When the dark gray, winding mountain road finally came into view, Zhang Shaozhong almost cried with excitement!

He felt like his legs no longer belonged to him; every step he took felt like stepping on a knife's edge.

The other hikers nearby cheered as if they had survived a disaster.

"We've finally arrived!!"

"Damn it, I'm never taking shortcuts again!"

Although the two big shots still maintained their aloof/irritable personas, they were clearly relieved.

Ling Qingxue stared at the smooth yet unfamiliar "black, hard road surface" (asphalt road), her eyes filled with scrutiny and wariness. Ye Meier, however, curiously stepped on the surface and muttered:

"This road is smooth, but what material was it paved with? It's all dark."

"This is called an asphalt road... I'll explain later! Let's figure out a way to hitchhike first!"

Zhang Shaozhong's mind is now filled with images of soft seats and four wheels.

They stood by the roadside, gazing longingly at the occasional passing vehicle.

This is a remote mountain area, so there is very little traffic.

After waiting for almost half an hour, just when Zhang Shaozhong was about to despair, finally, a pickup truck that looked a bit old slowly drove up from the bottom of the mountain.

"Quick! Wave!"

The hikers quickly waved to signal.

The pickup truck screeched to a halt beside them. The window rolled down, revealing a middle-aged driver in his forties, with dark skin and a cigarette dangling from his lips.

His gaze swept over the group of disheveled young people, finally settling on the faces of Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier, whose stunning beauty was still undeniable despite their ill-fitting windbreakers. His eyes widened instantly, and he almost dropped his cigarette on his pants.

"Hey! You guys... got carried away playing survival games?"

The driver whistled, his tone slightly mocking, but his eyes swept back and forth between the two big shots, making no attempt to hide his amazement and a hint of ill intent in his gaze.

Ling Qingxue felt that sticky and presumptuous gaze, her eyebrows furrowed instantly, a cold light flashed in her beautiful eyes, and she subconsciously wanted to use her spiritual power to teach this impudent mortal a lesson!

But as soon as she tried to gather her breath, a sharp, needle-like pain and a feeling of emptiness shot through her dantian, reminding her of her current helplessness.

She could only turn her face away in utter disgust, forcing out a cold, clenched snort through gritted teeth:

"How dare you! Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!" (The voice wasn't loud, but it was full of murderous intent.)

The driver was taken aback by her sudden, chilling aura, and then became somewhat embarrassed and angry:

"Hey! This girl's got quite a temper! Let me see what's wrong with her?"

On the other hand, Nightshade's reaction was completely different.

Seeing the driver's amazed and greedy gaze, she habitually curled the corners of her lips into a lazy yet slightly wicked smile, her eyes sparkling, her voice soft and sweet:

"Brother, you have good taste! We're really in a bit of trouble. Could you do us a favor and give us a ride?"

As she spoke, she subconsciously tried to activate a faint charm spell to make this mortal obediently submit.

However, as soon as she mobilized her meager magic, the soul imprint suddenly became hot, and the backlash made her head buzz, preventing her from casting the charm spell.

Instead, due to the loss of control over his power, his eyes instantly became somewhat unfocused and hazy, and his smile became even more alluring, full of unconscious temptation.

The driver had never seen such a flirtatious look before; he was completely mesmerized, his mouth practically watering, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, alright! Get in the car! Everyone get in! Big brother will take you down the mountain!"

Zhang Shaozhong watched with his heart pounding in his chest!

These two ancestors are always looking for trouble! One is so cold he could kill, the other is so hot he could steal your soul!

This driver doesn't look like a good person at all. If he gets provoked like this, who knows what he might do!

He quickly stepped between them, blocking the driver's gaze that seemed to be glued to the two big shots, and plastered a fawning smile on his face:

"Uncle! Uncle, please don't mind! They...they're my classmates! They're acting majors! They're so into their roles that they haven't gotten out of character yet! Please don't take it seriously!"

As he rambled on, he secretly nudged the two big shots behind him with his elbow, and whispered urgently:

"Please, stop! Do you even want to take the bus?!"

Ling Qingxue snorted coldly, barely suppressing her killing intent, but her face remained icy cold.

Ye Meier shook her head, recovering from the dizziness of the backlash. She pursed her lips, putting away her defeated charming smile, but her eyes still held the usual contemptuous look she had for trash.

The driver was a little annoyed that Zhang Shaozhong had interrupted him, but seeing the two stunningly beautiful women, he still patiently endured it.

"Are you acting? No wonder... Alright, alright, you're lucky, there's still room in my back compartment, come on up!"

But it's a promise, the way down the mountain isn't short, so you'll have to pay for the gas!

"Of course, of course! Thank you, uncle!"

Zhang Shaozhong quickly agreed, saying that as long as they were willing to give them a ride, anything was negotiable!

So, the three hikers squeezed into the driver's seat, which was originally only meant for three people, but they squeezed in anyway. Zhang Shaozhong then led the two big shots up into the dusty back of the pickup truck.

The car restarted and drove down the winding mountain road.

Although it was incredibly bumpy and the wind made my hair fly wildly, at least I didn't have to walk anymore!

Zhang Shaozhong was so moved that he almost cried.

However, he breathed a sigh of relief too soon.

The car hadn't gone far when the driver seemed to lose focus on driving, glancing back frequently through the rearview mirror.

He especially loved staring at Ye Meier's quick-drying clothes that clung to her body in the wind and at Ling Qingxue's icy yet exquisitely beautiful profile.

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