Qin Zhao didn't answer for a long time.
They had already entered the woods next to the racecourse. It was midsummer, and the breeze in the forest outside the city was cool and pleasant.
Jing Li leaned in Qin Zhao's arms and looked up at him.
"That's all you care about." Qin Zhao smiled softly, "Yes, I remember some of it."
Jing Li frowned: "Some?"
Qin Zhao did not hide it: "There are only some trivial fragments in my mind, and it takes a certain opportunity to awaken them."
The best way to regain memory is to revisit the old place, and this also applies to Qin Zhao.
For example, when he was taken to a gambling house, he would remember that he had disguised himself and gone to the gambling house for fun before.
Coming here, I recall some of the past experiences and techniques of horse racing.
But that was all. When he wanted to explore more, his mind went blank.
"So... you still don't know who hurt you in the first place?" Jing Li asked.
Qin Zhao shook his head: "I can't remember. But I think that even if I didn't lose my memory, I probably didn't know who was behind it."
He didn't think that anyone could openly poison the then-powerful Regent, and given his personality, if he really knew something, he would have left evidence somewhere.
At least so far, Qin Zhao has not found any evidence pointing to this.
Jing Li was a little discouraged, but still whispered to comfort him: "It's okay, I will remember it slowly."
Qin Zhao asked: "Is this all you want to know?"
"Of course I care about these things." Jing Li misunderstood his meaning and said seriously, "If you can remember who your enemy is, can't you avoid potential danger? Who knows that all you remember are fun things..."
Jing Li looked at him suspiciously: "You weren't really a playboy like Gu Heng before, were you?"
Qin Zhao: “…”
Qin Zhao has an extraordinary temperament and is good at studying. He is obviously well educated. In addition, he is also quite good at these things that rich young men like...
The more Jing Li thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
"If I were like that..." Qin Zhao paused and asked cautiously, "What would you do?"
Jing Li looked at him for a moment and sighed, "It can't be helped. We already have the little fish cubs. Can we not have a wedding?"
The little fish now understood that the name referred to him. He swam two circles in the fish tank, slapping the wall of the tank happily with his tail.
Qin Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, leaned forward and pressed the man onto the horse's back: "So reluctant?"
Jing Li subconsciously grabbed the red-brown horse's mane. The red-brown horse was hurt by his grab and suddenly stopped, then raised its front hooves.
"Ahhh—you take care of it!"
Jing Li had never ridden a horse before, and he was so frightened that he forgot everything he was about to say.
"Coward..." Qin Zhao tightened the reins and chuckled, "It scared you."
Qin Zhao sighed: "I originally wanted to take you to run a few laps in the woods, but I don't have the courage, so I'd better just take a walk."
The reddish-brown horse snorted disdainfully.
"I agree." Jing Li said with lingering fear, "I don't know why you like to play this, it's too dangerous..."
Qin Zhao said calmly: "Someone was quite excited just now."
Jing Li: "Watching from the sidelines and riding on it yourself are two different things!"
"Then looking at others and looking at your husband are two different things?"
Jing Li was stunned for a moment.
He looked up at Qin Zhao and suddenly realized, "You are jealous."
"…" Qin Zhao looked away, "I didn't."
"You did." Jing Li was sure, "Because I just praised Gu Heng but not you, and you were unhappy."
Jing Li suppressed his laughter and said sincerely, "You were really amazing just now, more amazing than all of them combined, really."
Qin Zhao still ignored him. Jing Li thought for a moment, used his sleeves to cover the small fish tank, raised his head and kissed Qin Zhao on the side of his face: "Give me some reaction, I've already coaxed you."
Qin Zhao couldn't help laughing: "In your eyes, would I get angry with a bunch of teenagers?"
you do not say.
This guy has been becoming more and more childish lately.
Jing Li thought so in his heart and shook his head: "No, Mr. Qin is very generous, not stingy at all, not jealous, and never wants to show off."
Qin Zhao couldn't bear it any longer, so he pushed the man onto the horse's back and kissed him heartily.
Jing Li was only interested in riding horses for a while, but soon he felt weak in the knees and afraid of heights. Qin Zhao returned the horse, holding her husband in one hand and the child in the other, and went into the woods.
"I don't know when this little guy will be able to transform into a human form."
It was almost noon, and the two of them sat under a tree to enjoy the cool. Qin Zhao divided the cakes he brought and handed them to Jing Li: "Don't worry, it took you many years to transform."
“That’s what I’m worried about.”
Jing Li took a bite of the cake, broke some more into pieces, and threw them to the little fish through the crack in the fish tank: "There are still two months before the college entrance examination. Chen Yanan and the others will definitely come to the capital. How can we hide it then?"
He lowered his head and said to the kid, "I'll give you another two months. You must learn how to transform before the college entrance examination. Do you hear me? Otherwise, you won't have food to eat in the future."
When the little fish heard this, its tail trembled and it quickly sank to the bottom of the water, biting the cake.
Jing Li: “…”
Jing Li said disdainfully: "Who did he take after to be so stupid?"
"… Follow me." Qin Zhao handed him the water bag filled with water and said calmly, "It must be following me."
Jing Li bit his snack and changed the subject: "Come to think of it, Gu Heng didn't bother you today. Could it be that he has really accepted you and sincerely invited you to come and play?"
Qin Zhao didn't answer.
Judging from the young master's behavior these days, he didn't think that person had accepted him.
Gu Heng was willing to attend class obediently only because he lost the bet, not because he was sincere.
but…
Qin Zhao smiled and said, "Have you forgotten your physical condition? If he really intends to do anything to us, he will most likely suffer the consequences."
This is the fate of everyone who has provoked Jing Li in the past.
Jing Li opened his mouth and wanted to say that his physique was not always accurate, but suddenly there was a noise in the distance.
The two of them looked back at the same time.
It's the direction of the racecourse.
Jing Li: “…”
Qin Zhao pressed his brows and said, "Let's go back and take a look."
The racecourse was in chaos. Several rich young masters hid outside the venue, their faces pale with fear, and were protected by their servants.
Qin Zhao asked: "What happened?"
"It's Chiyun!" Zhou Qi said, "Brother Heng thinks... thinks you ran so fast just now because you picked a good horse, and he also wants to try that horse... But I just bought Chiyun and haven't trained him for a few days, so..."
"He pissed off the horse." Qin Zhao looked into the distance and said in a deep voice, "This idiot."
In the distance, the reddish-brown horse named Chiyun neighed and galloped wildly on the racecourse.
Behind him, several servants, mostly on horseback, shouted loudly, "Master Gu, hold on to the reins, you must hold on!"
When these wealthy young men went out for an outing, they brought with them a number of servants, some of whom were excellent horsemen.
But the horse Chiyun Qin Zhao had ridden before had excellent aptitude and was probably a possible steed that could run a thousand miles a day.
Even if these people caught up with him, it would be difficult for them to rescue Gu Heng unharmed.
In this moment, Chi Yun was already close to the edge of the track, but it did not slow down. It actually jumped up, jumped over the fence beside the track, and rushed into the woods.
The only sound in the woods was Gu Heng's hoarse cry.
Qin Zhao cursed in a low voice, turned his head and said to Jing Li, "Wait here obediently, don't run around."
"you-"
Without waiting for Jing Li to say anything, Qin Zhao strode forward, took a horse from the side of the road, jumped on the horse, and chased after him.
"It's over, it's over, it's over..." Zhou Qi was so scared that he was sweating and his face turned pale. "If I hurt Heng Ge'er, my father would definitely beat me to death! I shouldn't have listened to him and got myself into trouble..."
Jing Li heard everything: "..."
In the woods, Qin Zhao quickly caught up with the servants who were chasing on horseback, and shouted, "You guys go around from the west and force Chi Yun to the east. There is a waterfall over there that will slow him down."
Several servants looked at each other, turned around and ran to the right front.
Qin Zhao continued to follow closely behind Gu Heng.
The speeds of the two horses gradually approached each other. Qin Zhao said, "Gu Heng, calm down! Just like in a normal race, think about how you keep your balance."
Gu Heng's body kept rising as Chi Yun ran. His hands holding the reins were already taut and white. After hearing Qin Zhao's words, he finally came back to his senses.
His body sank, and his feet, which had just been thrown away, stepped back on the pedals.
"Yes, that's it." Qin Zhao kept a distance from him and said quickly, "Pull the reins tight. When I ask you to let go later, you must let go immediately. Do you understand?"
Gu Heng was speechless and nodded hurriedly.
The cavalry coming from the west forced Chi Yun to turn east. They had already entered the depths of the woods and could even smell a hint of moisture in the air.
Qin Zhao stared ahead and took a deep breath.
"put!"
The waterfall appeared at the end of the woods, Chi Yun neighed and raised his front hooves high. Gu Heng let go, and Qin Zhao rode past them, grabbed Gu Heng by the collar, and pulled him onto his horse.
He tightened the reins, turned the horse's head, and just passed the edge of the lake.
Gu Heng lay on the horse's back, breathing heavily.
Several servants quickly jumped into the water to rescue Chi Yun who had fallen into the water.
Qin Zhao brought Gu Heng back to the racecourse. The latter was completely exhausted. He didn't even raise his head the entire time and lay on the horse's back in shock.
Everyone hurriedly helped Gu Heng down.
Qin Zhao got off his horse and said to Zhou Qi who was coming up to him, "His wrist is dislocated. Find him a doctor."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Mr. Qin." Zhou Qi was relieved to see that Gu Heng was fine, but his face was still a little pale. "Are you injured? Do you want to see a doctor?"
"It's okay, no need to bother." Qin Zhao said calmly, "If it's convenient, can you help me find a carriage? I want to take my husband home first."
There was chaos at the racecourse. After a while, Qin Zhao and Jing Li got on the carriage for the return trip.
Jing Li looked out the window as Gu Heng was carried into another carriage. He asked, "It's just a dislocation, can't you cure it?"
Qin Zhao said: "I don't want to help that brat. He is stubborn and he deserves to suffer."
Jing Li tilted his head to look at him.
Qin Zhao: "What?"
"It's okay, it's just rare to see you so angry." Jing Li said, "You are becoming more and more like a gentleman."
Qin Zhao chuckled softly: "More and more rigid?"
"No." Jing Li lowered the curtain and gently brushed Qin Zhao's knuckles, which were rubbed red by the reins. "It's clear that he is becoming more and more gentle."
Qin Zhao held his hand with his backhand and sighed, "A strict teacher produces a good student. Gentleness will not do. You will be punished."
Jing Li asked: "What are you going to do?"
"It's not about what I want to do, it's about what that Young Master Gu wants to do."
In the next few days, Qin Zhao did not go to Gu Mansion.
Everything was calm on the first and second days, but on the third day, news finally came from the Gu Mansion.
The one who brought the message was the young attendant beside Gu Heng, saying that the young master had been frightened in the suburbs that day and had been bedridden for the past few days. He only got out of bed today and could resume his classes.
There was no mention of Qin Zhao's absence from classes for no reason in the past few days.
But Qin Zhao told the other party bluntly that he would never teach at Gu Mansion again.
Qin Zhao did not tell the truth to Gu Heng at the beginning. The agreement between him and Madam Gu was that Madam Gu would not drive Qin Zhao away within five days, but if Qin Zhao could not make Young Master Gu accept him within five days, he would leave the Gu Mansion on his own initiative.
The day we went to the racecourse was the fifth day.
The little servant went away dejectedly.
Jing Li was unsure of the reason why Qin Zhao did this, so he asked, "Are you really not going to Gu's house anymore?"
"Whether I will go back in the future depends on Gu Heng's attitude."
Qin Zhao said leisurely while teasing the child.
News about the Gu family spread quickly, and the news that the Gu family had forced another teacher to leave soon spread throughout the city. This was not originally new news, but Qin Zhao was the top of the double case this year, which aroused a little more interest among the people.
What was even more surprising was that a few days later, the Gu family actually sent someone to Qin Zhao's house again.
It was the little servant who came.
"Mr. Qin, my young master said that he was willful before and shouldn't have teased you like this. But...but the young master knows he was wrong and has admitted it. You should just come back."
The young attendant pleaded: "Master Gu will be back from the county in a few days. If he knew that the young master had driven away another gentleman, he would definitely be scolded by the master."
Seeing that pitiful look, even Jing Li felt a little soft-hearted.
Qin Zhao said, "If you want to become a disciple, you should behave like a disciple. If he wants to invite me, then let him come. If he just wants to find someone to deal with his parents, Master Gu should find someone else."
The young servant almost cried after hearing this. Jing Li couldn't bear it and personally sent him out the door.
Many teachers were driven away by the Gu Mansion, but not many were invited back by the Gu Mansion several times after leaving. For a time, the literary circles in the city paid special attention to this matter.
After another two or three days, new news finally came.
Early that morning, the eldest son of the Gu family's carriage stopped in front of Qin Zhao's house.