Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Now that she was cured, Jiang Sese took Lü'e out to practice horseback riding as usual.

I plan to help Xie Jue repair that military book after I finish practicing horseback riding.

Because the red bean was more meticulous than the green calyx, Jiang Sese kept the red bean as a tool for repairs.

Upon seeing Jiang Sese, the groom quickly bowed and handed her the reins, saying with a smile, "Miss, this horse has been fed its best feed and given water this morning, and it's in high spirits."

Green Calyx stepped forward to take the reins from Jiang Sese and helped her straighten the hem of her riding outfit.

Jiang Sese raised her hand and stroked the smooth mane on the horse's neck. The horse snorted and gently nuzzled the back of her hand.

Jiang Sese mounted her horse, flicked the reins, and the horse began to trot with light, quick steps.

At first, it was a bit sluggish, but after running two laps, it became much more stable as you adjusted the reins.

As they were riding, they heard several words of praise from the side.

Madam Feng stood under a tree nearby and said with a smile, "Miss Feng's riding skills are getting better and better."

Compared to her initial nervousness when mounting the horse and being afraid to let it run, Jiang Sese is now much more relaxed while riding.

Horse riding is like bungee jumping; you get used to it after a few tries.

The first time you ride a horse, you might be afraid of falling off, but the second time you'll find it's not so scary after all.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Sese reined in her horse, dismounted, and stepped forward with a smile to bow: "Thank you for your kind words, Madam. It was just a stroke of luck, nothing like the ladies in the manor."

Madam Feng smiled slightly, stepped forward, and carefully examined her.

Seeing that Jiang Sese's complexion was rosy, Madam Feng smiled and said, "It's good that you're better. A young lady should get out and move around more so that she won't be too weak."

"Miss, I have some things to attend to. You can practice on your own for now."

Madam Feng had already taught him everything she could, such as how to control the reins and ride a horse, as well as the proper way to rise and fall.

The remaining improvement in riding skills depends entirely on long-term diligent practice; it cannot be achieved quickly with just a few words of guidance from others.

Madam Feng initially thought that Miss Jiang would be lazy for a while after recovering from her illness.

Now that I see her recovering from her illness and eagerly coming to practice riding horses, I realize I was overthinking things.

Jiang Sese watched Madam Feng's departing figure, then looked down at the reins in her palm, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Practicing horsemanship is like practicing calligraphy; it's all about adapting to local customs. Everyone else knows how to do it, but she doesn't—how embarrassing!

Moreover, having more skills is never a bad thing.

Who knows, it might come in handy someday.

As soon as Madam Feng left, Jiang Sese remounted her horse, flicked the reins, and galloped steadily again.

When the sun was high in the sky and a light sweat beaded on his forehead, he led his horse to rest in a nearby pavilion.

Suddenly, a series of light footsteps and children's laughter were heard. Turning around, Xie Xun was seen walking towards them, surrounded by two maids.

As soon as Xie Xun saw Jiang Sese, his eyes lit up. He broke free from the maid's hand and ran excitedly towards Jiang Sese, saying, "Sister Sese, I've come to watch you ride a horse!"

Seeing him running towards her, Jiang Sese quickly went to meet him, saying, "Slow down, there are many horses here, watch your step."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Xun tripped and stumbled into a chestnut horse that was grazing with its head down.

The horse was naturally a bit fierce, and startled by the sudden collision, it reared up on its front hooves, let out a long neigh, and kicked wildly with all four hooves as it tried to charge forward.

The maids around her were immediately terrified.

Jiang Sese's expression changed, and without thinking, she rushed over and shielded Xie Xun with her body.

Just at this critical moment, a tall, blue figure swept in like a startled swan, carrying a hint of nonchalant laziness, yet moving with astonishing speed.

The newcomer had a nonchalant smile in his eyes, but his movements were swift and decisive. He lightly touched the saddle with his toes and landed steadily on the horse's back.

Xie Yao held the reins with one hand, exerted a little force with his wrist, and used the momentum of the horse's leap to press down, thus suppressing the wild chestnut horse and calming it down.

Xie Yao squeezed the horse's belly with his long legs, pulled the reins back and forth a few times, and gave a low shout. In the blink of an eye, he had the frightened horse firmly under control.

The horse ranch fell silent instantly, with only the heavy breathing of the horses remaining.

Xie Yao glanced down at Jiang Sese and Xie Xun, who were standing on the ground with their backs to him, a casual smile playing on his lips. His tone was somewhat mocking: "It's quite lively this early in the morning."

Having said that, Xie Yao dismounted with fluid grace, his robes fluttering as he landed, exuding the nonchalance and arrogance of a noble young master.

Xie Yao tossed the reins to the stable boy who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, frowning as he said, "Take him away and train him properly, so he doesn't startle anyone again."

The groom quickly bowed and took the reins, replying tremblingly, "Yes, Third Young Master."

The Third Young Master? Xie Yao?

Jiang Sese was surprised and helped Xie Xun to his feet.

Xie Yao stepped forward and first looked down at Xie Xun.

Xie Xun was so frightened that his face turned pale. He clutched Jiang Sese's clothes tightly and called out timidly, "Third Brother."

Xie Yao reached out and ruffled Xie Xun's hair, his tone softening: "If you know you're scared, then don't run around recklessly."

As he spoke, Xie Yao looked up, his gaze sweeping over the trembling maids beside him. His tone darkened, and he said displeasedly, "Are you all dead? Seeing your young master in danger, why didn't you step forward to protect him? You'll all be punished later!"

The maids immediately knelt down and begged for mercy: "Third Young Master, spare our lives! We know we were wrong."

Xie Yao ignored them.

After speaking, she looked up at Jiang Sese, who was supporting Xie Xun.

Upon seeing this, Xie Yao's nonchalant expression froze instantly, and the smile on his lips also vanished.

The girl was as beautiful as if she were molten gold in flames or the crimson sunset dyeing the river. Even though she was standing right in front of me, she seemed to be wrapped in a captivating and mesmerizing glow.

Her beauty was so intense it was almost tangible, and her allure was innate.

Xie Yao frequented various brothels and had seen all the most beautiful women in the world.

But I've never seen a girl so radiantly beautiful, like the morning sun. Despite her young age, she already possesses an exceptionally captivating charm, and her eyes seem to speak volumes.

Xie Yao's slightly flippant eyes widened instantly, first showing surprise, then shock. He stood frozen in place, unable to recover for a long time.

Xie Yao was stunned for a moment: "You are...?"

Isn't this the stunning beauty I saw the other day?

She said she lived in the west courtyard, and Xie Yao assumed she was a relative who had come from afar to stay with an old servant.

But the current situation is clearly not right.

Xie Yao's mind raced, and it took him a while to find his voice before he took a deep breath and asked, "You are...you wouldn't happen to be that cousin Jiang, would you?"

Jiang Sese was also startled.

When she last met this young man, she thought he was just some distinguished guest and never considered him to be Xie Yao.

After all, the Xie family had many distinguished guests.

Moreover, Xie Yao rarely stayed at home.

The book describes Xie Yao either at Jin Guan Lou or Ling Yin Ge.

Jiang Sese reacted faster than she could think, quickly curtsying and speaking respectfully yet humbly: "Sese greets the Third Young Master. I was unaware of your identity before and was quite impolite. I hope you will forgive me."

Xie Yao finally came to his senses, withdrew his shocked gaze, and a cynical smile returned to his lips: "So it was Cousin Jiang. I was blind before. I was disrespectful earlier."

Damn it, why didn't anyone tell him that Miss Jiang was so beautiful?!

Xie Yao paused, his gaze falling on Jiang Sese's slightly disheveled hair, his tone filled with genuine concern: "Cousin Jiang, you just protected Xun-ge with your own body. Thank you so much, cousin. I wonder if you were injured?"

"Thank you for your concern, Third Young Master. I'm fine." Jiang Sese knew Xie Yao's personality.

The book describes this third young master as a notorious playboy in the capital.

He frequented brothels every day; which top courtesan in the capital hadn't been seduced by him?

Whether it's a few kind words or throwing out the most generous reward, he always manages to attract everyone's attention. He has the feel of a top spender in a live stream.

But he was also cold-hearted and fickle, only flirting but not taking responsibility.

He would never have any physical contact with women of the night.

He was simply enjoying the feeling of being treated with such devotion and the envy and admiration of others.

Ultimately, for Xie Yao, those courtesans were merely playthings to pass the time when he was bored. When he was in a good mood, he would throw away hundreds or thousands of taels of silver at a time.

Given his status, it was impossible for him to marry them, let alone take them as concubines.

Jiang Sese had already made up her mind to stay away from this playboy.

It's best to take a detour to avoid getting into trouble.

As soon as Xie Yao finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of the kneeling maids trembling on the ground. His earlier warmth towards Jiang Sese vanished instantly. His brow furrowed, and his voice was icy cold: "A bunch of useless things! What are you still standing here for? Waiting for your masters to punish you? Get out of here and receive your punishment!"

The maids were terrified, kowtowing repeatedly, and scrambled away.

Xie Yao turned around, his expression softening instantly, and said to Xie Xun's maid, Yun Que, "Xun-ge'er has been frightened; let's take him back to his room to rest."

Jiang Sese immediately replied, "I'll take Xun-ge'er back."