Chapter 203: Youthful and Vigorous

 Chapter 203: Youthful and Vigorous 

Daohua's speed wasn't slow, and her movements were nimble, but Xiao Yeyang was a man who trained in martial arts. If he were to get serious, there was no way Daohua could catch up to him.

However, every time Xiao Yeyang ran for a while, he would stop and taunt Daohua. Once he had angered her enough, he would dash off again, making Daohua grit her teeth in frustration.

In the vast riding field, the two youthful and energetic figures—a young man and a young woman—were chasing each other relentlessly. Around them, a group of boys and girls cheered them on with enthusiasm, enjoying the spectacle.

Watching Xiao Yeyang sprinting ahead like a rabbit, Daohua panted heavily, finally collapsing onto the grass, too exhausted to continue.

She knew very well that when it came to speed, there was no way she could outrun Xiao Yeyang.

To get her revenge, she would have to think of another way.

Up ahead, when Xiao Yeyang didn't hear Daohua's footsteps, he turned around and saw her sitting on the ground, rubbing her foot. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly ran over, anxiously asking, "What happened?"

Daohua glared at him. "You still ask? I twisted my foot while chasing after you!"

Hearing this, Xiao Yeyang immediately crouched down and gently pressed on Daohua's ankle, asking while he examined it, "Does it hurt? We need to get a physician right away."

Completely focused on Daohua's ankle, Xiao Yeyang didn't notice that, in the instant he crouched down, Daohua took a small golden object from her pouch, twisted it, and a red lipstick appeared.

"Xiao Yeyang, you have something on your face. Let me wipe it off for you."

Before Xiao Yeyang could react, Daohua swiftly reached out, drawing a few strokes on his face, then leapt up like a rabbit and sprinted away.

"Hmph, let you tease me! If I don't give you a taste of your own medicine, you'll think I'm easy to bully!"

Xiao Yeyang froze as Daohua's fingers brushed across his face. Watching her smile and run off, he was momentarily stunned.

Meanwhile, Yan Wenxiu and the others, seeing Daohua sitting down and Xiao Yeyang turning back, thought that Daohua had been hurt and rushed over.

But before they could reach her, they saw Daohua drawing on Xiao Yeyang's face with lipstick.

At that moment, the young prince's nose and the corners of his mouth were smeared with red.

If someone from modern times had seen it, they would immediately recognize that Daohua had just given Xiao Yeyang a simple clown makeup.

Looking at Xiao Yeyang's appearance, even though everyone was mindful of his status, they couldn’t help but stifle their laughter. The laughter was even louder than when they had seen the bird feathers on Daohua’s head earlier.

Hearing the laughter, Xiao Yeyang finally snapped out of his daze, his face full of disbelief as he stared at Daohua, who was running further away.

This girl actually tricked him!

Then, Xiao Yeyang wiped his face, and upon seeing the red stains on his hands, he lost his calm.

"Yan~ Yi~ Yi!"

Xiao Yeyang yelled at the retreating Daohua, then stood up and began to chase after her.

Seeing Xiao Yeyang chasing after her, Daohua ran even faster.

As the distance between them closed, Daohua began calling for help: "Big Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, help!"

After a pause, she continued calling, "Brother Dong, Brother Zhou, Brother Su, help!"

"Jingwan, Sister Dong, help!"

The first to respond was Yan Wenkai. Though he hadn’t been around Xiao Yeyang as long as Dong Yuanxuan and Su Hongxin, his straightforward and carefree personality made Xiao Yeyang enjoy his company.

Among Xiao Yeyang's group, only Yan Wenkai dared to joke around with him.

Seeing that Daohua had no way out, Yan Wenkai rolled up his sleeves and rushed forward, shouting, "Big Sister, hang on, I'm coming to save you!"

The others looked at his excited demeanor, speechless.

“Sister Dong, let’s go! We need to rescue Daohua. How could the young prince, a grown man, bully the fragile Daohua? It’s so ungentlemanly,” Zhou Jingwan said as she pulled Dong Yuanyao towards Daohua.

Dong Yuanyao rolled her eyes.

Yan Yiyi a fragile person?

Did Sister Zhou not have eyes?

Chasing Xiao Yeyang around the entire riding field, this is called fragile?

Daring to scribble on Xiao Yeyang's face, this is called fragile?

If Yan Yiyi is fragile, how should those true fragile young ladies, who never leave their rooms, feel?

Though she complained, she still went to help.

After all, Yan Yi, like her, was a girl. A boy bullying a girl was never acceptable!

On the other side, Yan Wenkai rushed over and immediately blocked Daohua, protecting her like a mother hen shielding her chick from an eagle. He did his best to stop the "eagle," Xiao Yeyang.

Soon, Zhou Jingwan and Dong Yuanyao joined him, making the "mother hen" team even larger.

Before long, Su Hongxin also joined the fray.

What had started as Xiao Yeyang chasing Daohua alone now turned into an "eagle catching little chicks" game.

"Xiao Yeyang, come catch me if you can! With so many people helping me, let's see how you catch me!"

"Yan Yiyi, don't get cocky. Once I catch you, I’ll make sure your whole face is covered in lipstick."

"Just afraid you don't have the ability."

Laughter and cheers echoed across the entire riding field, carrying far and wide.

Watching the playful chase, Dong Yuanxuan, Zhou Chengye, and Yan Wenxiu were amused but didn’t join in, standing aside and enjoying the scene with smiles on their faces.

At the main peak of Wuhua Mountain, in a pavilion halfway up the mountain, Guo Ruomei was watching the playful scene through a telescope.

Seeing her son’s painted face, Guo Ruomei didn’t find it disgraceful or improper like other women might. Instead, she found it quite funny and amusing.

From her upward-curving lips, her maid could tell that her mistress was in a good mood today.

After a while, Guo Ruomei lowered the telescope, sat back on the stone bench, and began thinking about the three young girls on the riding field.

Her maid, Mei Shuang, came forward to replace her tea and said with a smile, "The young master seems to enjoy playing with the three young ladies from the Dong, Zhou, and Yan families."

Guo Ruomei smiled, took a sip of her tea, and gazed at the jasmine flowers blooming in her cup. After a moment of thought, she asked, "Which of the three do you think is better?"

Mei Xue smiled and said, "In my humble opinion, the Dong family girl is better. Her temperament is like the mistress—noble and charming."

Guo Ruomei didn’t say anything but turned to Mei Shuang.

Mei Shuang smiled and replied, "I think the Yan family girl is more delicate and graceful. Just look at this brewed flower tea—even the mistress likes it."

Guo Ruomei took another sip of tea, put down her cup, and stood up, looking down at the riding field below. After a pause, she spoke slowly.

"The Dong family girl has the best background and a bold personality. You can tell from the red riding outfit she chose that she’s passionate and intense."

"The Zhou family girl is adorable and carefree, with no trace of sorrow on her face, which shows she must be a beloved child at home."

"As for the Yan family girl..."

"She’s wearing a blue riding outfit, running on the field, vibrant yet refreshing, bright without being showy, just like a free-spirited robin."

"Sigh, they’re all a bunch of youthful, innocent girls!"

Hearing this, Mei Xue and Mei Shuang exchanged glances.

Could it be that the mistress prefers the Yan family girl?
(End of chapter)