Qi Yan led Luan Yining around the same line again as a warm-up, and when they returned to the starting point, he raised an eyebrow at Luan Yining, feeling quite dashing.
Luan Yining smiled, opened the car door, and sat back in the driver's seat of the red Ferrari.
The two cars, one red and one black, shot off like arrows. Qi Yan was extremely confident when he made his statement, but he didn't let his guard down for a moment in this sure-win race. His dark pupils flashed with a firm and sharp light. He stared at the red car in front of him and cut into the corner at an extremely tricky angle. The rear of the car left a beautiful trail of white smoke due to the centrifugal force.
The engine roared, and the vehicle burst out of the hunting ground like a wild beast unleashing its full performance. Qi Yan and Luan Yining, who had been overtaken, almost simultaneously curled the corners of their mouths into smiles.
Luan Yining had no intention of holding back. He gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, floored the accelerator, and the engine roared. With each precise maneuver, the two cars closed the distance between them like lightning. At another bend, as if defying gravity, the two black and red lights raced side by side, almost simultaneously rounding the bend.
Speeding at breakneck speed, a fierce competition, the heartbeats resonating with the engine, a perfect blend of speed and art.
In the end, the black afterimage crossed the finish line first, half a body length ahead, its wheels rubbing against the ground and sparks flying, announcing the final victory.
There were no spectators at the racetrack today, no enthusiastic cheers or applause, only the prolonged euphoria of victory spreading in the silence.
Qi Yan, rubbing his heart which was pounding with excitement, leaned on the steering wheel, panting heavily. A smug smile spread across his face. He had won! He could now learn Luan Yining's little secret... What should he ask her in a moment?
A "tap-tap" sound came from outside the car window. Qi Yan looked up and met Luan Yining's smiling eyes through the window. Luan Yining seemed unusually gentle today...
"Teacher Luan, I won!"
"Um."
Qi Yan couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth turn up in a crazy smile: "You keep your word!"
"Hmm, what do you want to know?"
Qi Yan hesitated, and the live stream was shut down again with a "snap," this time manually.
[...]
Is there anything my esteemed SVIP cannot hear?!
I can pay for early access!
Qi Yan swallowed hard; his throat was dry, and he was having a hard time swallowing.
Luan Yining handed him a bottle of water, and the two walked to the nearby rest area.
He tilted his head back and gulped down the entire bottle of water, then took a towel to wipe his face. After a moment of silence, Qi Yan turned slightly to the side, secretly observing Luan Yining who was wiping his sweat. The emotions brought on by the adrenaline had gradually faded in the silence, and Luan Yining returned to his usual calm state. But upon closer inspection, one could tell that he was not as calm as he appeared.
Qi Yan asked cautiously, "Should I ask?"
"Ask away."
Qi Yan bit his lip, feeling that he might be a little narcissistic, but at the same time a slight expectation rose within him. He asked uncertainly, "Wife, did you learn to race cars for me?"
“Hmm,” Luan Yining replied without much hesitation, “I’ve been studying for quite a while now, and I came here secretly from school without telling you.”
"Why...why did you hide it from me?" Qi Yan felt a little annoyed, thinking about how he had secretly come here to learn to drive with an instructor. "I can teach you too. My skills are much better than that mediocre driver here..."
Luan Yining looked at him intently for a while, but did not answer directly. Instead, she changed the subject: "I tried it a little earlier than that, during the summer before your junior year of college."
Qi Yan was stunned. That was a long time ago; they weren't even together back then.
"Was it for me back then too?" Qi Yan asked again, his eyes gleaming with eager hope.
Seeing Luan Yining nod, Qi Yan's eyes lit up instantly.
"I wanted to learn more about your interests and hobbies," Luan Yining explained. "Actually, after trying it out, I found that this type of activity is probably not suitable for me... I didn't find the club very interesting this past year, but I think today was pretty good."
Hearing this, Qi Yan said seriously, "If you like it, we can come together in the future. If you don't like it, I'll accompany you to do something else and go to places you like."
Luan Yining looked into his sincere eyes and asked softly, "Don't you want to know why I've never told you?"
Qi Yan hadn't thought that much about it. Luan Yining was not a person who liked to express herself too much. Even after all the sacrifices she had made, she hadn't thought about asking for anything in return. It wasn't surprising that she didn't tell him about this.
But since Luan Yining brought it up first, Qi Yan tentatively asked, "Why?"
Luan Yining raised her eyes, her voice calm: "Because I don't want to say."
Qi Yan was stunned on the spot.
These words sounded childish and defiant, unlike anything Luan Yining would say. Adjectives like coquettish, willful, and awkward are completely unrelated to Luan Yining.
Qi Yan felt he should ask why, but his lips moved without him saying it. He repeatedly savored Luan Yining's expression, tone, and actions, and thought of many other moments from the past.
Surprise, confusion, and then realization—like the clouds parting to reveal the truth—Qi Yan glimpsed a corner of Luan Yining's thoughts. Though still unbelievable, but…
"Wife, do you mean... you're sulking with me?" Qi Yan's voice was very soft, especially the last two words, which were so soft that it seemed as if he was afraid of scaring people. Even the intense longing in his eyes was suppressed with extreme restraint.
Are you sulking? Luan Yining rubbed his fingertips together, his once dry palms now slightly damp. Instead of answering, he asked, "Last night you said you could feel that I've been angry all along. When did that start?"
Qi Yan stared intently at Luan Yining. After a long while, he stammered, "There's no specific time, just a feeling. The first time I had this feeling was probably when I deliberately tried to provoke you."
So early? Luan Yining lowered his eyelashes; he thought he had hidden it well.
Qi Yan continued, "At first, I thought you didn't want to talk to me, hated me, and didn't want to see me. It wasn't until we got married that I belatedly realized you were angry..." Now that Luan Yining had given him a hint, he suddenly realized that he was just being stubborn...
Unfortunately, it took him four years to acknowledge his mistake and formally apologize for hurting Luan Yining. No act of stubbornness can last four years...
Luan Yining remained silent for quite some time, and Qi Yan also came to his senses. He realized that Luan Yining did not want to settle accounts with him for the extremely bad things that had happened in the past. He looked up and happened to meet Luan Yining's eyes.
After a two-second eye contact, Luan Yining frankly admitted, "It was indeed out of spite at first."
Qi Yan's heart skipped a beat. Luan Yining admitted that it was a completely different feeling from what he had guessed. But then, he shamelessly felt a little like running away.
Luan Yining hadn't explained why her first attempt at racing ended so abruptly, but Qi Yan couldn't help but wonder why. Of course, it was because he immediately forced Luan Yining to be with him. If he hadn't done that…
Qi Yan's face showed an expression of utter despair, as if he was about to cry. If he didn't like someone, why would he be angry? Why was he so stupid? Qi Yan bent his elbows and hugged his head, which was drooping lower and lower, and punched himself hard.
Just as he was about to strike a second time, Luan Yining stopped him. Her soft, warm, slightly sweaty palm gently enveloped Qi Yan's cold fingers.
“I’m not saying this to make you blame yourself,” Luan Yining paused, then gently patted his back. “It’s not your fault.” Qi Yan was young. If he had been more understanding and talked things out instead of being hypocritical with his lover who was seven years younger than him, the outcome would have been very different.
"I'm sorry," Qi Yan said softly.
He had repeated those three words countless times during this period, but he still felt it wasn't enough. Qi Yan buried his face in Luan Yining's shoulder, overwhelmed by shame, and dared not look into Luan Yining's eyes at that moment.
“At first it was out of spite, as you said, but after we got married it wasn’t like that.” Luan Yining sighed softly, “I wanted to get married.”
Qi Yan suddenly opened his eyes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com