{Chapter: 109 Miss Yan, massage my shoulders!}
At that moment, Qiao Siying finally understood.
The reason Lin Yuan had suddenly turned around and raced in the opposite direction earlier was simple—he had already reached the finish line?!
Qiao Siying found it nearly impossible to believe.
"No way!" she muttered under her breath, gritting her teeth.
Determined, she climbed back onto her horse and raced in the direction Lin Yuan had gone, her heart pounding in disbelief.
On the way, she caught sight of Tang Bowen struggling with the course. Unlike Lin Yuan and herself, who had moved swiftly, Tang Bowen was significantly slower.
Halfway through the ride, his lack of skill became evident—he lost control and crashed head-on into a tree.
Cross-country horse racing was undeniably challenging, especially with all the natural obstacles in the way. Fortunately, everyone was required to wear helmets, so he should be fine.
Under normal circumstances, such an accident would have drawn immediate attention, and someone should have gone to check on him.
But right now, no one seemed to care.
All eyes were locked on Lin Yuan.
"Miss Qiao... please… give me a hand," Tang Bowen groaned, trying to get up.
"No!... At least look at me! Someone send me back!" he pleaded desperately as he saw Qiao Siying gallop past him.
But she didn't hear him at all. Her mind was too preoccupied with the staggering reality that Lin Yuan was already on his way back to the starting point.
She had personally witnessed him turning around halfway through the race, heading back in the opposite direction at an incredible speed.
Could it be that he had done cross-country horse racing before? Was that how he managed to gain such an absurd lead?
But even if that were the case, this kind of speed should have been impossible. One would have to navigate the dense forest flawlessly, without slowing down even once, to achieve something like that.
And yet, Lin Yuan had done exactly that.
Qiao Siying clenched her fists. She still refused to believe it.
---
At the starting point, Lin Yuan had already arrived far ahead of anyone else.
As he rode the thin horse toward the finish line, the entire venue fell into stunned silence.
Even though Lin Yuan's entire ride had been displayed in real-time on the large screen, even though close-up shots had captured every moment of his performance—people still struggled to process what they had just witnessed.
This speed…
This level of horsemanship…
It was simply terrifying!
"Three minutes and… twelve seconds!"
The referee, staring at the stopwatch in disbelief, shouted the final time.
"What?!"
"Three... three minutes and twelve seconds?!"
"That can't be real!"
"He did it in just over three minutes? That's insane!"
"My god!"
The gasps and exclamations erupted through the crowd.
The group of wealthy second-generation kids, who lacked deep knowledge of horseback riding, were shocked but didn't fully grasp the magnitude of what had just happened.
However, the professional equestrian coaches and staff?
They were utterly speechless.
Unlike the spectators, they knew exactly how ridiculous Lin Yuan's time was.
The Yue He Equestrian Club was no ordinary riding facility. It was a prestigious club, often frequented by professional riders, some of whom came here to train for actual competitions.
But this…
This was cross-country horse racing, an event known for its extreme difficulty, requiring exceptional control and awareness.
Even among professional riders, the average time for completing this course was over four minutes.
Yet Lin Yuan had just completed it in three minutes and twelve seconds.
More than a full minute faster than seasoned professionals.
It was unbelievable.
This wasn't just a fast time—it was at a world-class level.
All of the equestrian coaches exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with admiration.
If Lin Yuan weren't already the young master of the Lin family, they would have rushed over without hesitation to recruit him into the club.
Meanwhile, the rich second-generation kids, though not entirely aware of the significance, could at least recognize that Lin Yuan's performance was monstrous.
Qiao Siying, known for her riding skills, had been left in the dust.
And it wasn't even a close competition.
Lin Yuan had won by an overwhelming margin.
As the realization dawned on them, their gazes unconsciously shifted toward the thin horse Lin Yuan had been riding.
At first, no one had paid much attention to it.
But now?
The longer they stared, the more majestic the horse seemed.
No—rather, the horse itself hadn't changed.
It was Lin Yuan who made it look extraordinary.
The sight of him atop the horse, exuding calm confidence, added a dazzling aura to the animal.
Among the spectators, the women were particularly enthralled.
Their breathing turned short, their eyes filled with longing.
A thought flickered in their minds: how wonderful it would be to sit in front of Lin Yuan and be held by him…
Even the men couldn't help but feel admiration.
Lin Yuan's equestrian skills were nothing short of legendary.
After gracefully dismounting, Lin Yuan patted the horse's rear.
Immediately, the previously majestic steed slumped back into its lazy, sluggish demeanor, looking more like a sleepy dog than a prized racehorse.
It seemed to understand that its duty was over and promptly returned to its usual idle behavior.
Unbeknownst to Lin Yuan, several equestrian club staff members were now eyeing the horse with burning curiosity.
But the admiration from the crowd wasn't just for Lin Yuan.
The women, especially, couldn't help but shift their gazes toward Yan Ruyue.
At first, they had merely been surprised that she had the privilege of riding with Lin Yuan.
Now, they were outright jealous.
They couldn't believe she had been the one in his embrace, experiencing firsthand the sensation of galloping alongside him.
Yan Ruyue, however, didn't pay them any mind.
She was too busy staring at Lin Yuan, her eyes flickering with complex emotions.
Her delicate face carried an expression of pure shock.
Her beautiful eyes, filled with brilliance, fixated on him as if seeing him for the first time.
How could this be?
How could Lin Yuan—her former fiancé—be this incredible?
He wasn't just good at horseback riding.
He had displayed extraordinary talent in medicine, mastery in piano, unparalleled stock-trading skills, and now even world-class equestrian prowess?
This wasn't the Lin Yuan she had once known.
Yan Ruyue bit her lip, lost in thought.
Not long after Lin Yuan dismounted, he turned and noticed Yan Ruyue walking toward him, her face slightly flushed.
"Are you still not feeling well?" Lin Yuan asked casually, assuming her blushing was due to the exhilarating ride.
"No... I'm fine," Yan Ruyue replied softly.
And then—something unexpected happened.
Yan Ruyue, holding a tissue, gently wiped the sweat from Lin Yuan's forehead.
Her touch was light, careful—almost affectionate.
Lin Yuan was momentarily taken aback.
Seeing his surprised expression, Yan Ruyue's face reddened even more.
"You... like you said, for my condition to improve... I need more contact..." Yan Ruyue stammered nervously.
Lin Yuan chuckled. "Yeah."
"You don't need to overthink it!" Yan Ruyue quickly added, trying to justify her actions. "I placed a bet on you and won five million, so I'm just wiping your sweat in return."
Lin Yuan smirked and lazily sat down.
"Massage my shoulders," he ordered casually. "My shoulders are sore. Since I won you five million, you'll give me two million—so think of it as a two-million-dollar massage."
Yan Ruyue bit her lower lip lightly.
If it were anyone else—no, even if she were offered twenty billion, she would never agree to something like this.
But… this was Lin Yuan.
Hesitating only for a moment, she slowly reached out, her soft jade-like hands gently resting on Lin Yuan's wet shoulders caused by just the immediately concluded race.
Lin Yuan, feeling the warmth of her touch, smirked.
"Miss Yan, I'm ready now. Just start moving," he teased.
Yan Ruyue's hands trembled slightly.
For a moment, she hesitated. Yan Ruyue began to struggle inside.
And then—
******
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