The boy hadn’t made it clear whether he meant holding the reins or holding her hand.
Their breaths were nearly touching, mingling with the faint, clean scent from Xu Si.
Xu Si lowered her head to look at their clasped hands. Without realizing it, Pei Zhen’s hand had grown much larger than hers. Their actions resembled holding hands, but it seemed more like he was controlling the reins through her hand.
A strange feeling stirred within her, though she couldn’t quite grasp what it was. In that fleeting moment, before she had a chance to dwell on it, the young man gently released his grip and took hold of her wrist instead.
He had a perfect grasp of limits, propriety, and distance, always toeing the line without ever crossing it by even a fraction. The warmth transferred silently, like a fleeting spring breeze that couldn’t be held.
Even though Butler Ge and the servants were all standing nearby watching, with so many eyes on them, no one noticed anything amiss.
"Auntie, you can’t let your mind wander while riding," he said.
Pei Zhen looked up at her. His voice was clear and smooth, his thick lashes jet-black, his eyes a light color, all conveying a gentle warmth that wasn’t quite a smile.
Xu Si’s gaze sharpened for a moment. She collected her thoughts, uttered an "Mm," and then rode the horse leisurely across the meadow.
Pei Zhen’s lips curved as he smiled at Xu Si.
Xu Si had seen that smile countless times—demure, gentle, and sincere.
But he wasn’t a child anymore, after all.
He was eighteen this year, with a refined, delicate face. As his gaze rested on her, Xu Si felt the tips of her ears grow warm.
After a couple of turns, she began to feel dizzy from the movement.
"Azhen, I want to get down," she said.
"Alright, Auntie. Easy does it," he replied.
Pei Zhen stopped, turned to Xu Si, and extended his hand to support her. As she was about to dismount, he hovered his hands near her slender waist, ready to steady her, without actually touching her.
His body heat seemed to radiate through her clothes, its presence palpable.
Xu Si froze for a moment again.
Pei Zhen’s hazy grey eyes watched her entire lapse into distraction from above. After a long moment, as if afraid to startle her, his voice was barely a whisper.
"Why do you keep drifting off today, Auntie? Is something wrong?"
The breeze rustled the leaves, creating a crisp, percussive sound.
"Nothing’s wrong." Xu Si brushed the dust from her hands and walked to a chair, a smile in her eyes. She sat down, her voice soft and tinged with emotion. "It’s just... I suddenly realized you’ve grown up so much. I can’t even reach your head to pat it anymore."
As soon as the words left her lips, she lowered her gaze, suddenly understanding the source of that faint, strange feeling.
People’s personalities tend to change somewhat as they grow older. But Pei Zhen hadn’t. He’d never changed, never gone through that so-called rebellious phase that worried everyone. He was so well-behaved and considerate that she’d always thought of him this way: excellent, polite, and likable, never evoking a single negative emotion in their interactions. That was why being occasionally close to him felt normal. Only in hindsight did she realize that such actions were no longer appropriate for someone his age.
Around them, the sunlight consumed everything; only the shade beneath the trees offered a temporary refuge from the blazing sun.
Pei Zhen blinked slowly, then bent down and sat on the chair beside her. His long, slender fingers dangled, so pale they seemed to glow, making one wonder what kind of upbringing could cultivate such aristocratic hands.
He looked at Xu Si, his lips parting slightly.
"I’m happy that you think I’ve grown up, Auntie. But if you want to pat my head, you can just tell me. I’ll bend down for you."
Xu Si tucked a strand of her long hair back, then gently placed her hand on his grey hair, stroking it softly. Her voice was calm.
"This is the last time. Precisely because you’ve grown up, actions shouldn’t happen anymore."
Pei Zhen lowered his gaze, his grey eyes showing a faint trace of disappointment for the first time, yet he remained impeccably well-behaved.
"Mm, I’ll listen to you, Auntie."