DCFRP Chapter 96

Hua: Hello everyone, quick explanation before you proceed. I made a mistake in the previous two or three chapters. The place that they’re in is apparently not in China. The author used the word “北国” which is usually refer to northern part of China so I got confused.

And I also don’t know what country this is, so I’ll just keep using The North/Northern. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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The next day, the restaurant was open as usual.

Due to a stronger wind and snow outside, the restaurant was even more deserted than yesterday. According to the program team, it would not be lively until Friday. Many people would come to ski on the weekend, and the snow horse racing was about to start, so there would be a large number of spectators.

The kitchen was idle without guests. Aside from preparing their own meals, there was nothing else to do.

After recording the program in the morning, they were free in the afternoon.

Lu Tongtong lay on the table, listlessly playing with a Santa Claus figurine. Gu Meiling pushed her, “How about we play poker?”

Speaking of playing poker, Lu Tongtong became energetic, climbed up from the table, and called people to play. Seeing Jiang Sicheng coming from a distance, she waved to him, “Call Sister Qingqing to play poker together.”

Jiang Sicheng waved his hand. “No, no, I want to practice horse riding with Xiaoyu.”

Lu Tongtong was puzzled, “Why practice horse riding on this snowy day? Are you crazy?”

Jiang Sicheng snorted, very proud, “Xiaoyu and I are going to participate in the snow horse race on Saturday.”

Lu Tongtong poured a basin of cold water on him. “Dear, I suggest you sober up.”

Jiang Sicheng raised his chin to the sky, very proud. “The program team has arranged it, if you don’t believe me, go and ask them. Wait to see me and Xiaoyu compete this Saturday.”

Jiang Sicheng heard that Qi Xiaoyu was going to participate in the horse race on Saturday. Of course, he couldn’t miss such a big opportunity to show off. It just so happened that the program team contacted the organizer and got the opportunity to follow the whole process, so he followed along.

After a while, Qi Xiaoyu also appeared, so Lu Tongtong and Gu Meiling surrounded him, asking about the situation.

Qi Xiaoyu concealed the matter between himself and Tang Yuning and only said that he would participate in the snow-free obstacle horse race on Saturday.

“Are you going to run the whole course like everyone else?”

“Are you going to pass the fir forest that the staff member mentioned that day? Is it safe?”

Everyone recalled the fir forest on the steep slope and became a little worried and nervous.

Gu Meiling looked at Qi Xiaoyu and said worriedly, “The last time during filming you were… Do you still want to go horse racing this time?”

Xue Qingchu also said, “If the program team wants to film the horse race, we can just be the audience.”

Jiang Sicheng put his arm around Xue Qingchu’s shoulders and said nonchalantly, “Don’t worry, I’m here; nothing will happen. And the people in the program team said that they will ride snowmobiles to film the whole process. Being a spectator is not as fun as going to a horse race in person.”

Everyone didn’t believe Jiang Sicheng’s words, and they all looked at Qi Xiaoyu.

Qi Xiaoyu nodded, “We have already told the production team. They will follow us throughout the process.”

He also told Tang Yuning this, and the other party didn’t object.

Everyone was relieved after hearing that the production team would ride snowmobiles to follow them.

Xue Qingchu asked, “Then I will accompany you guys to training.”

Jiang Sicheng was reluctant to do so and said to Xue Qingchu with a smile, “You can play poker in the restaurant. We will come back after a few rounds.”

After the two of them finished speaking, they walked to the door, took clothes from the hanger, and put them on, then pushed open the door and walked towards the horse farm.

The wind and snow outside were stronger than it looked, and it was so strong that people could not open their eyes.

The two walked along the small path with a shed outside the restaurant to the horse farm, feeling a bit numb from the cold.

Jiang Sicheng’s teeth were chattering with cold. “Fuck, why is it so much colder than the previous few days? When will the snow stop? Will it not stop until Saturday?”

Qi Xiaoyu didn’t want to take Jiang Sicheng with him, but the other party insisted on following him. Now he glanced at Jiang Sicheng and said, “How about you go back?”

Jiang Sicheng really thought about it and then shook his head like a rattle, “No, no, if you go, I have to go too.”

Qi Xiaoyu was speechless.

When they arrived at the horse farm and got on the horse, Jiang Sicheng found that it was even colder. He turned around on the horse and shouted, “F*ck whoever invented snow horse racing. It’s so damn cold!”

Looking back at Qi Xiaoyu, who hadn’t gotten on the horse yet, he shouted proudly, “Qi Xiaoyu, who are you dawdling for? Thinking about life?”

Qi Xiaoyu felt his limbs were a little stiff, and he didn’t know if it was because of the cold or for some other reason.

The staff was talking to him next to him, probably telling him about horse riding techniques.

The horse was panting and kicking its hooves in front of him.

After a long while, Qi Xiaoyu still didn’t move.

The staff had already finished talking about the things to pay attention to and the techniques.

Jiang Sicheng observed Qi Xiaoyu’s reaction and found that Qi Xiaoyu seemed a little timid, at least when it came to riding a horse.

Jiang Sicheng was very satisfied with this discovery. It was rare for him to do anything better than Qi Xiaoyu. He thought in his heart that no matter how cold it was, he would persist.

Seeing that Qi Xiaoyu still didn’t move, Jiang Sicheng called out to him again, “Don’t dawdle; come up quickly. The snow is thick here. It’s fine even if you fall down.”

Qi Xiaoyu pursed his lips. “Yeah.”

Then, with his eyes closed and his feet in the stirrups, he climbed on the horse.

****

In the active preparations of both Qi Xiaoyu and Jiang Sicheng, Saturday came quickly. The horse farm also prepared the spectator seats and set up the signs for the race.

As the program team said, there were a lot of people coming to watch the horse racing, and their restaurant was busy from Friday. There were so many calls for dinner reservations that Gu Meiling couldn’t leave the counter.

All the ingredients in the kitchen were used up.

They were busy all day long, just like they were fighting a war, and they didn’t finish work until 10 o’clock in the evening.

After work, not only were they exhausted, but the cameramen were also exhausted.

By Saturday morning, there were even more people.

The competition started at 10 o’clock in the morning. At 7 o’clock, not long after dawn, tens of thousands of square meters of snow were full of spectators.

Jiang Sicheng stood in front of the restaurant window, looking at the crowds of people and horses on the snow from a distance, and sighed, “This is so awesome.”

Others heard it and gathered around to watch.

Lu Tongtong exclaimed, “It’s so lively. There are several times more people than when I went to the Grassland Music Festival this summer. It seems that snow horse racing is really popular in the North.

In addition to people, there are also many horses, obviously.

Many contestants came directly on horses. For a while, black, white, colorful, tall, and short, all kinds of horses appeared on the snow.

The program team told them that there are amateur horse riding clubs and professional horse riding contestants from all over the world, most of whom are Chinese. Snow racing is not something that Chinese people are good at, so the two of them shouldn’t feel pressured and should focus on participation and safety first.

****

When they were ready and came to the competition venue, a tense and exciting atmosphere immediately surrounded them.

There were three competitions today. The first one was the obstacle-free horse race they were going to participate in. After that, there would be obstacle races in the venue and harness horse racing.

Training on horses is one thing, and really participating in the competition is another.

The staff in charge of the competition invited by the program team explained to them the matters that should be paid attention to during the competition.

“The few kilometers from the starting point to the fir forest are not difficult. They are very flat, which is equivalent to warming up and stretching the muscles. There will not be a big gap between each other, but you have to be careful after entering the forest.

The terrain of the fir forest is very complex. Some places were originally pits. Now they are covered with snow and cannot be seen, but if you step on them, you may lose your footing.

Horses are very sensitive to the natural environment. They will know how to avoid these traps. So during the competition, you must know how to communicate with your own horse.

If you step into a pit, withdraw in time and seek help.”

Jiang Sicheng touched his head. “That sounds dangerous.”

Qi Xiaoyu said to him, “Don’t worry too much. When we get to the fir forest, follow me and don’t run around by yourself.”

Jiang Sicheng hummed twice, and it was unknown whether he heard it or not.

Qi Xiaoyu didn’t have time to worry about him either. He looked around and wondered if Tang Yuning had arrived. That day, they promised to meet at the racecourse.

After the staff explained, Qi Xiaoyu and Jiang Sicheng got on their respective horses.

Jiang Sicheng rode a brown horse with patterns. He said that this pattern was cool and it would be convenient for everyone to recognize him at a glance when he received the award.

Qi Xiaoyu rode a black horse with a white streak on its nose.

As soon as they sat on the horses, they heard someone calling Qi Xiaoyu’s name.

The crowd looked in unison, and they saw Tang Yuning, who was wearing a riding suit, an equestrian hat, and goggles, riding on a white stallion, coming over in their direction.

Tang Yuning greeted everyone one by one, as naturally as if they had met by chance. His acting skills were really good.

After that, before he could say anything, he was called by the staff to line up and prepare.

Qi Xiaoyu controlled the horse to position among the crowd. He focused on getting his mind off the accident by thinking more about Xun Qian or something else.

He heard waves of cheers in his ears. Some people cheered for the club they supported, and some cheered for their favorite racers.

There were a few names that appeared very frequently, and the cheers were particularly loud. It seemed that they were seeded racers with a good reputation.

Those people stood out in the crowd as well, with an imperative stance of great confidence.

Qi Xiaoyu glanced to the side again. Tang Yuning seemed very leisurely, tilting his head and stroking the horse’s back with his hand.

Qi Xiaoyu moved in his direction and reminded him again, “After the match, remember to give me the videotape.”

Tang Yuning slowly nodded his head. “I will, but let’s finish the match first.”

The contestants stood in rows next to each other as the staff’s whistle was about to blow.

The program team’s snowmobiles were in place, and the drones used for aerial photography in the sky were also ready.

Qi Xiaoyu looked up and saw horses everywhere. About three or four kilometers ahead was the fir forest.

The black fir forest stretched forward and downward in the white snow to the end of the blue sky.

The whistle sounded, and the cheers in his ears, mixed with the sound of wind and horses, filled Qi Xiaoyu’s eardrums and broke through the quiet snow.

Qi Xiaoyu increased his speed to his limit and rushed ahead of the three men to lead them as they sped towards the fir forest.

The cold wind sliced through their cheeks, and the scattered snow from the hooves of their horses splashed around them. The galloping horses scattered like falling meteorites, all of which was much more exciting and thrilling than during training.

Just like the staff introduced before, the first three or four kilometers were the warm-up phase, and although there was a pulling gap, it wasn’t a big one.

The two of them had trained for a few days and had a solid foundation. In addition, Qi Xiaoyu had run very fast before, and they were almost the first few batches to reach the fir forest.

But everything was different after arriving at the fir forest.

Some people went forward bravely, some people hesitated, some took the lead, and some tread with difficulty.

“Xiaoyu, let’s go forward. what are you afraid of!”

Snow horse racing is full of speed and power, which can easily make people excited. This is also the fascinating part of all extreme sports. After Jiang Sicheng started running, he became excited. He also wanted to be a person who went forward bravely. He panted and called Qi Xiaoyu to rush forward, completely forgetting what Qi Xiaoyu said before the match that he should follow behind him.

“Wait a minute!”

Qi Xiaoyu wanted to stop him, but before he finished speaking, Jiang Sicheng walked forward.

Unfortunately, he fell into the pit after only a few steps.

This might be the first person to fall into the pit in today’s competition.

Someone nearby cast a sympathetic look at them.

Someone else laughed mockingly. Yes, in the eyes of northerners, Chinese people are not suitable for this sport.

Qi Xiaoyu got off the horse helplessly and went to see Jiang Sicheng’s situation. He shouldn’t have brought this burden with him.

The program crew also got off the snowmobile immediately and pulled Jiang Sicheng out of the snow.

Fortunately, the pit was shallow, and Jiang Sicheng’s speed was not fast, so it was nothing serious, but he sprained his wrist and could not participate in the rest of the match.

“I haven’t reached the finish line yet. It’s too embarrassing to fall here,” Jiang Sicheng patted the snow on his face with his unsprained hand, insisting on continuing to participate, but the people in the program team would not let him continue for his safety.

Two staff members forced him to go back and asked Qi Xiaoyu if he wanted to go back with them. “The director told us before that if we can’t get through the woods, it’s fine. It’s just an experience. This is too difficult for you guys. Don’t get hurt.”

Qi Xiaoyu was also a little out of breath. He was not a professional in horse racing after all. The first few kilometers of galloping made him a little tired. He glanced at Tang Yuning. The other party’s equestrian skills should be good. Running here seemed quite easy for him.

Tang Yuning also looked at Qi Xiaoyu, her tone neither urgent nor slow, with a hint of a bystander’s smile, “Do you still want to run the whole race with me?”

Qi Xiaoyu looked up at him. Jiang Sicheng dropped out a little too fast, which completely disrupted his plan.

Because he stayed nearby, he took the time to explore the terrain in advance and estimated that this road through the fir forest was the safest and best way to go. As long as it was safe, there would be no problem. Who knew that Jiang Sicheng would make a mistake as soon as he started!

The staff of the program team were urging him to leave together. They had only reached the starting point of the fir forest, which was seven or eight kilometers deep throughout.

And he didn’t want to miss this videotape, in case Tang Yuning destroyed it.

He wanted to do something for Xun Qian.

“How about I compete with you on his behalf?”

During the brief standoff, a pure black horse with a white forehead suddenly burst through the snow.

Qi Xiaoyu turned his head and looked back immediately after hearing the sound.

Tang Yuning laughed softly, as if he was waiting for this moment.

A tight riding suit outlined Xun Qian’s slender waist and long legs. His clothes were different from those of everyone else. Others wore windbreakers, but he wore a retro double-breasted riding suit.

He sat on the horse, so proud and so elegant. People passing by them couldn’t help but look at him a few more times, but his eyes were all on Qi Xiaoyu.

Qi Xiaoyu was also looking at him intently.

Although both of them were wearing goggles, Qi Xiaoyu could feel that Xun Qian wanted to kiss him, and he also wanted to kiss Xun Qian, but now was not the time.

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