{Chapter: 105 Yan Ruyue accompanies Lin Yuan!}
"A total of two laps! I'll be ahead of you by at least half a lap! Master Lin, be careful not to fall off the horse!" Qiao Siying sneered, her voice filled with confidence and provocation.
Lin Yuan, however, didn't even bother to acknowledge her. Instead, he turned his head slightly and spoke to Yan Ruyue in a calm, steady voice. "Remember to hold on to me later."
Yan Ruyue nodded slightly, her grip tightening in anticipation.
Seeing Lin Yuan ignore her and instead focus his attention on Yan Ruyue, Qiao Siying felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.
'Humph! Just wait until I crush you in this race. Let's see if you can still act this indifferent after losing to me!'
Once all the participants had taken their positions, the person in charge raised his hand and began the countdown.
"Three…"
"Two…"
"One!"
Bang!
The starting pistol fired, and in an instant, Qiao Siying's horse bolted forward like an arrow released from a taut bow. She took the lead almost immediately, her golden hair fluttering in the wind.
Today, she felt exceptionally good, her body light and agile.
She knew why—because Lin Yuan was participating.
The thought of leaving him in the dust filled her with excitement.
She couldn't wait to crush him and make him eat his own arrogance.
Even Tang Bowen, a competent rider who was usually only a fraction behind her, was left trailing.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan started at a noticeably slower pace, his horse moving at a steady rhythm rather than bursting forward. He rode alongside most of the other participants, unfazed by the competitive atmosphere.
Yan Ruyue, seated behind him, was trembling despite herself.
Even though Lin Yuan was calm, she could feel the strong momentum of the horse beneath them, the rhythmic galloping sending small jolts through her body. The experience was far more intense than she had anticipated.
The rough, unpredictable movements of the horse made her instinctively tighten her grip around Lin Yuan's waist, her entire body pressing closer to his.
Her soft curves of breasts molded against his back, and Lin Yuan couldn't ignore the sensation. The warmth and suppleness of Yan Ruyue's body clung to him, making the ride an even more unique experience.
And yet, despite their close contact, Yan Ruyue didn't feel any discomfort or embarrassment.
Instead, an unusual sense of peace settled over her.
Nestled against Lin Yuan, she could hear his steady heartbeat and inhale the faint, intoxicating scent of his cologne.
She smiled to herself.
Meanwhile, Qiao Siying maintained her lead throughout the first lap, steadily increasing the distance between herself and the others. By the time she completed the first one-kilometer lap, she was ahead by at least 300 meters.
Her confidence soared.
Halfway through the second lap, she was still in the lead, her smile widening.
Victory was within reach.
'Hah! What did I tell you, Lin Yuan? There's no way you can—'
Crack!
A loud whiplash rang out from behind her.
Startled, Qiao Siying turned her head slightly—only to see Lin Yuan's whip land precisely on his horse's flank.
And then…
Like a rocket igniting its thrusters, Lin Yuan's horse suddenly surged forward.
The sheer acceleration was shocking.
Tang Bowen and the others gawked as Lin Yuan's horse shot past them, galloping at an almost unnatural speed.
Within seconds, Lin Yuan closed the massive gap between himself and Qiao Siying.
Her heart pounded in disbelief.
What the hell?!
Qiao Siying barely had time to process the situation before—
Whoosh!
Lin Yuan's horse stormed past her, its powerful hooves kicking up dust.
Her expression twisted in shock as she watched Lin Yuan's back growing smaller in front of her.
They both reached the finish line at nearly the same moment.
But when the final results came out—
Lin Yuan had finished a full one and a half seconds ahead of her.
Qiao Siying's mouth fell open.
"How is this possible?!" she gritted her teeth in disbelief, her fists clenched as she glared at Lin Yuan.
At that moment, he was casually dismounting and helping Yan Ruyue down from the horse, as if the entire race had been a mere warm-up for him.
Qiao Siying felt like her world had been turned upside down.
Lin Yuan's equestrian skills… were actually better than hers?!
Even more absurdly, he had been riding in tandem with someone!
And yet, he had still managed to beat her!
She simply couldn't understand it.
But no matter how unwilling she was to accept it, the results were clear.
Lin Yuan had won, and the bet they had placed meant that all the money was now his.
She wasn't the only one who found this hard to believe.
The other rich second-generation onlookers were just as stunned.
"Isn't this a bit too much? The young master of the Lin family is already a stock market genius, and now he's a horse-riding expert too? I've never heard of someone this absurdly talented!"
"I know, right? And get this—he's also an amazing singer! Remember Li Feifei's last concert? He went up on stage and sang a duet with her, and he actually sounded better than she did! I've been his fan ever since that day!"
"Damn, Lin Yuan is incredible! I heard that his mother is looking for a potential fiancée for him. I swear, if there's a chance, I'm going to attend!"
"Haha, didn't you see the absolute beauty that was sitting behind him on the horse? Do you think you're even close to her level?"
As the spectators buzzed with admiration and gossip, many of the wealthy young women in the crowd looked at Lin Yuan with blatant desire.
Meanwhile, Yan Ruyue had just dismounted but swayed slightly as soon as her feet touched the ground.
Lin Yuan's final sprint had been far too intense.
Unlike Lin Yuan, whose physique was unnaturally strong, Yan Ruyue didn't have the same endurance.
Her complexion looked slightly pale.
"If it's too much, I can ask someone to replace you for the next round," Lin Yuan offered.
Unexpectedly, Yan Ruyue shook her head firmly.
"No! I can do this!" she declared.
Despite her discomfort, there was no way she was letting any other woman take her place behind Lin Yuan.
"Since you want me to treat my illness, then let's get in contact some more."
'If I have to endure this to treat my illness… then I'll just have to bear with it a little longer.'
Even Yan Ruyue herself wasn't sure whether she was saying this to Lin Yuan or to convince herself.
Soon, the second match was about to begin.
This time, as Yan Ruyue moved to take her usual position behind Lin Yuan, she was caught off guard when he suddenly pulled her forward.
She ended up seated in front of him instead.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Being this close to Lin Yuan, with his arms loosely wrapped around her, made her incredibly nervous.
"Your physique isn't great, so sit in front this time. Besides, didn't you say you needed more contact? How about this, Miss Yan?" Lin Yuan chuckled.
Yan Ruyue could feel the warmth of his body against her back, his steady heartbeat echoing in her ears.
Her face burned.
Isn't this a bit too intimate?!
Yet, at the same time, she found herself unable to resist the comfort it brought.
The second race started, with Lin Yuan once again proving his dominance.
[Ding! Yan Ruyue's favorability +1! Reward: 200 counterattack points!]
[Ding…!]
One after another, system notifications rang in Lin Yuan's mind.
Lin Yuan couldn't tell if Yan Ruyue was feeling comforted by his presence like a father figure, or if there was something else at play.
Yan Ruyue felt the warmth of her father's love through him or if it was something else.
Either way, it was a good thing.
By the end of the second race, Yan Ruyue's favorability toward Lin Yuan had reached 50 points.
And once again—Lin Yuan claimed first place.
As Lin Yuan helped Yan Ruyue dismount, she looked strangely exhausted.
Qiao Siying, still fuming, was completely ignored.
Lin Yuan supported Yan Ruyue toward the rest area.
Watching her usually cold demeanor melt into something softer, he smiled.
Yan Ruyue, breathing lightly, looked up at him—and quickly averted her gaze.
She had never felt this way before.
She felt her heart racing.
She felt like flying.
This strange feeling made Yan Ruyue confused.
******
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