ORCBRB – Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Near the end of November, Sang Shiyue came to see Sang Shi'an. She had thought he was coming to see Jian Cenyu, but unexpectedly, Sang Shiyue had come specifically for her.
His general purpose was that, considering Sang Shi'an didn't like having the driver pick her up to go home every week, he planned to buy her a car he thought was suitable. It would also make getting around more convenient. He even intended to help her pick one out that very night.
“I started driving my own car in my freshman year. You just keep procrastinating and not practicing, making it seem like the family is mistreating you. If you feel you can’t just take the car for free, then come to the company on weekends and help your big brother out. Do you really expect me to support the whole family by myself?”
The two stood on the balcony, Sang Shiyue’s voice carrying a hint of nonchalance as it mixed with the night wind.
Sang Shi'an thought of her clumsy driving test, where she had barely managed not to cross the lines. Although she had her license, she still didn't dare to drive on the road. She was troubled. “You could just give me the cash equivalent. I can just take taxis.”
Sang Shiyue chuckled, bending one leg and leaning back. “Then let’s buy a cheaper one for you to practice with first. You still haven’t answered my second question.”
Sang Shi'an retorted, “I haven’t graduated yet. I’m a child.”
Sang Shiyue said, “Shengyu has interns from your university. Do you want me to give you a list?”
“Didn’t Mom say that company operations have nothing to do with me, and that I’ll be in charge of the investment department and the family office in the future?” Sang Shi'an found another excuse to be lazy. “Besides, my major is in capital operations. If you don’t believe me, you can call—”
“That’s also inseparable from company operations. To take a step back, the operational approvals for the investment department have to go through the family office. This has been the rule since Grandpa’s time to prevent shortages in the company’s cash flow.”
Sang Shiyue looked at Sang Shi'an’s naive face and said helplessly, “What’s with that expression?”
Sang Shi'an paused for a moment, then said with feigned ease, “I think I should be the one in the marriage alliance.”
Sang Shiyue watched her quietly for a moment before taking out a cigarette in front of her. The flame from the lighter flickered as he lit it and took a deep drag.
“Sang Shi'an, at the beginning of the month, you said you weren’t in a relationship. Don’t tell me that in just one short month, some guy has made you want to enter a marriage alliance.”
“I haven’t. Stop looking at my classmates like you’re guarding against wolves.” Sang Shi'an thought to herself, There’s no guy, but I am trying to seduce a woman, and it’s the one you’re supposed to have a marriage alliance with.
Thinking about her recent chats with Jian Cenyu on WeChat, she subconsciously averted her gaze.
In Sang Shiyue’s eyes, this only confirmed that Sang Shi'an was dating some questionable guy.
Sang Shiyue lowered his head and rubbed his brow, which was overly tired from working overtime. “I have no intention of selling my sister. A marriage alliance is not for you to worry about.”
“Brother, why do you have to say it so crudely? What’s this about selling? Does that mean your thing with Cenyu Jiejie is you being sold?” Sang Shi'an steered the conversation toward Jian Cenyu, intending to probe into their interactions these days.
Sang Shiyue was completely uninhibited. “If you want to understand it that way, you can.”
Seeing Sang Shi'an fall silent, Sang Shiyue had no choice but to add, “The pharmaceutical industry has been booming in recent years, and I want a piece of the pie. Coincidentally, Jian Cenyu’s family has a few annoying pests that need to be dealt with. It’s a transaction, and neither side loses out.”
Sang Shi'an asked, “Since it’s mutually beneficial, why do you have to get married?”
“To reduce cooperation risks.” Seeing that Sang Shi'an was thinly dressed, Sang Shiyue extinguished his cigarette and put an arm around her, guiding her back inside. “If you’re interested in the specific risks, come to the company on the weekend, and I’ll explain it to you in detail. I’m heading back now.”
As Sang Shiyue was grabbing his coat, Sang Shi'an called out to him, “Aren’t you going to wait for Cenyu Jiejie? She should be back soon.”
Sang Shiyue pointed at the time on his phone. “It’s not a good time to ask her out. Some other day.”
The main door closed.
Her brother’s last sentence replayed endlessly in Sang Shi'an’s mind.
It sounded like Sang Shiyue wasn’t opposed to it, a completely different attitude from when Sang Shi'an had mentioned other women. So, did Sang Shiyue and Jian Cenyu meet privately or not?
Sang Shi'an’s beautiful brows furrowed tightly, so much so that she didn’t even notice Jian Cenyu coming out of her room.
Only when the footsteps stopped in front of her did Sang Shi'an look up in confusion. “When did you get back?”
“I saw you and your brother were talking about something, so I stayed in my room and didn’t come out.” Jian Cenyu bent down, her gaze level with Sang Shi'an’s. “What did you two talk about that left you so distracted?”
“Nothing important.”
Jian Cenyu hadn’t come out, perhaps to avoid her brother on behalf of Kitty.
It was a good sign.
Sang Shi'an’s attitude toward Jian Cenyu softened considerably. She asked thoughtfully, “Aren’t you tired of standing? Come, have a seat.”
Her joys and sorrows were all written on her face. Her lips, still made up, exuded a decadent red, making her entire face even more radiant. The fine glitter on her eye makeup complemented her smile, as if containing a hint of affection.
Jian Cenyu looked away first and sat down beside Sang Shi'an, asking casually, “Have the rumors about us at school died down recently?”
More than half a month had passed since she and Jian Cenyu started interacting. Logically, Sang Shi'an should have been refreshing the forum posts daily.
But when Jian Cenyu asked her, Sang Shi'an realized with embarrassment that she hadn’t visited the forum in several days.
She was now wholeheartedly focused on managing her Kitty account, with no time for anything else.
Sang Shi'an opened the forum and scanned it briefly. “The initial posts have long since sunk. The remaining new ones are probably from people who are too bored and just looking for a topic to start a thread.”
“Is that so?” Jian Cenyu was very responsible and was about to log into the school forum on the spot. Fortunately, the situation was indeed as Sang Shi'an had described.
Jian Cenyu clicked on one of the posts and scrolled down.
Sang Shi'an suddenly remembered the fanfiction Su Ningyue had shown her last time, which had come from the school forum.
She was instantly on pins and needles, terrified that Jian Cenyu would see an external link to some inappropriate smutty fanfiction.
After about half a minute, Jian Cenyu asked, “Have you ever thought that maybe we should directly clarify our relationship, for example, by posting an announcement on the forum?”
Sang Shi'an was speechless.
Post an announcement on the school forum?
People would laugh them to death, wouldn’t they?
This was a university, where everyone happily spoke their minds. Then suddenly, someone who took things seriously appeared.
She wasn’t some old-fashioned person who had time-traveled from the Qing Dynasty. She had her pride.
Sang Shi'an propped her chin on one hand and teased Jian Cenyu, “Should we also find a lawyer to draft a statement to post on the forum?”
Jian Cenyu said, “That could be considered.”
No matter how Sang Shi'an looked at it, it felt inappropriate. “Those people who were just looking for entertainment have mostly quieted down. If you suddenly post an announcement, it’ll just generate more buzz. Aren’t there just a few scattered posts? Not even one a day.”
Jian Cenyu’s brow furrowed slightly, as if she couldn’t even tolerate that ‘one’.
She directly stated the benefit of a clarification: “If we clarify it directly, it will also protect your reputation and not get in the way of your potential romantic interests.”
Upon hearing the words ‘potential romantic interests,’ Sang Shi'an’s mind was filled with the Kitty persona she was playing. She blurted out almost without thinking, “Is it getting in the way of my romantic interests or yours?”
Her tone was abrupt, immediately drawing a sideways glance from Jian Cenyu.
Sang Shi'an realized she had overreacted and laughed awkwardly. “What romantic interests do I have? If you’re talking about the guys who have confessed to me, you don’t need to pay them any mind. No one has been harassing me with extreme behavior recently, so it’s been quite peaceful.”
She waited a moment, and seeing that Jian Cenyu didn’t speak, she probed, “...We’ve talked about me. What about you?”
Jian Cenyu denied it directly. “I don’t have any.”
Sang Shi'an looked at Jian Cenyu suspiciously for a moment. “Really none?”
Not just Kitty, but also that friend she had mentioned before whom she liked very much. Did they not fall into the category of romantic interests?
Jian Cenyu faced her directly. “What else?”
“Then what about that friend you said you liked very much before?” Unable to ask about Kitty, Sang Shi'an decided to ask about the person from before. “Who introduces a friend by saying they like them very much? Doesn’t that person count as a romantic interest?”
“You remember that so clearly?” Jian Cenyu looked at Sang Shi'an with a faint smile, gradually closing the distance between them. “Whether people think we’re living together or that we’re dating, it won’t affect my relationship with my friend. Don’t overthink it.”
As Jian Cenyu explained, she reached out and gently ruffled Sang Shi'an’s soft, long hair.
Sang Shi'an felt as if a sensitive spot had been touched. She abruptly pulled away, got up without a word, and intended to return to her room.
But she hadn’t put on one of her slippers properly. It slid a long way, and as she stood up, her left foot tripped over her right, sending her stumbling toward the coffee table.
The newly bought champagne roses were in full bloom. Sang Shi'an had no time to shield herself. Just as she was about to fall into them, she was pulled back by an unexpected force.
Then, the soft sofa caught her body. Her long hair blocked her vision, and the fall left her a bit dizzy. At that moment, another hand gently touched her face, brushing her hair aside for her.
Only then did Sang Shi'an realize it wasn’t her hair blocking her view, but another shadow looming over her.
“Are you okay?” Jian Cenyu moved her head, leaning in closer and closer, seemingly checking if she had been injured.
Sang Shi'an trembled unnaturally.
Perhaps it was a side effect of the last two video calls with Jian Cenyu. Now, being this close, Sang Shi'an immediately thought of Jian Cenyu’s forceful and dangerous tone during her video calls with Kitty, and her body instinctively wanted to escape.
As she flinched, Jian Cenyu noticed it too.
Jian Cenyu’s gaze moved from the back of Sang Shi'an’s head downwards, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.
She was just checking for injuries, but those beautiful eyes looked as if they had been taken advantage of. Her long eyelashes fluttered continuously, and a crimson blush bloomed at the corners of her eyes, dotting her fair, porcelain-like skin.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Did you hit yourself somewhere?” But at this moment, Jian Cenyu’s eyes were very calm, with an obvious concern, a complete contrast to how she was during the video calls.
Sang Shi'an stammered as she pushed her away. “I, I…”
Jian Cenyu followed Sang Shi'an’s gaze downward and saw her shirt had ridden up, revealing a strip of pale, taut skin at her waist.
“Did you hurt your waist?”
Jian Cenyu’s hand slid to Sang Shi'an’s lower back, pressing a couple of times in places prone to injury. “Does it hurt?”
“N-no, it doesn’t hurt.” Now, Sang Shi'an’s ears were completely red. “Let go of me. Let me get up.”
“What’s there to hide from? When you pulled a muscle as a child, didn’t you always throw yourself at me? You’d cry until you were out of breath before there was even a bruise.” Jian Cenyu’s voice held a hint of laughter. She straightened up and thoughtfully pulled down Sang Shi'an’s shirt for her.
“Get up and walk around. See if you’ve hurt your foot.”
Sang Shi'an’s mind was filled with the Jian Cenyu from WeChat. Seeing Jian Cenyu act so politely, she found it a bit hard to adjust and stared blankly for a moment.
Only when Jian Cenyu approached again did Sang Shi'an seem to snap out of it and get up.
“Um…” Sang Shi'an pointed to the back of Jian Cenyu’s head, trying to divert her attention. “Your hair is messy.”
Jian Cenyu glanced toward the TV screen, took off her claw clip, gathered the loose strands back into her hand, and deftly tied it up again. She walked back to Sang Shi'an. “Is it sprained?”
Sang Shi'an shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Just as she finished speaking, she took a sharp, quiet breath.
Jian Cenyu noticed and was about to bend down to check. “Where does it hurt?”
But Sang Shi'an took several steps back. “No, no, it doesn’t hurt.”
It was an injury from the leg garter used to secure her cosplay outfit that hadn’t fully healed. It didn’t usually bother her, but just now, to test for a sprain, she had exaggerated her steps a bit, and it had chafed the wound.
Jian Cenyu’s gaze fell on Sang Shi'an’s ankle. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Sang Shi'an said righteously, “I’m really fine. I could go run 800 meters right now.”
Jian Cenyu didn’t ask any more questions.
As she turned away, Sang Shi'an seemed to feel a gaze lingering on her thigh.
She turned her head, only to find Jian Cenyu on her phone.
She must have been overthinking it.
“I’m going back to my room now.”
The next day, Sang Shi'an was somewhat absent-minded after class.
Su Ningyue was already used to her drifting off after class ended, amidst the hustle and bustle of students.
Since Sang Shi'an didn’t bring anything up, she didn’t say much either.
Unexpectedly, during lunch, Sang Shi'an used the excuse of wanting to eat the grilled fish at the East Gate 3 and dragged her away. Their dorm was near the West Gate, and Xu Taotao and Jiang Xinqi had a meeting with their advisor at noon, so they didn’t join them.
After ordering and sitting down, Sang Shi'an proactively poked Su Ningyue and asked in a low voice, “Have you been on the forum recently?”
As a quality content creator who produced new material every week, Su Ningyue remained composed. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“It’s not a big deal.” Sang Shi'an glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, she voiced her dilemma. “Last night, Jian Cenyu suddenly asked about the forum and wanted to post a clarification announcement. I thought that was too formalistic, like using power to suppress people, so I refused.”
“But Jian Cenyu seems really eager to draw a clear line with me. Do you think it’s because of my alternate WeChat account?”
Su Ningyue listened patiently and then asked, “Isn’t that a good thing? Senior Jian cares about her reputation at school, which means she doesn’t want your alternate account to get the wrong idea. She’s starting to take the bait. Slowly, you’ll achieve your goal.”
Sang Shi'an clearly didn’t think so. “But how many years have I known Jian Cenyu? Is she really going to distance herself from me at school so easily for some person of unknown origin?”
Su Ningyue gave her a complicated look for two seconds.
Sang Shi'an poked her. “Say something.”
What could she say? Honey, is this what they call being jealous?
Of yourself?
Of course, Su Ningyue couldn’t say that. If she did, Sang Shi'an would probably kill her.
Su Ningyue could only go along with Sang Shi'an’s train of thought. “You’re right. Senior Jian is being a bit unreasonable. How could she be like one of those love-struck fools who ignores her little sister once she has a partner?”
After saying that, she carefully glanced at Sang Shi'an, and after confirming that Sang Shi'an didn’t reject the term ‘little sister,’ she continued, “But this is also a good sign. Do you remember what I told you at the beginning? People like Senior Jian, who seem so otherworldly, are like an old house on fire once they fall in love—they’ll disown everyone. When the time comes, you can just throw the evidence at your parents, and she might even think she’s fighting against the world for love.”
It had to be said, Su Ningyue had Sang Shi'an’s thoughts completely figured out. As soon as the words left her mouth, Sang Shi'an’s tightly furrowed brow relaxed, and she nodded repeatedly. “You’re right. This is indeed a good sign.”
The owner brought the freshly cooked grilled fish to their table. Su Ningyue picked the fattest piece for Sang Shi'an to stop her from overthinking. “Exactly. Since Senior Jian is already getting hooked, you shouldn’t be so reserved at school either. You and Senior Jian are just friends. The more you deliberately keep your distance, the more excited that crowd on the forum will get. I’ve reminded you so many times, but you never learn.”
“And…” Su Ningyue slowly deployed her most powerful goad, “You don’t want to be looked down upon by Senior Jian, do you?”
Sang Shi'an had just picked up her chopsticks, but upon hearing this, she slammed them back down. “You’re right. I can’t let Jian Cenyu look down on me.”
“That’s more like it. Then, when you go to expose the fact that Jian Cenyu has a partner, the closer you are to her now, the more miserably she’ll be condemned for two-timing then. Won’t the title of campus belle be yours again next semester?”
Sang Shi'an was incredibly tempted, forcefully suppressing the corners of her upturning lips. “I’m not that vain…” she trailed off.
Having placated Sang Shi'an, Su Ningyue happily enjoyed her lunch. She wasn’t worried that Sang Shi'an would actually ruin Jian Cenyu’s reputation in the end.
After all, at this rate, if Jian Cenyu were to be slandered, Sang Shi'an would probably be more anxious than Jian Cenyu herself.
For the next two days, Sang Shi'an followed the advice of her strategist, Su Ningyue, and sent Jian Cenyu ‘good morning’ messages daily from her Kitty account.
She planned to keep Jian Cenyu in suspense for a few days, so she used the excuse of having to study for midterm final exams, claiming she was pulling all-nighters to review.
At school, Sang Shi'an also began to proactively ask Jian Cenyu to eat alone with her, even thoughtfully getting Jian Cenyu’s food for her. Su Ningyue, watching from a distance, secretly gave her a thumbs-up.
After spending two days together, Sang Shi'an found that as long as she remembered that Jian Cenyu had Kitty in her heart, being friends with her wasn’t so difficult. She even went for a walk around campus with Jian Cenyu after their meal.
As they crossed the sports field, a soccer ball rolled toward them from a distance. Jian Cenyu pulled Sang Shi'an aside, and as she let go, she mentioned, “Your brother called me today.”
Sang Shi'an’s steps faltered slightly. “He asked you out?”
“No, it was about you,” Jian Cenyu said. “He said you don’t want a stranger to teach you how to drive, and it’s been too long since you’ve been behind the wheel, so he asked if I could practice with you when I have time.”
Sang Shi'an had gotten her driver’s license during the summer vacation after graduating from high school. She had learned in a hurry back then, and during the test, she had only passed by barely avoiding crossing the lines. If she were given a car now, let alone parking, she probably wouldn’t even have the ability to keep the car centered in the lane.
“You’re so busy usually. How would you have time to practice with me?”
From Monday to Friday, Jian Cenyu came back very late at least two days a week. Sang Shi'an hadn’t known before, but when she casually asked a few days ago, she learned that Jian Cenyu was holed up in the lab.
“I’m not busy every day. I still have time to practice with you,” Jian Cenyu explained. “Your brother seems determined to have you learn this skill. It’s either I practice with you or he finds an instructor to help you. You choose.”
Sang Shi'an painfully recalled the strict instructor she had when learning to drive, who would scold her in a mix of Mandarin and a dialect she couldn’t understand.
Sang Shiyue had secretly given the instructor a lot of red envelopes back then, hoping the instructor would take good care of her. His intention was for the instructor to be more patient, but the instructor misunderstood it as wanting her to pass the test quickly.
After all, in the eyes of most teachers, parents hope their children will achieve results.
So the instructor stared at her from the passenger seat day after day, making her miserable.
Sang Shi'an was silent for nearly half a minute before making her choice. “Let’s get this straight first. I wasn’t very good when I learned before. You might get furious with me.”
Jian Cenyu stopped and looked at her sideways. “Are you that bad?”
Sang Shi'an hadn’t expected her to be so unconventional. “Aren’t you supposed to say something like, ‘It’s okay, you’re just out of practice. You’re so smart, you’ll definitely get the hang of it right away’?”
Jian Cenyu sized her up and let out a long “Oh.” “Well, that remains to be seen.”
Sang Shi'an already lacked confidence, and now she didn’t dare to boast in rebuttal. “How can you be like this?”
A smile touched Jian Cenyu’s light-colored eyes, like a beam of light blooming. “I’m teasing you.”
And so, the matter was settled.
“So when do we start?” Jian Cenyu seemed eager to teach her. “It’s a public holiday this afternoon, so you shouldn’t have classes. Shall we go back now?”
Sang Shi'an was speechless.
There was no need to be in such a hurry, was there?
And— “My brother hasn’t sent over the practice car for me yet.”
“No need for that trouble. Don’t you really like my car? Just use that to practice. Later, you can have your brother buy you the same brand, so it’ll be familiar to drive.”
Sang Shi'an did really like it, but she was still hesitant. “Who uses a car worth several million to practice?”
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to pay if you crash it. I’ll get the money from your brother then. How about that?” Jian Cenyu’s hand rested on Sang Shi'an’s shoulder, giving her a little push. “Let’s go.”
After walking a short distance, Sang Shi'an couldn’t help but ask again, “Are you and my brother on very good terms now?”
One asking the other to teach driving, the other planning to get reimbursed. Weren’t they being a little too familiar?
Jian Cenyu leaned over and pulled out the seatbelt. “Our relationship has always been okay.”
Sang Shi'an asked, “What kind of okay is ‘okay’?”
Jian Cenyu replied, “A little more polite than with you.”
Sang Shi'an became even more depressed, even taking out her phone to search whether ‘a polite relationship’ meant a ‘good relationship’ or a ‘bad relationship’.
The answers online were varied, and it seemed both interpretations were possible. Sang Shi'an got confused and stopped dwelling on it.
After they went back to get the car, Jian Cenyu parked it on a section of road with relatively light traffic and turned on the hazard lights. “First, try driving along the road.”
“Can you handle the light?” Jian Cenyu took a pair of sunglasses from the storage compartment and asked her.
The sunglasses still had the tag on; they were brand new.
It was already November, and the sun wasn’t strong. Sang Shi'an wasn’t that delicate. “No need. I’ll just drive like this.”
To help Sang Shi'an recall the basics of driving, Jian Cenyu was very patient in her explanation, going over the accelerator, brake, gear buttons, turn signals, and so on, one by one.
Sang Shi'an listened attentively, her gaze following Jian Cenyu’s pointing hand, silently memorizing everything.
“You take the driver’s seat.” Jian Cenyu unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door.
Sang Shi'an froze, stiffly moving to the driver’s seat. She mechanically fastened her seatbelt, her hands gripping and releasing the steering wheel, feeling a bit lost.
Jian Cenyu was selecting some soothing music. When she turned and saw Sang Shi'an still frozen there, she let out a soft laugh. “Will hugging the steering wheel make the car move?”
Sang Shi'an’s hands froze. Her sun-kissed cheeks grew hot as she defended herself, “I’m familiarizing myself with the car. Don’t disturb me.”
Jian Cenyu let out a meaningful “Oh.”
Sang Shi'an couldn’t keep up the pretense and finally started to do as Jian Cenyu had just instructed, pressing the brake and shifting gears.
The brake was slowly released, and the car with its flashing hazard lights began to move.
But for some reason, the car that was so smooth in Jian Cenyu’s hands started to swerve in Sang Shi'an’s.
The national highway wasn’t perfectly straight, requiring Sang Shi'an to control the direction herself. She became visibly flustered, especially when a car from behind overtook them and honked.
She could only step on the accelerator to speed up. The car didn’t swerve out of its lane, but it weaved unsteadily within it.
After driving like this for about ten minutes, even Sang Shi'an’s hair seemed to wilt.
She stopped the car and turned to Jian Cenyu. “This car won’t drive straight.”
Her tone carried a trace of imperceptible grievance.
When Jian Cenyu met her pitiful gaze, her heart trembled slightly. She comforted her in a gentle voice, “The speed limit on this road is 50. You don’t need to pay attention to the honking. You didn’t cross the line just now, so don’t worry so much. If you really do swerve, I’ll help you correct the steering.”
“Come on, try again.”
With that, she instructed Sang Shi'an to press the brake and shift gears.
After driving for three hours, nearly emptying half a tank of gas, Sang Shi'an finally started to get a feel for driving again, but she was still so nervous that her palms were sweating.
“There’s a gas station about a kilometer ahead. Drive the car there to refuel.” Jian Cenyu found the location on the navigation. So as not to crush Sang Shi'an’s confidence from inching along at the speed limit the whole time, she added, “You’re actually driving okay. You just need more practice.”
Sang Shi'an was pleasantly surprised. “You’re not lying to me?”
Jian Cenyu replied, “Or should I have your brother find an instructor to evaluate you?”
Sang Shi'an immediately shook her head.
She appropriately increased her speed and started heading toward the gas station.
There were many cars parked at the gas station, so the space was relatively tight as they drove in. Sang Shi'an got out, and Jian Cenyu took over driving.
They had dinner in the suburbs along the way, and it was nearly eight o’clock when they returned.
Jian Cenyu had intended to end the lesson for the day, but unexpectedly, when it was time to park, Sang Shi'an seemed to want more. So, she mentioned, “Do you still remember how to park?”
Driving on the road was one thing, but practicing parking? Sang Shi'an was genuinely afraid of scratching the car. “That’s too hard. Let’s do it another day.”
“It’s not hard.” Jian Cenyu got back into the car and, right in front of Sang Shi'an, casually re-parked the car in under half a minute.
It really gave Sang Shi'an the illusion that it was extremely easy.
Full of confidence, she started the car and nearly scraped the entire side of the car next to them.
Fortunately, Jian Cenyu told her to hit the brakes just in time.
“How about I watch from outside the car and help you?” Jian Cenyu drove the car back to its original spot and stood not far from it.
Sang Shi'an bit her lip and tried again.
Driving headfirst into a parking space was much easier than reversing in. The whole process was L-shaped, but the aisle was a bit narrow when turning, which made parking difficult.
Sang Shi'an carefully turned the steering wheel, starting over and over again.
When she was learning something, she didn’t have her usual pampered attitude. Once she decided to learn, she would practice until she got it right.
Jian Cenyu tirelessly helped her direct the car. After trying a dozen times, as she was turning and straightening the wheel on the L-shaped path, Sang Shi'an thought she would have to start over again, but she was surprised to find the car was already straight.
She inched forward two meters and found herself perfectly parked in the space.
Sang Shi'an shifted to Park, leaned out the car window to look at the position of the tires, and said in disbelief, “Did I park it properly?”
A smile appeared on Jian Cenyu’s face as well, and she gave an affirmative answer. “Yes, you parked it straight.”
Sang Shi'an happily unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. She walked around the parking space lines, and after confirming that she hadn’t crossed any of them, she joyfully threw herself at Jian Cenyu. “Jian Cenyu, I really parked it straight!”
Just like when she was a child, coming home to report that she had gotten first place in an exam.
Caught off guard, Jian Cenyu was enveloped in Sang Shi'an’s embrace.
As the warm body pressed against her, it carried the faint scent of the car’s fragrance. Jian Cenyu’s heart suddenly accelerated, and she slowly patted Sang Shi'an’s back. “...Mm.”
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