Qin Lan's face was pale. She clenched the reins tightly, trying to use all her strength and skill to control the crazed white horse.
But it was no use!
"Chasing Wind," which was usually as docile as a cat, was now like an enraged primeval beast; all commands had lost their effect!
Amidst the violent jolting, Qin Lan's body was flung backward by a huge force.
With a "thump,"
she crashed squarely into the warm and firm embrace behind her.
Jiang Xun instinctively reached out, and an arm, like an iron hoop, tightly encircled her soft yet strong waist, securing her entire body in his embrace.
The scene instantly spiraled out of control.
Qin Lan's mind went blank, leaving only the horse's frantic neighing and the whistling wind in her ears.
Her entire body was pressed tightly against the man behind her, rubbing intensely with every leap of the horse.
She could clearly feel the man's steady heartbeat, his powerful arms, and his body temperature, which was still scorching even through their clothes.
Shame, terror, and a hint of an unfamiliar, unprecedented tremor instantly swept through her limbs.
Just at this critical moment, a low and steady voice, as if carrying some strange magic, sounded in her ear.
"Don't move."
It was Jiang Xun.
There was not a trace of panic in his voice, which was as calm as if he were stating a trivial matter.
Immediately, Qin Lan felt a warm large hand cover the back of her hand, which was gripping the reins and whose knuckles were white from exertion.
Jiang Xun leaned forward slightly, his chest almost completely enveloping her back. He leaned close to the horse's ear and, in a voice only the three of them could hear, softly uttered a single word.
"Whoa—"
A miracle occurred.
The white horse "Chasing Wind," which had been as wild as if it wanted to destroy the world a second ago, trembled violently after hearing that word.
Then, its frantic movements stopped abruptly, as if a pause button had been pressed.
The entire riding ground was deathly silent.
Everyone was stunned by this miraculous scene.
Qin Lan froze in Jiang Xun's embrace, not daring to move.
She could feel that the arm around her waist had not yet loosened, and the warmth from the body behind her was continuously radiating.
Horse: To keep you from getting into trouble, I've broken my back.
The riding ground was deathly silent.
Qin Lan's body was stiff in Jiang Xun's arms, like a frozen stone.
Her head buzzed, a complete blank.
What the hell is going on?
She could clearly feel that the arm around her waist was burning hot like a branding iron.
The scorching chest behind her had a heartbeat so steady it was almost unnatural.
One beat.
Another beat.
It didn't feel like it was pounding in his chest, but rather like a hammer directly striking the back of her head, making her dizzy.
The riding ground manager's face was as white as an A4 sheet.
The hundreds of girls around them had their mouths agape, wide enough to fit a fist, and the jealousy in their eyes was practically burning.
Jiang Xun not only didn't let go, but he also became playful.
He tightened his arm slightly, pressing the body in his arms, which was taut like a bowstring, even closer to himself.
He lowered his head, his lips almost touching Qin Lan's flushed earlobe, his voice lazy, as if teasing a cat.
"Coach, can you still hold on?"
"You…"
Hold on to your grandma!
Qin Lan had just squeezed out a word through gritted teeth when Jiang Xun had already answered her with action.
Holding her hand, he gently pulled on the reins.
His legs, with an extremely subtle yet powerful rhythm, gently squeezed the horse's flanks.
"Giddy up!"
A soft shout.
The white horse "Chasing Wind," which had just calmed down, seemed to hear a royal decree. Its four hooves suddenly pushed off, instantly transforming into a white arrow, and it shot forward!
"Ah!"
Qin Lan's short cry of surprise was completely instinctive.
Too fast!
So fast that her mind couldn't even react!
The strong wind scraped across her face like a knife, tearing all her sounds to shreds.
Her body was pressed firmly into Jiang Xun's embrace by the immense inertia, with no gap whatsoever between her back and his chest.
Her tight riding attire, at this moment, became the most tormenting instrument of torture.
Every friction, every impact beneath the fabric, was so clear that it made her want to curse.
She could feel the firmness of his chest muscles, his steady and powerful breathing, and even his low chuckle, carrying a hint of playfulness, directly vibrating her bones through their tightly pressed bodies.
Qin Lan's brain completely crashed.
I, the top equestrian coach of Jinling University, have become a sack today?
She wanted to struggle, to snatch back the reins, to prove that she wasn't an idiot.
But Jiang Xun's arm around her waist was like an iron hoop, making her unable to move.
And the hand covering the back of her hand, in a posture that brooked no argument, was dominating everything.
Accelerate.
Turn.
Accelerate again.
The white horse "Chasing Wind," beneath him, had practically become a legendary divine steed, carving out wild yet fluid arcs on the grassland.
With each turn, Qin Lan's body would be pressed deeper into his embrace due to centrifugal force.
With each acceleration, the violent jolting and friction made her whole body tingle.
Her proud strength, skill, and composure were more fragile than paper in front of this man.
A sense of shame, like a fire, burned from the soles of her feet all the way to the top of her head.
She felt like she wasn't a coach at all, but clearly… a chieftain's kidnapped wife.
Her body's instincts were about to break through the defenses of her reason.
That unfamiliar, never-before-experienced tingling sensation, like an electric current, shot from her tailbone all the way up to the back of her head, making her whole body go soft, and she could barely hold onto the reins.
"Relax."
Jiang Xun's voice sounded in her ear again, low and carrying a reassuring charm.
"Trust me."
Trust you, my foot!
Qin Lan gritted her teeth.
This jinx! This walking hormone!
Yet, when only the whistling wind and the steady heartbeat behind her remained in her ears, an absurd sense of security, defying all reason, welled up from the bottom of her heart.
It was as if, as long as she was held in this embrace, even if the sky fell, there was nothing to fear.
As soon as this thought emerged, Qin Lan's face flushed so red it looked like it could drip blood.
Crazy!
I'm absolutely crazy today!
After an unknown period, the wind stopped.
The white horse "Chasing Wind" executed a beautiful sudden stop, standing steadily in the center of the grassland, and casually snorted.
The whole world fell silent again.
Qin Lan still maintained the posture of being completely encircled in Jiang Xun's embrace, gasping for air.
She felt as if all her strength had been drained, her body as soft as mud, only able to lean against the wall of flesh behind her to keep from sliding off the horse.
Her legs, moreover, felt so weak they weren't her own.
Jiang Xun lowered his head, looking at the heroic woman in his arms, who now had red eyes and rapid breathing, like a completely tamed eagle.
He released his hands, dismounted with clean and sharp movements.
Then, he turned around, stood beside the horse, and extended his hand to Qin Lan, who was still frozen on the horse's back.
His posture was as elegant as an actor's.
Qin Lan looked at his outstretched hand, her mind in a jumble.
She wanted to get down herself, but her legs refused to obey.
Finally, she placed her slightly trembling hand into Jiang Xun's palm.
His palm was broad, dry, and very hot.
The moment her hand was grasped, Jiang Xun gently exerted force with his arm.
Qin Lan felt her body lighten, and she was effortlessly lifted down from the horse's back by him.
The moment her feet touched the ground, her knees buckled, and she uncontrollably stumbled forward.
With a "thump,"
she once again crashed squarely into that embrace that had so flustered her.
This time, it was face to face.
Her face pressed directly against his firm chest.
Through the thin shirt, she could even smell the pleasant scent of soap on him.
"Coach."
Jiang Xun's low, smiling voice came from above her head.
"Are you already throwing yourself into my arms?"
"Who… who's throwing themselves into your arms! My legs are weak!"
Qin Lan, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, abruptly pushed him away, scrambling to steady herself, her face flushed enough to fry an egg.
She wanted to say some polite words to save face.
But when she opened her mouth, her voice carried a tremor and hoarseness she hadn't even noticed herself.
"You… you're simply reckless! It was too dangerous!"
"Is that so?"
Jiang Xun raised an eyebrow, noncommittally.
He walked around the magnificent white horse, reaching out to pat its neck, as if greeting an old friend.
"I think it ran quite happily."
"You…" Qin Lan was so exasperated by his nonchalant demeanor that she couldn't speak.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
But when her gaze fell on Jiang Xun again, her heart still skipped a beat.
This man, though he didn't seem like the type with bulging muscles, the undeniable power he just displayed, that composure in controlling everything… it was deadly.
In her twenty-plus years of life, this was the first time she understood what "crushing" meant from a man.
A thorough, all-encompassing crush, from skill to spirit.
A strange feeling, both frustrating and flustering, swept through her entire body.
An absurd thought flashed uncontrollably through Qin Lan's mind.
No wonder… no wonder so many sisters fought tooth and nail over a man.
Turns out, being completely conquered by a truly powerful man felt like this… She looked at Jiang Xun's impossibly handsome profile, her heart pounding wildly.
Damn it!
This man, I'm claiming him!
[Ding! Detected strong desire to conquer from special character 'Qin Lan', emotional link activated!]
[Current Affection: 30 (Heart Fluttering)!]
[Ding! Family Reputation + 1500!]
Jiang Xun heard the system's prompt in his mind.
He turned around, looked at the short-haired woman in front of him whose gaze had completely changed, and spoke lazily.
"Coach, today's lesson ends here."
"I'm a bit tired."
After speaking, without waiting for Qin Lan's reply, he walked directly towards the exit of the riding ground.
Leaving Qin Lan alone, standing in place, watching his retreating back, clenching her fists.
Tired?
Trying to run?
No way!