Chapter 18: Slow Down

A few flashy motorcycles came roaring in, drifting and turning at the curve of the road, emitting sharp screeching sounds from the brakes.

On one of the black heavy motorcycles was Xie Bo.

He stood close to 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His physique was not clumsy but rather slender and well-proportioned, making him highly recognizable.

He took off his protective helmet, and the night wind tousled his short black hair. His attractive peach-blossom eyes carried a lazy charm, his jaw slightly lifted, his features sharp and cold.

The girls, including Ye Anning, started screaming wildly.

She grabbed Lin Yiwei’s hand and ran to Xie Bo: “Xie Bo, we thought you weren’t going to show up!”

Xie Bo smirked and ruffled her hair: “How could I not show up.”

He said this to Ye Anning, but his meaningful gaze… was always on Lin Yiwei.

Ye Anning pushed Lin Yiwei forward: “Xie Bo, I specifically brought my friend Weiwei to hang out today. You have to find her a reliable and handsome guy, take good care of her, and don’t let any bad guys bully her.”

Xie Bo turned around: “Li Du, you take Weiwei around.”

Li Du made a clicking sound with his tongue, his extraordinarily long legs propping against the motorcycle. He took out a pair of goggles from the trunk and tossed them to Lin Yiwei: “Boss Bo has given me a special mission, so of course, I won’t let him down. Do you want to hang out with me, Student Weiwei, or would you prefer to pick someone else? Any of the handsome guys in our group, feel free to choose.”

Lin Yiwei, being genuinely straightforward, actually went up to the boys, looking over each motorcycle hunk, ready to pick the most appealing one.

Xie Bo knew she was a “president-level” beauty enthusiast; otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen him at first glance that night.

His expression darkened, and he hooked Lin Yiwei back by the neck, telling Li Du: “No choices, Li Du, you take her.”

Lin Yiwei pointed to a muscular hunk at the back: “But I want that brother.”

“You want what?”

Li Du pushed the bike over to her, laughing: “There’s no way around it. Boss Bo only trusts me to take you out.”

Lin Yiwei looked at the muscular hunk, who also looked back at her regretfully.

Ye Anning naturally took the seat behind Xie Bo, turning back to Lin Yiwei: “Weiwei, Li Du is good at this, don’t be scared. We’ll wait for you up ahead!”

“Okay.”

With a “roar,” Xie Bo’s motorcycle led the way out first. Then, several boys got on their bikes and followed him.

Lin Yiwei repeatedly reminded Li Du: “Li… Brother Li, go slow, okay?”

Li Du put on his goggles, gently saying: “Just like Boss Bo, you can call me Li Du.”

“Okay, Li Du.”

Li Du revived the engine, driving the motorcycle onto the road, keeping the speed below fifty miles per hour.

But even this speed was too fast for Lin Yiwei: “Li Du, can we go slower, please? I get motion sickness.”

“You get motion sickness?”

“Do all the members of your club not allow motion sickness?”

“I was just curious, you get carsick and yet you come out to race?”

“I’m accompanying Anning.”

“No way.” Li Du slowed down to thirty miles per hour, leisurely driving on the mountain road at night, “You came just to see Mr. Bo, didn’t you?”

“How could that be.”

“You’re even wearing his clothes, and you still say you didn’t come to see him?”

Lin Yiwei was startled and immediately denied, “This shirt is a common design, you can find it anywhere.”

“But the collar is embroidered with his initials in English, it’s the only one in Qinggang City.”

She quickly looked down and indeed saw on the inside of the collar a gold thread embroidery, very subtly forming a gothic English letter—

T.

Sensing the girl’s anxiousness, Li Du comforted, “Don’t worry, he only wears this shirt at home. Ye Anning, including Chi Xiyu, don’t know about it.”

Lin Yiwei let out a sigh of relief, tightly gripping the clothing around his waist: “I won’t wear it again.”

“Of all the girls I’ve seen, your attitude towards him is the worst,” Li Du said with a laugh, “And he actually tolerates it. The Mr. Bo I remember doesn’t have such a good temper.”

Through the gray goggles, Lin Yiwei looked towards the lean figure of the young man and asked back, “Are you very familiar with him?”

“We’ve known each other for a long time, grew up together.”

“So you’ve always been his follower.”

“I’m not his follower, I’m his friend. Do you understand the difference?”

“I understand.” Lin Yiwei had long seen that Li Du had a deep relationship with Xie Bo, “But you seem to listen to him a lot.”

“He saved me once, risking his life to carry me out of a fire. His leg, because of that, was scalded and even underwent skin graft surgery.”

Li Du slightly turned his head, “Mr. Bo is a man of loyalty and righteousness, yet he always portrays himself as a selfish bastard.” He smiled helplessly, “I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

“Is it the white patch on his right leg?”

Lin Yiwei recalled, she had seen a patch of abnormal white skin at the root of his right leg, likely the result of the skin graft. She had thought it was a birthmark.

“Wow!” Li Du exclaimed, “That’s very close to his vitals, how did you see such a private area!”

“……”

“Ah, you two, really have an unusual relationship! I thought you were in some pure love relationship, but I guess not! You actually took Mr. Bo’s first time, my goodness!”

In a flash, Li Du turned into a gossip enthusiast, braking to a stop, excitedly asking, “How did you manage it? Tell me! So many girls have tried and failed to win him over.”

Lin Yiwei regretted it but it was too late: “It was just an accident, don’t let Chi Xiyu know!”

“Don’t worry, if Mr. Bo doesn’t want others to know, I won’t say a word,” Li Du said cheerfully, “No wonder, I was wondering why he would risk offending Chi Xi City to rescue a girl in the middle of the night.”

Lin Yiwei couldn’t always let Li Du see through her, making her feel insecure, so she also began to probe for his information.

She glanced at his old, rough-looking sneakers and said, “You don’t really seem to belong in their circle either.”

Li Du didn’t evade the topic: “I’m not. I didn’t have the chance to go to college, initially worked as an apprentice in a repair shop. The shop owner was inhumane, paying only 500 a month, which wasn’t even enough for food. Later, Mr. Bo saw how miserably I was living and gave me a job at the club, allowing me to work and take adult education courses at the same time. I even got to attend some college classes.”

“So, it’s not just friends, but also a boss and employee relationship.”

“Little girl, are you the FBI? Playing the investigation game so well.”

“You’re allowed to inquire about me, but I’m not allowed to inquire about you?”

“Allowed, why not?” Li Du drew out his words, “But let me advise you, no matter what your purpose is for getting close to Ye Anning or Chi Xiyu, I suggest you stop. This circle is not for people like us. If Xie Bo doesn’t protect you, you’ll end up in a bad way. And I can’t guarantee he will always protect you, after all, he has his own goals and has sacrificed a lot for them.”

Lin Yiwei gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice, “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“It’s best that you don’t understand.”

As they were speaking, a white high beam flashed from a distance, and they saw Xie Bo’s black heavy motorcycle block their way.

Ye Anning got off the bike and said to them, “You guys are too slow. We’re almost at the finish line, and you’re still here halfway up the mountain, chatting away!”

“It was me who asked Li Du to slow down,” Lin Yiwei said. “I get carsick.”

“Li Du, how could you make my friend carsick? Didn’t I tell you to drive steadily?”

“Oh come on! How is her getting carsick my fault? I’m driving at 30 mph, isn’t that slow enough?”

“You just don’t have the skills!”

Lin Yiwei smiled and chimed in, “Right, you just don’t have the skills!”

Li Du got back on the motorcycle: “Yes, yes, yes, my skills are bad, I admit it. Why don’t we find someone with good skills to take you? It’s just that I don’t know if Miss Ye would be willing.”

Ye Anning spoke openly, “Why wouldn’t I be willing? But for this matter, you need to ask Xie Bo.”

“No need!” Lin Yiwei, without waiting for Xie Bo to speak, quickly got on Li Du’s bike, “Li Du is steady enough.”

Xie Bo took off his protective helmet and murmured two words—

“Switch bikes.”

Ye Anning, with a chuckle, pushed Lin Yiwei towards Xie Bo’s bike and then sat behind Li Du, “Xie Bo, she has no experience and is timid. Please take good care of her!”

Xie Bo’s mouth twitched slightly: “Of course, I will take good care of your friend.”

As they spoke, Li Du started the engine, and with a roar, drove off: “We’ll wait for you at the finish line!”

“An An!” Lin Yiwei called out to them, wanting them not to leave so quickly, but in an instant, the motorcycle had disappeared at the bend.

The night was deep, and the mountain wind howled.

Lin Yiwei looked at the man sitting on the motorcycle.

He was playing with the protective helmet, a gentle breeze brushing a few strands of hair on his forehead, his eyes, serene as stars, were hooked on the white shirt she wore: “How come you’re addicted to wearing my clothes? Stolen from my house.”

“I… ran out of clothes to wear.”

“Lies.”

“Then don’t believe it.”

“Can’t be that pitiful.”

“The one that got torn earlier was the best-looking one I had,” Lin Yiwei honestly said. “I borrowed this one as an emergency.”

“Let’s go to my place later, you can pick anything you like from my wardrobe,” Xie Bo said half-jokingly, half-seriously.

“I won’t go.” Lin Yiwei sat on the back seat of his bike, “Drive slowly, I get carsick.”

“You get carsick and you still come out to play?””I had to come, I have a KPI to meet with you.”

He didn’t start the engine right away but turned around curiously, “Since when did I become your KPI?”

Lin Yiwei had nothing to hide from Xie Bo and candidly said, “Chi Xiyu wants you to distance yourself from Ye Anning, asked me to seduce you. The moment you stop paying attention to Ye Anning, my KPI is considered achieved.”

Xie Bo scoffed lightly, “Boring.”

Lin Yiwei rambled on, “There used to be an older sister in my neighbor’s house who went all out to marry a good man. She mixed in certain circles, bought luxury bags and clothes beyond her means, and paid tens of thousands to join city walks that had an entry threshold. Her life was hard, but she appeared glamorous. I’ve always thought that treating marriage like a career and placing one’s happiness in the hands of a man is like a mirage; everything can disappear in an instant.”

“Speaking of others,” Xie Bo said with a hint of mockery in his eyes, “Getting close to Chi Xiyu, being manipulated like a puppet, isn’t that also your career?”

Lin Yiwei honestly said, “So I don’t think I’m noble. On the contrary, I might be even more despicable because I have to deceive a girl who sincerely wants to be friends with me.”

“Logically, since I like you so much, I should let you have your way, let you take your trophy to Chi Xiyu to claim your success.” He pinched her cheek, his sharp lips nearly touching hers, “But shouldn’t you also make an effort, try hard to seduce me, to make it right?”

“I… will do my best.”

Xie Bo sneered, snatching the goggles from her hands and tossing his protective helmet to her, “Tonight, I’ll give you that chance.”

“I won’t wear the helmet,” Lin Yiwei refused. “It’ll ruin my makeup.”

“Your makeup skills, you look like a ghost with it on, only looking human once it’s messed up.”

“……”

Xie Bo put on the goggles, turned around, and forcibly put the helmet on her.

Inside the helmet, his warmth lingered.

Outside, the motorcycle roared off.

His speed was much faster than Li Du’s, the wind howling past them, scraping against their skin like knives.

Lin Yiwei clutched the clothes around his waist tightly, “Xie Bo, slow down!”

The man turned a deaf ear, not only did he not slow down, but he also stepped on the gas, speeding the motorcycle on the quiet and empty forest road.

There was moonlight tonight, with tree shadows swaying. Besides that, there was only the reflection of the motorcycle’s high beams on the signposts.

“Xie Bo, I’m going to be sick.”

“Try throwing up on me and see what happens.”

Finally, Lin Yiwei wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his broad and solid back, tightly closing her eyes.

Only by closing her eyes could she overcome the fear in her heart.

Xie Bo felt the girl embracing him from behind, and the skin on his back became sensitive, as if coming alive, eagerly absorbing her warmth. His skin suffered from a thirst, a longing for her closeness, craving the touch of her skin against his. Xie Bo had tried to engage with other girls before, like Ye Anning, but he couldn’t muster any interest at all. Not just in intimate matters, but even a touch from them repulsed him. He yearned for her embrace to last longer, so at the fork in the road ahead, Xie Bo unhesitatingly chose the left path leading out of the city area, speeding with her through the quiet wilderness without looking back.

After a while, Lin Yiwei sensed something was off. He had been speeding for so long; why hadn’t they reached their destination yet? The long wilderness, heavy with tree shadows, had only the bright moonlight ahead as its guide, suspended high in the sky, the sole beacon on the wilderness road. In the endless darkness of the forest, without any firelight, one instinctively feels fear.

“Xie Bo, why is there no one around?” Xie Bo didn’t answer.

“Xie Bo,” she clutched the corner of his clothing,

“Xie Bo! Speak up.”

“Have you turned into a ghost?”

“If you don’t make a sound, I’ll jump! Speak up!”

Xie Bo leisurely murmured, “Idiot.”

“…”

“You’ve ruined this romantic atmosphere with your pig-headedness.”

“There’s nothing romantic about this, it’s terrifying! I even saw graves just now, where exactly are we going?”

He fell silent again, ignoring her. Half an hour later, they started to see some human activity and buildings. They had left Qinggang City and arrived at an unknown small town. There were no skyscrapers, just low-rise buildings not exceeding three floors, roadside stalls, barbeque places, barber shops with lazily spinning signs, and small motels scattered around.

Xie Bo stopped at a crossroads, turned to her, and said, “Babe, get off.”

“Where are we?”

“Lugang Town, I’ve been here before for a rally.”

“Why are we here?” Xie Bo parked the motorcycle by the roadside, bending down to check it: “The brake system is showing a warning, need to find a repair shop.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“So… when can we go back?”

“Don’t know.”

She followed Xie Bo as they pushed the motorcycle to a repair shop. Xie Bo discussed the price for replacing the brakes with the repair staff, while Lin Yiwei stood alone by the road, pulling out her phone to open the taxi app. The town was in a mountainous area, too remote for this time. The screen was blank, not a single vehicle available. “Miss, need a ride?” A van driver came over, asking her with ill intentions, “Where to, I can take you.” “No, thanks.” Xie Bo came out of the repair shop, Lin Yiwei hurried over, and Xie Bo casually pulled her behind him, making the van driver leave sheepishly. “At this time, don’t wander off from my sight,” he warned with a smile, “If you get sold, I’d be heartbroken for days.” Lin Yiwei had no choice but to obediently follow him, quietly asking, “What now, how long will the repair take?” “If it’s quick, by tomorrow.” “…”