BGM: "I love your Bodyline, your personality, your Eyes. Every city with you feels amazing, Baby…"

The energetic love song played from the white LingShuai with the windows halfway down. Inside, the group chatted happily.

Since Zhao Yaqian and her friends had only graduated about a year ago, their conversation naturally drifted toward high school memories.

Li Yuanyuan sighed, "I regret not studying harder back then. Now that I’m working, I feel more and more like going back to college."

Since graduating, she had been working in a small family business. Though it was an easy job, it didn't pay well and had little room for growth, which made her realize the value of higher education.

Zhang Wensheng suggested, "You could consider adult education for a bachelor’s degree. It could be useful for getting certifications or a government job, or even just as a door-opener."

Li Yuanyuan nodded and patted Zhao Yaqian's leg, "Qianqian, want to look into it with me and maybe go for a certification?"

Zhao Yaqian shook her head vigorously, "No way! I hate doing homework!"

She still had nightmares about high school exams, waking up in a cold sweat.

Li Yuanyuan rolled her eyes, "Figures. I knew talking to you about this was pointless—you just don’t have an ounce of ambition."

"I think things are just fine now," Zhao Yaqian said, hugging her bag with a contented smile.

At that moment, the music in the car suddenly cut out. Then, the lights, dashboard, and ambient lighting all went dark.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Zhang Wensheng's heart skipped a beat. "Oh, c*!" he muttered, scrambling as the car jerked erratically.

The three girls screamed as a loud honking erupted from behind.

"Pull over and restart it!" Du Guangyin shouted.

Zhang Wensheng quickly turned on the right signal, braked, and parked on the side of the road.

"That scared me to death!"

"What happened?"

"Did the car break down?"

They all talked in a panicked flurry, trying to catch their breath.

Zhang Wensheng’s face turned pale. "Hold on, let me try to start it again."

He pressed the clutch and brake, turning the key, but nothing happened. After seven or eight attempts, still no response.

This car was something he’d bought second-hand from an online platform. A car-savvy friend had helped inspect it, and they’d found no major issues, so he’d taken the plunge. But now, just a few days in, it was already breaking down.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. His first time taking his goddess out for dinner, and he ran into this—just his luck!

Zhao Yaqian patted her chest, still shaken. "I thought something was going to happen for a second there."

"So, what do we do now?" Li Yuanyuan said, worried. "Are we going to need a tow?"

"Maybe call the insurance first; this should count as vehicle damage."

Zhang Wensheng gritted his teeth, "Hold on, I’ll call the seller. He promised a one-year warranty for quality issues."

He pulled out his phone and dialed the contact.

The phone rang for a while before it was finally picked up.

"Hey, Li! My car suddenly lost all electrical functions while I was driving. Now I can't get it started again, even after parking on the roadside."

"Yeah, it’s the LingShuai we transferred on May 9! It’s only the fourth day!"

"You said at the time it didn’t need any work…”

…

After hanging up, Zhang Wensheng looked awkward. "The seller said it’s probably the battery, nothing too serious. He’s got a friend with a repair shop nearby who’ll bring a new one to swap in soon. Let’s just wait here; it won’t take long."

"Alright, then let’s wait a bit."

"No rush. Let’s get out and catch some fresh air—it’s pretty cool outside."

Nodding, Zhang Wensheng opened the door and stepped out, placing the hazard triangle behind the car.

He opened the hood to take a look, though he didn’t know much about cars and couldn’t make sense of it.

Du Guangyin patted his shoulder in encouragement. "No worries. We’ll grab the guys from the dorm and pay the seller a visit. You’re getting that battery money back."

"Yeah, he’s not getting away with this." Zhang Wensheng felt today was just cursed, first stalling out, and now a dead battery.

Especially in front of Zhao Yaqian, he felt so embarrassed he wanted to crawl into a hole.

Standing on the curb, Zhao Yaqian stretched a little, then took out her phone to message Tang Song, telling him all about what had just happened.

Ding— Her phone buzzed with a message.

[Tang Song: "As long as you're safe. Where are you right now?"]

She sent a hug emoji, followed by her location.

Then, sniffing the air, her eyes lit up, and she pointed, "Hey, there's a vendor over there selling potato sausages! Let’s go try some."

She was actually getting pretty hungry and, seeing something tasty, quickly forgot her other worries.

"I’ll get us a few. You all wait here," Zhang Wensheng said, hurrying off.

A few minutes later, he jogged back to the car and handed out the steaming sausages.

Jiang Zimu held up hers, smiling, "Alright, let’s do a cheers. We might’ve had a little mishap, but spending time with friends is what makes it worth it."

The five clinked their sausages together with a laugh.

Zhao Yaqian blew on hers before taking a big bite, her eyes curving with a smile. "So good!"

"Really tasty!"

"Feels like such a vibe, eating grilled sausage on the curb. Haha!"

As the evening breeze carried the scent of cumin and chili, the atmosphere softened, and their spirits lifted. They began sharing funny stories from high school again, laughter echoing down the road. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel•fire.net

Gradually, Zhang Wensheng’s embarrassment faded, and he leaned back on his car, finally able to enjoy himself with the others.

Beep, beep—beep, beep— A car horn nearby interrupted their laughter.

A blue Mercedes slowly pulled up behind the LingShuai, parking beside them.

"Wow, a blue Mercedes E300. Not a common color, but it’s beautiful," Du Guangyin commented.

The three girls turned to look as well. Though they didn’t know much about cars, just from the body and logo, they could tell it wasn’t cheap.

"It’s gorgeous," Zhang Wensheng said. "That model’s over 500,000 yuan, and the paint is top-notch."

The car door opened, and a man stepped out. He looked to be around 35 or 36, with thick brows, styled hair, a casual T-shirt, straight-leg pants, and loafers.

He exuded a mature, distinguished charm, accentuated by the blue Mercedes beside him.

Li Jingzhong’s gaze landed on the alluring Zhao Yaqian, his eyes showing no attempt to hide his appreciation. Standing there in heels on the curb, she was striking.

Recognizing him, Zhao Yaqian’s face fell. Suddenly, the sausage in her hand didn’t taste as good.

This was the same Manager Li who had tried to “keep” her, and she hadn’t thought highly of him at all. She’d blocked him after leaving Yizi Beauty.

"Yaqian, fancy meeting you here," Li Jingzhong greeted her with a wave, glancing at the open hood of the LingShuai. "Did your car break down? Need any help?"

An alarm went off in Zhang Wensheng’s mind. He felt a strong sense of danger. "We already called a mechanic. They should be here soon."

From this man’s gaze, he could tell he was interested in Zhao Yaqian.

"This LingShuai must be over ten years old; it’s bound to have issues. You don’t all have to wait here. It’s not safe on the roadside at night. How about I give you a lift instead?" Li Jingzhong suggested with a smile, looking at the three girls.

Jiang Zimu nudged Yaqian, whispering, "Who’s this dashing uncle? A friend of yours?"

Li Yuanyuan's eyes widened, curious, "Why didn’t you mention this friend before?"

He had a polite and refined demeanor, speaking warmly, and combined with his mature charm and luxury car, he made quite a good impression.

Zhang Wensheng bit his lip, glancing at Li Jingzhong and the Mercedes E300, feeling an intense sense of inadequacy and frustration.

Frowning, Zhao Yaqian replied curtly, "We’re fine waiting here. No need to trouble you."

Li Jingzhong chuckled, "No trouble at all. We’re all friends here."

"We’re not friends!" Unable to hold it in, Zhao Yaqian shouted, "Can you stop bothering me, you ahole?"

The sudden outburst left everyone around stunned into silence.

"You…" Li Jingzhong’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "Fine, Zhao Yaqian. People like you who don’t know how to seize opportunities will end up regretting it."

Zhang Wensheng snapped to attention, quickly stepping between them, meeting Li Jingzhong’s gaze.

Li Jingzhong sneered, about to say something

when bright headlights swept over them, accompanied by the sound of tires screeching to a stop.

A silver Mercedes S-Class smoothly parked nearby, its elegant frame gleaming under the streetlights.

The door opened, and a tall, striking figure stepped out. His light-blue casual shirt billowed gently in the evening breeze, hinting at his well-toned physique.

Bang! The door closed, and Tang Song walked over to Li Jingzhong, meeting his gaze calmly.

"Are you here harassing my girlfriend again?" he asked, his voice cool and even.