---

The wind howled past her ears, and her heartbeat pounded louder and faster with every second.

Yu Mingyao gripped the reins tightly, her eyes fixed on the figure hunched over the horse ahead.

She could see Yu Jinnian clinging desperately to the horse’s neck, his body jolting violently with each of the steed’s frantic movements. The horse was trying to throw him off.

It was bolting toward the forest!

The mountain path was treacherous—if he got thrown off, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Yu Mingyao’s heart clenched.

“Brother, don’t be afraid. Trust your sister—I’ll make sure you’re okay!”

She raised her voice, shouting toward his figure.

But the rushing wind swallowed her words, leaving only a faint echo.

Still, Yu Jinnian seemed to hear her. Amid the chaos, he struggled to lift his spine on the horse’s back.

He was trying to look at her.

“Brother, hold on tight!”

Tree branches kept scraping across her face, sharp stings flaring on her cheeks. But the situation was too urgent for her to care. She lashed her whip against her horse’s soft belly with all her strength.

Whinny—

The horse cried out in pain, trying to rear up, but Yu Mingyao yanked the reins low and squeezed hard with her knees, forcing it to lower its center of gravity and continue the chase.

After a tense effort, she finally drew close to Yu Jinnian and saw the mix of shock and joy on his face.

“Hold on tight!”

She shouted again and cracked the whip, closing the final distance.

Just as Yu Jinnian’s crazed horse was about to plunge them both down a steep slope, she struck its hind leg with her whip.

The horse stumbled slightly. She seized the opportunity, closing the gap and grabbing her brother’s arm.

“Brother, jump!”

The natural bond between the twins kicked in. As she pulled him off the horse, he opened his arms to shield her.

Thud—

They hit the ground almost simultaneously.

Yu Jinnian, being heavier, landed first on his back, absorbing most of the impact. Yu Mingyao’s arm hit a rock, leaving a deep gash.

By the time Xie Zhuoguang and Pei Shang caught up, this was what they saw—

A disheveled girl, clothes askew, not even stopping to fix herself, cradling her bulky brother, laughing and crying at once.

She looked so fragile—slim waist, delicate figure, the kind of beauty that seemed purely ornamental.

In the past, when Xie Zhuoguang glimpsed her profile, he always thought she was stunning, seductive, born to be a pampered nobleman’s possession, locked away in a golden cage.

But here she was—fearless, hiding a courage that surpassed most men.

He and Pei Shang hadn’t been slow, yet they barely caught up to her shadow.

She was an excellent rider—she had to know that chasing after a panicked horse could cause her own mount to panic too. Yet she did it anyway.

Risking her life to save her brother.

Xie Zhuoguang couldn’t describe how he felt when he saw her let go of her reins, reaching for Yu Jinnian.

Her delicate figure hovered in the air—his heart stopped.

He dismounted, landing just after Pei Shang.

Yu Mingyao looked a complete mess.

Her pale face was scratched by branches, blood oozing from two red slashes.

So beautiful. Truly beautiful.

His gaze dropped to her slender neck, where a few strands of hair clung.

That little bug in his chest—fluttered wildly.

“Are you okay? Should I take you both to the infirmary now?”

Pei Shang broke the silence. Though he addressed them both, his eyes never left Yu Mingyao.

Xie Zhuoguang also looked over.

Yu Mingyao wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked at her brother.

“I’m fine. Please have someone look at my brother.”

She clutched her injured arm, smiling faintly under the light. There was something divine in that moment.

Xie Zhuoguang’s heart beat wildly again. Pei Shang’s voice sounded nearby.

“I’ll help him. You be careful.”

He muttered stiffly, refusing to look at the siblings.

If only that idiot hadn’t stubbornly challenged the match—his sister wouldn’t have had to face such danger!

He bit back his anger, the words nearly slipping out.

Yu Jinnian wanted to say he was fine, but under the intense stares of all three, he swallowed the words.

“Please take care of my sister. I’ll go see the doctor and come back.”

He forced a smile more painful than crying.

Pei Shang snorted and helped him up.

His attention was entirely on Yu Jinnian—not noticing the hand that silently appeared before Yu Mingyao.

A hand—well-formed, pale as jade.

A small brown mole on the third knuckle of the index finger—familiar, and unfamiliar.

Yu Mingyao’s just-settled heart thumped violently. It felt like a swarm of butterflies crashing in her chest.

She followed the hand upward, locking eyes with Xie Zhuoguang’s deep black ones.

A shiver ran through her.

Cold. So cold…

Using her uninjured arm, she slowly pushed herself up. She didn’t glance at the hand again.

---

Evening approached. Dusk fell.

Yu Jinnian and Yu Mingyao still hadn’t returned.

Madam Shi, having learned of the horse incident earlier that day from Old Madam Pei, was livid.

Yan Yue paced with her at the gate, both old and young restless with worry.

The fury in Madam Shi finally subsided only when the siblings appeared at the door—one left, one right—slowly limping back.

“Yan Yue, shut the door.”

As soon as they entered, the bolt dropped.

Yu Mingyao looked up and saw her grandmother’s rare expression of true anger.

Her nose stung, and she lowered her gaze.

The courtyard was deathly silent. Only the foolishly cheerful Yu Jinnian was still chirping:

“Grandmother, you don’t know how amazing Mingyao was today! Aside from those two pests, no one at the academy could match her!”

“She’s brilliant—truly my sister.”

His bandaged hand hung at his side, his face full of pride.

But no one replied. After a moment, even he sensed the mood and fell quiet, sneaking glances at Yu Mingyao.

“Kneel.”

Madam Shi stood beneath the eaves, her kind face now stern.

Her voice was low—so low that Yu Mingyao could feel the pain beneath it.

She knelt without a word.

Yu Jinnian gasped and instinctively knelt too. His knees hit the stone with a dull thud.

“I brought you both to the capital with great effort—not so you could show off!”

“Your bodies were given by your parents. Have you thought about me—a white-haired old woman—if I had to hear more bad news? How could I bear it?”

Madam Shi’s voice wavered, tears falling as she turned away.

Silence.

Seeing both of them in tears, Yu Jinnian—thinking himself the only man in the family—felt it was time to step up.

He got up without permission, took a handkerchief from Yan Yue, and tried to pull Yu Mingyao up to wipe their grandmother’s tears.

But she wouldn’t move. Head bowed, still kneeling.

“Don’t pull her. Let her kneel.”

Madam Shi refused to look back, dabbing her tears.

“Didn’t I raise Jinnian myself? And you too?”

“He doesn’t ride—so where did you learn it? I know you’re grown, with your own thoughts. But I’m still your elder—even if I’m old and useless.”

Her tone got harsher. She expected Yu Mingyao to respond—but the girl remained silent and stubborn.

Madam Shi stormed off in frustration.

Moonlight rose. The courtyard fell silent again.

That fierce energy from earlier ebbed away. Exhaustion spread from her injured arm to her whole body.

Yu Mingyao didn’t know how long her mind drifted. Everything after the fall seemed to evaporate like smoke.

But Xie Zhuoguang’s face reappeared in her mind.

The rescue at Yunlou, the tiny notebook with feelings—this life, he had fallen for her even sooner and more deeply.

But she no longer had a brother, or a grandmother, who could sacrifice for her.

In this life, she only wished for their peace and happiness.

She must not fall for Xie Zhuoguang again.

---

Inside the room, Yu Jinnian was still explaining to Madam Shi.

From Pei Shang’s trap, to how people mocked them, to how Yu Mingyao, even injured, dominated the second round and won first place.

With his usually clumsy tongue, he praised her endlessly.

Finally, he spoke sincerely:

“Grandmother, you say men in the capital are so wonderful. But none of them match my sister.”

“She’s outstanding. Why should we beg someone to marry her?”

“There are plenty of people in Suzhou. Even if no one suits her, we can take care of her for life, can’t we? Why force her to suffer in the capital?”

“She said it so many times—she doesn’t want to stay. We’re the ones holding her here, claiming it’s for her good.”

His words shook Madam Shi.

She hadn’t thought she was wrong. But for her playful grandson to say something so clear-headed—she felt ashamed.

Looking at Yu Jinnian’s bandaged arms and torso, she realized she’d only been angry, not even noticing his injuries.

Mingyao was just a girl—how forceful could her temper really be?

He was right. She’d ignored what they truly wanted.

Remorse and guilt surged in Madam Shi’s heart. Looking into Yu Jinnian’s sparkling eyes, she finally said—

“Alright. Help Mingyao up. Tell her—we’ll pack up and go back to Suzhou!”

---