Chapter 59

After all, Hu Xiaotian was not a professional ballet dancer. He only remembered a few moves. After finishing the drawing, he casually threw away the remaining charcoal and patted his hands, saying, "This is all I remember. Miss Hu is so intelligent; I believe you can grasp the subtleties of pointe work from this."

He glanced at the group of people waiting for him in the distance and whispered, "Maybe I should go!" He stared at Hu Xiaoru's breathtakingly beautiful face and said, "I wonder if you will still remember me when we meet again?"

Hu Xiaoru's face flushed with a rosy hue, and her long, black lashes fluttered. She softly replied, "Xiaoru will never forget! I'm just afraid that by then, you might not remember who I am."

Hu Xiaotian said with deep affection, "I have already etched it in my heart!"

Hu Xiaoru bit her cherry lips, her gaze as gentle as spring water, but her expression was doubtful. Although she admired Hu Xiaotian's talent, she was well aware of his status. Their relationship might only be mutual admiration. How could a nobleman like Hu Xiaotian be expected to remember a lowly dancer?

Thinking of this, the smile on Hu Xiaoru's face instantly vanished. She beckoned to Wan'er, who held a scroll in her hands.

Hu Xiaotian saw that it was another painting. It seemed that in this era, the most popular thing to give was paintings. To win the hearts of beautiful women in the future, he would have to improve his painting skills.

Hu Xiaotian took the scroll and smiled at Hu Xiaoru, "What's in the painting?"

Hu Xiaoru, slightly embarrassed, said, "Wait until you get to Qingyun to see!"

Seeing her shy and uneasy expression, Hu Xiaotian thought to himself, "Could it be a nude portrait for me? Otherwise, why would she be so shy?" He nodded and carefully put away the painting. Although he was reluctant to leave, he knew he had to say goodbye. He bowed to Hu Xiaoru, "Take care!" Then he strode towards his snow-white horse.

When he reached the horse, he put one foot in the stirrup and used his strength to mount the horse in the most graceful manner, leaving a memorable back view for Hu Xiaoru. Unfortunately, the snow-white horse was not very cooperative. It had been standing still, but the moment Hu Xiaotian's feet left the ground, the horse took a step forward.

A slight miscalculation led to a significant error. Instead of mounting the horse, Hu Xiaotian ended up sitting on the horse's rump and then slid off, landing on the ground in a very undignified manner, right in front of Hu Xiaoru.

Hu Xiaoru let out a gasp of surprise and almost rushed to Hu Xiaotian's side at the same time as Wan'er. Hu Xiaotian, reacting quickly, had already gotten up from the ground before they reached him. He endured the pain in his buttocks and grinned, "Accident, accident, purely an accident..."

In the distance, Liang Dazhuang's laughter could be heard. He tried to hold back, but the scene of Hu Xiaotian falling off the horse was so comical that he couldn't control himself. His laugh point was low, and he immediately feared the consequences. The young master was not someone to be trifled with. Everyone else had managed to hold back, but he had laughed out loud. He glanced over and saw that Hu Xiaotian seemed not to have noticed his laughter. After saying goodbye to Hu Xiaoru, Hu Xiaotian, with Shao Yijiao's help, slowly climbed onto the horse, moving as slowly as a turtle. It was impossible to move fast, as the fall had left his buttocks in a state of near disintegration.

Hu Xiaotian waved to Hu Xiaoru from the horse, "Miss Hu, please return!"

Hu Xiaoru smiled and stood at the pavilion, watching Hu Xiaotian ride away, feeling a sense of loss in her heart.

After Hu Xiaoru was out of sight, Hu Xiaotian immediately pulled the reins. Shao Yijiao and Li Jinhu quickly came to his aid, as the young master's riding skills were far from commendable.

Liang Dazhuang also came over to offer his services, grinning, "Young master, do you need anything?"

Hu Xiaotian snorted and said, "Kneel down!"

Liang Dazhuang blinked in confusion but obediently knelt down. Hu Xiaotian dismounted, stepped on Liang Dazhuang's broad shoulders, and carefully landed on the ground. He limped towards the carriage, rubbing his buttocks as he walked, "Ouch, I'm going to die from this fall!"

Liang Dazhuang couldn't hold back his laughter at the sight of Hu Xiaotian's狼狈 appearance and burst out laughing.

Hu Xiaotian suddenly turned around, staring at Liang Dazhuang with a sinister smile.

Liang Dazhuang, frightened, quickly slapped himself, "I deserve it, I deserve it!"

Hu Xiaotian, showing a magnanimous attitude, waved his hand, "Forget it, we'll settle accounts when we get to Xichuan!"

Muyan Feiyun's impatient voice came from ahead, "Hey, are you going to move or not? At this rate, we won't reach Xichuan until next year!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Let's go! My buttocks are injured, I can't ride the horse anymore!"

Muyan Feiyun was truly at a loss, as they had left the capital early in the morning and had only traveled about twenty miles in nearly two hours. They had set off before the sun was up, and now it was high noon.

Muyan Feiyun rode back to the carriage and looked inside through the raised curtain. Hu Xiaotian was sitting inside, a soft cushion under his buttocks. The carriage, though not as smooth as a car, was still better than the bumpy road, which was far from the smoothness of a cement road. The road was full of potholes, and the ride was very bumpy. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, but today, he had fallen off the horse and injured his buttocks, making the ride very uncomfortable. Hu Xiaotian had finally found a relatively comfortable position, sitting sideways with only half of his buttocks on the seat.

Hu Xiaotian waved to Muyan Feiyun, "Captain Muyan, come in and sit. The sun is too strong, it can make you tan."

Muyan Feiyun glared at him and retorted, "Do you think everyone is as pampered as you?" Although her tone was still harsh, her attitude towards Hu Xiaotian had clearly softened. She had gone from refusing to communicate to now willing to talk to him.

Seeing that Muyan Feiyun refused to get in the carriage, Hu Xiaotian took a hat from inside and handed it to her. The hat was surrounded by white gauze, which Hu Xiaotian had specially prepared for outdoor use. He had brought a few extra in case of need.

Muyan Feiyun did not refuse his kindness, took the hat, and put it on, pulling down the white gauze. She slowed her horse to match the speed of the carriage.

Hu Xiaotian put both hands on the window and leaned out, "We are going to take office, not to serve. As long as we reach Qingyun by the ninth day of next month, we have plenty of time. I've calculated the distance; we can easily cover a hundred miles a day!"

Muyan Feiyun said, "Don't think that with thirty-three days, we have plenty of time. There are unknown situations on the road. Subtract the time for encountering rain and unexpected events, and the necessary rest time, and the actual time left for travel is not much. We need to cover at least two hundred miles a day!"

"Two hundred miles!" Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed. That would mean pure travel, with no time to rest.

Muyan Feiyun glanced at him disdainfully, "From the look of it, you haven't traveled far, have you?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded, "Not really." He thought to himself, "When I was traveling around the world on Earth, you were probably still a fertilized egg in the fallopian tube."

Muyan Feiyun said, "From the capital to Qingyun County in Xichuan, it's over three thousand six hundred miles. Even if we cover two hundred miles a day without any wind or rain, it will take us eighteen days. And the journey is not smooth, and we will enter the rainy season in the south by the end of the month."

Hu Xiaotian said, "It seems you travel a lot and have a lot of experience."

Muyan Feiyun said, "I've been to some places." She paused for a moment and said softly, "When I get old, I want to travel all over Dakan and see all the mountains and rivers here."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Why wait until you're old? While you're young, you have plenty of time to enjoy life."

Such a pessimistic statement naturally earned him another glare from Muyan Feiyun, "A man in his prime, instead of thinking about serving the country, only thinks about enjoying life and wasting time. Don't you feel ashamed?"

Hu Xiaotian found that Muyan Feiyun was indeed a bit old-fashioned. Spending too much time in the Dakan bureaucracy would surely brainwash anyone. He thought women were not suited for politics, as they would become less lovable over time. He didn't argue with Muyan Feiyun and smiled, "Time flies, and youth is fleeting. We must cherish every moment."