Kays Translations

Chapter 232: Mocking the Beauty

Neigh neigh…

The sharp neigh of a fine steed was accompanied by the crisp sound of galloping hooves.

Zhu Ping’an looked up and saw a gallant young girl riding swiftly toward him. Like a gust of wind, she swept across the grassland, skillfully maneuvering the spirited horse to circle around Zhu Ping’an and the scruffy black horse once before pulling the reins with her slender hand. The horse raised its hooves and came to a halt right in front of Zhu Ping’an.

The majestic steed stood tall, ready to charge at any moment.

“Hehe… Zhu Ping’an, are you planning to bounce around on that horse?”

The girl’s large eyes sparkled with laughter and mischief, gleaming with an alluring glint. Her delicate lips curved slightly, soft and rosy, slightly parted as if dripping with sweetness.

Two strands of hair brushed across her cheek in the wind, adding a touch of charm to her already striking appearance. She wore a form-fitting long dress for easier riding, emphasizing her slender waist, barely the width of a hand. Draped over her shoulders was a purple cloak trimmed with white fur, embroidered with vibrant red wintersweet blossoms. It made her pale skin look even more flawless—so stunningly beautiful.

This damn girl—such an unfairly beautiful face, yet still as insufferably unlikable as ever!

“Thanks.” Zhu Ping’an shot the cunning girl a glance, his lips curling slightly in a faint response.

The sly girl, Li Shu, pouted in surprise, her brain lagging behind the moment. She had just mocked him for looking like a dumb toad—why was he thanking her? Did the horseback ride scramble his brains?

“The toad, or to give its proper name, the ‘bufo’, is said in legends to live on the moon with a cassia tree. You say I look like a toad—doesn’t that mean you want me to ascend to success and pass the imperial exams?”

Zhu Ping’an looked at the cunning girl, smiled faintly, and shrugged.

“Nonsense! Who wants you to pass the imperial exam and reach the moon palace…” Li Shu shot him a fierce glare, cheeks puffed as she retorted.

Zhu Ping’an looked at her like she was just a kid throwing a tantrum, the corners of his mouth still curled with amusement. After she finished speaking, Zhu Ping’an suddenly seemed to recall something, turned to her with feigned surprise and said:

“Oh, now I remember—didn’t some girl once shamelessly say she wanted to marry the top scholar when she was little? You keep calling me a toad, urging me to rise in the exams… could it be you want to be my little wife…?”

“Pah! Scoundrel! Who wants to be your little wife? Shameless! A toad dreaming of eating swan meat!”

Before Zhu Ping’an finished speaking, the sly girl had already burst out in flustered fury. She even swung her riding crop at him, but her aim was wildly off.

Watching her jump and fume, Zhu Ping’an smiled and called out,

“Have you ever heard a saying?”

Clenching her little fists, the girl shouted back, “No! And I don’t want to hear anything from a scoundrel like you!”

But clearly, Zhu Ping’an had no intention of being stopped just because she didn’t want to hear it.

“There’s a saying: ‘A soldier who doesn’t want to be a general isn’t a good soldier; a toad who doesn’t want to eat swan meat isn’t a proper toad.’” Zhu Ping’an looked at her with a smile.

A soldier who doesn’t want to be a general? That sounded so bold and confident. But this bad guy—what did he mean by saying a toad who doesn’t want to eat swan meat isn’t a good toad? He wants to eat swan meat—doesn’t that mean… he wants to marry me?!

“You dare?!”

Li Shu suddenly felt her face heat up. She swung her riding crop at Zhu Ping’an and pouted hard.

“I dare.” Zhu Ping’an looked straight at her, the smile fading from his lips.

Li Shu’s eyes widened, her small mouth forming an ‘O’.

Then she heard Zhu Ping’an smile again and add, “But I don’t want to. You’re not my cup of tea.”

I dare, but I don’t want to.

That sentence was like a butterfly flapping its wings in the Pacific—suddenly setting off a tidal wave of emotional devastation.

“Go to hell, dumb toad! Ugly toad! Stinky toad!”

The scheming girl, Li Shu, looked as though she had been gravely insulted. She waved her riding whip and lashed out at the showy black horse stretching its face under Zhu Ping’an to watch the commotion. With a loud neigh, the black horse kicked its hooves and began to gallop wildly.

The showy black horse took the hit for no reason and was feeling very frustrated—especially with the two-legged female creature behind still swinging her whip and giving chase. As a result, the black horse ran even faster and more erratically.

Sitting on the black horse, Zhu Ping’an felt like he could fall off at any moment. The scheming girl chasing on horseback made the black horse run like a frightened beast, especially when going up and down slopes or making sharp turns. Zhu Ping’an clutched the iron ring on the saddle tightly, his palms sweaty with anxiety.

“Toad Zhu Ping’an, why aren’t you saying anything now?”

The scheming girl looked at Zhu Ping’an clinging pitifully to the horse’s back and couldn’t help but curl her lips into a mocking smile. She deliberately made her horse turn sharply to block Zhu Ping’an’s path, holding the reins in one hand and cracking the whip crisply in midair.

Startled, the black horse jerked suddenly, jolting Zhu Ping’an so hard he let out a dry retch. If he weren’t so determined not to embarrass himself in front of the scheming girl, he would’ve definitely thrown up.

However, even the dry retch didn’t escape Li Shu’s notice, and her laughter grew even more delighted.

Just like that, the scheming girl repeatedly waved her whip and giggled as she watched Zhu Ping’an bounce around awkwardly on horseback…

“Miss, wait for me!” The little maid, out of breath and clutching a cushion, came running up the slope. Her young miss had come from home on horseback too fast, and she hadn’t been able to keep up.

She then stood there, dumbfounded, watching her young miss bully the “toad.”

After about ten minutes, Zhu Ping’an gradually adapted to the horse’s movement and bouncing. He started to sync his balance with the black horse’s motion. His thighs and knees naturally relaxed against the saddle, the soles of his feet stepped into the stirrups. He slowly mimicked the scheming girl’s riding posture—gripping the reins with both hands, using the insides of his thighs and knees to press against the horse, leaning forward, and moving with the horse’s rhythm.

Soon, it felt increasingly smooth and natural.

The scheming girl continued to mock Zhu Ping’an’s toad-like riding style, but as she sneered, she began to feel something was off. Huh? How did this bad guy learn to ride so quickly? She had thought she’d get to tease him for much longer.

Gradually, Zhu Ping’an was able to control the black horse’s direction and speed.

Before long, the slope had turned into a racetrack for the two horses, one in front and one behind, zigzagging and chasing each other, their banter echoing like fluttering butterflies in the wind.

“Go, Miss!”

“Ah, you passed him! Miss, you’re amazing!”

On the slope, the little maid became a cheerleader, pumping her fists as if she herself were riding.

Although the showy black horse wasn’t as good as the red horse the scheming girl rode, the terrain of the slope made it hard for the horses to reach full speed. As a result, the chase remained competitive. Overall, the scheming girl still had the upper hand, but considering Zhu Ping’an had just learned to ride, the difference wasn’t too significant.

For a moment, the two galloping on horseback looked just like a golden boy and jade girl.

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