“We have at least seven miles of well-maintained trails around the perimeter of this park. This park is perfect for beginners. In fact, we would even recommend that a beginner start with our horse riding simulator first before riding the real one,” Luke patiently explained as he led them to another barn. “We also have a team of professionals that is fully qualified to teach aspiring riders as young as four-year-old.” He then eyed Lily and Zhuo Jingren before he continued to lead them without saying another word.
The duo was immersed in their own little world that Luke felt really awkward to continue talking. It was as if he was talking to the air ah. Luke decided that he should try to join in their conversation and with this in mind, he purposely slowed down his steps to walk beside Zhuo Jingren. “So, have you ridden a horse before?” he asked.
“No,” he answered.
“Oh,” Luke nodded. “I’m sure Lily will teach you. She seemed small but she is extremely good at horseback riding. In fact, her skills are comparable to some of the professional horseback riders here. We used to watch horseback riding shows together to learn some pointers.”
“Oh… in the future, she will be watching those shows with me.” Zhuo Jingren’s blunt words rendered Luke speechless. Lily smiled for she found it funny how a man, no matter how accomplished, would turn childish in front of the woman they like. Lily pretended not to hear Zhuo Jingren’s words because she knew it would be true.
The amusing thing was how the conversation died after what Zhuo Jingren said as Luke did not know how to respond to that. What else could he say? He was a little irritated but he did not show it. Instead, he started explaining about the area and the barns that they passed.
After a few more minutes, the group arrived at another stable that looked exactly like the one that held Six.
“This is where we keep Lily’s favorite horse called Irish and some of the best horses we have.” Luke said, his voice a little smug. He had known Lily for years and rather familiar with her likes and dislikes. Though, he did not want to rub it on Zhuo Jingren’s face, Luke felt that what Zhuo Jingren did earlier was akin to a declaration of war.
“Here we go…” Lily smiled when she saw the dark brown horse which was taller than her. If Zhou Jingren’s estimate was right, the horse should be around 170 centimeters tall. She let go of Zhuo Jingren’s hands and approached the stall. “Hi, Irish… I miss you,” she said while rubbing the horse’s neck, her eyes turning into crescents.
“That is an expensive Irish thoroughbred, that Lily immediately fell in love with the first time she visited this place with her grandmother,” Luke proudly said to Zhuo Jingren. However before Zhuo Jingren could answer, Lily beckoned him to her.
“Alright… you will be riding this horse. While I ride the black stallion over there,” Lily told Zhuo Jingren.
“I thought this horse is your favorite?” he eyed the horse before him. It wasn’t glaring at him unlike the first horse he met when he arrived here. For some reason, he felt that the horse was even smiling at him. Zhuo Jingren turned his head immediately to look at Lily. A horse’s smile was just as scary as its serious face ah.
“He is extremely docile. This is good since you are a beginner. Plus, you are my favorite too… Ah…two of my favorites in one frame, how nice.” Lily smiled and walked towards the black horse which was two stalls away from Irish.
“Did you hear that?” Zhuo Jingren asked Luke with a smirk before walking up to Lily. ‘So what if Luke knows Lily in the past? There is a reason that he is Lily’s husband right now and not Luke.’ Zhuo Jingren thought while laughing inwardly. ‘The past is in the past for a reason, while he is the future. What’s the use of mulling over the past when he have decades to spend with Lily?’
The hot and hurried love-making at the cabin earlier gave him the confidence in their future. He could feel that Lily was slowly opening up to him and he would be waiting patiently for Lily to fully entrust herself to him. As long as they continue to trust each other and communicate well, he believed that they will build a strong bond.
“Alright, to mount a horse, you have to approach it at its shoulder,” Lily started to explain while they walk their horses out of the stable. The riding gear were all already attached on the horses because Fabian went ahead of them to get everything prepared before they arrived. “Never… and I mean never approach a horse from the back.”
“Alright.” Zhuo Jingren nodded. Though he could sense the ridicule in Luke’s gaze, he chose to ignore it. As someone who grew up in an orphanage, he didn’t have the chance to learn many things. Even after he left the orphanage, he was busy working odd jobs in Japan, he didn’t have the time to learn a rich man’s sports like horseback riding. Despite his unprivileged background, he was not ashamed of it.
Rather, Zhuo Jingren was proud at what he had achieved even though his starting hand was poor. When his adoptive father handed him the business, it was only a small insurance company. This was his adoptive father’s way of entering the business industry legally.
After taking over the business, Zhuo Jingren did his best to make a name in the banking industries. He worked hard and had many sleepless nights. He stumbled, made mistakes but he never stopped moving forward in pursuit of his dream to reach the top. He worked his a** off and in the end, he finally made it to the top. All his efforts finally paid off! To top it all off, he now had Lily by his side.
So why would he be insecure about some entitled rich guy? When he already has everything that he needed in the form of Lily?”
…
Editor: Swaning
