After passing them, Yang Qi slowly eased up on the speed.
Jiang You’s racing heart finally began to settle, but her expression was still ugly. She punched Yang Qi lightly. "If you ever dare to ride that fast again, I’m never getting on your motorcycle again."
"I won’t, I won’t," Yang Qi hastily promised.
Just then, the rider of the blue motorcycle, furious at being overtaken, charged straight at them!
"They’re coming for us! Get out of the way!" Jiang You’s eyelid twitched as she cried out.
Yang Qi didn’t say a word. He just gripped the handlebars tightly, the veins on his arms bulging. With a sharp turn and a fishtail, he executed a perfect three-hundred-and-sixty-degree spin to dodge.
The blue motorcycle shot straight past, hitting nothing but air.
They hadn’t expected Yang Qi to react so quickly. Unable to react in time themselves, they flew past and crashed straight into a large tree on the side of the road, sending both rider and bike tumbling.
A pained scream echoed from the crash site.
Yang Qi brought his motorcycle to a screeching halt, the tires scraping against the pavement with a piercing shriek and a shower of sparks.
He laughed wildly. "Ha, you sore-losing bastards! Trying to ram me?! Don’t you know who I am? The God of Racing of the Imperial City!"
Jiang You’s heart was pounding. The series of close calls had nearly scared her to death.
Now that the motorcycle had stopped, her face was dark as she jumped off and started unfastening her helmet herself.
Realization dawned on Yang Qi, and his heart sank with anxiety. He quickly dismounted and cautiously approached Jiang You. "Sister You, are... are you okay?"
Of course, Jiang You was fine. She was just pissed off about the other guy’s reckless riding.
She took off the helmet and shoved it into his arms. "Go on your little joyrides by yourself."
Jiang You raised the terminal on her wrist to call for her housekeeper to pick her up.
Clutching the helmet, Yang Qi sidled up to Jiang You and quickly said, "Sister You, I’m so sorry. I really won’t do it again."
Jiang You fell silent for a moment, not saying anything. After all, she hadn’t stopped him at the beginning.
The rider on the blue motorcycle had been too arrogant, and she had been provoked as well.
So when Yang Qi sped up to chase and compete with him, she had tacitly approved.
It was only when things felt like they were getting out of control that she had yelled at him to slow down.
"Alright, move the bike to the side. It’s too dangerous in the middle of the road," Jiang You ordered.
Still apprehensive, Yang Qi asked, "Sister You, are you really not mad anymore?"
"Just go already!" Jiang You knitted her brows.
"I’m going, I’m going." Properly cowed, Yang Qi hurried to move the motorcycle to the side of the road.
Jiang You followed him.
Soon, Housekeeper Chi arrived and took over handling the accident.
Jiang You told Yang Qi to drive her home in a car.
Yang Qi drove her home.
During the drive, Jiang You didn’t say a single word, leaving Yang Qi on edge.
The car pulled up in front of Jiang You’s private villa.
Yang Qi was completely dejected, feeling like he had messed everything up.
’I just wanted to take her for a ride, but I didn’t expect this to happen.’
"We’re here, Sister You." Yang Qi opened the car door for Jiang You, his eyes still pleading for forgiveness.
Jiang You glanced at him and said in a haughty, commanding tone, "Your skills aren’t bad. That was a quick dodge. But don’t you ever race with me as a passenger again."
’It is his birthday, after all. It wouldn’t be right to ruin it.’
Yang Qi froze for a second, his heart starting to beat faster and faster. He nodded, stunned. "Okay."
Jiang You walked past him and entered the villa.
Yang Qi watched her go, only driving away after she had disappeared from sight.
His heart refused to calm down. He clutched his chest. ’I think I might actually be sick.’
’I like her so much.’
Back home, Jiang You decided she was done with joyrides for good. Tonight, she was going to get a good night’s sleep.
「Overnight, the weather changed drastically, as if autumn had plunged directly into winter.」
The cold wind made people shiver uncontrollably.
Jiang You put on her winter school uniform jacket and a pair of skin-toned thermal leggings. No matter what, she was going to wear a skirt.
Her movements became somewhat sluggish.
’I don’t want to go to school.’
That day, a Monday, her major had no classes, so she could have slept in.
But the damn system mission was haunting her like a ghost.
Jiang You pulled on a pair of soft socks, her face a mask of resentment. Waking up on a cold winter morning filled her with a ghostly aura of pure spite.
’It’s so cold. I just want to stay in bed.’
’But soon I have to go hit on a man.’
Jiang You: "..."
’Men, men, men, here I come!’
Jiang You forced herself out of bed through sheer willpower.
She wasn’t sure what motivated her to keep going to school: the punishment for failing a mission, or the prospect of harassing a man.
’The threat of punishment is probably the bigger motivator.’
’After all, there are always men...’
In the research office, there were only a handful of people today—you could count them on one hand. Only Li Yu and Zhou Yan were there.
Li Yu was a little surprised to see Jiang You arrive.
With the sudden drop in temperature, everyone else had chosen to work from their dorms or from home. No one else had come to the office.
Zhou Yan was always hardworking, so it was normal for her to be here.
But for a rich young lady like Jiang You to show up was a rare sight indeed.
However, when he saw her walk straight toward the research area, he understood why she had come.
’As expected, she’s here for our God Xi.’
’Since it’s Monday, I should ask if she’s finished her work.’
’If she hasn’t, I can persuade her to quit.’
"Jiang You?" Li Yu walked toward her.
Jiang You stopped and looked at him, puzzled.
"Have you finished compiling the data I gave you last week?" Li Yu asked, his tone strictly business.
Jiang You paused, then said with a cool arrogance, "I’ll send it to you later."
Li Yu assumed she was just stalling. In any case, if she couldn’t produce it later, he could still persuade her to quit.
He didn’t press the issue and simply nodded.
Jiang You walked into the research area and, sure enough, saw Xi Cheng adjusting a media solution.
Come rain or shine, in bitter cold or scorching heat, he would always be in the research area conducting his experiments. His willpower was beyond that of any ordinary person.
’And me, the vicious female supporting character, I’m the same. No matter how cold it is, I have to come and harass the man.’
’My willpower is on par with the male lead’s!’
This time, Jiang You was here to interfere with Xi Cheng’s experiment.
Xi Cheng valued his experiments above all else. For her, the vicious female supporting character, to do this was practically suicidal.
’But the plot has already collapsed. Xi Cheng is my boyfriend now.’
’I wonder if he’ll get angry in a bit.’
Jiang You walked up to Xi Cheng’s side without a word. Seeing that he was focused on adjusting the media solution and hadn’t noticed her, she didn’t mind.
The moment she saw him reach for a reagent, she immediately snatched it away first.
Xi Cheng’s hand grasped at empty air. He finally glanced sideways at her. Knowing about her mission, he said nothing, looked away, and simply picked up another test tube to continue his experiment.
He went to grab a dropper, but a small hand shot out and took the dropper he was reaching for. His hand met empty air again.
Xi Cheng glanced at her again, said nothing, looked away, and went to get a new dropper.