Chapter 25.1: Desires should be fulfilled, dreams should be cherished.

After moving to the racecourse, Ye Tianhui’s days were carefree and comfortable yet cautious. They were carefree because life here was indeed good—she could eat at the staff cafeteria for free.

The ingredients at the staff cafeteria were naturally not as good as those served to guests, but for her, they were already quite decent.

As for the stables, although she lived next door to the racehorses, the conditions were excellent. She could take a shower anytime, and there was air conditioning. Ye Tianhui could say that in her two lifetimes, she had never enjoyed such comfort.

In her past life, though she was a Fuguo General, she spent most of her time on the battlefield. Even during the rare times she stayed in the capital, Yanjing, in a technologically underdeveloped era, there was no air conditioning. In short, the level of comfort could not compare to now.

But no matter how comfortable it was here, she had to be on guard against Ye Wenyin, so she was always cautious.

Fortunately, after observing for a few days, she noticed that although Ye Wenyin was the eldest daughter of the Ye family, she didn’t have much real power. Or rather, she didn’t have the network or resources to carry out any shady dealings behind everyone’s backs.

This was also understandable. In a prominent family like the Ye family, there were probably strict rules on how much money children could use, so it wasn’t something they could spend recklessly. Ye Wenyin could buy branded clothes and expensive crocodile boots, but she couldn’t do anything illegal.

Moreover, she was only eighteen years old and had no real power in the Ye family. She had also studied abroad for two years. Such a Ye Wenyin was at most a pampered young lady from a wealthy family. She didn’t have the means to do anything against her.

That day, after bathing the racehorses with Jessie and wiping them down, there wasn’t much to do in the stables. Ye Tianhui thought of going to see Lin Jianquan.

As an apprentice rider, Lin Jianquan had now officially entered training. From what she knew, the racecourse imposed extremely harsh requirements on apprentice riders, almost to the point of being inhumane. It was said that at least half of the apprentice riders couldn’t endure the torturous training and quit on their own.

Ye Tianhui ran to the apprentice riders’ training center but couldn’t even get past the gate. Using her identity as a stable assistant, she asked around and learned that the apprentice riders were undergoing three months of closed training. During this time, they were absolutely prohibited from meeting outsiders, not even their family members.

Ye Tianhui felt both disappointed and worried. When she returned to the stables and chatted with Jessie, he seemed indifferent: “That’s just how apprentice rider training is.”

Ye Tianhui: “What kind of training do they go through?”

Jessie shrugged and shook his head. “The training content is confidential. I don’t know. But I’ve heard they aren’t allowed to eat.”

Not allowed to eat…

Ye Tianhui thought of Lin Jianquan’s frail appearance, as if a gust of wind could knock him down.

Jessie sighed. “Here’s an example: I know a jockey who deliberately avoids being near the horses when we wash them—he won’t watch or listen.”

Ye Tianhui: “Why?”

Jessie: “Because to strictly control their weight, they fast and dehydrate themselves. When they reach a certain level of dehydration, just hearing the sound of dripping water or seeing water flowing feels like torture.”

Ye Tianhui was speechless.

Jessie: “I’ve heard they have many other methods. In short, they’ll do whatever it takes to lose weight.”

———————-

These past few days, Ye Wenyin hadn’t shown up, which made Ye Tianhui feel slightly more at ease.

She guessed that even if Ye Wenyin wanted to deal with her, it wouldn’t be easy. After all, as long as she stayed within the stables and didn’t venture out casually, there wasn’t much Wenyin could do.

That day, she visited the stable’s library to return a book she had borrowed earlier and picked out a few more to read. Recently, her time at the stables had greatly broadened her knowledge, causing her earlier idea of earning small amounts of money through betting to fade away.

In the past, her winnings had been purely due to luck. Horse racing was profoundly intricate and deep—there was no way that someone who merely understood horses could glance at a race and make successful bets. If it were that simple, every horse expert would have made a fortune by now.

What she needed to do now was to improve her knowledge and insights. Regardless of whether the Ye family acknowledged her in the future, she had to pave a solid path for herself.

With that in mind, she carried the books she had borrowed and headed back to the stables. However, as she passed by the reception area, she saw a group of people waiting outside. They were being monitored by the stable staff nearby.

Judging by their attire, these people were very poor.

She couldn’t help but feel puzzled. After all, in a place like the stables, her presence as a mainland girl working as a low-level stable assistant already seemed to lower the establishment’s perceived standards in the eyes of some wealthy young ladies. How could so many impoverished people suddenly appear here?

Curious, she walked over and struck up a conversation with the staff. Perhaps seeing that she also worked at the stables, they patiently explained the situation to her: these were the families of the “Chong Zai.”

It turned out that while the Chong Zai underwent closed training, there was an opportunity for them to meet their families once a week during the early stages. This was meant to help them endure the arduous training period. 

These meetings were brief—about ten minutes—and took place across glass barriers. No items could be exchanged, but a few words could be spoken to learn about each other’s situation.

Hearing this, Ye Tianhui looked at the families of the Chong Zai. Most of them appeared haggard and numb, dressed in outdated clothes reminiscent of styles from mainland China a decade or more ago. Some elderly women wore old-fashioned buttoned jackets, while middle-aged men donned coarse cloth garments. This group seemed completely out of place with the extravagant, hedonistic world of Hong Kong—a stark shadow behind the city’s prosperity.

She couldn’t help but wonder what Lin Jianquan’s mother might look like. Would she come to see him?

However, after scanning the crowd, she didn’t spot anyone who could possibly be his mother based on age.

At that moment, the Chong Zai, led by horse trainers, arrived in a line.

Ye Tianhui noticed that, as expected, Lin Jianquan wasn’t among them.

The Chong Zai approached and filed into the reception area. Immediately, the families turned their gazes toward them.

But the Chong Zai kept their eyes forward, their expressions pale and cold. Wearing hats with their eyes slightly lowered, they moved in unison, following the horse trainers with mechanical precision.

Ye Tianhui realized this must be part of the strict rules imposed on the Chong Zai. The discipline was so rigid that even though they knew their families were right there, they couldn’t glance their way, not even for a moment.

The families eagerly watched their children. Some wiped away tears, while others murmured their children’s names softly. However, they were quickly hushed by the stable staff, leaving the scene silent. The families could only look at their children with eyes full of warmth, longing, and hope.

Ye Tianhui softly asked the staff member next to her, “Excuse me, do you know Lin Jianquan? Hasn’t his family come to see him?”

The staff member thought for a moment and replied, “Lin Jianquan? Are you talking about the Chong Zai with the very dark eyes? I’ve heard he’s performing very well; even the horse trainers have high expectations for him.”

Ye Tianhui: “Yes, the one with very dark eyes.”

By this time, the families of the Chong Zai had already filed into the reception area. As the staff member checked names off the list, they casually said, “His father passed away early, and his mother was a lou feng who sold her body to raise him. Later, something happened—she was beaten up and went mad. He doesn’t have any family to visit him.”

The Chong Zai and their families entered, and the door to the reception room closed.

Carrying her books, Ye Tianhui lowered her head and returned to her stable.

The autumn wind stirred the branches and leaves along the roadside. A red-and-yellow mottled maple leaf floated down gently, landing in front of her.

She stared at it in a daze for a long while before bending down to pick it up and placing it inside her book.

—

At 6 a.m. on Sunday, after the morning exercise, the horses returned to their stables. Ye Tianhui and Jessie began busy preparations for the upcoming internal race. This race, held within the stables, wasn’t open to the public and occurred roughly every two weeks. All riders at the stables were eligible to register.

The Chong Zai would also participate, making it a good opportunity for the newly trained ones to accumulate points.

Jessie was brimming with excitement. He had already placed a bet with his friends, wagering on the Chong Zai. He had high hopes for Lin Jianquan and believed he would achieve something in this race.

Grinning slyly, Jessie said, “The riders will have to give the Chong Zai a weight allowance—about ten pounds!”

This was no small advantage for the Chong Zai. Being young and lightweight to begin with, the official riders having to concede weight made it quite possible for them to achieve good results.

Ye Tianhui:, “Let’s hope so.”

Jessie, however, was even more optimistic about Lin Jianquan. “After all, he’s from our stable. Let’s hope he succeeds.”

Hearing this, Ye Tianhui thought back to the family visitation day and the cold, indifferent expressions of the Chong Zai. They couldn’t show any joy even when seeing their loved ones, but they were probably happy inside, right?

What about Lin Jianquan?

She said, “I’ll go take a look, too.”

Jessie cheered and nearly hugged her in excitement. “That’s great! Let’s cheer for Lin Jianquan together!”

But to their surprise, this internal race turned out to be larger in scale than they had anticipated. Even some VIP members of the stables had come to watch, reportedly to see the performance of the Chong Zai under their patronage.

As for Ye Tianhui, she was once again called to serve as an on-site assistant, tasked with attending to the female VIP guests.

Jessie was disappointed. “Then you won’t get to see Lin Jianquan.”

In just a week or two, Lin Jianquan’s name had already acquired a hint of legendary status among the Chong Zai. It was clear that everyone had high hopes for him, believing in his potential for success.

Many of the stable’s VIP members had started to take notice of him, and he had become a rising star.

For these members, investing in a Chong Zai before they made a name for themselves came at an almost negligible cost but held the potential for significant returns in the future.

Ye Tianhui also felt a sense of regret. She was a bit worried, too—she had heard that members of the Ye family would be coming today, most likely Ye Wenyin.

Ye Wenyin had placed Lin Jianquan in their stable. Although no contract had been signed yet, with the Ye family’s influence, it was highly likely that Lin Jianquan would end up staying in the Ye family’s stable, signing a long-term contract that would lock him into a lifetime riding career for them.

However, she had no choice. After briefly tidying up, she changed into the standard uniform and went to the VIP area.

As soon as she arrived at the VIP area, she saw Ye Wenyin. Ye Wenyin was wearing a checkered shirt paired with tall riding boots, looking heroic and spirited. Next to her, accompanying her, was none other than Gu Zhixin.

Gu Zhixin wore a khaki-colored suit vest and jacket, paired with a white shirt and tie underneath. Below, he wore tight-fitting riding pants and boots, giving off an air of casual unruliness while looking strikingly handsome—more like a prince from a fairy tale.

Other female attendants were also present, many casting envious glances at Gu Zhixin and Ye Wenyin.

As soon as Ye Tianhui approached, Gu Zhixin’s gaze swept over her.

Then, sitting lazily on the leather sofa, he stretched his long, well-defined legs and asked Ye Wenyin with a smile, “This woman looks familiar. Do you recognize her?”

Ye Tianhui stood to the side, her gaze lowered, pretending not to hear.

Gu Zhixin’s tone was arrogant and indifferent as he casually discussed her.

Ye Wenyin glanced at Ye Tianhui and then smiled, saying, “Isn’t this that northern girl from the horse race last time? Did you forget?”

Gu Zhixin rested his chin on one hand, looked thoughtfully at Ye Tianhui, and said, “I remember now. At the time, you were kind enough to give her the leftover snacks. Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse—she does look better than she did back then. I almost didn’t recognize her.”

As he spoke, he instructed Ye Tianhui, “The room feels stuffy. Go open the window over there.”

Ye Wenyin quickly interjected, “No need, it’s nothing serious. Besides, there are so many people here, and no one else seems to mind. Since I’m here, I’ll naturally adapt to the local customs.”

Gu Zhixin listened and glanced at Ye Tianhui again. Ye Tianhui was actually somewhat attractive, but her appearance was too plain. Her hair was simply tied up, and she wore the blue uniform of the stables. She stood there expressionless, as if she hadn’t noticed him at all.

But he remembered. He remembered Ye Tianhui’s expression the first time she saw him—she had been very focused on him, stealing several glances.

Pretending? She’s just a shallow woman who’s after my looks!

He sneered disdainfully. “How could a staff member like her compare to you?”

Ye Wenyin laughed softly at his words, her gaze lightly sweeping over Ye Tianhui. However, her voice was gentle as she said, “Don’t say that. The staff here are all professionals. Grandpa has high hopes for this horse race. I’m here to do some preliminary research, so I’ll be relying on the staff here.”

Gu Zhixin looked at Ye Tianhui with even more disdain and said, “There are plenty of professionals at the stables. What does a northern girl like her count for?”

After saying this, he noticed that Ye Tianhui remained unperturbed, her gaze unwavering, as if the words weren’t directed at her.

He found it even more amusing. Northern girls sure have thick skin.

As they spoke, they saw that the riders and Chong Zai had already taken their positions outside on the track. The spot where Ye Wenyin and Gu Zhixin were seated was on the third floor, offering the best view of the racetrack.

Ye Wenyin smiled at Gu Zhixin. “I’ve picked three or four Chong Zai and plan to select the best one. Do you want to come with me to take a look?”

Gu Zhixin nodded. “Let’s go.”

At that moment, Ye Wenyin and Gu Zhixin were about to go downstairs. As they descended, Gu Zhixin suddenly looked at Ye Tianhui, who was standing nearby.

He raised his eyebrows and instructed the person in charge next to him, “Let this staff member follow us downstairs. It’ll be convenient to have someone to command if needed.”

The person in charge, upon hearing this, naturally had no objections and quickly said to Ye Tianhui, “Accompany Miss Ye and Mr. Gu downstairs. Pay extra attention.”

Then, turning to Gu Zhixin, he said, “Mr. Gu, this is one of our stable staff. She’s inexperienced, so please feel free to give her instructions. If she doesn’t do well, I hope you’ll forgive her.”

Gu Zhixin curled his lips into a smile. “I understand.”

From the side, Ye Wenyin frowned slightly. She didn’t like this. She felt that Gu Zhixin was paying too much attention to Ye Tianhui.

Gu Zhixin had been exceptionally handsome since childhood, with countless women admiring him, but he had high standards and never looked twice at ordinary women.  

Ye Wenyin had grown up with Gu Zhixin and knew his temperament well. Their relationship was close.

However, Ye Wenyin had feelings for someone else.

She also understood that the person she loved would never reciprocate her feelings, nor could she have any further entanglement with that person. She could only bury all her emotions deep in her heart.

Given Ye Wenyin’s status, since she didn’t care for Gu Zhixin, there was naturally no need for her to be involved with him. Even if her family favored a marriage alliance, she could refuse. As the legitimate granddaughter of the Ye family, she had the confidence to do so.

But now, all her confidence had dissipated. She had come to understand that only by clinging tightly to Gu Zhixin could she secure her future.

To her, Gu Zhixin was like a piece of driftwood. She used all her charm and gentleness, ultimately ensnaring Gu Zhixin in the net she had woven, earning his affection and attentiveness.

With Gu Zhixin’s lofty temperament, no woman could easily catch his eye. The fact that he had taken notice of her was already a significant victory. Thus, she was confident in securing their marriage.

She thought to herself that if the marriage succeeded, it would align with her wishes. After all, it would bring her closer to her aspirations. Even if she and he couldn’t share the bond of husband and wife, they would have a connection through affection.

This thought stirred a hidden sense of taboo pleasure in Ye Wenyin’s heart.

However, now Gu Zhixin’s unusual attention to Ye Tianhui made her uneasy. Although his attention was laced with disdain and condescension, it still left her unsettled.

As a woman, she had a unique sensitivity to the thoughts of the men around her.

Perhaps it was Ye Tianhui’s indifference toward Gu Zhixin that had sparked his desire for conquest—a desire hidden beneath his disdain and scorn.

Ye Wenyin didn’t dare think further.

Although she didn’t truly care for Gu Zhixin, he was crucial to her. She couldn’t afford to lose this piece of driftwood.

Amid Ye Wenyin’s complex and subtle emotions, the group arrived at the ground floor racetrack. Here, all the Chong Zai and riders had taken their positions. Each had a number pinned to their chest, silently awaiting their turn.

Ye Tianhui followed alongside Gu Zhixin and Ye Wenyin, her gaze sweeping over the frail Chong Zai. She quickly spotted Lin Jianquan.

He was dressed in a black, fitted riding suit, with a slender waist that seemed as if it could snap with just a little force.

Under the autumn sunlight, his face was pale, his lips almost devoid of color. Standing among the Chong Zai with his eyes downcast and no expression, he resembled a wisp of a soul from another world.

As Ye Tianhui was observing, she suddenly felt a scrutinizing gaze.

Retracting her gaze, she saw Gu Zhixin looking at her, a probing interest evident in his eyes.

When Gu Zhixin saw that she had noticed, he chuckled and asked, “Who is that to you?”

Ye Tianhui replied in an emotionless voice, “A friend.”

Gu Zhixin raised his eyebrows slightly. “Oh, also from the mainland?”

Ye Tianhui looked at the peculiar smile on Gu Zhixin’s face—it was as if a god were gazing down at a lower creature. She felt an urge.

Right now, immediately, to raise her fist and punch him hard, knocking his slender, pretty nose askew.

However, she also understood that impulsiveness was a luxury for the powerful; failing to endure small matters could ruin larger plans.

So she ultimately said, “No.”

Gu Zhixin squinted slightly, having caught the suppressed anger in her eyes, which only heightened his interest. “Don’t you think I’m attractive? So why are you looking at someone else now?”

Ye Tianhui was astonished and looked at him incredulously. “Sir… what are you thinking? Aren’t you overthinking this?”

Why were wealthy people always so self-absorbed?

Gu Zhixin leaned closer, looking at her lowered eyelids with great interest. “What? Are you being dishonest with yourself?”

As he spoke, Ye Wenyin suddenly exclaimed, “Aiya—”

Gu Zhixin turned to look and saw that Ye Wenyin’s finger seemed to have been scratched by something. A bit of skin on her fair, delicate finger was broken.

He quickly stepped over. “What happened?”

Ye Wenyin bit her lip, shaking her head slightly with some grievance. “It’s nothing. I just wanted to take a look at this saddle, but I accidentally touched it.”

Gu Zhixin frowned. “What’s wrong with this saddle? It’s too rough and poorly designed.”

He immediately wanted to question the staff nearby.

Ye Wenyin quickly said, “It’s my fault. I wasn’t careful. You can’t blame them.”

Hearing this, Gu Zhixin shook his head. “Wenyin, you’re too soft-hearted. Even with the household maids, I’ve always thought you were too indulgent.”

Ye Wenyin discreetly glanced at Ye Tianhui, who was standing nearby with her head lowered. Then, in a soft voice, she said to Gu Zhixin, “I just feel sorry for them…”

Gu Zhixin laughed. “You, you!”

Ye Wenyin: “Alright, let’s not talk about it. Let’s go check out the Chong Zai I picked. They’re participating in the competition today.”

Gu Zhixin: “Alright, let’s go have a look.”