{Chapter: 102 Do I look like your Father?}
Yan Ruyue, perched confidently on horseback, was suddenly caught off guard by an unexpected shift beneath her.
Her fingers tightened around the reins, instinctively reaching for Lin Yuan's hand, but her efforts proved fruitless.
Within seconds, she lost her balance entirely, her body teetering dangerously as she was thrown from the horse.
In that heart-stopping moment, she felt an eerie wave of panic grip her heart, a déjà vu of a time from ten years ago.
A torrent of emotions washed over her — panic, helplessness, despair, and an overwhelming sense of heartbreak.
Her heart raced as her body plummeted toward the ground, and just when she thought all was lost, two strong hands grasped her, preventing her from hitting the ground.
The warmth of the arms around her was soothing, their strength a comforting contrast to the chaos of the fall. Yan Ruyue blinked in surprise, lifting her gaze, only to find that it was Lin Yuan who had caught her.
Lin Yuan — the very person she hadn't expected to be there to save her.
"Do I remind you of your father?" Lin Yuan's voice broke through her thoughts.
The question took Yan Ruyue by surprise. Her breath hitched, a puzzled frown forming on her face.
"It's a little... familiar," she admitted, her voice softer than she intended. Lin Yuan's warm embrace did indeed remind her of the kind of warmth she had once yearned for in her father's arms. Without realizing it, she instinctively leaned into him, her body pressing closer to the safety of his hold.
But in the next instant, realization struck.
"Wait a minute... did you do something to the horse just now?" she asked, her tone sharp with suspicion.
Before the horse began to act up, she had seen Lin Yuan's hand move in an unusual way. There had to be something more to it.
So, she guessed Lin Yuan must have done something to the horse and deliberately made her fall.
Lin Yuan met her gaze, and rather than deny it, he simply nodded. "Yes, I purposely pinched the horse to make it throw you off."
Yan Ruyue's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why on earth would you do that?"
Lin Yuan's response came quickly, the casualness of his tone almost unsettling. "Because I wanted you to relive that moment from the past. You weren't caught back then, but now, you are. Do you feel better?"
He looked at her expectantly, his expression unreadable.
"If I told you that I purposely made you fall just so I could catch you, would you say you liked it?" Lin Yuan added, a hint of mischief dancing in his voice.
Yan Ruyue froze. What was he saying? The absurdity of the situation was overwhelming. How could he ask if she liked being manipulated in such a way?
But even as the anger started to well up inside her, she couldn't ignore the faint stir of warmth she felt from being caught by him. It felt… oddly comforting.
Despite the warmth of his embrace, she quickly steeled herself, determined not to let him see her reaction.
"You… you did it on purpose! I— I can't possibly like it! No, not at all…" Her words faltered as she tried to protest.
Before she could finish, she felt the sensation of weightlessness.
"If you don't like it, then I'll let go," Lin Yuan said, his voice calm.
With a soft thud, Yan Ruyue landed on the ground with an unceremonious bump.
Her face turned bright red, a mixture of shock, disbelief, and frustration written across her features.
Did he just let her fall after all that?
What is this?
He held a beautiful woman, and upon being asked if she liked it and before even finishing her words, he let go and let her fall to the ground?!
The ground beneath her was soft, a cushion of grass, so the impact wasn't too painful. Still, the shock of the fall left her feeling somewhat shaken, though the only real discomfort she felt was in her buttocks.
Lin Yuan stood over her, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Get up, Miss Yan. Did your behind get stuck to the ground, or are you planning on staying there?"
Yan Ruyue's face flushed with embarrassment, and without thinking, she shot him a glare. The smile on Lin Yuan's face only served to irritate her more.
Seeing Lin Yuan's smile, Yan Ruyue didn't know why, but she wanted to punch him.
She opened her mouth to retort, but even though Lin Yuan stretched out a hand to help her get up, she chose to get up on her own, her pride refusing to accept help.
After the awkward incident, she decided to continue her horseback training, determined not to let Lin Yuan have the last laugh.
For a while, Lin Yuan stood nearby, seemingly content to watch her practice, waiting for something to unfold.
But as the minutes passed, Yan Ruyue began to feel the strain of her efforts. After practicing for a while, Yan Ruyue got a little tired.
Unable to ignore the growing discomfort, she found a spot to sit beside Lin Yuan, her face scrunched up in frustration.
She chewed on her lip for a moment, then finally, with a sigh, she turned toward him. "So, about your blind date… what happened?"
Lin Yuan flashed her a knowing smile. "What about it, Miss Yan?" he asked, his voice playful.
Yan Ruyue's face heated up as she stammered, clearly a little embarrassed. "I mean, how did it go?" she asked, trying to appear casual.
Lin Yuan's smile widened. "Miss Yan seems quite concerned about my love life. I remember how you cheered me on before the blind date."
Her heart skipped a beat at his mention of her encouragement. Was he teasing her?
But when she heard his next words, her heart sank. "It didn't work out."
Relief washed over her in an instant, though she quickly masked her reaction with a feigned expression of sympathy. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," she said, though a small part of her was undeniably pleased. Yan Ruyue was relieved when she heard that it didn't work out, but she quickly restrained her uncontrollable joy and pretended to be regretful.
Lin Yuan, however, seemed unconcerned. "It's alright. Not everything works out. But my parents are planning to find me ten more blind dates soon." He grinned mischievously.
"Ten?" Yan Ruyue echoed, her nerves returning in full force. "Is it necessary?" Yan Ruyue became nervous again."
Lin Yuan gave her an almost smug glance. "Well, my parents insist. But it's not like I have much say in the matter."
"By the way, how about your blind date? Does she look good…?" Yan Ruyue asked casually, pretending not to care. She quickly brushed it off, trying to act unaffected. "Oh, I don't care. I'm just curious."
Lin Yuan smirked. "In time, you'll meet her. You'll see."
"Hmm?"
Yan Ruyue was taken aback when she heard Lin Yuan's words.
Then followed Lin Yuan's sight.
Looking at the gate of the training ground, there were dozens of people riding horses.
At that, Yan Ruyue's attention was drawn to the sound of approaching horses.
Dozens of riders were entering the training ground, each dressed in expensive, luxurious clothing. Among them, one woman stood out — a beautiful, mixed-race girl.
One of the girls is very eye-catching. She had long blond hair.
And under that long golden hair is a beautiful face with exquisite beauty, as delicate as a mixed-race.
Even if she is wearing loose-fitting breeches and tops, one can see that the proportions of the figure are exceptionally bigger.
Yan Ruyue's eyes narrowed as she recognized her.
Lin Yuan squinted his eyes. This mixed-raced blond woman is no one else, but Qiao Siying, his blind date.
However, Lin Yuan's gaze wasn't on her. His eyes scanned the crowd, focusing on a handsome, yet pale man in the distance.
However, his goal today is not Qiao Siying, but a man in the crowd who looks handsome but has a pale face.
His name is Tang Bowen, the young master of the Tang family.
The Tang family is also one of the top families in Jiangbei. Although they are a bit inferior to the Lin family, the Tang family's lineage and official status are not as small as a real estate-based family.
The Tang family has a lot of real estate in Jiangbei, and Tang Bowen naturally has some control over them as a young master of the Tang family.
In the Xiling District, some of the properties belonged to Tang Bowen.
Among them are several buildings, which are related to Gu Qingshan and the Qingshan Gang.
And Lin Yuan wanted to buy those buildings from Tang Bowen.
According to Lin Yuan's understanding of Tang Bowen, the transaction would either not push through, or it would be overpriced.
Moreover, a direct trade will scare the Qingshan gang, so Lin Yuan planned to come to the equestrian club today to get these buildings directly from Tang Bowen.
Tang Bowen and others like to come to the equestrian club and Qiao Siying likes to come also to win the money of their rich second generation. The freedom-loving queen who thinks capitalism is a dirty word!.
In addition to Yan Ruyue's matters, this is the reason why Lin Yuan went to the equestrian club today.
When Lin Yuan saw Qiao Siying and the others.
Qiao Siying also saw Lin Yuan.
As the two locked eyes, Qiao Siying's anger flared. She stormed toward Lin Yuan, fury radiating from her every step.
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