Chapter 29: - Speed and Love

The already cramped break room suddenly grew several shades darker. Jin Chao rose from his chair, walked over to stand before Jiang Mu, then leaned slowly against the desk just a step away from her. Jiang Mu lifted her gaze to him as he lowered his eyes, the ridge of his brows casting a shadow. Picking up a helical gear from beside him, he asked, "I heard you've been asking San Lai about me. Find out anything?"

Jiang Mu guiltily tugged at her backpack straps. Whenever she had a chance to be alone with San Lai recently, she'd always found roundabout ways to inquire about Jin Chao. But she could be indirect, and San Lai was even more evasive—sometimes their verbal dance could reach outer space, and in the end, she'd learned nothing.

Jin Chao held the gear by its center, giving it a light flick with his other hand. The gear began rotating slowly in his palm as he gave a slight smirk. "Why are you so interested in knowing about me?"

Jiang Mu watched the spinning gear, her voice muffled as she replied, "Because... it's you."

Jin Chao nodded, his tone carrying a distant chill. "That night I told you to come here less often. Seems you didn't understand."

Jiang Mu met Jin Chao's dark, profound eyes—so close, yet feeling like they stretched to unreachable horizons.

Her brows furrowed slightly, her dewy cheeks showing a youthful stubbornness mixed with defiance. Jin Chao spun the gear with one hand, the faint vibration emitting a subtle sound accompanying his low, magnetic voice: "You know perfectly well we're not related by blood. Though we lived together for a while when you were little, you were just a child then. Now..."

His gaze silently teased her, sharp eyes carrying a faint, floating light that seemed to carry tiny electric currents hidden in the air.

Jiang Mu had never been scrutinized like this by Jin Chao, nor had she ever seen this side of him—his entire demeanor exuding a careless looseness, flirtatious yet indescribably captivating. She felt her nerves suddenly tense, even experiencing an inescapable nervousness.

The gear in Jin Chao's hand didn't stop, his voice continuing to drift between them: "You keep coming here—have you considered what Jin Qiang might think? What others might say about you? Those who don't know might think there's something between us. I'm a grown man, I don't care, but what about you?"

Jiang Mu's heartbeat quickened. She never expected Jin Chao to so directly expose the nature of their relationship, laying their awkward situation bare. She pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes and heart filled with embarrassment.

Suddenly, the gear in Jin Chao's hand stopped. The break room grew so quiet they could almost hear each other's heartbeats. He gradually straightened up, his breathing drawing nearer until he bent down, trapping her within inches. His scorching gaze pressed down as his voice turned provocative: "Or do you want there to be something between us?"

Jiang Mu's eyelashes flew up, the light in her eyes trembling uncontrollably. Jin Chao placed his hands on either side of her, leaning close. His features were right before her—the curve of his lower eyelids when he smiled was overwhelmingly intense, piercing through her gaze straight into her heart.

Jiang Mu felt as if she'd been nailed to the wall, unable to move, even her palms growing damp with a thin layer of sweat.She stared at Jin Chao’s tightly closed lips, tinged with a faint flush of color, as if she had never observed him this closely before. The image of Jin Chao from the past was slowly fading in her mind, replaced by this vivid, tall, and utterly captivating man.

As if noticing her gaze, the corners of his lips curved upward, and Jiang Mu’s heart trembled in response.

…

Xiao Yang and Tie Gongji had no idea what Jin Chao and Jiang Mu had discussed behind the closed door of the break room. All they saw was Jiang Mu rushing out ten minutes later, her face flushed crimson, fleeing as if escaping a disaster.

From that day on, Jiang Mu didn’t return for a long time. Jin Chao couldn’t possibly have said anything harsh to her—ignoring her seemed ineffective, but he knew exactly how to make her retreat on her own, and it worked remarkably well.

Lately, Jiang Mu had indeed been hesitant to visit the auto shop. The moment she recalled Jin Chao’s scorching gaze, she wished she could burrow into a hole. Though she desperately wanted to erase that memory, it resurfaced several times a day—while eating, studying, or even sleeping—suddenly flashing into her mind. She could almost still catch the faint scent of mint on him.

Jiang Mu didn’t know that Jin Chao had been chewing gum that day. She just couldn’t understand how, despite doing dirty, exhausting work every day, he still carried that pleasant minty fragrance. Now, she couldn’t stand the smell anymore—the mere hint of it made her unbearably shy.

During a break between classes, Pan Kai offered her two pieces of gum. She casually popped them into her mouth, but as she chewed, the flavor grew increasingly familiar, and her entire face flushed red. Pan Kai asked in confusion, “Jiang Jiang, what’s wrong? Are you running a fever?”

Jiang Mu, flustered and embarrassed, spat out the gum. “It’s because of your gum.”

Pan Kai took out the gum box and examined it for a while, muttering, “It’s not expired. I just bought it this morning.”

For the rest of the class, the faint, sweet mint lingered between Jiang Mu’s teeth, and Jin Chao’s image haunted her thoughts the entire period. She felt as if she were under a spell—her perception of the brother she had grown up with was no longer innocent, and the thought filled her with overwhelming shame.

San Lai also noticed Jiang Mu’s prolonged absence. On Friday, he specially sent her a message, inviting her over for hot pot after school.

Jiang Mu made up an excuse, telling San Lai she wouldn’t be able to make it.

San Lai found it odd and went next door to ask Jin Chao, “What did you say to the girl? She won’t come over anymore.”

Jin Chao’s arm muscles bulged as he tightened a screw. He tossed the wrench aside and stood up, gazing thoughtfully at the bus stop across the street. “Yeah, I said something.”

San Lai tossed him a cigarette. “She’s all alone in Tonggang and has nowhere else to go.”

Jin Chao took the cigarette box, flicked one out, and tossed the box back. He held the cigarette between his fingers without lighting it, his voice low. “Once she starts digging into the past, it’s only a matter of time before she uncovers what I’m involved in now. She’s here temporarily—she can’t get dragged into this. Besides, I’ll often be away later, and she’ll eventually become suspicious.”

San Lai lit his cigarette in silence. Jin Chao glanced at him sideways. “What are you thinking?”

San Lai exhaled smoke and looked back at Jin Chao with a casual, roguish expression. “What could I possibly be thinking?”Jin Chao gave him a deep look before turning his gaze away, while San Lai lowered his head and smiled faintly.

The moonlight slowly climbed into the starry sky, and the streetlights flickered on. The night always felt so long...

Since Jiang Mu stopped going to the auto shop, she had been spending more time at Jin Qiang’s house. One day, when Zhao Meijuan returned from grocery shopping, she suddenly asked her, "Why don’t you go to Jin Chao’s place anymore?"

Jiang Mu awkwardly retorted, "Do you think it’s appropriate for me to keep going there?"

Zhao Meijuan said bluntly, "You’re not dating him, so what’s appropriate or not?"

"..." She had no comeback.

Jiang Mu had been desperately trying to adjust her attitude toward Jin Chao, but Zhao Meijuan’s words completely shattered her composure. That entire night, the phrase "dating him" echoed in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt, so she ended up burying herself under the covers and going to bed early.

One evening not long after, Jiang Mu took the bus back to Jin Qiang’s house as usual. Zhao Meijuan had already mentioned in the morning that she would take Jin Xin to the public bathhouse after dinner and asked if Jiang Mu wanted to join. Jiang Mu firmly declined.

Truthfully, she still couldn’t get used to their habit of frequenting the bathhouse. In her view, being naked and exposed among so many people was something she could tolerate once or twice a year at most. But the idea of regularly being in an environment where everyone was stark naked and openly looking at each other would utterly socially suffocate her.

Jin Qiang was supposed to be on the night shift that day, but when Jiang Mu entered the house, the kitchen light was on, and the range hood was humming loudly.

After changing her shoes, she called out, "Dad, aren’t you going to work?"

No one answered. Puzzled, she set down her backpack and phone and headed toward the kitchen, calling again, "Dad?"

The range hood’s noise stopped just as she was about to turn into the kitchen. A figure emerged, and Jiang Mu nearly collided with him. She looked up, and Jin Chao’s silhouette appeared before her so abruptly that she instinctively took a large step back. Her face instantly flushed red down to her neck, and her pupils dilated sharply.

Her reaction was so unusual that Jin Chao raised an eyebrow and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Jiang Mu took a silent deep breath and replied in an unnatural tone, "You… making fried rice?"

"Yeah, I brought medicine for Xin Xin. The prescription changed this time, and I was afraid they wouldn’t understand. No one answered when I called."

Jiang Mu’s gaze drifted toward the frying pan as she told him, "They went to the bathhouse. They’ll probably be back soon."

She stared at the fried rice because she was too embarrassed to meet Jin Chao’s eyes. Even though they used to spend time together often without any issue, after not seeing him for a while, suddenly running into him in this narrow hallway with no one else home felt awkward.

Noticing her fixed gaze on the pan, Jin Chao asked, "Want some?"

Jiang Mu’s mind felt sluggish, and before she could answer, the front door creaked open. Zhao Meijuan had returned with Jin Xin from their bath. Hurriedly, Jiang Mu replied, "No, thanks."

She then picked up her backpack and retreated to her room. Inside, she laid out her workbooks on the desk one by one. Soon after, Zhao Meijuan shouted from outside her door, "Mu Mu, your phone is ringing!"

Only then did she remember she had left her phone outside. She opened the door, walked to the shoe rack, and picked up her phone. Seeing it was Jiang Yinghan calling, she immediately answered and walked toward the kitchen doorway.Jiang Yinghan asked her how she had been recently, whether Tonggang was cold, then chatted about her own situation, saying she and Uncle Chris had already booked their flights and would return to China before the New Year.

While Jiang Mu was on the phone with her mother, she could occasionally hear Chris's voice in the background. Jiang Yinghan would ask her to wait while responding to Chris with a couple of sentences. It seemed there were other people around besides Chris. When Jiang Mu asked her mother who else was there, Jiang Yinghan listed a bunch of unfamiliar names she had never heard before.

Though only a few months had passed since they parted, Jiang Mu suddenly felt her mother was now very distant and had already built her own life, seemingly adapting quite well. She should be happy for her, yet she couldn't conceal a trace of disappointment in her eyes.

Distractedly listening to Jiang Yinghan describe the schools there, her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the living room. Jin Chao ate remarkably fast—he had already finished a plate of fried rice. Sometimes she felt Jin Chao did everything quickly, as if splitting each day into many segments to accomplish different tasks, forever racing against time.

Holding her phone, Jiang Mu's peripheral vision lingered on Jin Chao. It had been nearly half a month since they last saw each other. Jin Chao seemed to have gotten a haircut—short with a slightly messy yet sharp and stylish look. Although he dealt with grimy car parts and chassis daily, he always kept himself clean when not working. Objectively speaking, Jiang Mu thought Jin Chao could be considered the pinnacle of good looks in the auto repair world. Before coming to Tonggang, she probably wouldn't have noticed any mechanic, but after arriving, she found these highly skilled repairmen quite masculine. Of course, this dangerous thought originated from the person currently holding a pen.

Zhao Meijuan seemed unable to understand the doctor's prescription, so Jin Chao fetched paper and pen, explaining while handwriting a copy for her. His pen-holding posture hadn't changed over the years—still upright and efficient.

Jin Chao picked up Jin Xin's medication every month, partly because it was more convenient for him to go to the hospital, and partly because Zhao Meijuan and Jin Qiang couldn't decipher the prescription forms. This time, he delivered the medicine a week early since he would be away next week. He always made it a habit to visit Jin Qiang's home before leaving to settle necessary matters.

Zhao Meijuan asked, "Why are you getting it so early this month?"

Jin Chao swiftly copied the prescription while replying, "I won't be here next week."

Zhao Meijuan casually inquired, "Where are you going?"

Instead of answering, Jin Chao lifted his gaze toward Jiang Mu. Caught off guard by his glance, she froze in place, that same sensation of immobility from before returning. Clutching her phone, she hurried back to her room.

When Jiang Mu opened her door after working on some problems, Jin Chao had already left. A bag hung from her doorknob. She took it down and opened it to find a large package of beef jerky. Holding the beef jerky, her emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

Author's Note: Not everyone in this world can live as they please, nor can everyone make demands without restraint. Of course, if possible, perhaps everyone would wish to live that way.

I've seen some readers describe Jin Chao as reserved or difficult, which is a pity.From the moment we are born, certain paths are laid before us. The only thing we can do is walk them. On these paths, some choose to use others as stepping stones, some seek shortcuts by merging with others' lives, and there are always those who, even after being left isolated and unaided, manage to rise again and sprint forward on this thorny road.

Let us respect every kind of life.