Chapter 13

"Drive, drive..." Yan Li rode a brown horse and galloped joyfully along the dirt road, about a hundred meters long, making several round trips before he finally slowed the horse and halted. "Good horse, very obedient." Yan Li offered the compliment, gently and affectionately stroking the horse's mane. In return, the horse tilted its head upwards, its upper lip curling in response. From the lessons he had learned over the past few days, Yan Li knew that such behavior from a horse generally indicated happiness or excitement. In addition, the horse might also raise its tail, bounce eagerly, or stand on its hind legs, all suggesting similar feelings of joy or enthusiasm. Of course, these actions should be considered in conjunction with the horse’s ears, eyes, and overall expression, as some individual actions might carry different meanings. For example, when a horse lifts its front hooves and taps lightly, sometimes it’s out of joy or excitement, sometimes it’s a sign of restlessness, and sometimes, in a state of anger or fear, it might prepare for an attack, which could escalate to stomping or even kicking or biting. Stepping off the dirt road, Yan Li dismounted and took a small carrot from his pocket, slowly feeding it to the horse. The horse was entirely brown, except for a white patch on its forehead, which made it quite distinctive. Yan Li remembered that in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it was said that Liu Bei’s "Dilu horse" had a white spot on its forehead, which was considered an omen of bad luck for the owner. Later, Yan Li learned that horses with a white mark on their foreheads were common, and he had been fooled by Luo Guanzhong’s portrayal. One of the leaders of the horse team in Sui Tang Heroes, Old Xu, watched the interaction between the horse and Yan Li with a hint of jealousy. "Tiger is now closer to you than to me." "Such a good horse, and you gave it that lousy name. If it were up to me, I’d call it Red Charcoal Fire Dragon Colt." These days, whenever Yan Li wasn’t filming, he would take time to ride the horse. He had gotten along quite well with Old Xu, and now he was getting tempted to persuade him to rename the horse, the one that had become closest to him. Old Xu, with a dark complexion and a scruffy beard, took the cigarette from Yan Li and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Didn’t you say you were going to call it 'Sai Long Five’ last time?" "'Sai Long Five Colt'—actually, I prefer that name. But didn’t you say it didn’t sound good? So, let’s change it." Yan Li smiled, revealing his ulterior motive. Whether it was "Sai Long Five Colt" or "Red Charcoal Fire Dragon Colt," these were actually the names of horses ridden by Yuwen Chengdu, a character from Sui Tang Heroes. The names varied in different versions of the novel or storytelling, much like how different sources would refer to Li Yuanba's steed in various ways—there were at least six or seven versions. Perhaps it was because the "Phoenix Winged Golden Dragon Spear" was too complicated for the props team of Sui Tang Heroes. In any case, in the show, characters like Qin Qiong used a halberd, Wei Chigong used a whip, and Cheng Yaojin wielded an axe, while Li Yuanba and Pei Yuanqing played with hammers. Only Yuwen Chengdu was stuck with a shabby spear. With his main weapon lost, Yan Li could only focus on the horse to satisfy himself. "Call it whatever you want; I’ll stick with Tiger." Old Xu didn’t seem to mind Yan Li’s suggestion. His voice wasn’t harsh, but he made it clear that the name wouldn’t change unless Yan Li bought the horse. If that happened, he could call it whatever he wanted. "How much is Sai Long?" Yan Li smoothly changed the subject, while subtly asking about the price. Old Xu glanced at him and sneered. "You can’t afford it." "You said horses live for more than 20 years, and Sai Long is only 7. Just because I can’t afford it now doesn’t mean I won’t be able to later." Yan Li had some confidence in his future, especially with the system assisting him. At least he wouldn’t spend decades unable to afford a horse. "Well, you can save up slowly." Old Xu snuffed out the cigarette butt, clearly not taking Yan Li seriously. Because of the bond or affection between some actors and horses, Yan Li wasn’t the first person to express interest in buying a horse. Old Xu had encountered similar situations before, but none of them ever followed through with the purchase. Horses were expensive. Even though their horses weren’t purebred racehorses, they weren’t the kind of draft horses you’d find in rural areas either. The price was already high, and since they were used in movies, they were well-trained and could continue to generate income from the filming. When factoring in the breeding costs and future earnings, the horses’ value increased substantially, making them unaffordable for most people. And there was also the problem of upkeep. To keep a horse in good condition for riding—maintaining the venue, staff, feed, and medical care—was a hefty cost. Most people couldn’t afford this lifestyle. More importantly, many people who showed interest in horses lost their enthusiasm after a short while. Even if they still wanted to ride, there were plenty of other horses available elsewhere, and they didn’t need to buy one from Hengdian, where the price-to-performance ratio wasn’t favorable. Yan Li didn’t argue with Old Xu. He affectionately stroked the white mark on the horse’s forehead. "Sai Long, wait for me." Just as they were talking, a white horse came galloping toward them. The young man riding it, with a buzz cut, approached Yan Li and greeted him. "Yan Li, want to race a lap?" Yan Li gently patted the horse’s face to calm it down as it got a bit agitated at the new arrival. He shook his head. "No, I’ve got something to do later. Maybe next time." "Alright." The other man didn’t push further, pulling the reins and riding off. Old Xu, watching the back of the rider, muttered, a little annoyed by the man’s disregard for him. "Damn, what’s with the attitude?" Yan Li paused, not responding, and silently continued feeding Sai Long the carrots. The young man just now was Nie Yuan, who played Luo Cheng in Sui Tang Heroes. In the production, he was the second male lead after Huang Haibing, who played Qin Qiong. Although Yan Li didn’t have many scenes with him in the show, they became familiar with each other since Yan Li often practiced riding. Now, Nie Yuan was on the rise, having gained fame from Marrying into the Wrong Family last year and further boosted by playing Emperor Qianlong in The Great Granary, gaining substantial popularity. In the Sui Tang Heroes crew, even though Qin Qiong was the lead, Luo Cheng’s cool, sharp image made him very popular. The show was intentionally building up Luo Cheng’s character, shaping him into a heroic figure like Yue Fei or Zhao Zilong. Yan Li often felt a little sour about this. Luo Cheng’s character was polished, with all the bad traits removed, while Yuwen Chengdu’s few shining qualities were discarded and overshadowed. Yan Li couldn’t help but compare their fates. Despite this, Yan Li didn’t hold anything against Nie Yuan personally. The two shared a love for horseback riding, were close in age, and had common interests. Yan Li, being a well-known actor in the crew, had some influence, so they got along pretty well. There was also one other important factor: the system. [Daily Information X: Nie Yuan recently had a casual chat with Yan Li about racing horses, enjoyed the conversation, and found him likable. They may hang out more often in the future.] [Daily Information X: Nie Yuan was very pleased with the horse-riding tips Yan Li shared, feeling that Yan Li was a man of his word and trustworthy. He considers him a friend.] A person’s external demeanor can be masked, but their true feelings can’t be hidden. For Yan Li, no matter how friendly or distant someone appeared, he placed more weight on the system’s direct communication of their inner thoughts. As for the rest of the crew, their opinions on Nie Yuan were more mixed. Right now, Nie Yuan was enjoying a rise in his career. He was young, surrounded by people supporting him, and his posture sometimes showed a bit of arrogance. This was a natural part of his success, but not everyone was fond of it, and some people had already experienced his arrogance firsthand. Yan Li got along well with Nie Yuan, so he didn’t engage in gossip behind his back. Whenever others badmouthed Nie Yuan, Yan Li would defend him when appropriate, or if it was someone like Old Xu who was difficult to defend, he would pretend not to hear and stay out of it.