PFC Chapter 556 Xie Jue's storyline: My heart suddenly started beating extremely fast.
Chapter 556 Xie Jue's storyline: My heart suddenly started beating extremely fast.
"Princess, Young Master Jue." Lieutenant General Li reined in his horse and bowed. "I have come here on the orders of the General to instruct in riding and archery."
Lieutenant General Li first led the two men on a slow jog around the field to get them used to the horses. Then he personally dismounted and pointed out how to hold the reins, how to exert force, and how to use leverage to increase the horse's speed.
Xie Jue knew how to ride a horse, but he wasn't very skilled.
After a few practice sessions, one can skillfully control the sitting posture and reins, resulting in a graceful and steady riding posture.
Gao Wanzhi had been exposed to riding and archery since childhood. Although she was not a member of the military orthodoxy, she was agile and had a calm demeanor with a touch of elegance.
"Excellent!" Lieutenant General Li nodded repeatedly. "The princess and young master Jue are indeed exceptionally talented."
The two exchanged a glance, their eyes both filled with eager anticipation.
"Want to have a match?" Xie Jue raised an eyebrow at her.
Gao Wanzhi smiled, her eyes bright, "Let's compete then, who's afraid of who?"
Lieutenant General Li looked at the two of them and laughed heartily, "Then I'll be the referee. We'll run three laps around the racecourse, and the first one to finish wins!"
The two rode their horses to the starting line. Xie Jue patted his horse's neck and looked at her with a smile, "Don't lose too badly."
“It’s not certain who will lose and who will win!”
Gao Wanzhi raised her chin defiantly.
"preparation--"
"start!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the horse's hooves flew, kicking up dust.
Two figures sped across the field, one after the other.
The wind whistled past their ears, yet they couldn't help but laugh, a feeling of indescribable joy welling up inside them.
As they crossed the finish line on the third lap, the two horses stopped almost simultaneously, exchanged a smile, both slightly out of breath, but their eyes were filled with unbridled excitement.
"One more time?" Gao Wanzhi wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, her eyes gleaming.
"I'll play along to the end." Xie Jue smiled and turned his horse around.
The second race began at the racecourse, with two figures riding side by side at breakneck speed, kicking up clouds of dust.
Gao Wanzhi, riding with great enthusiasm, turned back with a bright smile and gave Xie Jue a provocative look, "You'd better hurry up, or you'll lose!"
Xie Jue chuckled at her provocation and was about to urge his horse on when suddenly a startled horse neighed from ahead.
Immediately afterwards, a black horse that had been tied up in the corner broke free of its reins and galloped off, heading straight for Gao Wanzhi!
"Wanzhi!"
Xie Jue's expression changed, and without the slightest hesitation, he spurred his horse and charged forward.
Gao Wanzhi then realized something was wrong and turned around to see the frightened horse rushing towards her.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively tried to avoid it, but the horse began to neigh and tremble in fear, uncontrollably retreating.
Just as the mad horse was about to crash into her mount, at the critical moment, a figure suddenly rushed to her side!
Xie Jue squeezed his legs together, used the horse's momentum to leap onto the horse, and with a sweep of his arm, pulled Gao Wanzhi off the horse.
He scooped her into his arms, rolled over, and tumbled onto the grass with her.
When they landed, Gao Wanzhi was curled up in his arms, staring at him blankly.
Gao Wanzhi leaned against Xie Jue's chest and could clearly hear the violent thumping of his heart, each beat like a drumbeat hitting her ears.
He held her tightly, his youthful aura enveloping her completely.
She looked up at him, stunned.
His slightly messy bangs hung down, his eyes were deep, and his lips were taut.
At that very moment, Gao Wanzhi's heart suddenly started beating extremely fast.
"The princess!"
Lieutenant General Li rushed over, his face filled with fear. He spotted the two men who had fallen to the ground and immediately went to them.
Gao Wanzhi snapped back to her senses and quickly got up from Xie Jue's arms, her movements somewhat flustered.
"I, I'm fine!" she said hastily, feeling incredibly guilty for some reason. She lowered her head to tidy her hair, but for a moment she didn't dare to look at Xie Jue.
Lieutenant General Li was still full of worry. "That horse was terrifying! Did the princess fall and get hurt? Was she hit by anything?"
"No, no, I was just startled..." she mumbled.
Xie Jue glanced at her to make sure she wasn't injured before he felt relieved.
The eldest princess's mansion.
The moon hangs half-hidden in the sky, and thin clouds cast their shadows in the courtyard.
The swing swayed gently, making a creaking sound. Gao Wanzhi sat on it, the scene from earlier that day repeatedly flashing through her mind.
They've been bickering since they were little, and this is the first time they've been this close...
It left her feeling confused and unable to calm down for the entire afternoon.
I didn't eat much for dinner and just sat alone in the yard.
She lowered her head and fiddled with the sash between her fingers when suddenly a figure walked in from outside the hanging flower gate.
Gao Wanzhi glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her brows furrowing slightly.
Isn't this Chunxing, the maid on night duty?
"Chunxing!" she called softly.
Chunxing was so startled that she almost dropped the small package in her hand. She quickly hid it behind her back and managed a weak smile.
"Princess...why aren't you resting yet?"
"That's exactly what I was about to ask you." Gao Wanzhi narrowed her eyes. "Sneaking in like this late at night with a package, were you sneaking in to steal some snacks?"
"No, no!"
Chunxing waved her hands repeatedly, but the more she tried to explain, the worse it got, and her expression became increasingly flustered.
Gao Wanzhi blinked, stood up from the swing, and approached step by step, "Your face is so red, are you still trying to lie?"
Chunxing nervously wrung her hands, "It's really not a snack, it's just..."
Gao Wanzhi raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
She reached out and tugged, and sure enough, when Chunxing opened the small package she had hidden behind her, several crudely printed old paper books fell out, their covers quite fancy.
The book titles, such as "The Cold-Faced Prince's Beloved Concubine's Daily Life" and "The Regent's Little Darling," were prominently displayed in large, vermilion characters.
Gao Wanzhi was stunned.
Chunxing was so frightened she almost cried. "Princess, please don't punish me! This is my first time buying one! Really! I heard that all the young ladies in the capital love to read these stories, so I thought I'd check it out..."
Gao Wanzhi accepted the storybook that Chunxing handed her.
"Since this is your first time buying, I won't punish you. Go back now."
Gao Wanzhi said gently, she did not like to punish her servants.
But before leaving, he still asked Chunxing to leave the storybook behind.
Chunxing didn't dare say anything more and immediately put the storybook on the stone table.
He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly bowed his head to take his leave.
As night deepened, Gao Wanzhi lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
What kept replaying in her mind was the scene of Xie Jue holding her today.
She rolled over, trying to shake the image off, but when she closed her eyes, the image reappeared.
Gao Wanzhi sat up abruptly.
Her gaze fell on the package that she had casually tossed aside on the bedside table.
She hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out and took it, opening it under the candlelight.
The pages were slightly yellowed, but the ink was still delicate and beautiful.
The first page depicted the scene of the male and female protagonists meeting. At first, she felt a little awkward reading it, her brows furrowing slightly, but as the story unfolded, she gradually became engrossed.
Later, the male protagonist gently embraced the female protagonist and, under the starry sky, lowered his head to kiss her forehead and lips.
Upon seeing this, Gao Wanzhi's cheeks had already involuntarily become hot.
Her heartbeat gradually quickened, as if a flustered little deer had taken up residence in her chest, thumping incessantly.
A figure involuntarily appeared in her mind.
That person was bright and clear-eyed; when he smiled, his eyes seemed to sparkle with tiny stars.
It is Xie Jue.
Gao Wanzhi was stunned and completely frozen in place.
How could it be him?
Gao Wanzhi bit her lip and touched her heart.
The music was still pounding there.
So, the person she liked was Xie Jue.