In a daze, Tang Qi seemed to have returned to her previous life, on her twentieth birthday.
My father is still as busy as ever, but this time for my birthday, he made a rare trip to Chengdu and gave me a gift... no, perhaps I should say, a car?
A red Porsche stopped in a parking space on the street. Then, a young man in a casual suit got out of the driver's seat, closed the car door, and walked into the restaurant.
The father and daughter were in a private room on the second floor of the restaurant, by the window, where they could see the red luxury car and the young man from above.
The father pointed to the luxury car that had just come to a stop: "It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in less than five seconds, that's amazing! And I chose the one with the sturdiest and most crash-resistant body, so its safety performance is impeccable."
Tang Qi said weakly, "But I don't have a driver's license..."
The father was taken aback: "Didn't you pass the exam last year?"
Tang Qi: "I passed the theory test (the written test) last year. But I kept failing the practical test (the driving test), and then... I quit."
Her father stared at her blankly, speechless for a moment.
After a long pause, he couldn't help but ask loudly, "What do you mean by canceling it? You don't want your driver's license anymore?"
Tang Qi flinched, instinctively wanting to nod, but her delicate neck stiffened after just a slight movement. Nodding or shaking her head seemed wrong. Her eyes reddened with anxiety, and she looked like she was about to cry.
As a father, it's really unacceptable that he didn't even know if his daughter had a driver's license before buying a car. Of course, it also seems a bit strange that his daughter became cowardly and refused to take the test again after failing her second driving test.
But the father was no longer surprised by his daughter's way of doing things.
He sighed heavily: "Fine, fine, I won't bother you anymore. It's fine not to drive..."
Before he could finish speaking, the door to the private room opened. The young man who had parked the car earlier strode in confidently.
The young man closed the door and stood upright in the doorway, saying, "Mr. Tang, the car is already parked on the side of the road. You can see it as soon as you come downstairs. The photos, compulsory traffic insurance, and ETC are all done, no problem."
The father looked at the young man and nodded approvingly: "Good, you're quite quick."
"Mr. Tang, when do the negotiations with them begin? I'll go and make some more preparations."
The father waved his hand, "No need for such a rush. Come, let me introduce you. This is my daughter, my only child, Tang Qi!"
The young man remained composed and polite, bowing deeply and saying, "Hello, Miss Tang, my name is Lu Zhe, and I am currently Mr. Tang's assistant."
Tang Qi nodded timidly in response. She glanced at her father beside her, but noticed... the way her father looked at Assistant Lu seemed a little strange?
The girl instantly remembered what her mother had said.
"You ask me why I want a divorce? Ha... I'd accept it if my husband had mistresses or kept women, really, I'm pretty open-minded about that. But if my husband were to sleep with another man, haha, I couldn't accept that. I can't stand troublemakers, no amount of money can change that, you understand?"
The girl's gaze darted back and forth between the two men, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions. Fortunately, her timid expression concealed everything.
At this moment, the father looked at the handsome young man and laughed heartily, "No need to rush to work, take a couple of days off and relax! By the way, Zhe, didn't you go to university in Rongdu? My daughter also studies here, but she's too timid. I've never restricted her from going out, so she's definitely never been out and about in the city. Why don't you take her sightseeing?"
Lu Zhe glanced at her, hesitated for two seconds, and nodded: "Okay, I understand."
His father patted him on the shoulder: "Don't be so formal. It's leisure time now. Come on, sit down and eat!"
Tang Qi silently observed Assistant Lu, who was a few years older than her. His calm yet energetic demeanor made the young woman feel a little envious.
She has always admired people who are independent and self-reliant, not dependent on others.
What's more... this assistant is quite good-looking too.
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Tang Qi and Lu Zhe's first time together was anything but romantic; it was just awkward.
Of course, this was nothing new for Tang Qi. She'd been like this since childhood, from elementary school to middle school, and now in university—she simply couldn't make friends. No matter who approached her, she didn't know how to communicate.
Or rather, she knew what to do, but couldn't do it.
It's incredibly difficult to strike up a conversation with someone you don't know well, to build rapport through a series of topics, and to find common interests...
The very first step, his eloquent speech, stumped her completely.
The father had already left on his own, leaving his daughter in the care of Assistant Lu. The two left the restaurant and sat in the red Porsche; Lu Zhe was driving, and Tang Qi was in the passenger seat.
The car drove smoothly through the streets of Chengdu, and inside, apart from the noise it made, there was almost only Lu Zhe's voice.
He first tried to start a conversation about their shared student life in Chengdu: "Miss Tang is studying in Chengdu?"
Tang Qi nodded, but didn't say anything.
Lu Zhe: "I also studied in Chengdu and graduated a couple of years ago. Studying here is quite comfortable. There are lots of delicious foods, and it's also convenient... The price-performance ratio is not low, as long as you know how to find them."
Tang Qi's small mouth moved slightly, as if she made a sound, but it was so faint that it was impossible to hear.
Lu Zhe then asked, "Did you say something?"
"My school is not located in the urban area of Chengdu."
That short sentence seemed to have exhausted the girl's courage, causing her big eyes to blink incessantly.
Lu Zhe chuckled dryly: "Oh, I see. So where is the school?"
Tang Qi: "Xiyuan Avenue".
Lu Zhe: "Where is Xiyuan Avenue? In the west of the city?"
Tang Qi silently lowered her head and took out her phone.
Lu Zhe changed the subject again: "What are your hobbies and interests, Miss Tang?"
Tang Qi hesitated for a long time before responding.
Lu Zhe: "The weather is nice today. Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
Tang Qi shook her head.
Despite the fact that she was so withdrawn, Lu Zhe still didn't give up: "Miss Tang, have you been to Kuanzhai Alley? Jinli or Wuhou Temple?"
Tang Qi finally spoke, but her answer was: "I don't like going out to play..."
Lu Zhe: "So what do you like to do? Play games?"
Tang Qi nodded, took out her phone, opened a game, and started playing.
At this moment, the car encountered a red light and stopped at the intersection.
Lu Zhe craned his neck to look at the girl's phone screen, pondered his lines for a moment, and suddenly said, "Monument Valley? I quite like that game too."
Tang Qi glanced at him timidly, shrank back, lowered her head and continued playing.
Lu Zhe couldn't help but scratch the back of his head.
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