I'm Rich - 32
Chapter 32
The place Xiao Ran had bought was a bit out of the way, but it was genuinely huge, perfect for a big star who wanted to escape the noise once the spotlight went off.
After the four of them got to his house, they chatted for a while and had some afternoon tea before he sent someone off to prepare dinner.
While they waited, he eagerly took the three of them to see his beloved horses.
Back when they were on set, Guan Zhiyi had already known that Xiao Ran loved horses, she just hadn't expected him to love them enough to build a whole stable at his own home.
"Come on, come on, take a look. This white one is called A-Xue. These two black ones are Doudou and Xiaohua."
Guan Yuanbai shot him a look. "You really didn't put much thought into those names."
"Nonsense. I thought about them very carefully."
Guan Yuanbai looked mildly disgusted.
Xiao Ran said, "So? Want to give it a try? Go change?"
Both Guan Yuanbai and Qi Chengyan had gone through equestrian training in their youth, they were genuinely interested in this sort of thing. Besides, they had nothing better to do right now. A ride would be a good way to pass the time.
Guan Yuanbai nodded. "Sure. Let's see what your horses can do."
"Let's go then. We're all about the same height and build, I've got plenty of new riding gear you two can wear." Xiao Ran paused, then suddenly added, "Ah... no women's clothes though. Zhiyi, you might have to ride in what you're wearing."
The moment Qi Chengyan heard she was going to ride, he thought of the time she'd fallen off a horse. "She shouldn't ride."
Guan Zhiyi had been excited, his words instantly deflated her. "Why? I know how."
Qi Chengyan glanced at her. "Breaking your leg last time wasn't enough of a reminder?"
"Last time wasn't because I'm bad at riding. It was an accident."
"No."
Guan Zhiyi muttered, "Then you all go have fun. What am I supposed to do?"
Xiao Ran thought for a moment. "It's not really safe for you to ride alone. How about this? I'll take you."
Guan Yuanbai and Qi Chengyan both turned to look at Xiao Ran at the same instant.
Xiao Ran raised a brow. "What? Zhiyi and I rode together on set before. We've got great chemistry. Right?"
They really had ridden together.
Guan Zhiyi had just started considering whether this was feasible when her brother Guan Yuanbai beat her to it. "No. I don't trust her with you."
Xiao Ran: "?"
Guan Yuanbai added, "You're basically an amateur."
"Hey, hey. Aren't you two amateurs too?"
Guan Yuanbai smiled slightly. "Far from it. At least we both trained professionally."
Xiao Ran said, "Qi Chengyan too?"
"Yes."
"For real...?"
"For real." Guan Zhiyi said smugly. "I can vouch for that. They learned together when they were kids. Chengyan-gege was amazing."
Xiao Ran made a sound of acknowledgment, his gaze shifting between Guan Zhiyi and Qi Chengyan. Then something seemed to occur to him, and he suddenly said, "Alright then. Since that's the case, Zhiyi, you go with Chengyan. Let him take you for a lap."
Qi Chengyan paused and looked at Xiao Ran, but the latter didn't wait for his response, immediately calling Guan Yuanbai over to change clothes.
Guan Yuanbai trusted Qi Chengyan completely, he knew that Qi Chengyan's protectiveness toward Guan Zhiyi was no less than his own. So after Xiao Ran's suggestion, he saw no problem with it and headed straight to the changing room.
"Young Master Qi, what are you doing? Hurry up." Xiao Ran walked over to the changing room, then turned back, looking at him with a meaningful expression.
Qi Chengyan gave him a faint look, said nothing, and followed.
After the three of them went in to change, Guan Zhiyi waited outside alone. With nothing to do, she struck up a conversation with Master Lin, who was tending to the horses nearby.
After chatting for about ten minutes, the door to the changing room finally opened. Guan Zhiyi turned to look. The three of them had come out in their riding gear.
Black and white riding jackets, riding breeches hugging long legs, all tapering down into tall boots...
The last time Guan Zhiyi had seen Qi Chengyan in clothes like this was back in elementary school. Even then, he'd been tall with long legs, but he'd still been a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, his frame not yet what it was now.
Back then there'd been a boyish softness to him. Now his lines were sharp and firm, tall and straight. As he walked over, it was impossible to look away.
"Zhiyi, do we look good?" Xiao Ran teased once they were close. "Come on, tell me. Which one of us three looks best?"
Guan Zhiyi's eyes had been on Qi Chengyan from the start. Now that Xiao Ran had put her on the spot, she guiltily looked away. "Ah, just... you all look good."
"All good? There's gotta be a best, though."
Guan Zhiyi's gaze drifted back and lingered on the three of them as if she were appraising them.
Truthfully, their builds were all similar, but a person's eyes are always drawn to the one they like...
Xiao Ran saw that Guan Zhiyi hadn't spoken for a while and felt wounded. "Is it really that hard to choose?"
Guan Zhiyi shot him a sidelong glance and smiled. "Not hard, not hard. You look good. You look the best."
"Right? I knew you had taste!" Xiao Ran was delighted. "Come on, bring the horses out. The most handsome man in the world is going to do a lap first to prove himself."
Then he looked at Guan Yuanbai. "Want to race me? I started late, but I'm really not your average amateur."
Guan Yuanbai smiled. "Sure."
Master Lin, who tended the horses, led them all out. Guan Yuanbai and Xiao Ran mounted first, gave their horses a light nudge, and rode out from under the shelter.
"Be careful. It's not worth getting hurt just to beat me," Guan Yuanbai said.
Xiao Ran said, "Relax. My skills will blow your mind. Don't go doubting me just because I accidentally hurt your sister before."
Guan Yuanbai said, "Isn't that enough of a reason to doubt you? Good thing I didn't let Xiao Wu ride with you."
Xiao Ran paused, then suddenly said, "Hey, you really think Qi Chengyan taking your sister is safer?"
Guan Yuanbai said flatly, "His horsemanship is better than mine."
"Oh, so riding is safe." Xiao Ran glanced back. Not far behind them, the other two were about to mount. He smiled and said quietly, "Other things, though. Not necessarily."
Guan Yuanbai didn't catch it. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing. I'm off first."
"...Did you even say go before you ran?"
The two in front rode off into the distance.
Qi Chengyan's gaze followed their retreating figures for a moment, then returned to Guan Zhiyi.
"Gege, I'll get on first."
Qi Chengyan nodded. "I'll help you."
"Okay."
The horse was docile. Once Guan Zhiyi was seated steadily, she reached a hand out toward Qi Chengyan. "Come on up."
Qi Chengyan hesitated briefly. "I'll lead you for a couple of laps."
Guan Zhiyi wouldn't have it. She'd just been thinking that Xiao Ran had accidentally handed her a golden opportunity. "No. Then just let go, I'll ride by myself."
Qi Chengyan frowned. "With your skills, you're not afraid of falling?"
"I am. That's exactly why I want you up here." Guan Zhiyi called out to Master Lin, who was nearby, "This horse can definitely carry two people, right?"
Master Lin said, "Don't worry. This one's the biggest horse we've got. No problem at all."
Guan Zhiyi raised her brows. "You heard him. Gege, hurry. They're about to finish a whole lap."
The more he hesitated, the more suspicious it seemed.
Qi Chengyan sighed inwardly, finally swung up onto the horse.
Guan Zhiyi had wanted to ride with him all along, which was why she'd pushed so hard for him to get on. But now that he actually had, she couldn't help stiffening her back, not even daring to speak.
Because they were too close. His arms came around from either side of her, almost in an embrace. If she turned her head even slightly, she could even feel his breath.
What was she supposed to do? She kind of wanted to chicken out...
"Nervous?" Qi Chengyan asked with concern when he saw her sitting motionless.
"No..."
"Then why so quiet?"
Guan Zhiyi stared straight ahead, not daring to turn. "Nothing. Just a little tense."
"No need to be tense. I won't let you fall."
Guan Zhiyi murmured an acknowledgment, saying quietly, "It's not falling I'm afraid of..."
"What?"
Guan Zhiyi shook her head. "Let's ride faster. They're about to catch up."
"Two people can't go fast."
Just as he said that, Guan Yuanbai zipped past in a flash, Xiao Ran close on his heels. But Xiao Ran stopped as he passed them. "Oh, are you two riding or chatting? You guys really use my thousand-mile horse just for strolling?"
Guan Zhiyi shot back, "What thousand-mile horse? It can't even run fast."
Xiao Ran took offense. "Who says? It can run with two people, too. How about I switch places with Chengyan and take you for a try?"
"No!"
"The speed of that rejection..." Xiao Ran narrowed his eyes slightly and joked, "Zhiyi, what's the difference between me and your Chengyan-gege? I mean, you and I have even kissed. How come you're so distant with me?"
Qi Chengyan froze. "Kissed?"
Guan Zhiyi's face went bright red. "Xiao Ran—"
"I mean in the show, hahahaha. But that still counts as a kiss." Xiao Ran laughed happily. "Fine, fine, no switching. You're really doing a number on my confidence."
Xiao Ran rode off. Guan Zhiyi glared at his back, blood rushing to her head.
What kind of trap was he setting for her?!
"You had a kiss scene?" Qi Chengyan hadn't known the details of their plot. He really hadn't known they had a kiss scene.
Guan Zhiyi waved her hands frantically and turned to explain in a rush. "That's not a real kiss scene. I just kissed his—"
She stopped abruptly.
Guan Zhiyi stared at Qi Chengyan's cheek, suddenly inches away, and froze.
She'd turned her head in her hurry to explain, and Qi Chengyan had lowered his head slightly to hear her. So when she suddenly turned, her lips brushed directly against his cheek.
A little cool, a little soft, but undeniably his cheek.
"..."
Two seconds later, a terrified Guan Zhiyi jerked back and stiffly finished her sentence: "...I just kissed his cheek."
"............"
"I'm sorry, gege!" Guan Zhiyi clapped a hand over her mouth. "I—I didn't mean to."
She wanted to get closer to him, wanted to show him, wanted to tell Qi Chengyan that she liked him! But she was still taking it slow. How, how had she just kissed him out of nowhere?!
Qi Chengyan was stunned by the sudden turn of events too, that brief touch seemed to have branded into his cheek, sending a tingling sensation shooting through his limbs.
"I, I, I'll wipe it for you!" Guan Zhiyi immediately reached up to wipe his face, her fingertips rubbing firmly against his cheek until it nearly turned red.
"It's fine." Qi Chengyan caught her wrist and took a light breath. "Sit still."
"..." Guan Zhiyi didn't move.
Qi Chengyan lowered his eyes to look at her, his voice deepening. "Turn around. Sit properly."
Guan Zhiyi snapped back to her senses, nodded rapidly, and stiffly turned to face forward.
Only after Guan Zhiyi had fully turned around and couldn't see him did Qi Chengyan reach up and touch his face.
A wire in his brain was humming. For the first time, his mind went blank and he didn't know what to do next.
What kind of... situation was this?
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Author's Note:
First kiss, please sign for delivery.
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