Chapter 67

67 YES TO RIDE A HORSE

Zhu Ge asked if he could ride a horse or not, and Bai Chen replied with “no.”

Zhu Ge asked if he was afraid of horses or not, and Bai Chen replied with “no.”

Zhu Ge asked if he would mind learning to ride a horse today or not, and Bai Chen replied with a “no.”

Bai Chen had indeed answered all of Zhu Ge’s questions, but his mind was actually still wandering back to the time when the man shamelessly told the Crown Prince that they were lovers.

It was indeed the black-haired man’s unexpected answer, and even Bai Renshu looked surprised when he heard his answer. Judging from the Crown Prince’s expression, Bai Chen believed that the real Bai Chen in this world had never dated anyone before.

Just like how Bai Lang told him about the real Bai Chen, that man only liked to play around with a lot of men and didn’t want to have a serious relationship with anyone.

That character was known to everyone in the palace, and Bai Renshu was no exception. That was the reason why Bai Renshu looked like he had seen a ghost earlier.

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Bai Chen had no judgment about the character because the real Bai Chen in this world had the right to do what he wanted to do, but he couldn’t imagine the real Bai Chen’s expression if he heard how Zhu Ge claimed that he was his lover.

‘Even if Zhu Ge was Bai Chen’s favorite hare in the Red Pavilion, that doesn’t mean he had a feeling for Zhu Ge to the point he would accept that man as his lover, right?’ Bai Chen wailed inwardly as he tried to think from the real Bai Chen’s point of view. ‘Zhu Ge’s statement will probably damage Bai Chen’s reputation as the dirtiest gay in the empire.’

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Bai Chen thought that he was indeed unlucky because he was caught by Bai Renshu when he was in a suspicious position with Zhu ge, but he was still lucky enough that Bai Renshu only smirked at him in the end even though that man looked surprised for a moment.

It was clear that the man took Zhu Ge’s words lightly, and the man quietly seized the keys from Bai Chen’s hands before leaving the pavilion silently.

The white-haired man indeed didn’t say anything, but Bai Chen assumed that the man couldn’t even stop talking when he finally left his palace. Yes, that man wouldn’t be able to stop talking to the others about how evil Prince Bai Chen was, and his reputation would surely be ruined even more by that incident.

It was only when he took a deep breath that he realized that he, Zhu Ge, and Ma Qiao had arrived at a new place he didn’t recognize.

His blue eyes flashed innocently as he continued to stare at the traditional building in front of him. It was not the same as any other building in his palace, and that was why he kept frowning at it.

The building looked simpler compared to the other buildings in his palace. Several big windows were currently closed, and they also had ventilation above them. There were no interesting ornaments, and the design of the building looked boring.

The roof was red, and the walls were made of stone, not wood. In front of the building was something like a terrace with a thatched roof, and Bai Chen knew that the building had a different function from the other buildings in his palace.

The unknown building was quite large, and it was surrounded by an area that resembled a field. Moreover, Bai Chen’s nose could also detect an unpleasant odor from within the building.

“What kind of place is it?” He asked while using his hand to cover his nose.

The smell was very strong, and Bai Chen, being a person who didn’t like being in dirty and smelly places, wanted to leave that place immediately. However, before he could move from his spot, he could hear Zhu Ge speak.

“Didn’t you agree that we would learn to ride horses today?”

It was Zhu Ge’s question, and Bai Chen blinked innocently again. He had indeed not realized when he had answered Zhu Ge’s questions when they were still in Jing Pavilion earlier. His mind was still clouded by the incident with the Crown Prince, and he subconsciously answered Zhu Ge’s questions with a “no.”

Bai Chen facepalmed. Zhu Ge didn’t even hypnotize him, but he didn’t even notice that his answer led them to a place that looked like a horse stable.

“Do I need to learn to ride a horse?” Bai Chen lazily asked a question.

Back in his past life, he didn’t even know how to ride a horse. Horseback riding was an expensive sport, so he couldn’t afford it when he was still in his past life. Now that he was in a stable that he had never been to before, he couldn’t help but feel unwilling when he smelled a foul stench from within the building.

“Of course,” replied Zhu Ge without the slightest hesitation. “Horse riding is fun, and you said you weren’t afraid of horses, right?”

Bai Chen was about to rebuke, but he was slower than Ma Qiao who suddenly chimed in, “It’s not about whether His Highness is afraid of horses or not, but it’s about what advantages His Highness will gain from learning to ride a horse. Even if you say that you will help His Highness prepare for the Beast Hunting Event, horseback riding is pointless as the participants can’t even take their horses into the Forbidden Forest!”

Actually, Bai Chen was just going to rebuke Zhu Ge by saying that he wasn’t in the mood for fun today, but it turned out that Ma Qiao was smarter than him to find an excuse to reject Zhu Ge’s idea.

He secretly praised the servant for being so helpful this time. He remembered when Zhu Ge had told him about how dangerous the Forbidden Forest was, so bringing a horse was not a good idea. Perhaps the horses would only become food for the beasts, and Bai Chen suddenly felt sorry for the horse.

“Who says learning to ride a horse won’t give Prince Bai Chen an advantage?” Zhu Ge countered Ma Qiao’s attacks, but instead of directly yelling at the older man, he still looked as calm as ever. “Riding a horse will help him stay in shape as he will get a good workout in his inner thighs and pelvic muscles. Moreover, riding a horse will help him increase his confidence as well. Horseback riding is undoubtedly important to Prince Bai Chen.”

Another round of strife, and Bai Chen felt like he was just a referee here. Maybe he wasn’t in the boxing ring, but the fight between Zhu Ge and Ma Qiao was intense even if the two of them weren’t punching each other body and face.

“Enough,” as the referee, Bai Chen had the right to stop the match, and the two men stopped their banter as they simultaneously turned to the Prince. “We’re already here, so it would be a waste of time if I don’t take this opportunity to study. I don’t think it’s bad if I learn to ride a horse.”

It was his fault that the two men ended up in another dispute. He had carelessly agreed to Zhu Ge’s words when he was still in the Jing Pavilion, and Ma Qiao could only go along with his decision as he showed the way to the stables.

Bai Chen wasn’t even in his right mind when they walked from his palace to the stables, so he didn’t know the position of the stables from his palace. His consciousness only returned when he was in front of the smelly building, and it was already too late.

“Very nice!” Zhu Ge exclaimed in victory. “Then, we must go inside so you can choose a horse for you, Your Highness. I will help you choose the best horse. Let’s go.”

Zhu Ge looked very excited as he was about to enter the building, and there was no joy on Ma Qiao’s face as he had to admit defeat.

The two servants had different expressions now, but Bai Chen’s feet were still on the ground, and he didn’t look like he was about to move to enter the building.

“What is it, Your Highness? You don’t want to come in?” Zhu Ge asked when he realized that the Prince was frozen on the spot.

Bai Chen was indeed not afraid of horses, but he already felt uncomfortable when imagining the situation inside the building. His nose could pick up bad smells when he was still outside the building, so the smell inside the building must have been worse. Maybe he would pass out if he forced himself into the building.

“You go in and choose the best horse for me. I’ll wait for you here,” he decided, and he could see Zhu Ge frown upon hearing his decision.