He directly ordered his horse to stop, and that sure was one method.

"Haha, I'm still number one this year!" Jiutiao Zhenji held her head high and puffed out her chest, her pale, youthful skin almost convincing everyone she had truly returned to her twenties.

"It's because you cheat every year," Mrs. Kiyono chuckled.

"A win is a win; losers always make excuses for themselves."

"Winning by despicable means, but what about your actual skills?"

"Still better than yours."

"Shameless! We'll see when you stop cheating!"

The two ladies chatted happily, just like Dubian Che had been beside himself with excitement when he mounted his horse; they now let go of their status and bickered with each other.

"Did I just hear someone declare they're the 'World King'?" Zhenji rode over to where Dubian Che and the others were.

"That was me. The exact words were: 'Jiutiao Zhenji is the World King,'" Dubian Che said.

Zhenji flicked her whip, pointing at Dubian Che, "The Jiutiao Family is yours then."

"Did you hear that? Be good from now on," Dubian Che turned his head to say to Jiutiao Meijie.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, Meijie, you're the second king of the world."

"Mr. Dubian," Kiyono Youko's voice was soft yet threatening.

"Um—since Mrs. Jiutiao cheated, you, Mrs. Kiyono, are the uncrowned World King."

"Smooth talker," Mrs. Kiyono nodded, satisfied.

"What about me?" Brightened by the exhilaration of the horse ride, Kiyono Lin also joined the playful "persecution" of Dubian Che.

"No good, this is too difficult a question, ask another," Dubian Che said, laughing.

"That's difficult, too. Tomorrow you'll have to join Little Lian for the morning class," Lin replied with a smile.

"That's not acceptable either."

"Then back to kindergarten with you," she sang with an especially melodic tone, as if she was about to burst into song.

The five rode their horses leisurely through meadows, forests, and by the riverbanks, sometimes abreast, sometimes staggered, all the while chatting and laughing.

"Mr. Dubian," Mrs. Kiyono slowed her horse to match Dubian Che's pace.

"Hmm?"

"Are you planning to keep this horse in Tokyo, or will you leave it in Karuizawa?"

"Karuizawa," Dubian Che replied. "I'll come play with it every summer. Tokyo doesn't afford me that much time."

"Well, for your birthday next year, I'll buy you another one in Tokyo," Mrs. Kiyono said. "By the way, you should name your horse."

"World King," Dubian Che patted his horse's neck.

"What are you implying?" Mrs. Jiutiao slowed her horse, trapping Dubian Che alongside Mrs. Kiyono.

"I really meant nothing by it," Dubian Che spurred his horse, trying to catch up to the two ladies.

"Trying to run away?" Mrs. Jiutiao gave her rein a tug and chased after him.

"I really didn't mean anything by it," Dubian Che hurriedly fled.

A leisurely pursuit ensued, their horse's hoofs plodding along, and the other three joined in.

After the chase, the five hosed down their horses, fed them carrots, and fostered a temporary bond between owner and steed.

After a full day of riding, Dubian Che was fine, but the ladies were a bit sore in the derriere.

From the outside, however, it didn't show; they maintained their graceful demeanor, the epitome of elegant Tokyo high society.

On the way back to the villa, once they reached a secluded forest with no one around, several crows flew over their heads from the green branches, and they began to discuss the matter.

"It's been so long since I rode, my bottom hurts," Mrs. Jiutiao rubbed her tender posterior through her clothing.

"It'll be worse tomorrow, with aching backs and possibly even painful hips, might not even be able to handle stairs," Mrs. Kiyono worriedly predicted.

"Just ride more often, and you'll be fine," Meijie quickly recovered, with a look of someone who worked hard regularly.

During this quiet afternoon, only Dubian Che and Kiyono Lin were not part of the conversation.

Dubian Che had his reasons to pretend as if he hadn't heard, and Lin...

That evening, both madams and Kiyono Lin took a long hot bath and went to rest early.

In Dubian Che and Jiutiao Meijie's room, the big bed replaced the daytime lawn, playing the role of the equestrian field.

"How did you tame your horse today?"

"I can command creatures with lower intelligence," Dubian Che caressed her beautiful waist, unable to get enough of her.

"What's going on?"

"No good, it only works on animals, definitely not on people, unless they have intellectual deficits."

Jiutiao Meijie's hair, dark and magnificent like the ocean's waves, undulated around them.

After a while, gasping for breath, she said, "Who else knows about this?"

"Just you and me."

"Don't tell anyone." Jiutiao Meijie thought of something, "I shouldn't have told your mom about your situation in the first place; just the two of us knowing is enough."

"What's past is past, just like I couldn't possibly have shared these things with you back then, but now I've told you everything."

Jiutiao Meijie rolled off her horse and lay down.

"Come here, I'll rest for a while," she said lazily.

After going back and forth three times between the starting line and the destination, they finally rested.

They lay together, whispering.

"If you had such powers in ancient times, taming wild beasts, you might even become an emperor," Jiutiao Meijie said.

She was so innocent and adorable in bed.

"Why not in modern times?" Dubian Che hugged her and felt the warmth between their skins.

"What good would that do now, open a zoo, or a circus?"

"Maybe my power will grow? Maybe I can command people of normal intelligence."

"Maybe you already have that power."

"I wish I did."

"I seriously suspect you've secretly commanded me, or else why would I be so in love with you?"

"I'm suspecting you, too, secretly commanding me."

"So, how could your powers evolve?"

"Hoping for an evolution of my powers is less realistic than me coming up with a zombie virus that turns eighty percent of humanity into zombies, then controlling the zombies, ruling over the remaining twenty percent."

He stroked Jiutiao Meijie's hair and continued:

"And the remaining twenty percent would live happily ever after, leaving dirty and tiring work to the zombies, no wars, ample resources, and humans only need to enjoy themselves. Combining global resources, we might even develop interstellar civilization."

"When are you planning to implement this? I'll fund a lab," said Jiutiao Meijie, propping herself up to ask him.

"I have a better idea."

"What is it?"

"I'll whisper it to you, can't let anyone else hear," Dubian Che pulled Jiutiao Meijie into his embrace and covered her with the blanket.

He lowered his voice as if acting: "I plan to start researching artificial intelligence in college, develop black technologies, and then the whole world will be ours."

"Can you do it?"

"Looking down on a science student? I can even come up with a zombie virus! By then, I could also develop holographic projections, purchase the rights to games like 'Yu-Gi-Oh' and 'Pokémon,' and make a fortune with holography."

"I'm talking about ruling the world, what money do we need? I think you just want to play."

"We need funds to rule the world."

Their aimless chats were one of the daily amusements of life in bed.

The next day, apart from the two of them and Little Lian, everyone else indeed began to suffer from backaches.

"We're heading out to play! We're going to see a concert at the Karuizawa Children's School!"

"Phone, wallet, water, did you bring them?" Dubian Che asked.

Little Lian checked the small bag on her shoulder and the big water bottle: "Brought them!"

After eight o'clock, Little Lian rode her children's bike, eagerly leaving the villa and disappearing into the woods.

After Little Lian left, Kiyono Lin brought a hammock and tied it between the two chestnut trees in front of the door.

Enduring the pain in her body, she climbed up with difficulty and spent the morning reading inside.

Since both Mrs. Jiutiao and Mrs. Kiyono were too sore to stand up, lunch was prepared by Dubian Che and Jiutiao Meijie.

Dubian Che brought out a large grill and placed it in the yard; the charcoal fire blazed underneath while lamb legs, lamb chops, and some simple vegetables were roasted inside.

During the grilling, the two ladies sat in chairs, happily drinking brandy.

It was done in nearly an hour.

Delectable, crispy yet tender, they sliced the meat along the direction of the bone, sprinkled on some cumin and other spices, then personally delivered it to both Mrs. Jiutiao, Mrs. Kiyono, and Lady Kiyono.

The two ladies bit into piece after piece, savoring it immensely.

Contentedly clinking their glasses together, the pleasant sound of glass echoed throughout the woods.

Kiyono Lin lay in the hammock, holding a plate, looking at the clear green shade and sunlight; she blissfully rocked the hammock while eating the roasted meat, vegetables, fruits, and felt indescribably comfortable.

After finishing, she placed the knife and fork in the dish and had Dubian Che take it back.

She put a book on her still-flat stomach after the meal, closed her eyes, and began to nap.

They leisurely enjoyed each day of August, and occasionally, Dubian Che would think about the "Plan to Make the Lady Happy."

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