Shen You’an was dressed in a blue-and-white tracksuit that perfectly elongated her proportions, her tall and slender figure outshining even runway models, refreshing and cool like a breeze brushing past.
Beneath the blue baseball cap was a fair and delicate face, the brim almost covering two-thirds of it. When the girl looked up, the gold-rimmed glasses under her cap briefly caught the light with a cold gleam, as if a fleeting illusion.
By the time one snapped out of it, the girl had already walked away, leaving only the impression of a tall and slender silhouette behind.
Sharp, trimmed nails dug into the tender skin of her palm, yet Luuo Yunqi seemed unaware, casually retracting her gaze. "Let’s go," she said. The source of thɪs content is novelꞁire.net
Out of view from Xiao Ling, the gloom in the depths of her eyes spread wildly, like untamed weeds.
Pastoral Garden was a vast grassland for grazing horses. Even in the harsh winter, it offered an endless expanse of green. Hawks hovered and circled against the sky, and not far away, a few horses basked in the sunset’s afterglow, leisurely lowering their heads to graze.
By the time Gao Yuyue arrived, all the barbecue equipment was set up, with several tents erected nearby. If anyone felt cold, they could first warm up inside a tent.
Jiang Shengyao was busy grilling skewers. When he saw Shen You’an’s figure, he immediately handed over a freshly grilled lamb skewer. "Quick, eat this while it’s still hot."
Shen You’an paused, then smiled as she accepted it. "Thanks."
At some point, Jiang Shengyao’s face had gotten smudged with a black mark, though he seemed unaware of it. Scratching his head, he said, "I’ve practiced for so long, and still, I’m not anywhere near as good as you. I have a request... Don’t know if you’ll agree to it?"
Shen You’an bit into the lamb skewer. "Seeing as you gave me this, feel free to ask. As long as I can do it."
Jiang Shengyao hesitated before adding sheepishly, "It’s no good if it’s —I’d just be taking advantage. Teach me how to ride horses, and from now on, my life is yours."
With that, he slapped his chest grandly.
Shen You’an couldn’t help but laugh, looking at him leisurely. "What would I even do with your life?"
Jiang Shengyao answered without hesitation, "Then what do you want?"
"Ask for anything. As long as I have it, it’s yours."
The boy’s sharp brows framed eyes ablaze with brilliance, like twin flames burning bright, as if he wanted to offer his very heart to Shen You’an at this moment.
Shen You’an raised an eyebrow, rolling up her sleeve to reveal her forearm.
Jiang Shengyao, puzzled, stared down at her arm—and gasped audibly.
There, on the fair skin of her forearm, was a scar about the size of a fingernail. Though long healed, it remained as a gruesome and disfiguring mark—a clear indication of how deep the original wound must have been.
Because her complexion was so delicate and pale, the scar stood out even more prominently, ugly and fearsome against her flawless skin, evoking a pang of regret and sorrow.
Shen You’an’s gaze turned inscrutable. "You truly don’t remember, do you?"
Jiang Shengyao looked utterly baffled.
"First grade, the cafeteria. You got into a fight with another boy, flipped the table, and a nearby girl was caught in the crossfire."
Shen You’an’s voice was calm and composed, yet it made Jiang Shengyao visibly pale.
He had been a rebellious child growing up, fighting countless times—so many that even he couldn’t remember them all.
Thanks to Shen You’an’s reminder, some blurry memories slowly began surfacing, flooding his mind...
A foul-mouthed boy had mocked him for being the Crown Prince, and he’d lost his temper, flipping the table and starting a fight with the boy. Neither side was willing to back down.
He vaguely recalled someone shouting, "Someone’s hurt! Blood... there’s blood!"
At the time, he’d been far too absorbed in the fight to notice who had gotten hurt. All he remembered was that it was some unnoticed girl with a mushroom haircut.
Afterward, the other boy voluntarily transferred schools, while he ended up spending a week in the hospital, preoccupied with gaming and completely forgetting about the injured girl.
Jiang Shengyao’s lips moved, fumbling for words. But when his eyes fell on the frightening scar on the girl’s arm, he realized any words would be futile.
He dropped his head in frustration. "I’m sorry... I didn’t know the injured girl back then was you."
"Because you’ve never cared about ordinary people," Shen You’an replied bluntly, making his face blanch a shade paler.
"You’re the privileged Crown Prince of Lanya Group, born already ahead in the race. You’re clever and know that no matter how much trouble you cause, your mother, Ms. Lan Man, will clean up after you. That’s why you’ve recklessly squandered your advantages. To you, a girl with no background and no presence—what even is she?"
"No... it’s not like that," Jiang Shengyao stammered, desperate to refute her, but realized whatever he said would be hollow.
"Not too long ago, didn’t you sneer at me and even warn me to stay away, not to delude myself with climbing the social ladder? Mr. Jiang, do you still remember what you said? What made you change your attitude?"