Chapter 37: Retreat While There Is Still Time

On the mountain track, the racing cars roared as they sped away from the starting line. Simultaneously, Xie Bo’s phone rang. The caller ID displayed: Chi Xiyu.

Without a second thought, he hit the mute button.

He disliked answering her calls, just as he disliked dining with her. It was excruciatingly dull. It wasn't exactly hatred, because hate, like love, requires an investment of emotion. Xie Bo couldn't be bothered to waste even a shred of such feeling on Chi Xiyu; he felt nothing, absolutely nothing, toward her. Their conversations were eternally monotonous, and Xie Bo could never summon the slightest interest in learning about her teenage life or her feigned, rich inner world.

Yet, Xie Bo didn't suffer from needless anxiety about what kind of dull, flavorless life he might lead if they were to marry. If not Chi Xiyu, it would be someone else; Xie Sizhuo would select a fiancée who served the interests of the Xie Group.

Xie Bo’s thoughts drifted to Lin Yiwei. During the time they had been apart, the slightest frustration would make him think of her. She hadn't been keen on replying to messages either; in the past, sending her a text was akin to dropping a stone into the ocean. Recently, however, she had become willing to respond. Sometimes she would reply instantly, even sending voice messages. Xie Bo never sent voice notes, yet he would bicker with this chattering little parrot over the phone, trading pointless barbs like, "Are you a pig?" and "You’re the pig."

He never felt bored, though. He maintained an incredible passion for her; he was enthralled by any response she gave. Unfortunately, just as her responses began to increase, he had been the one to initiate the breakup. If his future wife wasn't the person he wanted to bicker with, it made no difference who else it was.

When you don't speak the same language, even half a sentence is too much.

God knows, just thinking of her—at this tense moment with victory hanging in the balance, with his adrenaline surging—he had "petrified" again. The girl who made him loathe pomegranates. He wanted to pin her against a wall and take her fiercely.

A violent collision sent the entire car screaming as it slammed into the mountain road guardrail, nearly crumpling the frame as metal sparked against metal. Xie Bo gripped the steering wheel tight, glancing at his left rearview mirror. A white race car, spinning out of control, had forced him off the track.

It was a car from Chi Xicheng’s team, the trademark "W" of West looking like the manic grin of a crazed clown. He looked at the man in the car, helmeted and fully suited. No doubt this was a suicidal pawn sent by Chi Xicheng to complete a well-paid "mission"—to teach Xie Bo a lesson.

A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Xie Bo’s mouth. He slammed on the brakes, and the white "W" car, caught by its own momentum, was left far behind. The next second, Xie Bo switched his car to manual, shifted the gear to SL mode, and floored the gas.

Any racer knows the danger of an extreme overtake on a curve. The man in the white "W" car was stunned for a heartbeat by this maneuver. Xie Bo would never fall into the same trap twice; Chi Xicheng was repeating his old tricks, completely unoriginal—even a pig wouldn't be as brainless as him.

The two cars nearly grazed, sparks flying from the chassis. The white car, expecting a counter-attack, jerked its steering wheel hard and slammed into the inner guardrail, triggering the safety mechanism and forcing the engine to stall. Through his window, Xie Bo’s dark eyes held a look of contemptuous mockery. He raised his hand toward the man in the other car, his fingers flicking in a gesture of greeting, signaling through him to Chi Xicheng, who was watching from the live surveillance cameras.

With a thunderous roar, his car sped off, kicking up clouds of dust. He drove away arrogantly.

He bet Chi Xicheng would have to buy a new phone again.

...

Lin Yiwei never expected that Chu Ang would take her to the plaza at the foot of the mountain road to watch a race. When they were drinking milk tea together, Chu Ang said he would take her somewhere fun, and Lin Yiwei agreed without much thought. Now, the two of them stood in the bustling mountain racing plaza, holding their unfinished cups of milk tea.

On weekends, there were always exciting races here. Several teams competed, all eager to win more honors and awards to enrich their collections. It wasn't Lin Yiwei’s first time here; she was used to the crowds and the noise. Trendy men and women dressed in the jerseys of their favorite teams, or with English letters painted on their faces to show their allegiance. Drones tracked the highlights of the race, projecting live footage onto the massive LED screen by the roadside.

Lin Yiwei recognized Xie Bo’s modified, pure black supercar. He had joked more than once that it was his real "girlfriend," because it fought alongside him and was absolutely obedient to him. When she saw Xie Bo’s "girlfriend" brand black modified supercar being rammed toward the guardrail by the white car sprayed with a large "W," she instinctively covered her chest, her heart suspending in mid-air.

Others only thought it was a series of technical errors by the West team driver that nearly sent Xie Bo’s car over the railing. But Lin Yiwei instinctively felt this was Chi Xicheng’s revenge. The race allowed for all kinds of accidents, and Chi Xicheng was known for these dirty tactics. Wasn't it the same last time, which led to a car accident that kept him in the hospital for days?

Fortunately, Xie Bo was on guard this time. With his superior control and familiarity with the road he had driven a thousand times, he dodged the impact with agility and grace. A close call.

Lin Yiwei moved her hand from her chest, only then realizing her palms were slightly sweaty.

Chu Ang’s mind wasn't on the race. It was strange; racing was the sport he was most passionate about, and the race tonight was spectacular, yet his gaze was entirely captivated by the girl in the white dress beside him. Seeing Lin Yiwei staring intently at the LED screen, the usually taciturn Chu Ang was happy to explain:

"The DS club’s name, the full name is Destiny."

"Destiny," Lin Yiwei murmured the word. "Fate."

"Exactly, fate." Seeing her interest, Chu Ang continued, "The name was chosen by Xie Bo. Look, that black supercar is the one he’s driving. He’s the ace pro of their club. If you like this kind of racing, you must have heard his name. He’s very busy and doesn't race much, but whenever he does, the championship is usually his."

For some time now, Lin Yiwei had been in a withdrawal phase. Withdrawing from all the physical and mental pleasure this man had brought her, telling herself that her life was supposed to be rough, hard as the stones on the side of the road. Everything she had experienced while with him was more illusory than the bubbles the Little Mermaid saw when she woke at dawn...

She shouldn't get used to the rainbow bubbles he brought her.

Wake up, Lin Yiwei. In the end, the prince only marries a princess; Cinderella doesn't become a princess just by putting on a glass slipper.

It was all fake.

"I thought you only liked e-sports," Lin Yiwei said with a sweet smile, shifting the topic to Chu Ang. "I didn't expect you to be interested in racing, too."

She actually knew he liked e-sports? Had she secretly looked at his social media?

She... wanted to understand his life?

Chu Ang was a bit excited, his speech starting to stutter. "I do like it—no, I mean, I like both racing and e-sports very much."

"Why?"

"Don't you think these two sports are similar? To some extent, they both make a guy’s blood boil..."

"I have that feeling, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Actually, guys are more into speed and passion. I wanted to join Xie Bo’s Destiny club before, but my dad wouldn't let me. He told me to honestly get into the police academy. My family is also..."

His rambling voice faded into the distance in Lin Yiwei’s ears. Bad girls always have a way of selectively listening; when they don't want to hear something, even if someone speaks right into their ear, they can choose to hear not a single word.

She stared at the screen, watching the cars chasing and competing. Xie Bo had escaped danger, and no other West team driver dared to collide with him again. After that flashy, masterful display, any smart person knew to avoid this guy, or they would only bring danger and destruction upon themselves.

Half an hour later, the black car broke through the finish line, ribbons fluttering in the air. The man stepped out of the car. His pure black racing suit was intricately carved with red patterns, like flames burning in the dark night. He took off his helmet, revealing that face with its sharp, rugged bone structure, and smiled broadly amidst the cheers of the crowd.

He looked wild and unrestrained.

Chi Xiyu walked over, nervously grabbing Xie Bo’s sleeve. "I was worried to death just now! Xie Bo! I was so afraid you’d have an accident!"

Even though the source of the accident was her own brother, Xie Bo still treated her with gentleness, patting her back lightly. "It’s fine, don't worry."

It was as if the man who had looked so annoyed at her phone call moments ago wasn't him.

"You didn't answer my call earlier, I was really so scared..." Chi Xiyu said, on the verge of tears.

"I usually don't answer calls during a race."

"That’s true, I didn't consider that. I won't call you when you’re driving anymore!"

Xie Bo stepped out of the cheering crowd, chatting with those around him, when he inadvertently lifted his gaze and caught sight of Lin Yiwei in the crowd. Chu Ang was standing next to her, holding an identical cup of milk tea. He was tall and sturdy, and she looked like a little bird beside him. She was wearing a white dress; he didn't seem to recall her ever having a dress.

New?

When she saw him, it was always t-shirts and jeans, or hoodies and skinny pants. She had... never dressed so lady-like in front of him.

Xie Bo’s gaze lingered on her, as if he didn't care at all about being discovered... that his eyes were resting on his former lover.

Lin Yiwei, however, broke into a cold sweat under his stare, especially with Chi Xiyu standing right next to him. She quickly said to Chu Ang, "Let’s go."

"So soon?"

"Yeah, I want to go back."

"But I wanted to introduce you to my friends."

"Your friends?"

As they spoke, Xie Bo walked straight toward them. "Here for the fun?"

This question wasn't directed at Lin Yiwei.

"Yeah," Chu Ang smiled at him. "Weren't you racing today? I brought a friend to watch. Your performance was amazing, especially the overtake on the curve; my heart was in my throat."

Xie Bo’s eyes narrowed, sweeping over to Lin Yiwei. "Is this... your girlfriend?"

"Ah, no." Chu Ang waved his hands quickly. "Not—not yet, just a friend."

The "not yet" made Xie Bo’s eyes turn sharp and biting as he looked at her.

"Isn't that a coincidence?" Chi Xiyu walked over. "Chu Ang, this friend of yours is also my best friend. Isn't Qinggang City small?"

"Really? You know each other?" Chu Ang asked Lin Yiwei in surprise.

"I know Xixi," Lin Yiwei said cautiously. "We’re in the same college."

Her gaze never once landed on Xie Bo... as if deliberately avoiding him. She was afraid he would do something she couldn't bear, or say something that would make her heart tremble.

"Only know Xixi?" Xie Bo’s voice was mocking. "You don't know me?"

"I do." She bit her dry lips. "We’re all schoolmates, how could I not know you?"

Xie Bo’s eyes remained locked on her, as if he wanted to pierce through her body, just like he had countless times when he pinned her down.

Chu Ang whispered to Lin Yiwei, "I met Xie Bo playing ball in middle school, and I spent some time racing with him last year, but my dad gave me a hard time about it. Later, I could only watch from the sidelines, but I know a few friends at DS. I often come to watch their races."

Lin Yiwei’s heart grew cold. She thought Chu Ang could help her, but who could have guessed that he was one of their circle—a friend of Xie Bo and Chi Xiyu. The world was truly small, absurd and bizarre.

"It’s a rare coincidence to meet, let’s go hang out together," Chi Xiyu took Lin Yiwei’s arm and lowered her voice. "No refusing. You’re dating and kept it from me? Do you even consider me a friend?"

"It’s not like that, we aren't dating, it’s just..."

"Do you want to come hang out?" Chu Ang asked Lin Yiwei. "It’s still early, and there’s no class tomorrow."

"I guess so."

Lin Yiwei didn't want to be a wet blanket, especially not to Chi Xiyu. In this situation, she had to go whether she wanted to or not.

Chu Ang pushed his motorcycle over, got on, and habitually handed the helmet to Lin Yiwei. She had arrived on his bike, so she took the helmet.

Xie Bo watched them with an expressionless face. Just as Chu Ang was asking where they should meet, Xie Bo said, "Lin Yiwei, get in Li Du’s car. Chu Ang, get in mine."

A simple sentence, arranged clearly. It seemed unreasonable, yet there was no room for refusal. No one dared to contradict Xie Bo.

Lin Yiwei and Chu Ang exchanged a look. Li Du walked over, pulled Lin Yiwei to his car, and said with a smile, "Racing crew, we don't do motorcycles. Those are the rules."

Lin Yiwei was pulled and dragged into the car. Although Chu Ang wanted to be with Lin Yiwei, she was already in Li Du’s car, so he had no choice but to sit in the passenger seat of Xie Bo’s car, looking at Lin Yiwei with worry.

Lin Yiwei was shocked to realize that Xie Bo had arranged for her and Chu Ang, but hadn't arranged for Chi Xiyu! She didn't know if he had forgotten or if it was intentional. Chi Xiyu was left alone, standing awkwardly in place, her hand gripping her bag so tight her knuckles turned white, watching as Chu Ang sat in the seat that should have belonged to her.

"Xixi, let’s go together!" Lin Yiwei invited her quickly.

"No need! Worry about yourself! Stay out of my business!"

Another boy from the DS club invited Chi Xiyu into his car. Chi Xiyu walked over with a composed expression, turning back only to cast a cold, icy glare at Lin Yiwei.

The look was like an ice blade. Lin Yiwei fell into a panic; she knew Chi Xiyu must be seething with rage inside. She had spent so long meticulously planning and maintaining this "friendship," and with one simple sentence from Xie Bo, it had been shattered.

Regardless of whether the innocent Li Du was next to her, she was furious, kicking the car door and grabbing a small ornament, smashing it against the window.

Xie Bo was taking revenge on her! It was deliberate!

Lin Yiwei smashed the window a few more times, her hand going numb with pain. This was the kind of hysterical personality she had; usually suppressed and controlled, she didn't get angry easily, but once she did, it was an uncontrollable, raging fire.

Li Du was startled. "Weiwei, wh-what’s wrong?"

"Are we that close? Why are you calling me Weiwei? Don't I have a name?"

"No... you’re so scary," Li Du said, his glass heart hurting as he complained, "Why are you being so mean to me?"

"Xie Bo is a heartless bastard, and you’re a yes-man to a bastard. Do you expect me to be nice to you?"

Li Du probably realized what was happening belatedly. He didn't say anything, started the engine, and pulled onto the road. Looking at the pitch-black road ahead, after a long silence, once the girl’s anger had subsided slightly, he finally spoke: "He might be a bastard, but he isn't heartless."

Thinking of the scene moments ago, the man smiled. "Can’t you tell? Master Bo is almost crazy with jealousy."

...

In the car, Chu Ang was completely unaware of Xie Bo’s volatile mood. He picked up a pomegranate from the center console next to Xie Bo and said with a smile, "I didn't know you liked pomegranates, having them in the car like this?"

Xie Bo steered with one hand, his gaze fixed straight ahead, not responding. Chu Ang, used to his habit of not talking if he didn't feel like it, lowered his head to message Lin Yiwei. Xie Bo’s gaze swept over his phone screen, and he saw that familiar penguin icon with a stinging sensation. The "ding" of the WeChat notification was sharp, like a blade slicing through flesh.

Xie Bo was jealous—jealous to the point of madness. In these few short minutes, he had repeatedly confirmed one thing: Lin Yiwei was his, and belonged to him alone.

"Have you touched her?" Xie Bo’s first words were an interrogation directed at Chu Ang. "To what extent?"

Chu Ang gave a naive, bright smile. "What are you talking about? We’ve only known each other for two weeks. Do you take me for you?"

It was a joking tone, but Xie Bo couldn't summon even a hint of a smile. Even if he hadn't, his jealousy was like a fire in a furnace, burning dull and violent. Xie Bo had many friends; his life was like a garden in full bloom, lively and vibrant. But those he could truly consider confidants were only two or three, and Chu Ang was one of them.

"Do you like her?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Chu Ang lowered his head, scrolling through her moments, which were limited to six months of visibility but contained few glimpses into her life. "I think she’s a very simple girl who loves life. I have zero resistance to girls like that."

He shared enthusiastically, "The first time I met her, she was feeding a kitten with a sausage in front of a convenience store. The sunlight shone on her, and she looked like a fairy, sparkling. Forgive my poor description, but in that moment, I knew I had fallen in love with her at first sight."

Xie Bo sketched the image in his mind, imagining her leaning over to feed the cat in the sunlight. The jealousy made it almost impossible for him to breathe. He knew all too well what that face, a beauty that could topple kingdoms, would look like in such a scene.

Chu Ang continued, "She gives me the feeling of being hardworking, simple, and beautiful. I want to take good care of her."

Xie Bo sneered, "Are you blind? Can’t you see she’s faking innocence? Can’t you see how calculated she is? The fact that she’s willing to come out and hang out with you clearly means she has an agenda."

"..."

He rarely, rarely made such a mean-spirited comment about a girl. Chu Ang looked at Xie Bo in surprise, but couldn't find a trace of genuine disgust in his eyes... Chu Ang realized it: he and Lin Yiwei were very close. Only those who were close would say such things; if they weren't, there would only be politeness and courtesy, just like how Chu Ang had been with her during this time.

"Xie Bo, why would you say that?"

"I’m advising you as a friend—you can’t play her game, you’d better pull out early."

"Don't tell me you’ve dated her too?" Chu Ang’s heart went cold. "Don't tell me she’s just another one of your flowers and weeds."

The muscles at the corners of Xie Bo’s eyes trembled. After a moment, he murmured two words: "No."

Chu Ang breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear him speak slowly, like the whisper of a demon:

"She is my lover, and we’ve slept together."