A Ride at Dawn

In the hushed moments before sunrise, a relaxing stillness blankets the world. It is a time when the sky remains draped in indigo, and the stars twinkle their last goodbyes before giving way to the coming daybreak.

In this mystical break between night and day, nature takes a deep breath, gathering its energy for the grand show about to unfold. The world holds its breath as if waiting for the first touch of sunlight.

The darkness is softened, and the world is painted in shades of deepest blue.

The only sound that dotted this stillness was the rapid clopping of hooves as the breeze passed by a racing stallion. The birds, always on time in their daily routine, haven't yet begun their beautiful singing.

In this in-between hour, the world seems to be filled with the unspoken promise of the coming day.

The magnificent black stallion, its sleek ebony coat glistening even in the twilight hours, trots gracefully, its powerful muscles rippling beneath the sheen of its coat. With every stride, the stallion's hooves send up sprays of frosty dew-kissed grass.

On top of this noble creature sits a stoic rider, their posture unwavering, a silent show to the unspoken bond between them.

The rider's attire, a show of the wealth and culture of the old ways. Their eyes, sharp and deep, threatening to see into one's soul, take in the beauty of the countryside with a quiet reverence.

Together, horse and rider journey through the rolling and winding paths, their presence a picture of power, dignity, and a connection between man and beast.

But for the rider, the unspoken promise of the day was a heavy burden. Good and bad, known and unknown.

This young handsome groom was none other than Xuan Yang.

No matter what the day brought, he was committed to following through with it. Just being out of the Wang mansion was like a breath of fresh air—being out from under his family's nose.

He felt like in this brief period he wasn't tied down and roped with the pressure of being the young master of the Xuan family. But he wasn't free of them yet.

He might never really be free of them.

In less than two incense sticks, his family would come to the Nanshan estate. From his grandparents to his parents, they would all be present once again.

Luckily, his half-brothers and half-sisters from his father's concubines wouldn't be included in the play to come. They wouldn't add to the confusion.

Just having the adults was enough of a pressure on him. Existing in their presence was always a challenge for him. He was the only son of the main wife of the Xuan family head.

Although outsiders didn't know, he was also the only son—including the concubine's children—who had their precious ancestral blood. The scales on his lower back were proof of this.

He had the strongest blood in the entire Xuan family for generations. The only person he had ever met who rivaled his bloodline was his partner and Xuan's servant, Xuan Jian.

Xuan Jian was brought back to the Xuan family as an orphan, so the origin of his bloodline was unknown. But only he—Xuan Yang—and Xuan Jian knew that Xuan Jian had scales in a hidden place.

A place only the two knew of.

If the Xuan family knew, it would be good for Xuan Jian, the family might officially adopt him, and free him of his servant status. But then, the two would become brothers in the Xuan family tree.

Their love was already forbidden, they didn't need another barrier they couldn't overcome. Another mountain they couldn't cross.

The upright rider of the stallion in stunningly detailed and elaborate clothing sat upright on the stallion, galloping between the town of Yilin, and the Nanshan Mountain village. He looked stoic and handsome, but one wouldn't know this usually refined and serious man was lost in thought.

Xuan Yang sighed, dropping his intimidating façade for a minute before correcting his posture. He and his stallion made their way past the reclaimed land surrounding Yilin town and headed deeper into the more wooded area before Nanshan Mountain.

The chilly January weather kept the path clear and a bit sterile, but still beautiful in its own way.

Unknowingly as he exhaled the turbid breath that was formed as he thought of his "family," Xuan Yang felt lighter, and almost excited for this new chapter in his life.

He thought of the ger's face, and while he wasn't filled with disgust, he wasn't filled with love or longing or anything like that. But he was excited to join with this ger and welcome him into his Xuan family.

"What a strange little…" the ger wasn't little at all, "…what a strange ger."

Xuan Yang was completely unaware of the smile that quirked the corner of his lips as he whispered the words into the world.

He was VERY excited to welcome the ger into his family. Not to be a bed companion, or because he wanted someone to lord around in his home, like Lady Xuan, his nominal mother did.

He was most excited about not needing to hide in front of the ger. The ger couldn't know who his true partner was, but at least the ger…Xu Feng was okay with him being with another lover who wasn't an official concubine.

He thought back to the ger's words as the smile on his face bloomed fully. A breath of fresh air on his handsome face. Making him look younger and filled with surging vitality.

["Mhmm," Xu Feng acquiesced as he paused a few feet away, "you can bed whoever you want, whenever you want, so long as I regularly get your seed as well. Once a week should suffice, the more frequent the better. I have a deep colored mole…"]

Even the way Xu Feng scrunched up his face and showed new expressions Xuan Yang had never seen when he made the most vulgar claims was endearing in a strange way.

The ger must have strong blood indeed.