Chapter 163

That scene was extremely jarring to Lei Tingjun's eyes.

Even though it's September, the autumn heat wave is still intense, and the weather remains hot and dry.

Lei Tingjun set off at 5:30 in the morning, driving for more than three hours from Pingdong City to Huadong University to see Ji Wanmei.

He came here to see her with an undisguised eagerness and anticipation, but at this moment, in this place, it was as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over his head, calming his restless heart.

Lei Tingjun's throat moved with difficulty, then he took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

He sat in the car for a while and didn't get off immediately.

He held the pure silver lighter that Ji Wanmei had given him, casually lifting the cover before closing it again.

The hood made a 'tap, tap' sound in the quiet car.

Lei Tingjun rested one elbow on the car window and the other on the steering wheel. He took a drag of his cigarette before slowly casting his dark, deep gaze back sharply at the young man standing next to Ji Wanmei through the smoke he exhaled.

He scrutinized Lu Zhuoxuan with an almost piercing gaze.

The young man was dressed in a well-fitting, spotless white shirt, without a single wrinkle in his trousers, and without a speck of dust on his leather shoes.

Judging from his age, he must be a classmate of hers from the same school, a few years older than her.

He spoke with confidence and composure, displaying impeccable manners and impeccable etiquette. While speaking with her, although his eyes frequently revealed his admiration and appreciation for her, he never made any inappropriate gestures or expressions.

He is a very tactful and well-mannered man.

He always kept an arm's length distance from Ji Wanmei. This distance made the girl feel neither aggressive nor oppressed, making it easy for her to let her guard down.

Lei Tingjun only needed a few glances to roughly guess the man's background, family history, and personality.

However, while he could scrutinize Lu Zhuoxuan so sharply, he dared not look at Ji Wanmei's expression.

He was afraid of seeing the same admiration and adoration on her face, and he was also afraid of seeing a genuine smile of joy on her face.

Lei Tingjun almost hastily and awkwardly withdrew his gaze.

He sat in the driver's seat, silently smoking, his fingers holding the cigarette butt trembling slightly, unconsciously.

Lei Tingjun smoked this cigarette very, very slowly.

The white smoke blurred his cold and profound expression.

He occasionally glanced in that direction through the rearview mirror.

All that could be seen was Ji Wanmei's slender back and the man's gentle, cheerful expression as he spoke.

Five minutes later, Lei Tingjun finally finished his cigarette.

He stubbed out his cigarette on the car window, then opened the door, stepped out, and strode towards Ji Wanmei.

Lu Zhuoxuan noticed Lei Tingjun as soon as he got out of the car.

Actually, Lu Zhuoxuan had sensed it even earlier when Lei Tingjun parked his car across the street from the school, rolled down his window, and gave him a sharp look.

Lu Zhuoxuan only glanced at the scene out of the corner of his eye and saw a sharp and cold-looking man sitting in a dusty pickup truck staring at him.

Lu Zhuoxuan chuckled inwardly and didn't take it seriously.

Just as Ji Wanmei's beauty would attract jealousy from girls like Fang Xiaoqin, Lu Zhuoxuan's outstanding appearance and family background would also attract hostility and attention from other women.

Therefore, Lu Zhuoxuan did not take the strange man's stare to heart, nor did he associate him with Ji Wanmei or think that they had any relationship.

In Lu Zhuoxuan's view, a girl as elegant, quiet, delicate, and refined as Ji Wanmei could not possibly have any relationship with such a rough and lowly man.

But now, he noticed that the tall, aloof man was striding towards him and Ji Wanmei.

Lu Zhuoxuan frowned subconsciously, preparing to raise his hand to protect Ji Wanmei.

Ji Wanmei noticed that Lu Zhuoxuan's expression tightened slightly, and turned her head in confusion following his gaze.

Turning her head, Ji Wanmei saw Lei Tingjun striding towards her.

Ji Wanmei was instantly overjoyed and exclaimed happily, "Thunder Army! You've come!"

Then, to Lu Zhuoxuan's astonishment, she lifted her skirt and ran lightly toward the man.

Lu Zhuoxuan watched as Ji Wanmei, like a beautiful butterfly fluttering in the air, opened her arms and rushed into the man's embrace.

The travel-worn, cold, and rugged man held Ji Wanmei's waist with his hands, a sight that left a deep impression on Lu Zhuoxuan. His slender waist, described as "so delicate it could be grasped without bones, so slender it was light in his palm," was lifted gently upwards and then turned, causing Ji Wanmei to hook her arms around his shoulders and spin around in the air like a feather.

Ji Wanmei was easily spun around in his arms until she was right in front of him.

The pose changed to one where the man had his back to Lu Zhuoxuan, and Ji Wanmei was blocked by his tall figure.

Lu Zhuoxuan could no longer see Ji Wanmei, nor did he know what expression she had. He could only see her two slender wrists, which slid shyly down from the man's neck.

The tall man used his broad back to completely block Lu Zhuoxuan's view.

Lu Zhuoxuan only saw the man lower his head and say something to Ji Wanmei, then Ji Wanmei nodded, popped her head out from his arms, waved to Lu Zhuoxuan, and said with a smile, "Senior Lu, I'm leaving now, goodbye."

Lu Zhuoxuan's lips moved, and his legs subconsciously took a step forward, as if he wanted to chase after him.

But the man, from beginning to end, hardly bothered to turn around and look at him again. He took Ji Wanmei's hand without glancing at her and got into the dusty pickup truck.

Lu Zhuoxuan narrowed his eyes slightly before taking a closer look at the man and the pickup truck he had driven.

Rugged, cold, tall, unkempt, aggressive, like a lone wolf—these adjectives perfectly describe Lu Zhuoxuan's first impression of the man who took Ji Wanmei away.

Lu Zhuoyang also firmly believed that he could not have misjudged the situation.

The pickup truck was clearly the kind of truck often used on construction sites to haul sand and gravel, and it looked quite old.

The wear and tear on the car door and tires indicates that the car has been used for many years or has been subjected to frequent impacts.

This is definitely not a man from a well-off family.

Lu Zhuoxuan couldn't accept that he would lose to a man who was inferior to him in every way.

But the pickup truck just drove right past him.

Lu Zhuoxuan pursed his lips and looked through the lowered car window at Ji Wanmei sitting in the gray, dirty, and dilapidated pickup truck, her face beaming with a joyful smile.

She was wearing an expensive cheongsam that her grandmother had tailored for her, yet she was willing to get into that man's car and refused his offer to give her a ride.

As Lu Zhuoxuan watched the pickup truck disappear into the distance, an indescribable, unprecedented competitive spirit between men rose within him.