Chapter 253 The Finish Line (Part 1)

Under the cover of night, a matte black sports car races at near-maximum speed on a private racetrack, its tires screeching against the pavement, the sound carrying far in the quiet night.

Ji Wanqing stood behind the glass curtain wall of the VIP viewing area, holding a glass of champagne in her hand, her gaze following the sports car with mixed feelings.

Xie Chi invited her.

She didn't know when it started, but Xie Chi appeared in her life much more frequently.

It was no longer limited to the live streaming room; ever since he moved to the apartment below hers, he had slowly invaded her life.

The sports car came to a smooth stop at the finish line with a beautiful drift.

The car door opened, and Xie Chi stepped out.

He was wearing a form-fitting racing suit that accentuated his lean yet powerful physique.

He took off his helmet, revealing a handsome face that was extremely aggressive. His skin was a pale white, as if he had never seen the sun. His eyebrows and eyes were deep-set, and there was a smile on his lips, but he exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

He casually handed the helmet to the person next to him, his gaze piercing through the glass and landing on Ji Wanqing.

That look in his eyes wasn't the indifferent look he usually gave others; instead, it was focused and earnest.

Ji Wanqing's heart skipped a beat.

Xie Chao walked towards her with steady steps, seemingly carrying the wind from the racetrack, mixed with his own refreshing aura.

"Have you been waiting long?" He stopped in front of her, his voice low and flat.

"No, it was fantastic." Ji Wanqing tried to keep her voice calm as she raised her glass. "Congratulations, you're number one again."

Xie Chi's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds, as if considering the sincerity in her words, then he gave a very faint smile, the smile not reaching his eyes.

"Just killing time."

He took the damp towel offered by the waiter and slowly wiped his hands, but his gaze never left her.

"Are you hungry? There's a Japanese restaurant nearby, the chef's skills are pretty good."

Ji Wanqing put down her wine glass and nodded. "Okay."

The restaurant is in a typical Japanese garden style, offering excellent privacy.

The waitress in the kimono quietly finished serving the dishes, then bowed and withdrew, closing the sliding door to the private room.

Only the two of them remained.

Xie Chi ate with elegance, but at a fast pace, and almost all the dishes he ordered were to Ji Wanqing's preferred tastes.

This quiet observation and thoughtfulness still made her feel that there was a hint of danger in the person in front of her.

"There's a private auction in Paris next week, with some nice pieces of jewelry." Xie Chi put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, his movements relaxed, and then, as if bringing up something trivial, asked, "Would you like to come with me?"

It appeared to be a question, but his eyes were fixed on Ji Wanqing, as if he didn't want to hear her refusal.

Ji Wanqing paused slightly in her hand holding the chopsticks.

This is not the first time.

He would take her to some extremely niche concerts where tickets were hard to come by, to see non-public art exhibitions, or, like now, to participate in some top-notch private social events.

He seemed to be using his own unique way to draw her into his world.

"I have an important project proposal to finalize for my guild next week..." she tried to politely decline.

“Your team can handle it,” Xie Chi interrupted her, his tone calm but with an undeniable certainty. “Or, do you need me to send someone to assist you?”

He always did this, easily dismantling her excuses and offering options that seemed like help but were actually stronger forms of intervention.

Ji Wanqing looked up and met his unfathomable eyes.

There was no fervent pursuit or fawning from ordinary suitors, only a silent, stubborn darkness.

Ji Wanqing looked at the stubborn darkness in his eyes, sighed inwardly, but did not feel any danger as usual.

During their time together, she vaguely sensed a crack beneath the man's hard exterior, a crack that perhaps even he himself was unaware of.

She recalled that not long ago, she had accidentally learned some fragments about his childhood from his old butler who had been with him for many years.

She was lost, sold, controlled, and subjected to violence until she was found at the age of eight.

Those seemingly simple words, when put together, tell a story of a child's hellish experience.

The old housekeeper spoke subtly, but Ji Wanqing could imagine the darkness and trauma behind it.

At this moment, watching him obsessively try to control her schedule, Ji Wanqing suddenly felt that this might not be out of arrogance of a superior, but rather a clumsy act of protection born from an extreme lack of security.

He was used to gaining a sense of certainty through absolute control, and resisting any possible inner unease.

Thinking of this, the slight hesitation she felt due to his domineering nature quietly transformed into a subtle pity.

She softened her tone, not giving a direct answer to whether she would go or not, but instead gently asking a question in return.

"Xie Chi, why... do you always want to take me to see those things? Those auctions, concerts."

“Those places,” he said again, his voice lower and hoarser than before, less commanding and more gentle, “are very quiet and have few people.”

He paused, as if searching for the right words, "Unlike when you're live streaming, so many people are watching you."

He raised his eyes, his gaze falling on her face again. This time, in that bottomless darkness, there seemed to be a faint light struggling to appear.

"I don't like it."

I don't like having so many people watching you.

This almost childlike remark, in stark contrast to his usual cold and hard image, was like a soft feather gently scratching at Ji Wanqing's heart.

She suddenly realized that the so-called high-end venues he took her to might not just be to showcase his world, but also because he felt those places were safe and could allow her to temporarily escape the scrutiny of so many eyes.

Ji Wanqing looked at him, and saw the fleeting emotion of helplessness beneath his efforts to maintain a calm exterior. Her heart softened completely.

She could even imagine how, when he was found as a child, he used indifference and aloofness to arm himself, burying all his fears and anxieties deep inside, eventually growing into the seemingly invincible but actually cracked person he is today.

"Xie Chi." Her voice softened unconsciously. "I'm not a porcelain doll, I'm not that easily broken. Live streaming is my job, being watched by many people is part of my job."

She paused, met his focused gaze, and smiled gently.

"However... if you really want to go to Paris with me, we can leave a day earlier after I finish this project, just like... giving ourselves a short vacation?"

This is not a compromise, but more like an invitation.

She proactively adjusted her itinerary to accommodate his suggestion.

Xie Chi clearly noticed the change in her attitude.

A clear hint of surprise flashed across his usually calm eyes, and then the faint starlight seemed to brighten a little.

His taut jawline relaxed a little.

"Okay," he replied, his voice still low, but the harshness had faded, replaced by a simple confirmation. "I'll have my assistant arrange it."