The founding Emperor of Great Liang was a general who fought on horseback, and he loved watching polo, occasionally joining the games himself for entertainment. Thus, the imperial family inherited this tradition, with several generations of Emperors greatly enjoying polo. This sparked a polo-playing craze among the noble youths of Nandu. Any aristocratic boy over thirteen who had never played polo would be ridiculed. Although the current Emperor wasn’t as passionate about polo as previous generations, the enthusiasm for the sport among Nandu’s nobility hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

Today happened to be Nandu’s largest summer polo tournament, commonly called the “Summer Wild Games.” Noble sons and daughters from across Nandu gathered at the suburban polo field to participate in or watch the grand event.

He Simu had finally recovered from her cold before this day and accompanied Duan Jingyuan to the viewing platform at the polo field. The Duan family had their own reserved seats with an excellent view, close to the field. Today, under the clear sky and bright sunshine, every blade of grass and tree on the polo field could be seen clearly from their seats.

Wu Sheng Liu, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Duan family, also brought Duan Yiqi to experience the event. She discreetly observed the江湖 woman named “He Xiaoxiao” beside Duan Jingyuan. She had heard that she was Chen Ying’s sister, who had come from the border to visit Chen Ying at the Duan residence and was staying in Duan Xu’s Bright Moon Residence. Duan Xu had always been a loner, and his Bright Moon Residence was only regularly cleaned with no servants staying there permanently. It was only after Chen Ying arrived that he made an exception and allowed Chen Ying to live with him.

He Xiaoxiao had come to visit Chen Ying and should have properly avoided suspicion by staying in another courtyard with Chen Ying, yet she moved into the Bright Moon Residence with Chen Ying. This was truly strange. She couldn’t help feeling that the relationship between He Xiaoxiao and Duan Xu was not ordinary.

He Xiaoxiao, like the other women, covered half her face with a folding fan while talking to Duan Jingyuan. Suddenly, she turned her eyes to meet Wu Sheng Liu’s gaze. The fan concealed most of her features, revealing only a pair of phoenix eyes that conveyed a hint of faint amusement. She proudly and languidly nodded to Wu Sheng Liu as a greeting.

This subtle, overwhelming presence was particularly puzzling. Wu Sheng Liu’s eyes flickered momentarily as she raised her teacup for a sip, then addressed He Xiaoxiao: “Miss He, have you watched polo before?”

He Xiaoxiao nodded and smiled, “Yes, I have, though what I saw before didn’t look quite like this. I suppose with time, the form has changed somewhat.”

“Does Miss He also play polo?”

“I don’t. I rarely ride horses.”

Just as Wu Sheng Liu was about to delve deeper into this topic, Duan Jingyuan interrupted their conversation. Duan Jingyuan wore a slate-blue jacket embroidered with a hundred-flower butterfly pattern, her hair styled in a drooping horse-tail bun and painted with the fashionable mandarin duck eyebrows. She had also dotted the corners of her eyes to create a tearful makeup effect which, combined with her beautiful face, created an enchanting appearance that inspired tenderness.

She tugged at He Simu’s arm and said, “Nandu’s polo tournaments are held three times a year—spring, summer, and autumn. Since my Third Brother began participating, he has never missed the first prize. People had no choice but to change the rules so one needs five prizes to win. My brother just scores the first prize for formality’s sake and then leaves the field. Otherwise, over the years, the men of Nandu would have been completely overshadowed by my Third Brother. This time, my brother says he will play the full game. Miss He, watch carefully, and you’ll understand why all the young ladies in Nandu admire my Third Brother.”

Duan Jingyuan spoke with considerable pride and began explaining the various configurations and rules of the polo field to He Simu. Wu Sheng Liu could not find an opportunity to interject, so her probing had to be temporarily set aside.

As He Simu listened to Duan Jingyuan, she thought to herself that although the little fox’s sister looked like a little white rabbit, she was quite clever, knowing how to shield her from questioning.

She’s a good child.

Meanwhile, Duan Xu rode his white horse onto the field. He wore wisteria-purple clothes and had his hair bound with a purple headband decorated with silver patterns. Smiling gently, he walked among the noble sons on the field.

“Duan Shunxi?” someone called his name in surprise.

“You suffered a great misfortune a few days ago and shut yourself away. We all thought you were too depressed to join this Summer Wild Game.”

“Yes, how do you still have the leisure to come to the polo field?”

Duan Xu twirled the polo stick in his palm twice and said, “Being depressed all day is no solution. Today, I’ll imagine the ball as the Hu Qi thieves and vent my frustrations on the field.”

These polo-skilled noble youths, all well acquainted with Duan Xu, saw his demeanor and couldn’t help but feel that the usually cheerful Duan Xu had become much more composed—affected by his recent ordeal.

Little did they know that Duan Xu was suppressing his joy while feigning sorrow, which was truly difficult.

“So today I wish to play the full game. I apologize to everyone in advance,” Duan Xu clasped his hands and bowed.

The dozen or so noble young men looked at each other in dismay. If Duan Xu played the full game, what chance would others have to win? His opponents might not score even a single point. For the Summer Wild Game, everyone would bring their best horses and wear their finest polo attire—who wouldn’t want to shine in this event that occurred only three times a year?

Duan Xu, aware of their thoughts, smiled and said, “Polo is, after all, a team competition. I’ll only choose the newcomers who joined this year to be on my team. The rest of you skilled players can form your teams. Surely surrounding and blocking just one person should be manageable, right?”

With Duan Xu putting it this way, the others naturally couldn’t refuse. They were also eager to try and pull Duan Xu down from his position as the “Polo King.” If anyone could pressure Duan Xu and score even one point, it would be considered a great achievement.

The sound of drums came from the polo field, and Duan Jingyuan excitedly tugged at He Simu’s sleeve: “Miss He, look! It’s starting!”

After observing for a moment, she frowned and said, “What’s going on? Master Gu, Master Li… why are all the skilled players on one team? The people on my Third Brother’s team look so unfamiliar; I don’t recognize any of them. Are they bullying my Third Brother?”

He Simu laughed and shook her head: “Who could bully your Third Brother?”

As soon as Duan Xu entered the field, he caused quite a stir. Whispers spread across the stands, with everyone full of anticipation. Under the golden sunlight, the silver threads on his clothes sparkled dazzlingly like jewels and sparks. He circled the edge of the polo field on horseback, gathering the children participating in the Summer Wild Game for the first time, saying something to them, patting their shoulders with his eyes curved in a smile.

The gong sounded to start the game. A colorful ball the size of a fist was thrown into the center of the field. Players lined up on both sides of the goals immediately galloped toward the center, trying to seize the initiative and strike the first shot. Once they truly galloped at full speed, the difference between the others and Duan Xu became apparent. The young masters had all practiced horsemanship since childhood and had elegant posture and graceful bearing. Their horses were also swift as lightning, but when meeting at such flying speeds, they somewhat feared collision and friction, unconsciously slowing down or avoiding each other.

But Duan Xu did not.

From the very beginning, he galloped at the highest speed, rushing toward the center like a gust of wind, not avoiding others even if they were about to collide. With a step on the stirrup, he would shift his body to let the approaching person pass, while simultaneously swinging his stick, striking the colorful ball high into the air amidst the flying dust. In an instant, he would turn his body and steadily step back onto the stirrup—such exquisite control and confidence.

“Bravo!”

“General Duan!”

Cheers erupted from the people standing on the viewing platforms close to the polo field.

“Look, look! Third Brother has made the first shot!” Duan Jingyuan shook He Simu’s hand excitedly.

Duan Xu and his horse seemed like one entity; with the slightest movement, the horse would cooperate with his actions, as agile and unyielding as he was. In his daily life, he was like a sword in its sheath—laughing carelessly, harmless, and disliking confrontation. But once on the polo field, that sword was drawn, double-edged and unstoppable.

After all, the young masters learned horsemanship for self-cultivation and to show off, while Duan Xu learned it for survival and killing. If he had retreated even one step, he would not have lived until now.

“Don’t shout here; it’s unbecoming,” Wu Sheng Liu admonished Duan Jingyuan.

This viewing platform was occupied by high officials and nobles, with bamboo screens separating the various seats, providing good views without exposing them to the dust from the polo field. The loud cheers came from the standing viewing platforms below, closer to the field. The spectators there were not of the same status as the Duan family and other distinguished families, so they cheered as enthusiastically as they pleased. Those sitting on these elegant viewing platforms were more refined, with their cheers being elegant and appropriate.

Duan Jingyuan said pitifully, “Sister-in-law, I can’t help it.”

“You promised before coming that you wouldn’t shout in our seats.”

“…How about like in previous years, I go down below to watch? Third Brother will score the first point, and I’ll come back up after he does.”

Wu Sheng Liu shook her head helplessly and sighed, “You, wearing such beautiful clothes every year, always saying you won’t go down. In the end, you still go down and get covered in dust. If you want to go, then go.”

Duan Jingyuan beamed with joy as she stood up, pulling He Simu down the steps, saying as they went, “Hurry, hurry, let’s go down. Down there, you can shout however you want, guaranteed to be satisfying!”

“I wasn’t planning to shout,” said He Simu.

She, as a dignified four-hundred-year-old Ghost King, had seen polo played before and had long passed the age of screaming and cheering.

“How could you not want to shout? You’ll want to in a moment!”

Duan Jingyuan spoke enthusiastically, almost running as she led her to the viewing platform below. They merged into the crowd, and just as they settled in, they saw Duan Xu score another shot, sending the ball from his half of the field to the opponent’s, his beautiful horsemanship drawing applause and cheers from the crowd. Duan Jingyuan immediately released He Simu’s hand and shouted with her hands at her mouth: “Great! Third Brother! Beat them, Third Brother!”

He Simu looked around at the crowd shouting like Duan Jingyuan, their clothes of various colors assaulting her eyes as she quickly searched her mind for the names of these colors.

Scarlet red, vermilion, imperial purple, snow cyan, apricot yellow, sky blue, crimson-purple…

Her gaze turned to the field and met Duan Xu’s looking back at her. He sat on his horse, his headband soaked with sweat, his hair ribbon dancing in the wind, entangled by countless threads of air.

The sunlight was as intense as a cascading waterfall, making the gold and silver patterns on his clothes shine like jewels and sparks. His eyes were filled with light, filled with countless jubilant people and her among them, smiling with exuberance.

What color was this vibrant painting?

He Simu thought she had learned these colors, had just studied them one by one, but suddenly she couldn’t name a single one—the sky, trees, flowers, viewing platforms, the silk and satin on people’s bodies, his clothes, his horse. She recognized all these colors, yet suddenly couldn’t name any. These bright colors combined to form this moment, to form the vast sky and earth and him. She was like someone suddenly at a loss for words, all the vocabulary she knew vanishing.

Duan Xu, in this waterfall of midsummer sunlight, smiled and raised his hand, extending his thumb and index finger while curling his middle, ring, and little finger, making a hand gesture. This was a tactic he had agreed upon with his teammates, and the young riders on the field changed their formation.

The meaning of this gesture flashed through He Simu’s mind—it represented “Bing” among the Heavenly Stems.

Bing means blazing, like the glorious sun, the flaming fire, all things burning brightly, seen and illuminated.

He turned and galloped away, dust flying, carrying the colorful ball towards the enemy’s goal amidst a three-man siege, nimbly maneuvering through heavy encirclement, and then suddenly—pushed the ball backward. The colorful ball passed between the crisscrossing horse legs, landing under the stick of a young man on Duan Xu’s team. The young man had already secured the best position and was unguarded, swinging the colorful ball into the opponent’s goal with one stroke.

The crowd on the viewing platform erupted in enthusiastic cheers, shouting: “First point! First point!”

Duan Jingyuan also shouted: “Third Brother! Beautiful!”

The beating of hooves made the entire field tremble, and the people around them made deafening sounds. Those vibrations seemed to seep into He Simu’s skin from the air and soil, fusing into her blood, warming her, making her boil, as if she could hear her own increasingly arrogant heartbeat.

A strange yet increasingly familiar heartbeat, beating as violently as the heart in his chest.

Duan Xu’s polo stick drew an arc and was propped on his shoulder. He turned back, smiling at her as if waiting for her praise.

He Simu was quiet for a moment—perhaps not quiet, just adapting to that passionate impulse. Then she smiled too, like those mortals around her who had lived no more than a few decades, raising her hands high in the warm sunlight, waving them, her light red boots leaving the ground as she put her hands to her mouth and shouted loudly: “Duan Shunxi! First point!”

That unrestrained, burning shout was like a warm wind blowing away ice and snow, all things burning and giving light.

Those people around her had lived no more than a few decades, while she had perhaps lived only for this moment.

For this stubborn, brilliant, persistent, reckless, crazy, and luminous youth—

The boy she loved.