Chapter 10 This is my fare
Chapter 10
The bag on her shoulder slipped down to her wrist, and Wen Yining looked at Liu Hengheng in disbelief.
Liu Hengheng was no longer his usual mischievous and bold self. He didn't even bother to respond to her. He stared at the person in the car without moving, his hands hanging down tightly to his body, nervously gripping his trouser legs.
Wen Yining heard the familiar, nightmarish voice behind her give a soft "hmm," followed by the sound of the car door closing. He spoke again, "Let's go, let's go back together."
Wen Yining didn't turn around, but her face turned completely pale.
*
After the start of summer, it gets dark later and later. Even after 6 o'clock, the sun is still high in the sky, and the light shines through the dense magnolia leaves onto the ground, like clusters of orange flames.
The class is over.
Wen Yining clutched her bag in one hand, her pale face expressionless, and strode out of the first-floor door, passing by the busy Aunt Liu without even a greeting, which was unusual for her.
Wen Yining paused, clutching her schoolbag.
Li Changjing stood on the second floor, looking at the figure in the courtyard.
The little girl always stood straight with her slender back straight. She was fragile and delicate, yet possessed a stubborn resilience. Although she stopped, she held her neck straight and did not turn around.
Within a minute, Li Changjing got out of the car, holding a car key, and walked past her toward the gate, saying, "I'll give you a ride."
Wen Yining glanced at his back, her fingers tightened on her backpack, she remained silent for a few seconds, then followed him out and got into the car.
Li Changjing drove himself, and Wen Yining sat in the passenger seat.
The car started, and two bodyguards followed in an identical black sedan, driving out of the residential area and turning onto the main road.
Although Li Changjing's position was eye-catching at his age, it was within the normal range and far from warranting security.
However, due to his special status and the fact that the Li family had few descendants, and because the old man Li valued this promising grandson, everyone was used to the fact that even in the seemingly impregnable capital city, Li Er's bodyguards were always by his side 24 hours a day.
The car was quiet; no one spoke, except for the sweet voice of the radio host dutifully reading out the submissions.
Wen Yining placed her bag on her lap, hugged it tightly to her chest, and turned to look at the scenery outside the window.
The car left the residential area and drove onto Ping'an Street. The traffic flowed like a tide. Passing the landmark building of the northern city, the ancient capital of two dynasties stood majestically in front of her, with its tall red city walls, bright yellow rooftops, and fluttering red flags.
It was imposing and oppressive; when I gazed at it, I felt incredibly small.
It's said that you can tell a person's personality just by watching them drive.
Li Changjing drives very steadily and smoothly. His braking and starting are both smooth and orderly. He accelerates when he needs to and brakes when he needs to.
He drove slowly beside her, his faint, soft, and cool fragrance lingering around her.
Wen Yining suppressed her emotions; she wanted to get angry and yell at people, but she couldn't.
Because the person she wanted to scold was a member of the elite at the top of the North City pyramid, someone she couldn't afford to offend.
But on what grounds?
Just because he's a second-generation rich kid, does he think he can manipulate her at will just because he has power and influence?
He didn't care about her thoughts at all. No matter what she said or how she refused, he wouldn't let her go because he only wanted to achieve his own goals.
Doesn't he know he'll get angry? He does know, but he's indifferent. He's just playing around; why would he care about a toy's opinion?
Unfortunately, she wasn't the impetuous type of a young girl; she couldn't get angry or curse people on a whim. Children from poor families mature early, and she experienced the darkness of the world and the coldness of human relationships at a very young age.
She knew she was timid, cowardly, worldly, and spineless.
But she really didn't dare to test his bottom line. If Li Changjing wanted to retaliate against her, or wanted to "increase the dosage," it would be easier than crushing an ant.
Wen Yining took a deep breath, gripping the bag tightly in her arms, desperately suppressing the surging emotions.
A glance in the rearview mirror revealed a black Maybach driven by Li Changjing's bodyguards, its headlights on, following closely behind them.
The emotions I had been holding back suddenly burst forth.
Unable to express her anger and frustration, Wen Yining turned into tears.
Large tears streamed down her face, instantly soaking it. She stubbornly wiped them away with her hand, but then a second and a third started falling one after another.
Li Changjing immediately noticed and glanced at the rearview mirror in the passenger seat. The mirror clearly reflected the girl's tear-blurred face, with large tears falling continuously, making her eyelashes wet.
I thought she would finally lose her temper and yell at me, but she didn't utter a single curse at him the whole way, and instead, she cried...
She is really good at enduring hardship.
For the first time in a long time, he saw her tears. She didn't speak or make a sound, just kept raising her hand to wipe them away as she cried. Her head was turned to the window, and she bit her lip tightly, stubbornly refusing to make a sound. A wet patch of water on the back of her hand flowed down her thin wrist and into her sleeve.
Li Changjing looked for a few seconds, his gaze remaining unchanged, as if he hadn't seen anything, and then calmly looked away.
Wen Yining cried almost the entire way. Li Changjing drove slowly beside her until they stopped. It seemed as if he had only just noticed her tears. He sighed helplessly, took out a tissue, bent down to wipe her tears, and gently coaxed her, "It's okay, Ningning, don't cry anymore, okay?"
His every move, seemingly considerate, gentle, and alluring, is actually fake, like the foam on the surface of beer. Only by peeling away the illusory ambiguity can one feel the nonchalant indifference in his bones.
Wen Yining felt a chill run down her spine and expressionlessly dodged his hand.
Li Changjing's movements missed their mark; his hand paused in mid-air, and his unreadable gaze fell silently on her face.
Wen Yining's skin is a flawless white, and any redness is very noticeable, indicating that she has just been crying. Her eyes are red, and her cool and delicate appearance gives her a fragile look. However, her beautiful eyes are dark and bright, with a light of anger, like some kind of resilient and unyielding gemstone.
He knew she had never dared to offend him, but no matter how tolerant she was, she was still just a young girl who had just turned 18.
Li Changjing withdrew his hand and sat back down, looking at her with a rather good temper, waiting for Wen Yining to lose her temper.
Wen Yining looked at the crowd in front of the car through the windshield with a blank expression, pursed her lips, and did not scold him, but suddenly began to rummage through her bag.
Li Changjing raised an eyebrow and watched her movements quietly.
As she looked down and rummaged through the things, she suddenly took something out and slapped it against the front of the car with a "smack!" Several crumpled one-yuan and five-yuan bills, along with a ten-yuan coin and two coins, were slapped onto the front of the car's windshield.
"This is my fare."
The two or so folded banknotes were still swaying slightly when she took the picture.
Li Changjing stared at the banknote in surprise.
Wen Yining had already opened the door and gotten out of the car without looking back.
Li Changjing stared at Wen Yining's back for a long time before slowly turning his gaze to the stack of loose change in front of him.
The setting sun shone through the windshield, and the two coins on top of the loose change reflected bright light in the sunlight.
Li Changjing stared for several seconds, then suddenly lowered his eyes and smiled.
*
Wen Yining closed the car door and strode towards the roadside with a sullen face and no expression.
"Hello, hello, excuse me for bothering you!" Two young men who looked to be in their early twenties and already working surrounded her with excited, shining eyes. When their gazes fell on Wen Yining's face, their expressions immediately turned shy, and their voices dropped several decibels: "Excuse me, was the car you were in just now an armored car?"
Wen Yining was startled. "What?"
She was so delicate and aloof that even when she was angry, she didn't show any obvious anger. The boy didn't realize she was upset at all. He waved his hand and explained with a somewhat embarrassed smile, "The sound of the car door closing and the car body looked very similar. I'm a military enthusiast, so I like to study these things in my spare time. However, bulletproof cars are rare, so I'm not sure. If it's not, then I apologize for bothering you."
Wen Yining fell silent. People came and went around her, and she suddenly felt despair.
It turned out that the car he was driving was an armored car. She had never seen one before, and was even unfamiliar with the name. She never imagined that one day she would be sitting in one.
No wonder the sound insulation is so good, and the car doors feel so heavy when you open them.
The two boys whispered among themselves, both convinced that it must be a bulletproof car. They got more and more excited as they talked, staring at Wen Yining expectantly, waiting for her answer.
Wen Yining paused for a moment, then said, "No. It was a ride-hailing service, and I paid the fare."
“?…”
The two boys had strange expressions. A Maybach... as a ride-hailing car?
Wen Yining had already passed them and left.
*
In the early summer evenings, the temperature is warm, and people come and go along the gray stone-paved roadside. The traffic and voices on the road are intertwined, creating a noisy and lively atmosphere.
On the noisy roadside, a man got out of the car, closed the door, and stood tall and slender with an air of refined elegance. His pale, cold wrist rested on the black car body; the simple movement was indescribably neat and handsome.
Turning his head, he revealed a face so exquisite it seemed unreal, with handsome and noble features, and skin so white it was almost blinding. An aura of aloof nobility emanated from him, like an invisible membrane separating him from the crowd around him.
His short two-step walk drew the attention of passersby, who kept turning to look at him. A young couple couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Li Changjing opened the driver's side door, got out of the car, closed the door with one hand, and walked to the back seat. The bodyguard, who had been paying close attention to his movements, understood and immediately got out of the car and quickly ran to the front driver's seat.
The bodyguard drove the car, and the car behind him followed slowly.
When the car stopped at Qiyun Mansion, it was just getting dark, and the lights around us came on.
Li Changjing opened the car door and got out, saying, "Let's find a place to properly store the money."
The bodyguard looked at the few loose bills that added up to no more than 20 yuan and began to ponder the meaning of his words, "Keep them safe."
Is it physical evidence or something else? It's worth telling us to "keep it safe."
How much weight does this "good" carry?
As the sun set and dusk settled, Li Changjing took off his glasses and took a few steps. The night air, carrying the fragrance of flowers, brushed against him. He stopped and turned back.
The bodyguard stared blankly at the wad of loose change, wondering what to do with it, when the door was suddenly pulled open. Li Changjing returned and looked at him from outside the car, saying, "You don't need to worry about it, just give it to me."
This team of bodyguards were actually retired special forces soldiers, specially selected by the Li family for the young master's security. They had been with him for many years and were considered his personal guards.
Knowing that this seemingly approachable, low-key, and modest young master Li actually had severe mysophobia and hated being touched by others, and that he had no idea who gave him this crumpled money or how many people had touched it, I took out two tissues to wrap it up before giving it to him.
Just as I pulled it out, I heard him stop me, "Give it to me directly."
The bodyguard was taken aback, then rolled up the money and handed it to him.
Li Changjing took it and held it in his palm. He turned and left. As he passed by, Biao saw that the unpredictable young master Li seemed to curl the corners of his mouth slightly.
A note from the author:
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