The horse ranch was located on the outskirts of Liucheng, surrounded by a large wooden fence.

Xiao Anlan, Xiao Anqi, Yu Wanru, Auntie An, and the driver set out for the ranch.

As they arrived outside the ranch, Yu Wanru looked up.

Above, a rough wooden plaque prominently displayed the words “Yang’s Ranch.”

Xiao Anlan introduced, “The Yang family has been close with the Xiao family for generations. The young master of the ranch is a childhood friend of mine. The horses here are excellent, brought in from beyond the frontier. Make sure to enjoy yourself.”

Yu Wanru nodded gently.

Once Xiao Anqi got out of the car, she immediately ran to Yu Wanru, grabbed her hand, and eagerly pulled her along, as if she had been there many times before. “Sister-in-law, let’s hurry! If we’re too slow, all the good horses will be taken!”

Xiao Anlan smiled and followed.

The driver stayed with the car, and Auntie An stayed close to Yu Wanru.

As soon as they entered the ranch, someone informed Yang Shidong.

A loud, boisterous voice boomed from a two-story wooden building at the edge of the ranch. “Buddy! You finally decided to show your face. What, have you been sitting on eggs at home? Let me check if you’ve still got your balls!”

Xiao Anlan’s mouth twitched, and he instinctively glanced at Yu Wanru.

Naturally, Yu Wanru didn’t understand the crude joke. She only looked at Xiao Anlan with curiosity, puzzled by what eggs had to do with anything.

Yang Shidong, a burly man with heavy footsteps, came down the wooden stairs with a loud clattering. Just as he was about to blurt out another joke, he caught sight of Yu Wanru beside Xiao Anlan and immediately choked on his words, coughing red-faced. “Cough, cough… You jerk! You didn’t tell me you were bringing a lady along. You’ve ruined my image!”

Xiao Anlan shot him a cold look. “What image? Where is it?”

Yang Shidong ignored him, raking his messy hair back with his hands like he was smoothing it down, and then dusted off his long-unwashed clothes, sending a cloud of dust into the air, which made him cough some more.

Xiao Anlan and the others stepped back three paces.

Looking disheveled, Yang Shidong grinned with a big, toothy smile. “Cough… Miss, what’s your name? I’m Yang Shidong, 25 years old, still single—”

“Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?” Xiao Anlan interrupted. “This is my fiancée!”

“What?” Yang Shidong gave Xiao Anlan a comical look, then glanced at Yu Wanru, who had retreated behind him, in disbelief. “You? With her? Are you kidding me? Since when do beautiful flowers stick themselves in cow dung?”

Xiao Anlan sneered, “Flowers belong in cow dung. Where else? Horse manure?”

By now, Yu Wanru had pulled Xiao Anqi aside, hiding behind Auntie An.

Xiao Anlan was too caught up in his banter with Yang Shidong to notice that his image had already taken a hit.

Xiao Anqi yawned and said, “Sister-in-law, let’s go ride the horses ourselves. We don’t need to wait for gege. He talks too much.”

Yu Wanru also didn’t want the little one hearing phrases like “dung” and “manure,” so she gently led her, and the two of them with Aunt An began to stroll along the stable fence.

When Xiao Anlan finished his verbal sparring, he smugly turned around, only to find that his fiancée and sister had wandered off.

Yang Shidong laughed so hard he rolled on the ground. “See? Even your fiancée can’t stand you! You’re like a hooligan, and she’s a proper lady.”

Xiao Anlan gave him a swift kick. “Even a hooligan like me has a fiancée. You? You can’t even touch a woman’s hand. What’s there to laugh about?”

Yang Shidong, struck to the core, stopped laughing and lay there fuming. “Why do girls these days prefer a playboy like Zhou Sheng? All looks, no substance. I’m sturdy and reliable—why can’t they appreciate that?”

Xiao Anlan scoffed, “You’re too sturdy; they’re afraid you’ll crush the bed under your weight. Go hang out with your horses. I’m off to find my fiancée.”

The three women, one old and two young, hadn’t gotten far. Xiao Anlan caught up quickly with a short run.

He looked at Yu Wanru, scratching his head, finally realizing he might have shown a side of himself that he shouldn’t have.

He picked up Xiao Anqi and walked beside Yu Wanru, trying to find a conversation starter. “Uh… you heard everything just now, right? We were just joking. We’ve been like this since we were kids.”

Yu Wanru nodded and hesitated, saying, “Your friend… is quite interesting.”

Xiao Anlan immediately got defensive. “Interesting? He’s just a loud-mouthed brute! Not interesting at all!”

Before Yu Wanru could respond, Xiao Anqi piped up, “Gege, you’re the boring one. We came to ride horses, but you’ve been talking nonstop. I’m almost asleep!”

Xiao Anlan flicked her forehead lightly. “If you’re sleepy, then sleep. Why so much chatter?”

Xiao Anqi covered her forehead with her small hands and whined, “Sister-in-law, save me! Gege hit me again!”

Yu Wanru glanced at Xiao Anqi’s forehead and noticed a small red mark. She looked disapprovingly at Xiao Anlan.

“Uh…” Xiao Anlan was at a loss. “I only flicked her lightly.”

Xiao Anqi immediately protested, “It wasn’t light at all! It was like flicking a watermelon. I even heard a pop!”

Xiao Anlan gritted his teeth, wishing he could smack the little rascal’s bottom.

Yu Wanru reached out and said, “Young Master Xiao, may I hold her?”

Xiao Anlan quickly waved her off. This little glutton wasn’t just for show; she must weigh at least forty or fifty pounds. He didn’t want his delicate fiancée to hurt her hands.

Xiao Anqi seemed aware of her own weight. She clung to Xiao Anlan’s neck and said, “Sister-in-law, I’m heavy. You can’t carry me. Gege should do it. Auntie said heavy work is for men, and women should just sit back and enjoy their tea.”

Xiao Anlan looked up at the sky, speechless. What exactly had his mother been teaching these kids?

Yu Wanru chuckled and patted Xiao Anqi’s chubby arm. “You’re not heavy, Anqi. You’re absolutely right.”

Anqi blinked and said, “Sister-in-law, you’re my favourite. I like you the most!”

Xiao Anlan dryly remarked, “The other day, you said I was your favorite because I bought you cake. How many ‘favorites’ do you have?”

Xiao Anqi’s eyes darted around, and she said slyly, “I have lots and lots. Everyone is my favorite.”

Xiao Anlan decided to save his breath and stop arguing with her.

Yang Shidong brought over a few horses. “Anlan, I’ve kept your big black horse for you. Which horse does the young lady want to ride?”

Yu Wanru quickly waved her hands, “No, thank you. I’ll just watch.”

Xiao Anlan said, “Leave that gentle mare.” Then he turned to Yu Wanru. “This mare is very gentle and won’t hurt anyone. If you’re nervous, I can lead the horse and walk with you.”

Yu Wanru was about to decline again, but Xiao Anqi squirmed out of Xiao Anlan’s arms and ran over to Yang Shidong, clinging to his leg. “Yang Ge, where’s my horse?”

Yang Shidong looked down at the little bean sprout barely reaching his thigh and lifted her onto his shoulders. “Xiao Anqi has grown so much! Your little pony has grown up, so how about I find you a new one?”

Xiao Anqi clapped her hands excitedly. “Yes, yes, yes! Yang Ge, let’s go! Giddy up! Faster, faster!”

Yang Shidong let her treat him like a horse without a hint of irritation. Carrying Xiao Anqi, he winked at Xiao Anlan. “I’ll take the little one to choose a pony. You do your thing.”

Xiao Anlan had the mare brought over. “What’s this one’s name?”

“Little White Cloud,” the stablehand replied.

Xiao Anlan twitched the corner of his mouth. This name must have been another of Yang Shidong’s illiterate choices.

Yu Wanru also looked at the horse. It wasn’t tall—just a bit shorter than her—and its entire body was a pure white. Its eyes were gentle, and its frame elegant.

She nodded softly. “Little White Cloud seems like a fitting name.”

Xiao Anlan silently took back his earlier disdain for Yang Shidong’s naming skills.

He took the reins from the stablehand, gently stroking the horse’s neck and face. Once sure it was a tame horse, he turned to Yu Wanru. “Give it a try.”

Yu Wanru, enticed by the beautiful horse, hesitated before stepping forward to pet its ears and nose as Xiao Anlan had done.

Little White Cloud stood calmly, letting her touch it. It even stuck out its tongue to lick her hand.

Yu Wanru giggled, tickled by the sensation.

Xiao Anlan suggested, “Lead it around a bit to get used to its steps.”

Reluctantly, Yu Wanru took the reins. Little White Cloud followed her lead obediently, which put her more at ease.

Xiao Anlan, leading his big black horse, followed closely.

Auntie An, feeling a bit tired, sat down in a wooden shelter nearby to wait.

After walking a while, Yu Wanru noticed they were quite a distance from the entrance, nearing a small grove with few people around. Hearing Xiao Anlan’s steady footsteps behind her, she felt a bit uneasy and turned back towards the entrance.

Xiao Anlan stepped in front of her. “Try riding now. I’ll hold the reins for you.”

Yu Wanru shook her head softly. “I don’t know how to ride.”

“That’s why you need to learn,” Xiao Anlan encouraged. “Don’t worry. I won’t have you galloping around right away. Just sit on the horse, and I’ll lead you around a couple of times. Then you can try on your own.”

Tempted but unsure, Yu Wanru glanced at Little White Cloud. Although the horse wasn’t tall, mounting it without assistance seemed difficult, especially in her layered dress. Accepting Xiao Anlan’s help felt a bit too intimate.

She shook her head again.

Xiao Anlan persisted. “We don’t come here often, and you seem to have a connection with Little White Cloud. Why not give it a shot?”

Reluctantly, Yu Wanru admitted, “I can’t get on by myself.”

Xiao Anlan glanced at her height. She was of average stature for a woman, neither tall nor short. In her current attire, with no stirrup or help, mounting the horse was indeed a challenge.

Scratching his nose, Xiao Anlan considered offering to lift her up but decided against it, fearing it might alarm her. Instead, he removed the saddle from his big black horse and placed it on the ground. “Step on this. It’ll make it easier.”

With no more reasons to decline, and her curiosity piqued, Yu Wanru nodded.

Xiao Anlan demonstrated the mounting process slowly, explaining each step. “Stand on the saddle like this, grip the reins and saddle horn with your left hand, place your left foot in the stirrup, hold the back of the saddle with your right hand, and push up with your left leg to swing over.”

He repeated the demonstration twice for clarity before stepping back. “Ready to try?”

Nodding slightly, Yu Wanru imitated his actions, standing on the saddle, gripping the reins, placing her foot in the stirrup, and trying to mount. However, her legs weren’t strong enough, and she struggled, her face flushing with embarrassment.

Suppressing a chuckle, Xiao Anlan moved behind her and, without warning, lifted her by the waist and placed her on the horse.

Yu Wanru let out a small scream, clinging tightly to the horse’s neck.

Xiao Anlan calmed Little White Cloud and reassured Yu Wanru. “Relax, let your legs and thighs rest gently against the horse’s sides. Sit up straight, keep your back straight, and look ahead. That’s it. You’re doing great.”

Following his instructions, Yu Wanru gradually relaxed and found her balance.

Despite feeling the lingering ache in her waist from his grip, she refocused on the novel experience of riding.

Xiao Anlan, meanwhile, clenched his fist behind his back, relishing the memory of her slender waist.

His future wife’s waist was really slim.