Chapter 10: Allure of dim sum

Gu Shizhang did seem genuinely kind. He even took her to see horses in other stables, clearly familiar with the racetrack’s horses and leading her to the ones he considered noteworthy.  

This saved Ye Tianhui quite a bit of effort.  

The racetrack housed hundreds of horses. If she were to examine them one by one, it would not only take an enormous amount of time but also risk her being discovered by staff and promptly thrown out.  

With Gu Shizhang, an insider, guiding her and offering explanations, she achieved twice the results with half the effort.  

After inspecting over a dozen horses, her guard against him eased considerably.  

She didn’t care what his true intentions were. As long as he didn’t seem intent on reporting her, that was enough for now.  

Gu Shizhang then led her out of the standalone stable and boldly took her to others, explaining the rules of horse racing along the way.  

His explanations were thorough—more detailed than anything in 《Ma Jing》 That publication was geared toward experienced enthusiasts who already had a grasp of the basics, while Ye Tianhui was starting from scratch. Some sections of 《Ma Jing》 were incomprehensible to her.  

Thanks to Gu Shizhang’s detailed explanation, she now understood the age requirements and scoring rules for novice horse races. She also learned the detailed regulations for subsequent classes of competitions, including distinctions between stallions, geldings, and mares. It turned out the scoring systems for these categories differed, and horses born in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres were subject to different requirements.  

Gu Shizhang said, “The season starts in two months. If you’ve read Ma Jing you should have seen the schedule listed in the magazine, right?”  

Ye Tianhui nodded. “Yes, I saw it.”  

Gu Shizhang: “Long Guang will also compete then. It’s in the first class, but it’s a handicap race.”  

Ye Tianhui: “Handicap?”  

Seeing her confusion, Gu Shizhang explained further. “Even though Long Guang hasn’t raced for a year due to its leg injury, it had an outstanding record at the British racetrack. Based on its past performance, it has to carry a handicap weight when competing in this first-class race.”  

Ye Tianhui understood. “So it has to carry extra weight?”  

Gu Shizhang chuckled and nodded. “Exactly. According to racing rules, to ensure fairness and suspense, experienced racehorses must carry a handicap against those without a track record. High-rated horses give weight to lower-rated ones, and in age-based races, older horses give weight to younger ones.”  

Ye Tianhui realized, “The idea is to level the playing field as much as possible so the race remains competitive and exciting, giving every horse a chance.”  

Gu Shizhang nodded. “That’s right. Long Guang’s international rating is one point higher than the others, so it will carry an additional pound. With its exceptional past scores, it may have to carry a total of sixty-three pounds in this race.”  

Sixty-three pounds?  

Ye Tianhui quickly calculated and frowned. “That’s way too unfair!”  

The horse had already stopped racing for a year due to its leg injury. Now that it was making a comeback, its performance was uncertain, and on top of that, it had to carry an additional sixty-three pounds. How could it achieve good results like this?  

Gu Shizhang smiled and said, “Its former glory has become its current burden. For now, we’ll have it participate and see how it performs.”

The so-called “see how it performs” means that if Long Guang’s performance is poor and its rating drops, it naturally won’t need to carry a handicap.  

Of course, when it no longer needs a handicap, its reputation will also decline, and its value will decrease.  

This matter is a dynamic adjustment process. To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. The higher you rise, the more you must bear—that’s the principle.  

Ye Tianhui took a small breath, secretly calculating in her heart. It seemed there were many intricacies in these races.  

It wasn’t just about knowing how to evaluate horses to win; you had to fully grasp the rules and rely on certain techniques. Otherwise, if you rushed in blindly, it would only lead to unnecessary losses!  

As the two walked and talked, Gu Shizhang began explaining some other hidden rules to Ye Tianhui, such as how handicaps were not only related to a horse’s past ratings but also depended on a combination of other factors, including the jockey’s circumstances.  

He explained in detail: “For instance, apprentice jockeys trained locally here in Hong Kong can get weight reductions during their internship period.”  

Ye Tianhui: “Then we can pair Long Guang with an apprentice jockey, so it doesn’t have to carry so much weight.”  

Gu Shizhang: “That’s possible, but it depends on whether it’s necessary.”  

Ye Tianhui: “If you specifically use an apprentice jockey just to reduce weight, it’ll appear weak.”  

In essence, for a horse like Long Guang, which once achieved great honors in Europe, this would be a disgraceful shortcut that undermines its pride.  

As they chatted, they encountered some other staff members. Seeing them, Ye Tianhui naturally felt a bit nervous and wanted to avoid them.  

But Gu Shizhang appeared completely at ease. Some staff members even nodded slightly at him with an air of respect.  

When they reached a secluded spot, Ye Tianhui curiously asked, “You seem to be doing pretty well here?”  

In the sunlight, Gu Shizhang tilted his head slightly and pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, “Not bad. During the South African Equestrian Festival, my performance was decent. Maybe it’s because of that.”  

Ye Tianhui: “Then you’re quite famous.”  

Gu Shizhang: “Not really. I’m just a horse trainer, someone working behind the scenes. The truly famous ones are the jockeys on the racetrack—those are the ones in the spotlight making the big money.”  

Ye Tianhui thought about it and agreed. “Like that Ke Zhiming? He’s a pretty famous jockey, right?”  

Gu Shizhang: “Yes, Ke Zhiming is quite the legend. He’s the first generation of locally trained jockeys in Hong Kong, breaking the monopoly of foreign jockeys here and ushering in a new era for Hong Kong horse racing.”  

Ye Tianhui nodded, thinking she should learn more about Ke Zhiming later. Now that she had gotten a good understanding of this racetrack, it was time to make her exit.  

As for Gu Shizhang, whether he was good or bad, she planned to run first so he couldn’t trick her.  

But just then, Gu Shizhang suddenly said, “The break room here has dim sum. Do you want some?”  

Hearing this, Ye Tianhui was intrigued. “Dim sum? Are they good?”  

Gu Shizhang: “Of course. The dim sum from our restaurant are prioritized for the VIP member area outside. However, there are always extras, and these are placed in the staff break room. If you were outside, it’d cost a lot to eat them. But for us, they’re free.”  

Free dim sum? 

Ye Tianhui was indeed a bit tempted, but she still pretended and said, “Forget it, this isn’t appropriate. I’d better leave now.”  

Gu Shizhang said, “If you don’t want to eat, then fine. Should I walk you out?”  

Ye Tianhui said, “Mm.”  

With that, Gu Shizhang really started walking Ye Tianhui out. As they walked, Ye Tianhui felt that he truly didn’t seem to have any malicious intent—at least, he didn’t seem like he was planning to catch her off guard and trap her.  

She thought about the snacks in the VIP lounge. They must be exceptional and expensive, something ordinary people couldn’t easily enjoy.  

Since such an opportunity presented itself, why not give it a try?  

But the man in front of her, Gu Shizhang, was indeed unpredictable.  

Ye Tianhui hesitated between the allure of delicious food and ensuring her safety. After a moment of internal struggle, she finally said, “Ah, suddenly I feel a little hungry.”  

Gu Shizhang:“Oh?”  

Ye Tianhui: “Actually, eating something before leaving isn’t a bad idea.”  

Gu Shizhang: “If you want to eat, shall I take you there?”  

Ye Tianhui, of course, refused. She couldn’t go indoors; she needed to stay in an open space. That way, if something unexpected happened, she could make a run for it. She doubted the staff here could catch up to her.  

Moreover, she wanted to test Gu Shizhang to see if he dared to leave her alone. If he harbored ill intentions, he would surely be too afraid of her running away to leave her unattended.  

So, she looked at him with a smile and said, “No need. How about you bring some snacks here? We can eat outside. Is that okay?”  

Gu Shizhang didn’t object and nodded slightly. “Sure, I’ll go get some delicious pastries. There’s a pavilion behind the racetrack. Let’s eat there.”  

He added, “Don’t worry. No one will suspect anything.”  

Ye Tianhui: “Alright!”  

That was certainly favorable for her. The pavilion he mentioned was right next to the fence—perfect for making an escape by climbing over if necessary.  

Gu Shizhang: “Then wait here for me?”  

Ye Tianhui nodded repeatedly.  

Gu Shizhang smiled at her, then walked off toward the rest area.  

Standing by the racetrack, Ye Tianhui watched his figure retreat.  

His tall and slender figure, combined with his simple yet sharp attire, gave him an air of relaxed, sunny charm.  

She recalled the way Gu Shizhang had looked at her earlier—warm and smiling, friendly and sincere.  

What was his intention?  

She thought of that emperor from a distant time. How had he looked at her back then?  

As she tried to recall, her memories grew blurry.  

Perhaps, when he was young, he had looked at her the same way—with a warm smile, calling her Hui Hui, accompanying her to practice swordsmanship by the mountain stream.  

Back then, he was kind and gentle, like an elder brother in her heart.  

But later, as his power and authority grew, he became deep and unreadable. His expression was always calm and inscrutable, making it impossible to discern his emotions.  

Of course, whenever Ye Tianhui returned to the court victorious, the entire court would celebrate, and even the usually unsmiling emperor seemed to soften. He would speak to her in a friendly manner, carefully asking about her experiences on the battlefield, showing great concern.  

Yet, Ye Tianhui always felt he was unpredictable.  

Perhaps they had once been close in the past, growing up together, but that closeness was long gone.  

Even when he smiled at her gently and talked about their youth, she still felt the unbridgeable chasm of authority between a ruler and his subject.  

After all, she was a general commanding military power, while the emperor in the capital likely harbored some level of caution and calculation. And she, despite her seemingly casual demeanor, always maintained a certain level of prudence as a subject.  

Now, under the sunlight of another world, the casually dressed man walked away. Ye Tianhui slowly withdrew her gaze.  

She wandered to a shaded spot under a tree, thinking about how to handle the situation next.  

At that moment, she noticed a group of people chatting and laughing as they walked toward the buildings.  

From their attire, as well as the bodyguards and staff accompanying them, it was clear they were of high status, likely members of the jockey club. Leading the group were three to five young men and women—  

As Ye Tianhui observed, she suddenly realized something and carefully examined them. Sure enough, it was as she suspected.  

She had seen Ye Wenyin’s photo in a magazine. Although the makeup in the photo was slightly heavier and looked a bit different from now, it was still recognizable. One of them was Ye Wenyin.  

Ye Wenyin wore a gentle smile, appearing good-natured, elegant, and warm.  

Ye Tianhui quickly scanned the group and immediately recognized someone else—it was none other than Gu Zhixin of the Gu family.  

In person, Gu Zhixin was even more striking than in pictures, with long, narrow eyes and sharp features. He wore a flamboyant floral vest over a solid-colored shirt and paired it with uniquely styled jeans.  

He exuded pride and coldness, with a touch of rebellious arrogance.  

As for the people around Ye Wenyin and Gu Zhixin, they were all about the same age, each dressed fashionably and luxuriously—likely sons and daughters of the Ye or Gu families.  

As Ye Tianhui watched, Gu Zhixin suddenly glanced over. His sharp gaze was filled with disdain.  

Ye Tianhui felt his gaze and frowned slightly.  

Gu Zhixin smirked mockingly and then instructed, “Come here.”