After paying for the horses that Chenyang and Xueyue took, Li Wenmin got onto his own horse and raced through the streets. When he saw a crowd gathered near the port, he immediately went there.
“How can you guys just leave me?” he whined, hopping off of his horse and childishly stomping towards the two.
“What you did was really dangerous, Xiao Yue.” Li Wenmin held her arm and frowned, “You can’t do that again. Okay?”
Li Wenmin never admitted it, but he was also very worried about her. He saw how fragile and awfully thin she was. It must’ve been easy for her to break a bone.
“We have to go back home. We’ve skipped lunch and knowing our mother, she has already jumped to the conclusion that we were murdered,” Li Chenyang mused.
“Alright, let’s go back home before she frets any further.” Li Wenmin nodded as he released Xueyue and turned her towards the direction of the carriage.
“What about Heiyue?” Xueyue asked with a frown.
“Heiyue? Who’s that?” Li Wenmin repeated, looking around his surroundings in confusion.
Xueyue walked towards her horse and placed a gentle hand on its face. “My horse. His name is Heiyue.” She nodded.
Li Wenmin observed the blind horse with a frown. “Xiao Yue, I bought another horse for you. It’s the one that Chenyang rode.” Li Wenmin pointed to the prized horse.
The edge of Xueyue’s lips tilted downwards. It was the first time she had ever frowned in front of Li Wenmin. “I want Heiyue,” she firmly said with her voice lighter than a feather.
Li Chenyang stared at the troublemaker horse. He noticed the way the horse’s head was turned towards Xueyue and the way it seemed to cling close to her.
“Let her keep the horse. If she wants a replacement, we always have more horses at home for her to choose from.” Li Chenyang sighed while handing the reins of the new horse to his servants.
Li Wenmin crackled a dry smile after realizing he was outnumbered. “Fine, fine.” He waved the white flag before nodding towards the male servants. “Give them the reins. They’ll guide him home.”
Xueyue followed his gaze. “I want to ride this horse home.”
Li Wenmin raised his brow and crossed his arms, his muscles slightly bulging. “Absolutely not. The horse is blind, it won’t know how to take you home,” he declared, his eyes burning with stubbornness.
Xueyue shook her head and before anyone could say anything, she swiftly hopped onto the horse as if she had done it a hundred times before.
“I’ve always watched the scenery whenever we ride in the carriage. I can go home by myself,” she said and without waiting for their confirmation, she rode off.
“Hey!” Li Wenmin yelled, clearly unhappy at being abandoned.
“Li Chenyang!” he shouted, turning towards his younger brother who had already hopped onto the prized horse.
A mischievous glint lit up Li Chenyang’s eyes. “Race you home, dimwit,” he said and immediately rode after Xueyue.
“Great! Everyone decides to abandon me,” Li Wenmin scowled, kicking the dirt from the ground.
He ran a hand through his bangs and sighed in defeat.
A pretty maidservant came forward and bowed. “Young Master Li, the carriage is ready,” she daintily said.
When the crowd heard the surname, their eyes grew as wide as the full moon. They were the infamous Li twins?!
The people knew the Li twins were exceedingly handsome and were one of the most sought-after bachelors of their era. Wealthy, good connections, well-built, and with no malicious rumors swirling around them, it was clear to see why so many mothers wanted them as their sons-in-law.
There was only one person in the entire country who could beat their reputation, but everyone knew it was impossible to obtain him.
“If that’s one of the Li twins, who is that girl?” a woman asked her mother.
The crowd instantly thought about the same question.
“Perhaps their sister?” another voice responded.
Duke and Duchess Li were famed for having hidden their daughter so well.
To this day, no one had seen her face, learned of her death, and even her name.
