With a sharp screech from the tyres, the Panamera drifted into the garage, leaving a dark tyre mark on the ground.
"I really didn't expect you to be able to drift!" Chen Guo said, still shaken. If it weren't for the tightly fastened seatbelt, she might have been thrown out.
"Sorry, sorry, I just got a bit carried away," Liu Hao laughed. Ever since he mastered god-level driving skills and bought this sports car, he hadn't driven it much, let alone had the chance to drift. He couldn't resist trying it out today, and it was pretty thrilling.
After a few deep breaths, Chen Guo's rapidly beating heart finally calmed down. It was exhilarating, so exhilarating. It was her first time drifting, and the thirty-some kilometres from Xingxin Internet Café to the aquarium took Liu Hao only about ten minutes to cover.
The adrenaline rush made her face flush red and her eyes wide open, mixed with lingering fear and excitement. Seeing Chen Guo's expression, Liu Hao couldn't help but tease, "First time drifting? How did it feel?"
"Not bad," Chen Guo replied. "Ever since I dropped out of college, I've been managing Xingxin Internet Café. This is the first time I've done something so thrilling. It's much more exciting than water jet skiing."
"Want to do it again?" Liu Hao asked.
Without hesitation, Chen Guo nodded, "Of course!"
Liu Hao smiled, "Next time, we have a day off. I want to enter a rally race, and I might invite you to be my co-driver."
"It's a deal," Chen Guo said excitedly. She didn't know what a rally race was or what a co-driver did, but she knew she could ride shotgun with Liu Hao and watch him drift again.
They got out of the car, and by now, a crowd of tourists had gathered around. They weren't admiring the Panamera as other vehicles were far more luxurious than the ones we were around. They were amazed by the driver's skills.
Hearing the engine roar from afar, they had seen the Panamera drift into the bend and slide into the garage. There were plenty of second-generation rich kids driving luxury cars in H City, but skilled racers were rare.
Good girls always liked this kind of wild charm. Chen Guo almost got lost in it, and many other girls showed longing expressions.
Liu Hao locked the car and was about to lead Chen Guo through the crowd when a goated man approached, smiling and handing him a business card.
"Young man, I'm Chen, the manager of the Lian Racing Team. Are you interested in becoming a professional driver?"
Liu Hao wasn't interested but still took the card, saying, "Sorry, today is my day off. I'm here on a date."
Manager Chen was momentarily stunned. Looking at the blushing Chen Guo and the masked Liu Hao, he quickly made way but reminded, "Young man, give me a call when you have time. I think you have great potential to be a professional driver."
Liu Hao, holding Chen Guo's hand, squeezed out of the crowd. It was Saturday, and the aquarium was quite crowded, mostly with hand-holding couples.
"Why is your face so red?" Liu Hao asked, looking at Chen Guo suspiciously.
"Is it? Maybe it was too thrilling just now. I haven't calmed down yet," Chen Guo stammered, her gaze fixed on Liu Hao's hand, which was holding hers.
Liu Hao actually knew what was going on but pretended not to notice. "Let's go in."
Chen Guo softly replied, "Mm," letting Liu Hao lead her into the aquarium.
Inside the aquarium, through the transparent glass windows, various fish swam gracefully in the clear water, occasionally passing by small water plants. Girls would exclaim, "So cute!" or "So beautiful!" and take out their phones for photos. Boys, uninterested in the fish, felt they looked better in the pot. They took pictures of their girlfriends but kept sneaking glances at the voluptuous mermaid teasing the kids nearby.
Liu Hao also glanced occasionally, driven by male instincts. But Chen Guo didn't notice; she just blushed, staring at the gaps in the tiles.
"Don't you want to take pictures? Post something on WeChat," Liu Hao asked.
"No, it's fine. Just looking is good. I don't have many friends on WeChat. It'd be awkward if no one liked my posts," Chen Guo laughed. In truth, she didn't want to let go of Liu Hao's hand. If she let go now, she might not get another chance to hold it again.
Liu Hao didn't guess her honest thoughts and assumed she genuinely didn't like taking pictures. He continued leading her around the aquarium.
"Liu Hao," Chen Guo whispered, afraid others might hear, "Is this your first time at an aquarium?"
"No, second time," Liu Hao replied.
Chen Guo felt a bit disappointed but still smiled, "Who was the pretty girl you came with last time?"
Liu Hao sensed a bit of jealousy and laughed, "Last time, I came with my mom. She was twenty-eight then, still a pretty girl."
Chen Guo, realising her misunderstanding, felt embarrassed.
"But today is my first time really looking at the fish!" Liu Hao smiled.
"Really?" Chen Guo asked, puzzled. "Didn't you see the fish last time?"
"The first time was pretty embarrassing," Liu Hao scratched his head.
Chen Guo was intrigued, "What happened?"
"I was very young then. As soon as we entered the aquarium, I saw a giant green turtle. Have you seen the cartoon 'The Adventures of Little Carp'? It looked like the turtle in that. But... I was scared to tears and refused to go any further..."
Chen Guo burst into laughter, "Haha, you were afraid of a turtle?!"
"Hey, turtles can be scary!" Liu Hao protested.
"How? Do they move like rabbits or eat raw meat?" Chen Guo couldn't stop laughing.
Liu Hao tried to argue for various reasons but couldn't win against Chen Guo's repeated mention of his fear of the green turtle.
The atmosphere was harmonious. They joked and laughed, appearing as a loving couple to onlookers. Chen Guo even let go of Liu Hao's hand to allow him to take many photos, which she posted on her social media. One of her friends studying piano abroad liked it immediately.
After seeing the fish, they watched a capybara show and stayed for the fireworks display at night.
Staying late, Liu Hao took Chen Guo to see a movie recommended by Su Mucheng. Thanks to Su Mucheng's advice, he drank a cup of coffee beforehand to stay awake, while Chen Guo cried during the movie, leaning on his shoulder and nibbling on popcorn like a hamster.
…
After the movie, Liu Hao and Chen Guo found a place to eat, and by the time they finished, it was nearly midnight.
"Today was fun, but time passed so quickly..." Chen Guo suddenly said.
"Do you need me to take you back?" Liu Hao smiled.
Chen Guo glared at Liu Hao, thinking, "What a naive guy. At 21, after a date, you suggest taking the girl back?"
"Xingxin locks up at night. I can't go back..." Chen Guo said softly.
Liu Hao suddenly realised what she meant and thought, "She wants to spend the night together, huh? This is like a dormitory locking up at night. If you have a student ID, won't the dorm supervisor let you in? The school is responsible if students get into trouble outside."
But Liu Hao pretended not to get it, feigning confusion, "Aren't you the owner of Xingxin? Do you have the keys? Besides, isn't Xingxin Internet Café open 24 hours?"
Chen Guo clenched her fists in frustration but said, "Really? I forgot. Then take me back."
Liu Hao leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I meant... let's go to your place..."
Author Notes:
Chen Guo is different from the female lead!!!
Su Mucheng isn't the female lead either!!!
Ye Qiu is the female lead!!!
All the flirting is for the plot!!!
If Liu Hao doesn't connect with Chen Guo, how will he mess with Ye Qiu after he joins Xingxin? How will he have a love-hate relationship with Ye Qiu?!! (Lmao)
(End of Chapter)
Chapters 83-87 are up on my Patreon. Chapter 67 is free on my Patreon.