MWC – Chapter 173 Romance in the Stables

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

At the foot of the grassy slope, a little figure stood beside a chestnut-colored steed, applying ointment to the horse’s wounds while tears streamed down her face.

Although Jennifer had not yet turned sixteen, she was already about 1.7 meters tall. However, the horse stood nearly 2 meters high, with a large build. Standing next to it, she naturally appeared small and delicate in comparison.

Lu Ming approached and furrowed his brow. The red steed had several visible scars on its body and legs, many of which appeared to be festering. If it were a human, the pain would have likely been unbearable, causing them to scream in agony. While animals generally have less-developed pain receptors, it was easy to imagine that the horse was still in considerable pain.

Nevertheless, the horse was very intelligent and knew that its young owner was caring for it. Forgetting about its own pain, it affectionately nudged Jennifer with its head and happily swished its tail.

“Shh,” Lu Ming made a gesture, and the female officer in an apricot-red uniform quickly bowed as she hurried over, lowering her voice. “Hello, boss!”

“You’re Bi Xiaoting?” Lu Ming asked, though he had somewhat forgotten what Jennifer’s assigned officer looked like. Although he suspected this was Bi Xiaoting, asking was safer than potentially embarrassing himself later by mistaking someone else.

“Yes, boss!” The young woman smiled sweetly, clearly not offended by the fact that he didn’t recognize her. Her almond-shaped eyes curved in a charming way when she smiled, and she was quite pretty.

“Is this the place you arranged for Jennifer?” Lu Ming asked.

This was a stable at the Old City Racetrack.

“Yes, boss! After what happened, I felt that Fifteen Tai’s horse shouldn’t stay in Zheng Zhongshi’s stable anymore, but my abilities are limited. I’ve contacted several stables at Xinfadi Racetrack, but none of them were willing to take it. So, I had no choice but to contact the Old City stables. I’m sorry!” Bi Xiaoting bowed again, looking genuinely remorseful.

Lu Ming nodded.

In Donghai, like in the former Hong Kong, licensed trainers monopolized the industry with fixed quotas. New trainers could only replace retired ones.

The Xinfadi Racetrack had a total of thirty-six trainers, each owning a stable. Each trainer had a large team, and when they retired, their stables were passed on to their most capable or favored disciples.

The owners they worked with were typically either wealthy or influential.

Zheng Zhongshi was a champion trainer, having held the title for five consecutive years. His horses had won the most races in those five years.

Last year, Zheng’s horses won more than 200 races out of the 800 held at Xinfadi, including five wins in twelve Grade 1 events. This was an astounding win rate.

The prize money was astronomical, even though 60% went to the owners and the rest covered the stable and team costs.

However, Zheng’s income placed him among the top echelons in Donghai society, with a social status that was as high as it could get. He frequently mingled with the elite.

According to the rules at Donghai Racetrack, each trainer’s stable could house a maximum of 80 horses, and the quota was limited.

Every horse owner wanted their horses trained by someone like Zheng Zhongshi.

For those not in the horse racing circle, it’s hard to imagine his status, but Lu Ming felt that Zheng was likely much more respected in the horse racing world than Lu Ming was in the legal profession, as Lu Ming hadn’t yet undergone long-term trials.

Most nobles and social elites were involved in horse racing, and it wasn’t common for them to interact with lawyers.

Since Zheng Zhongshi’s horses were involved in an unpleasant incident, no other stable at Xinfadi would accept them.

The fact that Bi Xiaoting had managed to find a stable at Old City was already a great accomplishment.

“Princess’ Love” was injured and needed professional care. Although the Old City Racetrack had declined in prestige, it still had ten stables and a professional racehorse hospital.

“You’ve done well!” Lu Ming smiled at Bi Xiaoting.

He became serious and looked at her. “When Chief Murong Xue told me about your encounter, she was vague. I believe she was trying to protect your reputation, hiding some details. Now, tell me everything. What exactly happened? When they took you to the mountain, did they do anything inappropriate?”

Bi Xiaoting froze for a moment, then lowered her gaze to her feet. “No, really, they didn’t do anything.”

“Alright, then I don’t have any further questions!” Lu Ming said, intending to call out to Jennifer.

“Boss, it’s like this…” Bi Xiaoting bit her lip. “Actually, some of it was my fault. I shouldn’t have gone to see Zheng Zhongshi in the name of your officer, but I couldn’t get to see him any other way. The people who dealt with me were just stable hands, and one of them told me he was an officer for a Northern District legislator, but I didn’t mention which one.”

Lu Ming nodded.

“Then someone really brought me into his office. But when he saw me, he suddenly asked me to take off my clothes. He said he had slept with many women but had never been with a legislator’s officer, and that just hearing ‘legislator’s officer’ excited him. He even commented on my uniform…”

Bi Xiaoting lowered her head. “He said a lot of hurtful things. He told me that if I obeyed him, he would train ‘Princess’ Love’ well and not let his disciples handle it. I was shocked at first, but later I realized what was happening. I seriously told him that my boss is a very powerful lawyer, and that what he was saying was sexual harassment. I would send him a legal letter.”

“He just laughed and said, ‘A lawyer, huh? Fine, I’ll make a phone call.'”

“He called someone and told them to take me away, saying he had already arranged a meeting with you, or not with you, but with your boss. I thought he meant you, and that the issue with Fifteen Tai’s horse would be resolved. I got into the car with his people.”

She spoke even more quietly. “Actually, I was just excited that you would see how hard I was trying. I didn’t expect it to be a scam…”

Lu Ming nodded. “So, from beginning to end, he didn’t physically harass you, and he only tricked you into going to the mountain.”

Bi Xiaoting whispered, “Yes, when I got to the mountain, they only verbally threatened and intimidated me, but they didn’t do anything. I was really scared, so I apologized and wrote a letter of repentance, basically saying I wouldn’t harass Zheng Zhongshi again.”

“When I got back, I consulted with lawyers from other firms, and like you asked, they said since he didn’t really harass me and only tricked me into the car without forcing me, and on the mountain, they only intimidated me with words, and I wrote an apology letter not to harass him again, I couldn’t really sue him. I could only sue those few thugs for intimidation, and even then, it would probably just end in an apology. There’s also the risk of damaging my reputation, so…”

Lu Ming nodded. According to current legal principles, this was indeed the case.

At this moment, a sudden cheer was heard.

It was Jennifer, who had been concentrating on tending to the horse. She turned her head and, upon seeing Lu Ming, immediately ran toward him in joy.

She was dressed in a snow-white female rider’s uniform, wearing a pretty pink riding helmet, exuding a sweet and pure charm like candy. As she reached Lu Ming, her eyes suddenly reddened, and she said, “Little Jenny… Little Jenny was beaten like this…”

Looking at her pitiful expression, Lu Ming felt a twinge of discomfort in his heart.

She had grown up in a sheltered environment, lacking survival skills. Now, with her beloved father gone, the one he had entrusted her to, herself, was someone she feared and had no love for, as she had just been assigned an official. She was abandoned without concern.

Now, it was as though she were a child being bullied, yet, she didn’t even know who to turn to for help.

She must have been crying every night these past few days, probably thinking of her father.

Moreover, someone must have told her not to cry in front of others, so even if she felt wronged, she didn’t shed a tear in front of him.

“Who beat little Jenny? I’ll go back and scold him…!” Lu Ming had intended to say he would retaliate, but he changed it to “scold him,” not wanting to scare the delicate young lady. He also felt a bit helpless inside.

“Mm!” Jennifer nodded vigorously.

Lu Ming gently smoothed out the messy strand of hair beneath her pink helmet. It was clear that some tears and dust had mixed, leaving her once pristine and noble appearance now a bit dirty for the first time.

“These past days must have been really hard on you,” Lu Ming sighed softly. “Your father is gone, and if you ever feel wronged, come talk to me, alright?”

Jennifer froze for a moment, then looked up at him, her eyes becoming even redder.

Lu Ming gently continued to smooth out her tangled hair.

Unable to hold back any longer, Jennifer suddenly threw herself into Lu Ming’s arms and began to cry loudly.

Lu Ming gently held her, listening as her cries grew louder, gasping for breath, sobbing “I miss my father” and so on.

Lu Ming’s heart ached, and he softly patted her back. Although he wasn’t sure how to comfort her or what to say, he thought that this gentle pat was some form of consolation.

After a while, Jennifer’s crying slowly turned into sobs, eventually stopping. However, she still didn’t dare to move, and she subtly turned her head as if to check her own face.

Perhaps, after venting her grievances, she remembered someone had told her not to cry in front of others.

Lu Ming smiled and patted her shoulder. “Alright, little Jenny, don’t kick me, thinking I’m bullying you.”

With a small gasp, Jennifer hurriedly pulled herself away from Lu Ming’s embrace to check on the horse. When she saw that the horse hadn’t moved, she finally relaxed.

Lu Ming slowly took a few steps forward and gently stroked the red horse’s brown coat. The horse’s eyes met his, soft and gentle, as if it could sense the kindness and compassion from the person before it.

“These are all external injuries. After some rest, it’ll be fine. I’ll build a stable for you later, hire a few dedicated grooms, and let them enjoy playing every day instead of racing. Oh, but wait, these top-quality racehorses probably need a goal to work towards. So, let’s just compete with ourselves…”

“Mm…” Jennifer nodded vigorously.

“Oh?” Lu Ming turned around and saw a tall, thin man standing next to Bi Xiaoting.

Bi Xiaoting quickly took a few steps forward and arrived in front of Lu Ming. “Boss, this is the owner of the stable, Ma Zengli.”

The man also stepped forward, extending his hands with a smile. “Mr. Lu, it’s an honor to meet you.”

Lu Ming reached out and shook his hand, smiling slightly. “You have a good surname, and ‘Zengli’ is a great name!”

Ma Zengli smiled and replied, “Many people say that, but to be honest, Mr. Lu, my surname is my original one, and I changed my name after entering this industry.”

Lu Ming nodded. “There are 46 recognized stables in Donghai that can participate in professional races. You own one of them, and you’re also one of Donghai’s 46 trainers. You’re quite accomplished in this field.”

Ma Zengli smiled bitterly. “Mr. Lu, you’re too polite.”

The thirty-six stables at Xinfadi Racetrack were much more prestigious compared to the ten stables at Laocheng Racetrack.

Lu Ming smiled again. “Anyway, thank you for taking care of Princess’s Love and giving it a small stable.”

“Of course, of course!” Ma Zengli laughed nervously.

Having a beautiful foreign aristocratic girl like Jennifer as a patron was enough to make someone like him humble and even go out of his way to please.

“You take care of little Jennifer,” Lu Ming smiled at Jennifer. “I’ll go back to the law firm. Later, a staff member will come to replace Bi Xiaoting. I have some use for her.”

“Oh…” Jennifer’s face immediately turned sad.

Lu Ming realized it too. Not only was he leaving, but he was also taking away Bi Xiaoting, who had built a trusting relationship with her and was probably seen by her as her only current friend. Naturally, this was a blow to the little girl.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “How about this, Bi Xiaoting!” Lu Ming waved at her. “You go to the Niusika Grand Hotel across the street, book the best rooms, and then call the law firm. Ask Wang Da’an to arrange for my apprentices to come over. Also, let Murong Xue know that I’ll be working from the Niusika these days.”

Bi Xiaoting, who was already accustomed to taking out her notebook, carefully jotted down the instructions. After the boss finished speaking, she nodded, bowed deeply, and quickly jogged away.

“I’ll stay here with you, okay?” Lu Ming smiled at Jennifer.

Jennifer immediately nodded happily but then shyly said, “Master, you don’t have to stay with me. You need to work. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“How could that be? What work could be more important than my little Jennifer?” Lu Ming said, before freezing. Where did he learn that from? Had he watched too many cheesy TV dramas in his past life?

Jennifer’s face turned red as she lowered her head, both delighted and shy.

As for Ma Zengli, seeing the two exchanging sweet words, he had already made a gesture to excuse himself and returned to his office on the second floor of the stable.

_{ughhh. I Gagged, in case you didn’t notice.}