However, at this time, Lin Huijin cautiously asked, "My lord, is there a chance this horse might suddenly throw me off?"
Lin Huijin hadn't forgotten how much Nangong Nie hated her. Who knew if he might purposely let her fall off the horse to punish her? Moreover, it was still night, and it was so dark. If she fell, who knew where she might roll off to?
"Miss, these are all well-trained military horses. How could they possibly throw you off? I'll help you get on, lead the horse for a few rounds, and then teach you how to ride once you're familiar with the horse's habits," Buli said, extending a hand towards Lin Huijin with a handsome face and a beautiful smile.
Buli's words comforted Lin Huijin quite a bit. With his assistance, she stepped onto the stirrup and sat in the saddle, her field of view instantly broadening. As Buli had said, these military horses were well-trained and wouldn't easily harm people.
Leading the horse by the reins, Buli began to walk towards an open area.
At first, Lin Huijin was a bit nervous, but after a few rounds, she started to feel a bit more adventurous and wanted the horse to run. After Buli briefly explained the basics of riding, Lin Huijin couldn't wait to try it out, and sure enough, after gently squeezing the horse's abdomen, it started to trot.
When Lin Huijin returned from a lap around the field, she saw Nangong Nie, dressed in a crescent moon-colored brocade robe, walking slowly towards her. The moonlight illuminated the silver mask on his face, reflecting a cold light.
"Hold the reins tightly," Nangong Nie's deep voice suddenly drifted into Lin Huijin's ears.
Before Lin Huijin could react, she heard a "crack" sound as a whip struck the horse's hindquarters. The horse beneath her neighed and sprinted forward.
"Ah!" The suddenly running horse caught Lin Huijin off guard and she screamed.
Due to inertia, her body first tilted back, then swiftly leaned forward, the rushing wind whistling past her ears. The unsteady Lin Huijin clung to the horse's neck, as if she might fall off the horse at any moment.
Looking back, she saw Nangong Nie standing erect in the moonlight, his figure as elegant as bamboo, the whip in his hand particularly eye-catching.
Lin Huijin clenched her lips tightly, a streak of determination in her clear eyes.
She knew it. How could Nangong Nie kindly teach her to ride a horse? The so-called reward was nothing but punishment.
Moreover, from beginning to end, Buli only told her how to ride the horse, how to maintain her posture, but never how to make the horse stop!
"Lord, nothing bad will happen, right?" Buli stood behind Nangong Nie, standing on tiptoes to see Lin Huijin gradually disappearing into the distance, asking with some concern.
Nangong Nie was calmly smoothing his wrinkled sleeves, saying lightly, "Qianyue is following her, nothing serious should happen."
Buli turned his head to look at Nangong Nie, nothing serious should happen?
"At most, she will lose grip of the reins and fall off the horse," Nangong Nie said nonchalantly.
Falling from a galloping horse would surely cause enough pain to last a few days.
His lord was truly dark-hearted!
After a while, Nangong Nie blew a whistle, and in a short while, a horse burst through the inky night, galloping towards them.
Just as it was about to reach Nangong Nie, it seemed to have received some command, rearing up and letting out a long neigh against the dark sky.
Lin Huijin, though clutching the horse's neck tightly and holding the reins firm in her hands, couldn't maintain her grip when the horse suddenly stopped, sprang up, and kicked its hooves wildly. Her hands, already marked red from the reins, lost their hold. Lin Huijin, already unsteady on the horse, immediately fell off.
When her delicate body harshly hit the firm ground, Lin Huijin was in such pain that she couldn't utter a word. Her beautiful face tightly crinkled. Nangong Lie walked up to her, elegantly squatted down, his cold voice mingling with a hint of chill: "Though you were trying to save my soldiers, there is a distinction between men and women. Since you are my fiancée, you should not have physical contact with other men. Consider this a small lesson for today. If there's a next time, I will not let you off easily."
His tone might have been light, but his words were exceptionally cruel. It only added to the pain Lin Huijin was already in. So, his so-called reward was actually a punishment!
Bu Li stepped forward, carefully helped Lin Huijin up, and whispered, "Miss, the prince is just concerned about you!" Lin Huijin sneered in her heart. Men in this feudal society didn't treat women as people but as their own private possessions, hidden away in corners, not allowing anyone to gaze or touch.
The King of Jin had abandoned her since she was taken away for a night. To save a soldier, she had given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and the evil king had deliberately let her fall off the horse as a lesson. These ancient men were nothing more than capital-letter male chauvinists!
Looking at the retreating figure, Lin Huijin suddenly said, "I still want to ride a horse." There was defiance and resilience in her voice. Even if she was still in pain all over, she had to learn to ride a horse quickly because she had to get away from this cruel and heartless wolf. He had thrown her off the horse this time, who knew if he would throw her into a snake pit next time?
Nangong Lie paused, slowly turned around, his deep, inky eyes resting on Lin Huijin calmly, without any waves. He then jumped onto the horse, reached out a large hand, and hoisted Lin Huijin onto the horse.
"What are you doing? Put me down, I want to ride by myself." Lin Huijin struggled immediately. Was he trying to make her fall again?
"Sit still," Nangong Lie commanded, then whipped the horse, which started galloping across the flat and open grassland.
At first, Lin Huijin screamed in fright, but seeing Nangong Lie had her securely encircled in his arms, she felt no danger besides the jolting sensation from the horse and the wind whistling past her ears. Her anxious heart gradually relaxed.
"Bend down, relax your body," Nangong Lie's cold voice came again. Lin Huijin immediately did as she was told, and felt the jolting sensation lessen and she wasn't as scared anymore. She wished the horse could run even faster.
"Do you really dislike me, your Highness?" Lin Huijin suddenly turned her head and looked at Nangong Lie behind her. The silver mask was just inches away; it seemed that if she moved her nose a little further back, she would touch it, but it still gave Lin Huijin an unattainable feeling.