Chapter 9:- “Hold on Tighter”

Jiang Rao’s lashes fluttered lightly. The words felt strange as it seemed no one had ever said something like that to her before.

Although she knew Chen Lian had only spoken casually, with no other meaning behind it, Jiang Rao’s joy still didn’t fade. She felt that on this winding road of trying to “cling to his thigh” for protection, she had finally found the right direction.

Chen Lian turned to glance at her and said, “You come lead it.”

Jiang Rao hesitated and didn’t move. The horse before her snorted, shaking its body and flaring its nostrils, showing not the slightest friendliness toward her.

Chen Lian was silent for a moment, then reached out and gently stroked the horse’s withers a few times. Almost immediately, it quieted and stood docile; the effect was almost miraculous.

He then asked, “Is this all right now?”

His voice was even and low, carrying no emotion, yet when it reached Jiang Rao’s ears it seemed to stir a faint, ticklish unease, adding another layer of shy confusion to her already tangled feelings.

Jiang Rao hurriedly nodded, nervously preparing to reach for the reins but then saw Chen Lian glance at her briefly before taking the reins himself and walking straight toward the training field.

Her hands caught only air, and she let out a quiet breath of relief. Watching his tall, straight back, she quickly trotted after him.

When they reached the open ground, Jiang Rao, afraid that further hesitation would annoy him, took the initiative to step closer.

The horse was truly tall and strong. Jiang Rao approached cautiously. Seeing that it behaved well, her courage grew a little. Imitating Chen Lian’s earlier movement, she reached out to touch its back and sure enough, the horse seemed to enjoy it, pawing at the ground and shaking its mane twice in comfort.

That gave her a bit of confidence.

He said to her, “Get on the horse first.”

“All right…”

Chen Lian, having said so, did not move to assist her. He simply stood aside, calmly issuing his instructions as usual. Jiang Rao’s expression showed a trace of awkwardness as she had no experience at all; how could she possibly get on by herself?

She tried twice, awkwardly, and finally pulled her hands back in defeat.

“Could you perhaps… lend me a hand?” Jiang Rao lowered her voice, soft and almost pleading. “I can’t reach the saddle.”

Chen Lian cast her glance and answered coldly, “Men and women should not have physical contact.”

Jiang Rao, who had deliberately planned to draw closer to him, naturally didn’t mind such contact but hearing him say this now, she suddenly worried she had been too forward and might make him think of her as shameless.

Just as she was about to say something to smooth things over, he added, “A lady of your standing, how could someone like me dare to touch you?”

“…”

A chill ran down Jiang Rao’s back.

Was he still brooding over what happened last time?

She grew uneasy, unsure whether he was speaking in self-deprecation or irony.

These past two meetings, she always seemed to stir something in him unintentionally, trying to appear neither too forward nor too reserved yet the results were never quite as she hoped. It was, honestly, exhausting.

“Your words are far too serious. Since you are so concerned, then there’s no need to trouble you,” she finally managed to say after thinking for a long while, the most proper response she could find.

When she finished, she couldn’t help feeling slightly deflated.

To show she wasn’t giving up, she braced herself and stepped forward again. Clumsily, she grabbed the reins with one hand and tried to lift herself but the horse suddenly reared in agitation.

Caught off guard, she lost her balance completely. She gave a frightened cry, certain she was about to fall hard but before her voice had even faded, a strong, warm pressure encircled her waist.

It was his hand.

One hand steadying the horse, the other supporting her, Chen Lian’s palm briefly and firmly held her at the waist.

Jiang Rao’s eyes shut instinctively; she felt her feet leave the ground, and by the time she realized what had happened, she was already safely seated on the horse’s back. That fleeting embrace almost felt like an illusion.

“Your technique just now was wrong. You should hold the reins and the mane together with your left hand, and then push off using the stirrup. Otherwise, you could hurt the horse or yourself.”

“Who told you not to help me in the first place?”

This time, Jiang Rao was genuinely upset, no longer thinking about currying his favor.

She was the Marquis’s daughter, a noble young lady. Since childhood, she had always been surrounded by attendants. She had never been made to do such dangerous things by herself and truthfully, not even ordinary tasks required her personal effort.

And now, after lowering herself so much to be polite and attentive, he still had to be so sharp with her.

The more Jiang Rao thought about it, the more stifled she felt. Her eyes began to sting, tears threatening to spill. Embarrassed, she quickly turned her face away.

Chen Lian, noticing her reaction, spoke with faint puzzlement. “Why are you so delicate?”

Jiang Rao still refused to answer him.

He sighed, showing rare patience. “Do you still want to learn or not?”

Jiang Rao sniffled once and, for the first time, replied with firmness, “No.”

“Then get down by yourself.”

Jiang Rao froze, and then glared at him. He was doing this on purpose! If she couldn’t get on by herself, how could she possibly get down alone?

He lifted a brow, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. “What’s wrong? Do you want me to hold you again?”

Jiang Rao’s face stiffened instantly. He had used the word again, so, in his mind, that brief help earlier had indeed counted as holding her.

That word was so unmistakably suggestive.

Chen Lian seemed to realize it too. His expression grew slightly awkward, but he hid it quickly, his composure practiced and smooth. Before Jiang Rao could read into it, he had already regained his usual detached calm.

“You’re a noble lady,” he said dryly. “I can’t afford your tears. Let me teach you properly, all right?”

Knowing when to stop, Jiang Rao smiled faintly and said, “You said it yourself.”

Chen Lian gave a small laugh, then personally took hold of the reins and led the horse forward. The horse walked steadily, step by step. Jiang Rao, at first nervous, gradually began to relax and adapt.

One man, one woman, one horse and the green grass stretching endlessly beneath them was a harmonious sight.

A passing breeze carried his voice to her. Without turning his head, Chen Lian murmured as if speaking to himself, “It’s my first time leading a horse for someone else.”

Hearing those words carried by the wind, Jiang Rao couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile.

This was the second time she had ever ridden a horse. The first had been when Ge Ruyan took her galloping through the streets; thrilling and breathtaking. The second was now, with Chen Lian; calm, slow, and safe.

Jiang Rao thought, At this pace, I might never actually learn to ride. Chen Lian wasn’t really teaching her; he was just letting her have a taste of it.

She asked, “Can we go a little faster?”

Without looking back, Chen Lian replied, “The lady sits on the horse, but does she not know how tiring it is for the one leading it?”

“Then let go for a moment,” she said. “I’ll try riding by myself.”

Chen Lian stopped walking. “You’re not afraid anymore?”

“Of course I’m afraid. But I truly do want to learn.”

What she’d said earlier about wanting to join the imperial race meeting wasn’t just an excuse. In her previous life, she had lived rigidly by the rules of a demure noblewoman; a life that had never brought her joy. Now that fate had given her another chance, she wanted to bravely try all the things she had once feared or forbidden herself from doing.

All her past years had been filled with embroidery and needlework, bound by propriety and convention. It wasn’t until she met Ge Ruyan that she realized a woman could live so freely, so unrestrained.

Her thoughts drifted far away, and when she came back to herself, she found Chen Lian gazing at her with an unreadable expression.

“Do you really mean it?” he asked.

Jiang Rao nodded solemnly. “Of course I do.”

He paused again, seeming unsure how to begin what he wanted to say.

Puzzled, Jiang Rao tilted her head and waited. Only after a long moment did he finally speak.

“When I held you just now… did you mind?”

Jiang Rao froze, caught off guard by his sudden question. His gaze was intense, almost burning, and she became acutely aware again of the spot at her lower back where his hand had touched; it seemed to tingle faintly.

Trying to appear composed, she shook her head, smiling with measured grace. “You only did that to help me. If not for that, I’d have fallen off the horse. It was out of necessity, how could I possibly blame you?”

“In that case…” Chen Lian’s eyes flickered. He said nothing more, but his hesitation vanished.

With a slight movement of his feet, he leapt gracefully into the air and landed behind her without using any aid. Jiang Rao watched, wide-eyed as his movements were fluid and swift, like the wind itself.

He had mounted the horse too. In an instant, the two were close enough that their chests and backs almost touched. Jiang Rao suddenly felt the tips of her ears grow hot.

“You…”

Chen Lian said nothing. He simply reached past her to take the reins from her hands, his arms encircling her from behind in what could only be described as an embrace. The posture was undeniably intimate.

The air around her ears seemed to spark, her skin tingling. Then his deep voice came, resonant against her back, “This way, learning hand-in-hand goes faster. It’s also out of necessity, Miss… please don’t take offense.”

Out of necessity.

Those were her exact words moments ago but hearing them now, somehow they sounded anything but innocent.

Her ears itched again, and the sensation spread down her neck. Before she could adjust to this dangerous closeness, she heard his firm voice…

“Hyah!”

The white horse, Silver Moon, obeyed instantly. With a single command, its hooves thundered against the grass. The ground trembled softly as the horse surged forward, and Jiang Rao’s heartbeat quickened in rhythm with the gallop.

It was fast again, but unlike the wild ride she’d had with Ge Ruyan, this time she felt completely at ease because she trusted the person behind her.

They soon galloped far from the courtyard. When Jiang Rao looked back, the compound had vanished from sight. Turning forward again, she saw the wide, open field stretching endlessly before her; her heart filled with lightness and freedom.

Then, on impulse, she spread her arms wide, embracing the wind.

She wanted to keep facing the wind like this; unbound, unrestrained.

Breaking free of her shackles, to glimpse the light of heaven.

Chen Lian found her delight almost amusing. To him, this was an ordinary experience, yet she treated it as something rare and precious. So he steadied the horse’s pace, making the ride smoother, unwilling to disturb her fleeting joy.

Everything was fine except that the girl’s long, dark hair kept brushing against his face. At times, the wind lifted strands of it, curling them against his neck, making him tighten his grip on the reins in discomfort.

Her hair carried a faint scent of peach blossoms. Though April had long passed, that lingering fragrance filled his senses as if they were riding through a hidden grove of blooming peach trees.

Lost in that fleeting haze, Chen Lian finally broke the silence.

“Don’t just enjoy the novelty, do you feel the rhythm of the horse yet?”

Jiang Rao quickly drew her hands back, her expression earnest. “How should I feel it?”

“When you ride, you must build trust with the horse. While you trust it, it should also trust you. Here, take the reins and try.”

Jiang Rao took the reins from his hands and mimicked his earlier movement, calling out “Hyah!” loudly. But instead of speeding up, the horse only wobbled from side to side.

Chen Lian leaned in slightly and murmured by her ear, “Tighten your legs that gives it the signal to go forward.”

She did as told, and it worked instantly. Her riding was still far from skilled, but at least the horse moved smoothly now. Yet with her shifting balance and the constant back-and-forth motion, their bodies drew even closer together.

Jiang Rao swallowed hard. She could clearly feel the solid firmness of the man’s chest pressed against her back.

An idea sparked. She subtly leaned back, as if following the rhythm of the horse, brushing her spine lightly against him; a motion that looked accidental but was anything but that.

This, after all, was part of her plan.

She waited for his reaction and sure enough, the next second she heard him clear his throat softly, his arm muscles tightening beside her. He probably didn’t realize it was intentional.

But that wasn’t enough.

Jiang Rao, now emboldened, suddenly gripped the reins tightly, pressed her legs to the horse’s sides, and urged it to speed up again.

Seeing this, Chen Lian warned, “A beginner shouldn’t go this fast. You could get hurt.”

Jiang Rao arched a brow, deliberately unbothered. “But you’re here, aren’t you? I won’t get hurt.”

It was the truth and also a compliment.

She knew men liked being admired. At least, the Crown Prince she once knew had loved seeing her gazing up at him with dazed, admiring eyes, whether her adoration was genuine or just carefully performed, it made no difference to him.

Now, although her actions carried some of that same intent, her sincerity outweighed the pretense.

Ahead, a shallow dip in the ground appeared. Jiang Rao did not slow down, thinking that her long-awaited chance had come.

At such a speed, the uneven ground would naturally cause a jolt.

From behind, Chen Lian couldn’t see it in time. Realizing the terrain too late, he quickly reached forward to prevent her from falling; he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist.

Her slender waist was enclosed firmly by his arm. Jiang Rao looked down at the hand pressed against her stomach; its knuckles sharp, the skin roughened and darkened by training. She thought slyly, Now this counts as a real embrace.

With his other hand, Chen Lian took control of the reins again, easily steadying the horse. His skill was obvious; precise and fluid.

Jiang Rao took the chance to show a flash of fear, leaning lightly against his arm.

Then, in a voice soft and trembling, she called his name, each syllable drawn out with delicate rhythm.

“Chen Lian… I’m scared… hold me tighter…”