Marrying the Crown Prince

I thought there would only be a few familiar faces like Li Zixiao and Li Zichen, but who knew Li Ziyan would also be there.

Zhou Zhou raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Zixi on horseback.

Li Zixi turned her face away guiltily, not daring to look at her—of course, if I told you, would you still come to help me with the horse race?

After thinking about it carefully, Zhou Zhou felt that it was still possible, but the price would have to be increased.

Li Zixiao was not surprised at all when she saw that the person who came was Zhou Zhou. "I knew you would choose her."

While at Jingyang Palace, this group of people did have horse races, except for Li Ziyan.

Every time, regardless of whether the number of people racing horses changed, or whether any of them improved their horsemanship, Zhou Zhou always ranked third, without fail.

Therefore, they gave Zhou Zhou a nickname: the Chosen Third Brother.

When Zhou Zhou found out, he just laughed it off and didn't care. In fact, there is no such thing as a chosen one; it's all man-made.

However, Zhou Zhou did not say this aloud.

Li Zixi glanced at Liu Jingyuan next to Li Zixiao and also pouted, "I knew you would choose her."

Liu Jingyuan was, after all, a woman from a military family. Whenever there were no men participating in a horse race, she would almost always come in first place.

Zhou Zhou, somewhat curious, leaned closer to Li Zixi and asked, "What's the stake this time?"

Why do both princesses seem so nervous?

“It’s the Crown Prince’s red coral bracelet.” Li Zixi’s eyes lit up with love as she spoke of the bracelet. “You have no idea how beautiful this bracelet is.”

Li Zixiao's eyes also showed affection, "Yes, it really is exceptionally beautiful."

Zhou Zhou: "..."

I believe it looks exceptionally good, so could you please stop emphasizing it?

“That bracelet is beautiful, and I understand that you two like it,” Zhou Zhou said, resting his chin on one hand and putting the other on his hip. “Why are the Fifth Prince and the Eighth Prince joining in the fun?”

Li Zichen scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "I want to win it and give it to my beloved."

It goes without saying who this beloved person is.

Zhou Zhou quickly turned her head away, not wanting to continue watching the other person's public display of affection, lest she get a sty.

Li Ziqi said, "What a coincidence, I'm the same as Fifth Brother."

Huh? The Eighth Prince has someone he likes too?

Everyone turned their heads in unison, staring at him with gossipy eyes.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have it yet,” Li Ziqi shrugged, “but I believe I will sooner or later.”

It turned out to be a feint.

Everyone immediately looked away again.

"Alright, let's talk about the rules." Li Ziyan was the first to mount his horse, his movements swift and agile, showing no sign that he was the sickly crown prince of rumors.

Li Ziyan held the reins loosely, "I will go ahead for a moment, and then you will set off. Whoever catches up with me first will be the winner."

“A quarter of an hour?” Li Zixiao protested. “No, that’s too long. By then, we won’t even be able to find your tail. How are we supposed to catch you?”

That's a good question, but she forgot to consider one thing.

“Sixth Princess is right,” Li Ziyan said, looking at everyone with a half-smile. “But sister, you’ve probably forgotten that I’m not in good health and my riding skills are poor.”

Li Zixiao hurriedly apologized, "Crown Prince, I didn't mean to, I..."

"Alright, I understand." With that, Li Ziyan straightened the reins and rode away.

Li Ziyan, dressed in a wide-sleeved robe, rode on horseback. The horse galloped, and his sleeves fluttered, making him look like a dashing young man on a country road.

As Zhou Zhou watched his receding figure, and thinking back to what he had just said about "not being in good health," a wave of regret washed over her—if His Highness the Crown Prince were in better health, he would surely be a fine young man skilled in both literature and martial arts.

As people shrink smaller and smaller, when time is almost up, they become just a tiny dot, as if they will disappear in the next moment.

Thinking about all this, Zhou Zhou's emotions surged again, and she felt inexplicably irritable. So when the time came, she immediately tightened her grip on the saddle and urged the horse to gallop away.

Perhaps to vent his frustrations, or to show everyone his true strength, Zhou Zhou no longer held back this time, and his horse galloped across the ground like the wind.

Zhou Zhou gripped the reins tightly, his legs gripping the horse's back to keep from falling, while constantly urging the horse to go faster.

The horses' hooves thundered, their feet moved with the wind, and wherever they went, the sand and gravel trembled and dust flew up.

"Giddy up, giddy up!" Liu Jingyuan also went all out, matching Zhou Zhou's intensity.

Seeing this, Zhou Zhou pushed off with his feet again, lifting himself up by his buttocks, bending over as if half-lying on the horse's back, becoming one with the horse, like a graceful painting.

Her horse picked up speed again, its agile form leaping across the road as it charged forward.

Finally, at the last moment, Zhou Zhou overtook Li Ziyan.

The horse was running at full speed, and Zhou Zhou couldn't just ask it to stop all at once, so he led the horse for another mile before slowing down.

Because of this slow pace, Liu Jingyuan and Li Ziyan caught up.

“Your horsemanship is so good,” Liu Jingyuan said first, admitting defeat wholeheartedly. “I’m afraid even my second brother can’t compare to you.”

Zhou Zhou was not surprised to win the game, but he still spoke modestly, saying, "It was just a coincidence."

"Judging from what you're saying, could it be that Miss Zhou's riding skills weren't this good before?" Li Ziyan leaned closer and asked casually.

Liu Jingyuan immediately shook her head, "No, not really, but it's not bad either. It's just that this is the first time you've beaten me."

"Oh?" Li Ziyan looked at Zhou Zhou with a half-smile. "I see."

His expression was intriguing, causing Zhou Zhou to instinctively tighten his grip on the reins again.

Her intuition told her that the Crown Prince must have figured something out.

However, Li Ziyan didn't say anything, nor did he mention it to Zhou Zhou, leaving Zhou Zhou unsure how to respond.

Therefore, you shouldn't befriend overly intelligent people, as they are easily seen through.

Fortunately, the four people behind them caught up quickly.

Zhou Zhou also breathed a sigh of relief—thank goodness they finally caught up.

She didn't know what the Crown Prince was thinking. In public, he seemed to pay very little attention to her and would not take the initiative to talk to her, which allowed Zhou Zhou to pretend to be herself very smoothly and comfortably.

Behind closed doors, Li Ziyan is perceptive, meticulous, and strategic; she can even see into one's own heart with a single glance.

But every time he found out, he didn't mention it, and Zhou Zhou knew he knew, but since he didn't mention it, she didn't dare to either.

Zhou Zhou reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking to himself: What is all this about!

Li Zixi was overjoyed to have won the match, and she hugged Zhou Zhou, kissing and shouting with delight.

Even after all these years, Zhou Zhou still couldn't stand this cloying affection for long, so he pulled Li Zixi off him and said, "If you keep messing around, I won't give you the things."