Chapter 68

68 ACCEPTANCE FROM A FRIEND

In the end, only Zhu Ge and Ma Qiao entered the building to pick up the horses, while Bai Chen waited in front of the building under the thatched roof.

The sun wasn’t too hot today, but it was still good to have a roof to protect him from the sun. He could still hide from the sun without needing to enter the building, and he could heave a sigh of relief.

After he said that he did not wish to enter the building, both Zhu Ge and Ma Qiao did not question him further as they immediately nodded their heads and headed toward the building.

The two of them might think that he was just a spoiled Prince who couldn’t stand being in a dirty place, but Bai Chen didn’t care about people’s opinions. He already felt lucky that he didn’t have to make excuses for his behavior, and he was also fortunate that he didn’t have to be in a dirty place that could trigger bad memories from his previous life.

In fact, he was also blessed that he was able to learn to ride a horse today. In his previous life, he didn’t even dare to dream about horseback riding because such a hobby was expensive, but he would be able to get a horse for himself in his new life.

Even if it had been a week since he had transmigrated into this world, he still felt that everything in this world felt like a dream to him. Even when he set his sights to scan the field around him which was so vast and windy, he still thought that it was all just a dream.

It was a ridiculous thought, and he smiled to himself at the thought.

“I have chosen a horse for you, Your Highness. Do you like it?”

Bai Chen was still acting as if he was the main character in this world, and he gasped in surprise when he heard someone speak from behind. When he turned to look at the person who had broken his reverie, he found Zhu Ge grinning at him while holding the reins of a horse.

.....

It was a real horse, not even a pony a child would normally ride. Bai Chen couldn’t even blink his blue eyes as he continued to stare at the horse. It wasn’t a pony that was short and small, but it was a real horse so tall and big.

Bai Chen didn’t even know how to mount the house, and he could only stare nervously at the horse as Zhu Ge brought the horse closer to him.

He had lived for twenty-two years, but it was the first time he had seen a real horse this close. In his past life, he could only see horses on television or in zoos, but a tall and strong-looking real horse was standing in front of him now, and he felt the urge to fanboy over the horse if he didn’t remember that he was a Prince now.

“Why did you choose a brown horse for me?” Bai Chen was finally able to blink his eyes and quickly questioned the man in red because the stallion that was standing proudly in front of him was indeed brown.

The horse’s entire body was brown, and even the fine hair was also brown. Maybe it was an unimportant question, but Bai Chen still wanted to hear Zhu Ge’s answer.

“That’s because this horse reminds me of you, Your Highness.”

“Hey! How can you say that a horse reminds you of His Highness!”

Bai Chen regretted his question. The question wasn’t important, but it was enough to stir up another fight between Zhu Ge and Ma Qiao. Zhu Ge suddenly replied that the horse reminded him of Bai Chen, and Ma Qiao immediately rebuked the young man.

Which servant would like it if their dear master was said to resemble an animal? Perhaps it was also humiliating that Zhu Ge dared to compare the Prince to an animal, and that was why the old servant looked angry as he continued to glare at Zhu Ge.

Bai Chen didn’t even think too much of it even if Zhu Ge said something like that, but he couldn’t see the banter between the two anymore, so he decided to intervene, “It’s fine. At least, Zhu Ge didn’t say that I’m like dogs.” Unknowingly, Bai Chen’s voice sounded gloomy, but then he quickly changed the subject as he looked at the old servant, “Ma Qiao, do you know the name of this horse?”

He asked another question that wasn’t too important, but it was enough to get the two people’s attention. Zhu Ge and Ma Qiao looked like they wanted to bite each other as they argued, and the sight was not good in Bai Chen’s eyes.

‘Two men biting each other? That kind of sight will be disgusting for sure,’ he thought as he got goosebumps all over his body.

“I don’t think this horse has a name, Your Highness,” replied the older servant. “This horse doesn’t belong to the Emperor or the Crown Prince, so I don’t think it has a name yet.”

Getting the answer from the servant, Bai Chen was able to conclude that this place was the imperial stables, and the horses living in the building were not just ordinary horses. They were the horses of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and Bai Chen could guess that they were the best in the empire.

“Are you sure it’s okay if I bring this horse, Ma Qiao? You know that the Emperor and the Crown Prince don’t like me, right? Are you sure they won’t criticize me if I take this horse?” Bai Chen asked the older man again as he felt a little hesitant in his heart.

Even if he was an Imperial Prince, it was only status to him, and the people in the empire didn’t even respect him. And even if the Emperor and the Crown Prince could have horses for themselves, that didn’t mean he could either. After all, he was just the Emperor’s unwanted son.

“It is fine, Your Highness,” Ma Qiao replied once again. “As long as you don’t touch the horses belonging to the Emperor and the Crown Prince, then it’s fine.”

Ma Qiao’s answer was like a confirmation for him, and Bai Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

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“In that case, should I also name this horse, Ma Qiao?” It sounded like Bai Chen was an ungrateful person because he kept asking for more, but he wanted to name the brown stallion for some reason.

In his previous life, he didn’t have the chance to have pets because he didn’t want to clean their feces and urine every day, so he also never had the chance to name animals.

Now when an animal stood before him, and he didn’t even need to clean the dung, he felt the urge to name the horse.

“I think... it’s fine if you want to name this horse, Your Highness,” Ma Qiao’s reply sounded a little hesitant, but Bai Chen smiled when he heard it.

Maybe Ma Qiao wasn’t sure if it would be fine or not, but that didn’t stop Bai Chen from naming the horse. Bringing his hand to stroke the horse’s silky hair, his heart skipped a beat as the animal immediately leaned toward his touch. The horse seemed to like him, and it made his heart flutter.

“I want to name him Pengyou[1],” the Prince spoke again while smiling at the tame horse, and Zhu Ge and Ma Qiao widened their eyes upon hearing the name the Prince had chosen.

“Pengyou?” Zhu Ge parroted. “Why do you want to call him ‘friend,’ Your Highness? Would you like to befriend this horse?”

Not only did Zhu Ge look curious after hearing the name he had just chosen, but Ma Qiao seemed to be waiting for an explanation as well.

The two servants looked confused, but Bai Chen was still relaxed. Pengyou was the only name that popped into his head when he saw how the stallion leaned against his touch. He could feel acceptance, and it warmed his heart.

Bai Chen had no true friends in his previous life, and the people in that life didn’t seem comfortable around him. That was why he often thought that those people denied his existence, and even if he never said it out loud, the rejection hurt his heart.

And now when he saw an animal could be so comfortable under his touch, he finally felt accepted, and that was why he wanted the animal to be his first friend.

“Yes, I want this horse to be my friend, and that’s why I will call him Pengyou from now on.” Smiling at the horse, Bai Chen then turned to the two men standing not far from him. “This horse is my friend from now on, so even if the Emperor or the Crown Prince wants to take it from me, I won’t let it go.”

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Footnote:

[1] Pengyou: means ‘friend’ in Chinese.