013 Hao Masailong and "Handsome Luo Cheng" Nie Yuan

“Giddy up, giddy up…”

Yan Li rode a chestnut horse, galloping freely along a dirt path about a hundred meters long. After several back-and-forth runs, he reluctantly reined in, still wanting more.

“Good horse, so obedient.”

Yan Li praised softly, gently stroking the horse’s mane with a friendly touch. The horse responded by raising its head high, curling its upper lip—an expression Yan Li had learned over the past few days signified happiness or excitement.

Besides that, a high tail and restless eagerness to approach someone were also signs of a horse’s joy or anticipation.

Of course, these behaviors had to be interpreted in context, considering the ears, eyes, and overall expression. A single action could have different meanings. For example, when a horse lightly lifts and taps its foreleg, it could mean excitement, irritation, or, in states of anger or fear, a brewing threat. The next step might be a heavier stomp as a warning; a more ill-tempered horse might even kick or bite.

Leaving the dirt path, Yan Li dismounted, retrieving some small carrots he had prepared from his pocket and fed them to the horse slowly.

The horse’s coat was entirely chestnut except for a distinctive white patch on its forehead.

Yan Li recalled from *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* that Liu Bei’s horse, Dilu, had a white spot on its forehead said to bring misfortune. Later, he learned that horses with white foreheads are quite common—it was just a trick by Luo Guanzhong.

Old Xu, one of the leaders of the horse team on *Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties*, looked on with a twinge of jealousy at the interaction between man and horse.

“Tiger now is closer to you than to me.”

“What a fine horse, and you give it such a lousy name. If you ask me, it should be called the Scarlet Ember Dragon Colt.”

Whenever Yan Li wasn’t busy filming lately, he would seize the chance to ride, and having grown familiar with Old Xu, he now felt bold enough to try persuading him to rename his closest horse.

Old Xu was dark-skinned and scruffy, taking a drag from the cigarette Yan Li handed him before exhaling a smoke ring.

“Last time, didn’t you say something about Sai Long Wu being a colt?”

“Sai Long Wu, the spotted colt—I actually prefer that name. But you said it didn’t sound good, so I thought maybe we could change it.”

Yan Li smiled; he had his own reasons for the names.

Whether Sai Long Wu or Scarlet Ember Dragon Colt, both were names of Yuwen Chengdu’s mounts, just differing by versions in novels or oral storytelling.

Like Li Yuanba’s steed, which had at least six or seven different names—Wanli Smoke Cloud Cloak, Wind-Chasing White-Spot Ten-Thousand Mile Cloud, or One-Character Ribbed Qilin, among others.

Perhaps the Phoenix Wing Gilded Spear was beyond the prop team’s capability in *Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties*.

Anyway, in the show, Qin Qiong wielded a halberd, Yuchi Gong a whip, Cheng Yaojin an axe, Li Yuanba and Pei Yuanqing hammers, Yang Lin had the Dragon-Capturing Staff, while Yuwen Chengdu only had a crude spear to make do.

Without a signature weapon, Yan Li could only find solace in the mount, at least to indulge himself.

“Call it whatever you like; I’m sticking with Tiger.”

Old Xu, cigarette dangling from his mouth, spoke casually. He wouldn’t care about renaming unless Yan Li bought the horse. Then he could call it whatever he wished.

“How much for Sai Long?”

Yan Li smoothly shifted the topic, unable to resist asking about the price.

Old Xu’s mention of buying the horse hit a chord with Yan Li. As said before, the horse was very close to him, and his rapid improvement in riding owed much to their mutual understanding.

Thus, Yan Li had grown somewhat attached to Sai Long and wanted to own him.

Old Xu glanced at Yan Li and smirked, “You can’t afford it.”

“You said horses live over twenty years; Sai Long is only seven. Just because I can’t afford it now doesn’t mean I never will.”

Yan Li had faith in his future—at least with the system’s help, he wouldn’t be struggling for a decade or so to buy a horse.

“Then keep saving.”

Old Xu stubbed out his cigarette, clearly not taking Yan Li’s words seriously.

Many actors came wanting to buy horses because they liked them or felt a connection, but none ever spent the money.

First, horses were expensive. Their mounts weren’t thoroughbreds, but neither were they rustic cart-pullers. They had undergone training for filming, and could continue earning money on set in the future.

Factoring in breeding costs and potential returns, the price skyrocketed beyond many’s reach.

Not to mention the upkeep—maintaining a horse in good condition for riding and galloping required facilities, labor, feed, medical care, and a host of expenses. Most simply couldn’t afford it.

More importantly, enthusiasm usually waned after a while. When the novelty wore off, people forgot about it.

Even those still interested could find many fine horses outside; no need to buy a mediocre one in Hengdian.

Yan Li didn’t argue with Old Xu. He affectionately stroked the white patch on the horse's forehead.

“Sai Long, just wait for me.”

As he spoke, a white horse galloped over, stopping nearby. The rider, a young man with a crew cut, waved at Yan Li.

“Yan Li, want to race a lap?”

Yan Li gently soothed Sai Long, who was restless at the stranger’s approach, and shook his head.

“No, I have something to do later. Another time.”

“All right.”

The other rider didn’t press the matter and cantered off. Old Xu watched the figure with displeasure at being ignored.

“Damn, who does he think he is?”

Yan Li paused but said nothing, quietly continuing to feed Sai Long carrots.

That young man was Nie Yuan, who played Luo Cheng in *Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties*, the second male lead after Huang Haibing’s Qin Qiong.

Although Yan Li and Nie Yuan had little screen time together, their shared practice sessions had made them familiar.

Nie Yuan’s career was on a rapid upswing. After gaining fame last year in *Marrying the Wrong Bride*, he starred as Qianlong in CCTV’s New Year drama *Granary of the World* this year, his popularity soaring to that of a mainland rising star.

Even in the *Heroes of the Sui and Tang* cast, despite Qin Qiong being the lead, the cold-faced, sharp spear-wielding Luo Cheng was immensely popular.

Moreover, the production was deliberately promoting Luo Cheng’s character.

The original *Sui Tang Romance* depicted Luo Cheng with questionable morals, but the script removed all negative aspects, shaping him into a figure reminiscent of Yue Fei and Zhao Zilong. Yan Li personally felt the role outshone Qin Qiong’s.

Thinking about this always stirred a pang of bitterness in Yan Li’s heart.

Luo Cheng shed his flaws and gained virtues, while Yuwen Chengdu lost the few bright spots he had and was utterly ruined. Different fates within the same cast.

Putting that aside, Yan Li had a good impression of Nie Yuan.

They shared a love of horseback riding and were close in age, giving them common ground. Plus, Yan Li was a somewhat notable actor in the troupe and could claim a bit of face, so they got along well.

Another key factor was the system:

[Daily Intelligence X: Nie Yuan recently chatted amicably with Yan Li during a horse race, finding him pleasant company and willing to meet up more.]

[Daily Intelligence X: Nie Yuan was delighted when Yan Li shared his insights on horse battle scenes, viewing Yan Li as a loyal and straightforward friend.]

A person’s outward demeanor can be feigned, but inner feelings cannot be hidden.

For Yan Li, regardless of how friendly or distant someone appeared, he valued the system’s direct readings of their true feelings.

As for others in the troupe, opinions on Nie Yuan were mixed.

At his career peak and still young, he was flattered both inside and outside the group, which sometimes made him a bit arrogant.

That was normal; anyone else might be the same or worse.

But reasonable people were few, and many had experienced his pride firsthand, so the general impression of Nie Yuan was complicated.

Yan Li’s private relationship with Nie Yuan was decent, so he never spoke ill of him behind his back.

When others grumbled about Nie Yuan, Yan Li would smooth things over when convenient; if not, like with Old Xu, he’d just pretend not to hear and stay out of it.