ABSML Chapter 4: A Day At The Stables

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After hearing the truth, the system never responded to him again.

Chen Zhan didn’t mind and teased, "Are you sulking?"

Still no response.

Yesterday’s update had been received surprisingly well. While the internet was still full of criticism, at least it wasn’t outright rejection anymore.

Theories about the baseball cap man were running wild—some people even guessed that he was actually Lin Chiang in disguise.

【Netizen A】: A creepy CEO and a future entertainment queen? What a juicy pairing!

【Netizen B】: Does anyone remember that scene at the convenience store where the CEO threw down a hundred yuan and rushed off? Maybe he was actually putting on a disguise to follow Jiang Ying!

【Netizen C】: Ah, the taste of this woman’s blood is so sweet… I can’t stop myself from imagining a million-word novel.

The power of the internet was terrifying.

Overnight, someone had even dug up Lin Chiang’s childhood accident, where he had nearly died from blood loss. Some users speculated that he might have developed a mild case of hematophagia.

The hashtag #LinChiang, Blood skyrocketed to trending.

Seeing all this unfold, Chen Zhan genuinely experienced a moment of disbelief.

These netizens’ analysis skills were… too frightening.

Even scarier, after reading all the fabricated "evidence," even he was almost convinced.

With the internet frenzy driving up traffic, the number of readers had surged.

Glancing at the influx of reward money in his backend dashboard, Chen Zhan pondered whether to treat himself to an extra meal.

"Xiao Chen," an old man called out from the hallway.

Opening the door, Chen Zhan found the elderly man dressed in loose-fitting clothes.

"An old friend invited me to a horseback riding club. Want to come along?"

Chen Zhan: "Will there be food?"

The old man nodded.

Chen Zhan: "Give me a sec, I’ll change my clothes."

The air outside was always a bit fresher than inside the house. Chen Zhan took a light breath and turned to look at the old man. “Are you sure your body can handle horseback riding?”

The old man waved his hand dismissively. “I won’t be riding, just enjoying the scenery.”

Unexpectedly, Yin Ronglan was also present. He stood in front of an off-road vehicle, resembling a tall and elegant bamboo, radiating warmth and attracting the attention of many passersby.

Chen Zhan remarked, “Nice car.”

“It’s borrowed from a friend.” Yin Ronglan opened the car door for them. “My own car isn’t suitable for driving to the ranch.”

Chen Zhan casually asked the old man, “Did Mr. Yin used to accompany you on outings often?”

“He’s a busy man,” the old man waved his hand. “It’s only because I was sick some time ago that he delegated part of his work to others, freeing up some time.”

Yin Ronglan, who was driving, turned down the overly cold air conditioning and smiled. “I’ll visit you more often from now on.”

The old man refused. “Work comes first.”

Chen Zhan couldn’t quite tell if this man harbored any ill intentions. He simply said, “I’m a freelancer, so I can help take care of things now and then. Mr. Yin doesn’t need to specifically make time for this.”

Yin Ronglan smiled warmly. “Then I’ll trouble you with that.”

As the car gradually left the city and approached an intersection, the old man noticed that Chen Zhan had his phone’s GPS turned on the whole time. He commented, “Ronglan knows the way.”

Chen Zhan looked up. “It’s important to know where you are.”

Just in case he got sold off to some remote mountain village.

The old man was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter. “Didn’t expect you to have a sense of humor.”

Yin Ronglan, catching sight of Chen Zhan’s serious expression in the rearview mirror, chuckled and shook his head.

The ranch was vast and flat—not quite the rugged terrain of rolling hills where the wind rustled through the grass, revealing herds of cattle and sheep. The vegetation was slightly yellowed.

The old man went ahead to visit an old friend, a middle-aged man in his forties, who greeted him warmly. After some small talk, he shook hands with Yin Ronglan and Chen Zhan in greeting.

As he led them on a tour of the ranch, they came across a group of workers carrying a reddish-brown horse outside—it had already stopped breathing.

The middle-aged man sighed. “The temperature has been fluctuating. Several horses got sick over the past few days and didn’t make it.”

The old man glanced at its coat. “A fine horse. What a pity.”

“My daughter couldn’t bear to just let it go,” the middle-aged man said. “She wanted to hold a small symbolic funeral before dealing with it.”

Yin Ronglan said blandly, “If you don’t handle it quickly, it might affect the mood of the guests.”

The middle-aged man was taken aback.

Yin Ronglan continued, “Seeing the corpse of a young horse can evoke a subtle sense of sympathy.”

After thinking it over, the middle-aged man found this reasonable and instructed the workers to be discreet when moving the body.

Standing at the edge of the group, Chen Zhan quietly observed the expressions of those around him. From the moment they saw the horse’s corpse, Yin Ronglan had shown no sign of emotion.

Finally, Chen Zhan understood the sense of discord he had always felt about this man. Yin Ronglan’s every action was polite and appropriate, yet he seemed detached, almost indifferent.

As if sensing the excessive attention directed at him, Yin Ronglan turned his gaze toward Chen Zhan.

Caught staring, Chen Zhan remained calm. “Mr. Yin seems quite skilled in equestrianism.”

His attempt to change the subject wasn’t particularly subtle, but Yin Ronglan neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, he asked, “What makes you think so?”

“Your legs are long.”

Chen Zhan wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but after he said that, Yin Ronglan narrowed his eyes slightly, a subtle glint of amusement flashing through them.

The middle-aged man and the old man didn’t overanalyze the exchange, taking it as lighthearted banter between young people. The middle-aged man laughed. “Come on, let’s go pick out a horse.”

·

Elsewhere in the ranch, a chubby businessman had just finished posing for a few pictures. Setting his riding crop aside, he gestured for his son to come over.

The young man resembled his father, though slightly slimmer.

The businessman pointed in a direction.

After taking a look, the young man muttered, “Isn’t that Chen Zhan? That scumbag who once tried to chase after my goddess, Jiang Ying?”

No sooner had he spoken than a heavy hand smacked the back of his head. “Use your brain. Is that the person I wanted you to look at?”

Rubbing his head, the young man finally noticed the man beside Chen Zhan. He muttered, “Looks familiar.”

His father lowered his voice. “You saw him at Uncle Zhao’s birthday banquet.”

Recognition dawned on the young man. That day, the man had left quickly after delivering his gift, and just before leaving, he had bumped into him—though he had been too focused on his phone at the time. “I still remember how nervous you were, Dad, apologizing over and over. Was it really that serious?”

His father asked, “Do you know what made your grandfather rich?”

The young man nodded. “Flattery and bootlicking.”

He knew the family’s history well—observing the political landscape, choosing the right side, and making a gamble. Others feasted while they sipped the soup.

His father said meaningfully, “If that man looks at you favorably, our family could thrive for three more generations.”

The young man massaged his temples. “Wouldn’t it be too obvious if we just walked up and greeted him?”

The businessman’s gaze settled on Chen Zhan. “It’s a ranch—everyone’s wandering around….” His voice trailed off before he smirked. “That young man seems to get along well with him. Watch from the sidelines, learn how they talk, and observe their mannerisms.”

The young man’s voice rose in protest. “You want me to learn how to behave from Chen Zhan? Do you know he’s being mocked all over the internet right now?”

Another slap landed on his head. “Whether he’s mocked or praised doesn’t matter. Earning Yin Ronglan’s favor is what counts.”

Seeing no way to argue, the young man reluctantly led his horse closer, pretending to be an ordinary visitor while actually eavesdropping on their conversation.

The middle-aged man had chosen a gentle white horse for Chen Zhan. As he stroked its mane, he finally understood why some people were so passionate about horses.

Unfortunately, horseback riding was a skill. Without the right pants, he gave up after a short ride.

The old man also wanted to try, but he was firmly stopped. Yin Ronglan and Chen Zhan stood on either side of him, preventing any reckless moves.

The wind on the open plain was particularly strong. Walking against it, the old man gazed at the distant wild grass and stones, his heart surging with emotion.

Then, he suddenly recited, “In my old age, I rekindle youthful madness.”

Chen Zhan continued emotionally, “With a yellow dog in my left hand and a falcon in my right.”

“……”

The old man chuckled dryly but still played along, saying, “As long as you work hard, you might just become an eagle soaring through the sky.”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man beside them burst into laughter. “Look at how you put it! Then what does that make the person standing on the left? A stray dog?”

“……”

The atmosphere, which had just warmed up, turned cold again.

Realizing his mistake, the middle-aged man fell silent. Having spent too much time at the stables, he had developed a habit of speaking without restraint when joking around.

As the source of the awkward moment, Chen Zhan was still rather considerate and changed the subject nonchalantly, talking about the white horse. “Mr. Yin, would you mind demonstrating some horseback riding skills?”

Yin Ronglan remained calm as he asked, “Then what makes me different from a performing stunt rider?”

Chen Zhan replied earnestly, “You’re free of charge.”

“……”

Not far behind them, a young man listening in broke into a cold sweat. What kind of linguistic skills were these? If he learned them, his family business might collapse in this very generation!

The old man mediated, “I haven’t seen you ride in a long time either, Ronglan.”

Yin Ronglan mounted his horse in one swift and fluid motion.

Chen Zhan couldn’t help but express his admiration, “Even if someone isn’t good-looking, as long as they’re on horseback, they become the most striking figure.”

Not to mention, Yin Ronglan had exceptionally handsome features.

Instead of galloping around the riding grounds, Yin Ronglan rode his horse in a loop around a nearby hill. When he returned, he clearly saw the admiration in Chen Zhan’s eyes—an expression that couldn’t be faked. His tone softened slightly as he said, “To master riding, both courage and perseverance are essential. You’re welcome to practice more often.”

Chen Zhan added, “And the most important thing—you need a lot of money.”

Dismounting, Yin Ronglan smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes and did not refute him. “That’s quite true.”

The group returned to their leisurely stroll, chatting in a friendly manner.

The young man, still puzzled, absentmindedly walked toward his father.

Seeing him, the wealthy businessman immediately asked, “What did you learn?”

The young man struggled to summarize before finally deciding to simply repeat the previous conversation.

After hearing it, the businessman let out a long sigh as he looked up at the sky. “No wonder, after two generations, our family is still stuck at the nouveau riche level. We just can’t master the way wealthy people communicate.”

The young man briefly considered secretly taking a photo of Chen Zhan and posting it online but hesitated. Offending Yin Ronglan wouldn’t be worth the trouble.

As the businessman led him away, the young man suddenly slapped his thigh, making his father’s chubby face tremble in shock. “What are you jumping for?”

The young man exclaimed, “I finally saw him in person, but I forgot to ask for an update on his novel!”

If he could confirm the identity of the man in the duckbill cap from the story, this trip wouldn’t have been in vain.

The businessman didn’t give him the chance, dragging him away forcefully.

Author’s Note:

Lin Chiang: “Did I make the trending list today?”

Checks phone. “Oh, I did. Again.”

______

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