In the faint glow of the campfire, An Xin’s sharp eyes caught sight of the tallest, burliest man sitting by the fire—Kaizi. She couldn’t contain her excitement and shouted,
“Kaizi!”

What was this guy doing so far away for no reason? Heaven knew the ordeal she’d gone through to find him—practically a pilgrimage, braving obstacle after obstacle.

If it weren’t for needing his help, she wouldn’t have been running around this remote, muddy village at night, chased by packs of dogs. Even now, her legs were still trembling from the experience.

The small mountain village was serene at night, but An Xin’s voice carried far and clear. Despite Kaizi and his group chatting and laughing around the fire, they immediately heard her.

Kai Zi turned sharply, his eyes meeting An Xin’s as she approached from the darkness alongside Bai Yichen. The flickering firelight illuminated their faces, and Kaizi exclaimed in surprise,
“An Xin, what are you doing here?”

This wasn’t the bustling city but a remote, backward village. Seeing An Xin, as if descending from the heavens, left Kaizi feeling as though he was hallucinating.

“Ah, it really is you. Finding you cost me so much effort!”

An Xin didn’t think twice. She strode forward, determined to settle her business with Kaizi, momentarily forgetting about the man behind her.

This guy really deserved a beating. When she didn’t need him, he’d loaf around the city. But the moment she needed him urgently, he’d conveniently vanish into the countryside to roast marshmallows.

Bai Yichen, standing behind, recognized Kaizi immediately. He was the man who had driven An Xin home that night. A dark shadow passed through his eyes, and his footsteps halted abruptly.

An Xin stomped over, her frustration from the journey spilling into her tone.
“Why am I here? Of course, I need something from you!”

Her tone was laced with annoyance, and everyone around the fire could sense her exasperation.

Kaizi stood up, puzzled.
“Huh? What could you possibly need me for?”

In Kaizi’s mind, their relationship was purely transactional. What could An Xin need from him?

An older man, clearly close to Kaizi, waved from the campfire.
“Kaizi, your friends are here. Invite them over to sit!”

The villagers’ warmth and hospitality shone through in that moment. Even though An Xin and Bai Yichen were strangers, the old man extended a genuine welcome.

Kaizi turned back and called out,
“Thanks, Village Chief. I’ll bring them over to the fire.”

But An Xin raised a hand and politely declined.
“No need, Village Chief. Thank you for your kindness, but I just need to discuss something with Kaizi.”

She hadn’t come all this way at night for a campfire hangout.

Kaizi nodded to the chief before turning back to An Xin. He looked her over, noting her disheveled state, and asked,
“Why come all the way here in the middle of the night? Couldn’t this wait until tomorrow?”

Internally, he wondered what could have been so urgent that she braved the dark, winding roads to find him in this remote village.

An Xin glanced at the group by the fire and lowered her voice.
“Let’s find a quiet spot to talk.”

Kaizi scanned the area, pointed to a secluded corner, and nodded.
“Alright, let’s go over there.”

As the two walked away, Bai Yichen remained rooted in place. The wind tousled his hair, but it couldn’t dispel the sudden air of loneliness that surrounded him.

Once they reached a quiet spot, An Xin wasted no time.
“Kaizi, I came here today for one reason. You have a freight team, don’t you? I want to rent your trucks and drivers for the next ten days. Are you interested?”

She didn’t beat around the bush. After all, she still had to return to the city.

“What? You came all this way at night just to talk about that?”

Kaizi was taken aback. He hadn’t expected An Xin to be so straightforward about her purpose. When he first saw her appear from the darkness, disheveled but determined, a fleeting sense of joy had filled his heart. But it turned out she was here to talk business.

This girl always surprised him. Her actions were unexpected yet somehow made sense after a second thought. Considering her pragmatic nature, it wasn’t out of character for her to track him down for a deal.

“Yes,” An Xin confirmed without hesitation. “I have a batch of goods to transport. When I worked with your team last time, I saw you guys were efficient and reliable. I think we should collaborate again.”

Kai Zi looked at her serious expression and couldn’t help but tease,
“Wow, look at you. Got guts, huh? Just started driving taxis and already have connections for freight work? Guess I underestimated you.”

An Xin’s capabilities never ceased to amaze him. Driving taxis not only earned her more than her peers, but now she’d transitioned into freight transport?

Kaizi, as someone who had been in the passenger and freight transport business for years, knew well that freight work was far more lucrative than running taxis. That’s why he had quickly assembled a small freight team, albeit with only four trucks. Even so, it was a decent operation in the province’s freight industry.

His small freight team had been quite profitable so far. However, he hadn’t expected An Xin to sniff out the opportunity and aim to take a slice of the market.

An Xin ignored Kaizi’s smug expression and cut to the chase.
“Cut the nonsense. I want to rent your team for ten days. Just tell me your price.”

Inwardly, she calculated the cost based on her previous collaboration with Kai Zi. Last time, he had paid her a daily rate of 400 yuan for driving one of his trucks. Over ten days, that would amount to 4,000 yuan. However, considering the longer duration, she anticipated a discount.

Kai Zi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leisurely pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a slow drag before asking,
“An Xin, do you even understand the freight business?”

This girl spoke with such confidence and directness, but he couldn’t help but wonder what her endgame was.

The truth was, he didn’t have much on his plate these days—just some small jobs here and there. If An Xin really had a substantial shipment to transport for ten days straight, he’d be open to working with her. After all, idle trucks were a waste of money.