While they were talking, cars appeared in front of He Zhilan one after another at a high speed. The screeching sound of the sudden brakes echoed throughout the suburbia, tasked with being the only sound in existence.
"So early?" Ding Long got out of the car with a girl He Zhilan did not recognize. It was not Ding Jinshi, but a gaudily dressed stranger.
There was a crowd behind Ding Long, unfamiliar faces to He Zhilan. Liu Jiang was among them, but Lan Song was not.
"Why didn’t Lan Song come?" He Zhilan whispered as she tugged at Gu En’s sleeve.
"Who knows, he might be too occupied with some woman!" Gu En impatiently pulled his sleeve out of He Zhilan’s hand and walked over to Ding Long. "I thought you would bring Ding Jinshi. Didn’t expect you to bring a whore instead! Ding Long, you’re about to get married! Aren’t you afraid your bride-to-be would get jealous when she finds out?"
"Her?" A smile played on Ding Long’s lips. "If no one tells her, how would she know? Maybe you, Miss Gu, should tell her and see if she would kill me."
Both men shared a joke, oblivious to the fact that the woman beside Ding Long had gone pale upon being called a ’whore’.
He Zhilan was standing on the side, watching Gu En in a daze. For some reason, she found herself feeling scared of Gu En who spoke without giving any regard to the feelings or dignity of others.
"Miss Gu, who is this innocent little girl by your side? Haven’t seen her before~" Some men stood behind Ding Long with evil smiles on their faces. They scrutinized He Zhilan before addressing Gu En.
"Do you need to know? All you need to know is that she’s untouchable!" Without hesitation, Gu En gestured for He Zhilan to get back in the car. She did so immediately and watched through the car window as Gu En continued his dialogue with the others. Far from tense, his demeanor was jovial and good-natured. This made He Zhilan realize that Gu En’s previous attitude came from familiarity rather than dislike.
Seeing He Zhilan alone in the car, Liu Jiang went over to her and knocked on the car window, intending to ask her to roll it down. However, after knocking for a while, the person inside didn’t respond as if deaf. Liu Jiang had no choice but to open the unlocked car door. Yet, he didn’t dare to sit inside Gu En’s car. Instead, he stood there, peeking at He Zhilan in the passenger seat.
"Miss He, are you going to be Gu En’s co-driver? Have you thought it through?" Liu Jiang looked worried.
"Co-driver? Is it hard? I can’t drive." He Zhilan was taken aback.
Liu Jiang waved his hands energetically, "No driving needed. The co-driver doesn’t have to do anything, you just sit still!"
"That’s simple!" He Zhilan sighed in relief, having initially thought she might have to drive even though she could not.
"Simple?" Liu Jiang was astonished by He Zhilan’s descriptor. "Have you been here before, Miss He? The mountain road ahead can only accommodate two cars side by side. It’s rough and uneven, with several sharp turns..."