Chapter 1943: To Help or Not to Help

Song Yuan grit her teeth. “I can control it, I definitely can.”

“Then tomorrow when Nan Jiaojiao comes, you’d better at least pretend to be friendly. All the things I taught you when you were little, how did you forget every single one? Based on how you’ve been these last two days, I’d think you injured not your leg but your brain.”

Song Yuan wiped her tears, sniffed. “I get it, I’ll listen to you.”

Mrs. Song lifted a brow. “Ready to eat now?”

Song Yuan nodded. The servants carried the coffee table back, Mrs. Song handed her a bowl of rice and sat beside her, picking dishes for her.

Mist Garden.

By just before ten, everyone had left. Xu Shu was taking Xu Tingting home to do homework; they left the earliest.

Nan Jiaojiao wanted Lu Zhenzhen to stay over; she refused. Pei Dongshi happened to be leaving too, but he’d just had a couple of drinks with Elder Jiang and wanted to hitch a ride in Lu Zhenzhen’s car.

She agreed readily. The car drove out through the back gate of Mist Garden when suddenly a blinding white light hit the windshield. Lu Zhenzhen reflexively slammed the brakes, squinting to get used to the glare, then pulled the car to a stop.

A car was parked right in front of the gate, high beams on. Behind the blazing lights, the man in the driver’s seat was staring coldly at her. His window was down, and the hand hanging on the edge of the window was holding a cigarette.

It was Gao Zhe.

Lu Zhenzhen’s brows knitted tight. She flipped on her own high beams and turned the wheel, intending to go around from the side.

Gao Zhe’s hand with the cigarette moved to the steering wheel, and he lurched the car forward, blocking her way.

Lu Zhenzhen backed up, and once she’d made enough space to go around from the other side, Gao Zhe blocked that too. Whichever way she turned the car, Gao Zhe blocked that way, until she didn’t even have enough room to reverse; one more move and she’d hit the gate. Pei Dongshi reached over to grab the steering wheel. “Okay, stop moving.”

Lu Zhenzhen’s expression was ugly. She let out a long breath. “Sorry, you drive my car. Give it back whenever.”

Pei Dongshi answered, “Much appreciated.”

Lu Zhenzhen unbuckled her seat belt. Her car was an SUV, the tires nearly half as tall as she was. She just jumped straight down.

Pei Dongshi got out from the other side and happened to catch the scene. His foot moved forward, then he pulled back. He didn’t dare look toward the two blinding headlights across from them, and muttered, “Take it easy, will you? If you get hurt, am I supposed to help you or not?”

He was more conflicted than someone on a city street being framed for a fake accident.

Lu Zhenzhen honestly didn’t get it. “What’s the big deal about helping?”

“Nothing much—just deadly,” Pei Dongshi flicked his eyes sideways toward a certain spot, then laughed. “I don’t want to get stared down by a certain walking vat of vinegar. I just want a few peaceful days. If I accidentally help you up, I’m afraid I’ll get a beating.”

“Are all of you that scared of him?”

Pei Dongshi nodded solemnly. “Yeah.”

He saw Lu Zhenzhen still standing by the driver’s side door. “You go first? Or you move aside first. Standing here I feel like some eagle eye is about to swoop down and grab me. Doesn’t feel safe. I want to hide back in the car.”

Lu Zhenzhen walked toward the other car. Pei Dongshi waited until she was almost at the front of it before getting into the driver’s seat and closing the door.

Across the way, just as Lu Zhenzhen’s hand closed over the door handle, Gao Zhe suddenly backed up. She grabbed at air, left standing there with her mind blank for a second.

The space he left was just enough for Pei Dongshi to drive the car out.

“Why are you still standing there? Get in the car.”

The tone in Gao Zhe’s voice rubbed Lu Zhenzhen the wrong way the instant she heard it. She folded her arms, lifted her chin slightly, and looked down at him from above with a contemptuous, imperious gaze. “Who are you talking to?”