Chapter 11 – The Main Character Delivers the Sweet Moment
The ancient town was a well-known tourist destination, and since it was the weekend, the streets were crowded with visitors. Walking down the narrow roads, Shi Cha kept bumping into people coming and going.
Just as he was getting frustrated, Lin Ran suddenly moved closer and used his body to shield him from the crowd.
“You—”
Before he could finish, Lin Ran pointed ahead to a sign. “That’s the horseback archery field up there. Let’s hurry over.”
Shi Cha had no choice but to let Lin Ran escort him forward.
The horseback archery field was a bit of a walk away, and it took them quite a while to reach it.
A short wall surrounded the field. Once inside, they realized that although the area wasn’t very large, it had everything it needed: a command platform, feeding troughs, a racetrack, archery targets, and more.
The staff member at the field was a young guy who looked like a fan of Lin Ran. The moment they entered, he came rushing over. Without even waiting for Lin Ran to speak, he started rattling off the rules like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube.
“There are two challenges here. First is horseback riding—you’ll need to ride around the field three times. Keep in mind, you have to run, not just trot slowly. Second is over there: a target 50 meters away. You need to hit it three times. It doesn’t have to be a bullseye—just don’t miss the target completely, and you pass.”
The young man’s eyes sparkled with admiration as he looked at Lin Ran, clearly unaware of how unreasonable his expectations sounded.
The first challenge was manageable—for someone who had ridden horses a few times, it was at least doable.
But hitting a target from 50 meters away was another story. These days, very few people practiced with traditional bows.
Even the targets at the National Games were only about 70 meters away. For a variety show talent segment, setting a 50-meter target was pretty intense.
Shi Cha glanced at the target in the distance, feeling a bit uneasy. Although they only needed to avoid missing the target entirely, even after practicing all afternoon, he might not be able to land a hit.
Unexpectedly, Lin Ran didn’t object to the young man’s challenge at all. He glanced at the horses by the stable, pointed toward one of them, and chose the most beautiful and robust white horse.
“That one.”
The young man was startled. He tried to advise him tactfully, “Ran-shen, Silver Frost is our best horse, but her temper isn’t great. Are you sure you don’t want to choose another one?”
“No need. I like her.”
With that, Lin Ran walked straight to the white horse named Silver Frost and gently patted her head, trying to bond with her.
While Lin Ran was communicating with the horse, the young staffer turned to Shi Cha and Lu Lecheng, asking if they wanted to pick a horse and give it a try too.
Lu Lecheng had said earlier that he’d leave the horseback archery to Lin Ran. Even though he didn’t want to take part in the challenge, he reconsidered. After all, it might be a good opportunity to get more screen time.
After all, Lin Ran was horseback riding and shooting arrows—if Lu Lecheng just stood there watching, the camera definitely wouldn’t focus on someone who was just spectating.
If he joined in on horseback riding, he’d definitely get more screen time. The audience and fans would also think he was dedicated and not just slacking off.
He nodded while speaking to the camera, “I usually enjoy outdoor sports, so I’ll give horseback riding a try today.”
Lu Lecheng received a gentle mare from the staff and, with their help, managed to mount the horse smoothly.
Meanwhile, Lin Ran was already galloping around the track.
Unlike Lu Lecheng, who moved slowly and needed someone to lead his horse by the reins, Lin Ran was riding faster and faster.
The rhythmic clop-clop-clop of hooves stirred up a cloud of dust.
Lin Ran on horseback was completely different from his usual gentle and refined self. In this moment, he was more like the fierce and driven figure from the esports arena—full of confidence and energy.
When he finished his third lap, he suddenly yanked the reins, and the white horse reared up on its hind legs, stopping right in front of Shi Cha.
“Xiao Shi, want me to teach you how to ride?”
Shi Cha stared blankly at Lin Ran, who smiled as he extended the invitation.
It was as if he had traveled back in time to when he was a child, back when he used to call him “Brother Lin Ran.” Back then, Lin Ran had said, “Xiao Shi, want me to tell you a story?”
He nodded dazedly.
Then, almost instinctively, he reached out and took Lin Ran’s hand.
With a strong pull, he landed on the horseback—
—and right in Lin Ran’s arms.
“Sit tight, Xiao Shi.”
Before Shi Cha could react, the white horse had already started running again.
At the same time, his heart began to race wildly. He couldn’t tell if it was from the jolting of the horse or the heat radiating from the man behind him, pressed so closely against his back, that was making him feel so flustered.
The camera had already been following Lin Ran, and now that the two most handsome people were riding the same horse together, the livestream chat exploded in a frenzy of comments:
[“555, I want to be in Shi Cha’s place! Don’t stop me—let me go!”]
[“Not gonna lie, I think I’ve found a new CP to ship! I already have a name for them: “LinShi” — Lin from Lin Ran and Shi from Shi Cha. Aaaahhh~”]
[“Sis, that CP name sounds kind of… disposable. “LinShi” like ‘temporary’? Are you saying they’re gonna break up soon?”]
Shi Cha had no idea how wild the livestream had gotten. He was a homebody and barely did any intense physical activity.
After just two or three laps, his face was already flushed.
Lin Ran slowed the horse and gently rode over to the archery range.
He had no intention of letting Shi Cha down from the horse. Still holding the reins with his arms wrapped around Shi Cha, he leaned in and whispered in his ear:
“Xiao Shi, want me to teach you archery?”
Shi Cha felt his ear—right by Lin Ran’s lips—burning hot. He lowered his head slightly, exposing his elegant, swan-like neck, and gave a soft “Mm.”
From an angle Shi Cha couldn’t see, Lin Ran’s eyes were filled with amusement. He asked, as if unintentionally, “Xiao Shi, why are your ears so red?”
Shi Cha reflexively reached up and touched his ear, stumbling over his words, “I-I’m just a little hot. It’s… it’s too intense.”
“Too intense?” Lin Ran echoed.
What Shi Cha meant was that the horseback riding was a bit intense for him. But coming from Lin Ran, the words took on a vaguely suggestive tone, making the entire topic feel increasingly ambiguous.
Flustered, he said quickly, “Weren’t we going to do archery? L-let me down.”
Seeing how even his neck had turned red, Lin Ran decided to stop teasing him.
“No need to get off the horse.” The white horse’s saddle was equipped with a quiver.
He guided the horse to the side, grabbed a bow, and drew an arrow from the quiver. Still holding Shi Cha in his arms, he placed the bow in his hands and positioned his own hand over Shi Cha’s.
With his other hand, he tucked the tail of the arrow between Shi Cha’s fingers and pulled back the bowstring.
“When shooting, you don’t aim directly at the bullseye. You need to aim a little higher. Let’s try it first and see how the wind affects it…”
At that moment, Shi Cha couldn’t concentrate at all. He could hear Lin Ran’s voice, but he wasn’t processing any of it. In fact, he had no idea what he was even supposed to be thinking right now.
Just as his thoughts were flying in every direction, he heard Lin Ran chuckle softly.
“Xiao Shi, the teacher is giving a lesson, and you’re daydreaming. That’s not what good students do.”
Shi Cha immediately flushed with embarrassment and forced himself to focus on the target 50 meters away.
“Alright. Shoot!”
At Lin Ran’s command, both of them released their right hands at the same time. The arrow traced an arc through the air—
—and missed the target completely.
Shi Cha pressed his lips together tightly, clearly displeased with the result.
Shaking off his earlier distractions, he focused intently on the target. “Again.”
“Okay.”
The second shot, the third, the fourth—each arrow scored better than the last.
Soon, the archery challenge at the field was complete.
When Shi Cha and Lin Ran rode the horse back, Lu Lecheng looked so upset that he could barely keep a straight face. He glared at Shi Cha fiercely—because of him, he hadn’t gotten a single second of camera time or any online attention.
And just as he feared, the livestream chat wasn’t talking about him at all.
It was all about Lin Ran and Shi Cha. Even Lin Ran’s most devoted solo fans couldn’t accuse Shi Cha of riding on his coattails—
After all, it was Lin Ran who had personally asked to ride together, and Lin Ran who insisted on teaching him archery.
When the main character hands out the sweet moments himself, even the fans can only choke back tears and eat them up.