Chapter 403: Day 8 into the Mary Sue Story

Chapter 403: Day 8 of Falling Into a Mary Sue Story

Lu Lu's throat went dry, his chest swelling with a tender, burning emotion, until An Yi deftly gripped the saddle and swung himself up onto the horse's back in one fluid, graceful motion—so smooth and quick that it jolted him back to reality.

Clearly, he was an experienced rider.

"An Yi, you... you're this skilled at riding?" Lu Lu blurted out, his surprise obvious in his voice.

In his memory, An Yi was a refined person—decent at all sports, sure, but horsemanship didn't seem to be a particular strength?

Yet that mount just now—you'd need years of practice to pull that off with such ease.

An Yi sat upright on the horse, and hearing this, he looked down slightly at Lu Lu, still on the ground, and smiled, "It's alright, I learned a bit before."

That "a bit" was a huge understatement.

Tang Haoxuan let out a whistle too: "An Yi's been hiding his talents! Looks like we can get a few good laps in today!"

The group all mounted their horses, and guided by the trainers and staff, they first warmed up in the training paddock, then headed out to the main circular sand track.

The track was spacious, with distant green mountains like ink paintings and nearby lush grass—a great view.

An Yi didn't push the pace at first, instead loosening the reins and letting Lightning trot at a light, steady pace, feeling the cool morning breeze brush his cheeks, smelling of grass and earth, and squinting contentedly.

Lu Lu rode alongside him, half a step behind, his eyes fixed on An Yi.

He watched An Yi's soft hair flutter in the wind, watched the relaxed, softer lines of his profile as he eased into the pleasure of the ride, watched his well-defined fingers gripping the reins... his heart beat steadily and powerfully in his chest, yet each beat burned with heat.

"An Yi, looks like Lightning really took a liking to you—he's running steady." Lu Lu tried to make his voice sound natural, his mind going blank as he grasped for something to say.

"Yeah, he's a smart one." An Yi nodded, giving the horse's neck a gentle pat.

The others gradually drifted apart.

After a while, An Yi seemed to have had enough of the leisurely pace. He gently gathered the reins, gave the horse's flanks the faintest squeeze with his legs, and leaned his weight slightly forward.

Lightning immediately caught his rider's intent—head lifting high, pace suddenly quickening, shifting from a light trot into a powerful gallop.

The wind roared past his ears, mingling with the rhythmic thud of hooves on the sand.

The scenery on either side began to blur, melting into streaks of green and brown.

A rush of pure freedom surged through him, and he instinctively leaned forward into the wind, a smile naturally curving his lips.

Sunlight danced on his long lashes, spilled into his clear eyes, scattering into fine, bright shards. His whole face came alive with that pure, joyful smile—strikingly beautiful, radiant, breathtaking.

Lu Lu: "..."

In that instant, Lu Lu forgot to breathe.

The howling wind, the hoofbeats, even the faint chatter of his friends—all faded abruptly into the distance.

His world narrowed to just that figure on horseback ahead, flashing that dazzling smile, and the heart in his chest that felt ready to explode.

Lu Lu's heart pounded with near-frantic force, thumping hard against his ribs, ringing in his ears, the rush of blood roaring in his skull.

A searing current burst from his heart, shooting straight to his head, turning his ears and neck a deep red, his mind spinning, his palms instantly slick with sweat.

He didn't know how he managed to control his horse, instinctively squeezing his legs to chase after An Yi.

His body's instincts and all his attention seemed focused on following that figure ahead, his vision wholly captured by that smile, his other senses temporarily failing.

All he felt was the wind growing fiercer, his heart thundering like a drum, his cheeks burning—floating on clouds one moment, treading on knife edges the next.

After what felt like an eternity, An Yi's pace ahead gradually slowed, and Lightning returned to a light trot.

Lu Lu, dazed, also tightened his reins, slowing his horse until he was riding alongside An Yi on the grassy edge of the track.

"That was exhilarating." An Yi's breathing remained steady, though his cheeks had taken on a light, healthy flush from the exercise and wind, and his eyes looked especially bright and moist from the thrill. He turned to Lu Lu, a trace of lingering joy still shining in his gaze: "What about you? How do you feel?"

Lu Lu opened his mouth, only to find his throat painfully dry. He cleared it, but his voice still came out with an unnatural hoarseness: "I... I'm good too."

His gaze couldn't pull away from An Yi's face—that faint blush... those bright eyes... so beautiful it made his heart clench, stirring a fierce, almost painful longing—to touch that slightly flushed cheek, to feel that warm, moist warmth, to...

That sudden, clear, and presumptuous thought made Lu Lu freeze, jerking his gaze away, staring hard at the twitching tip of his horse's ear as it breathed.

His heart still pounded wildly, irregularly, in his chest, nearly bursting free.

It's over.

Lu Lu's mind buzzed, a chaotic blank, followed by that one unmistakable realization.

He... was really not right anymore.

Looking at An Yi, he couldn't control his heart racing, pounding until it ached; his ears burning until his thoughts blurred; his head spinning, like oxygen deprivation or drunkenness; and thoughts surfacing that he'd never had before—messy, chaotic ones that made even himself blush and his heart race.

This wasn't right.

This was so wrong.

An Yi was a man—a friend he'd known for years!

How could he... how could he harbor thoughts of touching, of getting closer, of... possessing An Yi?

But... but he couldn't help it.

An Yi was right there, having just laughed freely, now back to that gentle, composed demeanor, yet those eyes still bright, those cheeks still faintly flushed—so beautiful he didn't seem real, like a dream he knew he shouldn't sink into but already had, a fantasy he wanted to reach out and touch but feared shattering.

For the rest of the outing, Lu Lu was completely distracted.

The group returned to the rest area, where attendants served chilled drinks and snacks.

Everyone sat around chatting, discussing their riding experience and sharing gossip and amusing stories.

Lu Lu sat diagonally across from An Yi, a glass of soda water in hand, ice cubes clinking softly against the glass.