Upon leaving the city, Fuyi suddenly tightened her hold on Ning Wangfei’s waist. “Wangfei, the cuju field is just ahead. We need to pick up the pace.”
Ning Wangfei was about to say it was fine, but before she could speak, the scenery blurred before her eyes as the horse shot forward in a swift gallop. She thought she might feel afraid, but watching the trees rush past and the pedestrians swiftly left behind filled her with excitement.
The arm circling her waist was slender but strong, and instinctively, Ning Wangfei trusted the person holding the rein, confident she wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
‘So this is what it feels like to race on horseback…’ The rhythmic pounding of the hooves echoed like a steady drumbeat, resonating in her chest. Ahead, a small stream glistened under the golden sunlight, its brightness dazzling. The horse lifted its front legs and leaped high into the air, causing Ning Wangfei to let out a startled cry. For a moment, it felt as though the horse had taken flight.
“We’re almost at the cuju field,” Fuyi said, gently pulling the reins to slow the horse, concerned she might scare Ning Wangfei. “The field is vast, and since many people in the capital enjoy watching matches, it was built outside the city for better security.”
Faint cheers echoed in the distance. In the Lu family’s hometown of Lingbei, scholarly pursuits were held in the highest regard, and games like cuju were dismissed as frivolous distractions. As such, Ning Wangfei had never set foot in a place like this before. The thrill of engaging in something her family would disapprove of sent a rush of nervous anticipation, causing her palms to turn damp as a mix of unease and excitement washed upon her.
“Boss!” Yang Erlang spotted Fuyi from afar and began waving his hand. Noticing someone in her arms, he asked. “Who is that?”
Fuyi dismounted smoothly, then turned to help Ning Wangfei down.
“You’re late!” Yang Erlang ran over. “Fatty Liu and his gang are very arrogant today—” His rant came to an abrupt halt the moment his eyes landed on the person Fuyi had brought. His jaw hung open, speechless as his mind reeling in shock. ‘Boss, are you insane?! Why did you bring Ning Wangfei here?!’
Despite his inner turmoil, Yang Erlang still managed a proper bow. “Greetings, Ning Wangfei.”
“This is the second son of the Marquis Yang. Wangfei can simply call him Yang Erlang,” Fuyi lightly introduced her friend. Noticing Ning Wangfei’s discomfort, she took hold of her wrist gently. “There are many people inside. Please hold on to my hand.”
With Fuyi in the lead, Ning Wangfei stepped into the cuju field and was instantly overwhelmed by thunderous cheers. She could feel numerous gazes directed at them.
“Yun Fuyi, you’re finally here!”
“Sister Yun, we’re one point behind! Go show them what you’ve got!”
“You’re the best, Sis! I bet on your team to win!”
Ning Wangfei noticed numerous young members of the capital high society mingling among the crowd, including even several side members of the imperial clan. Many of them held small red flags, while across the field, another group waved blue flags.
Fuyi grabbed a red flag and handed it to Ning Wangfei. “Make way, guys. Let me get our guest seated first.”
Sui Anying rushed in, gently shoving Fuyi aside. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her. You go and focus on the match.”
Ning Wangfei knew Sui Anying; she had met this young Junzhu several times at imperial clan gatherings, but their interactions were limited to a simple exchange of greetings.
“Wangfei, Anying is my friend. She will look after you for me, so you can relax and enjoy yourself,” Fuyi said, placing Ning Wangfei’s hand into Sui Anying’s. “It’s her first time here. Take good care of her.”
“Got it, got it!” Sui Anying replied, grabbing Ning Wangfei’s hand as she pretended to kick Fuyi. “Now, off you go!”
Once Fuyi left, Sui Anying led Ning Wangfei to the front row. “Wangfei, please sit here. You’ll get the best view.”
Among those seated nearby, Ning Wangfei recognized many familiar faces. Though they initially regarded her with surprise and caution, their wariness dissipated upon learning she had come with Fuyi.
The crowd quickly warmed up to her. Someone began explaining the rules of the game, while others excitedly shared the red team’s glorious achievements.
“She’s on the field now!”
“Ahhhh!”
“Yun Fuyi! Yun Fuyi! Yun Fuyi!”
Dressed in a red riding outfit, her hair tied in a braid, Yun Fuyi entered the field to an eruption of cheers. Ning Wangfei felt an infectious energy in the air and found herself wanting to cheer as well.
Noticing the enthusiasm from the red team’s section, Fuyi waved back, prompting an even louder wave of applause and screams.
“Hmph!” On the blue team’s stands, Fatty Liu scoffed disdainfully at the sight. “Yun Fuyi hasn’t stepped foot on a cuju field in three years. Even with her, there’s no guarantee they’ll win. Right, Cousin?”
After a moment without a reply, Fatty Liu turned his head, only to find his cousin staring at the field with flushed cheeks, utterly oblivious to anything he said.
Fatty Liu: “…”
He knew it!! Studying all day had clearly addled Cousin’s brain. Even a cuju match had him staring agape, completely engrossed.
The red and blue teams each had twelve players, six men and six women per side. There were six goal posts on either end of the field, and scoring in the opposing team’s goal counted as one point.
When the red team substituted a player to put Yun Fuyi into the game, the blue team grew noticeably tense. Who on the field had forgotten Yun Fuyi’s brilliant plays from three years ago?
The golden gong sounded, and both teams sprang into action. The blue team tried desperately to block Fuyi, but no matter how hard they tried, she effortlessly maneuvered the ball past them with tricky and swift moves. In the blink of an eye, she had scored a goal.
“Ahhh! I knew it! As long as she’s on the field, victory is ours!” Sui Anying grabbed Ning Wangfei’s sleeve, screaming with excitement, “Fuyi! Fuyi!”
Excited cheers filled the air. Without realizing it, Ning Wangfei found herself swept up in the energy, waving her little red flag and shouting for Yun Fuyi.
With Yun Fuyi on the field, the red team grew more confident and aggressive, meeting every challenge head-on. Within the time it took for three sticks of incense to burn, they had turned the tide and pulled ahead by two points.
“Go, go! Knock Yun Fuyi over first!” Fatty Liu banged his fist on the table, wishing he could storm the field himself and pin Yun Fuyi down with his weight.
As he raged, Yun Fuyi scored another goal.
Watching her feigned nonchalance as she waved to the red team’s stands, Fatty Liu slammed the table repeatedly. “Bah! Acting all cool—she’s probably gloating inside!”
She’s always been like this, showing off and then pretending she doesn’t care, just waiting for people to praise her! Such an act!
“Her body soars lightly like a startled swan; gracefully, like a dragon in flight….” murmured Liu Zihe, entranced as he watched the field. “Such a mesmerizing sight; like the red glow of sunset; unmatched through the ages.”
“Red what?” Fatty Liu glared. “Cousin, we’re rooting for the blue team! Don’t even mention the word ‘red’—it’s unlucky!”
“You don’t understand,” Liu Zihe shook his head, dazed. “You just don’t understand…”
Fatty Liu: “…”
What’s there to understand?! The blue team is losing this badly—what else is there to understand?!
As the red team racked up more goals, the blue team’s stands sank into gloom, while the red team’s erupted in drums and laughter. Joy and sorrow aren’t shared between people, Fatty Liu sulked bitterly, annoyed at the red team’s noisy celebration.
When the match ended, the winning team received silver prizes, wreaths, and embroidered pouches. Wearing a wreath on her head, Yun Fuyi passed through the cheering crowd with a beaming smile, stopping in front of Ning Wangfei. “Wangfei, wasn’t the match interesting?”
Noticing the fine beads of sweat on Yun Fuyi’s nose, Ning Wangfei suddenly realized her voice had gone hoarse. She nodded. “Very interesting—this trip was well worth it.”
“That’s good.” Fuyi pushed past Sui Anying and removed the wreath from her head, placing it on Ning Wangfei’s. “Flowers for the beauty. Is the Wangfei feeling much better now?”
Ning Wangfei was startled. She stared at Yun Fuyi, whose hair was slightly disheveled. She had thought she hid her emotions well, but unexpectedly, Yun Fuyi had noticed her bad mood.
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