The Rise of Xueyue

After paying for the horses, Wenmin got onto his own horse and raced through the streets. When he saw a crowd gathered near the port, he immediately went there.

"Wenmin, how could you just leave me-Oh." Wenmin said when he saw the intimate hug.

He hopped off the horse and poured. Upon seeing Wenmin, Chenyang was immediately reminded where he was.

He pulled back from the hug and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Did he really hug her for that long?

He had realized Xueyue wanted to be let go, but he had been too reluctant to release her.

Wenmin strolled to Xueyue with open arms, an adorable pout on his face.

"Yueyue, I want a hug too!" He didn't wait for Xueyue's permission before engulfing her into a bear hug.

He'd never admit it, but he was also very worried for her.

He saw how fragile and awfully thin she was. It must've been easy for her to break a bone.

"We have to go back home. We've skipped lunch and knowing mother, she has already jumped to the conclusion that we were murdered." Chenyang mused.

"Alright, lets go back home before she frets any further." Wenmin nodded as he released Xueyue and turned her towards the direction of the carriage.

"What about Heiyue?" Xueyue asked with a frown.

"Heiyue? Who's that?" Wenmin repeated, looking around his surroundings in confusion.

Xueyue walked towards her horse and placed a gentle hand on its face. "My horse. Her name is Heiyue." She nodded.

Wenmin observed the blind horse with a frown.

He thought Xueyue wasn't serious when she wanted to buy the horse.

And now that he had taken a closer glance, he noticed how attached she was to a disabled horse.

"Xueyue, I brought another horse for you. It's the one that Chenyang rode." Wenmin pointed to the prized horse.

The edge of Xueyue's lips titled downwards.

For the first time since she has met Wenmin, her face was pulled into a light frown.

"I want this horse." She firmly said with her voice lighter than a feather.

Chenyang stared at the troublemaker horse.

He noticed the way the horse's head was turned towards Xueyue and the way it seemed to cling close to her.

"Let her keep the horse. If she wants a replacement, we always have the one we brought." Chenyang quietly said as he handed the reins of the new horse to his servants.

Wenmin crackled a dry smile after realizing he was outnumbered.

"Fine, fine." He waved the white flag.

"Give the reins to the servants. They'll guide him home." Wenmin nodded his head towards the male servants.

Xueyue followed his gaze.

"I want to ride him home..." Xueyue softly requested, not letting go of Heiyue's reins.

Wenmin raises his brow and crossed his arms. The muscles slightly bulged, garnering a few stares of awe.

"I will not permit that. The horse is blind, it won't know how to take you home." He declared, his eyes burning with stubbornness.

It was clear he inherited the same trait from his mother.

Xueyue shook her head and before anyone could say anything, she swiftly hopped onto the horse as if she had done it a hundred times before.

"I've always watched the scenery of the carriage. I can go home by myself." She said and without waiting for their confirmation, she rode off.

"Hey!" Wenmin yelled, clearly unhappy at being abandoned.

"Chenyang!" He shouted, turning towards his younger brother who surprisingly was still riding his horse.

A mischievous glint lit up Chenyang's eyes.

He winked at his older brother.

"Race you home, dimwit." He said and immediately rode after Xueyue.

"Great! Everyone decides to abandon me." Wenmin scowled, kicking the dirt from the ground.

He ran a hand through his bangs and sighed in defeat.

A pretty maidservant came forward and bowed.

"Young Master Li, the carriage is ready." She daintily said.

When the crowd heard the surname, their eyes grew as wide as the full moon.

These two young men were the infamous Li twins?!

The people knew the Li twins were exceedingly handsome and were one of the most sought-after bachelors of their era.

Wealthy, good connections, well-built, and with no malicious rumors swirling around them, it was clear to see why so many mothers wanted them as their sons-in-law.

There was only one person in the entire country who could beat their reputation, but everyone knew it was impossible to get that man.

"If that's one of the Li twins, who is that girl?" A woman asked her mother.

The crowd instantly thought about the same question.

"Perhaps their daughter?" Another voice responded.

Duke and Duchess Li were famed for having hidden their daughter for so well.

To this day, no one had seen her face, learned of her death, and even her name.