The Disgraced Heir of the Wealthy Family Has Gone Mad - Chapter 13

Shen Muyun listened to the noisy sounds around him, feeling inexplicably irritable. Was it truly worth being this reckless for a victory that was ultimately optional? However, he did not have much time to think. This was a victory he had fought for with his life, and considering the contract that decided the fate of the Shen family, it was not a loss. It was not a loss at all.

After Himi felt an unusual pain, it accelerated instantly, as if it had gone mad. It neighed toward the sky and picked up speed. The distance between the two riders had been significant, but now, it had narrowed considerably. Zhou Shiqing heard the commotion behind him and turned to look. Seeing Shen Muyun charging up, he was shocked. The finish line was within reach. He could not possibly lose at this stage, as it would be a total humiliation.

“Damn it! Was it not supposed to be foolproof? It took so much effort to bribe the stable staff. What kind of method did this Shen Muyun use?” Zhou Shiqing gripped the reins and watched Shen Muyun cross the finish line. He jumped off his horse and, as if to vent his anger, kicked a wooden post, glaring viciously in the direction of Shen Muyun.

Himi had been impressive, flying across the finish line. The atmosphere at the track was instantly ignited by the crowd’s cheers, and the noisy discussions were incessant.

“Did you all see that? A madman naturally has a madman’s way of winning the championship. I told you this second young master of the Shen family would win! Who was it that talked about that bet? Was it 200,000 or something? Did they not say it was shared among those who saw it? Where are they now? Did they hide like cowards?”

“You people should stop. Did you not see Shen Muyun’s actions? Look, his horse has not slowed down yet. If this continues, who knows what will happen? There is a wire fence ahead. If he crashes into it…”

“Tsk, winning is all that matters, regardless of the means. Since he dared to do this, he must have been fully prepared. Just wait and see. As for the young master of the Zhou family, he was almost about to win. Hiss, how exciting! This kind of live competition is the most interesting. No one knows the outcome until the very last moment.”

The crowd buzzed with speculation. Shen Muyun did not have time to hear exactly what they were saying. He simply gripped the reins tightly, his body swaying left and right with Himi’s violent jolts. It was impossible to jump off the horse at such a high speed. As for the anesthetic, it was probably taking effect soon. He could see the wire fence ahead, but when he pulled on the reins with all his might, Himi showed no sign of turning.

Shen Liuyun and Lu Huainan watched Shen Muyun’s movements from the stand. They had thought he had a clever strategy, but it looked like he was acting with complete disregard for the consequences.

Lu Huainan jumped off the stand and casually mounted a horse. “Liuyun, go find a doctor quickly. I am going to chase after Muyun.”

Hearing Lu Huainan’s words, Shen Liuyun nodded. He frowned at the chaotic scene on the track and turned to walk toward the exit of the viewing stand.

Lu Huainan took a shortcut. He had roughly estimated Himi’s speed and path, and it looked like he would be able to intercept them.

Shen Muyun pulled the reins again, but no matter what he did, he could not stop Himi’s pace. The horse’s tremors became more intense, and Shen Muyun realized that the anesthetic was eroding Himi’s sanity.

“Brother Yun! Brother Yun! I am here!”

Shen Muyun glanced sideways and saw Lu Huainan, who had caught up to him. He felt his heart relax slightly. “When did you catch up? Be careful, the speed is too high.”

Himi’s stamina had reached its limit, and its swaying became increasingly erratic. Lu Huainan knew he had to seize the moment.

Before Lu Huainan could answer, he saw Himi falter, about to collapse. With quick reflexes, he pulled Shen Muyun toward his own horse. Himi, having exhausted all its energy, crashed down in front of them, kneeling on the ground and blinking its eyes innocently.

Shen Muyun looked at Himi, and a pang of guilt stirred in his heart.

“Huainan, quickly! Where are the veterinarians for this racecourse? The horse is injured and needs urgent treatment. Can it still run?”

“You are still worried about Himi? Check if you are injured first. Brother Yun, losing the race is nothing. Why were you so reckless?”

Shen Muyun paused for a moment. Why had he been so reckless? Was it for the contract? That did not seem like enough of a reason. It must have been his competitive nature taking over.

He steadied himself and checked his body. There did not seem to be any major issues. Fortunately, Lu Huainan had appeared in time, preventing any serious consequences.

Many people in the stands had witnessed this spectacle. Being gossips by nature, these noble heirs felt they had finally gotten the scoop they wanted.

“Hey, hey, did you see that? The young master of the Lu family, where did he come from? Look, the eldest young master of the Lu family is holding the second young master of the Shen family. That is so ambiguous! Could there be a relationship between them? No wonder the second young master of the Shen family rejected his engagement to Miss Lu. They really know how to play.”

“He jumped down from the stands. The Lu and Shen families are old family friends, so this should not be anything strange. Stop with that baseless gossip. This kind of relationship is not for us to know. If you are not afraid of being silenced, go ahead, but I have not lived long enough yet.”

“How is it not strange? Miss Lu caused a scene before. I heard that a few days ago, she even went to the Shen residence demanding an explanation. But they say both brothers refused to see her. Maybe their families share some unspeakable secrets.”

“You guys should gossip less. As long as the people are fine, that is what matters. Also, that horse is innocent. Something felt off just now. Did someone set a trap specifically for the young master of the Shen family? The state of the horse during the second half of the race was not right. It should be said that we owe it to Young Master Lu.”

Lu Huainan led the horse and gradually came to a stop. Shen Muyun let out a long sigh and jumped off the horse first.

He looked up at Lu Huainan. “Thank you for this time.”

“It is nothing. I felt something was wrong just now. It seems my sixth sense is still accurate. As long as you are not injured, that is all that matters.”

Shen Muyun was still somewhat shaken. Even with the frail body debuff, he could feel his heart racing and his head spinning, but fortunately, he could still endure it.

Lu Huainan waved his hand. “The doctor should be here soon, along with the veterinarian you are so concerned about. Himi’s injuries do not seem serious. I will go to the stables and come back later.”

As he watched Lu Huainan walk away, Shen Muyun finally came back to his senses. Out of so many people, why was it him?

The system seized the opportunity to appear in front of Shen Muyun, flashing with excited blue light. “Ding-dong, Host, you are truly amazing! To win under such circumstances, it seems you are indeed the most capable host. I will definitely boast about this to the other systems. Look, my eye for talent is top-notch.”

“System, stop blowing your own horn. You are top-notch at watching someone die without helping. If it were not for Lu Huainan, would I have broken an arm or leg today, or perhaps ended up in the ICU? Or maybe the mission would have ended, and you would be looking for the next big sucker.”

The system flew around Shen Muyun, looking left and right. “Host, you are wronging me. How could I watch you die without helping? All our systems have self-rescue features. However, this feature is still under development, so it is not very stable and requires cautious use. Besides, it can only be used once, and only in a life-or-death situation can it exert its maximum effect.”

Shen Muyun realized that the system was full of nonsense and actually provided nothing of substance.

“Dear Host, the system detects a fluctuation in Lu Huainan’s favorability. Favorability plus five. Do you two really have something going on? In the terms of the human world, this is called a hero saving a beauty. Ahem, no, that describes a man and a woman. Never mind, there are no other words, so let us just go with that. Will you fall in love with him?”

The system was direct and did not beat around the bush.

Shen Muyun’s face turned green. What was this about? Logically, this was just the friendship between old family friends; how could it lead to such nonsense?

Seeing that Shen Muyun did not speak, the system started talking to itself. “There are too many cases of heroes saving beauties, and most of them end with the beauty offering herself in marriage. This is my favorite trope! Host, in my opinion, you are not the type to forget your roots. You once promised the young master of the Lu family one thing, so could it be that you…”

Shen Muyun did not wait for the system to continue. “System, if you can speak, say something useful. If you cannot, then go to sleep or check Himi’s injuries for me. After all, it got hurt to help me win. I do not have time to listen to your nonsense here.”

“Host, do not worry. Himi’s injuries are not serious. The spot you pierced is only a pain point, and there was not much bleeding. Your technique was perfect. As for the anesthetic, it will metabolize after some rest. Animals’ self-healing and survival capabilities are far superior to those of humans. Rest assured, Himi will recover soon.”

Hearing that Himi would not suffer permanent damage from his actions, Shen Muyun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Muyun!”

Shen Muyun turned around and saw Shen Liuyun and Lu Huainan running toward him, followed by a doctor. The doctor looked familiar; although he was wearing a mask, Shen Muyun felt he had seen him somewhere before.

The system immediately whispered in Shen Muyun’s ear. “Host, given the original body’s condition, after such an exciting event, you should faint here. That is the only way to fit your persona. Persona OOC warning, character trait departure warning, plot deviation warning, beep-beep…”

“Is there no other way?”

The system flapped its wings. “They will be here in five seconds. Five, four, three…”

Before the system finished the countdown, Shen Muyun, albeit reluctantly, collapsed near a tree. “Hiss…”

He happened to graze the wound on his back, causing him to gasp and grit his teeth to endure the discomfort.

Seeing Shen Muyun collapse, the group rushed over.

“Muyun, how do you feel?”

“Brother Yun, Brother Yun, were you not fine just a moment ago?”

Shen Muyun heard their voices but remained motionless. “Bingo. The host is playing along well. Keep pretending. Good luck, Host.”