If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Wang Jue arrived half an hour early.

The Langya Wang clan would organize a team to participate in the competition every year. He would often come to watch such an elegant event and encourage the Wang clan members who participated, but he rarely participated himself.

Then he saw that scene—

Xiao Yun, with his elegant demeanor, was talking to her.

She showed no emotion, but neither did she appear to resist.

Wang Jue stood on the steps, holding onto the railing, motionless.

"cousin!"

Xie Wanyi wore a pale yellow riding outfit today, with a gold hairpin in her hair. She walked with graceful steps, like lotus blossoms in full bloom.

There were seven or eight people following behind her.

Wang Shuhui, Wang Shuyuan, and several other daughters and sons of the Wang family.

They had all changed into their riding gear, clearly ready to go on stage.

"Cousin, you're here! Are you playing today too? We were just worried about not being able to find anyone!"

Wang Jue remained silent.

Wang Shuhui said to herself, "I just saw that Shen Qingdai's team played quite well. But..."

She curled her lip, her tone tinged with disdain, "They can only bully those third-rate teams. If they really run into our Wang family team, their skills won't stand a chance."

A girl from a collateral branch of the Wang family behind her chimed in, "That's right, Shen Qingdai is far too arrogant. She beat us once, and now she's all high and mighty. We have to teach her a lesson this year."

"It's just for fun, why bother with the rankings?" Xie Wanyi chimed in, turning to look at Wang Jue with a hint of anticipation, "Cousin, are you playing with us?"

Wang Jue's gaze drifted towards the basketball court.

Wang Shuhui and her group followed his gaze, their expressions subtly changing.

"So the Prince of Chenliu is here too. No wonder Shen Qingdai is so smug today; she's managed to climb the social ladder by marrying into the imperial family."

Wang Jue withdrew his gaze and glanced at her.

Wang Shuhui felt uncomfortable under that gaze, her smile freezing for a moment. "What? Did I say something wrong? Second brother, you know the Shen family best at currying favor with the powerful. Last year they fawned over our family, and this year they're currying favor with the Prince of Chenliu, like a weather vane—"

"Shuhui," the man's voice carried an undeniable air of authority, "don't lose the composure befitting a daughter of the Wang family."

Wang Shuhui's smile faltered. She bit her lip, lowered her head, and whispered, "I... I didn't mean that. I just wanted to beat them."

The Wang family girls behind him also chimed in:

"Second brother, why don't you fight with us? If Shen Qingdai wins, who knows what she'll say about us."

Wang Jue's gaze drifted into the distance.

She mounted her horse and was adjusting the reins.

A person who usually looks delicate and demure becomes relaxed and expansive when riding a horse, like an eagle finally spreading its wings.

Xiao Yun rode beside her and said something. Shen Qingdai laughed so hard she almost fell over. She turned her head slightly and glanced at the basketball court.

then……

Their eyes met in the air.

In an instant, she turned her face away with an almost unmistakable look of disgust.

"Cousin?" someone called from behind him.

Wang Jue withdrew his gaze and looked at Xie Wanyi.

Xie Wanyi stared at him expectantly, while the Wang family members behind her also looked on with anticipation.

"Okay. I'll fight you."

Xie Wanyi's eyes lit up instantly. "Really? That's great!"

"Go get the horse! Go quickly!"

The Wang family members cheered and ran off to prepare.

Xi Lingxian and Xiao Yun had ridden side by side to the center of the court and were discussing tactics with Shen Qingdai.

Xiao Yun stood beside her, neither too close nor too far, his gaze fixed on her, a faint smile playing on his lips.

When Wang Jue walked to the sidelines, the people on the other side noticed him.

Shen Qingdai was the first to see him, and the smile on her face instantly froze, quickly turning into a tense atmosphere as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" she tugged at Xi Lingxian's sleeve, her voice trembling. "Why is Wang Jue here? Doesn't he never fight?"

Xi Lingxian followed her gaze and saw Wang Jue mount his horse.

Indigo riding attire, a silver whip, and a cool, stern profile in the sunlight.

His mounting posture was crisp and clean, with a touch of nonchalant elegance.

It seemed as if he wasn't there to play ball, but rather to inspect his own territory.

She withdrew her gaze, her voice calm: "Come on then."

"You make it sound so easy!" Shen Qingdai stamped her foot in frustration. "He's Wang Jue! Two years ago, he single-handedly dominated the entire match; three people on the other side couldn't stop him! How are we supposed to compete?"

"Just play the way you normally would. The ball is round, and it's not certain who will win or lose."

Shen Qingdai had no way to express her suffering.

Xiao Yun rode up on horseback, announcing, "Young Master Wang has arrived as well."

He laughed and said casually, "Looks like this game is going to be very interesting."

"Cousin, how should we fight?" Xie Wanyi rode up to his side and looked up at him.

"Play normally."

"..."

"Then...who will keep an eye on Xi Lingxian?" Wang Shuyuan asked tentatively. "She played really well today; she scored three points in the last set."

"I'll do it," he said.

Xie Wanyi's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered.

"Alright, then I'll leave Lingxian to you. Cousin, you mustn't go easy on her."

The drums sounded again, and the game began.

Shen Qingdai struck the ball with her cue, and the ball drew an arc in the air, flying straight towards the opponent's half of the court.

Xi Lingxian spurred her horse to catch up, her moon-white figure flashing like lightning, reaching the front in the blink of an eye.

Her riding skills were indeed excellent; the horse beneath her was as agile as a snake, darting left and right, and in the blink of an eye, it broke through the opponent's first line of defense.

Xie Wanyi led her men to flank from the side. Xi Lingxian gently squeezed the horse's belly, and the horse suddenly accelerated, leaving Xie Wanyi half a body behind.

"Great!" Shen Qingdai watched excitedly from behind, wishing she could jump up and applaud.

However, Xi Lingxian failed to make further progress.

The indigo figure suddenly appeared from the side, blocking her path perfectly.

His judgment was extremely accurate. Instead of a direct confrontation, he used a seemingly casual but actually tricky angle to block all her avenues of attack.

Xi Lingxian had to slow down, and the ball was gently flicked by Wang Jue's club and passed out from under his horse's belly.

Xi Lingxian reined in her horse and stared at him incredulously.

Wang Jue stood in front of her like a wall.

Xi Lingxian took a deep breath, turned her horse around, and looked for another opportunity.

But he was right there.

She goes left, he goes left; she goes right, he goes right.

Every time she got the ball, his club would appear at just the right moment.

Xi Lingxian gritted her teeth and couldn't help but look up at him.

"Are you ever going to stop?!"

Wang Jue finally glanced at her. "Just play normally. What are you angry about? Are you angry that I didn't let you win?"

Xi Lingxian was furious.

She didn't want to play ball; she wanted to kill him!

Xie Wanyi's gaze followed Wang Jue and Xi Lingxian.

Watch how he precisely blocked Xi Lingxian's path, see how he followed her at a leisurely pace, and see how he unconsciously glanced at her during the gaps in the interception.

It was a look that... she couldn't quite describe.

Unlike his usual faint, distant politeness towards people, it was a deep and complex kind of politeness, as if he was hiding something inside and desperately trying not to let anyone find out.

"Sister, what are you looking at?" Xie Wanru rode over.

Following her gaze, I immediately understood everything.

"It's nothing." Xie Wanyi looked away and forced a smile. "Focus on playing ball."

Xi Lingxian did nothing, yet Wang Jue's gaze followed her everywhere. Her older sister, who had liked Wang Jue for so many years, had never received such attention in return.

This is not fair.

Xie Wanru lowered her eyes, her fingers silently slipping into her sleeve.

Her gaze swept casually across the field, and she spotted Xi Lingxian's horse, then slowly rode closer.

The game was in full swing, and everyone's attention was on the ball.

Xi Lingxian had just received a pass from Shen Qingdai and was sprinting along the sideline.

Wang Jue followed from the side, the two were so close that no one noticed Xie Wanru as she rode past.

She brushed past Xi Lingxian's horse.

Without any warning, the docile white horse beneath Xi Lingxian suddenly let out a mournful neigh, its front hooves raised high, and its entire body almost stood upright.

Caught off guard, Xi Lingxian leaned back abruptly, and her golf club flew out of her hand.

"Banfan!"

Shen Qingdai's scream pierced the stadium.

In the nick of time, Xi Lingxian clung tightly to the horse's neck, hanging on the side of its body with her feet off the ground.

The white horse was completely out of control, neighing and spinning in place, kicking its hind legs wildly and kicking up dust.

"Get out of the way! Everyone get out of the way!" someone shouted from the sidelines.

No one dared to approach.

That horse was stamping its feet wildly; anyone who rode on it would be committing suicide.

Xi Lingxian gritted her teeth and clung tightly to the horse's neck.

She could feel the horse's power, like an enraged beast, ready to throw her off at any moment.

"Let go!"

It was Wang Jue's voice.

She turned her head with difficulty from the side of the horse and saw the indigo figure rushing towards her from the side.

The man was finally no longer indifferent; his eyes held an expression she had never seen before, like anger, like—

She didn't have time to tell.

Another figure was faster than Wang Jue.