Chapter Sixty-Two: Where Are We Going Tonight
Xin Gan couldn’t help but wonder if this race was being held because of her. If it really was, did that mean Cheng Jiu had found something out? Who had initiated this competition, after all?
Her heart pounded anxiously as she sat there, restless and uneasy, with no idea what the night would bring.
Cheng Jiu and He Chuan were talking about something. Sitting in the car, Xin Gan couldn’t hear them. After a moment’s hesitation, she opened the door and stepped out.
Cheng Jiu glanced her way.
He Chuan followed his gaze, then rubbed his nose and asked, “Are you going to explain things to her?”
“No need,” Cheng Jiu replied.
“You brought her here but don’t plan to say anything? What if she gets scared?”
Cheng Jiu lit another cigarette, exhaled slowly, and didn’t answer.
He Chuan shrugged, “Well, it’s your business. If you don’t want to explain, I have no objection.”
Cheng Jiu grunted his agreement.
He Chuan checked the time on his phone. “Let’s get ready to start.”
“Let’s begin,” Cheng Jiu said.
Suddenly, He Cheng stepped out of his car and came over. He spotted Xin Gan standing not far away and frowned, but didn’t approach her. Instead, he went straight to Cheng Jiu and said, “Let’s add a condition—let’s switch cars.”
“Switch cars?” He Chuan raised an eyebrow. “You mean Cheng Jiu drives yours and you drive his?”
“What, are you afraid?” He Cheng openly provoked Cheng Jiu, ignoring He Chuan’s question.
Cheng Jiu looked him up and down, a trace of a smile on his lips. “If you’re fine with it, I’m fine with it.”
He Chuan objected, “No, that’s not happening. He Cheng, I never agreed to a car swap.”
“Fine, then I want Xin Gan to ride in my car.”
Cheng Jiu’s mouth twisted into a cold, mocking smile. “You think you’re worthy?”
He Cheng sneered, “What’s wrong, Cheng Jiu, are you scared? He Chuan, you’re close with Cheng Jiu. How can I trust you two? If you collude and plot against me, wouldn’t I be at a loss? Let Xin Gan ride in my car to ensure a fair race. With her there, you wouldn’t dare play tricks.”
He Chuan laughed, “He Cheng, are you out of your mind? Why would I bother scheming against you? You’re the one who suggested this race, and now you want to change the rules at the last minute?”
He Cheng clenched his fists. “It’s fine if you don’t agree. Let Xin Gan choose for herself.”
Cheng Jiu finished his cigarette and flicked the butt away. “You don’t need to worry about any tricks. I’m not the type to play dirty. If you’re a man, face the race head-on, win or lose on your own merit. No need to drag a woman into this.”
He Cheng replied, “I don’t trust you two. I only trust myself. Or is it that you’re scared because you really did something to the car?”
He Chuan snorted dismissively.
He Cheng turned to him, “I’ve raced abroad before. The cars are supplied by you, He Chuan, and you’ve never liked me. If you tampered with the car, I wouldn’t know. Why are you so afraid to let Xin Gan ride with me? Doesn’t that prove you have something to hide?”
Cheng Jiu gave him a glance. “You’re good at making baseless accusations, but I don’t agree.”
“Then let Xin Gan decide. She’s right there.”
Xin Gan was indeed present and had overheard their conversation but said nothing. When He Cheng met her gaze, he approached and asked, “Whose car do you want to ride in? You choose.”
Cheng Jiu and He Chuan exchanged looks but stayed silent.
He Cheng persisted, but Xin Gan, after a moment’s thought, looked him straight in the eye without flinching. “I don’t know what you’re planning, and I don’t want to be involved.”
Her refusal was swift and decisive, her tone unwavering.
He Cheng laughed, “Xin Xin, you weren’t like this before.”
“What’s past is past,” she said flatly.
Clearly, Xin Gan had no intention of getting involved. She’d only just learned about the race between Cheng Jiu and He Cheng after arriving. It was so late, and the route was a mountain road—if anything happened, no one could bear the responsibility. She didn’t want to take risks or see them race at all.
She stepped in front of Cheng Jiu and said, enunciating each word, “If you’d told me earlier, I wouldn’t have come out tonight. Cheng Jiu, I don’t want to play your games.”
She was angry now; her tone had changed.
The mountain wind was fierce at night. Xin Gan wore a dress, and the exposed skin broke out in goosebumps from the cold. She shivered, her gaze fixed on him.
Cheng Jiu’s eyes darkened. He hadn’t expected her to be angry; he stared at her for three seconds, lost in thought.
Xin Gan continued, “If you want to race, go ahead. Just don’t drag me into it—I don’t want to watch.”
Suddenly, Cheng Jiu grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, lowering his voice. “You’re right, I should have told you. Fine, you don’t need to watch. He Chuan, take Xin Gan home.”
He Chuan made no move.
He Cheng, however, stared at Cheng Jiu’s hand gripping Xin Gan, his jaw clenched and his face twisted with anger.
Xin Gan felt a wave of panic. Furious and anxious, she cried, “Are you not afraid of dying, racing on a road like this?”
Cheng Jiu replied softly, “Nothing will happen.”
He didn’t realize her agitation had a deeper cause, thinking only that she was scared, so he tried to soothe her.
But Xin Gan felt no comfort; her agitation only grew. “Cheng Jiu, don’t mess around with He Cheng!”
Cheng Jiu gave a hoarse laugh, “Are you worried about me, or about him?”
Xin Gan was momentarily speechless.
How was she supposed to answer that?
She was worried about Cheng Jiu. What if something happened to him? As for He Cheng, she wasn’t concerned—she simply didn’t want Cheng Jiu to take risks.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
He Chuan, overhearing, smiled with meaning. “Miss Xin, don’t worry. None of us are children anymore—we’re responsible for our actions.”
He Cheng kept his emotions hidden, holding back. He was determined to have Xin Gan in his car; it was the only way he’d feel secure. He didn’t trust He Chuan, who provided the cars, nor did he trust Cheng Jiu not to cheat. He trusted only himself.
“If Xin Gan doesn’t ride in my car for this race, it means you’ve lost,” He Cheng declared.
Xin Gan suddenly asked, “He Cheng, do you want me in your car that badly?”
“It’s the only way to make sure they haven’t tampered with my car. Xin Xin, I’m sorry to put you through this, but if you dare ride with me, it means they can’t cheat to win. Only then is the race fair.”
“Fine, as you wish,” Xin Gan replied calmly. “If you insist on racing, do as you please.” She didn’t try to stop them anymore; there was no point.
Only Cheng Jiu knew she got carsick. He naturally objected, but seeing her firm resolve, he had no room to argue.
He Cheng gave Cheng Jiu a contemptuous smile. “If you’re ready, let’s not waste any more time.”
Xin Gan got straight into He Cheng’s car, fastening her seatbelt in silence and staring ahead.
He Cheng got in too, buckled up, and said, “You got in my car after all.”
Xin Gan bit her lip and turned away, refusing to look at him.
“If you’re scared later, just call out,” he said.
She made no reply.
Cheng Jiu also got into his car. He Chuan, beside him, commented, “He Cheng is really disgusting, playing these underhanded games. But why did Xin Gan suddenly get angry? It seems she’s upset with you.”
Cheng Jiu responded coldly, not understanding the shift in Xin Gan’s mood.
He Cheng’s car pulled up. The two vehicles lined up, engines roaring into the night.
From Cheng Jiu’s position, he couldn’t see Xin Gan, nor did he try. He steeled himself, focusing entirely on the race.
A girl in a short, flashy skirt stood between the cars holding a flag. As she raised and swung the flag, both cars shot forward at full throttle.
They soon disappeared around the first bend. The mountain road was pitch dark without streetlights. Unfamiliar drivers would find it treacherous—racing here was extremely dangerous.
But all racing carried risks.
If things went wrong, lives could be lost.
He Chuan sighed and looked up at the night sky.
...
Cheng Jiu’s and He Cheng’s cars were neck and neck in speed. Cheng Jiu hesitated; Xin Gan was in He Cheng’s car. He worried she’d be frightened or carsick—she always got carsick back on Beiyu Island. At these speeds, she’d surely struggle.
He Cheng knew this, and used it to his advantage, trying to unnerve Cheng Jiu and throw him off his game.
The cars flew along. Xin Gan soon felt dizzy, as if her body was weightless. At first, she managed, but after a while, nausea and a pounding headache set in.
He Cheng, fixated on beating Cheng Jiu, asked, “How far have you and Cheng Jiu gotten?”
Xin Gan didn’t want to answer and barely heard him.
They were to circle the mountain and return to the starting point; whoever arrived first would win—a straightforward test of skill.
He Cheng, a seasoned racer, wanted to defeat Cheng Jiu at his own game, to humiliate him in front of Xin Gan, and spread word of his victory. He didn’t care about the prize; making Cheng Jiu miserable was reward enough. That was why he insisted on Xin Gan riding with him.
Xin Gan had no time to think about anything else. She felt awful, her limbs cold, eyes shut tight, clutching her seatbelt. Memories of watching He Cheng’s races flashed through her mind.
Before their falling out, she’d accompanied him to several races, witnessed his victories, and learned a bit about racing’s dangers.
Every year, countless racers died on the track.
She’d witnessed it once—the driver died on the spot, his family inconsolable with grief.
Since then, she’d grown terrified, detesting racing all the more.
She thought anyone who risked their life for such a dangerous sport must be mad. For victory, they gambled with their lives—no one could guarantee safety.
A few more bends, and He Cheng showed no sign of slowing. If anything, he went faster. Xin Gan was at her limit, face pale as paper.
He Cheng didn’t care. He only wanted to win.
Cheng Jiu’s car stayed close behind, keeping a steady pace. He Cheng glanced in the rearview mirror, cursed, and pressed harder on the gas.
Cheng Jiu noticed He Cheng accelerating again but didn’t blindly follow suit. If he remembered correctly, a narrow, dangerous bend lay ahead—a cliff edge. Without proper speed control, a car could easily go over.
He Cheng was reckless, caring nothing for his own life or Xin Gan’s.
Cheng Jiu, however, couldn’t take the same risks. Speeding up or slowing down would both be dangerous—a true dilemma.
He Cheng knew the bend was coming and realized he had to control his speed.
...
Meanwhile, He Chuan answered a call from Cheng Hui.
“Is my brother with you? Why isn’t he home yet?” she chirped.
“How do you know he’s with me?”
“Just a feeling. You two are always up to something,” Cheng Hui said, munching on chips in her room. “Put my brother on. He won’t answer my calls.”
“He’s busy. What’s up?”
“I have something to tell him, but it’s a secret. Put him on.”
“He can’t talk now. He’ll call you later.”
“What’s he doing that he can’t pick up? I’m his sister. And what’s that engine noise? It’s so loud I can hear it here.”
He Chuan squinted, spotting headlights in the distance—his nerves tensed. Whose car was it?
Others nearby speculated about who would arrive first.
“I have to go now. I’ll call you back,” He Chuan said.
“Hey, wait—hello?”
...
As they neared the final bend, He Cheng deliberately avoided the brakes, aiming for a slick drift. He checked the rearview mirror—Cheng Jiu’s car was out of sight.
Xin Gan could barely speak.
He Cheng slowed, confident. “Cheng Jiu is going to lose.”
He adjusted his speed again.
Xin Gan gritted her teeth in silence.
“Xin Xin, I apologize for my past actions. I was wrong. Please forgive me. Don’t be with him—he’s not worthy.”
She couldn’t bear it anymore. “He Cheng, save your breath. My feelings haven’t changed.”
He Cheng looked at her, then away, unwilling to give up. “What about Cheng Jiu? Do you love him?”
She paused. “That’s none of your business.”
“So you really care about him?”
Xin Gan neither confirmed nor denied it, feeling there was nothing more to say to He Cheng.
“Seems you don’t know—you’re mistaken this time too.”
Xin Gan said, “I think you’re pathetic. Clinging desperately to someone who doesn’t care about you—it’s both pitiful and despicable.”
He Cheng’s face contorted with pain. “So what? I’ve won.”
Xin Gan glanced in the rearview mirror and thought she saw headlights approaching.
...
He Chuan hung up the phone. He appeared calm, but inside he was anxious, constantly checking his phone and watching the road. The distant lights grew clearer, eventually splitting into two beams that drew everyone’s attention.
As the car drew near, He Chuan recognized it—it was Cheng Jiu’s.
Another car followed, but it was Cheng Jiu who reached the starting line first. The other car arrived a moment later.
Cheng Jiu had won.
As his car stopped, He Chuan hurried over. But before he could reach them, he saw He Cheng’s car, instead of stopping, speed past and head in the opposite direction—back up the mountain road.
It was obvious—He Cheng had tricked them. He was taking off with Xin Gan.
“That bastard,” He Chuan cursed, quickly dialing He Cheng’s number.
Cheng Jiu realized something was wrong, started his engine, and took off in pursuit.
He Chuan raced to his own car and followed.
...
Xin Gan was at the breaking point. Clutching her mouth, she pleaded, “He Cheng, stop the car! Pull over!”
He Cheng ignored her, laughing coldly. “Did you really think I was racing Cheng Jiu? How naïve. They’re all fools—played right into my hands.”
Xin Gan, furious and nauseous, tears streaming down her face, asked, “What do you want?”
He Cheng bared his teeth in a twisted grin. “What do I want? You tell me, Xin Gan.”
“If Cheng Jiu really has what it takes, let him catch up. But you’re in my car—what can he do? What can anyone do?” he sneered.
Her stomach churned violently, bile rising in her throat. She bit her bloodless lips until tears fell. She was terrified, afraid He Cheng would drive off a cliff and kill them both.
Of course she was scared—who wouldn’t be?
At that moment, she said, “You’re insane—a monster.”
“I admit it,” He Cheng replied.
He drove along a narrow mountain path, avoiding the main road where they might be caught. No one could stop him now.
If Xin Gan didn’t want him, he’d drag her to hell with him. If he couldn’t have her, no one could.
...
Cheng Jiu caught up, heart pounding as he accelerated, cursing himself for letting Xin Gan get in He Cheng’s car in the first place.
If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive He Cheng—or himself.
He Cheng’s phone rang constantly. He glanced at the screen—He Chuan. With a sneer, he finally answered.
“Pull over. Right now,” He Chuan ordered.
“You think I’ll just do what you say?”
“He Cheng, for the sake of our family, bring her back.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” He Chuan’s tone hardened. As children, He Cheng had feared him somewhat, but as adults, He Cheng had become reckless, emboldened by their mother’s constant indulgence.
He Cheng chuckled. “Brother, it’s dangerous to talk while driving. I’m hanging up—bye.”
He tossed the phone out the window.
He had truly lost his mind.
Xin Gan hadn’t expected him to become this terrifying. His madness was chilling.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked quietly.
“Somewhere we can talk without interruption,” He Cheng replied.
“About what?” Her voice was weak, breathless.
He Cheng lowered his eyes and fell silent.
Cheng Jiu was closing in. He Cheng saw headlights in the mirror and grew even more agitated, speeding up. But the mountain path was treacherous, and his focus slipped. The car skidded, slamming into a tree and stalling.
The impact threw both occupants forward. He Cheng tried to reverse, but Cheng Jiu caught up, ramming him to block his escape. With a tree in front and Cheng Jiu’s car behind, He Cheng was trapped—no way out.
The mountain road was difficult enough in daylight; now, in the dark, it was near impossible to see.
Cheng Jiu jumped out, rounded the car, and surveyed the scene. Xin Gan had her head bowed, slightly injured. He Cheng refused to open the door, so Cheng Jiu raised his elbow and shattered the window.
He struck hard and precisely, unfazed by the pain.
He Cheng was startled, shards of glass landing on him as he shrank back in panic.
Cheng Jiu wasted no time, opened the door, and dragged He Cheng out, landing a punch square on his face without a word.
He Cheng crumpled to the ground, unable to stand.
Cheng Jiu hurried to the passenger side, opened the door, and leaned in. “Xin Gan? Are you alright? Can you speak?”
Xin Gan, coming to her senses, recognized his voice. She struggled to look up at him.
Cheng Jiu unfastened her seatbelt and lifted her from the car. She was light, almost weightless in his arms.
He carried her to his car. She doubled over, retching dryly, and pushed him away, unable to vomit.
Cheng Jiu fetched a bottle of water, opened it, and handed it to her.
After a while, Xin Gan tried to stand but her legs were weak; she had to steady herself against the car.
She asked, “Where is he?”
“Who?”
“He Cheng.”
“He won’t die.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. She had nothing else to say.
Cheng Jiu nodded. “Are you feeling better?”
“A little.” After such a fright, Xin Gan was limp and drained, all her resistance gone.
Cheng Jiu gently supported her arm. “Rest in the car for a bit.”
She leaned on him, feeling how cold her arm was—chilled from fear.
He Chuan arrived and rushed over. Cheng Jiu said, “He’s yours to deal with. If he’s mentally unstable, send him to an institution—don’t let him out.”
Anyone capable of such behavior was hardly normal. Cheng Jiu was already being lenient by not calling the police; He Cheng’s actions had been serious enough.
He Chuan nodded. “Sorry for scaring her—please apologize for me.”
“It’s fine. I’m taking her away.”
Once Cheng Jiu and Xin Gan had left, He Chuan called home. “Dad, He Cheng’s caused trouble.”
He couldn’t handle it alone; it was time to let the family deal with it, bypassing their overly indulgent mother.
...
Cheng Jiu rolled down the window for fresh air.
On the drive back to the city, he was silent, letting Xin Gan rest.
She was carsick and badly shaken, not physically injured but utterly drained.
After a long while, she asked, “What time is it?”
“Almost midnight.”
“Where’s my phone?” She searched weakly.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already told Aunt Xin you’re with me.”
“Isn’t that even worse?!”
“What could be worse than what happened tonight?”
Xin Gan had no retort. If her family learned what had happened, they’d only worry more. “So, where are we going now?”
“You’ll stay at my place tonight.”