass and struck his lower leg, making it hurt.

The fish seemed stunned by the impact too. It bounced aside and lay motionless.

He bent down and scooped up the fish.

It wasn't the familiar five-striped black fish, and it looked a little unusual.

Could it be a protected animal?

Muttering to himself, Shi Wen put the fish in the bucket and bent down to wipe his hands on the newly sprouted grass. After wiping off the muddy water, he took his phone from his coat pocket and photographed the fish he had just caught. He was about to look it up when he suddenly heard shouting and hoofbeats.

Someone's in trouble!

He looked toward the sound of the hoofbeats and saw a horse galloping toward him from a distance, trailing a cloud of dust. It was on the dirt road outside the ranch, separated from it by a thin wire fence.

The horse might have gone wild; it seemed to be running in a panic, heedless of where it went.

Sharp-eyed, Shi Wen saw a young man on its back clutching the reins and clinging to the saddle. His eyes were wide, and his body was tipping to one side. He was about to fall.

Clearly, the horse was out of control.

Shi Wen hurriedly tucked his phone inside his coat, pulled his legs out of the mud, and slipped through the wire fence in a few quick moves, trying to help.

The galloping horse came his way, heading straight for him.

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

The change of direction immediately slowed it down.

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

Shi Wen hesitated, then bent forward slightly and braced himself.

If he stepped aside now and the horse crashed into the wire fence or fell, the young man on its back could be badly hurt. He would be lucky to escape with a broken bone. If he injured his spine or broke his neck in the fall, things would be much worse.

A collision could also throw the young man from the saddle and leave him being dragged along.

That would be terrible too.

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

The horse was nearly upon him.

He didn't know where his confidence came from at that moment, but he was certain he wouldn't be hurt even if he caught the horse.

As the thought crossed his mind, he reached to the side and yanked hard on the reins.

At that moment, Shi Wen might as well have been possessed by a strongman.

The terrifying force jerked the horse's head sideways and abruptly slowed its charge. It reared high on its hind legs and neighed.

Horses were living creatures, and while they were strong, their strength wasn't as absurd as a machine's.

Shi Wen gave the reins one pull, then immediately let go.

The force pulled the horse off balance. After neighing, it staggered and looked about to fall sideways.

The young man on its back finally couldn't hold back a scream. "Ah-!"

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

The two of them ended up in a heap on the grass beside the road, dazed from the fall.

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

The horse struggled to stand. Shi Wen grasped its halter and pulled to help it up, then hurriedly stroked and rubbed its neck to calm it.

He was afraid the frightened horse would charge around and injure them again.

Whether it was Shi Wen's Qilin Bloodline or his actions that had an effect, the horse paced a few steps, snorted, and gradually calmed down.

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

The horse didn't go wild again. Instead, it took a couple of slow steps and stood to one side.

Only then did he turn to the young man, who had just gotten up. "Are you all right?"

Still shaken, the young man shook his head. "I'm fine. Thanks to you. Just now, 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 for what you did just now-"

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

He looked toward the sound and saw a man in tall boots galloping toward them.

The horse was a fine one, and the man was exceptionally handsome. The effect of his galloping toward them was simply something else.

Shi Wen felt his mind go blank. He could only stare at the man.

The man reined in some distance from them and jumped down. "Gong Jiang, how are you now? Did you fall?"

The young man quickly shook his head. "No. Thanks to this guy, who helped pull the horse back."

It hadn't been so obvious while the man was on horseback, but standing on the ground, his height of over 1.9 meters and exceptionally handsome face were immensely imposing.

Shi Wen met his eyes, then quickly looked away.

But he couldn't resist letting his gaze drift to the man's long, straight legs, then from his exceptionally slender fingers to his Adam's apple, before turning his face away with restraint.

When Shi Wen turned his head, he saw that the young man beside him had noticed his bold gaze and looked ready to turn green.

Shi Wen cleared his throat softly and looked at the grassland in the distance.

The man asked, "Why did the horse suddenly spook?"

Gong Jiang said, "I don't know either. I was riding through the woods when it suddenly went wild. A branch might have brushed against it."

"Um," Shi Wen interjected, "I think a wasp stung the horse's ear."

As the two looked at him, Shi Wen pointed to a red, swollen spot on the horse's ear and added, "Horses' ears are very sensitive. It probably went wild 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, with the character for 'guest'?"

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

"I'm Shi Wen," said Shi Wen. "Shi as in 'time,' Wen as in 'long heard of your great name.' It was no trouble. You're welcome."

Only then did the two release each other's hands.

Shi Wen lowered his hand to his side, gently clenched it, and relaxed it again. Yan Kexing's hand was a size larger than his.