"Mother~"
Summer had arrived. Ice basins were placed in the residences of the masters in the prime minister's mansion. Even so, a thin layer of sweat still appeared on Lu Yinxi's forehead.
"No way!"
Mrs. Lu ignored her daughter's coquetry and flipped another page of the ledger without even raising her head. "Liusu, go and check how many more days the ice in the ice cellar can last. It's already so hot just as summer begins. Have someone prepare more later."
Liusu responded in a low voice, secretly making an apologetic face at the fourth young lady, and then quietly retreated.
At Shang Luoshu's invitation, Lu Yinxi had intended to go out to meet him, but was stuck at the first hurdle of leaving home.
Mrs. Lu flatly rejected her request to go out.
"Mother, I promise you I'll come back very soon!"
The young girl hugged Mrs. Lu's arm like a rascal and continued to coquettishly plead, but all she got was a disdainful glance from Mrs. Lu.
"No."
Fine, it seemed this trick wouldn't work!
Letting go of her hands, Lu Yinxi slumped back to her original position dejectedly. "If it's not allowed, then so be it. Daughter is going back to her room."
When Mrs. Lu looked up again, all she saw was the back of her daughter pouting in anger.
"Miss, are we really not going out?"
Halfway there, when there were only their own people around, Hongmei finally tentatively asked. She always felt that the fourth young lady wasn't the kind of person who would give up easily.
"Not going. Didn't you hear mother say no?!"
The young girl stamped her foot lightly, and the annoyance on her face still hadn't faded. However, Hongmei still noticed a glint of cunning flash across her eyes.
She led the two maids into the courtyard, and the large door slammed shut. It became quiet again outside the courtyard.
A moment later, the branches and leaves rustled slightly, and then there was no more movement.
At the same time, a man knelt in front of Mrs. Lu.
Wasn't this Lu Hu?
"Reporting to madam, the fourth young lady has returned to the courtyard."
"Got it."
She motioned for him to retreat. Mrs. Lu also lost the mood to look at the ledger. She hoped Xi'er could understand her good intentions.
The assistant regent had returned empty - handed yesterday and surely wouldn't be willing to let it go. For her daughter's safety, she had no choice but to confine her at home.
However, a young girl in love wouldn't think so much.
Even if she knew that she might be assassinated by the assistant regent, she didn't care. Did they really think her speech spirit was for show?
"Miss, are you really going to leave like this?"
Hongmei tilted her head and looked at Lu Yinxi sitting on the wall. She always felt that it was unexpected yet reasonable. What was going on?
"Then what else?"
Carefully moving her feet, Lu Yinxi cautiously observed the situation on the other side of the wall. "Anyway, I'll leave the courtyard to you until Hongrui and I come back!"
"I'm counting on you!"
This was the last thing Hongmei heard before her future princess disappeared.
The carriage stopped in front of the Jing Prince's Mansion. Lu Yinxi jumped out of the carriage first. Hongrui paid the coachman and then hurriedly caught up with the fourth young lady who had already run some distance.
The gatekeeper had already been informed. Seeing the visitor, he didn't ask anything and just opened the gate to let them in.
As soon as her feet stepped into the gate, Lu Yinxi realized that she might have been a bit too excited today.
"Be reserved, be reserved. I must be reserved."
She whispered repeatedly, trying to calm her excited mood.
However, before her heart rate could return to normal, the man who had been dancing in her dreams all night last night appeared in front of her.
"Since Xi'er is here, what are you standing at the door for?"
He seemed to have just taken a bath. There was still moisture on the ends of his hair, and his palm on top of her head was also slightly damp.
Lu Yinxi didn't answer his question. Instead, she rubbed against his palm. "Why do you look like you've just come out of the water early in the morning?"
"Thinking that I could see you today, I couldn't fall asleep all night last night."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man naturally took the young girl's hand and walked towards the mansion. Only Lu Yinxi was still confused.
What did his staying up all night have to do with taking a bath?
Before she could figure it out, the man had already led her to stop in front of a room.
"There are clothes prepared for you in the room. Change first. I'll take you to a nice place later!"
"A nice place?"
Seeing his mysterious look, she guessed that she probably wouldn't be able to get an answer. So Lu Yinxi simply didn't ask and just walked in and closed the door.
Just as Shang Luoshu had said, there was indeed a set of clothes on the table in the room, but it was a red riding outfit.
She seemed to know where he was going to take her!
The corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up again. Lu Yinxi changed her clothes as quickly as possible and then tied her hair into a ponytail.
A moment later, in the mirror, the young girl in red clothes had a black belt outlining her slender waist. Her high - flying ponytail showed her heroic spirit, just like a chivalrous woman in the rivers and lakes.
Lu Yinxi was very satisfied with this outfit. After confirming that there was no problem, she opened the door.
Shang Luoshu was still standing in the same place, but his previous clothes had been replaced with a blue riding outfit similar to the young girl's.
The blue and red standing together were truly a perfect match!
"Are you going to take me horseback riding?"
Lu Yinxi jumped in front of him, and her excitement was hard to hide. In all her years, she seemed to have never ridden a horse before!
"What do you think? Do you want to go?"
"Yes!"
The place Shang Luoshu took Lu Yinxi to this time was the royal horse farm on the outskirts of the capital. It wasn't far from the city. When he had just returned from the border, he would come here to ride for a while when he was free.
He picked out a relatively gentle pony. The man supported Lu Yinxi's waist and helped her onto the horseback.
"Shang Luoshu, is it really okay?"
With her feet on the stirrups and her hands holding the reins, the young girl who had been excited just now was only filled with fear at the moment.
"No. I'll be right beside you. Don't be afraid."
Shang Luoshu comfortingly squeezed her palm, stepped forward, and began to lead the pony around the field.
"I'll take you around here a few times first to get used to the feeling of being on a horse, okay?"
The man's tone was like coaxing, which made Lu Yinxi couldn't help but nod.
The pony obediently walked around the field again and again. The young girl's timidity gradually faded, and the boldness of "galloping on a horse" that had been suppressed in her heart resurfaced.
"Shang Luoshu, why don't you let go? I want to try riding by myself."
"Are you sure?"
Seeing the eagerness on her face, the man couldn't help but be skeptical. Who was that little girl who had been so scared that she almost shed tears just now?
"Sure. Let go quickly!"
Thinking that he would be right beside her and there shouldn't be any danger, Shang Luoshu readily let go.
Without the restraint in front, the pony's steps immediately became much more lively. If the reins weren't still in Lu Yinxi's hands, it might have jumped up.
After two or three more rounds without any problems, the young girl felt that this horse farm, or even just horseback riding, couldn't satisfy her anymore.
She reined in the horse, and the horse and rider stopped in front of Shang Luoshu.
Lu Yinxi sat on the horseback, looking down at him haughtily and excitedly.
"Shang Luoshu, dare you have a race with me?"