Chapter 16

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Huo Siyì called him senior, so he must be a student at Yan University. That meant he was undoubtedly the cousin mentioned by Huo Siyuan. The Huo family genes were truly remarkable—both Huo Siyuan and Huo Siyì were textbook handsome men, tall with long legs. Even without their family background, they would be quite popular. Moreover, young Huo Siyì exuded a bright and sunny disposition beneath his obedient appearance, making people easily drawn to him.

Having just helped him, Xi Shi was polite and courteous now. He smiled and said, “Hello, nice to meet you.” Huo Siyì’s eyes crinkled into a smile as he said, “You ride horses really well. Who taught you?” “I just learned on my own, never had a teacher.” “Self-taught and still this good? You’re amazing, senior. I had to hire the best horse trainers just to get to where I am now.” Xi Shi was a bit embarrassed by the compliment. Was even the richest heir this skilled at dishing out flattery?

Qin Mingtian, who had just been held back for several seconds by Huo Siyuan’s reckless riding style, finally reached the finish line. Seeing Huo Siyì, he nearly dropped his jaw. So this was the richest heir—no wonder he rode horses with that aura of wealthy carelessness. “You, you guys…” Qin Mingtian glanced at Xi Shi, then at Huo Siyì, utterly shocked.

“Hello, I’m Huo Siyì, junior to Senior Xi Shi.” Huo Siyì introduced himself again. “Oh, oh,” Qin Mingtian didn’t expect the richest son to be so approachable. Scratching his head, he said, “I’m Qin Mingtian, a childhood buddy of Xi Shi.” “Hello, Brother Qin,” Huo Siyì greeted politely and sweetly.

Qin Mingtian was elated—being called “Brother Qin” by the richest son was quite a big deal. He instantly felt Huo Siyì was a great guy. “Your horse riding is incredible. When it comes to horsemanship, I bow to no one but you.” Qin Mingtian gave Huo Siyì a thumbs-up. Xi Shi couldn’t bear to watch.

But Huo Siyì seemed to thrive on such praise. After smiling happily, he lowered his gaze and said, “It’s a pity my friends don’t like horse riding. Can I join you guys?” Qin Mingtian said, “Of course, no problem! You’re Junior Xi Shi’s junior and also mine. Whatever you want to try, just say it.” Xi Shi was speechless. He was surprised that Qin Mingtian understood how to recognize juniors.

Just then, they heard a sharp whistle. Looking over, they saw staff signaling them to move along—others were coming to hurdle race, which could be dangerous if they stayed. The crowd here for horse riding was quite large today, kicking up dust and making it uncomfortable. “Senior, Brother Qin, let’s go to the ranch to play,” Huo Siyì suggested. Qin Mingtian coughed awkwardly, “I’m not a member over there, neither is your senior.”

The ranch was full of green grass, perfect for horse riding. But the grasslands required manual maintenance and trimming, which was costly. Only members qualified to enter. Membership fees ran into hundreds of thousands per year—truly a place for the wealthy. Xi Shi and Qin Mingtian weren’t horse-riding enthusiasts and only came occasionally, so they would never waste money like that.

“No problem. My dad’s a shareholder here; I can bring whoever I want,” Huo Siyì said. Well, that settled it—anywhere in Yanjing was accessible with the richest heir leading the way. Xi Shi and Qin Mingtian exchanged glances, seeing envy in each other’s eyes. Who wouldn’t want to call the richest man “dad” at a moment like this?

Qin Mingtian earnestly said, “Junior, do I look like your long-lost brother?”

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Huo Siyì, clearly used to such questions, laughed and said, “My dad probably can’t produce a son as big as you, but…” He cast a meaningful glance at Xi Shi. “My dad does have a long-lost daughter-in-law.”

Qin Mingtian caught the meaning from his look. Seeing Xi Shi’s expression unchanged, he wasn’t sure if he hadn’t understood or chose not to. Laughing, Qin Mingtian said, “Come on, let’s go to the ranch. I’ve never been there. Today I’m taking advantage of Junior to really explore it.”

The three spurred their horses toward the ranch. The staff didn’t even check IDs—just seeing Huo Siyì’s face, they let them pass immediately. Compared to the dusty horse track, this place was truly picturesque: fresh green grass stretching endlessly. No wonder the membership was so expensive—it must cost a fortune to maintain such an expanse. Plus, even in the suburbs, land in Yanjing was priceless.

Pointing his whip toward a distant hillside, Huo Siyì said, “Let’s race to there, how about it?” “Sure, sure, loser buys dinner tonight,” Qin Mingtian said, eager to compete. Xi Shi said, “I definitely won’t be paying.” Huo Siyì smiled, “Neither will I.”

Qin Mingtian chuckled, “We’ll see. I’m much better at flat races than hurdles.” The three lined up, waiting for Qin Mingtian’s countdown. “3, 2, 1!” They cracked their whips and galloped off.

Riding here felt so much better than the dusty track. Xi Shi galloped, breathing in the fresh grass scent, feeling a carefree joy as if running across the prairie. They reached the finish line—Qin Mingtian lost again. But he had a thick skin, complaining that he was used to sand tracks and not grass, demanding a rematch.

This time, from the hillside to the entrance, Xi Shi surprisingly left Huo Siyì behind. Beating a horse-riding expert like Huo Siyì thrilled Xi Shi; he galloped faster and crossed first. As he pulled his horse to a stop, he hadn’t yet looked back when a girl’s voice called out.

“Xi Shi?!”

Hearing that voice, Xi Shi froze. His carefree smile vanished instantly. “Is that really you? What are you doing here? Did you get a membership? Does Dad know you’re so reckless?” The visitor was Xi Shi’s uncle’s daughter, Xi Yue.

They never got along. Xi Shi’s uncle and aunt were kind to him, and his cousin was extremely generous. But Xi Yue had made him truly understand the feeling of being a dependent outsider. Xi Shi’s face went pale. “I’m just here with my friends.” “Lies! Apart from Shao Xun, where would you have such rich friends?” Xi Yue held her horse, looking down on him. Xi Shi felt the oppressive attitude.

“Or is it that old man who gave you sneakers and supports you?” Xi Shi’s face turned even paler. By now, Qin Mingtian and Huo Siyì had arrived. Xi Shi had never felt so embarrassed in front of his childhood friend and junior. He defended himself, “I’m not supported by anyone. I’m just here with friends. Believe it or not.”

“Hah, that kind of talk might fool outsiders, but don’t fool yourself. Who’s the rich friend who brought you here?” Huo Siyì, just finishing the race, overheard Xi Shi deny being supported and felt a secret thrill. Hearing Xi Yue’s words, he said coldly, “I brought him. Any objections?”

Xi Yue looked up at the speaker. She didn’t recognize him. She knew the faces of all the big names in Yanjing’s elite circles; unknown faces meant no importance. Just as she was about to ask who he was, a friend pulled her sleeve and whispered something—most likely revealing Huo Siyì’s identity.

Xi Yue’s expression twisted. She widened her eyes in disbelief that the cousin she despised could be associating with the richest heir. Yet her disdain turned immediately into a fawning smile.

“So it’s Young Master Huo. I apologize; my second brother was recently photographed receiving gifts from an older man, hugging and entangled with him, indulging in decadence and being supported. I couldn’t stand it and spoke harshly, but I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Though sounding like an apology, it was venomous. Qin Mingtian couldn’t stand it. Being in the group that shared the latest gossip firsthand, he said, “Sister Xi Yue, don’t spread rumors. That matter was already clarified—it was our junior’s maternal uncle.”

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“Ah? It was clarified? I didn’t know,” Xi Yue looked flustered. “Sorry, second brother, I didn’t mean it.”

Xi Shi bit his lip, silent, his hands gripping the reins so tightly they turned white. Huo Siyì’s heart brimmed with joy at the unexpected turn. Good, good, he was back on track.

He scoffed disdainfully, “So he’s your brother? I thought he was your enemy. I’m in a good mood today, so don’t disturb our horse riding. Smart ones clear out.”

The score could wait for another time. Huo Siyì then looked at Xi Shi, his tone suddenly obedient: “Senior, let’s go over there and have a look.” “Mm.” Xi Shi, eager to leave, was about to mount his horse when Xi Yue blocked his way.

Her eyes flashed with heat and excitement as she glanced at Huo Siyì. Using the horse as a shield, she mouthed to Xi Shi, “Take me with you.” Xi Shi understood but pretended not to. Xi Yue continued mouthing, “You owe us.”

Xi Shi’s already pale face turned ghostly white. Huo Siyì urged, “Come on, senior.” “I…” Pressured by Xi Yue’s gaze, Xi Shi opened his mouth but suddenly said, “I just remembered I have an appointment. You guys play on; I’m leaving.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned his horse around and fled. He sensed Xi Yue wanted to use him as a stepping stone to get close to Huo Siyì. After all, Huo Siyì was their age and the heir’s son—who wouldn’t want to be the future daughter-in-law of the richest family?

He truly didn’t want to be that stepping stone. Huo Siyì trusted him as a senior, yet he was about to push his sister onto him. Unable to refuse under Xi Yue’s moral coercion, he simply ran away.

Seeing Xi Shi bolt, Huo Siyì glanced at Xi Yue, ready to chase, but several girls blocked his path. Qin Mingtian was similarly stopped. By the time they broke free, Xi Shi was already gone.

Xi Shi messaged Qin Mingtian, saying he left first. He drove aimlessly back to the city, feeling a weight pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe. Taking out his phone, he messaged Jing Chen.

“Why don’t you just fly: Bro, done yet?”

Jing Chen replied quickly, “Almost. You can come to my place first.”

“Why don’t you just fly: Where? I’ll pick you up.”

After a moment, Jing Chen sent a location.

Jing Chen: Come over.

Xi Shi saw it was a café next to a fancy office building. When he arrived, Jing Chen was waiting at the door. As promised, he wore Xi Shi’s favorite suit. Probably because of the heat, his jacket hung over his arm. Standing there in crisp shirt and trousers, he looked every bit the CEO from the adjacent office building, commanding presence.

But his expression was too cold and stern; no one dared approach. Jing Chen didn’t recognize Xi Shi’s sports car until it pulled up. As he reached to open the door, Xi Shi got out himself.

Before Jing Chen could react, Xi Shi hugged him tightly, burying his head in his chest. Jing Chen’s solemn face softened with helplessness as he ruffled Xi Shi’s hair. “Not that eager already, are you?”

Xi Shi’s voice was muffled: “Not at all.”

Jing Chen’s gaze darkened. “Did someone bully you?”

“No,” Xi Shi rubbed his head against Jing Chen’s chest. “I just… missed you.”

That gesture and words were utterly disarming, threatening to melt Jing Chen from head to toe. Kids these days really knew how to be spoiled.