Chapter 194

Chapter 194

However, when Zhan Meng climbed atop the car, his movements were too unrestrained. Lifting and kicking his leg without wearing any safety shorts, he unintentionally flashed everyone. You Lan facepalmed, reminding him, “Zhan Meng, remember you're dressed as a little seductress. Could you move more gracefully?"

Annoyed by the comment, Zhan Meng banged the roof of the car loudly, retorting, “Damn it, don’t call me a little seductress!”

Mu Jinhai, who was already on the roof, was equally distressed, “Then adjust your skirt. When you lay down, I saw everything.”

Staying true to his brazen nature, Zhan Meng shot back, “Whatever I have, you have too. What’s the big deal? I don’t mind you seeing, why do you? Feeling inferior?”

Mu Jinhai: "..."

At a loss for words, Mu Jinhai chose to move in front of Zhan Meng, directing his gaze straight ahead to take in the green and pleasant scenery.

As Bu Jiuzhao was the driver, he sat alone in the driver's seat. Without discussion, everyone unanimously let Xie Yinxue sit in the front passenger seat while they squeezed into the back seats and trunk.

Once again, the high quality and good temperament of the participants in this adventure were fully showcased. No one voiced objections or showed any jealousy that only Xie Yinxue got such a comfortable seat. Ying Yiling even jokingly said to Bu Jiuzhao, "Your boyfriend is sitting next to you, so you better drive carefully."

"I know, that’s why I’m studying the book seriously.”

With a furrowed brow and a focused expression, the man answered in a deep and serious tone, devoid of any slackness. It was evident he considered the young man’s safety paramount, even though his statement left many puzzled.

Ying Yiling’s smile froze on her face. Trying to convince herself she'd misheard, she sought clarification, “What are you studying?”

Yun Qian, usually calm and composed, looked slightly startled and cautiously asked, "…You aren’t learning to drive right now, are you?”

Bu Jiuzhao countered, "If I'm not learning to drive, do you expect me to be studying how to pilot an aircraft carrier?"

Zheng Shu's eyes widened in disbelief, “You don’t know how to drive?!”

Without hesitation, Bu Jiuzhao admitted, “I don’t, but I’m learning now.”

Everyone: "..."

Zheng Shu was baffled, “Why don’t you even know how to drive?”

In this day and age, adult men without a driver's license are a rare sight, let alone someone like Bu Jiuzhao who doesn't even know how to drive.

If Bu Jiuzhao belonged to the elite class like Bian Yuchen and Xie Yinxue, who always have drivers accompanying them...

Elite family

It's one thing for a pampered young master not to drive, but why wouldn't he, a mere kitchen worker, know how to? Considering the place where Xie Yinxue lives, it's hard to imagine direct subway or bus access. Does he always take a taxi to Xie Yinxue's house to cook?

To this, Bu Jiuzhao simply responded with, "I don't need to."

Although it was the truth, probably only Xie Yinxue and Liu Buhua among them could grasp its deeper meaning.

Thus, after hearing the shocking words from Bu Jiuzhao in the driver's seat, Zhan Meng on the car roof fell silent for a long moment before admitting, "I suddenly don't feel so confident about sitting up here."

"Zhan Meng, you're a real tough guy, and I feel quite inferior in front of you," Mu Jinhai hurriedly tried to hold him back, with several of their friends chiming in, "You're our role model; stay strong!"

You Lan and Yi Yao echoed in unison, "Exactly!"

Zhan Meng, with a distressed look on his rugged face, lamented, "No, now I just want to be the 'seductress' inside the car."

This quick change of heart perfectly embodied the saying: talking big at the start, silence in the middle, and nonsense at the end.

Song Quyou, fighting back tears, clung to her friend Ying Yiling and asked, "We're not going to die in a car crash in this scenario, are we?"

All of them had successfully completed numerous challenging scenarios before. Dying in a car accident would be the most bizarre ending imaginable, wouldn't it?

Just then, Bu Jiuzhao put away his book and gripping the steering wheel confidently said, "Don’t worry, I've fully mastered driving now."

Zheng Shu was skeptical of his bold claim, "You learned that quickly?"

Bu Jiuzhao nodded, "I went through the abbreviated guide. The comprehensive guide was too lengthy. I had previously tried to read it but fell asleep halfway."

Even Xie Yinxue was rendered speechless. She recalled earlier on the airship when Bu Jiuzhao was napping; had he been reading about driving?

The young man raised an eyebrow and reached out, "Let me see that book."

Bu Jiuzhao turned and handed the book over. However, instead of immediately returning to his seat, he leaned closer to Xie Yinxue to help him fasten his seatbelt. His usually cold and impatient tone changed to one of tenderness and care when addressing the young man, "The book says that the passenger must always wear their seatbelt."

Xie Yinxue tilted his head up, seeing his own reflection in the deep, somber eyes of the man opposite, and replied with a smile, "Oh, I usually sit in the back, so I'm not in the habit."

The man responded with a slight frown, "You should wear a seatbelt in the back too."

"Mm-hmm, got it," Xie Yinxue, engrossed in the book, replied casually. However, when he realized that the 'abbreviated guide' Bu Jiuzhao had been studying was the one in his hand, the amusement on his lips faded somewhat. He pointed to the text and asked, "Bu Jiuzhao, is this the 'simplified guide' you spent so long on?"

Bu Jiuzhao glanced at it and affirmed, "Yes, it is."

Xie Yin Xue: "..."

When Zheng Shu saw that even Xie Yin Xue wore such an exasperated expression, he leaned over, curious to see just how 'simplified' the driving tutorial Bu Jiu Zhao had studied was. But after reading this 50-character 'tutorial', he was also at a loss — [Ignite, release handbrake, set gear, press gas, grip and steer clear of obstacles, brake upon arrival, engage handbrake, turn off.]

Bu Jiu Zhao asked them, "Any issues?"

Zheng Shu had a complex look on his face, "No issues. Anyone can learn this. The point is—"

Most who've learned to drive with just these words have already met their maker.

But before Zheng Shu could finish his caution, Bu Jiu Zhao interrupted, hearing 'no issues', he simply said, "If there's no problem, then good."

He then released the handbrake, shifted gears in one swift move, and floored the gas pedal.

From then on, the only thought in Zheng Shu's mind was: Ah, this dreadful pushback sensation!

Zhan Meng on the roof almost rolled off, gripping the rear bar of the roof to hold onto his upper body. As for his lower half... it fluttered like a magical girl's skirt in an anime, dancing mid-air.

"Damnit~!"

He yelled with all his might, struggling to speak against the wind, "I'mfalling~off—!"

"Bro! Big bro—!"

Inside the car, Zheng Shu wasn't faring any better. He felt this ride was scarier than seeing Xie Yin Xue in his ceremonial robe. Grasping the overhead handle, he yelled, "Slow the hell down!"

Who would have thought that riding in Bu Jiu Zhao's car would make his heart race faster than seeing Xie Yin Xue, dressed like a deity, approaching him? Were this couple sent to torment him?

But when Bu Jiu Zhao heard his plea, not only did he not slow down, but he also righteously declared, "The book said to brake only when arriving at the destination."

This is the consequence of strictly following a book without any judgment.

Yun Qian, eyes tightly shut, couldn't help but retort, "It didn't tell you to floor the gas either!"

In reality, after getting a driver's license, one must wait a year before getting on the freeway. Bu Jiu Zhao, after learning for three minutes, dared to drive this fast. They could only be grateful the surroundings were vast green fields with no obstacles, so he didn't need to steer. Otherwise, with all the twists and turns, they might choke on their own vomit.

But high speed also meant a shorter journey. Soon enough, the brave enough to look, Liu Bu Hua, announced to everyone, "Stay calm, everyone, I see the rainforest!"

"Really?!"

Ying Yi Ling's eyes welled up with tears as she opened them. Indeed, she saw the verdant, towering forest not far ahead. But before she could celebrate, a sudden realization hit her. Given Bu Jiu Zhao's speed, would he be able to stop the car in time?

As they watched the rainforest draw nearer and nearer, Bu Jiuzhao continued to speed on like a rocket without any hint of slowing down. Song Quyou was so anxious she wanted to seize the steering wheel from him, "Slow down! We're almost there, you need to brake, brake, BRAAAAKE!"

Before Song Quyou could finish, Bu Jiuzhao hit the brakes as she wished, sharply turning the steering wheel to execute a dramatic drift. While the car did come to a stable stop in front of the rainforest, the sudden move threw everyone inside to the left side of the car. Zheng Shu felt as if his ribs were about to break. He seriously wondered if Bu Jiuzhao was taking some sort of personal revenge. Only Xie Yinxue in the front passenger seat was unharmed, thanks to her seatbelt.

After pulling the handbrake and turning off the car, Bu Jiuzhao glanced at the back seat, then stared at Xie Yinxue for a few moments. He suddenly felt that there was no real need for the young man to wear his seatbelt in his car.

Zheng Shu opened the door, letting the people piled on top of him roll out. Zhan Meng slowly slid off the car roof, muttering as he sat on the ground, "I'm too fragile to move now."

Yi Yao wiped his face, pale as a sheet, and took a deep breath, "Lock Changsheng really chose a great driver for us."

Out of all the participants with driving licenses, they picked Bu Jiuzhao, an unreliable novice. Had he braked a moment later, they would've crashed into the dense forest and ended up stuck in the trees.

Shi San helped Bi Yuchen, who was leaning against the car with a ghastly pale-green face, "Young Master, are you alright?"

Rubbing his forehead, Bi Yuchen complained, "I feel nauseous."

Being a doctor with a kind heart, Liu Buhua immediately showed concern, "Feeling sick? Let Doctor Liu check your pulse."

Shi San eyed the medical kit in his hands and asked suspiciously, "Aren't you a Western doctor? What pulse are you talking about?"

"Oh, am I?" Liu Buhua looked puzzled and turned to ask Xie Yinxue, "Godfather, am I a Western doctor?"

Shi San: "..."

Keep away from Xie Yinxue; misfortune surrounds him, and the people around him are far from normal.

"We've finally reached the rainforest, but it's getting dark." Mu Yujie caught her breath and took out the treasure map, interpreting the details. "This rainforest is called 'Mummy Forest'. It's extremely dangerous at night, but there are safe campsites left by previous treasure hunters. The map even marks the coordinates. Should we rest outside the forest tonight and enter in daylight, or hurry now before it's completely dark to reach a safe campsite?"

Song Quyou and Ying Yiling exchanged glances, raising their right arms to voice their opinion, "We think it's safer to rest outside the forest tonight and enter in the daylight."

Author's note:

Zheng Shu—

Upon seeing Xie Yinxue, his heart raced: thump, thump, thump...

Getting into Bu Jiuzhao's car, his heart pounded: bang, bang, BANG!!!