The cramped car interior was filled with an atmosphere of ambiguity, their body temperatures rising steadily.
Finally, Chen Yang and Ning Qiaoqian both felt overwhelmed by passion, especially Chen Yang. Having been without a woman since his rebirth, he could no longer contain his inner turmoil. He reached out and reclined the car seat, turning and pressing heavily against Ning Qiaoqian…
"Blades and shadows, let me show my skills for the gang; with a heart set on bringing honor to my family, even death will not cause fear…" Just as they were both lost in passion and completely out of their minds, Ning Qiaoqian's phone suddenly rang loudly.
Ning Qiaoqian removed her hand from Chen Yang's broad back, reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, hung up without looking, tossed it onto the back seat, and then kissed Chen Yang's lips again.
But only a moment later, the phone rang relentlessly. The flames of passion that had just ignited between them were abruptly extinguished.
Chen Yang gave a wry smile, sat up, and retrieved the phone Ning Qiaoqian had casually tossed aside from the gap in the back seat. He said,
"Sister Qian, you should answer the phone first!"
Ning Qiaoqian reluctantly took the phone, her brows furrowing as she glanced at it, but she answered anyway.
"Uncle Hua, what's up so late?" Ning Qiaoqian's tone was slightly reproachful, yet also a little coquettish.
"Miss, it's almost Master's fiftieth birthday in a few days. He asked me to come to Rongcheng to pick you up and take you home," a deep, middle-aged male voice came from the other end of the line. Ning Qiaoqian frowned even more upon hearing this, her tone turning extremely cold:
"Uncle Hua, tell that person to stop dreaming. I'm not going back!"
"Miss, please don't be so quick to refuse. Many distinguished guests have been invited to Master's birthday banquet, and several of Madam's relatives have also come. They hope to see you, which is why Master sent me to Rongcheng to pick you up." Uncle Hua's voice remained as steady as ever.
"Impossible!" Ning Qiaoqian exclaimed loudly, "After Mother passed away, my family's relatives and that person haven't had any contact for a long time! Uncle Hua, it must be that person's trick, right?"
Uncle Hua sighed on the other end of the phone and said:
"Master anticipated Miss's reaction, so he specially invited Mr. Zhong to come to Rongcheng with me to pick you up. How about this, Miss, I'll let Mr. Zhong speak with you."
"Qiaoqian!" The phone was transferred to another person.
"Uncle?" Ning Qiaoqian gasped in surprise. "Uncle, how did you end up at that person's house? Did he send someone to force you to do this? Uncle! Tell me, if it's true, I'll make him pay!"
"Qiaoqian, don't speculate," Ning Qiaoqian's uncle said somberly. "Something happened at my family, and we really had no choice but to ask...my brother-in-law for help. It just so happens to be his fiftieth birthday, and he said you haven't been home for over a year, so he sent me and Butler Hua to Rongcheng to pick you up..."
"Uncle, what happened at home?" Ning Qiaoqian asked worriedly.
"It's a long story, let's talk about it when we get home," Ning Qiaoqian's uncle said, clearly unwilling to discuss the topic further on the phone. "We've already exited the highway and entered Rongcheng city. Tell me where you are now? We'll come pick you up right away!"
Ning Qiaoqian hesitated for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh and saying softly,
"I'm at the viewing platform on the top of Gushan Mountain, come on over..."
With that, Ning Qiaoqian hung up the phone coldly.
After that little incident, their passion had long since subsided. Thinking of the embarrassing scene from earlier, Ning Qiaoqian blushed slightly. She lowered her head to tidy her disheveled clothes and hair, then gave Chen Yang a charmingly reproachful look and said softly,
"You little rascal, come for a walk with me!"
Ning Qiaoqian's shy expression made Chen Yang's heart flutter. He quickly got out of the car and ran to the passenger side to open the door for Ning Qiaoqian, gesturing for her to enter. Ning Qiaoqian smiled and stepped out of the car.
The two walked slowly along the railing of the viewing platform, gazing at the myriad lights of homes below, twinkling like stars. Ning Qiaoqian suddenly sighed and turned to Chen Yang, saying,
"Little Yang, I'm going home for a few days. It's been over a year since I've been back..."
Chen Yang nodded slightly, remaining silent. He knew Ning Qiaoqian needed a listener; he only needed to listen.
Sure enough, Ning Qiaoqian continued on her own:
"Little Yang, can you imagine? A man could abandon his sick wife and young daughter just because of a phone call from his brother, rushing to help. And that wife was hacked to death by his enemies near their home..."
At this point, Ning Qiaoqian's shoulders trembled slightly, and she began to sob softly.
At this moment, Ning Qiaoqian was so helpless, a stark contrast to her usual fiery bar girl image, which stirred Chen Yang's pity.
Perhaps this was the real Ning Qiaoqian! Normally, she was just deliberately concealing her vulnerability, donning a cloak of strength.
Chen Yang gently put his arm around Ning Qiaoqian's shoulder and whispered in her ear:
"Sister Qian, it's all in the past. You should look forward. That man may have made a lot of mistakes, but he's still your father. Blood ties can't be severed so easily."
"How did you know?" Ning Qiaoqian looked at Chen Yang in surprise.
Chen Yang shrugged, saying innocently:
"After listening to your phone call for so long, and combining it with what you just said, if I still couldn't guess, then I'd really have a problem with my brain!"
Ning Qiaoqian tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then smiled sheepishly. Chen Yang sat down on the stone steps with Ning Qiaoqian in his arms and continued, "Sister Qian, you should go back and see him. No matter what, he's still your father, and he'll grow older every day. When you want to be with him but have no chance, it will be too late for regrets."
Ning Qiaoqian snorted coldly and said, "Originally, I didn't want to go back, but he used some tricks, actually bringing my uncle in as a go-between… After my mother passed away, my uncles and aunts cut off all contact with that person. I don't know how he managed to persuade my uncle this time…"
Even when chatting privately with friends, Ning Qiaoqian refused to address her father directly, instead referring to him as "that person," revealing the depth of her resentment.
Chen Yang didn't know whether her father was right or wrong, but he knew that at this time, he had to speak favorably. And he believed that no father didn't love his children. Couples might divorce and become enemies, but their love for their children would never change. "Whether something's really wrong or he's just playing tricks, it at least shows your father cares about you! Otherwise, why would he go to all this trouble?" Chen Yang said with a smile. "Sister Qian, don't think too much about it. Just consider it a few days of rest at home!"
"Mm!" Ning Qiaoqian said sullenly, "That's all we can do…"
Just then, a bright beam of headlights appeared on the winding mountain road leading to the summit. A black Mercedes-Benz silently glided over and came to a smooth stop next to the GTR sports car.
Ning Qiaoqian stood up, brushed the dust off her clothes, and said:
"Little Yangzi, I'm going back to Xiamen! Take care of yourself!"
Ning Qiaoqian had regained her usual carefree demeanor, but Chen Yang could still read a deep sadness in her eyes.
Although Xiamen was only a four-hour drive from Fuzhou, the impending separation made Chen Yang feel a pang of sadness. He nodded slightly without speaking.
Ning Qiaoqian took a few steps, then turned back, tossed a bunch of car keys to Chen Yang, and said with a smile:
"Little Yang, while I'm away from Rongcheng, you have to take good care of the car for me!"
After a pause, Ning Qiaoqian continued:
"Oh, and there's a new iPhone 4s in the glove box on the passenger side. You really need to replace that crappy knock-off! Sending a MMS takes forever, I don't know how you can stand it!"
Chen Yang looked at Ning Qiaoqian strangely. Ning Qiaoqian felt a little uncomfortable under Chen Yang's gaze, her face slightly flushed, and she said casually:
"You little rascal, don't misunderstand! It's just a little gift for you, I don't want to keep a young boy as a mistress..."
(Note: The last line appears to be a website address and is not translated.) "Sister Qian, don't say anything more!" Chen Yang said exaggeratedly, "From now on, I'm yours… Don't worry, I'll keep myself pure for you while you're in Xiamen…"
Ning Qiaoqian burst into laughter, her laughter shaking her head. After a while, she asked seriously, "Keep yourself pure? Even Su He can't be an exception?"
"Uh…" Chen Yang was speechless, his face full of embarrassment. Ning Qiaoqian couldn't help but chuckle again, saying, "Silly boy, I was just joking! I'm leaving now! Take care!"
With that, Ning Qiaoqian walked towards the Mercedes. Chen Yang watched Ning Qiaoqian's retreating figure, fiddling with his car keys. Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he called out to her:
"Hey! How can I drive without a license? What if I run into the police?"
Ning Qiaoqian waved her hand without turning around and said loudly:
"Drive with confidence! In Southeast Province, no one will check this car!"
Chen Yang watched Ning Qiaoqian get into the Mercedes.
Soon, the Mercedes made a U-turn and drove straight down the mountain, and the viewing platform returned to silence.
Chen Yang didn't rush to leave. Instead, he sat on the railing, lit a cigarette, and gazed at the myriad lights of the city below, a mix of emotions welling up inside him.
Regardless of Ning Qiaoqian's true feelings, Chen Yang knew that in that instant, he had definitely been moved.
If it weren't for that phone call, perhaps the two of them would have already crossed the final line.
But what about Su He?
Chen Yang suddenly realized with distress: even with his rebirth, it seemed he still couldn't escape the issue of a confidante…