Slow to mature after marriage

After walking around for what felt like an eternity, Mu Siwan's stiff back gradually relaxed.

Bo Yan looked up at her.

"Are you used to it?"

She nodded.

The man draped the reins over the saddle and took her hand.

"Relax your grip, don't clench so tightly. If you clench too tightly, the horse will be uncomfortable, and you won't be comfortable either."

Bo Yan pried her fingers apart and adjusted his grip on the reins.

Then he grabbed the saddle and climbed onto the horse.

He landed behind her.

The saddle wasn't big, and the two of them were squeezed together, with Mu Siwan's back pressed against his chest. His hands came around from both sides, gripped the reins again, and pulled her completely into his arms.

Mu Siwan's body stiffened for a moment.

Bo Yan's voice fell into her ear, deep and tinged with laughter.

"Relax your body."

She took a deep breath and slowly leaned back into his arms.

He glanced down at her profile and a slight smile played on his lips.

"When you're controlling the reins, keep your hand steady." Bo Yan held her hand and guided her in an arc through the air. "Pull to the left, and it will go left. Pull to the right, and it will go right."

His hand enveloped hers, his warm palm pressed against the back of her hand.

"To make it run, gently squeeze its belly with your foot," he patiently explained. "To make it stop, pull the reins back and lean your body back."

He spoke while demonstrating the actions to her.

Little Brown obediently walked forward for a while.

"Very good," he said. "To slow it down, gently lift the reins."

Bo Yan's breath fell beside her ear.

Mu Siwan lowered her eyes and looked at the two people's clasped hands.

His fingers were thicker than hers, with distinct knuckles, and he was holding her hand, guiding her little by little to familiarize herself with the movements.

"Can you feel it?"

Mu Siwan nodded.

He chuckled softly, the sound landing near her ear.

"Then try it yourself now."

He loosened his grip, only offering a perfunctory protection to her side.

Mu Siwan gripped the reins and tried to steer slightly to the left.

Little Brown obediently turned left.

Her eyes lit up for a moment.

Bo Yan saw this but didn't say anything; instead, the corners of his lips curled up again.

Sunlight fell on the two people as the horse slowly moved forward, leaving a trail of shallow hoofprints behind it.

-

After another hour of practice, Mu Siwan was able to control the reins and slowly stroll around on the grass on her own.

She turned her head to look at the person behind her.

"I've learned it," she said. "Now you can go down."

Bo Yan didn't move.

He stared at her profile for two seconds, the smile on his face unchanged, but his tone was a beat slower.

"Mrs. Bo is quite adept at using things and then discarding them."

Mu Siwan looked at him seriously: "It's not something you throw away after you've used it."

"It's too crowded with two people," she said, "It affects practice efficiency."

Looking at her serious face, Bo Yan suddenly realized that he was helpless.

He had no choice but to dismount.

Mu Siwan took the reins and began practicing earnestly on the grass—walking straight, turning, walking slowly, and stopping. Although her movements were clumsy, she performed them with great care.

Bo Yan rode on Xiao Hong, following her at a leisurely pace.

When she goes left, he wanders to the left; when she goes right, he goes around to the right.

Not too far, not too close, just enough to see her profile and the stray hairs blowing in the wind.

-

Xu Qishan rode over slowly on his horse, and Lin Qing sat in front of him. The two of them squeezed onto one horse, their posture so intimate that it looked like they were filming an idol drama.

He glanced at Mu Siwan, who was practicing alone, and then at Bo Yan, who was idly following beside her, and immediately chuckled.

"Hey, Yan-ge, what brings you down here?"

Bo Yan glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Xu Qishan laughed even harder.

"Did your sister-in-law kick you out?"

Bo Yan withdrew his gaze expressionlessly.

Before Xu Qishan could say anything more, Lin Qing gently tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Don't keep making fun of Yan-ge."

Xu Qishan patted her hand, looking completely innocent.

"What joke did I make? I was just showing concern for my brother."

Bo Yan finally spoke.

"Done showing concern? Then get lost."

Instead of rolling away, Xu Qishan rode his horse forward a little further.

"Sister-in-law, how's your practice going?"

Mu Siwan reined in the horses and looked up at him.

"good."

Xu Qishan's eyes lit up, and he became interested.

"Perfect, shall we have a race?" He pointed to the obstacle course in the distance. "Obstacle course, men and women working together, one horse and two people, whoever gets there first wins."

Mu Siwan nodded.

"it is good."

Treat it as practice.

"For the men's and women's obstacle course competition, who will you choose as your partner, sister-in-law?" Xu Qishan asked deliberately.

Mu Siwan turned her head to look to the side.

Bo Yan rode his tall black horse a few steps away, strolling leisurely as if he hadn't heard them talking.

Sunlight fell on his shoulders, and he casually tugged at the reins, his gaze fixed on the distance.

Mu Siwan dismounted.

She walked towards Bo Yan, stopped in front of him, and looked up at him.

Reach out.

"I choose you, Bo Yan."

Bo Yan looked down at the outstretched hand.

He looked up at her face again.

The sunlight shone brightly in her eyes.

His lips slowly curved into a smile.

He didn't take the hand, but instead bent down, reached out, and grabbed her waist.

Move it upwards.

Before Mu Siwan could react, she had already landed steadily in front of him.

The movements were crisp, clean, and fluid.

Her hand instinctively gripped his arm, and her heart skipped a beat.

Bo Yan lowered his head and whispered in her ear.

"Hold on tight."

Little Red reared up, let out a long neigh, and galloped toward the obstacle course.

-

Several people had already gathered over the obstacle course.

Xu Qishan and Lin Qing were warming up on a horse together. Bo Ning and Song Yu had joined them at some point, and the two of them awkwardly squeezed onto one horse, with Bo Ning in front and Song Yu behind, still bickering.

"Don't touch me!"

"What if I fall if I don't touch you?"

"Then you fall!"

"Okay, then I'll let go."

"Song Yu, how dare you—!"

Bo Yan's hand reached around her side and grasped the reins. His chest pressed against her back, and his breath fell on her ear.

He leaned down, his voice very low.

"Do you want to win?"

Mu Siwan stared at the red finish line ahead.

The red flag fluttered in the wind.

"think."

Bo Yan chuckled.

"it is good."

He straightened up and handed the reins to her.

"Brother Yan will help you win."

The whistle blew.

Bo Yan squeezed his legs together, and Xiao Hong shot out like an arrow.

The wind whistled past her ears, and Mu Siwan instinctively tightened her grip on the reins. The first obstacle approached, and her body tensed slightly—

Bo Yan's hand covered hers, and he gently lifted her up.

Little Red leaped into the air and steadily cleared the wooden fence.

Land, and continue forward.

The second and third courses.

The wind grew stronger, tousling her hair and stinging her eyes, but she didn't blink.

Before me stretched an endless expanse of green, in the distance lay a continuous range of snow-capped mountains, and above me was a clear, bright blue sky.

There were no railings, no walls, and no doors.

There were only the sounds of the wind, the sound of horses' hooves, and the rapid heartbeat of the person behind her.

Mu Siwan suddenly understood why Meng Qing had said the outside world was colorful when they were children.

Because at this moment, she was in the wind, on horseback, on the boundless grassland—

So this is what freedom truly is – colorful.