"Go, go, go, take your things and leave quickly," said the young servant, dressed in fine cotton clothes, with his nostrils flared and impatience evident. "If you don't leave, watch your hide. This is the Changping Marquis's estate, not a place for beggars like you to casually wander into."
Qi Zhenzhen stumbled a few steps back, pushed along. She kept her head down, her appearance obscured.
Her clothes were washed pale, her scattered hair a faded yellow. The veins on her hands, clutching a bundle, bulged, her slender fingers lacking any semblance of beauty. Indeed, she looked no different from the countless little beggars found in the western market of the capital.
Only after the thick vermilion gate closed did Qi Zhenzhen lift her head.
On her dusty, sallow face, a pair of eyes like peach petals sparkled, lending her a touch of spirit.
"Don't worry, I will do as I promised you," Qi Zhenzhen murmured in her heart.
A faint radiance spread from Qi Zhenzhen. The original owner's request echoed in her mind: "I entrust my body to you, only asking that you protect the two most important people in this world to me."
"Rest assured, this will be my payment for occupying your body." Protecting two people was hardly a difficult task for her, a former legend in the mercenary world. Before her plane crashed and she died, her last mission had been to protect an elderly couple from multiple attacking forces.
Qi Zhenzhen rolled up her bundle, slung it over her back, and tied a firm knot in front of her chest. This way, she wouldn't have to worry about losing her belongings even when traveling at speed.
She had already been delayed for a long time. The original owner's mother was gravely ill, and she needed to return as quickly as possible. The western market was the capital's trade district. While inquiring about the location of the Changping Marquis's estate, she had heard that the largest horse market in the capital was located there. In ancient times, a fine steed could cover a thousand li a day, essential for travel.
Qi Zhenzhen found the horse market and slipped in with the other buyers. The old man who taught her martial arts in her previous life was obsessed with horses, and she had learned a great deal from him. Identifying a good horse was effortless for her. After inspecting them, Qi Zhenzhen spotted a fine steed, a reddish-brown horse with a glossy coat and hooves as large as bowls. Such a horse was undoubtedly capable of covering a thousand li a day.
Qi Zhenzhen first reached out to stroke the horse's mane, then rubbed her forehead against its head, and whispered, "Horse, horse, I need to get home. Can you give me a ride?"
The reddish-brown steed snorted. It liked the aura of the young girl and was willing to get close to her.
The reddish-brown steed gently nudged Qi Zhenzhen, showing its affection.
Qi Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief. Her ability to communicate with intelligent animals from her past life was still intact, a pleasant surprise.
The reddish-brown steed indicated for her to untie its reins, showing its willingness to carry her.
Qi Zhenzhen unfastened the buckle. After a moment's thought, she took off the small stone pendant that the original owner had always worn around her neck and hung it on the hitching post. Though not valuable, it was something the original owner cherished. Then, she wrote a few words on the dirt nearby.
She lightly mounted the horse. The reddish-brown steed neighed and bolted out of the stable.
The owner of the horse market was leading someone towards them when the galloping steed approached.
The horse's hooves were raised high, about to trample someone.
The horse market owner was greatly alarmed. It wouldn't matter if he were injured, but it would be disastrous if the person watching the horses were hurt. This was the heir of the Duke of Protectorate's estate.
Qi Zhenzhen was also a little panicked. Horses ran very fast, and a fall meant death or severe injury. She only wanted to borrow a horse to get home, not cause a death.
But it was too late to rein it in. Under the momentum, the horse could only run faster.
A young man in a moon-white robe pushed the horse market owner aside and then gracefully leaped to the side, clearing a space with ease.
Such exquisite qinggong! Qi Zhenzhen glanced back. His features were as beautiful as a painting, and he stood there so calmly that everything around him seemed to fade. "Like jade on the path, a peerless gentleman," she thought, that must be describing someone like him.
"Thank you," Qi Zhenzhen said crisply. She squeezed the horse's belly with her legs, and the horse and rider sped away.
Gu Sinian's expression was calm as he gazed thoughtfully in the direction where the horse and rider had disappeared.
The horse market owner bowed gratefully. "Thanks to the heir, otherwise I would have lost my life just now."
Gu Sinian withdrew his gaze. "Let's go, Boss Tian, let's go see that horse."
Boss Tian wiped his forehead and replied nervously, "Your Excellency, the horse we were going to see is the one that was just ridden away. Damn it, I don't know which thief had the audacity to steal my horse in broad daylight."
This horse was worth a thousand pieces of gold. He had brought it from the Western Regions from afar, intending to sell it to the dignitaries in the capital and make a fortune. Now, a major customer had arrived, but the horse was gone. Could there be anything more unlucky?
"Then I will come again tomorrow," Gu Sinian said calmly.
"Your Excellency, there will be no new horses arriving tomorrow," Boss Tian replied respectfully, his heart aching for his prized horse and cursing the thieving scoundrel.
Gu Sinian pointed to the words written on the ground—
"Borrowed the horse for an emergency today, will return it tomorrow."
Boss Tian mumbled, "What kind of thief is so kind?"
Gu Sinian reached out and took a small stone strung on a leather cord from the hitching post, then waved it at Boss Tian. "Even thieves have their code."
What code of thieves? Was this like a storyteller? He didn't believe that anything that had entered his pocket would be returned by some foolish person. As for the stone? He could pick one up anywhere by the river. But if His Excellency believed it, then he would believe it too. It would be clear by tomorrow anyway.
Boss Tian watched him leave, his small mustache twitching. Such chivalry, such noble bearing, but with a penchant for men, it was truly a pity for such talent.
After a rapid journey, Qi Zhenzhen finally arrived at her destination. She dismounted, stood on her tiptoes, and patted the horse's head. She pointed in the direction she had come from. The horse neighed, nudged Qi Zhenzhen's hand with its head, and galloped back. The fine steed knew the way; such a precious horse was extremely intelligent and would naturally return along the original path.
As for the original owner's small stone, she didn't know if the horse market owner would keep it. She would inquire about it if she had the chance later.
Adjusting her clothes, Qi Zhenzhen walked along the village path towards the foot of the mountain.
The original owner had gone into the mountains to search for wild ginseng and had accidentally rolled down a slope, her life hanging by a thread. She herself had died when the plane she was on during her retirement was hijacked by terrorists and crashed. When she arrived, the original owner's consciousness had not entirely dispersed.
The two had reached an agreement: she would plead with the original owner's grandmother and father to save the original owner's mother. Although she could have occupied the body even without agreeing, Qi Zhenzhen was never one to owe favors. Having been given a second life in someone else's body, she felt obliged to repay the debt.