With the sound of a crisp gunshot, the race officially began.
Bai Yin rolled down the car window and watched as Qin Jue's black racing car "whooshed" out.
Her competitive spirit was ignited and she urgently turned to the man beside her, saying, "He's ahead, catch up!"
Chen Huaixiao's cold white fingers rested on the steering wheel as he calmly tapped it and said, "Seat belt."
Bai Yin quickly grabbed the seat belt and tried to fasten it, but she had never been in this type of racing car before and the buckle was different from a regular car. She struggled to buckle it for a while without success.
The more she struggled, the more anxious she became. She furrowed her brows and said, "What kind of crappy car is this?"
Chen Huaixiao rolled his eyes and said, "You're just clumsy. It's not my car's fault."
"It is!"
He leaned over and fastened her seat belt with ease.
Bai Yin could feel the powerful aura emanating from Chen Huaixiao as he approached her. She shrank back involuntarily.
His faint sandalwood scent permeated her senses.
Feeling the woman's sensitivity, Chen Huaixiao deliberately got closer, lightly grazing her face with his nose. He murmured, "Why so nervous?"
"I'm not nervous." Bai Yin pushed him away unceremoniously and looked away.
Finally, he started the engine and the Bugatti race car roared to life, driving out with full power.
The strong inertia pinned Bai Yin to the seat.
She exclaimed in surprise.
"Don't be afraid."
He held the steering wheel and glanced at her from time to time.
"I'm not afraid. You...just drive."
Chen Huaixiao drove very steadily, and even on the roughest mountain roads, the bumps were barely noticeable in his car.
"Qin Jue seems to have disappeared."
"Did I delay you by fastening my seat belt?"
"Aren't you nervous about the race, Chen Huaixiao?"
Bai Yin's competitive spirit was even stronger than Chen Huaixiao's after adapting to the slope and curvature of the mountain road. She chattered like a small talker.
Chen Huaixiao didn't care and didn't explain, he just silently put on his noise-cancelling Bluetooth earphones.
"..."
Bai Yin pouted and ignored him.
She leaned her head against the window and silently watched the black tree shadows flying past outside, the reflective road markings on both sides glowing bright yellow, pointing the way ahead.
Seeing that she had finally quieted down, Chen Huaixiao took off his earphones, opened the drawer, and took out a few peppermints.
"I don't want any."
"Feed me."
"..."
Bai Yin glanced at him and, seeing that he was serious, picked up a peppermint, peeled it, and fed it to Chen Huaixiao.
As her fingertip touched his sharp lips, it felt like an electric shock.
Those were the lips that had kissed every inch of her body.
Bai Yin put down the candy wrapper and looked away. "I remember you don't like candy."
"It's refreshing."
"Are we going to stay up all night tonight?"
"No need. This is a rally, not a speed race. It's about familiarity with the road conditions. After we've gone halfway through this route, we'll find a hotel to rest." Chen Huaixiao patiently explained.
"What if Qin Jue stays up all night? Then we'll lose!"
"The second half of the race is on a cliff, he wouldn't dare to stay up all night." Chen Huaixiao's lips curled up slightly. "I can congratulate you in advance on turning your wedding dress into a funeral gown."
"..."
Bai Yin finally understood why Chen Huaixiao was so calm.
This race wasn't about speed.
Two hours later, Bai Yin's excitement faded, and she had seen enough of the pitch-black scenery on the mountain road. She leaned back in her seat, bored.
Her gaze wandered uncontrollably to Chen Huaixiao. He was staring straight ahead, calm and composed, but with an aura of control. His slender, cold and white fingers rested on the steering wheel, holding it with just the right amount of pressure. The dim blue light from the control screen of the car shone on his cold, hard face, expressionless.
"Chen Huaixiao, why do you like such a dangerous sport like racing? You have such a wealthy background, isn't it a pity if you die?"
Chen Huaixiao knew she couldn't say anything good, but he wasn't angry. He calmly replied, "To forget some things."
"Forget...some things?" Bai Yin was puzzled. "By racing?"
"By feeling the fear of walking on the edge of death, and using it to forget more terrifying things."
"..."
Bai Yin was silent for a moment before uttering a two-word evaluation: "psycho."
She knew that Chen Huaixiao looked calm on the surface, but he had a crazy gene hidden inside him. Many years ago, when he was still a teenager, Bai Yin had seen it. He carried a pain that no one knew about.
The atmosphere was heavy, so Bai Yin took out her phone and opened the live streaming platform, starting a live broadcast.
The title of the live stream was: "Chen Huaixiao vs. Qin Jue, the ultimate battle, live streaming from inside the car!"
She shared the live broadcast to her Weibo account with 500,000 followers, and soon the popularity of the live stream skyrocketed.
"OMG, what's going on? Chen Huaixiao's live stream?"
"The driver is...really Chen Huaixiao!"
"Oh my god, mom, look at what I found!"
Bai Yin didn't show her face but instead focused the camera on Chen Huaixiao, who was driving.
"Hello, everyone, it's my pleasure to race with the national heartthrob Chen Huaixiao. This is a live broadcast from an ordinary person. I'll report on the progress of the race throughout the entire journey. Please like, comment, and subscribe!"
Within minutes, the number of viewers in the live stream soared.
"It's really Chen Huaixiao, it's him for sure!"
"Ahhhh! His profile is killing me!"
"Oh my god, he's even bringing a girl to the race! I'm envious!"
"Who is this heavenly chosen girl to be the host? She says she's just an ordinary person."
"Hostess, come closer, closer!"
Bai Yin zoomed in on the video, focusing the camera on Chen Huaixiao's flawless and handsome face.
"Thank you for your enthusiasm, but I can't distract him while he's driving. I can only watch from a distance like this!"
"Crazy screen licking!"
"Hostess, you're a goddess!"
"The way this man drives is so stable!"
"Wow, he looks so different in his business suit during the finance interview. This maple red racing suit is so cool!"
Chen Huaixiao couldn't stand being stared at while driving and said coldly, "Turn it off."
Bai Yin refused, "You didn't ask for my opinion when you dragged me into the car."
Chen Huaixiao was momentarily speechless, but he didn't force her either.
"She dared to refuse Chen Huaixiao? The anchor lady is so brave."
"So, she was forced to get into Chen Huaixiao's car???"
"No, what I'm focused on is that Chen Huaixiao didn't force her to turn off the live broadcast!"
"He's spoiling her!"
"It's more than just spoiling, it's too much!!!"
In just twenty minutes, the live broadcast had over 300,000 viewers and was still rising. There were constantly signs of rewards appearing on the screen.
Bai Yin was excited and thanked the viewers, her eyes curved with joy.
"Thank you to Miss Qianqian's gift of a Maserati sports car."
"Thank you to the domineering queen Miss for the diamond ring, love you!"
"Thank you to the smiling angel for the deep-sea fish|ray, muah!"
...
"Thank you everyone, thank you for your rewards. To thank all the rich ladies, our live broadcast will be extended by 30 minutes, so everyone can enjoy it to the fullest!"
Chen Huaixiao remained silent and had a cold face throughout the whole broadcast, but the rewards had already surpassed 200,000.
Bai Yin glanced at Chen Huaixiao and couldn't help but sigh that having a good-looking face was really a blessing!
She said to Chen Huaixiao, "Come on, national boyfriend, give all these bosses a smile, see how generous these ladies are."
Chen Huaixiao gave her a cold look and said, "You slept with me and now you want to use me to make money?"
"What?!"
"What did I just hear?!"
"Did Chen Huaixiao say that the anchor lady slept with him?"
"Oh my god! This is too explosive!"
Bai Yin didn't expect Chen Huaixiao to say something so shocking. She was so scared that she could hardly hold her phone and quickly turned off the live broadcast, angrily saying, "What nonsense!"
Chen Huaixiao looked straight ahead and said in a faint tone, "I'm legally responsible for everything I say."
"..."
Bai Yin had nothing to say.
"Aren't you afraid that your girlfriend's fans will abandon her because of your nonsense?"
"I'm a businessman, not a celebrity. Even if I lose a fan, I can still make money." Chen Huaixiao glanced at Bai Yin and said, "But you, you'll do anything for attention, even if it's a waste of my time."
"What's wrong with using you? I didn't even get a penny, but I wasted a whole night."
Bai Yin checked the live broadcast earnings and carefully counted the number of zeros behind today's earnings. Seeing his unhappy expression, she compromised, "Okay, let's split the earnings fifty-fifty. That's generous enough."
"Fifty-fifty?" Chen Huaixiao snorted, "What a wishful thinking."
"How could you say that!"
"Do you think it's unfair?"
"Of course, I'm losing out big time!"
"If you feel like you're at a loss," Chen Huaixiao quirked up the corner of his mouth, "tonight I'll compensate you in a 'different way', how about that?"
"..."
Bai Yin gritted her teeth.
As expected, Chen Huaixiao was a man who knew how to make deals.
He wanted money, and...he wanted her too.
*
In the early hours of the morning, Bai Yin slumped against the car window, drowsy and half-asleep. Suddenly, she felt the car come to a stop.
"We're here?" she asked, rubbing her bleary eyes.
"It's still early," Chen Huaixiao turned off the engine and helped her unfasten her seat belt. "Rest for a few hours."
Bai Yin got out of the car and felt the cold wind blowing through the hills, much colder than in the city. "Where are we?" she asked.
"Moxi town, a small town for transit and maintenance. The roads ahead are steep and dangerous, we can't drive while tired. We'll continue in the morning."
Looking around, Bai Yin saw a few sparsely scattered low-rise houses on either side of the road. It was a very remote and rudimentary little town.
"Where are Qin Jue and the others? Did we leave them behind, or did they go ahead?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Chen Huaixiao closed the car door. "There are many roads that lead to our destination, it's hard to run into them on the way."
Bai Yin knew the dangers of driving at night, especially on steep and winding mountain roads. She guessed that Qin Jue wouldn't risk his life just to win, so she could rest a few hours in peace.
But then she thought, what did it matter if they won or lost? Even if they lost, it was Chen Huaixiao's money that was at stake, not hers.
Why was she more nervous than he was?
That damn desire to win.
Chen Huaixiao was often involved in rally racing and seemed to be familiar with this small town. He led Bai Yin into a hotel.
The lobby was deserted and dilapidated, with only a money tree as decoration at the entrance. A drowsy front desk clerk was lying on the counter.
In such a remote town, this hotel was probably the most high-end place to stay.
Bai Yin couldn't help but poke fun at him, "Every time General Manager Chen goes on a business trip, he stays in five-star hotels. I didn't expect you to be able to stay in such a small hotel. You're really adaptable."
Chen Huaixiao couldn't be bothered with her sarcastic remarks. "General Manager Chen is a respectful title for subordinates. If you don't know what to call me, you can call me Huaige like before."
"You're not my brother," Bai Yin deliberately called him by his full name. "Chen Huaixiao, Chen Huaixiao, Chen Huaixiao!"
"You're crazy."
Bai Yin stuck out her tongue at him. "You're the crazy one!"
Chen Huaixiao went to the front desk to check in. The front desk clerk, seeing his handsome face, suddenly woke up and stood up respectfully. "How many rooms do you need?"
Chen Huaixiao and Bai Yin spoke at the same time--
"One room."
"Two rooms."
The front desk clerk was in a dilemma. "So, is it..."
Chen Huaixiao handed over his ID card with gentlemanly grace. "Two rooms, please."
As the front desk clerk checked them in, she said, "Our hotel is quite old, and guests often complain about creaking noises from under the bed and strange dripping sounds in the bathroom at night. If you hear anything, just ignore it and don't be alarmed."
"What's going on?" Bai Yin asked hastily.
"We've checked everything, and there's no problem, but guests always hear these noises," the front desk clerk shrugged without hesitation and said, "Maybe it's haunted, but don't worry, no one has died, and there have been no safety incidents. If you hear it, just pretend you didn't."
"..."
After she handed over the room keys, Bai Yin quietly declined one of them, her voice trembling, "Thank you, but we'll just stay in the same room."
The front desk clerk nodded and smiled, "Sure, no problem. Enjoy your stay."
