Speed and Love

After a day of driving practice, Jiang Mu was so exhausted that she buried herself in Jin Chao's embrace and didn't want to move. Jin Chao held her and asked, "Still want to go grocery shopping?"

Jiang Mu glanced at the sun: "Yes."

She believed it was better for Jin Chao's health to eat out less, so even though she was tired, she insisted on going to the market. However, after browsing around, they didn't end up saving much money.

On their way back with groceries, they passed by a coffee shop. Jin Chao pulled her inside. The bell on the door chimed, and Xiao Ke looked up, starting to say, "Welcome..."

When she saw it was the boss and Miss Jiang, she immediately cut off and smiled. "The customer flow has been really high today. The manager said we could run that promotion again."

Jin Chao pondered for a moment. "I'll find time to discuss it with her next week."

Xiao Ke was about to turn and greet Jiang Mu when her eyes suddenly landed on Jin Chao's hand holding Jiang Mu's. Noticing both of them carrying groceries in their other hands, they looked exactly like a young couple living their daily life. Stunned, as if she had just uncovered some incredible secret, she stammered, "Miss Jiang, you haven't been around much lately?"

Jiang Mu replied, "I've been busy with driving practice, no time."

Jin Chao tilted his head. "Miss Jiang?"

Gu Tao had already guessed something when he saw them moving together the other day, but he kept quiet about it. Now, stifling a laugh, he chimed in, "Boss lady, care for a coffee?"

Jin Chao answered for her, "No need. We're heading home for dinner soon, just stopped by to check on things."

Jin Chao pulled Jiang Mu behind the counter, briefly explaining where the accounts were and how to check the business status. Worried she might be hungry, he didn't go into detail, just gave a quick rundown before leading her out.

Once outside, Jiang Mu asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"

Jin Chao said seriously, "You can't be completely clueless about the operations of your own shop, can you?"

Jiang Mu glanced sideways. "Since when did it become mine?"

Jin Chao curled his lips into a smile. "Did you think I opened a coffee shop just for fun?"

Jiang Mu asked him, "I heard the shop was losing money for the first two years?"

Jin Chao held her hand, his tone calm. "Different trades, different hurdles. We took some detours."

"Why keep pouring money into it then?"

Jin Chao turned his gaze to her. "Many years ago, a naive young girl suggested it to me. I'm a straightforward person, stubborn in my ways. I believe that even if you take many wrong turns, you'll eventually find the right path. Even if we close someday, it shouldn't be due to poor management."

Jiang Mu immediately laughed. "You, a straightforward person? If you're so straightforward, why did you pin me against the wall back in my senior year of high school?"

Jin Chao acted as if he had amnesia. "When did I ever do that?"

Jiang Mu reminded him, "At the auto shop. You told me to leave, said it looked bad for me to keep visiting you, and asked if I wanted something to happen between us."

Jin Chao seemed to recall, his eyes curving slightly as he let out an "oh." "Just asked casually." Then he turned to look at her. "What? Did it hit a nerve?"

Jiang Mu would never tell him how flustered she had been after leaving the auto shop that day. To be precise, her feelings for Jin Chao had quietly shifted after that incident. Even her dreams during that period were filled with his intense gaze and teasing voice. Of course, she would never confess such embarrassing, youthful fantasies to him.

...As soon as they left, Xiao Ke covered her mouth, her single eyelids stretched so wide they almost turned into double eyelids, and exclaimed in shock, "Are they together?"

Gu Tao said calmly, "Last Valentine's Day, we asked the boss if he had a girlfriend. He said yes, but she wasn't around. Now I suspect it's the lady boss."

Xiao Ke thought of how affectionately Shandian had greeted Jiang Mu and suddenly had an epiphany.

Although Jiang Mu was exhausted from a full day of driving practice, she still wanted to take advantage of her break to cook a meal for Jin Chao.

However, after they had dinner together that evening, she took a shower and climbed straight into bed. Jin Chao had originally intended to discuss her driving skills with her, but seeing how tired she was, he couldn't bring himself to bother her. Jiang Mu turned over and snuggled into his arms. Jin Chao stroked her hair and said to her, "I have to go on a business trip tomorrow."

"Mmm..."

"Remember to take the card and register at the property management office, otherwise you won't be able to get in."

"Mmm..."

"Call me if anything comes up. I should be back the day after tomorrow."

"Mmm..."

Jin Chao lowered his gaze, listening to her soft responses that sounded like a kitten's meows. Finally, he told her, "There's a reward when you get your driver's license."

This time, she truly fell silent.

Jiang Mu had just moved in with Jin Chao and wasn't quite used to it yet. On Monday morning, she dawdled for a long time. Jin Chao checked the time and reminded her, "If you don't leave now, you'll be late."

Jiang Mu grabbed her high heels and rushed to the door. Jin Chao frowned and asked, "You're going to squeeze into the subway wearing high heels?"

As she slipped on her shoes, Jiang Mu replied, "I have an important meeting today. I need to dress formally."

Just as she was about to open the door, Jin Chao said to her, "Wait a moment."

He handed her the warmed milk and said, "Xiao Wen is downstairs. Let him drive you. Take the ring road directly—it'll be faster."

Jiang Mu took the milk and said hurriedly, "But aren't you leaving for out of town soon?"

Jin Chao straightened her collar and pulled her closer. "It doesn't matter much if I'm a bit late. I'll take the time to prepare my things at home. Go on."

After saying this, he pressed a kiss to her lips. Suddenly realizing he wouldn't see her for two days, a restless itch stirred in his heart. He tangled his tongue with hers and pinned her against the door. The experiences over the short weekend had made Jiang Mu's body unusually sensitive. Jin Chao's clean, alluring scent continuously teased her resolve, making her breathing quicken uncontrollably. She let out a helpless cry, "Chao Chao..."

That one call snapped Jin Chao back to his senses. He glanced at the time, opened the main door, and escorted her to the elevator.

Originally, Jiang Mu hadn't felt so reluctant to part, thinking it was only two days apart. But Jin Chao's kiss had stirred up her own unwillingness to leave. Even after stepping into the elevator, she still held his hand, her face full of melancholy, and coquettishly complained, "You bad person."

Jin Chao knew she didn't want to go. Holding the elevator door open for her, he stared at her and smiled. "How about... playing hooky?"

Jiang Mu let out a soft hum. "And will you support me if I do?"

"It's not impossible."

Jiang Mu released him, straightened her posture, and declared, "I'm an independent woman of the new era. I don't need a man to support me. Goodbye."

But Jin Chao's gaze slowly drifted downward, his attention captured by another part of her. By the time Jiang Mu noticed and was about to scold him, the elevator doors closed, and she descended, feeling frustrated.

Jin Chao watched the closed elevator doors, imagining her expression inside, and a smile touched his lips.

Jin Chao had already sent Jiang Mu's work address to Xiao Wen, so as soon as she got into the car, Xiao Wen had the navigation set up.On the way, Jiang Mu sipped warm milk and asked how long the drive would be for their business trip. Xiao Wen told her it wasn't far—just over two hours.

Later, he asked Jiang Mu, "How old is your child this year? Already in kindergarten, right?"

Jiang Mu was taken aback, tilting her head with a puzzled "Huh?" "What?"

Xiao Wen continued, "I mean the child. Did they come back with you when you returned to the country?"

Jiang Mu had no idea what he was talking about, but she sensed something unusual and probed further, "Did Jin Chao tell you that?"

Xiao Wen replied, "He mentioned it once during a dinner."

Feigning calm, Jiang Mu pressed on, "Did he talk about me?"

"He didn't say much about his own affairs, but everyone knows Engineer Jin's wife and child live abroad. I heard him say the kid is quite lazy and likes to sleep in, right? That kind of child is easy to handle. My sister's kid wakes up at five every morning—now that's a headache. The adults can't get any sleep either."

"…"

Jiang Mu listened with a dark expression as he rambled on, "But my sister's daughter is just like yours—picky eater, won't touch this or that. It's driving everyone crazy. My aunt said the child has a weak spleen, so they took her for massage therapy. You could try that too."

"…" Your spleen is the weak one.

After getting out of the car, Jiang Mu sent Jin Chao a message demanding, "Wife? Child? You've got quite the situation going on."

Soon, Jin Chao replied with a smiling emoji.

After a busy day of work, on her way back, Jiang Mu recalled Xiao Wen's words from the morning and realized Jin Chao still hadn't given her a proper explanation. She had no idea how she'd ended up as both a mother and a daughter in his stories. Could she really play two roles at once? She wondered what nonsense he'd been spreading outside.

So she shot him another message: "Your lazy, picky little darling is angry. Care to explain?"

Jin Chao replied quickly: "Busy. Later."

Jiang Mu had no choice but to put her phone away and not disturb him. After returning to her neighborhood, she went to the property management office with her card to register her information. Back home, she played with Shandian for a while, took care of his food and water, dug out some groceries from the fridge for a simple meal, and then took Shandian out for a walk.

That night, after her shower, she climbed into bed and started missing Jin Chao. Though they'd only been together for two days, she already felt unaccustomed to sleeping alone. Wrapped in the blankets, she stared blankly at her phone. It was almost ten, and Jin Chao still hadn't replied. She scrolled through her phone a bit longer until she couldn't stay awake any longer.

She didn't know how long she'd been asleep when a warm presence suddenly enveloped her. Half-asleep, she felt herself being pulled into an embrace and instinctively nuzzled closer, letting out a soft murmur.

Her silky pajamas were rumpled and slipped off her shoulders. The cool air crept down from her collarbone, but soon it was replaced by the warmth of large hands. Jiang Mu shifted slightly, her subconscious reminding her that Jin Chao was on a business trip and wouldn't be back tonight. In her drowsy state, she thought she was dreaming and obediently played along with the dream version of him, even leaning into his embrace.

But when an intense sense of reality jolted her, Jiang Mu gasped and snapped her eyes open. Jin Chao's intense gaze was right in front of her. Startled, she shrank back and asked, "How are you back?"

Jin Chao gripped her waist and pulled her down, his breathing growing heavier. "Heard a little one was throwing a tantrum. Came back to give some proper attention."While continuing to speak, his movements never ceased. Jiang Mu was taut as a bowstring, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Is this what you call tenderness?"

Jin Chao captured her restless hands, pinning them above her head with one hand: "Then how would you like to be treated tenderly?"

"Like this?"

"Or like this?"

With each question came increasingly overwhelming movements, until the pinnacle of pleasure shattered Jiang Mu's limits of endurance.

As night shadows deepened into silence, even after Jin Chao had gathered Jiang Mu back into his arms, her body continued to tremble with aftershocks. She weakly pounded her fists against his chest, all strength drained from her limbs like soft cotton. Propped on his elbow, Jin Chao looked down at her with soul-devouring tenderness in his eyes: "Seems I haven't comforted you properly yet. Still angry? Shall I continue?"

Jiang Mu quickly shielded herself and buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled by the covers: "You tell me."

Jin Chao feigned ignorance: "Tell you what?"

She lifted her head to glare at him, but the look held no fierceness—only watery tenderness. The blush hadn't faded from her face, resembling blooming peach petals that invited affection.

Unable to tease her further, Jin Chao stroked the tip of her nose and explained: "There's this design release engineer I used to know. We've worked together a few times. Perhaps wanting to show compassion for the disabled, she specifically pulled strings to transfer to my project team. She kept giving me hints, but with my incomplete body, how could I withstand such advances? Afraid she might force herself on me, I deliberately leaked some information."

"...If you hadn't just finished tormenting me, I might actually believe that."

Jin Chao lowered his head to whisper in her ear: "Practice yields true knowledge. My little brother only stands at attention for you."

Before this, Jiang Mu could never have imagined Jin Chao holding her while saying such shameless things. This was the same man who'd scolded her in childhood for kissing Conan cards, insisting she focus on her studies.

After moving in together, Jin Chao continued to indulge her as before, yet with one crucial difference—where his previous indulgence had principles and he never hesitated to be strict when necessary, now his doting knew almost no bounds.

When Jiang Mu questioned him about this change, Jin Chao responded seriously: "Before, your values weren't fully formed. As the older one, I couldn't let you run wild—I had some responsibility as your elder. But now that you can hold your own, do I still need to be strict with you?"

Jiang Mu looked at him with a meaningful smile, her gaze lightly sweeping over him: "Don't give me that official rhetoric."

"I can't resist how you are in bed."

"..."

Though Jiang Mu and Jin Chao had lived under the same roof for nine years during childhood, sharing days and nights in intimate companionship, they'd believed those were their closest moments. Yet after truly cohabiting, they entered an unprecedented level of intimacy.

Now Jiang Mu called him during her lunch break every day. They shared dinners, walked their dog together, slept in each other's arms, and spent weekends reviewing the coffee shop's weekly operations. She learned shop management from Jin Chao and contributed her own suggestions.Whenever Jin Chao was away on business trips, Jiang Mu would wait for him at home. No matter how cold it was or if it rained, if Jin Chao could return the same day, he would always try to make it back to Jiang Mu by night. Though exhausted from the day's hustle and bustle, the thought of his little woman lying awake at night missing him compelled him to return home to put his mind at ease.

Since moving in, Jiang Mu had developed a passion for cooking. Once afraid of even stepping into the kitchen—unable to stir-fry simple shredded potatoes and dodging splattering oil—she could now handle the role of head chef with ease. She had downloaded several cooking apps and spent her free time studying them, ensuring Jin Chao received balanced nutrition while firmly capturing his heart through his stomach. After just two months of living together, even the usually reserved Jin Chao seemed increasingly vibrant and spirited.

By year's end, two pieces of news felt like a double blessing to Jiang Mu. The first was her official job confirmation, finally making her a full-fledged astronomy professional. This gave her years of study a concrete landing point, a truly celebratory milestone for her.

The other exciting news was that she had passed her driver's license exams. Though the process hadn't taken long, she felt she'd endured eighty-one hardships like a pilgrimage. That little booklet represented countless struggles overcome step by step.

Her employment formalities and license pickup happened to be scheduled on the same day, and her supervisor granted her a day off to handle everything.

When Jiang Mu walked out of the DMV holding her new license, her mood was radiant. She called Jin Chao, her voice brimming with unconcealed delight as soon as he answered: "Where are you?"

Hearing her cheerful tone, Jin Chao knew she'd gotten the license and replied with a laugh, "At school."

"I'm free now. Can I come find you? Didn't you say you'd reward me when I got my license?"

Jin Chao chuckled. "I thought you'd forgotten about that."

"My memory is excellent!"

"Come on over. I'll be waiting."

So Jiang Mu hailed a taxi with her brand-new license in hand—this would be her first time visiting Jin Chao's campus. Stepping into the university grounds, she felt a long-lost sense of familiarity.

After asking for directions all the way to the graduate school, she called Jin Chao, who told her he still had a bit left to do and invited her to come find him in his classroom.

When Jiang Mu located the classroom he mentioned, she spotted him through the window wearing a dark emerald knit sweater, seated at a cluster of tables pushed together farther from the window. Two classmates were gathered around him discussing something animatedly—one seated to his right, another standing across from him. Not wanting to interrupt, Jiang Ming lingered outside under a pear blossom tree.

Eventually, their discussion seemed to wrap up, and everyone turned to Jin Chao. He picked up a pen and drafting ruler to make some annotations. Just then, a short-haired girl entered carrying a bag of coffees, deliberately walking over to hand one to Jin Chao.

Jin Chao glanced up and said something Jiang Mu couldn't hear from outside. She watched as the short-haired girl pulled up a chair and sat right beside him.

Jiang Mu couldn't understand—why would three grown men have this girl fetch coffee for Jin Chao? And why was she sitting so close, leaning in until her face nearly touched his? Jiang Mu lowered her gaze, staring intently through the window.Perhaps her overwhelming resentment had been detected by Jin Chao, for his hand holding the pen suddenly paused. He turned his head to look out the window, and when he saw Jiang Mu standing beneath the pear blossom tree in her gentle camel-colored coat, the corners of his lips immediately curved upward.

The others around him followed his gaze and turned to look as well. Jiang Mu, who had been secretly jealous just moments before, suddenly felt somewhat flustered under their collective stare. She nonchalantly averted her eyes to admire the cloudless sky.

Jin Chao didn’t linger long. After exchanging a few more words with the group, he pushed back his chair, casually slid his untouched coffee over to the man beside him, and headed outside. Jiang Mu withdrew her gaze and glanced sideways at him. With his hands tucked into his coat pockets, Jin Chao asked, “Where’s the notebook? Let me see it.”

Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow. “Not letting you see.”

Then she added, “Unless I get a hug.”

The light in Jin Chao’s eyes softened. He tapped her head lightly. “Look where we are.”

But Jiang Mu lifted her chin defiantly. “Does your school have a rule against dating?”

Jin Chao didn’t reply. Instead, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into an embrace, looking down at her as he said, “You’re acting strange.”

With her slender waist held firmly in his grasp, Jiang Mu blinked her sparkling eyes. “What’s strange about me?”

Jin Chao’s gaze swept slowly over her face. “You were laughing so happily on the phone earlier, but now…”

Before he could finish, the people from the classroom emerged. One of the men patted Jin Chao’s shoulder and asked, “Your girlfriend? Haven’t seen her before.”

Seeing his classmates approach, Jiang Mu felt it inappropriate to remain embraced in front of others, so she wriggled out of his hold. Though Jin Chao released her waist, his hand didn’t stray far—instead, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and turned to introduce her. “Yeah, she’s usually busy with work. We have something to attend to later, but I’ll bring her out for a meal with you all another day.”

The group smiled and greeted Jiang Mu. Another man joked, “Jin Chao, you weren’t being honest. Last time you said you liked girls with short hair.”

Jin Chao replied casually, “Well, she grew hers out, so I had to adjust my preferences.”

Everyone caught his meaning and laughed.

Jiang Mu couldn’t help glancing toward the short-haired woman standing further back. The woman, noticing Jiang Mu’s gaze, quickly averted her eyes.

After bidding farewell to his classmates, Jiang Mu looked up at Jin Chao from the crook of his arm and said, “That short-haired woman has a thing for you.”

Jin Chao merely responded, “Oh? So what?”

“She didn’t buy coffee for anyone else—only for you.”

Jin Chao pinched her waist lightly. “Because they invited me here to discuss fluid mechanics and ask about our company’s spring recruitment.”

Then he teased her, “I own a coffee shop—isn’t the coffee at home good enough? Why would I need to drink from somewhere else?”

Jiang Mu couldn’t help laughing at his words. She looked up at him, and Jin Chao bent down, pulling her in for a quick kiss. Flustered, Jiang Mu glanced around and reminded him, “Behave. Look where we are.”

Jin Chao replied lazily, “Our school doesn’t have a rule against dating on campus.”Jiang Mu smiled and handed him her precious little booklet. Jin Chao released his hold on her waist, took it, and flipped it open. Inside was her ID photo—her lips pressed into a forced smile, eyes curved into crescents. At a glance, she truly looked like a delightful girl, and the corners of his mouth lifted in response.

Then he saw Jiang Mu lean in, blinking as she asked, "My driver's license is new, right?"

"...What's the issue?"

Jiang Mu casually took the license back, carefully tucked it into her bag, and looked up cheerfully. "From now on, I'm officially licensed too."

Suddenly remembering something, she turned back. "Oh, right—what about the reward?"

Jiang Chao told her, "No rush. Let's head home first."

Jiang Mu asked in confusion, "Did you hide it at home?"

Jin Chao smiled without answering. Throughout the journey, she tried every tactic from coaxing to acting cute, determined to get to the bottom of it, yet Jin Chao remained tight-lipped, driving Jiang Mu wild with curiosity.

Finally arriving at the building and stepping into the elevator, Jin Chao didn’t press the button for the 8th floor but instead sent the elevator directly down to the underground garage.

From the moment they stepped out of the elevator, Jiang Mu was a bit dazed. She was led by Jin Chao all the way to a parking spot, where a car was parked, covered with a silver car cover. Jin Chao told her, "The number plate hanging at the back shows the unit number. Do you know whose parking spot this is?"

Jiang Mu stammered, "Yours?"

Jin Chao corrected her, "It’s ours."

"So this car…"

Jin Chao pulled off the car cover in one swift motion, revealing a brand-new white C260 before Jiang Mu’s eyes. Although Jin Chao never paid much attention to this type of car, its aesthetics were undeniably appealing to women. Sure enough, Jiang Mu’s eyes lit up with delight as she pointed at the car in astonishment, "This is ours too?"

Jin Chao told her, "This is your reward. Go ahead and give it a try."

Though Jiang Mu didn’t know much about cars, she recognized the Mercedes-Benz emblem. Even as she gripped the steering wheel, she still felt a bit bewildered. Before starting the engine, she nervously asked Jin Chao, "How much does this car cost? I’m a bit scared to drive it. What if I crash…"

Jin Chao started the engine for her and said, "Try not to crash if you can. But if you really have to, just don’t aim for people."

Jiang Mu was already feeling timid, and Jin Chao’s words made her even more nervous.

She held the steering wheel with both hands, psyching herself up for a long time. Five minutes passed, and they were still sitting in the garage. Jin Chao looked at her with a smile and said, "Where’s all that confidence you had when you were showing off your license to me? Did you really think the government issued you that booklet just for stamp collecting?"

Jiang Mu swallowed hard and gradually pressed the accelerator, inching the car out of the garage at a snail’s pace.

This was Jiang Mu’s first time driving on the road since leaving the driving school, and she felt that even a stray cat casually crossing the street posed a significant threat. She didn’t dare take her foot off the brake the entire way. Jin Chao directed her to a deserted main road and said, "Step on the gas. That black dog over there has already overtaken you."

"...I can’t. My foot feels like it’s cramping."

"..."

After driving through several streets, Jiang Mu relaxed a little and wasn’t as stiff as before. However, her attention was entirely focused on controlling the car, leaving her with no sense of direction. She asked Jin Chao where to go.

He tapped the navigation a few times and told her, "Head here. Just follow the directions."