Chapter 1126, Princess Chun'an Misled by Storybooks 7
"It's the legendary prairie horse, Snow Shadow!"
"Young Master Yuan has actually caught Snow Shadow!"
"With Snow Shadow, this year's first place should be Young Master Yuan's again."
Riding Snow Shadow, Yuan Yonghao entered the scene, capturing everyone's attention. Even the Xiliang officials in the stands turned their heads, smiling as they congratulated General Yuan. Words like 'a tiger father begets no dog son' echoed in General Yuan's ears.
In the crowd, the moment Yuan Yonghao appeared, Xiao Keyan's gaze followed him, watching as he overtook one rider after another. Her heart pounded, feeling more nervous than if she were competing herself.
Beside her, Dong Jingyi was also watching the most eye-catching figure on the field, with a bit of confusion on her face: "It seemed like what Young Master Yuan just said was directed towards our direction."
Saying this, she nudged Xiao Keyan with her elbow.
"Who do you think he was talking to?"
At this moment, she felt a little nervous herself. One couldn't blame her for being narcissistic—after all, the Yuan Family had made a proposal to the Dong Family; maybe, just maybe, Yuan Yonghao caught Snow Shadow for her?
Not getting a response from Xiao Keyan, Dong Jingyi snapped out of her self-absorbed thoughts and turned to see Xiao Keyan staring unblinkingly at the racetrack, her hands clenched in fists, looking both expectant and nervous, as if she were silently cheering for someone.
Dong Jingyi paused and followed Xiao Keyan's gaze back to the track. Unfortunately, with everyone jostling for position, she couldn't discern whom Xiao Keyan was actually looking at.
"Keyan, who are you cheering for?"
Xiao Keyan didn't respond.
Dong Jingyi called out two more times, but Xiao Keyan seemed to have blocked out the world and didn't hear her at all.
Seeing this, Dong Jingyi looked perplexed, paused for a moment, and then waved her hand in front of Xiao Keyan's face to finally draw her attention back.
"Keyan, who are you watching so intently? I've called you several times, and you didn't respond."
Xiao Keyan's expression stiffened, and she smiled awkwardly, mumbling, "I'm just watching casually."
Dong Jingyi didn't believe her: "Casually watching, and you're so absorbed?" Then, teasingly, she smiled, "Tell me, did you fancy some young lad? To be honest, quite a few of this year's contestants look quite good."
Xiao Keyan felt caught in a secret, nervously glaring at Dong Jingyi: "Don't talk nonsense."
Seeing Xiao Keyan's evasive gaze, Dong Jingyi was truly surprised and quickly said excitedly: "Did I guess right? Who is it? Come on, tell me, I can help you think it over."
Xiao Keyan, unable to handle it, pretended to be angry, saying, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'm leaving!"
Dong Jingyi hurriedly covered her mouth, saying, "Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore. Let's keep watching."
Afterward, none of Dong Jingyi's attention was on the racetrack; she focused entirely on secretly observing Xiao Keyan's reactions.
In the first half of the race, the contestants were close together, so Dong Jingyi didn't notice anything. But in the latter half, as the crowd began to spread out, watching Xiao Keyan's shifting gaze, Dong Jingyi's eyes widened more and more.
Really?
Was the Princess watching Yuan Yonghao?
On the racetrack, riding on Snow Shadow, Yuan Yonghao led everyone by a long distance, almost certain to take first place.
Originally, Yuan Yonghao was already outstanding; now, on the racetrack, he was like a fish in the sea, showcasing boundless freedom and nonchalance, making him incredibly eye-catching.
Just then, cheers erupted all around the racetrack.
Yuan Yonghao crossed the finish line on Snow Shadow, waving the ribbon in a gallant and spirited manner.
"Young Master Yuan is first again!"
"I knew Young Master Yuan was the best, the most valiant young man of Xiliang."
Listening to the unabashed compliments around her, the corners of Xiao Keyan's mouth couldn't help but turn up. In her gaze toward Yuan Yonghao, beyond admiration, there was an added touch of something else.
Dong Jingyi, who had been secretly observing her, found herself even more convinced of her guess.
The horse race concluded, and the top three winners went up to the stands to receive their prizes. This was everyone's favorite part to watch, for though they couldn't win a prize themselves, seeing those they admired and revered win was also a joyous occasion.
Yuan Yonghao smiled as he received the Imperially Bestowed Horsewhip from Dong Yuanxuan, then turned to look at the crowd below, his gaze shifting to quickly find Xiao Keyan in the crowd. He proudly raised the horsewhip high.
Their eyes met, and Xiao Keyan's heart skipped a beat, then quickly sped up, like a drum beating rapidly.