Chapter 50: The Old Horse Knows the Way

Chapter 50: An Old Horse Knows the Way

Layers of questions weighed heavily on him, making it impossible to sit still. With an awkward smile, he scrambled up from the ground and crab-walked sideways, sneaking away.

“Well then, Miss Wan, I’ll just go over there and get out of your way.”

Before the words had fully left his mouth, he had already darted several yards away.

Jiang Wan wasn’t in the mood to chat with him either. She quickly finished preparing the wild chicken and carried it back to the fire pit, pondering how to set up a makeshift outdoor kitchen. Although she had never actually done this before, she had watched a few episodes of a survival reality show, so she at least had some theoretical basis.

She was busy with her tasks, but from his spot by the stream, Li Laosi watched from a distance, sighing and lamenting.

“Ah, Miss Wan is so young, yet so stubborn!

Wouldn’t it be great if we just became sworn siblings? You’d gain a brother, I’d gain a sister, and I could even help you snag my brother. Isn’t that a win-win for everyone?

Why does she have to fixate on me like this? Ah, this girl is truly a handful…”

He hung his head, a troubled expression on his face, and grumbled to himself.

“Even though you’re really beautiful, I truly don’t want to marry a feisty little girl as my wife! Wasn’t my father suffering alone enough? Why must I be dragged into this too?”

Dejectedly, he shifted closer to the water’s edge, leaned over, and stared at the handsome, dashing young man reflected in the surface, feeling the urge to scream at the sky in frustration.

“Ah, it’s all because I’ve grown so handsome lately!”

Ru Hua, who had ambled over for a drink, saw the human crouched by the water and annoyedly pawed at the ground with a hoof. If only horses had a greater capacity for sarcasm, he would definitely have quipped, “This generation of humans is truly the worst I’ve ever seen!”

The mares compete with horses for grass, and the stallions compete with horses for water.

Can they get anything right?

“Neigh! Neigh!”

He raised his head and whinnied, warning him.

If you don’t move aside, I’ll step on you.

Li Chengxiu, who had been lost in fantasies of his own dashing appearance by the water’s edge, was finally snapped out of his reverie by the horse’s call. He turned to look at the intelligent-looking dapple-gray horse and, a bit sheepishly, asked in a quiet voice:

“Ru Hua, do you think I’m handsome?”

*I think you’re a little crazy.*

The horse felt like rolling its eyes but couldn’t be bothered to engage further with these humans who clearly had no interest in acting like proper people. It quickly trotted a few steps away, hopped nimbly across the stones in the stream, and began drinking from the opposite bank.

Left with no other option, Li Chengxiu could only crouch back down by the water, admiring the reflection of his handsome, youthful self. He smoothed his hair smugly.

*Tsk, tsk, I really have become so handsome!*

Time flies when you’re busy, even though Jiang Wan hadn’t achieved any particularly impressive results. Without proper tools or suitable seasonings, the flavor of the roasted chicken was, predictably, hard to describe. But at least it was cooked. After picking off the charred, burnt, and blackened parts, what remained was enough to fill their bellies a bit.

Still not fully satiated, the two washed their hands by the stream and then spent about half an hour engaged in a round of charades with the clever Ru Hua. After much gesturing and miming—whether the horse understood or not was debatable—the two humans and one horse eventually set off under the sun, backtracking in the direction they had fled earlier.

At first, the two felt too embarrassed to ride their guide. They were counting on Ru Hua to lead them home, so how could they not coax him nicely? Thus, they walked on either side of the horse, taking turns buttering him up and making grand promises. After being led on a long detour, they finally found themselves, under the last glimmer of sunset, staring at a familiar pile of wild chicken remains by the stream.

Jiang Wan authoritatively cupped the horse’s face in her hands and posed a pointed question:

“Let’s be honest, Comrade Ru Hua. Were you deliberately leading us on a merry-go-round, or did you just not understand what we were trying to convey earlier?

I asked you to help us find our way home, not to take us on a digestive stroll! Do you understand now? If you understand, nod your head.”

The horse, quite obligingly, twisted its neck.

After shaking off the little rascal’s hands, it quickly took several steps to the side. The guilt so vividly displayed on its face made Jiang Wan laugh in exasperation.

“No wonder you were sent home from the battlefield to retire at such a young age. So it turns out you weren’t injured in the leg back then—it was your brain, wasn’t it?

Admit it, Ru Hua. You’re actually bad with directions too, aren’t you? You have no idea how to get back, do you?”

“Neigh~!”

The proud horse wasn’t having it! Well, since the detour was over and his revenge was complete, it was time to get down to business.

The dappled horse tossed its thick mane and whinnied a few times with an air of confidence.

Li Chengxiu, who had collapsed exhausted onto the ground, muttered weakly:

“What does it want to do now? This guy sure has a vindictive streak. What exactly did we do to provoke him?”

“How should I know? Do you really think I speak horse? Get up, now!”

“Let me rest for a bit, please. I really can’t walk anymore, Miss Wan.”

Jiang Wan stepped forward, firmly yanked him up from the ground, and helped him climb onto the horse’s back.

“Get on the horse! It’s almost dark. If you’re not afraid of becoming some wild beast’s dinner, then by all means, keep sitting here and resting. I’m leaving!”

“Don’t go, Sis! I’m getting on right now!”

“What are you going on about? Put your foot in the stirrup and move back. If you’re squatting up there, where am I supposed to sit?”

“I know, I know. I’m moving, see?”

“Then move faster!”

“I’m moving… Ow, you stepped on my foot…”

“Obviously! There’s only one stirrup—if I don’t step on your foot, how am I supposed to get up? When I rushed back to save you, didn’t you step on my foot to get on the horse too? Did I say anything then?”

“I’m sorry, I was wrong.”

The sky grew darker and darker. Through the dense forest canopy, a bird or two occasionally flitted past. Some curious onlookers, passing by, found the two chattering humans below rather amusing and would occasionally alight on a branch to listen for a while, alleviating their boredom.

Ru Hua was indeed an intelligent creature with human-like understanding. Once he sensed that the two on his back were seated securely, he immediately broke into a gallop, charging madly back along the path they had come. Although the night was pitch black, it did nothing to hinder the horse’s vision. Jiang Wan, bold as ever, began blind-riding, placing her blind faith in the mischievous horse beneath her.

The autumn night wind felt chilly against their faces. When its faint tendrils slipped into their collars, it brought a bone-chilling coolness. Whether out of fear or because he sensed the slender girl riding in front of him shivering uncontrollably in the wind, Li Chengxiu’s fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly in the darkness. Finally, working up his nerve, he reached out and firmly grasped hold of her once again.