Chapter 89: The Buddhist Temple (1)

The next day was clear and bright, with high skies and light clouds—a perfect autumn day in Jiangnan.

Qi Ying had the day off and, as promised, took Shen Xiling out to enjoy the autumn scenery.

To be fair, Qingji Mountain was already a famous scenic spot within Jiankang, renowned for its red maple leaves in autumn and an ideal place for autumn outings.

However, since taking a day off was rare, it would be rather dull to simply wander around their own backyard. Thus, Qi Ying decided to venture further, taking Shen Xiling to Qixia Mountain on the outskirts of the city to admire the maple leaves. Originally named Sheshan, Qixia Mountain was one of the most famous places for viewing red maples. Every autumn, the entire mountain was ablaze with fiery red leaves, resembling evening clouds resting on the hills—a truly spectacular sight.

This should have been a joyous occasion, but Shen Xiling was deeply troubled.

All because Qi Ying intended to test her horse-riding skills.

She had assumed they would travel to Qixia Mountain by carriage, perhaps riding horses only briefly once they arrived. Who could have imagined he would be so unyielding this time, not even bringing a carriage, insisting they ride horses both ways?

…This was practically asking for her life.

Naturally, Shen Xiling shook her head repeatedly, trying to persuade Qi Ying to change his mind. However, Lord Qi wasn’t so easily swayed. He calmly listened to her soft, pleading voice while remaining steadfast, instructing Bai Song to bring out her horse from the stable.

The horse was a gift he had given her last year on her birthday, reportedly a very precious breed. It was sleek black, well-proportioned, with long, sturdy legs that weren’t overly tall, and a gentle temperament, making it suitable for her to ride.

Although the gift was valuable, she found it hard to appreciate such kindness. After riding it a few times during her birthday out of novelty and obligation, she hadn’t taken it out for a stroll in the past six months. Unlike Xuétuán, who was much adored, this horse didn’t even have a name from its female owner. It was only later, when Qi Ying couldn’t bear it, that it finally got a name—Benxiao.

Though the horse wasn’t favored by Shen Xiling, she quite liked the name Benxiao. Not for any other reason, but because Qi Ying’s horse was named Zhuri, also a black horse, though much taller and stronger than hers. Zhuri and Benxiao sounded harmonious together, which she greatly appreciated.

Still, such a good name couldn’t dispel her fear and resistance to horse riding. Even just before departure, she hadn’t given up, still trying to convince Qi Ying to let her ride in the carriage. She racked her brains to find excuses, pretending earnestly, “I actually do want to ride there, but we can’t leave without someone accompanying us. If I ride, I’ll be fine, but what about Shui Pei…”

Before she finished, she turned her head and saw Shui Pei leading a horse out from the stable, then nimbly mounting it without assistance.

Shen Xiling: “…?”

When did Sister Shui Pei acquire such skills? Last year, when she accompanied her practicing horseback riding, she seemed quite unfamiliar with equestrian arts!

Unbeknownst to her, Shui Pei had always known how to ride. Last year, she had deliberately pretended to be unskilled to encourage Shen Xiling’s fragile confidence. Now, she was finally showing some of her true abilities.

Shen Xiling was left speechless by the scene. Qi Ying noticed her astonished and disheartened expression, a trace of amusement flickering in his eyes. He nodded, agreeing with her, “Since you really want to ride, your maids seem fine too, so let’s go.”

Thus, the matter was settled.

Until they started down the mountain, the young girl’s face remained pale.

Qi Ying naturally realized she wanted to ride in the carriage, but he couldn’t compromise on this. He was already busy, rarely finding time to take her out. If he weren’t personally supervising her, she definitely wouldn’t ride honestly. If he had brought a carriage today, she would surely think about riding in it, resorting to coquettishness and tantrums, which even he couldn’t handle, ultimately resulting in failure halfway.

He wasn’t as cold-hearted as she thought, always being particularly soft-hearted towards her—of course, he couldn’t let her discover this, or else nothing he said would count in the future.

Thus, Qi Ying deliberately put on a stern face, using an indisputable tone to tell Shen Xiling, “Get on the horse.”

When he wasn’t smiling, he truly looked very severe. At that moment, Shen Xiling couldn’t tell if he was angry, momentarily abandoning any thoughts of further pleading. Knowing she couldn’t avoid it today, she adjusted her veil, pursed her lips, and stepped onto the stirrup.

Shui Pei, who was attending her, couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle at her mistress’s obedient demeanor in front of Master Qi. She thought that when they returned today, she must vividly recount everything to Feng Chang and Zi Jun to console their regret of not being able to accompany them.

However, it wasn’t unjust that they couldn’t come along—after all, they didn’t know how to ride. Even Qingzhu, who also didn’t know how to ride, wasn’t allowed to follow Master Qi today. Only Bai Song accompanied him.

While Shui Pei was somewhat smugly thinking about this, she suddenly heard her mistress exclaim. Looking up, she saw Benxiao frolicking.

It really wasn’t the horse’s fault.

Benxiao was originally a very precious breed of thousand-mile horse, rumored to travel a thousand miles at night. But ever since Qi Ying gave it to Shen Xiling as a gift, it had spent its days eating grass in the stable, never getting a chance to run freely. Today, having finally come out of the stable, it naturally felt excited. Seeing its mistress about to mount, it became even more spirited, pawing the ground with its front hooves and snorting loudly, eagerly proving its strength and vitality.

Unfortunately, its gentle mistress was already terrified of it. Just as she stepped onto the stirrup and hadn’t yet mounted, the horse’s excited pacing frightened her pale, causing her to loosen the reins and nearly fall.

Fortunately, its male master was nearby. Seeing the situation, he swiftly caught the frightened mistress in his arms, preventing a minor mishap.

Shen Xiling was still shaken, her heart pounding. Leaning against Qi Ying, she clung to his sleeve, refusing to mount again, leaving him both amused and exasperated.

Seeing her genuine fear, he reluctantly compromised, saying, “I’ll hold the reins for you, don’t worry.”

These words carried a comforting tone, his expression gentle, which slightly reassured Shen Xiling.

She looked at him and then at Benxiao, pursed her lips, and nodded with difficulty, turning her head to ask him to help her mount.

Qi Ying nodded.

Shen Xiling thus felt more reassured, took a deep breath, and stepped back onto the stirrup. Benxiao was still excited, but Qi Ying firmly held the reins, preventing it from moving, though it let out a joyful neigh.

This startled Shen Xiling, who thought the horse was going wild again, causing her to flinch and almost fall. But this time, Qi Ying lightly supported her waist, and she managed to sit on the horse’s back.

The warmth of his palm faintly seeped through her clothes, leaving a vague touch that made Shen Xiling blush under her veil, thankfully concealed from everyone’s view.

At this moment, she saw Qi Ying handing her the reins. After a moment’s thought, she didn’t take them, instead asking, “Didn’t you say earlier that you’d hold the reins for me?”

Qi Ying raised an eyebrow.

He indeed said that, but he meant holding the reins while she mounted to prevent the horse from moving, not after she was already on the horse.

Shen Xiling knew his real intention but deliberately misinterpreted his words, hoping he would continue holding the reins for her. It wasn’t entirely to flirt with him; she was genuinely afraid. She hadn’t ridden for a long time, and Benxiao seemed particularly excitable today, making her fear falling off.

Qi Ying didn’t respond immediately. Seeing this, Bai Song stepped forward, intending to take the reins from Qi Ying, saying, “Master, let me do it.”

After he spoke, Qi Ying sighed, shook his head, and said, “Never mind, you lead Zhuri for me.”

Bai Song respectfully agreed, then went to the other side to lead Zhuri and his own horse, following behind the two. He watched as Master Qi personally led Shen Xiling’s horse, occasionally exchanging a few words. The usually taciturn and serious master showed more smiles only when with her, and Shen Xiling was similar. The child who once curled up in the corner of the carriage, lifeless beside her mother’s body, now had more light and vitality in her eyes.

Just being together made those watching feel a faint joy.

Bai Song lowered his head and smiled, thinking, “Doing one good deed a day” was truly a wonderful phrase.

By the time they reached Qixia Mountain, it was nearly noon. Had Shen Xiling not been concerned about Qi Ying being too tired halfway and insisted on riding herself, they might have arrived even later.

Qixia Mountain had long been famed for its beauty, especially in autumn, with red leaves like clouds and flames, making it seem like entering a fairyland. It was much larger than Qingji Mountain, with three peaks and adjacent to the great river to the north, creating a sensation of two seasons upon entering, with frequent changes between sunny and rainy weather.

Their luck was decent upon entering the mountain, avoiding rain. However, autumn mist often lingered in the mountains, making the stone paths particularly slippery. Naturally, this wasn’t suitable for riding, so they proceeded on foot.

The two men dismounted first. Bai Song helped Shui Pei, and Qi Ying naturally assisted Shen Xiling.

With one hand holding Benxiao’s reins, he extended the other to her. She placed her delicate white hand in his palm. However, due to her lack of practice, she had forgotten most of the techniques for dismounting. Her hand rested in his palm for a while, unsure how to use his support to dismount.

Qi Ying was quite helpless. Such a clever person, quick to grasp abacus calculations and memorize poetry and books, why was horse riding so difficult? He had taught her step-by-step for three years, yet she had forgotten everything, even how to dismount.

Not wanting to dampen her spirits today, he resolved to make her start over another day, so her frail body wouldn’t constantly fall ill, causing worry.

Qi Ying sighed, deciding to release her hand, opening his arms slightly. Shen Xiling paused, taking a while to realize he intended to lift her down.

Under her veil, her face blushed like the most vivid rouge, her heart racing faster than when she almost fell off Benxiao earlier. Afraid he would notice, she secretly took a breath, pretending nonchalantly to sit sideways, then lightly grasped his shoulder and neck with her hand. His hands naturally encircled her waist, and with a slight effort, he lifted her entire body.

Author’s Note: Falling into a strange state of not wanting to progress the plot and just letting them keep romancing (Don’t hit me, I’ll move the plot tomorrow!)