The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

Xiu Xingmeng clenched her fists silently, wanting to finish this scripted world as soon as possible and reclaim the name her mother had given her.

Chapter 149 After the Battle

"Wow! You are amazing!"

Just as Xiu Xingmeng was staring at the task panel, a spirited voice suddenly rang out behind her.

Turning around, she saw Starlight Heroine. Although she was sweating profusely and panting heavily, she still gave Embroidery Star Dream a cheerful smile.

"My name is Starlight Girl, and I'm a racehorse girl who's going to defeat the blindfolded monster!"

As she spoke, she extended her hand to Xiu Xingmeng in a gesture of friendliness.

Meanwhile, Fujino Mark stood to the side, looking at the two with complicated expressions, having just crossed the finish line on the thank-you stage.

They never imagined that such a terrifying racehorse girl as Hideyuki would appear in the Kobe Shimbun Cup, and they never imagined that Starlight would have the audacity to go looking for Hideyuki after the race.

After thanking the stage and exchanging a glance, Mark Ou Fujino shook his head in unison.

In their eyes, a powerful racehorse girl like Hideki Star would never pay attention to Starlight Warrior, just like Narita Shirahito. They can only see racehorse girls of similar skill level to themselves, and the other contestants are just background figures on their stage.

As expected, Xiu Xingmeng only glanced down at Xingguangxia's outstretched hand before turning away without saying a word.

She had long ago decided not to get involved with other people in the script world, and Starman was no exception.

What Xiuxing Meng wants now is to defeat Narita Shirohito, to win the Chrysanthemum Prize, to win the Emperor's Prize for the second consecutive year, an undeniable victory, and not this so-called friendship.

Getting involved with other people is not only meaningless for Xiu Xingmeng right now, but it may also slow down her progress in completing the main quest and make the already chaotic interpersonal relationships in the real world even more complicated.

She had no reason, nor any need, to accept Starman's kindness.

Watching Xiu Xingmeng leave without a word, Xingguangxia lowered his hand somewhat disappointedly.

"That's how racehorses are; if you want them to take you seriously, you have to show strength that's no less than theirs."

"This applies to both Narita Shirahito and this Northern Star Dream."

Just then, Fujino Mark Wang's voice suddenly came from behind Starlight. She turned around in surprise and found that the thank-you stage had also come over and said something.

"And if you want to get closer to them, you have to put in more effort."

"Didn't you speak so confidently before? Don't tell me you can't even accept these obvious difficulties."

Seeing the two people comforting her despite their awkward tone, Starlight was both touched and a little confused. Without thinking, she blurted out a sentence.

"You guys...were you this close before?"

These words immediately caused the two to cough violently, and the person on stage, blushing, loudly argued back.

"Who wants to be on good terms with this guy! He just ran a little better in the Classic, but he always looks down on people. In the end, he still lost to Narita Shirahito, didn't he?"

Upon hearing this from the thank-you stage, Fujino Marko got angry.

"It's better than that guy who was so scared that he couldn't even perform to his full potential! After the match, I wonder who was hiding in the dorm crying and needing someone to comfort them!"

In fact, they were the same age, the same class, and even lived in the same dormitory. How could their relationship be bad? Although they both wanted to win and made some tough words to each other before the competition, now that the competition was over, they naturally had to return to their original way of getting along.

During the thank-you ceremony, which exposed his embarrassing past, he grabbed Fujino Mark's cheek and said angrily.

"Really? But I know an even more embarrassing racehorse girl who always likes to boast about her Satsuki Sho and Japanese Derby results to impress people, but she becomes speechless when asked how many horse lengths behind she is!"

"It turns out she was four horse lengths behind Narita Shirohito in the Satsuki Prize, and a full eight horse lengths behind in the Japanese Derby!"

"He's almost been overtaken by a huge margin, yet he's still going around telling people he's going to surpass Narita Shirahito. What a shameless guy!"

Fujino Mark, feeling resentfully struck in the heart, grumbled and pinched the other person's cheek in the same way he thanked the stage.

Although she had always presented herself as a proud and confident genius, she was actually far behind Narita Shirahito, which is why the audience had such high expectations for the suddenly emerging Xiuxing Meng.

After all, she was only third place and was still so far behind Narita Shirohito. If there wasn't really nothing else to look forward to, she wouldn't have placed her bets on Fujino Mark.

Although many spectators came to the Kobe Shimbun Cup today to observe the strength of Marko Fujino, this group is actually only a small part of the entire horse racing world.

Most viewers, seeing Narita Shirahito's overwhelming victory over the two classic titles, already believed she would become the next three-time classic champion.

There's even less need to pay attention to the Kobe Shimbun Cup, a preliminary match for the Chrysanthemum Award, since most people already believe that Narita Shirahito's victory is a foregone conclusion.

"What? So we're all the same after all!"

Although Starman didn't understand what the two guys were babbling about, one thing was certain.

Despite their significant disadvantages and lack of audience support, the two women were still determined to fight against Narita Shirahito, the strongest of their generation.

The harsh words they uttered before the match were simply because they refused to admit defeat.

Indeed, even under the terrifying oppression of Narita Shirahito, they still did not choose to give up deep down.

Fujino Marko wants to win this match to challenge Narita Shirahito again at the Arima Memorial, while on the thank-you stage, he wants to regain his confidence by defeating her so that he can face Narita Shirahito in peak condition.

The situation is the same now. Although they were so frightened by the Star Dream during the competition that their bodies trembled and their minds collapsed, they would come to comfort Star Warriors after the competition.

Because they also know that Starlight is a racehorse girl just like themselves.

Although they have failed time and time again, if given another chance to step onto the stage, they will never be timid. Instead, they will be determined to seize this opportunity and challenge Narita Shirahito or Hidehoshi Yume again.

The three of them actually keep a clear distinction between the competition field and their off-field activities. Even if they suffer many defeats on the field, they will regain their confidence and fight again off the field.

Thinking of this, Starlight Knight unconsciously looked in the direction where Embroidered Star Dream had left.

She had vaguely sensed it before; Xiu Xingmeng, who had just defeated them, seemed to have never left the arena. While the three of them relaxed after the match, Xiu Xingmeng seemed to still be in that fighting stance.

"But that would be very tiring."

Starlight Knight murmured to himself as he watched Embroidered Star Dream's retreating figure.

Chapter 150 Inheritance

"Star Dream, you did a great job."

Once again in that magnificent hall, the Northern Grandmother spoke to Xiu Xingmeng in a gentle tone.

She seemed to prefer this hall to that gloomy, decaying, damp-smelling mansion.

This was understandable, since the family in the north had declined, so apart from the area where the grandmother and granddaughter lived, many other places were covered in dust. Living in such a place would not put one in a good mood.

So when Xiu Xingmeng was training, she would come to this hall, wiping the frames of her ancestors' paintings while reminiscing about the past in the golden light.

Only here could she stand tall and tell Xiu Xingmeng those historical stories that she had told countless times before.

Now, seeing Xiuxingmeng win the Kobe Shimbun Cup and take the first step towards reviving the glory of the Northern Family, the gloom on Grandmother's face has lessened considerably.

"Isn't it only right that I win this kind of game?"

"The food is ready. I'll take you to the dining room now."

For Xiu Xingmeng, the Kobe News Cup was not a particularly special competition, and she wouldn't feel much joy after winning it. More important to her than the old woman's satisfaction was getting her to dinner.

Although she did not inherit the memories of this script world, the grandmother of the Northern family was, after all, an old woman, and Xiu Xingmeng felt that since she was here, she had to take on the responsibility of taking care of her.

Xiu Xingmeng knows best how unbearable it is to be hungry.

As she spoke, she walked behind her grandmother's wheelchair and placed her hand on it.

Before Xiu Xingmeng could even push her wheelchair forward, her hand was covered by a pair of warm hands.

"Xingmeng, you are a good child."

"But remember, no victory is a given. Like the glory of our forefathers, every one of them was earned through their own hard work and dedication."

Listening to her grandmother's incessant chatter, Xiu Xingmeng's brow twitched inexplicably.

She felt that her grandmother's words sounded familiar, as if she herself had said something similar to opera on the field.

No victory is ever a given; I should have understood that long ago.

Xiu Xingmeng subconsciously pursed her lips, realizing that there was something wrong with her mindset.

Is it because the world of this scenario is no longer restricted, so I became less vigilant in this kind of competition after becoming stronger?

Thinking of this, Xiu Xingmeng shook her head and inwardly berated herself for her inadequacy. Wasn't the failure of the opera the best example? Why had she forgotten it?

"I understand, this mistake will never happen again."

After realizing that her grandmother had filled in the gap in her mindset, Xiu Xingmeng sincerely thanked her, knowing that this small oversight might not affect her chrysanthemum appreciation later.

But what about the matches that follow?

When the racehorses give their all to win that dazzling victory, and when the gap between people gradually disappears in the fierce competition, in that crucial moment of victory or defeat, the perfection of one's mindset often becomes the key to the outcome of the race.

Such a small act of carelessness is like a ticking time bomb, which could explode in any competition, ruining oneself and the championship that was within reach.

After hearing Xiu Xingmeng's answer, her grandmother nodded in satisfaction. With her deep experience, she could tell that Xiu Xingmeng had taken her advice to heart.

"Don't worry about food for now. You need a final outfit to participate in the G1 match, and I've already prepared one for you."

As she spoke, she pointed to one of the picture frames covered by a curtain, beneath which was an exquisite wooden box.

"Go and have a look."

Xiu Xingmeng nodded after hearing this, walked to the wooden box, and opened it.

What comes into view is a hussar uniform similar to that of 17th-century Europe. Unlike the bright colors used at the time to distinguish friendly forces on the battlefield, this uniform is entirely black, with only a few glaring gold accents on the double-breasted buttons.

The gold tassel-shaped epaulettes and shoulder straps adorning the right shoulder also secure a single red cape. The entire black, gold, and red color scheme exudes unparalleled majesty and dominance at first glance.

After removing the top, at the bottom of the wooden box was a skirt in the same color and black stockings, with a pair of shiny leather shoes and black silk gloves placed to the side.

Seeing that Xiu Xingmeng had already seen her gift, the Northern Grandmother spoke slowly from behind.

"The Northern family's bloodline originates from Europe, so our victory uniforms throughout the ages were modified from the style of European military uniforms at that time."

"This final outfit is the same style as the one your mother wore back then, only the color has been changed to suit you better."

Hearing her words, Xiu Xingmeng silently stroked the soft clothes in her hands.

A mother? Of course, I have a mother in this scenario world. My grandmother from the north must have given me this outfit as a form of encouragement.

only……

In Xiu Xingmeng's heart, there is only one person who can be called a mother. Although Yongwu is very good to her, she only regards her as a respected elder.

The word "mother" holds a very special place in Xiu Xingmeng's heart.

Seeing that Xiu Xingmeng remained silent, her grandmother assumed that she was reminiscing about the past, so she continued softly.

"And the red ribbon on your ponytail."

“You were young when your mother gave it to you, and you may have forgotten about it, but it was still a gift from your mother.”

Upon hearing this, Xiu Xingmeng subconsciously touched the red ribbon tied in her hair, and a feeling of disgust inexplicably welled up in her heart.

It's one thing to take her mother's name, but to even steal the red ribbon her mother gave her? At this moment, Xiu Xingmeng's frustration with this scripted world and this Northern family reached its peak. She almost wished she could finish all the tasks right now, return to reality, and go back to her mother's bedside.

But that's impossible. The scripted world has only just begun, and she hasn't even completed a single mission yet, so how can she return to the real world?

In the end, Xiu Xingmeng could only take a deep breath, trying to suppress all the irritation in her heart. Holding the victory uniform that looked like a military uniform in her hand, she turned her back to her grandmother and said.

"Inheriting it... is also part of the glory of the Northern family."

Her tone was extremely calm, so her grandmother nodded without suspicion and answered clearly.

"Throughout history, the horse race girls from the northern families have all worn this kind of winning outfit to enter the race and claim their glory."

"I see."

Xiu Xingmeng paused for a moment before continuing.

"I will wear this winning outfit to defeat Narita Shirohito and win the Chrysanthemum Prize."

Chapter 151 The Night Before the Triple Crown

Kentaro Sugiki, a cigarette dangling from his lips, sat alone in his deserted office late at night, reviewing documents. On the screen in front of him, footage of Narita Shirahito being interviewed was playing continuously.

"What are your thoughts on the upcoming Chrysanthemum Festival? You've already won two of the classic three-crown titles; are you confident you can take the final one?"

After the reporter finished speaking, he handed the microphone to a black-haired racehorse girl. She was an impressive racehorse girl; even through the screen, one could almost feel a sense of suffocation from her sharp gaze.

"I just need to overwhelm everyone with my strength."

She spoke expressionlessly to Kentaro Sugiki outside the screen.

Even though he had heard it countless times, Kentaro Sugiki would still hiss unconsciously. He scratched his head in frustration, threw the paper and pen aside, and slumped into his chair.

Looking at the ceiling, which was illuminated by a small patch of white light from the screen, Kentaro Sugiki muttered to himself.

"He really can crush everyone with just his strength..."

During this period, he repeatedly reviewed and studied Narita Shirajin's materials, including his maximum speed during the race, the acceleration of his final sprint before the straight, and the arc he crossed when turning. In the end, Sugiki Kentaro even felt that, apart from Narita Shirajin himself and his trainer, he was the person who understood Narita Shirajin the most.