Chapter 20: I Can Save You

Chapter 20: I Can Save You

On a star-sparse night, with cicadas chirping across the hills, a white sedan sped along the mountain ring road in the eastern suburbs.

“What’s the rush? We’re already at the Pinshan section,” Yu Ren said lazily as he listened to jazz music playing inside the car, driving while chatting on the phone. “My stomach’s been upset today, honestly, I’m not really in the mood to go… I know there are plenty of girls, when isn’t there? It’s not that interesting. Alright, alright, I’ll be there in about an hour.”

Just as he was about to hang up, he suddenly perked up, eyes wide with surprise. “What?! Louis XIII? From 1974? A rare bottle? Wait for me! Don’t open that bottle without me! I’ll be there in ten minutes!”

Hanging up, Yu Ren gripped the steering wheel tightly, eyes fixed on the road lit by the headlights. He began driving more seriously, pressing the accelerator harder, shifting gears expertly as the car picked up speed.

The mountain ring road was already sparsely trafficked at night, and now it was past two a.m., so the road was clear. Just as Yu Ren began to relax, he suddenly noticed a girl standing in the middle of the road ahead. She wore glossy black leather clothing that shone under the car’s lights. Despite Yu Ren honking repeatedly to warn her, she remained rooted in place.

Yu Ren immediately slowed down sharply and braked hard. After a tense moment, the car finally came to a stop. Sweat poured down his forehead as he looked ahead, but the girl had vanished.

“Could I have run her over? But I didn’t feel a thing,” he muttered, growing increasingly uneasy. At this late hour, who would just stand in the middle of the road? Was she even human?

Just as he was about to drive away quickly, the passenger door suddenly opened.

The disheveled girl, clad in leather, looked exhausted as she climbed into the car and slumped silently against the seat.

Yu Ren wanted to ask if she was a ghost or not but then noticed she looked familiar. “Are you... the girl who kicked me today?”

She turned her head, looking at him with disdain, clearly not recognizing him.

“It’s me! Wait a second.” Yu Ren hurried out of the car, grabbed a camera from the back seat and hung it around his neck, then returned to the driver’s seat. “Remember now? You came out of the bar with a big guy on your back. I wanted to take your picture.”

“Oh.” Roland glanced briefly, vaguely recalling someone like that, but she wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat. “Take me home.”

“Huh? Oh!” Yu Ren started the engine. “I’m headed to the villa district ahead, and it’s hard to find a cab there, so I’ll do a good deed and take you to nearby Tengjia Town.”

“Turn around,” Roland said flatly, her tone as if speaking to her driver.

Yu Ren double-checked, puzzled. Did I know you? Probably not much. Well, considering you just kicked someone without a word, you must be spoiled, temperamental, lacking parental discipline, uncultured. Best not to argue with people like that.

“Look, young lady, here’s the thing—I’m on my way to a party, a very important one. My friends are all waiting for me,” Yu Ren tried to keep his tone calm. “I know maybe something happened to you, but helping you is a favor; not helping you is my duty. Besides, we don’t really know each other, right?”

“Stop the car,” Roland’s voice grew cold.

Yu Ren immediately pulled over, secretly relieved, thinking she was just sulking and wanted to get out. Though leaving her in the wilderness was hardly humane, well, in front of him was Louis XIII—1974 vintage—a once-in-a-lifetime bottle. No matter what, he had to go taste it!

But after she yanked his hair and punched his stomach twice, he no longer cared about that Louis XIII. Clutching his belly in pain, he said, “Turn around! Right now! We have to go home! There’s no time to waste!”

Roland released his hair and sat upright in the passenger seat. “That wine is rare but not unique. I have a bottle at home. If you take me home, I’ll give it to you.”

“Ah... thank you,” Yu Ren said, not really believing her. He turned the wheel, still holding his stomach with one hand. “Why do you keep punching the same spot? I seriously think my stomach is irreparably damaged.”

Roland ignored him.

Seeing her silent, Yu Ren straightened his back and continued, “We martial artists believe in winning hearts with virtue. I’ve practiced Wing Chun—you see, I didn’t hit you. Not only that, I’m taking you home. That’s repaying kindness with kindness. Don’t you get it?”

“Do you have wet wipes?”

“No, men don’t use those,” Yu Ren said as he drove a little further. “There’s bottled water on your right and tissues here. Make do.”

Roland took the tissue Yu Ren handed her, wet it with water, and carefully wiped the dust off her face.

“How did you end up like this? All dirty and dusty? Did you get lost climbing the mountain alone?” Yu Ren’s mouth wouldn’t stop. “Wait, I saw you leave the bar tonight, got into a taxi. How did you end up out here in the eastern suburbs? By the way, who’s that guy to you?”

“Shut up.” Roland tossed the wet tissue onto the window, grabbed a few more tissues, dampened them, and continued wiping her face. As she gazed out the window at the fading Pinshan, she recalled what had just happened in the forest on the mountain.

“I hope you don’t misunderstand. The person we want to kill is Li Mengli,” a mechanical voice spoke through the earpiece. “Ms. Roland, our conversation must end. The earpiece is equipped with a self-destruct system. For your safety, please discard it and keep your distance.”

“That doesn’t make sense. You want to kill Li Mengli and sent assassins, but killing her means killing me. You’re letting such a good chance slip away?” Roland didn’t remove the earpiece but smiled faintly. “I admit you’re mysterious, but your lies are too clumsy. Do you think I’m a three-year-old? Fine, you want the earpiece to self-destruct—then let my head be blown to bits right now.”

A long silence followed, giving Roland some hope that perhaps the forces behind the voice were not invincible.

“You could have ignored me, so you wouldn’t have confirmedI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.