Chapter 189: Help Me |
Finally, the distance had closed a little.
Looking at Jiang Linyuan in front of her, Zhao Qiulu felt a slight sense of relief.
"I've told you so much about myself. Why don't you talk about what happened between you and Su Muzhi?"
She asked.
Jiang Linyuan's deep-seated issue was definitely with Su Muzhi.
Jiang Linyuan looked at Zhao Qiulu and said,
"We met at the start of university. It was the height of summer. She was wearing a long dress, and her eyes were filled with a joyful radiance..."
"We quickly became boyfriend and girlfriend. She took very good care of me. Every morning, she would wait for me downstairs at my dorm. In class, she would sit next to me. When we went out to have fun, she would always follow along..."
"At first, I thought it was just the honeymoon phase. But then, one day, I got a bit close to a junior, and she started to change. She'd fly into a rage over nothing, and sometimes she'd be crying, begging me not to leave her..."
"After that, all that was left between us was torment and control. She tried desperately to tie me down, but I felt the noose around my neck getting tighter and tighter."
Jiang Linyuan felt that the story he was making up was about three parts fake and seven parts true.
Even Xiao Su wouldn't have any objections if she heard it!
"Thinking about it now, our first meeting feels like a dream..."
He looked up silently, staring at Zhao Qiulu in front of him, and asked softly,
"Why did those days slip away, never to return?"
The light reflected on Zhao Qiulu's face, casting a pale, white glow.
"That's because Su Muzhi's disguise was too good. You were tricked by her."
"Perhaps."
Jiang Linyuan lowered his head and didn't continue speaking, looking quite dejected.
Zhao Qiulu looked at him and suddenly said,
"Do you want to let off some steam?"
Huh?
Don't do this.
Jiang Linyuan looked up, a bit confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Just tell me if you want to or not."
Zhao Qiulu said with a smile.
"Today, Su Muzhi has been distracted. You probably won't have many chances to be this free in the future."
You want me to be your little bunny, all ready to be fed grass, don't you?
Jiang Linyuan had no idea what Zhao Qiulu was thinking, but he still nodded.
"Where are you planning to take me?"
Anyway, the Department Head and Xiao Su are watching from the sidelines.
Zhao Qiulu stood up with a smile and blinked.
"A place you will absolutely love."
...
"Is this the place you said I would absolutely love?"
Jiang Linyuan sat in the red convertible supercar, shouting into the wind at Zhao Qiulu beside him.
Damn it! I've boarded a pirate ship!
He had followed Miss Zhao out, and she had driven up in a red convertible out of nowhere, not saying a word before dragging him in.
Then, the engine roared as it cut through the air, taking him all the way out to this suburban area.
"It's very open out here. When I'm in a bad mood, I come here to drive and clear my head."
Zhao Qiulu pressed the gas pedal, driving along the road.
"This kind of thing wouldn't make anyone happy."
Jiang Linyuan sat in the passenger seat and let out a helpless sigh.
He turned his head slightly to look at the roadside. There were no winding mountain roads, no towering skyscrapers.
He didn't have to worry about Miss Zhao turning into some Akina mountain road racer, nor did he have to star in Fast and Furious.
"Is that so? You don't like this?"
Zhao Qiulu stepped on the brake and slowly decelerated.
"Want to give it a try?"
She stopped the car and asked.
"Even if I drive, there has to be a destination."
Jiang Linyuan didn't refuse.
Letting Zhao Qiulu drive—who knows where she'd take him?
The two switched places. Jiang Linyuan looked at the steering wheel and the cluster of instrument panels and asked,
"The basic controls should be the same, right?"
"Yeah, but I've modified this car, so don't stomp on the gas too hard when starting."
Zhao Qiulu sat in the passenger seat and looked at Jiang Linyuan with interest.
"Alright. So, where to?"
Jiang Linyuan asked.
"Right now, you're the master of the car. It's up to you to decide where to go."
Zhao Qiulu smiled, leaned back in her seat, as if she didn't care about anything at all.
He'd never noticed that Miss Zhao, such a scheming person, could also have this kind of carefree side.
Jiang Linyuan picked a random spot. First, he'd head back to the city.
Zhao Qiulu sat in the passenger seat, turning her head to look at Jiang Linyuan.
"Why are you driving so slow?"
"Speed limit."
"All those rules and regulations. Doesn't it feel suffocating to live like that?"
What rules and regulations? If I speed, we're both dead in a one-car, two-person crash, looking for trouble!
Jiang Linyuan ignored her and silently drove.
Zhao Qiulu didn't seem inclined to keep talking either, but she gradually noticed that although he wasn't speeding, Jiang Linyuan's driving was surprisingly smooth.
It was as if he was maintaining a constant speed.
"You drive very steadily. Do you drive a lot in your free time?"
"I have a little sister at home. Sometimes, when she's tired, she falls asleep in the car. Driving too rough would wake her up."
Jiang Linyuan said.
A little sister, huh...
Zhao Qiulu looked at Jiang Linyuan and once again felt sorry for him.
Why did Su Muzhi have to go and ruin him?
The rest of the drive was silent. Jiang Linyuan drove the car slowly along the road.
There was no one else on the road, which was unexpectedly quiet. The wind rushed into the car, creating a strangely unique feeling.
He glanced at Zhao Qiulu in the passenger seat. Somehow, she had fallen asleep.
She sure is easygoing.
...
Zhao Qiulu had originally planned to pretend to sleep. She wanted to create an environment where only Jiang Linyuan existed, secretly observing how he would act.
But the drive was too smooth, and before she knew it, she had actually gotten sleepy.
When she woke up, she found herself still in the car, which had come to a stop. Judging by the surroundings, they were in some parking lot.
She looked over at Jiang Linyuan and noticed he seemed to be holding two tickets in his hand.
"Where are we?"
"An amusement park. I just found it randomly with the navigation."
Jiang Linyuan waved the tickets in his hand.
"I was going to buy them online, but you were still asleep, so I just went and bought them offline."
Zhao Qiulu was stunned for a moment.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Long enough that the amusement park hasn't closed yet."
Jiang Linyuan said.
"Come with me and look around. The place Su Muzhi and I went for our first date was an amusement park."
Zhao Qiulu stared at him and said,
"You really are stupid to the point of no return."
"Dwelling on the past just makes the present version of her even more detestable. Are you coming or not? If you're not, I'll go alone."
Jiang Linyuan left one ticket behind and got out of the car.
Zhao Qiulu opened the car door and chased after him.
"You bought the tickets, so I have to go."
"Mm, thank you. It would be too awkward to go to an amusement park alone."
"Is that so."
Zhao Qiulu walked beside Jiang Linyuan. The cold wind hit her face, sobering her up a bit.
"Oh, by the way, from now on, you should help me out more."
Jiang Linyuan, walking ahead, suddenly spoke.
"What?"
Zhao Qiulu was surprised.
"Nothing. Let's hurry into the park and see how many rides we can still catch."
Jiang Linyuan walked ahead without looking back.
Zhao Qiulu stared at his retreating figure, feeling like this person would vanish at any moment.
He said it just now, didn't he? He said that from now on, I should help him more.
He asked me for help, didn't he?
He took the initiative to ask for my help, right?