Chapter Twenty-Five: A Wrong Path

"How much did you drink?" Chen Guang took a deep breath and glanced away. "You have a low alcohol tolerance and terrible drinking manners! Your safety awareness is even worse! You just ignore everything I say, don't you?"

Because of the alcohol, Lin Yu's voice became soft and vulnerable. "Hey, don't talk about me. Yao Fangfang is very sad because of her breakup, and I'm very sad too!"

"Why are you upset about their breakup?" Chen Guang was completely baffled.

"I've also broken up with my boyfriend, didn't you know?" When Lin Yu was asked this, she suddenly thought of Zheng Qi. It seemed like she hadn't thought of him for a while. When asked this, she felt a strange pang of sadness.

"What kind of relationship did you break up with?" Chen Guang felt that Lin Yu was being unreasonable and making a fuss over nothing.

"Hey, Yao Fangfang is my friend, she's so pitiful!" Lin Yu's words were completely illogical, giving Chen Guang a headache.

"I'm your friend too, why didn't you comfort me when I was sad?" Chen Guang didn't know why he had to ask Lin Yu for more chips while she was drunk, and he was entangled in a childish game of tug-of-war.

"You? What's bothering you? No..." Lin Yu shook his head vigorously, his curly hair sticking to her face. "You're different."

Chen Guang stared at Lin Yu quietly for a while, then solemnly leaned forward and brushed the stray hairs from her cheek. His deep brown eyes appeared even more profound in the darkness of the night.

The streetlights stretched his shadow infinitely long, enveloping Lin Yu like the black smoke rising from a kerosene lamp, making the air seem thinner.

"What's different, hmm?"

The drunken Lin Yu was completely unaware of his situation and state, only covering his mouth and struggling to think, his eyes opening and closing repeatedly. "You're a boy, you know! Your species is very resilient! And... and sometimes you're really annoying."

Chen Guang's gaze lingered on Lin Yu's face for a long time, his burning gaze seemingly trying to penetrate her skin and see into her heart.

He didn't know what answer he was expecting, but when he finally heard Lin Yu's reply, his tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and a sense of indescribable disappointment welled up in his chest.

After a long pause, he sighed helplessly, straightened up, and let the night breeze fill the distance between them again. "Aren't you going home? Aren't you getting in the car?"

"Oh..." Lin Yu took a step back unsteadily, making room for Chen Guang to get into the car.

Chen Guang turned the key to start the motorcycle, but after a while, she still didn't get on. He turned his head and saw Lin Yu still frozen in place, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her short skirt.

After a moment's thought, she raised an eyebrow knowingly. "Sober now? You're quite safety-conscious now." With that, she casually took off her coat and tossed it to her. The dark coat arced through the air before landing steadily in Lin Yu's hands. "Wrap your legs up, and tie the sleeves around my waist?"

"Why?" She hugged the coat that still held Chen Guang's body heat to her chest, staring at him with innocent eyes, not understanding what he meant for a moment.

Without a word, Chen Guang grabbed Lin Yu's wrist and pulled her to his side with a slight force. Before Lin Yu could even cry out, he cupped her face in his hands.

"Don't move."

The still-warm helmet was pulled down from her head, and his long, slender fingers ran through her loose hair, carefully tucking each strand behind her ear. Occasionally, his knuckles brushed against her earlobe, sending a slight shiver down her spine.

The buckle was locked, and he tapped the helmet twice with his knuckles, the muffled sound making her eardrums tingle slightly.

"I'm afraid you'll get drunk and do something reckless, then fall flat on your face!"

"Pah! If I fall, I'll pull you down with me." Lin Yu's voice, muffled by the helmet, came out softly, his breath spraying onto the goggles without any harm.

She pinched Chen Guang hard on the waist in a fit of pique, making his eyes redden with pain. "Ouch, repaying kindness with enmity, huh?" Chen Guang rubbed his aching back, looking at the drunken Lin Yu in front of him, feeling both annoyed and amused. "So ruthless after drinking so much!" Knowing he couldn't reason with a drunk person, he simply accepted his fate and helped Lin Yu sit down in the back seat.

Lin Yu had just put one hand on Chen Guang's waist when he grabbed her other wrist and pulled her forward. She instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but he pressed it against the gas tank without saying a word. "Hold on tight."

His deep voice, mixed with the engine's roar, carried an undeniable force. The leather jacket, still warm from his body, carefully wrapped around her thighs, the cuffs wrapping around his lean waist and abdomen, neatly knotted in front, binding the two tightly together.

The night wind howled, and the vibrations of the engine shot up my thighs and up my spine. The motorcycle gleamed eerily silver under the streetlights, weaving alone through the city night.

Chen Guang's close-fitting black vest rustled fiercely in the night wind, unlike the white he usually wore. It was as if the two of them had transformed into different personalities tonight, their bodies moving closer and further apart on the slightly bumpy road, tentatively probing each other in an ambiguous way.

Lin Yu's fingers, gripping Chen Guang's waist, tightened unconsciously due to the dizziness caused by the rapid movement. His body heat seeped through the thin fabric of his clothes, creating a strange contrast with the cool breeze blowing in their faces.

Lin Yu opened her mask, breathing in the free air. As her hair fluttered, she caught a whiff of the dry, refreshing scent of shower gel wafting from the back of Chen Guang's neck, stirring her erratic pulse and resonating with the steady heartbeat of his back.

The moment the motorcycle accelerated suddenly, Lin Yu's scream was ripped apart by the oncoming airflow. The intense push-back sensation sent her slamming into Chen Guang's back, her arms instinctively tightening around his waist. The wind pressure pounded against her entire body, every inch of her skin trembling violently.

Lin Yu's heart was pounding wildly in her chest. This thrilling feeling of being on the verge of losing control made her scalp tingle, as if she was about to be thrown into the boundless night at any moment.

But Chen Guang's strong back was steady and powerful, and the reassuring warmth emanating from it through his clothes gave her a strange sense of security. She could even clearly feel the deep chuckle coming from his chest.

This delicate balance, completely controlled by Chen Guang, was dizzying. The thrill of being on the verge of death amidst the lightning speed, combined with the absolute sense of security Chen Guang provided, was like two opposing currents clashing in her blood vessels, plunging her into a vortex of excitement and fear from which she could not extricate herself.

The road seemed to have no end. The continuous speeding and engine roar gradually blurred Lin Yu's consciousness. Everything on the roadside was like a marquee or an old movie slideshow, creating the illusion of being infinitely slowed down as they rapidly reversed.

The whole world twisted into flowing ribbons of light, and Lin Yu felt infinitely relaxed and comfortable. Finally, after a certain turn, he completely lost consciousness and fell asleep leaning against Chen Guang's back.

She fell into a long and bizarre dream. The world was soft and collapsed like melting cotton candy, the azure sky hanging low, almost within reach. Zheng Qi stood on fluffy clouds, her lips pressed into a pale line, her waving hand gradually twisting in the mist.

Strangely, although he was clearly moving away, his figure kept getting closer, his face swaying and distorting like a reflection in water, eventually transforming into Chen Guang's face. Lin Yu's fingers dug deep into the clouds, tearing off a wisp of glowing cloud and stuffing it into Chen Guang's mouth.

His body swelled larger and larger, like an overinflated balloon, his skin gradually becoming transparent, until finally he burst into countless shimmering dust particles, which fluttered down onto her trembling eyelashes and scattered in the wind.

Her steps were unsteady, and she could not keep up with the speed of the wind. She could only sob silently in her dreams.

......

Sitting in the passenger seat of Zhang Yunzhou's car, Yao Fangfang breathed in the cool night breeze for about fifteen minutes before slowly rolling up the window. She was now fully awake, her bright eyes fixed on the passing street scene. "You like me?"

Zhang Yunzhou tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He was surprised by Yao Fangfang's frankness, but also afraid of the truth behind it, which might stem from an indifferent attitude.

He tried to adopt a more relaxed tone, hoping to subtly shift the atmosphere. "Yes, I like you. That shouldn't be hard to guess."

“It’s not difficult. Many people like me, and you’re nothing special among them.” Yao Fangfang had become aggressive tonight. Zhang Yunzhou guessed the reason was probably due to alcohol or his entanglement with her ex-boyfriend.

“Fangfang, I don’t know what happened between you and him, and I have no intention of finding out.” Zhang Yunzhou paused and continued, “But if you’re curious about what makes me different from others, how about giving me a chance to prove it?”

Zhang Yunzhou spoke sincerely, but Yao Fangfang remained unmoved, tilting her head and leaning against the car window with an inscrutable expression.

"You can pursue me, that's your business, and I really have no right to interfere." Yao Fangfang's tone was calm, but carried a hint of detachment.

"But to be honest, I don't think we're a good match. As time goes on, you'll find that I'm no different from the people you dated before—just a vulgar and materialistic person."

“By then, it may be difficult for us to go back to being just ordinary friends. You are Chen Guang’s good brother and also Lin Yu’s friend. I don’t want Lin Yu to be caught in the middle because of me.”

Zhang Yunzhou carefully considered his words, organizing them cautiously, worried that his casual remarks might offend Yao Fangfang. "I understand your concerns. To be honest, I did fall in love with you at first sight; I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

"Saying that would only make me seem frivolous and superficial, but I would never think of you that way." He leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere.

"Fangfang, some things need time to prove themselves. I sincerely hope to have the opportunity to let you get to know me, and to let me get to know the real you."

To ensure driving safety, Zhang Yunzhou only glanced at Yao Fangfang, meeting her probing gaze. Despite his heartfelt monologue, she remained expressionless, making it impossible to discern whether she felt any inner turmoil.

Zhang Yunzhou briefly met that gaze and felt a domineering pressure, as if he had been burned in an instant. Driven by a desperate, do-or-die mentality, he blurted out something irrational.

"How about we make a deal?" He paused.

“I was born 452 days earlier than you, so let’s use 452 days as the limit.”

"If after all this time you still can't be moved by me, then let's go back to being friends and not make things difficult for anyone." Zhang Yunzhou made this firm promise, but in reality, his palms were sweating with nervousness.

After a long silence, Yao Fangfang smiled noncommittally. "Then I wish you success, Zhang Yunzhou!"

The unpleasant truth has already been stated upfront: it's a matter of mutual consent, and she really doesn't need to waste any more energy and time on this matter.

After all, in a critical moment, she would only protect herself without hesitation. Just like in the past, she had saved herself from countless dangers. She would not allow herself to repeat the same mistakes.