Everything I bought on online shopping platforms was genuine.

Chapter 23 Dude, you're serious?
"Can you close the car window? What are you showing off for? Aren't you hot?"

In the car, Yuan Meng rolled her eyes at Lin Mo, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

It's late August, the height of summer. The car is fine since there's air conditioning, but Lin Mo's decision to open the window really bothers him.

What's the point of opening the window? Naturally, it'll attract more attention from pedestrians on the street, and with this car, it's bound to get a lot of stares.

That's right, Lin Mo was getting a little cocky. After all, he had been ordinary-looking for more than 20 years, and suddenly his appearance had improved. Not to mention a college student in his early twenties, even a person in his thirties or forties would probably be unable to resist showing off.

Upon hearing this, Lin Mo, who appeared calm on the surface but was actually a little sullen inside, instantly snapped back to reality. The feeling of having one's thoughts exposed was somewhat embarrassing.

"Is it really that obvious?"

He always felt that although he was secretly pleased, he appeared quite natural on the surface.

"You were just like a peacock with its tail feathers spread out, pretending to be nonchalant, but actually posing so hard your neck must be sore now."

"So what if she's a little pale? What's with the show-off!"

Lin Mo:
That was really a very insightful point. I have to say that Yuan Meng's words calmed him down.

There are plenty of good-looking people out there. I'm just a little fair-skinned. If I get cocky now, people will laugh at me.

Thinking about it, Lin Mo felt quite ashamed of his behavior just now. In order to prevent this from happening again, he decided to temporarily stop looking in the mirror and forget what he looked like.

"Ahem, well, Sister Yuan, why did Auntie suddenly want to call me for dinner?" Lin Mo changed the subject and asked with some curiosity.

After all, he had only met Ms. Jiang once, so they shouldn't be considered close, right?
"You forgot? My mom used your secret recipe, and it worked really well. She was bragging about it to her sister today. She's going to the countryside today, and she asked me to invite you along so she can thank you." Yuan Meng said with a hint of helplessness.

She didn't mind bringing Lin Mo along, but she was a little annoyed by her mother's gossip, even though she had already said they were just friends.

The reason she still came to call Lin Mo was simply because she couldn't refuse her mother's request, and she also wanted to bring the little black dog with her, as she was a little worried that Liu Ruyan was still up to no good.

"What are you thanking me for? Didn't you tell Auntie this was a transaction? I got paid for it!"

For Lin Mo, this was just a transaction, so there was no need for thanks or anything like that; everyone just got what they needed.

"I told my mom that your secret recipe is very rare, and that you got it by pulling strings. Don't mention the price later, or she'll get upset. Remember that, don't let it slip."

"Isn't this a bad idea?"

"Stop talking nonsense. If you don't say that, what if she asks me for money? Do you still want to sell your remaining items for a good price?" Yuan Meng glared at him and threatened.
Lin Mo said that a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle, and he would listen to her.

Soon, the car drove out of the city.

"Sister Yuan, where are we going?" Lin Mo asked curiously.

"It's my mom's friend's horse farm. I'm going there to relax. By the way, can you ride a horse?" Yuan Meng asked casually.

Upon hearing this, Lin Mo was startled. Riding a horse? Wasn't this just walking into a trap? Was there some kind of matchmaking system involved?
"What's with that expression? It's okay, I'll teach you if you don't know how. I'm really good, have you seen 'Uma Musume'? The Imperial Dance is so cool!"

Seeing his expression, Yuan Meng assumed he couldn't ride a horse and quickly boasted about it.

"Um, I know a little bit," Lin Mo said, touching his nose somewhat embarrassed.

"Know a little bit? You're just bragging!"

As for horseback riding, apart from certain special groups in certain regions, it's mostly people with good economic conditions and time who get involved.

Based on her understanding of Lin Mo, he shouldn't fall into this category.

Lin Mo did not argue with this, and soon the car drove into a horse farm in the suburbs.

This was Lin Mo's first time in a place like this. If it weren't for Yuan Meng, he wouldn't have even known this horse farm existed after living here for three years. "Mom, we're here!"

Hello, Auntie.

The two entered an open-air rest area and immediately saw Ms. Jiang dressed in equestrian attire. She was already well-maintained, but today she looked even younger than last time.

It must be said that Ms. Jiang at this moment truly deserves the description of "still charming and graceful".

"Xiao Lin is here! Come and sit down. You all have the day off today. I hope I didn't bother you by asking you to come over?" Ms. Jiang said with a smile, pulling him to sit down.

Lin Mo shook her head repeatedly: "No, Auntie, you look great today. I would have thought you and Sister Yuan were sisters."

As the saying goes, flattery will get you everywhere. When it comes to women, praising them for being beautiful and young is always a safe bet.

Sure enough, Ms. Jiang's smile widened even more after hearing this: "Not at all, Auntie is getting old. I'm so grateful for your secret recipe, Xiao Lin. I heard from Yuan Yuan that you put a lot of effort into making that recipe. You're so thoughtful."

Lin Mo chuckled a little guiltily, his face turning slightly red.

The downside of having fair skin is that even the slightest redness or heat becomes very noticeable.

Seeing this, Ms. Jiang thought that Xiao Lin was a young child and easily embarrassed, so she quickly said:

"Yuanyuan, take Xiaolin to change his clothes. Play around as you like. I've already ridden, I'll rest for a bit."

“Okay, Mom!” Yuan Meng couldn’t wait to pull Lin Mo to change her clothes.

As they walked, Yuan Meng gave him a thumbs up: "I didn't expect you to be so good at flattery. No wonder emperors like eunuchs. Keep it up!"

Lin Mo:
Soon, the two changed into equestrian clothes, boots, and helmets under the guidance of the staff at the horse farm. The clothes were a simple black and white color scheme.

When the two came out, Ms. Jiang nodded in satisfaction. Both of them had outstanding temperaments, and Lin Mo was even more composed, not inferior to her own pampered daughter.

"Not bad, let's go choose a horse," Yuan Meng said, looking him up and down.

The two then followed the staff to the venue.

Yuan Meng chose a group of tall, chestnut-colored horses, while Lin Mo, on the advice of the horse farm staff, chose a gentle black horse.

Although he had knowledge of horseback riding, he did not immediately mount a horse and ride away. Instead, he patiently listened to the instructions of the riding instructor.

After all, this thing isn't like brewing tea; what if it falls and breaks? He wouldn't risk his life like that.

Ten minutes later, Lin Mo was already riding his horse slowly around the field by himself.

'Da da da'

The sound of horses' hooves approached, and Yuan Meng rode her horse to a stop beside Lin Mo: "Hey~ isn't this Brother Lue Dong? Why are you so slow!"

As she spoke, Yuan Meng pointed with her small hand, and the rap began.

"Don't sleep here. Why are you crying? Who told you not to understand the difference between me and you? Oh, I'm Superman!"

She even mocked the theme song of Basketball Fire.

Lin Mo sneered, squeezed the horse's belly slightly with his legs, and the little black horse darted off.

Yuan Meng was startled, but she immediately saw that Lin Mo was riding very steadily, his whole body moving with the rhythm of the horse, which showed that he was an experienced rider.

"Dude, are you serious?!"

(End of this chapter)