Chapter 39: Not Listening, Just Kissing

In the afternoon, Jian Li learned how to steer and move forward and backward in a straight line, but her left foot couldn’t quite stabilize the clutch. After stalling the car several times, the instructor was getting a bit frustrated.

“Raise the clutch slowly, don’t yank it up,” the instructor said, his patience running thin. “Listen to the engine, when it makes a ‘chug, chug, chug’ sound, then you can release the clutch. Don’t rush. This line isn’t going anywhere.”

The instructor’s car space was already cramped, with three students in the back seat. Each student had limited practice time, and Jian Li was anxious about wasting others’ time, so she hurriedly apologized and restarted the car.

When reversing, she saw someone standing in the rest area through the rearview mirror.

Zhou Shubei was tall and broad, one hand in his pocket, head down, engrossed in his phone. One long leg was straight, the other slightly bent, with spring sunlight shining on his head. His strong bone structure drew many gazes.

A bold girl approached him, asking shyly if she could add him on WeChat.

Jian Li pressed harder on the gas pedal and the clutch and brake together, abruptly stopping the car. She lurched forward slightly.

“Do you have a grudge against the clutch and brake? Focus! I told you to look at the tires and the lines in the rearview mirror, not the scenery,” the instructor said, spilling water from his thermos. He capped it quickly. “Get out and clear your head for a bit.”

Jian Li put the car in neutral, pulled the handbrake, and said, “Okay,” getting out of the car.

The girl still stood in front of Zhou Shubei, apparently saying something. Zhou Shubei smiled briefly and then looked up at Jian Li.

Jian Li quickly averted her gaze, pretending not to care. But inside, she felt a tightness in her chest, a bit uncomfortable.

She wanted to drink some water, but it was with Zhou Shubei, and it wasn’t convenient to disturb him now. So, she sat on a bench in the middle rest area, watching another student take the instructor’s car out, making a left turn at the end, and stopping at the incline.

There were five tasks in the second driving test: uphill start, S-curve driving, sharp turns, reversing into the parking lot, and parallel parking.

She suddenly felt a little afraid she wouldn’t be able to master it.

“Snap!”

A pair of white, long fingers snapped in front of her, and a water bottle was handed to her. Zhou Shubei’s tone was lazy. “Why didn’t you answer me earlier?”

Jian Li held the round water bottle with both hands, opened it, and drank a few sips before replying, “I was thinking about what the instructor taught me. I didn’t hear you.”

The instructor’s reprimands were the usual sound at the training ground. Since the car window was rolled down, Zhou Shubei must have heard the instructor’s words. “Afraid you won’t do well?”

“Yeah.” Jian Li lowered her eyes, admitting her flaw. “I’m not good with my hands.”

It was the same with the finger dance last time. Everyone else could do it, but she couldn’t. Being the odd one out among the majority made her anxious. She wanted to catch up desperately, afraid of becoming the center of attention, afraid of being criticized in public, afraid that her self-esteem would seem pretentious in others’ eyes, as if everyone passing by was mocking her.

Zhou Shubei looked at her delicate, white hands. “Come with me.”

“Where to? I still need to practice,” Jian Li asked, confused.

Just then, the instructor’s car was coming over. Zhou Shubei bent down to speak with the instructor, telling him that he had something urgent to attend to and would leave for now. The instructor nodded, telling Jian Li to come back next week.

“Thanks.”

Zhou Shubei smiled and pulled Jian Li’s hand, casually taking her empty water bottle and hanging it on his shoulder. “I’ll take you to find your confidence.”

“Huh?”

Jian Li, still puzzled, was led away by him. They held hands openly, a sign of their obvious relationship, and although they didn’t intentionally look around, they could still feel the gazes on them.

After getting into the car, Zhou Shubei made a phone call and drove her to an open indoor venue. A staff member who had been waiting handed Zhou Shubei a key, and he took her through a glass room to the other side.

It was an indoor training facility, with a layout similar to the driving school.

“What is this?” Jian Li asked.

Zhou Shubei opened the door to a Santana car with a slight smile. “This is a prestigious driving school. One-on-one lessons.”

“…”

Sitting in the car, Jian Li adjusted the seat according to the afternoon’s lessons. She glanced at Zhou Shubei in the passenger seat. “Are you sure you want to teach me? I stalled a lot this afternoon.”

Zhou Shubei propped himself up against the car door. “So what if you stall? It’s not like we’re wasting a lot of fuel.” He laughed lightly. “Don’t be nervous, just trust yourself.”

Jian Li moved her fingers, took a couple of deep breaths, ensured the seat and rearview mirror were in the right position, buckled her seatbelt, pressed the clutch and brake, and started the car.

“First, raise the clutch a little bit with your left foot. When you hear the engine sound change, hold steady and then release the brake,” Zhou Shubei stepped back a few paces, patting the front of the car. “When the front of the car completely covers the white line on the right, hit the brake.”

Jian Li nodded, somewhat understanding. She pointed to the right, “Do I press the brake when I can’t see the white line?”

“Exactly,” Zhou Shubei said, stepping back a bit. “You’re picking this up quickly.”

Encouraged by his words, Jian Li felt a little less nervous and followed his instructions. She gradually released the brake as the car slowly moved forward.

She instinctively stretched her neck to see more clearly outside.

“Just sit normally, don’t over-adjust.”

Jian Li immediately leaned back, observing the car’s right front covering the white line and pressing the brake.

“How is it?” she asked.

Zhou Shubei gave her an “okay” sign. “Perfect. You can reverse now.”

The rearview mirror was a bit low, so Jian Li had to lower her head to see the white line clearly. The lines here were in better condition than those at the driving school, so it was easier to see. When she was at the right distance, she pressed the brake.

“Is it good?” she quickly asked.

Zhou Shubei didn’t answer immediately. He watched her lean her head out the window, her beautiful eyes catching the fragmented sunlight, her lips full and hydrated after drinking.

He was never one to be restrained. Leaning forward, he kissed her unexpectedly.

Jian Li was caught off guard. Thinking they were still in a public space, she leaned her head back to retreat, but Zhou Shubei had already anticipated her movement. He placed his palm on the back of her neck, applying gentle pressure to stop her from retreating.

With his other hand, he shifted the car into neutral and pulled up the handbrake.

“Hey—”

Jian Li placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to remind him to be careful. But just as she said something, his tongue invaded her mouth.

His lips were cool, his eyes as dark as a deep well, pulling her in, making it impossible for Jian Li to move. Her hand, resting on his shoulder, slowly loosened its grip, and she grasped his shirt in a tight hold.

Zhou Shubei kissed her without gentleness, his tongue grazing her bottom lip as he almost whispered her name.

“Jian Li.”

Jian Li replied, “Hmm?”

Her voice was soft, as if immersed in water. Zhou Shubei’s eyes darkened as he held her hand and pulled down his collar. He pointed to a spot on his neck.

“Get closer, kiss here.”

“…”

Jian Li’s fingers curled in tension. She couldn’t fully form a sentence, “Wh-what?”

“I said, get closer, or I will. Kiss here. The place is private. No one will come,” Zhou Shubei raised an eyebrow, his gaze dropping to her lips, his smile lazy but with a hint of mischief. “Or maybe I’ll kiss you here?”

!!!!!

Jian Li quickly pulled back her hand, her ears burning. “We’re still outside, there are cameras everywhere.”

“No one can see you; they’ll only see me bending down to speak,” Zhou Shubei replied, nodding. Just when Jian Li thought the topic was over, he spoke again. “Alright, we’ll kiss in the car later.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

They practiced in the indoor training area until 5:30. By then, Jian Li had mastered about 80% of the parking. As they walked up the stairs to the car park, Jian Li couldn’t stop thinking about what he had said. She was shy and nervous but felt an inexplicable sense of anticipation.

“The second test seems tough, but with more practice, it’ll be fine. Everyone starts like this,” Zhou Shubei said. “When I was learning, my instructor said I had to lift the car off the ground, trying to shift from first gear to third with momentum.”

This was the first time Zhou Shubei mentioned his past, and Jian Li couldn’t help but want to ask more.

“So, how long did it take for you to fully learn it? Did you pass it all in one go?” Jian Li asked.

Zhou Shubei thought for a moment. “Three days. Passed all in one go.”

Jian Li pressed her lips together. Three days. She could barely stabilize the clutch.

They had dinner nearby and then drove back to school. Zhou Shubei seemed to have completely forgotten about their earlier conversation, which made Jian Li breathe a sigh of relief, though she also felt a little disappointed.

Cars that weren’t registered in the school system couldn’t enter. Zhou Shubei found a parking spot in a nearby neighborhood, holding the car keys with his left hand and holding Jian Li’s hand with his right.

They passed a candy figurine stand, where the vendor skillfully made a candy apple and handed it to a waiting child. The candy glowed gold in the light. There were all kinds of designs on display, and Jian Li’s gaze lingered on a butterfly design for a moment.

At the red light, Zhou Shubei let go of her hand. “Wait for me here.”

Jian Li nodded, thinking he had forgotten something, but she saw him stop in front of the candy figurine stand, scanning the code to pay. Two minutes later, the vendor handed him a candy figurine.

It was the butterfly design.

“Here.” Zhou Shubei handed it to her, crossing the pedestrian lane. “I saw you looking at it.”

“Thank you,” Jian Li said, surprised and happy, but then felt uneasy. “I just thought it looked nice, so I looked at it for a bit longer.”

Zhou Shubei stopped and turned to look at her. “So do you want to eat it or not?”

“I do.” Jian Li answered honestly. “There used to be vendors selling candy figurines outside my school when I was young, five cents each. Every time, there were so many people in line, and I never had one.”

Five cents was too extravagant for her pocket money.

Zhou Shubei’s gaze softened. He gently stroked her chin, guiding her to look up. “When you’re with me, don’t hold back. Whatever you like or dislike, just say it. Don’t pretend to be happy or uncomfortable. I don’t want to guess, and I’m too lazy to. No need to hold back or endure; I like honest feedback.”

“I bought this because you wanted it. It’s better to accept what you truly feel than to pretend,” Zhou Shubei chuckled and lightly tapped her forehead. “We’re dating, not doing a job interview.”

“I don’t want to hear thanks.”

Jian Li asked, “What do you want to hear?”

Zhou Shubei let out a laugh, lowered his head, his breath warm by her ear as he lightly kissed her neck. “Not listening, just kissing.”

The butterfly on the candy figurine looked so vivid, as if it would fly away the next second.

Jian Li remembered a saying she’d seen somewhere: A healthy relationship makes both people better.

It seemed she was truly experiencing it firsthand.

Her insecurities and awkwardness, Zhou Shubei had seen it all, but he pretended not to know and showed her in a different way that she was good and excellent. He didn’t lecture her or say too much. Instead, he played around, making her feel comfortable.

Jian Li’s heart stirred, and with newfound courage, she wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek.

A quick peck, like peeling an orange.

Zhou Shubei froze for a second before reacting. He smiled, then chased after the girl who had run off like a rabbit.

He didn’t hold her hand anymore. His long arm wrapped around her waist through two layers of clothing, his thumb slightly pressing against her side.

An intentional, playful gesture.

Jian Li’s face flushed, and she pressed his hand down. “Don’t.”

“Mm.” Zhou Shubei lazily responded. At his over 1.8 meters height, he leaned into her like he had no bones. He casually took a bite of the candy figurine. “Sweet.”