The horse trader quickly protested, "Look at what you're saying! I, Ma Laosan, am a big shot in Hancheng. How could I do such a thing? This white horse was a bet that the spendthrift young master of the Luo family lost to me. I didn't expect it to be so stubborn. It kicked several of us experienced horse trainers. This is incredibly embarrassing!"
I said "Oh," and carefully examined the horse. Its eyes shone brightly, and its gaze was exceptionally spirited; it was indeed a fine horse. At that moment, it started kicking and biting wildly, and everyone quickly scattered, not daring to approach.
What a character! I walked towards it, and amidst the gasps of the crowd, I flicked my sleeve lightly. One, two, three, and the white horse collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Turning around, I looked at the dumbfounded Ma Laosan and smiled slightly: "Name your price, I want this horse."
When they returned to the inn, half an hour had passed. After asking Tieqi for directions, they headed towards Baili Chenfeng's room. To their surprise, he hadn't closed the door and was sitting by the window playing chess alone.
"Don't you get bored playing chess alone?"
He looked up at me with an inviting expression, so I sat down opposite him. I saw that there were more than a hundred pieces on the chessboard, with the black and white pieces facing each other, already in a stalemate.
"Two tigers fighting." I deliberately spoke slowly, and sure enough, he flinched. "You have something bothering you?"
How did you know that?
"Life is like chess." I paused for a moment, then continued, "With Baili Wenming gone, who will be the next city lord? Your adopted son, or you?"
Baili Chenfeng's expression changed drastically, becoming indescribably strange: "Why do you think there will be two candidates?"
I laughed, a nonchalant laugh: "The First Swordsman and the adopted son of the City Lord are inherently incompatible. If you told me that you two have a good relationship, I would find it strange."
He remained silent.
I picked up a white piece and placed it down, saying, "Can you tell me who Xiao Zuo really is?"
"What are you doubting?" He followed my move and returned a piece.
“Du San Niang.” I placed another piece, capturing the surrounding black pieces. “Even you can’t be sure if that woman knows martial arts, which means she must be a top-notch expert. Don’t you find it strange that Xiao Zuo subdued her so easily?”
Baili Chenfeng pondered for a moment and said, "Then what do you think?"
“Also, we changed our itinerary at the last minute and disembarked in Hancheng. How did the Five Dragons of the Yellow River know that? Don’t you think there are too many coincidences?” Seeing his extremely astonished expression, I laughed and scrambled the chessboard on the table. “I was just saying it casually. It’s my habit to think of the worst in everything. Xiao Zuo is your friend, so you naturally know and trust him, right?”
He looked at me with a complex expression in his eyes. After a long while, he sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Miss Feng, do you feel lonely with so much suspicion?"
A sudden pang of pain shot through my heart; his words stirred up a torrent of emotions, leaving me feeling restless and uneasy. Baili Chenfeng, why do you always make me so agitated?
“I just want to be safe, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” I replied, unwilling to elaborate, and changed the subject, “By the way, would you like to come downstairs with me?”
He didn't ask why, and just came downstairs with me. Was his trust in me at this moment the same as Gong Feicui's trust in Xiao Zuo? No questions asked, no right or wrong... Thinking this, my chest trembled even more. Fortunately, we had arrived at our destination.
A long neighing sound came from the stables in the backyard of the inn. The timing was perfect; the white horse I had poisoned had woken up. As soon as it saw me, it neighed even louder, constantly biting at the reins, trying to break free.
Baili Chenfeng stared at this scene in astonishment and said, "This—"
I smiled and said, "You must be heartbroken to lose your beloved horse, Zhui Luo, by drowning. So, I'm giving you another one. This white horse may not be as good as it, but it's still one in a hundred. However, it's untamed, so whether you can handle it is up to you."
A burning light appeared in Baili Chenfeng's eyes. For a horse lover to see a fine horse is like a martial arts enthusiast seeing a martial arts manual, or a sentimental young man seeing a beautiful woman; one can imagine the extent of his ecstasy.
Sure enough, a flash of white light appeared, the reins broke, and the white horse was freed. It immediately galloped away, and as the black cloak fluttered, Baili Chenfeng mounted the horse. In the blink of an eye, the man and the horse disappeared from sight.
I stood there, quietly waiting for his return, and felt a strange sense of peace mixed with a touch of joy. I looked up at the sky, a vast expanse of blue, so pleasing to the eye.
After a full meal's time, the sound of hooves rang out again. Turning his head, he saw Baili Chenfeng riding back. When he arrived, he gave a light shout, and the horse obediently stopped, clearly having been tamed by him.
I saw that his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, so the taming process was not easy.
"What a fine horse!" He dismounted and exclaimed, "You're mistaken, it's no less impressive than the Chasing Sun Horse."
"Since ancient times, a fine horse has been like a beautiful woman; once you tame it, it will submit to you. Congratulations."
He stroked the horse's back with lingering interest, then suddenly said, "Let's give it a name."
"Well?"
"The horse you gave me should be named by you."
This was the first time I'd seen him smile so brightly since I'd known him. Perhaps I was infected by his good mood, because without thinking I blurted out, "Your old horse was called Chasing the Sun, so let's call this one Chasing the Wind."
His gaze suddenly turned serious, and I immediately realized I had said the wrong thing. Chase…the wind? Wind! My surname is Feng (Wind), doesn't that imply he should chase after me?
My cheeks burned instantly. Even though I am usually calm and composed, I felt completely at a loss when faced with that gaze.
I quickly lowered my eyes, but saw his hand slowly reaching out from under my eyelashes. I instinctively flinched, but I couldn't escape. He gently grasped my hand, and I heard him say, "Okay, let's call him Chasing the Wind."
The feeling in my hands was warm, a warmth like the ocean, gently engulfing my entire being before I even had a chance to hesitate. Why, Baili Chenfeng, why did you do this?
I looked up at him, and his face flickered in the sunlight before suddenly becoming blurry.
He smiled, his voice as gentle as the early spring breeze: "Thank you... Wind Maiden."
Tears welled up in my eyes, whether from fear, resentment, or something else entirely, I didn't care to guess. With a slight twist of my wrist, I broke free from his grasp and hurriedly turned away, not daring to look at the expression on his face.
Baili Chenfeng, no, I can't, I can't love, I can't love you, I can't...
I pushed open the door and slid down the wall, feeling utterly powerless. My chest ached as if something had run over it. I pressed my hand to my chest, trying to calm myself, but then I discovered something that made my face change instantly. The anxiety and unease I had felt because of Baili Chenfeng vanished like bubbles in an instant.
I searched inside my clothes again, but still couldn't find it!
I stood up, my gaze unfocused on the distance, a chilling voice echoing in my mind—
Du San Niang's silver bracelet has disappeared.
The wind is gentle, and someone has silently stolen it from you.