During middle school, Pan Kai had a phase where he was obsessed with the motorcycles at the arcade. However, games couldn't compare to the thrill of reality. When he heard about the excitement of tracking and locating, he immediately rushed over. Jiang Mu was already fully geared up waiting downstairs. Taking the helmet Pan Kai handed her and straddling the bike, she said to him, "You ride first, I'll tell you where to go."
Pan Kai replied with a fierce demeanor, "No problem, leave it to me."
Seeing his posture, Jiang Mu thought to herself, "This is steady."
But as soon as the motorcycle turned onto the street, Jiang Mu immediately deflated. Having experienced Jin Chao's speed and skill, suddenly riding on Pan Kai's motorcycle and watching electric scooters whizzing past them, she said helplessly, "Is your bike out of gas?"
Pan Kai said sheepishly, "I don't ride often, give me some time to adjust."
Watching the red dot getting further away, Jiang Mu grew increasingly anxious. However, Pan Kai was struggling to keep up. It wasn't until they left the city limits that he dared to speed up a little. Fortunately, when they reached the eastern suburbs, the red dot stopped moving and didn't continue further.
Jiang Mu zoomed in on the map and showed it to Pan Kai, asking him what kind of place it was. Pan Kai said strangely, "There's nothing there, just wasteland. Why would anyone go there?"
As they got closer to the red dot, Jiang Mu reminded him, "Slow down, don't get spotted."
Pan Kai replied confidently, "Don't worry."
With fewer people and vehicles around, they followed the navigation onto a newly built, deserted road. The ride was smooth and unobstructed. Pan Kai suddenly got excited, like an unbridled wild horse, with a rhythm that seemed unstoppable. The cold wind whistled past, creating a cool, wind-rider vibe that he was intoxicated in. So when a car with its lights on was parked by the side of the road ahead, he even shouted, "Jiang Jiang, look, there's a GT-R over there."
"..."
Amid his yelling, Jiang Mu saw the low-key black car under the night sky. The asphalt road seemed newly paved, with no streetlights or plants on either side. The car was parked abruptly by the roadside with its headlights on. Jiang Mu spotted Jin Chao leaning against the car door at a glance, a cigarette in his mouth, the glowing ember cutting through the dark night. His expression was obscure as he tilted his head, staring in the direction they were coming from. And then that idiot Pan Kai rode right past him in front of Jin Chao.
Rode, right, past, him!!!
Jiang Mu was horrified, shrinking behind Pan Kai and covering her face with her hands, complaining angrily, "I told you to slow down and not get spotted!"
Pan Kai was still vigilantly looking around, "Huh? Were we spotted?"
Two car honks sounded from behind. Pan Kai stopped and looked back, then checked his phone—the locations had overlapped. He suddenly shuddered and exclaimed, "Damn, we've been spotted."
"..." Thankfully they weren't in a battle, or they'd already be dead.
Jiang Mu said irritably, "Let's go back."
What should have been a simple U-turn turned into Pan Kai struggling to make the turn, forcing him to take a big loop along the empty, deserted road before heading back toward the GT-R.
It wasn't until they got close that Pan Kai recognized Jin Chao and exclaimed excitedly, "Seventh Day Brother, so it's you!" Yo, what a coincidence."
At this point, Jiang Mu just wanted to stretch out her arm and strangle him first as a sign of respect. Jin Chao frowned, watching him approach without slowing down at all, and reminded him, "Brake."Pan Kai seemed to snap back to reality abruptly, slamming on the brakes hard but not quite managing to stop in time. Jin Chao lifted his right foot and pressed it against the front wheel of the motorcycle to help, stopping it just a meter short of the GT-R.
Jiang Mu was thrown forward by the momentum, crashing straight into Pan Kai. Instinctively raising her hands, she slapped Pan Kai squarely on the back. The force sent Pan Kai lurching forward, bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle to Jin Chao, who stood in front of the car.
Jin Chao lowered his leg and said flatly, "No need to bow. I don’t have any money."
Pan Kai straightened up quickly, grinning cheekily. "I’ve got it, I’ve got it. Seventh Day, whatever you want to eat, it’s on me."
Jin Chao ignored him and turned his gaze to Jiang Mu, who grew even more awkward, unsure how to arrange her expression. Stiffly, she said, "If I told you Pan Kai and I were just out looking for a barbecue place, would you believe me?"
Jin Chao unhurriedly pulled an old phone from his pants pocket, spinning it once in his palm. Jiang Mu’s heart sank as she heard him say to her, "Aren’t you getting off?"
Jiang Mu obediently climbed off Pan Kai’s motorcycle, removed her helmet, and handed it back to Pan Kai. Head lowered, she walked over to Jin Chao, wearing a guilty expression. Jin Chao tilted his chin slightly, signaling her: "Get in the car."
Jiang Mu walked to the passenger side and opened the door. She saw Jin Chao say a few words to Pan Kai outside, and Pan Kai nodded repeatedly before bending down to wave at her. Then he wobbled off on his little motorcycle.
Jin Chao shook his head at the sight of him swaying left and right, then opened the door and got in. His dark eyes turned to Jiang Mu, carrying an infuriating sense of pressure. Jiang Mu silently averted her gaze, hearing him speak: "It only takes half an hour to get here, yet you waited over an hour for me. You really had the nerve to ride with him."
Jiang Mu guiltily shifted her eyes to the window. "You knew it was me?"
"Didn’t know."
Jin Chao restarted the car. "So I waited to see who would show up."
Then he shot her a sharp, piercing glare. "Feeling bold now?"
He tossed the old phone onto her lap. Jiang Mu gritted her teeth, unable to say a word, her face burning with shame.
The night grew deeper, the car speeding along a dark road. Even with the high beams on, the path ahead remained pitch black—an unfathomable future, an invisible end, a road continuously swallowed by darkness. This was Jiang Mu’s feeling at that moment, her most genuine impression of Jin Chao.
The atmosphere in the car was unbearably tense, and Jiang Mu felt as if a heavy stone were pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
In the quiet night, on the empty street, alone with Jin Chao, she suddenly felt reckless. Turning to him, she said, "I overheard what San Lai said to you. You’re going to do something reckless, something that might cost you your life. Maybe you think it’s ridiculous, but ever since I arrived in Tonggang, I haven’t been able to stay calm about this. Do you find it hard to understand? Hard to understand why I’m so worried about you? Maybe you just see me as a childhood playmate. Maybe you think I’m only here for a year of school, and once I leave, I’ll have nothing to do with you. Is that it?"Jiang Mu's voice trembled slightly: "Of course you wouldn't understand. If you did, you wouldn't have refused to come see me all these years. I waited through the summer of the second year, the third year, the fourth year—you never returned. The letters I wrote you, you never replied, not even one. From elementary to middle school, then middle to high school, I knew you wouldn't come back. Still, I'd periodically return to our old neighborhood and write my contact information on the bulletin board in the building, afraid you might suddenly return and not find me.
Later, I even wondered if you'd forgotten me. I really hated cram school and endless homework, but I didn't dare slack off. I was afraid if you came back someday and saw my terrible grades, you'd be disappointed..."
Jin Chao's impenetrable gaze finally flickered with a subtle shift.
Jiang Mu sniffled, emotions running high: "So I came out today just to know you're safe. Think I'm being sentimental or meddling if you want. I've said what I needed to say. Take me back now. I won't do these stupid things anymore."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jin Chao suddenly told her: "Fasten your seatbelt."
Only then did Jiang Mu realize the car had unconsciously accelerated. Earlier on the main road, she'd thought this car looked quite ordinary, but now the engine roared to life. She hurriedly pulled the seatbelt across, unsure what was happening. With Jin Chao stomping on the accelerator, the intense G-force pinned Jiang Mu against her seat, making her heart race wildly.
Clicking the belt into place, she saw Jin Chao's eyes narrowed, brows tightly furrowed. The roar of other cars came from behind. When Jiang Mu turned to look, two vehicles were tailgating them closely. Jin Chao swung the steering wheel hard, veering off the bare slope onto another road. "What's going on?" Jiang Mu cried out in alarm.
Jin Chao's expression was tense, his eyes sharply focused ahead as he instructed: "Hold on."
With those words, he abruptly swerved without warning, the car lurching from the straight road into an abandoned construction site. One pursuing car failed to react in time and overshot, while the other followed them in.
A trace of wild ferocity gleamed in Jin Chao's eyes as he drove Jiang Mu through the bumpy, uneven site. Jiang Mu gripped the car handles with both hands, staring intently at the pursuing vehicle, too nervous to blink.
After about ten minutes of high-speed driving, they approached a residential area with some late-night food stalls still open. Jin Chao spun the wheel, making a U-turn that scraped past a large tree. Jiang Mu's heart nearly leaped out of her throat.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, Jin Chao tossed it to Jiang Mu: "Do you know what a navigator is?"
"I know—but not really."
"Congratulations, you're now my navigator. The unlock code is our birthdays. Find the Numbers app, open the pinned group's location info, and tell me which way to go."At that moment, two more cars shot out from the same intersection. One immediately cut in front, deliberately blocking Jin Chao's path to clear the way for the other vehicle. Jin Chao began swerving left and right, and the car in front mirrored his movements. Even secured by her seatbelt, Jiang Mu was thrown about violently, her organs rattling inside her. She couldn't steady her phone and saw the car ahead roll down its window to flip Jin Chao the middle finger. Another car was hot on their tail. To make matters worse, the lead car kept tapping its brakes to force Jin Chao to stop, nearly causing several rear-end collisions that left Jiang Mu drenched in cold sweat. Her hands trembled uncontrollably—she mistyped her passcode twice, completely bewildered about what was happening, her mind in a daze.
Jin Chao reached over and gripped her hand firmly. "Don't be afraid. Just do as I say. Can you manage?"
His large hand suddenly transferred a surge of strength to her, slightly steadying Jiang Mu's panicked nerves. He gave her hand a tight squeeze before quickly withdrawing it. Jiang Mu struggled to stabilize her phone screen, input the familiar digits, and unlocked it. She tapped open a numeric-labeled app, and sure enough, an unread message popped up in a temporarily formed group chat. The group had over twenty members, all muted, with only one location pin shared. Jiang Mu quickly opened it—the destination was about a dozen kilometers away.
She anxiously told Jin Chao, "There's no specific address. The map just shows an empty plot."
"No problem. Tell me the direction."
"Head southwest."
The moment she spoke, Jin Chao made a sudden turn that nearly sent her phone flying. Jiang Mu clutched the device with both hands, eyes glued to the screen. "The destination is now at three o'clock. Wait."
She rapidly zoomed in on the map, scanning quickly. "There's a road 400 meters ahead. Turn right."
Before she finished speaking, Jin Chao had already swung into the road she indicated. The pursuing car remained close behind. Jin Chao instructed Jiang Mu, "Distance and curve angle."
"15 kilometers, northeast direction, 40-degree curve. Turn right after 700 meters."
"Your geography lessons paid off."
"8 kilometers, southwest corner, 45-degree curve left after 500 meters followed immediately by a 50-degree curve right."
Jiang Mu gradually calmed down, ignoring the chaos outside the vehicle. Her fingers continuously zoomed in and out of the map, her entire face scrunched in concentration, not daring to relax for a second. "Note there's something... some unknown structure around 800 meters ahead. Three possible routes around it—similar distances, can't assess road conditions."
"Pick one."
Jiang Mu glanced back—the pursuing car was still following and had closed the gap significantly. Her limbs went numb, but her mind suddenly sharpened. The map transformed into a detailed 3D model in her head. An idea struck her: "Circle around that structure. When we reach the eastern side, take the second road at a 90-degree angle."
"Your call."
Jin Chao floored the accelerator. Jiang Mu braced for this critical moment, hoping to shake their pursuers.
Sure enough, a derelict structure appeared ahead—unmarked on the map. The road was enclosed by high walls, perpetually sunless, with icy patches glinting on the surface. Jiang Mu straightened up and shouted, "Black ice ahead!"Jin Chao remained expressionless and drove straight ahead. The car behind, seeing that Jin Chao had no intention of stopping, followed him for another lap. But just then, Jin Chao suddenly jerked the steering wheel into a turn, released the handbrake while accelerating—his movements fluid and practiced. The car sharply drifted into the second lane of the curve. Jiang Mu didn’t even process how they’d made it through, only feeling as if her internal organs were about to be flung out of her body. As soon as they entered the curve, she hurriedly glanced back at the pursuing vehicle, only to catch sight in the rearview mirror of it losing control on the icy surface and crashing straight into a building.
In an instant, Jiang Mu’s heart seemed to stop. She gasped, "The car behind crashed—what do we do?"
Jin Chao didn’t slow down. "Distance?" he asked.
Jiang Mu kept repeating, "That person crashed."
"Tell me the distance."
Her hands and feet turned cold, and the phone in her trembling hands shook. She shoved it closer to her eyes and reported, "Exit the curve, eleven o’clock direction, 800 meters to the destination."
"Listen to me now. Once we’re out of the curve, follow my count. When I count down to one, you take the wheel."
Jiang Mu felt as if her soul were about to leave her body. "How?" she stammered.
"With your hands. Ten, nine—"
The car burst out of the curve, and Jiang Mu was horrified to see roughly three vehicles charging toward them from all directions, heading the same way. "Jin Chao, look!" she cried.
"Seven, six—"
Jin Chao kept his eyes fixed ahead as the car abruptly swerved onto a sandy patch of ground. Jiang Mu felt him turning the wheel wildly; tires kicked up clouds of dust, and the entire area became shrouded in a thick haze. With visibility nearly zero amid the swirling sand, the two approaching cars slowed their pace—only one kept pace alongside them.
"Three, two—"
Suddenly, Jin Chao flung open the driver’s side door. With a final "One," Jiang Mu threw herself toward the driver’s seat and grabbed the steering wheel. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jin Chao gripping the doorframe, his body leaning out of the vehicle. To the left was a crumbling brick wall, from which hung a bag. In that moment, everything around her seemed to shift into slow motion. He’s insane, was Jiang Mu’s first thought. The scene felt so surreal, as if she’d stepped into some implausible movie.
In less than a second, Jin Chao snatched the bag. Just as he started to pull the door shut, the tires hit an uneven patch of ground, jolting the car violently. Jiang Mu fought to steady the wheel, and the car scraped past the brick wall. Jin Chao retook control, tossed the bag to Jiang Mu, and ruffled her hair with a grin. "Well done, good girl."
Jiang Mu’s throat was dry; her fear hadn’t subsided in the slightest. She turned and saw the car that had been racing alongside them come to a sudden stop. Its window rolled down, revealing a man with a closely shaved head who flashed her a "six" gesture with his fingers before giving up the chase.
Ahead, at the edge of the sandy stretch, a row of cars sat parked, all with high beams on, illuminating the night brightly. Jiang Mu whipped her head around to look at Jin Chao, who appeared completely unruffled. Slowing the car, he said to her, "Stay close to me and don’t say anything unnecessary. Let’s get out."With that, he slammed the accelerator and roared the car to a stop. Jiang Mu followed Jin Chao out of the vehicle. Everyone’s eyes fell on the bag Jiang Mu was holding. Instinctively tightening her grip, she quickly moved to Jin Chao’s side, watching the others warily.
Jin Chao took the bag from Jiang Mu and casually tossed it to the man leaning against the Ferrari, who wore a headscarf.
The man caught the bag and handed it to a young man beside him. "Didn’t you say you weren’t coming today?" he asked.
Jin Chao shrugged nonchalantly. "Wasn’t planning to. A few of Wan Sheng Bang’s lackeys spotted my car on the street and went crazy, forcing me onto this path."
The man in the headscarf remarked, "You guys, keep your personal matters out of the alliance."
Jin Chao’s expression turned defiant. "I’m just here for the money. Take it up with him."
The headscarf man’s gaze swept over Jiang Mu before returning to Jin Chao. "This isn’t according to the rules, You Jiu. You know what happens to outsiders brought here."
Jiang Mu nervously shifted an inch closer behind Jin Chao, only to be abruptly pulled into his embrace. He laughed and said, "She’s not an outsider. She’s my woman. Lately, she’s been suspicious that I’m seeing someone else, saying I sneak out every night. If I keep hiding it from her, she’ll break up with me."
The crowd around them burst into laughter. Jiang Mu snapped her gaze up to Jin Chao, only to find his demeanor completely transformed. His smooth features now carried a careless smile, his eyes exuding a roguish charm. When she looked at him, he glanced down and murmured, "Still mad at me when we get back?"
His voice was coaxing, soft and low, like that of a seasoned charmer. Held tightly against him, Jiang Mu’s heart raced even faster than before. The mix of truth and pretense left her momentarily dazed.
Someone nearby chimed in, "Didn’t expect You Jiu to be so hung up on a girl. One threat of a breakup and you’re wrapped around her finger."
Jin Chao lifted his eyes to meet the speaker, his tone laced with playful insolence. "How could I bear to let her go when I’m so crazy about her?"
Another round of laughter erupted. The sound of Jiang Mu’s heartbeat muffled her hearing. Jin Chao subtly squeezed her shoulder, and she lowered her gaze, her body stiff. Only his firm grip kept her from trembling visibly.
The headscarf man retrieved an envelope from the car and tossed it to Jin Chao. "Go on, make it up to your little girlfriend."
Jin Chao caught the envelope and handed it directly to Jiang Mu. Clutching it, she felt her chest burn with tension.
A man across from them offered Jin Chao a cigarette. Releasing Jiang Mu, he leaned down to light it. People around them continued to eye Jiang Mu—women in leather boots, edgy girls smoking—all exuding a mature, seductive aura. In contrast, her innocent appearance felt utterly out of place. The awkwardness of the situation washed over her once more.
After lighting his cigarette, Jin Chao tossed the lighter to another man and took Jiang Mu’s hand, enveloping her soft, cold fingers in his palm. Jiang Mu felt as if she had finally found a lifeline, instinctively leaning closer to him. Anxiously sticking by his side, she watched him navigate the crowd with ease—his demeanor oozing the casual, street-smart swagger of a seasoned player. He effortlessly traded jokes and risqué banter, a stark contrast to the stern, meticulous man she knew from the auto shop.She had been led by Jin Chao's hand since her toddling days, but after all these years, his palm had grown broader and more powerful. The thin calluses brushing over the back of her hand quietly soothed her emotions in this chaotic place.
Author's Note: Comment to enter the red packet giveaway.
Recommended reading: "After She Left, the Immortal Lord Descended Into Madness" by Bai Qie Rou
"To love someone is to be willing to give them the best things in the world, including yourself." This was what Immortal Lord Gu Xici said to Miaomiao.
"Then I give myself to you, Gu Xici." And so she sacrificed everything she had.
Miaomiao loved most to see the noble, pristine immortal lord in white robes repeatedly lose his composure because of her. Even though this love had to remain hidden, even though removing her tendons and corroding her bones for him brought unbearable pain, she didn't care in the slightest.
Until she fell into the Chaos Corpse Pile, hanging on by a thread, being gnawed until her body was broken and tattered amidst the stench of corpses. She watched helplessly as the man she considered her entire world blocked a killing blow for another woman, spitting blood.
Without even glancing her way.
And that woman, delicate and pitiful, shared seventy percent resemblance to her in facial features.
That day, a strange phenomenon occurred in the heavens. The Vermilion Bird wept tears of blood. Miaomiao exhausted all her strength to burn herself into a brilliant firework, vanishing from Gu Xici's world without a trace of attachment.
...
The Vermilion Bird's rebirth required burning every drop of blood and fragment of bone. When Cheng Miaomiao awoke again, she had been completely reborn.
Only upon waking did she learn she was originally the revered princess of the Vermilion Bird Realm. Before she could even take form, she had been captured and locked in a cave, foolishly serving as a substitute for a hundred years.
Now, restored to her true identity, she shone with dazzling beauty, captivating countless heroes across the four seas.
One night, a thief broke into the princess's chamber. The Night Pearl illuminated the intruder's face, causing everyone present to break out in a cold sweat.
The usually aloof Immortal Master Gu Xici restrained his emotions, his typically dark and calm eyes fixed intensely on her, pupils showing signs of demonic possession.
His voice was hoarse: "Miaomiao, I..."
A sword pierced through his collarbone. The little spiritual beast Miaomiao, who had once wept softly in his embrace a century ago, now held the sword and gazed coldly at him, her eyes filled with mockery.
"What gives you the right to address this princess so familiarly."
This was the first time Gu Xici had ever appeared disheveled before others.
And it certainly wouldn't be the last.
...
Miaomiao didn't know that after her rebirth, Gu Xici had gathered her ashes, his eyes tinged red as his spiritual energy ran wild and he went on a killing spree. That maddened appearance resembled not an Immortal Master, but a demon from the depths of hell.
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solutions between 2021-09-13 15:36:54 and 2021-09-14 12:01:24~
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