Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After my father and I had our falling out, he turned on me completely and confined me to the manor.

However, I didn’t listen to him.

I climbed over the wall and left.

Today, the Mule and Horse Market featured a herd brought in by foreigners. I picked out a tall, sturdy steed.

Just as I was about to pay, someone interrupted.

“I’ll take this horse.”

It was the Ninth Prince.

I thrust the bag of silver into the merchant’s hands and immediately grabbed the reins.

The Ninth Prince didn’t yield an inch, physically wrestling with me for control.

I was one step ahead and mounted the horse, looking down at him from above.

“Then let’s have a race. If Your Highness wins, I’ll give you this horse. Do you dare?”

“Overestimating yourself. I’ll make sure you accept your defeat wholeheartedly.”

He mounted his own horse as well.

We chased each other out of the city and began racing across the open grasslands.

The wind howled, seemingly tugging at my very soul.

I felt an incomparable sense of liberation. I had to thank Gong Qiuyue for giving me this Rebirth, allowing me to once again possess such a young body and everything I hadn’t yet lost. I thought to myself that this time, I would certainly grasp onto more.

The Ninth Prince and I were evenly matched. He pushed hard to catch up, and I refused to yield.

But soon, the road ahead vanished. Further on was a rift valley, a massive fissure like a giant maw waiting to swallow living beings.

Carrying a burst of reckless courage, I pulled the reins and led my steed into a flying leap…

Behind me came the Ninth Prince’s furious roar:

“Gong Yaoguang! Are you crazy?!”

Yes!

I was crazy!

Would you dare to bet against a madwoman?

After landing, I charged straight ahead like a streak of light.

After a long time, the horse slowed to a stop. I dismounted and lay on the grass, letting it graze aimlessly.

A long while later, the Ninth Prince arrived.

He circled me on his horse, his voice sounding like he was speaking through gritted teeth.

“Do you have no regard for your life?”

I opened my eyes and smiled faintly.

“Your Highness, my horse cannot be yours.”

“I don’t care about your horse. Just you wait, my White Cloud Treading Crow will beat you eventually.”

The next day.

He truly did bring White Cloud Treading Crow to compete with me.

This time, I lost.

I raised my blade and stabbed at my horse.

The Ninth Prince grabbed my wrist, shouting, “Are you crazy?”

“If it loses, I don’t want it!”

“Bastard, winning and losing are common occurrences.”

“But for me, losing costs lives.”

I switched the dagger to my other hand and aimed it at my neck. In the moment he lost his focus to grab my other arm, I dodged to the side, turned my arm, and quickly plunged the blade into the horse’s neck.

Blood erupted, spraying both our heads and faces.

The horse collapsed, tears in its eyes.

Amidst the blood, the Ninth Prince shook my shoulders in a rage.

“Gong Yaoguang, are you freaking sick in the head?!”

Covered in blood, I laughed.

Yes!

I was sick.

I couldn’t quite understand why my father loved Gong Qiuyue, why the Sixth Prince loved Gong Qiuyue, and why even the Ninth Prince was drawn to her.

I couldn’t beat her in a competition for affection, but I was determined to leave her with a few stains of misery.

That day, the Ninth Prince looked at the horse, then at me. Several times he raised his blade as if to kill me, and several times he stomped his feet in fury.

Finally, he threw down his dagger, saying he would leave me with my wretched life for now, and fled in a panic.

I stared at his retreating back, the corners of my lips curling slightly.

Look, Gong Qiuyue, you are imitating me, and I am imitating you too.

And this time, it seems I’ve won.

After a long, long time, a handkerchief landed on my face.

I pulled it away and saw the First Prince’s thin, pale face.

“You went too far.”

“As long as it’s effective.”

He frowned, his lips twitching, but in the end, he said nothing.

After a while, once I had wiped my face clean, his gaze fell upon the horse. Though he remained silent, his regret was unmistakable.

I said calmly, “I didn’t give it a name.”

“What?”

“Something without a name is just a beast. If it’s killed, it’s killed. There won’t be any feelings involved.”

The First Prince thought for a moment and smiled. “You can call me Ning Xiao. ‘Ning’ for peace, and ‘Xiao’ for carefree.”

I was surprised as to why he was mentioning his name.

He continued to smile. “Can I call you Ah Yao?”

Ah Yao…

Ah Yao…

My mother used to call me that.

That was a very, very long time ago-so long that the memory was becoming blurred.

I suddenly wondered why Gong Qiuyue hadn’t sent us back to when we were children. If we had returned to that time, I would have had the chance to see my mother again, and a chance to change her fate.

But then I realized she was probably afraid I would kill her while she was still small…

I said indifferently, “It’s just a name. Your Highness may do as you please.”

Ning Xiao’s cool, clear eyes moved to me.

“I originally intended to wait until the current turmoil settled before approaching your father to propose marriage, but I didn’t expect your father to be in such a hurry…”

“Sooner or later, Your Highness has come. Yaoguang has no complaints.”

“You do!” he said with certainty.

I didn’t want to argue with him, so I got up to leave.

After walking for a long time, I saw his wheelchair was still there.

At that moment, I felt a bit of pity for him.

In his state, how could he love someone?

If one day he truly fell in love with someone and his beloved girl left, he wouldn’t even be able to chase after her.

How pathetic!

Shaking my head, I put him out of my mind.