After Jin Chao emerged from the bathroom, Jiang Mu was pressed against the inner side of the bed. The room had darkened, and Jin Chao's figure gradually approached. Jiang Mu didn't dare look at him, only feeling the mattress dip beside her as he lay down.
The bed was truly small, similar to the one in Jin Chao's old room, except back then they were both children. Now, Jiang Mu couldn't ignore that beside her was a grown man who made her heart flutter. More importantly, after what had just happened, she had become extremely sensitive.
She turned on her side, nestling against his arm, and asked, "Have you used it before?"
Jin Chao, half-leaning against the headboard, countered, "Used what?"
"That."
Neither spoke further. After a long pause, Jin Chao finally replied, "With whom?"
Jiang Mu buried her face against his tense arm and murmured, "How would I know? Brother San Lai said you were very popular in school. I heard girls from other schools even came looking for you."
Jin Chao lowered his head, his thick lashes casting shadows over his deep, pool-like eyes. When he focused on someone, his gaze was particularly tender, flowing with a soft radiance. "Why are you eating unnecessary vinegar?"
Jiang Mu muttered, "I'm not. It's just that you seem so experienced, unlike me. Without experience, I wouldn't know anything."
Jin Chao broke into a full laugh, pulling her closer and whispering in her ear, "Thank you for the compliment."
Then he added, "I'm a natural talent. I thought you should've realized that when we were kids."
Jiang Mu admitted Jin Chao had more natural aptitude than her in many things. Perhaps clever people could learn anything at a glance—like when they tried cutting paper window decorations together. It was their first attempt, but hers turned out ragged while his were neatly done. But matters between men and women weren't like cutting paper decorations.
Seeing her dazed expression, Jin Chao rubbed his chin against her forehead and said, "You don't need to understand. I'll teach you slowly in the future."
In the quiet of the night, Jin Chao's sweet words fell by her temple, becoming the most soothing lullaby.
He was rational about relationships. Even when faced with someone as bold and proactive as Wan Qing, he would still weigh the pros and cons. Whether learning skills or making money at Wan's place, Jin Chao would never sacrifice his freedom there.
Yet, despite his rationality, he had acted impulsively with Jiang Mu on the rooftop that day. The alcohol wasn't enough to affect him, and moreover, in many people's eyes, they were taboo siblings. Compared to Wan Qing or other women, Jiang Mu's position was even more awkward. But he had done it anyway—it wasn't a simple decision. Jiang Mu even wondered: if she and Jin Chao couldn't make it work in the future, how would he face Jin Qiang? How would they interact when they met?
That was why Jin Chao had told her to wait until she sobered up that night—as if once they took this step, marriage would be the only outcome.
Jiang Mu chuckled. Jin Chao glanced sideways at her clinging closely to him and asked, "Aren't you hot?"
Jiang Mu nodded. "A little."
"Then why stick so close?"
Jiang Mu lifted her head. "Have I stuck to anyone else?"
"..."
Jin Chao got up, brought the fan from the lounge, set it to low, and lay back down, pulling her to his side again.
Jiang Mu's hand rested on Jin Chao's waist. The fan blew against his loose clothes, and she looked up to ask once more, "Has the competition date been confirmed now?"
Jin Chao's gaze was hidden beneath his slightly lowered lashes, hard to read clearly, as he simply replied, "Soon.""Is it just you and Boss Wan's people competing?"
Jin Chao said thoughtfully, "No, there are others. This kind of race is rarely organized, so many people participate, and the prize money is high. My matter with Wan Sheng Bang is just being settled incidentally through this race."
From Jin Chao's tone, Jiang Mu sensed the scale seemed quite large. She couldn't help asking, "What kind of race is it?"
"Mountain road obstacle race."
Jiang Mu's heart skipped a beat. "Obstacle race? You mean they set up obstacles on the road? Isn't that very dangerous?"
Looking at her worried face, Jin Chao said lightly, "I can get the map and obstacle locations in advance. I'll just avoid them when the time comes."
Jiang Mu was surprised. "Is that possible? How did you get them?"
Jin Chao stared at her silently for a moment before saying, "Officer Lu will give them to me."
Jiang Mu immediately understood. "You mean besides you, there are others in the organization working for Officer Lu?"
Jin Chao gave an "Mm" of acknowledgment.
While feeling excited, Jiang Mu also felt somewhat relieved. At least Jin Chao wasn't fighting alone. But her curiosity was wildly piqued. "Then do you know those people? The accomplices lurking in the shadows?"
Jin Chao laughed and repeated, "Accomplices lurking in the shadows? What kind of description is that? It's not that mysterious - everyone just has their own needs. Since Officer Lu approached me, he must have approached others too. To uncover that smuggling ring's secrets, with me taking the lead, someone has to coordinate with me. Everyone has different uses. This kind of thing is sensitive, and we still have to operate here afterwards. No one wants their activities exposed."
Jiang Mu finally understood. When Officer Lu arrested a group of street racers, he didn't just approach Jin Chao but others too. So now in the Alliance, besides Jin Chao, there were others helping the police. Everyone provided different information, but to avoid being sold out, having their identities exposed, or affecting their future reputation, they didn't contact each other directly. Instead, Officer Lu integrated the information.
For example, in this race Jin Chao was participating in, while the course seemed dangerous, someone had already obtained the race information in advance. This way Jin Chao could avoid unnecessary dangers and had better chances of winning than others.
Since the anti-smuggling unit hoped to use Jin Chao to infiltrate the upper levels, they would naturally protect him covertly and not leave him to fight alone. Once Jiang Mu understood this layer, she gradually felt more at ease.
Knowing the stakes involved, she found it quite thrilling and asked another question, "So you don't know who in the Alliance is helping you either?"
Jin Chao pondered for a moment before replying, "Can't be certain."
"Can't be certain" probably meant he had some idea who it was, but for mutual benefit, such matters wouldn't be openly discussed.
While they were chatting, Jiang Mu's hand had unknowingly slipped under Jin Chao's clothes and was pressing back and forth against his abdomen where the wind had lifted his shirt.
It wasn't until Jin Chao could no longer ignore her touch that he fell silent for a moment and asked, "Looking for treasure on my abdomen?"
Jiang Mu said seriously, "I'm just pressing to see why it's so hard here?"
Although Jiang Mu was referring to his abdominal muscles, the word "hard" coming from her mouth sounded like a command. Jin Chao suddenly sat up, startling Jiang Mu. "What's wrong?"He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her and said, "I'm going to have a smoke. You go to sleep first."
As he straightened up and reached for the cigarettes on the bedside table, his eyes happened to fall on that damned box of condoms, so he took them along as well.
The faint moonlight cast a silvery glow over the shed roof in the backyard. Jin Chao sat on the steps, a cigarette held between his left fingers, the tobacco slowly burning away. The fire in his heart was raging just as fiercely. He had always considered himself a man of restraint, especially when it came to women. Only today did he realize that was only because he hadn't yet met a woman who could make him lose his self-control.
His life now was hanging by a thread. What would happen after tomorrow? He had no absolute certainty. He couldn't bear to let her go, yet he couldn't bring himself to touch her either. There were too many considerations, each one capable of setting off a chain reaction.
He knew all too well what remained when love had been worn away. Jiang Yinghan and Jin Qiang were the most realistic examples—endless arguments, resentment, even treating each other like enemies, cutting off all contact for life.
He couldn't let Mu Mu live such a life. She was so afraid of marriage, yet so yearning for a family. He couldn't let her life be swallowed up by the struggles and toil of daily existence.
After all, she was still young—a girl of eighteen or nineteen experiencing her first love, naive and full of passion, trusting him unconditionally. But he couldn't afford to be reckless, taking advantage of her youthful impulsiveness.
He had to admit one thing San Lai had predicted was right: he had rejected too many women who threw themselves at him, and now that the one he truly wanted had appeared, his retribution had come.
Jin Chao took a deep drag of the cigarette, letting the smoke fill his lungs. He stared at the glaring little red box in his hand, the torment of loving yet not being able to have her unsettling his mind. He raised his hand and threw the box into the trash.
Jin Chao sat alone for a long time, calming himself down. Fortunately, by the time he returned to the room, Jiang Mu was already asleep. With her eyes closed, she looked so peaceful and well-behaved. He leaned down, kissed her, and pulled her into his embrace.
...
Jiang Mu had fallen asleep close to dawn, probably exhausted from all the craziness earlier in the evening. In her drowsy state, she felt Jin Chao get up very early. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard Tie Gongji's voice. Struggling to get up, she washed up and smoothed out her messy hair, then called out to Jin Chao, who was standing in the repair shop, "I'm up now."
But when Jin Chao came in later to call her for a meal, he found her collapsed on the bed again. To avoid messing up her hairstyle, she was lying face down on the bed, her face buried in the pillow.
Jin Chao was genuinely worried she might suffocate herself, so he pulled her up. Jiang Mu sat on the bed with her eyes closed, swaying unsteadily.
Normally, Jin Chao would have tried to wake her up completely, making her get out of bed to eat before going back to sleep. But today, he was unusually indulgent. He went out, brought the food in, and let her lean against his chest. He brought the food to her lips and said, "Open your mouth. You can't expect me to feed you at your age, can you?"
Jiang Mu chuckled with her eyes still closed and obediently opened her mouth.
Back when she was in kindergarten and even before, Jin Chao had fed her countless times. But being fed by him at this age was a first. She relished being pampered by him, as if she had truly returned to her childhood days when she could depend on him wholeheartedly.
After filling Jiang Mu's stomach, Jin Chao stood up and asked her, "Still sleepy?"
Jiang Mu nodded, her eyes blinking drowsily a couple of times. "When I have nothing to do, I usually can't wake up fully."Jin Chao lifted the corner of his mouth: "Then keep sleeping."
After saying this, he took the bowls and dishes out. Tie Gongji and San Lai were eating at the folding table by the auto shop entrance. Seeing Jin Chao come out with empty bowls, San Lai clicked his tongue and said: "Spoil her, just keep spoiling her. When she turns into a second-class invalid, you'll have plenty to worry about."
Jin Chao tossed the bowls onto the table and retorted: "None of your damn business."
After Jin Chao left, Jiang Mu scrolled through her phone for a while, but before five minutes had passed, her eyelids grew heavy. She dropped her phone, turned over, and went back to sleep.
She didn't know exactly how long she slept, but she was drawn into a broad embrace—solid and warm. Without opening her eyes, Jiang Mu lazily burrowed into this familiar chest, unconsciously letting out a soft murmur. As her hair was gently stroked, she nuzzled her face against his chest in contentment.
In her drowsy state, Jin Chao told her: "Xiao Yang is taking the day off today and won't be coming over. I need to go out for something and might be back late. Sleep peacefully, and if you wake up and decide to go back, remember to lock the door."
Jiang Mu shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist, refusing to let him go. Jin Chao lowered his head to kiss her hair, coaxing softly: "Be good. I'll take you out to play tomorrow, alright?"
Only then did Jiang Mu nod and release him. Before leaving, Jin Chao placed a light, fleeting kiss on her lips. He stood by the door watching her for a long moment before finally turning to leave.
After Jin Chao left, Jiang Mu's sleep became restless. She had many bizarre dreams—in one, it was already the next day, and Jin Chao came to pick her up to go out. She wore a pretty little dress as he arrived in that battle car, parking across the street to watch her. Jiang Mu shouted to him, but Jin Chao remained unmoved, instead stomping on the accelerator until the car vanished before her eyes. She frantically chased after him, then the scene suddenly shifted to their old neighborhood from years past. Jin Chao had transformed into his childhood self, holding up the Night Pearl to light her way. Suddenly, with a "bang," fireworks exploded in his hands. Jiang Mu screamed in terror, but thick smoke billowed everywhere, and she couldn't find Jin Chao no matter how hard she searched. When she finally broke through the layers of mist and saw him, he had returned to his current self, standing on that wild slope where he'd taken her after the last street race. She rushed toward him, but just as her fingertips brushed the edge of his clothes, he leaned backward and fell off the cliff. Jiang Mu shrieked, jolting upright in bed.
When she opened her eyes, it was still light outside. A fine layer of sweat coated her forehead, and her body trembled slightly. Instinctively, she checked her phone—nearly 4 p.m. She had actually slept for over three more hours.
Jiang Mu stumbled drowsily into the bathroom to splash water on her face. When she looked up, she saw her reflection in the mirror—her eyes were swollen from sleep, and her eyelids twitched irregularly.
Leaving the bathroom, everything in the room appeared normal. Yet, perhaps because of the series of absurd dreams, Jiang Mu felt unsettled. Suddenly remembering something, she climbed onto the bed and pushed open the window. The shed courtyard stood empty—the GTR Jin Chao had driven back with her last night was gone.
Jiang Mu collapsed back onto the bed, her expression dazed. Yesterday, Jin Chao had called a taxi to bring her to the outskirts, only driving the car back late at night. Logically, driving that car in the city during daytime was risky and not road-legal. So how could it have disappeared?Jiang Mu got out of bed and put on her shoes again. Shandian heard the movement and came in from the lounge, circling around her feet. Jiang Mu bent down to pet him. After all, he had just been bathed last night, his fur still carrying the fragrance of shampoo. But as she continued stroking him, her movements gradually slowed.
Although Tonggang's summer days were scorching, the nights after sunset carried a distinct chill, with significant temperature differences between day and night. Since the incident with Shandian, his constitution had weakened considerably. Jin Chao always chose to bathe him on sunny afternoons to prevent him from catching a chill. So why had he suddenly decided to bathe Shandian so late last night?
The more Jiang Mu thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Was everything just a coincidence? He had given her an unforgettable birthday, taken care of Shandian upon their return, given Xiao Yang the day off today, and then? What was he planning to do?
Her body froze at the lounge doorway as a terrifying suspicion suddenly surfaced in her mind—that race, the decisive race, might very well be today.
Leaning against the doorframe, she took out her phone and called Jin Chao. The call connected quickly, his voice coming through the receiver: "Awake already?"
There seemed to be strong wind on his end. Jiang Mu didn't ask where he was, simply responding with "Mm," her fingers gripping the doorframe tightly as she spoke: "You said you'd take me out tomorrow, right?"
Time stood still for two seconds—two endless seconds that felt like an entire century—before Jin Chao's voice sounded again: "I'll try my best."
Jiang Mu's eyes reddened, but she didn't let him detect any abnormality in her voice, maintaining a light tone: "Then I'll wait for you... You won't break your promise, will you?"
Without waiting for his response, she continued: "I hold grudges. If you break your promise, I'll never speak to you again."
"Understood." His voice was heavy as he uttered these two words.
After hanging up, Jiang Mu leaned against the doorframe, clutching her phone tightly in her palm. Perhaps this was exactly why Jin Chao hadn't told her—afraid she would worry like this, nearly going mad with anxiety, unable to rest for even a moment. She couldn't return to her father's home; that would only make her more restless. Staying here, she might at least wait for Jin Chao to finish.
She repeatedly told herself it would be fine—just another race. Jin Chao already knew the route and obstacle positions. With his skills and mental fortitude, he could definitely handle everything. Maybe he would return before midnight.
Despite these thoughts, she couldn't control her restless anxiety. Jiang Mu decided to leave the auto shop to find something to do. After raising the rolling shutter, she discovered San Lai leaning back in a recliner by the entrance, cracking sunflower seeds. Hearing the noise, he turned and looked at Jiang Mu in surprise: "You're still here?"
Jiang Mu replied absentmindedly: "Where would I go?"
San Lai turned his gaze back to the bustling street and continued cracking seeds. Jiang Mu also brought out a chair and sat at the auto shop entrance. San Lai tossed her a bag of sunflower seeds, which she caught and began cracking as well.
Contrary to his usual self, San Lai remained unusually quiet, cracking seeds without saying a word for a long while. Jiang Mu wasn't in the mood for conversation either, so she simply watched the people coming and going on the street. Shandian lay at her feet, never leaving her side, lifting his head to watch whenever a black car passed by.The sky gradually darkened, and streetlights flickered on one by one along the roadside. Jiang Mu's mouth had gone numb from cracking sunflower seeds. After gathering the shells and tossing them away, she stepped into the auto shop for a drink of water. Suddenly, the roar of a car engine echoed at Feichi's entrance. She abandoned her water cup and rushed out of the shop just as an unfamiliar vehicle came to a halt. San Lai also set down his sunflower seeds, his gaze fixed on the car.
Soon, a man emerged from the vehicle and strode directly toward Jiang Mu as soon as he spotted her. In an instant, she recognized him—Liang Yanfeng, Young Master Feng, the man who had raced alongside them to the very end during that competition.
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me with the霸王票 or supported me with the营养液 between 2021-10-08 16:44:30 and 2021-10-09 15:02:09~
Special thanks to the little angels who threw landmines: 23635294, Pau, LUCKY.D, It's UU Ya, Persimmon Wishes Come True, Please Treat Xing Wu Qing Ye to Hot Pot, Wanna Become a Panda (1 each);
Gratitude to the little angels who provided nutrient solution: Weilan Xiaoqing (20 bottles); Cheng Zi, Ethereal Little Kitten, Xia Zi'an (10 bottles each); Junzi Yinuo Sunny (6 bottles); Psyche (3 bottles); Apple (2 bottles); Wooden Head, Dazzling, Huxue, Salty Egg Yolk at 6:30 (1 bottle each);
Thank you all so much for your support—I will keep striving!
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