Yan Qing could not read Li Yongqi’s intentions. Rather than trying to puzzle them out, it was better to keep her attention on Shi Ting’s wellbeing.

When she turned to look at the grounds, Shi Ting had already approached the wild horse called Wild Grape. The horse was every bit as fierce as described — the moment it sensed a stranger drawing near, it began pawing the ground with its hooves, letting out short, warning snorts.

Shi Ting slowed his pace. He held the horse’s gaze directly, and amid its vaguely resistant snorts and growls, he drew gradually closer.

When Yan Qing looked over from where she sat, she saw that Shi Ting had his hand on the wild horse’s mane, his head bowed — seemingly talking to it.

The horse, which had been skittish and restless moments before, had suddenly gone quiet. Not only Yan Qing was startled — Li Yongqi, seated nearby, also furrowed his brow.

Shi Ting gave it a few gentle pats on its back and murmured something more to it. The horse lowered its neck, entirely docile. Shi Ting seized the moment, gripped the saddle, and swung onto the horse’s back with an agile, fluid motion.

The soldiers nearby were transfixed. They had been responsible for training Wild Grape all along, but its nature was so wild that it simply would not let anyone near — the one person it could tolerate had to remain a full arm’s length away just to feed it.

The soldiers were some distance off and didn’t know Shi Ting’s identity, but seeing his remarkable skill and commanding presence, and the fact that he sat as an equal beside Commander Li, it was clear he was no ordinary man.

Once Shi Ting was in the saddle, he lightly pressed his legs against Wild Grape’s sides, and the horse ambled forward at a leisurely trot.

He was dressed that day in a fitted black leather jacket lined with mink fur, and leather boots below. Perched on horseback now, the long lines of his arms and legs were displayed to full effect — there was something in it of a great general’s bearing.

Li Yongqi watched, and said quietly, “The Marshal has three sons. I see the eldest and the second eldest often, but I’ve had very few chances to meet the Seventh Young Master. Seeing him today, I find the old saying holds true — no lesser sons come from houses of generals.”

Yan Qing wasn’t sure if he was speaking to himself or to her, so she offered a brief smile but no reply.

“Miss Yan, in your view, who will win this contest?”

Yan Qing focused on the scene unfolding below. The battalion commander had also mounted — he was on a black stallion, the same horse that had taken first place in the earlier race, clearly a long-standing partner.

Hearing Li Yongqi address her, Yan Qing smiled. “Commander Li and I are on different sides of this. Naturally, from where I stand, I’m hoping Shi Ting wins.”

The answer was perfectly calibrated — Li Yongqi had nothing to say in response.

At that moment, a pistol shot rang out, and the race began.

The track running around the training grounds was roughly four hundred meters. Whoever completed one lap and crossed the finish line first would be the winner.

From the start, Li Ruizhen and Shi Ting were neck and neck. After one hundred meters, Li Ruizhen pulled ahead by half a horse’s length.

Wild Grape had never participated in a race before and was unfamiliar with the track. Seeing another horse in the lead, it immediately launched into a full gallop in pursuit, and by the two-hundred-meter mark, the two were running side by side again.

The winter wind carried a blade-sharp chill that screamed past their ears. With every thundering stride of the hooves, clumps of old snow and mud were flung into the air.

From all sides came the roaring cheers of the Li family army soldiers urging their man on.

“He’s won!” A burst of cheering rose from somewhere in the crowd — by the sound of it, Li Ruizhen had come out ahead.

And indeed, Li Ruizhen’s horse crossed the finish line first, with Shi Ting’s Wild Grape half a length behind.

Shi Ting swung down from the saddle. He appeared to say a few words to Wild Grape, then exchanged a brief conversation with Li Ruizhen, who walked over. When they had finished speaking, he led Wild Grape back to its post and strode back to the tent.

Yan Qing saw that his hands and face had been reddened by the cold, and immediately reached out with tender concern to offer him his overcoat.

Shi Ting took it but did not put it on. Instead, he glanced toward the training grounds not far away, where the horsemen still standing there were uniformly clad in thin military uniforms — every one of them trembling with cold, yet not a single one voicing a complaint.

Li Yongqi poured a cup of hot tea. “Seventh Young Master, have some hot tea to warm yourself.”

Shi Ting thanked him and accepted.

“Commander Li’s soldiers truly are elite fighters through and through. What a privilege it is to see them with my own eyes today.”

Li Yongqi let out a hearty laugh, raised his teacup to his lips, and said nothing more, though his eyes shimmered with thought.

“I’ve had lunch prepared in the camp. The fare is simple, but I hope the Seventh Young Master will honor us by staying.”

“Then I gratefully accept.” Shi Ting picked up his teacup and drank the tea down in one go.

The lunch was also set out inside a tent. Because of the cold, there was no heating, and by the time the food was carried in, it had already grown cool.

Yan Qing had a delicate constitution and normally couldn’t eat cold food. She was just resigning herself to making do when the deputy brought over a small clay pot, inside which a hot broth was simmering.

He set the clay pot before Yan Qing and said with a smile, “This is our chef’s specialty — sea intestine congee. Please enjoy, Miss Yan.”

Sea intestines were a seafood delicacy native to the Taishan area. Living sea intestines, writhing like enormous worms, were a rather alarming sight — but once prepared and cleaned, what remained was a light brownish tube, extraordinarily savory, a true delicacy.

Yan Qing thanked the deputy and settled in contentedly to eat her sea intestine congee.

Meanwhile, Shi Ting and Li Yongqi each had a large cup of sorghum liquor between them, working their way through cold sliced beef as they ate and talked.

By the time Yan Qing had finished her bowl, the two men were still deep in conversation, so she excused herself and stepped into the warm room inside.

The warm room was a comfortable temperature with no one to disturb her. Yan Qing read for a while and soon felt drowsy, drifting off to sleep without quite knowing when it happened.

She wasn’t sure how long she had slept when she felt something tickling her face. She opened her eyes to find Shi Ting playfully nuzzling her cheek.

“What time is it?” Yan Qing startled and sat up quickly. “Are you finished?”

The scent of liquor still clung to him — cool and clean and pleasant.

“We finished a while ago. The whole camp has already been toured.” Shi Ting teased her: “Miss Yan accompanies me all this way, and it turns out she came to sleep?”

His words made her flush with embarrassment. To save face, she shot him a pointed glare.

“So, can we leave now?” Yan Qing noticed he was already wearing his overcoat.

“Let’s go — it’ll be getting dark soon.”

Only then did she check her watch, and her face went even redder. She had to admit her nap had gone on considerably longer than expected.

On the drive home, Yan Qing — well-rested and full of energy — gazed out at the barren landscape through the window and actually found something scenic about it. Shi Ting, on the other hand, sat in silence the whole way, eyes closed in thought, his mind clearly elsewhere.

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