How to do it?

Start by building a relationship with this spirited horse.

Zhu Yanyu stood at the entrance of the stable, quietly observing the temperamental black horse inside—Flowstar.

After sleeping for a day, Zhu Xiangyu’s fever had significantly subsided. Zhu Yanyu accompanied her brother for lunch and then asked him to continue resting in bed. She then asked Xiaocui to guide her to this private stable of the Commander.

Although the man had said that they, the siblings, could rest for a few more days until they recovered, Zhu Yanyu decided to come early to understand the situation. At least, she wanted to greet her future partner.

However, her partner seemed to be in a very bad mood!

To her surprise, the large stable was occupied by Flowstar alone. She didn’t know if the Commander only had one beloved horse or if other horses had been chased away by Flowstar. Looking at this horse’s proud and aloof nature, it indeed didn’t seem like the type to share space with others.

Currently, a stable hand was cleaning the stable. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. While cleaning, he was also dodging Flowstar’s intentional and unintentional pranks.

This horse was really naughty. One moment it would kick the stable hand with its leg, the next moment it would swish its tail when the person was not paying attention, making the other person look disheveled. Then it would stare at the person’s embarrassing state and grin.

There was a pile of hay in front, and the horse took a big bite, chewed it in its mouth, and then spat it onto the person, making them scream in anger, but they didn’t dare to do anything to it.

That was the beloved horse of the military god! Who would dare to offend it?

The stable hand looked miserable as he wiped the hay off his face. Resigned, he brought a bucket of ice, preparing to groom the horse.

This angered Flowstar, who neighed and roared at him, clearly warning him not to touch it.

“But you’re dirty!” the stable hand said worriedly. “The Commander will be here soon, and if he sees you like this, he will scold me.”

Flowstar didn’t care about his plea and glared at him arrogantly.

“The Commander’s horse is really too naughty,” Xiaocui whispered to Zhu Yanyu.

Zhu Yanyu smiled and walked gracefully into the stable.

Flowstar turned its head to see her, its eyes brightened, and it neighed excitedly. Its hooves kicked the fence door, as if wanting to rush out.

The stable hand was startled by its reaction and didn’t know how to calm it down. He could only look at Xiaocui.

“Xiaocui, why are you here?”

“Awang, this is Miss Yanyu. She is the new stable hand.”

A new stable hand?

Awang looked at Zhu Yanyu, who was dressed as a maid, and couldn’t help but be surprised. Could a girl really take care of horses?

“Don’t underestimate her,” Xiaocui said, as if sensing Awang’s doubts. “Didn’t you see Flowstar’s reaction? It’s very happy to see her!”

Zhu Yanyu stepped forward and said softly, “Awang, you want to groom Flowstar, right? I’ll do it.”

“Can you really do it?” Awang was still doubtful.

“Pfft, pfft!” Flowstar snorted at him unhappily, baring its teeth.

“Look, even Flowstar is angry. Let’s go!” Xiaocui quickly pulled the clueless Awang away. “Don’t stay here and annoy the horse.” As she spoke, she turned back to wave at Yanyu. “Yanyu, I’m leaving first. Let’s have dinner together tonight.”

“Okay.”

After sending off the lively and enthusiastic young girl, Zhu Yanyu turned around and walked to the front of Flowstar, first standing motionless in front of it, carefully observing its appearance.

Just as she had previously thought, its body was entirely black, known as a “black coat,” with small white spots on its forehead, called “black and white.” The lower parts of its two front legs, down to the hooves, also had some white hair, known as “snow-stepping.”

Examining its teeth, it appeared to be around four or five years old, just at the age when a horse is full of vigor and spirit. Its ears were sharp and agile, its legs were long and slender, and its body was elegant and handsome, seemingly with Arabian horse bloodlines.

How could that be? Zhu Yanyu was somewhat surprised. Could there already be imported horses from Arabia in this era?

But looking closely at its hooves, they were very hard, its muscles were strong, and its back was straight, also showing characteristics of Mongolian horses. It might be a mix of the two…

Zhu Yanyu looked left and right, up and down, until Flowstar became impatient and snorted at her twice, as if saying, “Have you looked enough?”

She smiled softly and suddenly extended her soft hand to the horse, with a white candy in her palm.

Flowstar knew it was for him but pretended to disdainfully turn his head away, snorting twice to show that he, Flowstar, was not someone who could be easily pleased with just a piece of candy.

Zhu Yanyu chuckled and couldn’t help but rub the horse’s ears. “You are really handsome, but you also love to play tricks. I wonder how your master managed to handle you. I’m really curious.”

Flowstar felt a genuine joy and affection from her actions and turned back to look at her with sparkling eyes.

Zhu Yanyu tilted her head slightly and smiled sweetly at the horse.

Flowstar snorted heavily again, this time not refusing her outstretched palm, lowering its head and sticking out its tongue to lick the candy from her hand.

She was tickled by its licking and laughed softly, her laughter clear and melodious like pearls rolling on a jade plate.

Flowstar glared at her, as if feeling that her joyful laughter was disrespectful to him. It pushed its nose against her forehead, indicating that she should show respect for him.

“We are friends, I won’t be afraid of you!” Zhu Yanyu made a playful face at the horse. “Besides, let me tell you, I have a great relationship with your future descendants, so how could I not handle you, this ancient ancestor.”

Flowstar snorted, its eyes burning.

The proud horse was being difficult again.

Zhu Yanyu smiled brightly, but she was truly not afraid. Perhaps because she grew up on a horse farm, she was used to interacting with various horses. The horses could also sense a friendly and warm aura from her and liked to be close to her.

Although she had now traveled through time and changed bodies, this unique ability seemed to still exist. She could use her eyes, tone, and gestures to send friendly signals to the horses, gaining their trust.

“No matter what, you saved me,” she said softly to the spirited horse in front of her. “So even if you dislike me, I have decided to like you, and I will always like you!”

The horse, of course, couldn’t understand her words, but it could sense the sweetness from her playful and lively expressions, just like how a man would feel his heart soften when a woman flirts with him.

Flowstar also softened, swinging its tail left and right, revealing its happy mood.

“Let me smell your scent… Oh, it’s really a bit smelly!” she pretended to pinch her nose, looking disgusted.

Flowstar roared angrily.

She laughed again, hugging the horse’s neck, tiptoeing to kiss its wet nose. Flowstar stiffened but could feel that it did not reject her closeness.

She stepped back and bowed gracefully. “Flowstar, how many days has it been since you last bathed? Please allow me to serve you with a bath.”

The response was a proud cold snort.

She took it as agreement. First, she rubbed soap in the water to make bubbles, then used a ladle to scoop the soapy water and pour it over the horse’s body. Then she carefully brushed the horse’s back in circles with a brush.

She had done this thousands of times and was very skilled, controlling the force just right, strong enough to remove the dirt from the horse’s body but gentle enough not to cause it pain.