When Wen Baozhu woke up the next day, she felt as if her bones were about to fall apart.
She wasn't sure if it was because her request last night was too unreasonable. Just as she mentioned "Champion Pearl", the man's extinguished passion flared up again, rousing her from her drowsy state.
She couldn't even remember how much time had passed. She just vaguely saw through the window slit that it was already dawn outside.
As expected, the man had already left when she woke up.
She sat up in bed and stared blankly for a while.
She walked bare - footed into the bathroom to take a shower. After coming out and changing into new clothes, she finally left the room.
Perhaps the commotion last night was too loud. Aunt Jiang didn't need to eavesdrop by the door to know how intense the "battle" was. So she was especially kind to Wen Baozhu, even adding a few more dishes to the breakfast.
After Wen Baozhu finished her breakfast, she obediently drank up the medicinal soup that Aunt Jiang had prepared.
"Aunt Jiang, I'd like to go out later," Wen Baozhu said. "I plan to go to the mall to buy something. Is that okay?"
Even though Aunt Jiang looked down on Wen Baozhu, she had to admit that the girl was really well - behaved and knew her place.
Although there was no explicit notice, Wen Baozhu was well aware that she was being monitored by Aunt Jiang.
She didn't show any aversion or discomfort about it. Instead, she would voluntarily report her whereabouts and arrangements. If Aunt Jiang showed any signs of displeasure, she would immediately cancel her plans.
She was as docile as a lamb.
"Not today," Aunt Jiang shook her head and refused. "Mr. Fu said he wants you to go to the horse farm."
The horse farm?
A look of confusion flashed across Wen Baozhu's face.
She was picked up and dropped off by a driver. She didn't need to tell him the destination. As soon as she got in the car, the driver headed straight for it.
When she entered the horse farm and saw "Champion Pearl" tied to a wooden board, splayed out, she finally understood what Fu Lian meant.
Its left front hoof was tightly wrapped, and there were special people to change the ice cubes on time. It was obvious that it was in the treatment stage. But "Champion Pearl" didn't look comfortable. There were bloodstains on its limbs where the thick ropes had dug in.
Just overnight, its coat had lost its luster, and its once - bright eyes had become cloudy.
Wen Baozhu was secretly shocked. Just as she was about to turn to ask about "Champion Pearl"'s current condition, she saw Fu Lian riding a horse towards them from not far away.
The horse's coat was sleek and shiny. When it ran, it looked like a black - red flame.
This horse was as spirited as "Champion Pearl" yesterday. Presumably, it was also a top - grade racehorse selected by Fu Lian.
Fu Lian was wearing equestrian clothes. The black leather jodhpurs and riding boots wrapped around his long legs, making him look high - spirited with an air of forbidden desire.
He loosened his long legs on the horse's belly, and the horse obediently slowed down.
The sound of the horse's hooves was clear. It ambled up to Wen Baozhu and stopped.
The man dismounted. A stable boy immediately came over to take the reins and the whip and led the black - red horse away.
Fu Lian took off his equestrian gloves. His eyes swept over "Champion Pearl" struggling painfully on the wooden board, and he said coldly, "You'd better take a good look at its current situation before deciding whether you still want to save it."
So it was about her request last night.
Wen Baozhu turned to look at "Champion Pearl" again. It really did look extremely painful, with heavy gasps coming one after another.
"Horses are very stupid animals,"
Fu Lian took a sip of water before continuing, "It doesn't know it's being treated. The forced lying position prevents it from running away from predators at any time. The pain in the wound makes it unable to control itself from waving its hooves. The human intervention makes it highly agitated and anxious."
Wen Baozhu lowered her eyes and said nothing.
"Besides the huge cost of treating it, the pain and torture that 'Champion Pearl' has to face are far greater than the pain of euthanasia," he said calmly. "Maybe death is the best choice for it rather than living."
"I don't think so," Wen Baozhu directly disagreed.
She looked back at "Champion Pearl" again. "It may just not understand that humans are treating it, but it must want to live."
Fu Lian said, "How do you know? Did it tell you itself?"
Wen Baozhu paused and tightened her lips.
His words were calm, but it was a silent warning: if she continued to argue with him, she would be making a fuss for no reason.
He had already shown enough patience in making her accept the result of "Champion Pearl" being euthanized.
Calling her specifically to the horse farm and letting her take one last look at "Champion Pearl" could be said to be a great gift.
So Wen Baozhu didn't refute him anymore. She walked up to "Champion Pearl" and reached out to touch its forehead.
"If it has already accepted the fate of death, then struggling is meaningless," Wen Baozhu said softly. "If it didn't want to live, it wouldn't have struggled so hard to break free from the ropes."
After saying that, she turned around, leaving some room for herself. "If Mr. Fu insists on euthanizing 'Champion Pearl', then I can only wish it that in its next life, it won't be reborn as a horse to be used by others."
The man's gaze was as cold as frost as he stared at her.
He wiped his fingers with a towel, then expressionlessly raised his hand, signaling someone to come and untie "Champion Pearl" and prepare to inject the euthanasia drug.
As soon as the ropes were loosened, the horse on the wooden board let out a tragic neigh. Along with its struggle and shaking, the wooden board creaked.
Fu Lian paused.
If it didn't want to live, it wouldn't have struggled so hard to break free.
"Champion Pearl" was unloaded to the ground. It tried to stand on all fours, but due to the injury on its right front hoof, it fell to the ground at once.
But it insisted on supporting its body with the remaining three legs and slowly stood up. Although it was about to fall again because it couldn't stand steadily, it still kept trying to get up.
Its white mane and black coat seemed to be trying to regain its former high - spirited look.
The staff of the horse farm came over and surrounded "Champion Pearl".
Wen Baozhu knew what was going to happen next. She really couldn't bear to watch such a scene, so she turned her head away.
Fu Lian was silent for a few seconds. His eyes swept over "Champion Pearl" being held down on the ground, then glanced at Wen Baozhu with a pained expression. Out of the blue, he suddenly said, "Wait."
Wen Baozhu turned to look at him sharply.
The man's face was still cold, and there was no emotion in his eyes. It seemed that this sentence was the limit he could accept. "First, give it basic treatment. If its condition continues to deteriorate within a week, euthanize it directly."
Wen Baozhu was stunned for a moment. Disbelief flashed in her eyes, but the moment she met his cold gaze, she quickly lowered her head to hide it.
Fu Lian said, "I've given it a chance. I hope it can seize it well."
Actually, just now she could feel that Fu Lian had made up his mind to get rid of "Champion Pearl". But unexpectedly, at the last moment, he still chose to give it a glimmer of hope.
Although Wen Baozhu didn't know why he changed his mind, she was happy inside.
She watched as "Champion Pearl" was put back on the wooden board and started to receive treatment. Her tone was lighter than she realized. "Thank you, Mr. Fu."
Fu Lian looked at her and twitched his lips.
He seemed to want to say something when suddenly another horse galloped towards them from not far away.
"A Lian!"
On the horseback sat Fang Yuan, looking valiant. She was riding a snow - white horse. Holding the reins with one hand, she gradually stopped in front of them and then leaped off the horse.
When she saw Wen Baozhu, surprise flashed in her eyes.
"Baozhu is here too?"