Chapter 47

The black sports car sped along the smooth road, passing by the bustling city center. As the car moved further, the number of pedestrians and vehicles on the road dwindled.

The night lights reflected off the car’s body, dazzling in the dark, while the wind gently blew past Su Xingyao’s ears.

The sleek sports car was driven with unexpected gentleness by Lu Zhiyun.

He raised his hand to point toward the faint outline of the supercar club’s entrance ahead.

“My first wife just got back today. I set up a meetup to practice and have some fun.”

Without Su Xingyao needing to ask, Lu Zhiyun immediately told him the purpose of the night.

As they noticed the road had cleared of people, Lu Zhiyun increased the speed of the car.

“About a dozen people are going to race with me tonight. I don’t know all of them, but if you see anyone you don’t like, feel free to ignore them.”

Su Xingyao smiled and nodded.

Through the rearview mirror, he glanced at the car’s smooth body and then at the slightly raised corner of Lu Zhiyun’s lips.

Seeing that Lu Zhiyun had already organized such a large event just after getting the car, it was clear how much he adored his “first wife.”

After briefly explaining some less important details, Lu Zhiyun shifted the conversation to what he really wanted to talk about.

“Susu, have you ever raced cars?”

Su Xingyao shook his head. “No.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiyun’s excitement grew, and he enthusiastically suggested, “Then how about I take you to race tonight?”

As if anticipating any concerns from Su Xingyao, he quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry, although my driving skills aren’t as good as my brother’s, I can definitely manage first or second place easily.”

Racing sports cars was a completely foreign concept to Su Xingyao.

Having lived a disciplined life for many years, he had never experienced such an exciting activity.

He was still contemplating whether he should join Lu Zhiyun in this wild endeavor when he heard him mention his brother.

Su Xingyao, curious, asked, “Does Mr. Lu also race?”

Having known Lu Jiuxu for so long, Su Xingyao knew he was either at work or at home, with a very routine lifestyle. The cars in his garage were all understated models, and there was no indication that he had a passion for racing.

Su Xingyao found it hard to imagine what it would be like for him to drive a sports car.

Seeing that Su Xingyao was unaware of the situation, Lu Zhiyun laughed. Leaning on the window with one hand, he steered with the other while sharing stories about Lu Jiuxu.

“Of course! My brother is amazing! You wouldn’t think it by looking at him, but when he was in a bad mood before, he used to race cars… well…”

Suddenly realizing how this might be misunderstood, Lu Zhiyun quickly corrected himself.

Afraid that his careless words would ruin his brother’s image in front of his sister-in-law, he quickly added, “But of course, he hasn’t done that in recent years.”

In order to uphold his brother’s image as a perfect boyfriend, he emphasized, “Especially after meeting you, my brother comes home every day.”

Lu Zhiyun was quite pleased with his portrayal of Lu Jiuxu, thinking that he had painted the picture of a perfect, family-oriented man.

He was particularly satisfied with his last sentence.

However, he never considered that this seemingly harmless remark might actually make people misunderstand Lu Jiuxu, thinking he had once been a carefree playboy.

Fortunately, the person listening to him was Su Xingyao.

Su Xingyao had some understanding of the plot, so Lu Zhiyun’s words easily reminded him of the real character of Lu Jiuxu from the original book.

In the original story, Lu Jiuxu was not exactly the gentle and patient type.

On the contrary, after his death, he suddenly went insane and, with no real grudge against the Shen family, he sought revenge on them and Shen Huaixi in a particularly brutal way…

His reckless, all-or-nothing drive to destroy them was intense and crazy.

Thinking about this, Su Xingyao no longer found it strange that Lu Jiuxu would race cars when he was upset—there was nothing about it that would break his character.

As Su Xingyao was lost in thought, Lu Zhiyun’s phone suddenly rang.

It was a friend calling to say that tonight was his mother’s birthday, so he would be late.

Lu Zhiyun casually replied with an “Mm,” and hung up the phone.

However, after a few seconds, he couldn’t help but ask Su Xingyao.

“Su Su, when’s your birthday?”

Recently, Lu Zhiyun had been paying attention to the scandals surrounding the entertainment company.

Bringing Su Xingyao out tonight was partly to cheer him up, as he was worried the drama with the company might have upset him.

When his friend mentioned birthdays, Lu Zhiyun suddenly remembered the information about Su Xingyao that the netizens had dug up earlier.

The netizens were angry that the company deliberately left Su Xingyao’s academic background incomplete.

But as a friend, what caught Lu Zhiyun’s attention was the fact that Su Xingyao’s birthday wasn’t listed clearly anywhere in the official records.

He had noticed this and found it odd.

Su Xingyao’s official profile only mentioned the year of birth, but there was no specific mention of the day or month.

This was completely illogical.

Lu Zhiyun had intended to ask about this before, but the timing had never been right.

Now, with the phone call as an excuse, he finally asked.

After Lu Zhiyun suddenly asked the question, Su Xingyao visibly paused for several seconds.

The topic of his birthday was somewhat complicated.

The real date of his birth had been given to Shen Huaixi by the Shen family, while the date his adoptive parents set didn’t sit well with him.

Su Xingyao didn’t know how to explain this birthday issue to the young master. After thinking for a moment, he could only answer vaguely.

“I don’t really celebrate my birthday.”

He did, in fact, celebrate his birthday… but only in his own way.

After his sister passed away, days like these—days that were filled with expectations and blessings from others—no longer held much meaning for him.

The car was moving a bit too fast, and Lu Zhiyun only caught part of what Su Xingyao said.

Thinking he might have misheard, Lu Zhiyun pressed the brakes to slow down the car.

“Huh? Why don’t you celebrate?”

After saying this, he realized that Su Xingyao’s answer was a bit strange.

However, being quick-witted, he soon figured out what felt off.

With a smile, he repeated his question to Su Xingyao, “No, no, I was asking when your birthday is…”

After being asked again, Su Xingyao knew that if he kept dodging the young master’s question, it would feel like he was taking his friend’s concern lightly.

Glancing down at the date on his phone screen, he replied calmly.

“I usually celebrate it today.”

Today was June 1st, Children’s Day.

When he was younger, it was his favorite day of the year.

Because on that day, his teacher would give them small cakes.

He still remembered how the other kids couldn’t wait to eat their cakes, their mouths full of cream right away.

But he had forced himself to resist.

He would close his eyes, not look at the cake, not think about it, and focus solely on bringing it home. When his sister returned, he would find a quiet corner where no one could see, and carefully share it with her.

Su Xingyao thought that was probably one of the happiest days of his year.

Because on that day, his sister would perform a kind of magic trick, suddenly pulling out a colorful birthday candle that had already been burned.

She would solemnly light the candle, smiling as she placed it in the center of the little cake.

“It’s Children’s Day, and Little Yue Shuang, you’ve grown another year older!”

Only on this day, when the gentle flame reflected on his sister’s soft face, did her normally pale skin gain a bit of color.

Su Xingyao couldn’t remember the date his adoptive parents had set for his official birthday.

The birthday they gave him was actually the date of their own deceased son’s birth.

To Su Xingyao, that date was a nightmare.

Because on that day, the beastly parents would remember their son who died young and take out their anger on him, beating him mercilessly.

And while he was being beaten, his sister would shield him with her small body, and both of them would end up bruised and battered.

After their adoptive parents were exhausted and went to bed, his sister would gently hold him in her arms, holding back her tears as she softly told him.

“Little Yue Shuang, this unlucky day isn’t your birthday. We don’t have to… we don’t have to…”

So, during his time at his adoptive parents’ home, Su Xingyao never had a proper birthday celebration.

It was only every June 1st, when his sister would light a candle for him and give him her heartfelt wishes, that he would understand: he had grown another year older.

But later, after his sister passed away, he was sent to an orphanage.

He was then transferred back to the Shen family and once again witnessed the extravagant birthday parties of Shen Huaixi every year…

Over the course of more than ten years, Su Xingyao had long become numb to birthdays.

Only occasionally, in his dreams, would he dearly miss his sister’s gentle voice: “Little Yue Shuang, you’ve grown older!”

While driving, Lu Zhiyun didn’t notice the sudden change in Su Xingyao’s mood.

Upon hearing the date Su Xingyao mentioned, he felt his scalp tighten, almost slamming on the brakes.

Celebrating a birthday on June 1st…

But today was June 1st, wasn’t it?!

On such an important day, he had actually coaxed Su Xingyao out to race with him…

Oh my god, if his brother found out…

Lu Zhiyun didn’t dare to think further.

He anxiously glanced at the supercar club’s entrance just ahead, hesitating in his mind.

Now that they were already here, and he had already said so much to Su Xingyao about racing…

He couldn’t suddenly turn around and send him back, could he?

Realizing that he might have just made a big mistake, Lu Zhiyun quickly slammed the brakes and hurriedly sent a message to Lu Jiuxu.

Lu Zhiyun: Bro, CSG, you have to come tonight!!

In the middle of a meeting, Lu Jiuxu’s phone screen flickered with a new message.

After glancing at it, he motioned with his eyes for the next person to continue their report, his expression unchanged.

The person who had been speaking immediately stood up.

Just as he was about to continue, another message flashed on Lu Jiuxu’s phone screen.

Lu Zhiyun: It’s Su Su’s birthday!! Hurry!!

The meeting was abruptly called off midway.

Everyone watched as Lu Jiuxu hurriedly left, all looking confused.

—

Lu Zhiyun’s sports car stopped in front of a giant logo.

Su Xingyao slightly lifted his head and saw the three large letters in front of him.

CSG.

CSG Club.

A supercar club where membership required a personal wealth verification of at least nine digits to join.

It was a playground for the rich second-generation heirs of Jincheng, where they spent their time playing with expensive toys.

Su Xingyao recognized this place but had only ever heard of it years ago from Qin Mingchuan.

However, he couldn’t afford these supercars, and he had no interest in such money-burning toys.

So, over the years, he had never bothered to pay attention to the specific location of the club.

When he lifted his gaze and saw the shimmering three letters, Su Xingyao realized that, without realizing it, he had followed Lu Zhiyun to this legendary supercar club today.

The venue tonight wasn’t as lively as usual during the races. In the large space, there were almost only the staff members setting up the track.

However, tonight’s event was attended by well-known second-generation rich heirs from the circle.

Although there weren’t many people at the gathering, the scene was anything but small.

On both sides of the venue, more than ten different models of supercars were neatly parked.

All of them were limited-edition models priced in the eight-figure range.

Su Xingyao made sure to keep a good distance away as he walked, fearing that he might accidentally bump into one of the cars.

Lu Zhiyun was late, and by the time he arrived, his friends were already playing a round of Mahjong in the VIP lounge.

When it was the person closest to the door’s turn to draw a tile, he reached out but grabbed nothing.

“Here, let me help you check and see if you can self-draw.”

Lu Zhiyun, helping his friend draw a tile, felt the card for a second before throwing a six of circles out with a look of exasperation.

“Looks like your luck’s not so great today.”

The person across from him grinned and picked up the tile Lu Zhiyun had thrown out. “I don’t know how his luck is, but my luck tonight’s pretty good.”

He looked at Lu Zhiyun. “Young Master Lu, sorry, you’re the one who triggered the cannon. Full flush, all tiles in order.”

As soon as Lu Zhiyun spoke, all eyes turned to him.

The person who got triggered by him threw his cards down, tossing his chips with a complaint.

“Young Master Lu, pay up, pay up! You triggered this cannon. My luck is awful tonight, I’m about to lose my last pair of pants!”

As soon as Lu Zhiyun appeared, the place immediately became lively.

Even the bar heard the commotion and, passing by the cascading champagne tower, over a dozen people walked over.

“Young Master Lu, where’s your first wife? Let me see how beautiful she is.”

Although the words were spoken casually, the crowd’s eyes couldn’t help but glance at the handsome, clean young man standing next to Lu Zhiyun.

The people who had been playing Mahjong earlier had seen Su Xingyao during the camping trip.

The three of them were all very enthusiastic in greeting him when they saw him.

However, their actions made it even easier for others to misunderstand the relationship between Su Xingyao and Lu Zhiyun.

Immediately, someone opened their mouth to try and gather information about the handsome young man.

“Young Master Lu, this is the first time I’ve seen you with…”

Before the person could finish their sentence, they were met with a sharp glare from Lu Zhiyun.

He gave the person a cold glance, his eyes landing on the fingers holding the cigarette.

“The cigarette’s out.”

With his attitude, though he didn’t say anything, Lu Zhiyun had already made it clear to everyone how different Su Xingyao was.

The person, understanding the hint, quickly extinguished the cigarette and didn’t dare continue with the joke.

“Hello, sir. May I ask your name?”

When he spoke again, his tone was no longer casual or flippant.

Su Xingyao nodded gracefully and replied, “No need for formalities. My surname is Su, Su Xingyao.”

Lu Zhiyun, feeling bored, waved the smoke drifting in front of Su Xingyao away.

He sniffed the air, still smelling the smoke, then took Su Xingyao to sit down on the other side.

After picking up a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice from the waiter’s tray, he handed it to Su Xingyao with a polite gesture.

“Susu, drink some water.”

In just a few seconds, Lu Zhiyun’s attitude had completely changed.

In front of Su Xingyao and Lu Jiuxu, he was warm and affectionate.

His personality was carefree and easygoing, yet still obedient.

But in front of others, Lu Zhiyun definitely had a bit of a swagger.

At first, Su Xingyao was a bit uncomfortable, but he quickly understood.

Lu Jiuxu had been so kind and gentle to him that he had almost forgotten that, in the plot he knew, a single cough from Lu Jiuxu could shake the whole of Jincheng—he was an influential figure.

And as Lu Jiuxu’s younger brother, Lu Zhiyun was naturally someone who wouldn’t be treated casually by anyone.

The second young master of the Lu family had the capital to act with such authority in front of others.

For example, tonight’s event, although not organized by Lu Zhiyun, was definitely the star of the show.

Now that the star had appeared, the event was about to begin.

After a bit of commotion, by nearly ten o’clock, everyone started shouting and heading outside.

The venue was large, and the race track was quite a distance away from the parking area.

Lu Zhiyun and his friends went to get their cars, so he asked Su Xingyao to wait for him by the track.

After the staff led Su Xingyao to the track, he looked around.

The area was specially decorated, with many graffiti and night lights on the buildings on both sides.

The trees, at varying heights, were also wrapped in layers of light tubes.

When the lights turned on, rows of golden Christmas-tree-like lights illuminated, with their glow stretching far into the distance, creating a full atmosphere.

As the lights came on, the crowd became lively.

Among the various loud noises, Su Xingyao heard someone call his name from behind.

“Xingyao.”

Having not slept the entire night, Qin Mingchuan never expected to see Su Xingyao again under such unexpected circumstances.

When he saw Su Xingyao’s back, he almost thought he was dreaming.

It wasn’t until Su Xingyao turned around that he could clearly see the face he had been thinking about all night.

Looking into Su Xingyao’s beautiful amber-colored eyes, Qin Mingchuan stared at the person who was so close, his Adam’s apple moved slightly, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably, just like the first time he had seen Su Xingyao on that afternoon.

His heartbeat and body temperature were just as wild as they were then.

“Xingyao, long time no see…”

Although Qin Mingchuan was smiling, he appeared visibly haggard from the sleepless night.

Su Xingyao was somewhat surprised.

Seeing the other’s poor condition, he didn’t ask why.

He had no intention of interacting with him any longer and didn’t have much to say. His first instinct was to walk away from him.

Qin Mingchuan, who had been relieved to run into Su Xingyao, saw him turning to leave without saying a word.

In his panic, he immediately reached out and grabbed Su Xingyao’s wrist.

Qin Mingchuan’s grip was firm, and Su Xingyao’s skin reddened instantly from the force.

The distance between them was deliberately shortened, and the air was tinged with a lingering smell of alcohol and tobacco.

“Don’t go, Xingyao…”

Qin Mingchuan, who hadn’t slept all night, had bloodshot eyes, and his gaze was tinged with red.

“Can we talk?”

Su Xingyao instinctively tried to pull his hand back, wanting to break free from the grip.

But Qin Mingchuan, afraid that if he let go, Su Xingyao would disappear from his sight once again, stubbornly held onto his wrist, not willing to release him.

Although Qin Mingchuan’s movements weren’t too loud, it didn’t stop the people around them from noticing what was happening.

Seeing many eyes glancing back and forth at him and Qin Mingchuan, Su Xingyao reminded him.

“Mr. Qin, please watch your behavior.”

His wrist ached from the pull, so he tried to gently tug his hand back.

But it had no effect.

Su Xingyao helplessly said, “This… isn’t appropriate.”

His intention was to remind the other not to be so physical in public.

But Qin Mingchuan’s Adam’s apple moved again, and his eyes were particularly determined.

“I don’t care.”

Back when they were in school, after Su Xingyao had shown off, many people used to tease Qin Mingchuan, asking him if he liked Su Xingyao.

For this, he had denied the rumors many times.

But never before had he hoped for the rumors to come true as strongly as he did now.

Qin Mingchuan was still immersed in his memories.

However, the next words from Su Xingyao were like a bucket of ice-cold water, splashing over him and leaving him in a mess.

“But it would cause me trouble.”

The sound of the words hitting him felt like a heavy blow.

The strength in Qin Mingchuan’s hand immediately loosened.

From a distance, Lu Zhiyun, who had driven over, saw a strange man holding onto Su Xingyao’s hand and not letting go.

Thinking that Su Xingyao was being harassed, he jumped out of the car, ran a few steps, and placed himself between the two men, shielding Su Xingyao behind him.

He grabbed Qin Mingchuan’s hand and pulled Su Xingyao’s wrist free, growling angrily like a protective wolf, “Let go of him.”

Qin Mingchuan, looking at the unfamiliar man who suddenly appeared, found it hard to speak.

“Who is he?”

Su Xingyao didn’t answer. Instead, he gently shook his head at Lu Zhiyun, signaling him to let go of the other man.

“I’ve known Mr. Qin for a long time.”

A simple sentence explained their relationship.

As he spoke, Su Xingyao, not wanting to make a scene, looked calmly at Qin Mingchuan and spoke with quiet firmness.

“Mr. Qin, let’s find a quiet place to talk.”

His voice was soft but carried an undeniable determination.

There were indeed some things he needed to clear up with Qin Mingchuan.

After hearing Su Xingyao’s words, Lu Zhiyun took a step back and released Qin Mingchuan’s hand.

Standing in place, his eyes fixed on the two as they left, Lu Zhiyun still felt uneasy.

Out of respect for his friend, he had never looked into Su Xingyao’s family or background.

But Qin Mingchuan’s actions and gaze had been so intense and direct that it was obvious he had ulterior motives towards Su Xingyao.

Even a fool could see that Qin Mingchuan was interested in him.

Thinking about how Su Xingyao had confirmed they were “old acquaintances,” Lu Zhiyun felt a surge of discomfort.

He really wanted to go over, but he didn’t want to interrupt their conversation.

After a moment of indecision, Lu Zhiyun anxiously called Lu Jiuxu.

“Bro, you’d better come here… just now someone was making a move on Susu…”

Lu Jiuxu, who was driving, frowned slightly, his tone becoming somewhat impatient.

“Get to the point.”

“There’s someone here at the track. It should be someone Susu used to know… his last name is Qin. Susu went with him…”

Before Lu Zhiyun could finish speaking, he heard the sound of the phone call being ended.

Five minutes later, a black sports car stopped in front of him.

The tires screeched as they left a long mark on the ground.

Lu Zhiyun swallowed nervously, estimating the force of the brakes, and inwardly guessed the car’s speed.

Realizing that his brother had treated the car like a race car, he quickly raised his hand in surrender to Lu Jiuxu.

“Bro, this isn’t my fault today.”

There was a lounge not far from the racetrack.

Su Xingyao and Qin Mingchuan were sitting across from each other, both silent.

Su Xingyao gazed out of the window.

With his superior features, slim waist, and long legs, just leaning his face on one hand created a stunning sight.

Qin Mingchuan gazed at him quietly, unable to stop himself from thinking about the two Lu brothers.

In fact, he knew that Su Xingyao was never short of admirers.

Back when they were in school, he had secretly intercepted dozens of love letters addressed to him each day.

Such a beautiful and gentle person, and yet he had once foolishly believed that Su Xingyao wanted to bind him with a marriage contract, repeatedly pushing him away and hurting him in the process.

Thinking of this, Qin Mingchuan felt a heavy block in his chest.

He hadn’t slept all night, and he had so much he wanted to say to Su Xingyao.

But now, seeing him face to face, he didn’t know where to start.

The two of them sat in silence for several minutes before Qin Mingchuan finally spoke.

“Xingyao…”

“I’m sorry.”

A thousand words, and in the end, all Qin Mingchuan could say was these three words.

He owed Su Xingyao far too much…

Not just for neglecting the movie star, but for those unspoken feelings.

Su Xingyao showed no surprise at Qin Mingchuan’s apology.

After withdrawing his gaze and pausing for several seconds, he finally spoke.

“If you’re apologizing for Shen Huaixi, there’s no need.”

Seeing that Su Xingyao misunderstood him, Qin Mingchuan was about to deny it.

But Su Xingyao continued, “If it’s because of the Yingxing incident, your company has already apologized.”

Su Xingyao lifted his eyes slightly and smiled faintly at Qin Mingchuan.

“It’s all in the past.”

It wasn’t that it didn’t matter anymore, but that it was all over.

Qin Mingchuan didn’t speak, silently watching the person in front of him.

The slight smile on Su Xingyao’s lips was as gentle as he remembered.

But the more gentle Su Xingyao was, the more uncomfortable Qin Mingchuan felt.

It was like punching into cotton—no matter what he said or did, it seemed to have no effect at all.

“Xingyao…”

As Qin Mingchuan spoke, Su Xingyao also looked at him.

“Qin Mingchuan, from the first time we met until now… how long have we known each other?”

Su Xingyao’s question came suddenly, and Qin Mingchuan almost didn’t have to think, giving an approximate answer.

“Six years, I guess…”

When he said this number, Qin Mingchuan himself was a bit shocked.

Six years.

He had known Su Xingyao for this long.

But for most of that time, he had been ignoring him.

He had even been giving him the silent treatment…

Su Xingyao smiled, not responding.

He lowered his gaze, picked up the cartoon sticky notes and a pen on the table, and wrote a line of numbers.

Then, he turned the paper and handed it to Qin Mingchuan.

“Six years, eight months, and seventeen days.”

Six years, eight months, and seventeen days…

Staring at the familiar handwriting and the exact date, Qin Mingchuan’s body froze.

Compared to his blurry memory, Su Xingyao remembered every little detail of their past so clearly.

His hand trembled, and the pain made him not dare to touch the paper.

Su Xingyao didn’t look at him but instead picked up the pen again.

At the end of the number, he added a period.

“Qin Mingchuan.”

He gently called his name.

“This number will never increase.”

The period represented an end.

Their relationship, too, should come to a close today.

The lights of a sports car flashed outside the window.

Not wanting to stay any longer, Su Xingyao put down the pen and stood up, walking toward the door.

“I know you care a lot about the marriage contract.”

As he neared the door, Su Xingyao remembered that he hadn’t explained this matter clearly to Qin Mingchuan, so he stopped and solemnly told him.

“But please rest assured, no one will use the marriage contract to bind you anymore.”

“I also never intended to use a contract to ask you for anything.”

Su Xingyao gave a faint smile.

“You are free.”

The last three words were like a knife that split Qin Mingchuan’s heart into countless pieces.

The bitter emotions of impending loss surged and almost drowned him.

Realizing what those words meant, he suddenly ran toward Su Xingyao, his voice almost pleading.

“Don’t do this, Xingyao.”

“Don’t dissolve the marriage contract…”

The overwhelming panic made Qin Mingchuan’s voice tremble as he spoke.

“Please…”

Once, he had been the one who resisted and disliked the marriage contract, but now, hearing Su Xingyao say those words, he was terrified beyond measure.

“I used to be so self-righteous, doing a lot of foolish things and hurting you…” Qin Mingchuan humbly expressed his belated feelings for Su Xingyao, “But I never once thought about tearing up this marriage contract.”

Yes, he had never thought of it.

Even though he had acted so disgusted in the past, he would never bring up the fact that the marriage contract might be invalid.

Because deep down, he had always desired it.

He finally understood what that feeling was when he first met Su Xingyao.

It was the uncontrollable heart flutter one feels upon seeing someone they like.

He had fallen for Su Xingyao at first sight.

Now that he finally understood, Qin Mingchuan looked at the person in front of him and felt how absurd he had been.

After hurting Su Xingyao so much, he now realized that he could never be without him…

Before coming to find Su Xingyao, he had even foolishly thought that this marriage contract could serve as a bridge to repair their relationship.

But now, that bridge was about to break.

Su Xingyao didn’t want it anymore.

“Xingyao…”

The sourness in Qin Mingchuan’s heart made his eyes ache.

The feeling of about to lose everything entirely tore his heart into pieces.

He hurriedly chased after Su Xingyao’s back, wanting to hold his hand and never let go.

But when he left the lounge, he realized that, in the end, he was still one step too late.

As Su Xingyao stepped out of the lounge and into the darkness, a man approaching from the backlight gently took hold of his wrist.

The long fingers softly placed an ice pack on Su Xingyao’s wrist, which had been reddened by Qin Mingchuan’s grip.

Looking at the finger marks, Lu Jiuxu shot a warning glance toward Qin Mingchuan from afar.

He didn’t say anything to him afterward, hiding all the emotions in his eyes.

“Does it hurt?” he asked softly.

The cold sensation of the ice pack against his skin brought a brief chill.

Su Xingyao shook his head. “It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt.”

His skin was very fair, so any marks left behind seemed severe.

But in reality, Su Xingyao knew it didn’t hurt as much as it appeared…

The man seemed not to hear, continuing patiently to apply the ice pack to every part of his wrist.

The gentle touch of his fingertips and the coldness of the ice pack created two completely different sensations.

Su Xingyao looked up at the man in front of him.

Then he noticed that the man was still wearing the shirt and trousers he had on at work, and his usually neat hair was slightly messy.

Noticing the man’s urgency and fluster, Su Xingyao smiled. “Mr. Lu, did you come straight from work?”

Lu Jiuxu didn’t hesitate and directly admitted it.

“Mm, I’ve been in meetings until now.”

The honking of a car on the runway interrupted their conversation.

Sitting in a sports car, Lu Zhiyun waved at Su Xingyao from a distance.

“Susu, come over here.”

Lu Jiuxu glanced at Lu Zhiyun, then accompanied Su Xingyao to the passenger seat.

He stopped and lowered his eyes to briefly glance at the passenger seat.

“Is he taking you?” he asked.

Su Xingyao nodded.

Seeing the look on Lu Jiuxu’s face, Lu Zhiyun quickly interjected with a cheerful tone.

“Bro, Susu agreed to it before you came.”

Lu Jiuxu didn’t say anything. He gently bent down and helped Su Xingyao fasten his seatbelt.

As he stood up, he lifted his eyelids and glanced at Lu Zhiyun.

The window of the driver’s seat was slightly knocked on.

Lu Zhiyun quickly lowered the window.

“Be careful.”

Lu Zhiyun nodded, but the next moment, his mind suddenly cleared.

Finally realizing that he had been dancing on his older brother’s landmine all night, he quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the car as if running for his life.

Lu Zhiyun didn’t dare say anything. He quickly said, “The keys are in the car,” and dashed into the crowd.

“Su Cat, your driver ran away…”

Amid the deep growls of the sports cars around them, Su Xingyao heard the man’s voice, half-laced with a smile.

He turned his head and saw the man casually undoing the top button of his collar, eyes lowered.

The light and shadows cast on Lu Jiuxu’s face gave him a blend of an aloof and refined kind of beauty.

“What are we going to do?” Su Xingyao looked at him and half-jokingly asked, “Mr. Lu, will you take me?”

Lu Jiuxu raised his eyes and met Su Xingyao’s gaze, the corner of his mouth curling up.

The man, with his collar half-open, sat in the driver’s seat and skillfully started the car.

“It’s my first time driving someone,” Lu Jiuxu said casually.

“Should I set some goals for you? Third, second…” He dragged the last few words, “Or first?”

A cheer rose from outside.

It was the excited scream of the second-generation drivers who were lucky enough to witness Lu Jiuxu speeding for the first time.

The closed windows blocked out some of the noise, and Su Xingyao, distracted by it, didn’t set any goals. He just slightly squinted his eyes and looked ahead.

“Zhiyun said you’re really good.”

This comment clearly pleased him.

A low, pleasant laugh immediately echoed inside the sports car.

Su Xingyao felt a tingling sensation, like a feather brushing gently against his ear.

The women at the starting line began counting down with their wands.

As Su Xingyao, who was participating in this sport for the first time, felt his heart race in sync with the countdown.

Lu Jiuxu, holding the steering wheel with one hand, traced Su Xingyao’s profile with his eyes.

“Su Cat, do you like fireworks?”

“I do.”

“Then I’ll take you to see some fireworks.”

Amid the loud roar, the man in the driver’s seat handed something to Su Xingyao.

He looked down and found it was a beautifully packaged black gift box.

It was about the size of the palm of his hand, like a present for someone.

“Hold onto this for me.”

The man’s clear voice rang out, and Su Xingyao silently clenched his hands, gripping the gift box tightly between his fingers.

The countdown ended.

Su Xingyao felt his body being pushed back into the seat by a strong acceleration force, and everything around him began to rush past at high speed. Houses, trees, and figures quickly blurred into nothingness.

Su Xingyao closed his eyes, feeling the roar of the car speeding down the track and the suffocating moment when his heartbeat missed a beat.

Without sight, his other senses became sharply heightened.

The increasingly loud engine noise made Su Xingyao feel the rising speed.

His heartbeat was racing wildly, and he felt like he was about to float away.

Unconsciously, he tightened his grip on the gift Lu Jiuxu had asked him to hold.

A question from a previous conversation with Lu Zhiyun suddenly came to mind.

When the surrounding lights and shadows disappeared and were replaced by darkness, Su Xingyao couldn’t help but open his eyes again.

He didn’t need to imagine what it would be like to see the other person racing anymore.

Because the person was right here beside him.

Calm, handsome, and reassuring.

Su Xingyao looked out at the passing scenery.

He felt that he should have been very afraid of such extreme speed.

But at this moment, it seemed that because the person beside him was Lu Jiuxu, an inexplicable sense of calmness arose in his heart.

It was as if, in a journey toward the end of the world, the only thing left was relying on each other.

Su Xingyao took a deep breath, beginning to embrace the freedom and release of speed.

The surrounding lights and the crowd reappeared.

The sleek black supercar coolly crossed the finish line.

Even after the car stopped, the intense thrum of the engine continued to echo in his ears.

But Su Xingyao was brought back to the present by a clear, crisp voice.

“Su Cat, look up.”

Lu Jiuxu tilted his chin slightly.

Su Xingyao followed his gaze and looked ahead.

In the dark night sky, magnificent fireworks streaked across like meteors.

In the instant of their brilliant explosion, the lighted signs on both sides of the track suddenly lit up, jumping out in unison to display a message:

happy birthday~

The birthday wish that suddenly appeared was grand and vibrant.

Su Xingyao’s heart felt as if thousands of butterflies were flapping their wings at once.

In the moment his heart raced, he forgot where he was.

All he could hear was Lu Jiuxu’s gentle voice whispering in his ear—

“Happy birthday, Su Xingyao.”