jdhmnovel Chapter 261 Flowers Bloom in the South of the City, Time to Return—Huo Xingzhou 4
Chapter 261 Flowers Bloom in the South of the City, Time to Return—Huo Xingzhou 4
"Of course, the conditions must be within our capabilities and not violate morality," Shen Shuwan added.
Huo Xingzhou nodded in agreement without any hesitation: "Okay."
The two men turned their horses around and stood side by side behind an invisible starting line.
Chixia seemed to sense the upcoming competition as well, and excitedly stomped her feet, snorting loudly.
Jingyun, on the other hand, was much calmer. He simply shook his head, and the white spot on his forehead was particularly striking in the sunlight.
"Miss Shen, are you ready?" Huo Xingzhou asked.
“Anytime is fine,” she replied, her voice clear and bright.
"Then—" Huo Xingzhou's voice deepened, "I'll count to three: one, two, three!"
As soon as the word "three" was uttered, the two horses shot out at the same time like arrows released from a bow!
Jingyun's explosive power was extremely strong; the moment he started moving, he transformed into a bolt of lightning that tore through the air.
At the same time, Shen Shuwan spurred Chixia, and the chestnut horse neighed and galloped after them.
The wind whistled past my ears, and the horse's hooves trampled the grass, raising a cloud of fine dust.
Shen Shuwan lowered her body, feeling the tension and relaxation of Chixia's muscles as she ran at full speed, her heartbeat seemingly merging with the sound of the horse's hooves.
As expected, Jingyun lived up to its name, taking the lead by half a horse length, but Chixia was not to be outdone, closely following behind.
As they got closer to the old locust tree, Jingyun's advantage became obvious.
But in the final few dozen meters, Shen Shuwan gently pulled the reins, and Chixia, understanding, cut in from the inside with a smaller arc—
The chestnut horse let out a short neigh, its four hooves slamming into the ground, abruptly changing its charging direction and drawing a breathtakingly dangerous inward arc, its hooves almost grazing the protruding roots of the old locust tree!
Huo Xingzhou clearly hadn't expected her to use such a risky move, and his reaction was extremely quick, immediately urging Jingyun to accelerate.
But Chixia has already seized the initiative!
Two shadows, one red and one black, swept across the finish line almost simultaneously.
The horse came to an abrupt stop, reined in, and dust billowed up.
The two horses reared up, their neighing echoing along the edge of the pasture.
Once the horse's hooves had settled and her breathing had calmed down, Shen Shuwan immediately turned her horse around and looked at Huo Xingzhou.
Her chest heaved violently, her cheeks flushed a bright red from the rush and excitement, and her temples were damp with sweat, sticking to her forehead. But her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness: "Mr. Huo, you flatter me."
Huo Xingzhou slowly turned his horse around, his breathing somewhat unsteady.
“Miss Shen won.” He admitted frankly, “That last inside cut was absolutely brilliant, and I, Huo, am completely convinced of my defeat.”
He paused, his voice lowering, "So, what does Miss Shen want me, the loser, to do with?"
All that remained were the horses' heavy breathing and their own still-beating hearts.
Perhaps it's because the horse racing process is too intense, or perhaps she inherently possesses the open-mindedness to "go for what she wants."
"Huo Xingzhou," she heard her own voice, clear and bright, "why don't you... try being with me?"
The wind seemed to stop for a moment.
The moment the words left her mouth, she was stunned.
Strangely, I didn't feel much regret.
The air was still, with only the horses impatiently stamping their hooves and making a soft sound.
Huo Xingzhou was stunned for a moment, then an almost unbelievable softness spread across his face.
He sighed softly, with an intimacy and helplessness that Shen Shuwan had never heard before, almost like a whisper: "You beat me to it."
Shen Shuwan felt a sudden release of tension in her heart at his words. Instead of feeling ashamed, she felt a strange sense of triumphant confidence, like that of a victor.
She slightly raised her chin, her ears already bright red, but she stubbornly refused to look away, even displaying a hint of coquettishness she herself didn't realize: "Just tell me, do you agree or not?"
He looked at her and spoke each word clearly and deliberately, with a solemn promise and a relieved joy: "I couldn't ask for more."
These four simple words, however, felt incredibly heavy, landing heavily on Shen Shuwan's heart and shattering the invisible barrier between them.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found herself at a loss for words.
The courage I had just felt receded like the tide, leaving behind a beach of scorching sand.
Huo Xingzhou seemed to see through her embarrassment, and the smile in his eyes deepened.
“However, Miss Shen,” he said, his tone still solemn, even more so than when he made his promise, “my plans to go north are not just for ‘to give it a try’.”
Shen Shuwan's heart skipped a beat at his words, and she abruptly looked up.
Huo Xingzhou's gaze locked onto her, giving her no room to dodge: "What I want is spring, summer, autumn, and winter, year after year, and for us to walk side by side in the future, no matter the wind or the rain or the smooth road."
Shen Shuwan's pupils dilated slightly, her heart churning violently.
After a brief moment of speechlessness, a surge of indomitable spirit suddenly welled up, overcoming the shyness and panic.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, and the spoiled attitude from before returned to her face: "Mr. Huo, I won the game, so why are you making more demands than me!"
"How much?" Huo Xingzhou chuckled softly.
He lightly flicked the reins, spurring his horse forward, bringing the two closer together, close enough that she could feel the warmth emanating from him and his cool, refreshing aura.
“After all, I am a businessman,” he said slowly, each word clear and forceful. “Businessmen are inherently calculating gains and losses, seeking maximum profit, and… are ambitious.”
He paused, his gaze deepening: "And when it comes to you, my ambitions will only grow larger."
“Okay,” she cleared her throat, trying to sound calm, “I understood Mr. Huo’s long speech.”
But Shen Shuwan immediately changed the subject, a sly glint in her eyes, and mimicked his tone: "However, those 'requests' you made—"
She deliberately dragged out her words.
"--It depends on your future performance."
After saying that, the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl upwards, like a little fox who had finally won a round. "After all, the final interpretation of the time limit and depth of 'trying' is in my hands as the winner."
Huo Xingzhou's smile widened: "Very well, then Miss Shen, please wait and see."
“So, as the start of our ‘performance’,” Huo Xingzhou changed the subject quite naturally, “may I allow you to send today’s winner and referee home?”
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Huo." She sat on horseback, her tone returning to its usual politeness, but a faint smile appeared in her eyes.
“I’m going to Jinshi in a couple of days,” Huo Xingzhou suddenly said, as if giving instructions for his trip. “I’ll be back in about five or six days.”
Shen Shuwan hummed in agreement, her gaze fixed on the grassland bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
"When I return," he continued, his voice carrying a barely perceptible gentleness, "the osmanthus blossoms in Beiping should be even more magnificent. I've heard there's an old osmanthus garden at the foot of the Western Hills, a place of serene beauty. I wonder... if I might have the honor of inviting Miss Shen to join me? It would be part of my 'performance'."
"We'll see," she said ambiguously, though her eyes gleamed. "If the gift you bring back from Jinshi suits my taste... perhaps I'll consider it."
Huo Xingzhou laughed, this time a hearty laugh that echoed through the empty twilight: "Alright, I will prepare carefully and make sure Miss Shen is satisfied!"