Font Size:
“Kid, don’t say so much. Here are the car keys—do you dare to drive?”
Coach Liu, seeing how much Xu Ye liked to brag, directly pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them to Xu Ye. He had taught many students, and without exception, the first time behind the wheel they were all nervous, barely daring to press the accelerator.
Xu Ye shrugged. “What’s there to be afraid of?”
Xu Ye reached out to take the keys, and Coach Liu quickly settled into the front passenger seat. The driving school car was equipped with a brake on the passenger side, which was why Coach Liu felt comfortable handing the car over to Xu Ye.
Qin Zhiwei scratched his head nearby. “Xu Ye, don’t embarrass yourself. If you crash the car later, it won’t end well.”
“Are you getting in or not? If not, then get lost.”
Qin Zhiwei hesitated for a moment, then got into the back seat.
Driving is a skill that, once learned, doesn’t easily fade. Xu Ye got in and skillfully adjusted the seat, then buckled his seatbelt.
Coach Liu watched him seriously but said nothing, curious if Xu Ye would actually start the car.
Xu Ye pressed the clutch and brake, inserted the key, and started the engine. Then he smiled and asked, “Uncle, how about I show you a launch start first?”
Coach Liu laughed angrily, “Cut the launch starts. If you can back the car into a parking spot now, then when we practice, you can come anytime you want.”
“Got it.”
Xu Ye slowly released the clutch and let off the brake, and the car began to move. Feeling the speed was a bit slow, he pressed the accelerator to maintain around 40 kilometers per hour. He skillfully drove into the parking area, then shifted into reverse and began backing into the spot.
The whole maneuver was smooth and effortless as he reversed perfectly into the marked parking space.
Qin Zhiwei, sitting in the back seat, was stunned.
“Wait, Xu Ye, when did you learn to drive?”
Xu Ye waved his hand, shifted the gear to neutral, and made an excuse, “Just watched and learned a lot. My Father taught me a few tricks.”
Coach Liu was both surprised and very pleased. A student who could back into a parking spot right after signing up would surely pass the driving test without issue. This was definitely going to count toward his performance metrics. He patted Xu Ye on the shoulder and smiled, “You’ve got skills, not bad at all. Tomorrow, wait for my call—we’ll aim to get your license during the summer vacation.”
“Of course.”
After leaving the driving school, Xu Ye and Qin Zhiwei rode the electric scooter back the same way.
On the road, Qin Zhiwei complained, “You just signed up and you can already back into a parking spot. If you pass Part Two and I fail, won’t I be really embarrassed?”
“You’ll get used to it. There will be plenty more chances for you to embarrass yourself in front of me.”
“You damn—!”
Xu Ye smiled, feeling great.
Just as they were almost home, the phone in Xu Ye’s pocket rang again.
He took it out, saw no caller ID, and answered without hesitation.
“Hello, who is this?”
The voice on the other end was straightforward: “I’m Chen Qingqing’s Father. You’re Xu Ye, right?”
Xu Ye immediately straightened up. “That’s me. Aunt Jiang already spoke to me. Is there something else you need?”
Chen Hansong was momentarily stunned.
He didn’t know about Aunt Jiang talking to Xu Ye because Jiang Meilin hadn’t told him.
After a brief pause, Chen Hansong said, “Are you free this afternoon?”
Xu Ye replied honestly, “I am, but I have work in the evening.”
“It won’t take long. I want to talk with you.”
“Should I come to you?”
Chen Hansong spoke as if giving an order, “Tell me the location. I’ll have the driver pick you up this afternoon. The driver will call you when he arrives.”
Xu Ye hesitated but then agreed, “Alright.”
After giving Chen Hansong his address, Xu Ye hung up.
Qin Zhiwei asked curiously, “Who was that?”
“You don’t know him.”
“Bullshit. If it’s someone you know, I know them too.”
Xu Ye was speechless. “You really don’t know this one.”
Qin Zhiwei was persistent. “Tell me who it is first.”
Xu Ye bragged, “He’s my girlfriend’s Father.”
“Crrrk~”
The electric scooter came to a sudden stop.
Qin Zhiwei turned around, eyes wide. “Your girlfriend’s Father, Gu Mengyao’s Father?”
“Bullshit. I’m no longer involved with Gu Mengyao.”
“So, you found a new girlfriend and gave up chasing Gu Mengyao. That makes sense. Honestly, you should’ve switched a long time ago. The way Gu Mengyao treated you was clearly just toying with you. And that Liu Qian beside her? She’s a total witch.”
After hearing this, Xu Ye knew Qin Zhiwei had misunderstood. He didn’t bother to explain; the excuse was convenient enough.
Otherwise, his sudden changes wouldn’t make sense.
“What’s your girlfriend’s name? How old is she? Is she from our high school? No way—why does your Mother always sneak around dating?”
“Enough nonsense. Help me with a multiple choice question first.”
“Multiple choice? What kind of question?”
“Tell me, when visiting your future Father-in-law’s house for the first time, what’s the best gift to bring?”
“A. A designer jacket and an Audi.”
“B. A bottle of Maotai liquor and a pack of Huazi cigarettes.”
“C. PhD certificate + property”
“D. Modified Ghost Fire scooter + blonde hair”
“E. Ultrasound scan + arrogance”
“If it were you, which would you choose?”
Qin Zhiwei rolled his eyes. “You don’t have a house, car, or savings right now, so you have to pass on options A, B, and C! Wait, are you really going to meet her Father this afternoon?”
“It’s a long story. I already met her Mother last time, and she was pretty easy to talk to. But from the way her Father sounded, he seems a bit difficult. Anyway, if he talks to me nicely, I’ll talk to him nicely. If he starts complaining, then I’ll…”
“Big Brother, tell me everything!”
“Forget it. I’m heading home first. See you tomorrow.”
Xu Ye got off the car and went home. Qin Zhiwei was left hanging, feeling miserable, but when it was time for dinner, he had no choice but to ride his electric scooter back.
…
Two o’clock in the afternoon.
An Audi A6L stopped at the gate of Xu Ye’s residential complex.
After receiving a call, Xu Ye soon left his home. Once he got into the car, the driver said nothing and drove straight to the bank.
“The bank manager is waiting for you upstairs.”
Xu Ye nodded and got out of the car. As he entered the lobby, a staff member approached and asked, “You must be Xu Ye.”
“That’s me.”
“Follow me.”
The staff led Xu Ye all the way to the door of Chen Hansong’s office. After knocking twice and hearing Chen Hansong’s voice from inside, the staff member left downstairs.
Xu Ye didn’t hesitate; he pushed open the door and walked in.
Inside the office, Chen Hansong was alone. Seeing Xu Ye arrive, he put down his work and pointed to the chair opposite his desk. “Sit.”
“Uncle Chen, I believe you’ve already been in touch with Aunt Jiang. I’ve explained everything to Aunt Jiang clearly about what happened last time.”
“Don’t be nervous, just sit first.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“I’ve already understood the general situation. The reason I called you here is to discuss something else.”
“What is it?”
“I heard from Qingqing’s Mother that you’re planning to attend university in Modu?”
“That’s right.”
Chen Hansong crossed his legs, sitting arrogantly. “Here’s the thing—my daughter has also decided to go to Modu Conservatory of Music. Once she makes up her mind, neither her Mother nor I can persuade her otherwise. The reason I called you is actually to discuss… whether you could consider changing your target university?”
“No.”
Xu Ye refused cleanly and decisively.
Chen Hansong frowned but quickly tried to soften his tone. “Don’t rush to refuse. I have some connections in the finance industry. If you agree, once you graduate, I can help you find a respectable job. Isn’t the point of going to university to secure a good job later?”
“Clatter~”
Xu Ye stood up abruptly, the chair scraping harshly against the tile floor. His face turned icy cold as he said, “Just because your daughter and I are going to attend university in the same city, you want me to change universities? Uncle Chen, how much do you really look down on me?”
“I…” Chen Hansong was at a loss for words.
“I’ve only met your daughter three times, and it’s quite possible we’ll never be in contact again. In the past, I did whatever others told me to do, but now I want to live differently. The more people don’t want me to do something, the more I’ll do it.”
Xu Ye pushed the chair back into place and, before leaving, couldn’t help but add, “Uncle Chen, do you always talk down to others like this when you speak to people? Or is it only when you’re talking to someone like me—a nobody—that you act so high and mighty?”
Chen Hansong was left speechless.
Xu Ye didn’t give him a chance to explain and turned to leave immediately.
…