Chapter 17 Is he a puppy? He came here by the scent...?
Zhu Shaoming asked, "When was the last time he played around? In high school? In college?"
Li Qinghe was much calmer than him. After thinking for a while, he said, "It was in college, right? On the first anniversary of the opening of this track, he was in a good mood and played with us once. Look at that screen, the first place record is the result he achieved that time."
Behind the cashier at the entrance is a wide-screen display showing the times of the top five finishers. The first line reads: YU 4min50s.
Upon seeing this line of text, Zhu Lili's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Yu Xin actually holds the highest record!"
"It's been so long, and no one has surpassed his record yet." Zhu Shaoming leaned back and sighed, "I wonder if I'm still up to par after not playing Yu Xin for several years, and if I have a chance to achieve what I did back then."
He got excited, squeezed next to Li Qinghe, put his arm around his shoulder and said, "How about we make a bet?"
Li Qinghe said, "What are we betting on?"
"Let's bet on whether he can break the record," Zhu Shaoming said.
Li Qinghe shrugged and said, "It's nothing. Let me hear what the stakes are first."
Zhu Shaoming thought for a moment, but there wasn't anything good that this young master Li hadn't seen before, so he could only say, "I'll grant you a favor unconditionally next time?"
"Boring." Li Qinghe loosened his shoulders and shook off Zhu Shaoming's hand.
"Tch, fine, don't bet then." Zhu Shaoming turned to Zhu Lili and said, "Little sister, how about we bet?"
Zhu Lili said nonchalantly, "Sure, I'll choose the stakes. If I win, I want Yu Xin's WeChat."
“That’s easy. If I win, you have to cover for me ten times when I’m not home,” Zhu Shaoming said.
Zhu Lili readily agreed: "Okay."
Zhu Shaoming had been hanging out with Yu Xin for years and had never seen him practice racing, so he was sure he couldn't reach his peak form from a few years ago. After hesitating for a moment, he bet that Yu Xin wouldn't be able to break the record. Coincidentally, Zhu Lili blindly believed that Yu Xin could achieve better results in the race.
Not long after, Yu Xin came out wearing a racing suit, completely unaware that these people had placed bets on him.
He had a racing suit in the store, which was mainly royal blue with black and white blocks. The unique style of the racing suit brought out his cool and edgy personality. He was already tall, and wearing this suit made him stand out even more.
He must have touched his hair while changing clothes, because his hair became a little messy, revealing his forehead. When the wind blew, the ends of his hair curved into a nice arc, adding to his clean and youthful spirit.
Yu Xin grabbed his helmet and headed straight for the track. Zhu Lili immediately pulled her brother up from the sofa and followed him.
As Yu Xin approached the departure bay, he glanced into the distance and realized that Lin Xiangyang and Wan Zhen's car hadn't left for very long.
That's enough.
He adjusted his helmet and put it on, then asked the staff member next to him, "How many laps are those two people in front of you running?"
“Three laps, the basic route,” the staff member replied.
“Okay.” Yu Xin reached out and opened the car door, saying without turning her head, “I’ll also run three laps of the route, and you can time me.”
He got into the car, started the engine with practiced ease, and all he could hear was the roar of the engine, stimulating his adrenaline.
Zhu Lili excitedly ran to the starting line, her mind already filled with countless romantic images of her sitting in Yu Xin's car, a smile playing on her lips.
In the blink of an eye, her smile was frozen by the strong wind.
Yu Xin drove past her.
Zhu Lili pouted and cried, "Brother, why didn't he wait for me!"
Zhu Shaoming looked speechlessly at his naive and delusional cousin: "She didn't even agree to drive it with you."
"Then you drive, and I'll sit next to you. You have to give me more than Yu Xin." Zhu Lili pushed Zhu Shaoming forcefully to a car.
Zhu Shaoming: "I haven't even changed my clothes! Wait a minute."
Zhu Lili: "I don't care, I won't be able to catch up with him later."
Zhu Shaoming: "Please, you're willing to risk your life for a man, but your brother is!"
Zhu Shaoming ignored the unreasonable Zhu Lili and went to change into his racing suit.
...
Having not raced for several years, it's impossible not to be rusty.
In the few dozen seconds after the start, Yu Xin did not rush to accelerate, but calmly found his rhythm and familiarized himself with the track.
Once he felt confident, he stepped on the gas and prepared to accelerate.
Yu Xin gripped the steering wheel firmly, his knuckles clearly defined, slightly white from the force he exerted.
As the first bend approached, Lin Xiangyang's orange sports car was entering the bend. Perhaps because Wan Zhen was sitting in the car, he was inevitably distracted and seemed a little hesitant. He slowed down too much and was easily caught off guard by Yu Xin.
Yu Xin didn't slam on the brakes; instead, he lightly tapped the brake pedal with his toes and decisively turned the steering wheel all the way. The rear of the car traced a clean, crisp arc as he completed an overtake, hugging the inside line.
He cut in from the side and rear of the orange sports car, changed lanes, and overtook it with fluid movements, giving Lin Xiangyang no time to react. The powerful momentum from the corner pressed Yu Xin firmly against the back of his seat; his core remained extremely stable, his head and neck did not sway at all, and his eyes were resolute.
Inside the sports car he had left behind, Wan Zhen let out a short scream from the passenger seat. Lin Xiangyang was so startled that his hand trembled, and the car swayed.
He frowned, almost blurting out the words of blame for Wan Zhen, but he swallowed them back in time. He could only watch helplessly as the blue race car sped away, carrying an arrogant air of disregard for him.
He hated that arrogance.
With Wan Zhen still nearby, Lin Xiangyang could only curse silently. He instinctively wanted to step on the gas and catch up, but he soon encountered the next bend and was forced to slow down again.
At this moment, Yu Xin glanced indifferently at the rearview mirror. The orange sports car was no longer in his field of vision. He was focused entirely on the winding track ahead.
After running one lap, he knew the course like the back of his hand.
Entering the second lap, he began to really exert himself, and the loud buzzing sound echoed in the track, like a lion that had been sleeping for a long time awakening, wantonly announcing the return of the king of the forest.
At the end of the long straight road, with his speed nearing its limit, he showed no fear or hesitation, and only braked hard to enter the curve at an almost impossible moment.
The last lap.
Yu Xin's eyes were fixed solely on the track. Every gear shift and turn he made was incredibly precise, as if he had calculated the optimal solution countless times.
On the last bend, he went full throttle, the car skidded slightly, kicking up a puff of white smoke, and he quickly counter-steered to correct the trajectory.
In the blink of an eye, Yu Xin's car sped across the finish line at an astonishing speed.
At the starting line, Zhu Shaoming and Zhu Lili stood together choosing race cars. After seeing Yu Xin's car, Zhu Shaoming curiously approached the staff and looked down at the timer.
Time stopped at: 4:36.391
Holy crap!!!
Zhu Shaoming couldn't help but yell, his jaw almost dropping to the ground, "Four minutes and thirty-six seconds?! Yu Xin improved the record by more than ten seconds?!"
He didn't even drive his car; he rushed into the rest area to tell Li Qinghe the news.
Zhu Lili was overjoyed. She finally had the chance to add Yu Xin as a friend. She turned to the staff and asked, "Isn't this result amazing?"
The staff were still in shock when they replied, "This is our best result since we opened, comparable to that of professional athletes."
While the two were talking, Lin Xiangyang and Wan Zhen's car arrived late. Their momentum as they crossed the finish line seemed far inferior to Yu Xin's, and their performance was mediocre.
Lin Xiangyang stopped the car with a livid face. Wan Zhen didn't notice his strange behavior. She just frowned and said to him in a coquettish tone, "This race car is so scary. I won't play it next time."
"Okay, we'll do as you say, we won't play anymore." Lin Xiangyang's expression softened a bit.
Yu Xin slowly drove the blue race car back to the starting area. After stopping, he turned off the engine, opened the car door, and stepped out with a long stride.
He took off his helmet, his hair was completely disheveled, and a few strands of hair still had tiny beads of sweat hanging on the ends. After the race, he could no longer contain his flamboyant energy and became even more eye-catching.
He ignored the staff who were eager to tell him the time and went straight to change his clothes.
The results were not important to him in this competition.
He had just changed his clothes when another person entered the men's locker room.
Hearing the noise, Yu Xin turned his head and looked over, his eyes meeting Lin Xiangyang's.
Lin Xiangyang stared at Yu Xin, a hint of probing in his eyes.
He walked straight toward Yu Xin, extended his hand in a friendly manner, and said, "Hello, Lin Xiangyang from Fuhai Securities."
Yu Xin buried his head in putting away his racing suit, took a step past Lin Xiangyang, and only glanced at him for a moment, as if it wasn't worth wasting his time.
"Yu Xin".
He casually said his name and then went out the door.
Lin Xiangyang's hand froze in mid-air, then gradually clenched into a fist.
Yu Xin, the heir to Yusheng Medicine.
It's the company where Shen Mengqing works.
Could it be...?
He had a bold guess in his mind: since he could get close to Wan Zhen, the young lady of Hongtu Capital, through business cooperation, Shen Mengqing might also be able to use some means to get involved with the company's heir.
Yu Xin knows Wan Zhen, and it would be bad if he revealed his affair with Shen Mengqing to Wan Zhen.
Lin Xiangyang became increasingly panicked. He took out his phone to send a message to Shen Mengqing, only to find that he had been blocked.
It seems he has no choice but to think of another way.
-
It was 7 p.m., and Shen Mengqing made a point of arriving at the restaurant before Li Qinghe.
Qi Shuying worked very hard and took the initiative to share a lot of trivial matters with her during the day. For the first time, Shen Mengqing felt that her work was so easy and she could leave work with ease.
Li Qinghe arrived not long after. He was dressed much more casually today, so his aura was less imposing and he seemed less distant.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Li Qinghe took a sip of water and suggested to Shen Mengqing, "How about we go get some food?"
"Okay." Shen Mengqing's stomach had already been protesting against her.
Shortly after they left their seats, two more people entered through the door, looked around, and then sat down in a corner.
Zhu Shaoming glanced at his phone and said, "I've already paid. You can eat whatever you want."
He put down his phone and was about to get up when he noticed Yu Xin staring ahead with a gloomy look in his eyes. Zhu Shaoming followed his gaze and immediately spotted Li Qinghe and Shen Mengqing.
"Oh my, what a coincidence."
Zhu Shaoming was about to step forward to say hello, but Yu Xin stopped him.
He looked at Yu Xin with a puzzled expression, only to see that Yu Xin's expression was as cold as the winter wind, and his cheeks were a little bulging, probably because he was clenching his back teeth tightly.
After looking at it a few more times, he understood.
The woman next to Li Qinghe is probably the one who sat drinking with Yu Xin at the bar.
Then he'll have to go and meet them.
"I need to use the restroom first."
Zhu Shaoming casually made up an excuse and stood up.
...
After placing the selected dishes on the table, Shen Mengqing washed her hands. As soon as she stepped out, a man blocked her way.
She scrutinized the newcomer for a few seconds, guessing that since the stranger seemed polite enough, he probably wasn't there to cause trouble.
"Who are you?" she asked cautiously.
Zhu Shaoming smiled and got straight to the point: "I am Yu Xin's friend."
Shen Mengqing was taken aback, and Zhu Shaoming quickly explained, "I saw you at the bar last time."
Shen Mengqing realized that it was from that time.
She suddenly asked curiously, "You're at a bar too?"
She paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you and Yu Xin do the same job?"
Zhu Shaoming waved his hand and said, "No, he earns much more than me."
"Oh." Shen Mengqing nodded frantically, "I understand, I understand."
It really does have a promising future.
Zhu Shaoming: "?"
Wait a minute, it was clearly him who came to ask the question.
He coughed a few times, crossed his arms, and asked, "What's your relationship with Yu Xin? Are you two close?"
“Us?” Shen Mengqing said, “We…we’re just friends, you could say we’re close.”
Since the abbreviations are the same anyway, saying they're friends isn't wrong.
Zhu Shaoming was somewhat skeptical, but Shen Mengqing was tight-lipped, and he couldn't get any useful information out of her. After a brief chat, the two returned to their seats.
Without her mother's "blind date assignment," the meal was much more enjoyable. Shen Mengqing frequently asked Li Qinghe for advice on work-related issues. By the end of the meal, Li Qinghe couldn't help but sigh and say that he didn't know whether Shen Mengqing was there to treat him or to give him a lesson; it was no different from working overtime.
He joked that if I wanted him to teach me next time, I'd have to pay extra.
When they left, most of the seats in the restaurant were empty. Li Qinghe glanced at the time and offered to take Shen Mengqing home as a gentleman.
Shen Mengqing initially declined, but Li Qinghe insisted that it was his family's way of teaching that a lady should never be allowed to go home alone at night. He said that if it really didn't work out, he would continue working overtime to discuss work-related matters. She couldn't refuse his kind offer and had no choice but to agree.
On the way back, Li Qinghe mostly brought up the topic of Yu Sheng. Even after five years with the company, Shen Mengqing knew less about him than he did. What surprised her most was the chairman's poor relationship with his son. Coupled with Jiang Yu's comment that the chairman hadn't been feeling well lately, could it be that their company was really facing turmoil?
Upon arriving at the residential compound, Shen Mengqing thanked Li Qinghe and got out of the car at the entrance.
All was quiet. From the dark grass, a thin, stray tabby kitten darted out, then quickly ran away when it saw someone. It hid in the shadows around the corner, its eyes gleaming as it secretly watched Shen Mengqing. After spring, several new stray kittens appeared. Shen Mengqing decided to contact a rescue center in a few days to have the cats spayed/neutered.
She entered the apartment building, and the elevator was stopped on the sixth floor where she lived. Shen Mengqing pressed the button.
She stared at the numbers on the screen changing at a constant rate.
One, two... six.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Shen Mengqing stepped out and immediately saw Yu Xin leaning against the door of her house.
Is he a puppy? He came here because he smelled it.
A note from the author:
----------------------
It's so hard to guess what the jealous puppy is up to, hehe [shy]
An extra chapter today! If all goes well, this story is expected to go live on September 25th, which is tomorrow, with a long chapter of over 10,000 words! Thank you so much for adding it to your favorites, waaaaah! [Please!]
By the way, here's a brief synopsis for my pre-order novel, "Spring Tea Arrives [Marriage First, Love Later]":
Marry first, then divorce (unsuccessful), then fall in love.
Naturally innocent and mature woman x Green tea daddy
-
Song Yao first met Zhao Lulan at a gathering organized by her boyfriend.
At that time, she was still in college, looking like a well-behaved student, but with outstanding looks.
Zhao Lulan raised his head amidst the swirling smoke, his piercing eyes coldly fixed on Song Yao.
His friend sitting next to him turned his head and whispered:
"What, you like this one?"
"I don't like it." Zhao Lulan shrugged. "Too obedient."
-
Years later, in the second month after Song Yao returned to China after graduation, she married Zhao Lulan.
Zhao Lulan was born into a noble family, was successful in his career, and had an exceptionally handsome appearance. He was known for his aloofness and indifference to women.
In particular, I heard that he doesn't like his own version.
Song Yao felt very reassured about agreeing to a marriage contract with someone like that.
After marriage, Zhao Lulan behaved exactly as she had imagined: he was well-behaved, always kept a safe distance, and did not associate with any men.
Until her ex-boyfriend showed up at the tea shop she ran, Zhao Lulan happened to be there as well.
The moment their eyes met, Zhao Lulan took her hand and pulled her to his side, then casually put his arm around her waist.
He leaned closer, his thin lips almost touching Song Yao's ear, and said in a dark voice:
"You're not allowed to look at other men."
-
Not long after, Song Yao began to consider divorce.
She felt that the balance she had maintained with Zhao Lulan had been broken.
He would hold her hand tightly in front of many people, kiss her cheek, and hug her tightly.
This made her feel uncertain.
Unexpectedly, on the day they signed the divorce agreement, they engaged in dangerous behavior that was explicitly prohibited by the agreement.
When Song Yao woke up the next day, she was filled with remorse:
"Since I have voluntarily breached the contract, let's sign the divorce agreement now."
Zhao Lulan stared at her and said in a deep voice, "What, are you not satisfied with my performance last night?"
Song Yao: "?"
Song Yao: "That's not what I meant..."
Zhao Lulan's eyes turned cold as he gripped Song Yao's wrist and said in a hard tone, "Song Yao, you'll never leave me in this lifetime."
-
The female lead has a former boyfriend from her student days, but they are both virgins.
2025.9.23 (Left)
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