"You, you are Qiao Ying?" Qin Yuchen asked in disbelief.
"You've got some nerve," Qiao Ying said.
Given the amount of blood he'd lost at the time, it really had been quite dangerous. If she'd had a needle on her then, she wouldn't have minded giving him a couple shots to stop the bleeding.
Qin Yuchen excitedly said, "It really is you?"
He looked Qiao Ying up and down in disbelief. Realizing his rudeness, he quickly explained and apologized.
"Sorry, I'm just so surprised. I thought we wouldn't get a chance to meet again. I didn't even dare recognize you earlier and hope I didn't scare you." Qin Yuchen was overly excited and momentarily didn't know what to say or do.
"Oh right, what are you doing in the capital?"
"I tested into Beijing University."
"Getting into Beijing University from Yuncheng isn't easy. You're so talented. May I ask what major you're studying?"
"Computer science."
Qin Yuchen nodded and took note. Seeing the Mingshan Hall behind them, he remembered he had business to attend to. So he quickly calmed himself down.
"I really can't thank you enough for saving my life last time. I at least owe you a meal to properly express my gratitude, but I have something urgent right now. Um, can I get your contact info? Next time when I'm free I'd like to take you out for a meal."
Qiao Ying readily gave him her phone number.
She thought, I'll give it to you for your uncle Qin Hanyue's sake.
After getting her number, Qin Yuchen watched Qiao Ying leave. Her name unconsciously left his lips, "Qiao Ying..."
A smile spread across his face. He didn't expect Qiao Ying would come to the capital for university and that they'd have such a fortuitous encounter.
After Qiao Ying disappeared from sight, Qin Yuchen remembered he had forgotten to tell her his name.
He regretted it afterward but consoled himself there would still be a chance to meet again. From now on he already looked forward to their next meeting.
~
Huo Chengdong started pestering Qiao Ying.
For this somewhat dense young master who talked a lot of nonsense, Qiao Ying directly pretended not to know him.
She didn't expect Huo Chengdong to not be so easily fooled. He took out a photo of her before she had fully lost weight and compared it to how she looked now. He cheekily said he'd call Feng Wenzhong from the school next door over to identify her.
During lunch...
Huo Chengdong came around again, "I'm taking you out to earn money tonight. You coming or not?"
Qiao Ying raised her eyes to look at him.
Seeing he finally got Qiao Ying's attention, Huo Chengdong smiled and held out a palm, "Street racing. This much for one match."
Qiao Ying said, "Five million? Too little."
Huo Chengdong exclaimed in surprise, "You're just a girl from some small town. You're pretty young but have quite the appetite!"
Forget some small town. Nationwide, how many people have seen five million?
"Alright, if you can beat those grandsons, young master here will give you an extra five hundred thousand per match. Good enough?"
Qiao Ying would never turn down money that came knocking. She had always been quite unruly.
"Time and place."
After evening self-study let out, Qiao Ying openly and boldly walked out of school right under the guards' noses.
Huo Chengdong and his sports car were already waiting for her outside the school.
It was a formal racetrack. At a glance, it was full of race cars and racers. There were also many spectators, all young people.
"Young Master Huo, over here!"
"Young Master Huo, you've finally come. That bunch was just saying you didn't dare show up and told us to kneel and scram."
Several of the young masters following Huo Chengdong were the same ones who went with him to Yuncheng for street racing last time. Qiao Ying still remembered them, but they couldn't recognize her.
"Young Master Huo, you even brought a girl. Looks like you're very confident tonight!"
"She's so pretty. Where'd you find her? Much more refreshing than those vulgar flowers. Don't tell me she's some rich man's daughter?!"
Huo Chengdong said, "Watch your mouths. She's my schoolmate. I invited the expert here tonight to put those grandsons in their place."
"Expert? Young Master Huo sure knows how to joke around."
"All of you, wake your damn eyes up. Haven't you recognized her as the chubby girl who beat me at the Yuncheng race?!"
The young masters said in unison, "Who?"
Qiao Ying gave Huo Chengdong an expressionless look.
Realizing his mistake, Huo Chengdong quickly laughed appeasingly, "She's slim and pretty now."
"I thought you wouldn't dare come." At this time, a group of blond, green-eyed young men with deep eye sockets and high nose bridges walked over.
The leading man speaking looked quite handsome but had an arrogant expression.
Qiao Ying's fine brows slightly raised. They all looked quite familiar.
The gang of losers she raced in M Country.
She'd beaten them so badly back on the racetrack that they went back naked. So racing circles in M Country became too unbearable and they came to Huaguo to salvage their reputations?
Although Huo Chengdong looked quite silly, he was after all from a prestigious household. His English was pretty good. He directly spat back at them.
Then he lowered his head to speak to Qiao Ying, "This bunch came from M Country. They all have some background over there from their families' political ties. The green-eyed one is called Alex. His parents are political bigshots in M Country. He came here recently following his mother on a business trip. He's a professional racer. Been crowing about his wins here for a month now...I've lost nearly thirty million to him..."
Before Huo Chengdong could finish, Qiao Ying said, "Raise the stakes against them."
Huo Chengdong said in surprise, "What?"
Qiao Ying said, "Five hundred thousand per match is too low. If we're playing, go big―thirty million per match."
Huo Chengdong sucked in a breath, "I know you're good, but they're professional racers..."
Qiao Ying interrupted him again, "If we lose, I'll pay the thirty million myself."
Huo Chengdong was stunned for a moment, "It's not about money. You don't know how damn arrogant this bunch is. This concerns our entire country's reputation."
Qiao Ying expressionlessly again, "What'd you ask me here for if you don't trust me? To lose face together with more people?"
After some thought, Huo Chengdong said, "Alright, I trust you."
He then told Alex they wanted to raise the stakes.
Alex was more than happy to, "I've been waiting for you guys to send me more money. But I don't think it's enough."
Huo Chengdong asked, "What do you want?"
Alex's eyes shifted to Qiao Ying, "If you guys lose, I also want her to spend the night with me."
"You f*ckin bastard, you wanna die?!" Huo Chengdong pulled back his fist, about to start a brawl.
His underlings pulled him back.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Ying directly agreed and fluidly responded in English, "If you guys lose, crawl out of here on your knees."
Alex and his gang guffawed. They didn't take Huo Chengdong's racing skills seriously at all and arrogantly spat, "Fine. If I lose, not only will I crawl out on my knees, I'll do it naked."
Huo Chengdong pointed at Qiao Ying and said to Alex, "I won't race you tonight. She will."
Alex initially thought Huo Chengdong was joking.
Not until Huo Chengdong threw his car keys to Qiao Ying.
Alex lost his patience, "Are you joking with me? Letting a woman race me?"
"What, you wanna fight?!" Huo Chengdong immediately stepped forward.
The two sides confronted each other.
Qiao Ying said, "No rush. Given what sore losers you bunch of grandsons are, I bet you'll still try to welch even after losing. We can fight after the race."
