After obtaining Fu Yuncheng’s permission, Zhu Yanyu led the white mare to his private stable. The stable was spacious enough to accommodate five or six horses.

Flowstar saw the unexpected guest in the stable and was initially displeased at the intrusion. However, seeing the mare’s pure white coat, elegant appearance, gentle demeanor, and the pleading look in her eyes, Flowstar was taken aback.

Zhu Yanyu saw Flowstar’s reaction and chuckled, gently pinching its ears.

“You also think this mare is very pretty and cute, right? She’s sick and walks with a limp. She’ll be staying here temporarily for treatment, so you have to be nice to her and not scare her with your shouting, okay?”

Flowstar looked at her, then at the pretty white mare beside her, and suddenly turned its head away, snorting arrogantly.

Zhu Yanyu saw its proud demeanor and smiled softly again. “By the way, this mare doesn’t have a name yet. What do you think we should call her? Hmm… Since her coat is so beautifully white, how about we call her Bai Xue?”

“Hmph.”

“You don’t think it sounds good? Then let’s think of another name, hmm, let me think…”

“Let’s call her Chui Xue,” a stern voice suddenly interjected.

Zhu Yanyu was startled and turned around to see the imposing figure of the Commander standing behind her, only two steps away. She widened her eyes, and her hair stood on end.

Fu Yuncheng saw her ghostly expression and frowned slightly. Was she that afraid of him?

“My… my lord,” she tried to control her trembling voice.

“Hmm,” he replied calmly, taking another step forward.

Zhu Yanyu suddenly tensed—what was he doing? Why was he standing so close?

“My lord, why are you here?”

He seemed to see through her unease, and his gaze darkened. “I came to see how you treat this lame horse.”

She knew she shouldn’t argue, but she couldn’t help but speak up softly, “Please don’t say that in front of her, it will make her sad.”

“What?” Fu Yuncheng was surprised.

She summoned her courage and looked up. “Don’t call her lame. You just gave her such a beautiful name.”

He stared at her for a long time before speaking in a deep voice, “You think it sounds good?”

“Yes,” she smiled slightly.

He fell silent and just stared at her. She blushed under his gaze, feeling his strong masculine presence. Holding her breath, she tried to step back casually and turned to the mare, using the action of stroking its mane to hide her nervousness.

“Chui Xue,” she called softly. “From now on, that’s what we’ll call you. Do you like it?”

Chui Xue looked at her with moist eyes.

Seeing the mare’s affectionate gaze, Zhu Yanyu’s chaotic thoughts suddenly calmed down. She gently patted Chui Xue and settled the mare in a spot far away from Flowstar.

She carefully helped the mare lie down and examined its four hooves. As she suspected, Chui Xue’s two front hooves were swollen, and one of the hoof bones showed signs of penetrating the hoof bottom, clearly indicating laminitis.

As she worked, Fu Yuncheng also noticed the unusual condition of the mare’s hooves.

“What is this disease?” he asked.

“It’s laminitis,” she explained.

Laminitis is an inflammation of the soft tissue connecting the hoof bone and the hoof wall, commonly occurring in the front feet and causing foot pain.

A horse with laminitis will try to stretch its front feet forward and swing its hind feet backward to reduce the weight on its front feet. Due to the pain, the horse’s steps become short and disordered, causing it to limp.

The causes of laminitis can include eating spoiled feed, poisoning, colic, or excessive exercise on hard surfaces.

Zhu Yanyu explained the symptoms and causes of laminitis to Fu Yuncheng in a low voice. Although she was not an expert in horse diseases and treatments, her upbringing in a horse farm since childhood and her later career as a professional jockey had given her some experience in handling such issues.

“…Every step a horse takes, its hooves expand and contract, acting like a pump to push blood back and help it circulate throughout the body. Therefore, it is important to take good care of a horse’s hooves to ensure its overall health.”

Fu Yuncheng nodded in understanding. “Can you treat it?”

“Yes,” Zhu Yanyu said, pointing to the mare’s hooves. “Chui Xue’s condition is not too severe. We just need to trim her hooves every few days to maintain the healthy shape of the hoof capsule. Over time, the hoof will naturally repair itself, and in a few months, it should grow a new, healthy hoof capsule.” She paused. “I can handle the hoof trimming, but we also need some medication to assist in the treatment. This part…”

Western medicine has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving drugs, but she had no idea which herbs to use in traditional Chinese medicine for the same purpose.

She looked up at the imposing man in front of her, feeling a bit helpless. “I am not a professional horse doctor, after all.”

For some reason, seeing her troubled expression and hearing her soft, uncertain voice made Fu Yuncheng feel much better.

“Alright, I’ll assign a horse doctor to assist you,” he agreed readily.

“Thank you, my lord!”

With Fu Yuncheng’s promise, Zhu Yanyu was overjoyed. Her eyes sparkled, and her cheeks flushed with excitement, making her look quite charming despite the birthmark on her face.

Fu Yuncheng took a deep breath, feeling uncomfortable, and averted his gaze. Just then, his eyes met Flowstar’s—

The proud black horse rolled its eyes and snorted, as if mocking its master.