Chapter 309
At the polo field in Oriar, Phoebe was unaware that Maddox’s family members were all curiously watching her on the television screen. Seeing that Maddox had brought them over, she smiled and greeted them. When the two people saw Phoebe, they excitedly shook hands with her. At the same time, they sighed inwardly; up close, their goddess was even more beautiful than she appeared on camera. She needed no beauty filters; she was the epitome of natural beauty.
The two men introduced themselves: Gavin Kalman and Albert Twain. Phoebe smiled and asked, “You two know each other?”
Gavin replied, “Yes, we were childhood friends. We came to Oriar for a vacation a few years ago. After watching the polo match, we fell in love with it.” “Then, we went to the polo field to learn, and after that, we would come to Oriar’s polo match every year to join in the fun. If a team wants us, we’ll participate. If we’re not chosen, we’ll be spectators.” They mainly came for the enjoyment of the sport, not solely for competition.
Phoebe nodded. “It’s good you two are acquaintances, as you can cooperate better. We’ve successfully formed a team. Let’s register first and then choose our horses.”
The two nodded. “Alright, we’ll rely on you to carry us to victory.”
Phoebe immediately knew Maddox must have told them that. She chuckled, abandoning her modesty. “Alright, I’ll bring you guys along.”
The group went to register and then to the stables at the back. The polo field provided horses for the match, but they needed to choose one themselves. There were more than a hundred horses in total; they could choose whichever one they liked. As long as the problem wasn't caused by the horse itself, they were responsible for any other safety issues during the competition. When they signed up, everyone signed a safety agreement.
Maddox moved closer to Phoebe, smiled, and said, “Pheebs, please help me choose a horse that suits me.”
Phoebe looked at him with a faint smile. “You don’t know how to choose?”
Maddox said happily, “The horse you choose must be the best. I trust your judgment more.”
Phoebe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Oh, you!” But instead of teasing him, she continued as he asked. “Alright, I’ll help you choose a horse too.”
The smile in Maddox’s eyes held a hint of sweetness. “I knew you were the best.” This scene made the Hooper family, watching the live broadcast, feel mushy.
A male cousin of Maddox laughed out loud. “Tsk tsk, I didn’t expect our little tyrant to be so clingy.”
Another male cousin said, “I remember Maddie started learning to ride before he was ten years old. He even raised a few horses with rare bloodlines on the family’s horse farm. But he said he didn’t know how to pick a horse. He must be joking.”
The female cousin from before said, “Otherwise, why would he be called Pheebs booster? Didn’t you hear him say what Pheebs chose was the best?”
Another male cousin sighed. “This is love.” He smiled and added, “He even said he knew she was the best, with a coquettish tone. Is he still the younger cousin I know?” The others sighed. “I’ve never seen him like this either.”
The female cousin chuckled. “What do you know? Maddie is the type of guy who’s like a little puppy dog. They can easily win the affection of outgoing and formidable girls like Pheebs.” She paused. “Previously, I had thought Maddie might have the most difficult time finding a girlfriend among all my cousins. Who would have thought that he would be the best? He can switch between being a tough and domineering man and a cute and innocent boy at any time. And he’s also good-looking. Which woman can resist him?”
Then, she thought, ‘I can tell it from how Pheebs treats Maddox. She’s so tough on her annoying ex-boyfriend and brothers. Although she’s nice to people on good terms with her, she doesn’t dote on them. But she pampers Maddie so much.’
Maddox’s male cousins were stunned. “Maddie can change like that? Well then, he’s so good.” After all, if it were them, they couldn’t switch between being a tough guy and a cute boy at any time.
The female cousin looked at them, who were still single, smiled, and said, “That’s right. You guys should learn more from Maddie in the future.”
The single male cousins didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Alright, let’s take some time to watch the live broadcast for the next two days and learn more from Maddie.” The elders were also surprised and amused, thinking, ‘Maddie has broadened our horizons.’
In the stables, as soon as Phoebe and the others entered, a well-built and mighty white horse suddenly took the initiative to run to Raylan and rubbed its head against his shoulder affectionately. Raylan reached out and stroked its head, then mounted his horse. Then, he said to Phoebe and the others, “This is my horse. I won’t choose others. You can choose yours.”
Phoebe was shocked when she saw the white horse Raylan was riding. This horse was only gentle to Raylan; the ferocity in its eyes and aura seemed to tell everyone it was a superior horse. Phoebe’s eyes darkened as she took another look at Raylan, who was sitting on the horse with an additional devilish charm and coldness. The more she looked at him, the more mysterious she felt he was. She even had an unbelievable suspicion in her heart.
Raylan felt Phoebe’s gaze and calmly met her eyes. He asked Phoebe, “Do you have a horse you like?” He knew that with Phoebe’s eyesight, she should have found a horse she liked when she entered the stable just now.
Phoebe’s gaze returned to normal. She smiled and said, “Looks like you know me quite well. I do have a horse I like. Let’s go pick it now.”
Raylan nodded. “Okay.” Then, Phoebe chose a purplish-red horse for Maddox and a black horse for herself.
Andrea could feel that Phoebe favored Maddox more. There was a vibe between the two of them that they could not interfere in. Therefore, she did not ask Phoebe for help; instead, she chose one herself. The other two also chose their favorite horses. The six people chose very quickly. Therefore, only after they had finished registering did Sienna and Cain follow a group of people and come in.
When they saw Phoebe and the others, neither of them greeted them. Instead, they chatted and laughed with their teammates as they went to choose a horse.
Gavin and Albert were surprised to see Sienna join that team. After they walked for a while, Phoebe asked them, “Do you know this team?”
Gavin replied, “Yes. It’s the champion of the previous two polo competitions.” He then added in a low voice, “This team is famous for being fierce. Many teams that competed with them were injured. The angles at which they injured people each time were tricky, making it appear like the injuries were accidental, so they weren’t penalized. We faced them in a competition last year and were eliminated. Two of our teammates were injured, and it felt like they did it deliberately. It’s just that they didn’t leave any evidence behind when they hurt others, so even though some people went to complain, they failed.”
Phoebe asked, “Will their team members change before?”
Gavin said, “Yes, only four of them are fixed. They would choose the other two on the spot. And they would use these two as bait to target their opponents. Their teammates were also injured in the last two years. I heard that after receiving the prize money, they would take 90% and only give 10% to the other two. If the two people who joined at the last minute are unwilling, they will teach them a lesson. That’s why people who often come to the polo match won’t join them. They’re always looking for new people. I wonder if they found Sienna and Cain this time or if those two people took the initiative to find them.”