Gently bite the jasmine

Lin Xi isn't very good at horseback riding. Actually, she really enjoys it, but she fell off a horse once when she went to the club with Duan Mingxuan.

Duan Mingxuan then refused to let her ride a horse.

The phone rang, interrupting Lin Xi's thoughts. When she saw it was Duan Mingxuan, the smile on her lips faded slightly.

Lin Xi answered the phone without saying a word, while Duan Mingxuan bombarded her with a series of "I'm sorry."

Turning 30 is a significant day, no matter how you look at it.

Duan Zheng and Chen Baiwei remained indifferent, and Duan Yiheng showed no sign of sadness.

On his birthday, Duan Mingxuan broke the birthday gift he had given to Duan Yiheng.

Lin Xi felt ashamed and had no idea what to say to Duan Mingxuan.

"Xiao Xi?"

Duan Mingxuan waited a while without hearing Lin Xi's reply on his phone, then patiently called her.

Lin Xi lowered her eyes and responded.

Duan Mingxuan's eyes lit up, and his tone rose: "Sister Mei said you went out with... him?"

"Ah."

“Then…” Duan Mingxuan paused for a moment, “when are you coming back? I’ll come pick you up.”

"No need," Lin Xi said. "I'll go back when it's time."

Duan Mingxuan thought that tomorrow was Monday and Lin Xi would be coming back to work, so he would definitely come back tonight.

He calmed down and sincerely apologized again: "Xiao Xi, I'm really sorry, I didn't control my temper."

Lin Xi sighed inwardly. When she was a child, she would have accepted Duan Mingxuan's apology.

Because Chen Baiwei looked at her with a smile, even if she was wronged by Duan Mingxuan's recklessness, she could only forgive him.

But she still can't get over this hurdle in her heart.

"Let's talk about it when we get back," Lin Xi said, and hung up the phone in a hurry.

She glanced at Duan Yiheng's hand out of the corner of her eye; the scratch hadn't been treated yet. She said, "Let me disinfect it for you."

Duan Yiheng did not refuse and reached out his hand.

Lin Xi held his hand with her palm facing his palm and gently wiped his wound with a cotton swab.

Finally, as was his habit, he blew on it once more, his fingertips curled up, his eyes unreadable.

In the afternoon, Duan Yiheng missed the horseback riding activity with Meng Huaishan and others because he had to attend a last-minute video conference.

Lin Xi waited until all the flowers had withered before he came out of his study.

With a look of resentment that he dared not express, Duan Yiheng chuckled: "Have you been waiting long?"

Lin Xi put her hands behind her back, shook them, and whispered, "They're all back."

Duan Yiheng: "I'll take you to the horse farm now."

The horse ranch is located at the northernmost part of the ranch, a vast and expansive area that houses many prized breeds. Meng Huaishan's brown Thoroughbred horse is also kept here.

The horse farm is managed by professionals and has a dedicated changing area.

Lin Xi changed into her riding clothes and was stunned when she saw Duan Yiheng. The man was tall and slender with broad shoulders, and his clothes clung tightly to the outline of his beautiful chest muscles.

Duan Yiheng's eyebrows and eyes were also extremely outstanding; when he looked up, it was like a freehand sketch of a cold pine tree covered in frost.

He was the kind of person who attracted a lot of attention, but you didn't dare to look at him too closely.

The two sized each other up, and Duan Yiheng's gaze also fell on Lin Xi.

She wasn't as tall as girls from the north, but her proportions were perfect, especially her slender waist, which looked like it could be covered by a palm.

Duan Yiheng had the coach bring over his horse, which was entirely covered in black satin, and said to Lin Xi, "Its name is Moyu. You can touch it and get to know it."

The meticulously maintained black jade had a smooth and lustrous sheen; it was truly beautiful. Lin Xi exclaimed in admiration and reached out to touch it.

The horse was quite docile and did not reject Lin Xi.

Duan Yiheng took the protective gear and squatted down quite naturally.

From Lin Xi's perspective, he was kneeling with one leg bent and the other knee on the ground, so frightened that he backed away.

Duan Yiheng looked up and said, "What are you hiding for? Let me put protective gear on you."

Lin Xi was about to say she would do it herself when Duan Yiheng reached out and squeezed her ankle, saying, "Don't move."

At this moment, Lin Xi felt Duan Yiheng's restrained gentleness from the inside out.

After she put on the protective gear, Duan Yiheng put a helmet on her.

"Thank you." Lin Xi looked at Duan Yiheng with her bright, watery eyes.

Duan Yiheng raised his chin: "The Shanghai Horse Racing Festival, perhaps?"

Lin Xi: "I would, but Mo Yu is too tall, I..."

"Let me help you." Duan Yiheng grabbed her waist from behind.

Lin Xi used the momentum to step onto the saddle and mounted the horse.

Duan Yiheng was even more swift; before Lin Xi could react, his chest was already pressed against her back.

"Hold the reins tighter, relax a bit." Duan Yiheng's hand went through her waist and placed on the saddle.

Lin Xi's nerves jumped with excitement, and he gently squeezed the horse's flanks, causing Mo Yu to gallop away.

Unsure if someone was behind him, Lin Xi grew bolder and sped up.

Her worries vanished instantly, and the wind that brushed her cheek carried her laughter throughout the horse farm.

Having enjoyed himself to the fullest, Lin Xi tightened the reins and slowly brought the car to a stop.

Duan Yiheng glanced down at her feet: "Are your feet alright?"

Lin Xi shook her head: "It's nothing."

Duan Yiheng took the reins and let Moyu walk slowly around the horse farm.

Lin Xi breathed out, "The black jade is so beautiful."

"There's also a white pony here, it doesn't have a name," Duan Yiheng said. "I'll give it to you on your birthday."

"Give it to me?" Lin Xi was taken aback. "It's too expensive. I can't accept something I haven't done right by."

“It’s not expensive,” Duan Yiheng said. “I’ll have someone prepare the registration certificate, health certificate, and pedigree certificate. You just need to sign them.”

Lin Xi turned around in surprise: "Why are you giving this to me?"

She has a Porsche sports car in her garage, which was a gift from Duan Yiheng. However, her grandfather mentioned it briefly at the time; otherwise, given her relationship with Duan Yiheng, they wouldn't have exchanged such expensive gifts.

Duan Yiheng said, "You ate cake with me and celebrated my birthday, so it's only right to return the favor."

Lin Xi was filled with shame: "The gift I gave you is already broken, and how can something worth over 100,000 yuan compare to a horse?"

“It’s just a horse,” Duan Yiheng said. “You don’t need to take care of it. You can come over anytime you want it.”

"Can--"

Duan Yiheng interrupted her, saying, "I don't know what gift to give you, just accept it."

Lin Xi respectfully obeyed.

The staff at the horse farm gestured to Duan Yiheng from a distance.

Mo Yu stopped, and Duan Yiheng dismounted first, then reached out his hand to her.

Lin Xi clung to Duan Yiheng's neck, and he pulled her down by her waist.

It turned out that Duan Yiheng's phone rang. It was Meng Huaishan calling to say he had to leave early.

Lin Xi glanced at the time, then turned to Duan Yiheng and said, "It's getting late, and we have to go to work tomorrow. Let's go together."

Duan Yiheng hummed in agreement: "Let's change our clothes first."

On the way back, Lin Xi took Liang Yutong home first.

As the sunset painted the sky, the car stopped in front of the main house of the villa.

Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng got out of the car one after the other.

Half the sky was tinged with the colors of the setting sun, and Duan Yiheng stood tall beneath the flowing clouds, their colors intertwined.

Lin Xi: "Thank you this time."

Duan Yiheng: "Ever since you came back, it seems like you've been constantly thanking me."

Lin Xi chuckled: "It seems so. I still owe you something. Have you thought it through?"

Duan Yiheng: "I haven't thought about it yet."

Lin Xi: "Think it over before you speak. I'm going upstairs now."

Turning around, Lin Xi saw Duan Mingxuan.

He glanced at Duan Yiheng, then smiled at Lin Xi: "Xiao Xi, you're back."

Lin Xi hummed in response, but didn't say anything more.

Duan Mingxuan frowned and asked, "I overheard what you were saying. What do you owe him?"

Lin Xi: "..."