Chapter 47

Chapter 47

The black supercar cruised smoothly along the road. After passing the bustling city center, the number of pedestrians and vehicles gradually thinned out.

The night lights gleamed dazzlingly off the car's body, and the wind gently brushed past Su Xingyao's ears.

The sleek supercar was handled with surprising gentleness by Lu Zhiyun.

He gestured towards the barely visible entrance of the supercar club up ahead.

"My 'big wife' just got back today, so I set up a meet to practice with some folks."

Without waiting for Su Xingyao to ask, Lu Zhiyun came right out with his plans for the day.

As he spoke, noticing the road was nearly empty, Lu Zhiyun nudged the speed up a bit.

"Tonight, around a dozen people will show up to race against me. I don’t know everyone, so if anyone rubs you the wrong way, feel free to ignore them."

Su Xingyao gave a nod and a smile.

In the rearview mirror, he caught a glimpse of the car's sleek lines and Lu Zhiyun's faintly upturned lips.

Throwing such a big event right after getting the car showed just how much Lu Zhiyun adored his "big wife."

After running through some minor details with Su Xingyao, Lu Zhiyun finally got to the point.

"Hey Su Su, ever been in a race?"

Su Xingyao shook his head, "No."

Lu Zhiyun lit up and pitched the idea to him, "How about I take you for a spin tonight?"

Seeming to sense Su Xingyao's hesitation, he quickly added, "But don’t sweat it—my driving might not be as sharp as my brother’s, but I can still snag first or second place."

Supercar racing was totally new territory for Su Xingyao.

After years of living by the book, he’d never tried anything so thrilling.

He was still mulling over whether to dive into this madness with Lu Zhiyun tonight when the other brought up his brother.

Curious, Su Xingyao asked, "Does Mr. Lu race as well?"

Having known Lu Jiuxu for ages, Su Xingyao had only seen him either at work or at home, living a very routine life. The cars at his place were all understated, giving no hint of a racing enthusiast.

Su Xingyao couldn’t quite picture Lu Jiuxu behind the wheel of a supercar.

Lu Zhiyun chuckled, seeing Su Xingyao was clueless. He leaned his left arm on the window sill, steering one-handed as he chatted about Lu Jiuxu.

"Yeah, he does! My brother’s a beast!! Don’t let his calm demeanor fool you—back in the day, when he was in a funk, he’d race like... well..."

Suddenly realizing this might paint the wrong picture for Su Xingyao, Lu Zhiyun quickly corrected himself.

"Of course, my brother hasn’t done that in recent years."

To establish his brother's image as a perfect boyfriend, he deliberately emphasized, "Especially after meeting you, my brother comes home every day."

Lu Zhiyun felt that the Lu Jiuxu he described was perfectly family-oriented.

He was especially pleased with that last line.

However, he never considered that this offhand comment could easily lead to misunderstandings about Lu Jiuxu, making people think he was once a rather wild person.

Fortunately, the one listening to him was Su Xingyao.

Su Xingyao, who knew a bit about the story, was reminded of Lu Jiuxu's real character from the original book.

In the original book, Lu Jiuxu was not a gentle or patient person by any stretch.

On the contrary, after his death, despite having no real enmity with the Shen family, he suddenly went mad and went all out to brutally take revenge on the Shen family and Shen Huaixi...

That crazy, self-destructive drive to take them down was next-level insane.

Thinking of this, Su Xingyao felt that it totally made sense for Lu Jiuxu to choose to race cars when he was in a bad mood.

While Su Xingyao was deep in thought, Lu Zhiyun's phone buzzed.

A friend called to say that he’d be running late tonight because it was his mother's birthday.

Lu Zhiyun gave a nonchalant "okay" and hung up.

But after a few seconds, he blurted out to Su Xingyao.

"Hey Su Su, when’s your birthday?"

He’d been keeping tabs on all the drama at Star Entertainment lately.

Taking Su Xingyao out today was more about wanting to cheer him up, fearing that he might be upset because of that dumpster fire of a company.

When his friend mentioned a birthday, it suddenly reminded him of the information about Su Xingyao that netizens had uncovered.

Fans were pissed that the company had left Su Xingyao’s education details blank on purpose.

But as a friend, Lu Zhiyun was more hung up on how Su Xingyao's birthday wasn't even recorded in detail.

He’d checked it out carefully.

Su Xingyao’s official info was weird—it only had his birth year, no month or day.

That wasn’t normal.

Lu Zhiyun had been meaning to ask Su Xingyao about it, but the moment never felt right.

Now, thanks to the call, he finally brought it up.

After Lu Zhiyun suddenly asked this question, Su Xingyao froze for a second.

His birthday situation was kind of messy.

The Shen family had given his real birthdate to Shen Huaixi, and the one his adoptive parents picked just didn’t sit right with him.

Su Xingyao didn't know how to explain his birthday issue to Lu Zhiyun, so after a moment of thought, he could only vaguely say.

"I don’t really do birthdays."

Truth be told, he never celebrated it.

After his sister passed away, days filled with expectations and blessings no longer held much meaning for him.

The car was going pretty fast, and Lu Zhiyun only caught the gist of what Su Xingyao said.

Thinking he might have misheard, he hit the brakes to slow down.

"Huh? Why don’t you celebrate it?"

After saying this, he realized that Su Xingyao’s response was kind of strange.

But being sharp, he quickly caught on to what was off.

He smiled and repeated to Su Xingyao, "No, no, I was just asking when your birthday is…"

When Lu Zhiyun pressed him again, Su Xingyao knew that if he kept brushing off the young master, it would be kind of unfair to his friend’s concern.

He glanced at the date on his phone and finally spoke softly.

"I usually celebrated it today."

Today was Children's Day.

Back when he was in school, it was his favorite day.

Because the teacher would give them small cakes on this day.

He still remembered how the kids in his class couldn’t help but dig into the small cakes, their mouths smeared with cream.

But he tried hard to resist.

He didn’t look, didn’t think, didn’t eat, and focused on taking the small cake home. When his sister returned, he would find a corner where no one could see and quietly and carefully share it with her.

Su Xingyao felt that it was probably one of his happiest days of the year.

Because on that day, his sister would, as if by magic, pull out a burnt colorful birthday candle from somewhere.

She’d solemnly light the candle, smiling as she stuck it in the middle of the small cake.

"It's Children's Day, Yue Shuang, you’re another year older!"

Only on this day, when the gentle flame reflected on his sister's gentle cheeks, would her usually pale skin get a bit more color.

Su Xingyao couldn’t even remember the birthday his adoptive parents had given him.

The so-called birthday they’d set for him was the birth date of their own son who had died young.

This date was a nightmare for Su Xingyao.

Because on this day, those awful parents would remember their dead son and take their anger out on him, beating him when he was little.

And every time he was beaten, his sister would shield his small body with hers without hesitation, and both would end up bruised and battered.

After his adoptive parents tired themselves out and went to sleep, his sister would gently hold him in her arms, holding back tears as she softly told him.

"Little Yue Shuang, this cursed day isn’t a birthday, we don’t… we don’t…"

So, while living with his adoptive parents, Su Xingyao never officially celebrated any birthday.

Only on Children's Day each year, when his sister lit a candle for him and sincerely wished him well, did he understand that he had grown another year older.

But later, his sister died, and he was sent to an orphanage.

After being shuffled around, he returned to the Shen family, once again witnessing the grand birthday celebrations of Shen Huaixi year after year...

Over a decade had passed, and Su Xingyao had long since grown numb to birthdays.

Only occasionally in his dreams would he yearn for his sister's gentle words: "Little Yue Shuang, you've grown up again!"

Lu Zhiyun, who was driving, didn't notice Su Xingyao's sullen mood.

When he heard the date Su Xingyao mentioned, a chill ran down his spine, and he nearly slammed on the brakes.

Celebrating a birthday on Children's Day...

Wait, isn't today Children's Day!

On such an important day, he had actually dragged Su Xingyao out to go racing with him...

Crap, if his brother found out...

Lu Zhiyun didn't dare to think further.

He anxiously glanced at the supercar club's gate just ahead, hesitating.

They were already here, and he had previously talked so much about taking Su Xingyao for a thrill ride...

He couldn't just turn around and send him back, could he?

Realizing that he might have made a colossal blunder tonight, Lu Zhiyun quickly hit the brakes and sent a message to Lu Jiuxu.

Lu Zhiyun: Brother, to csg, you must come tonight!!

Lu Jiuxu, in the middle of a meeting, noticed a flash of light on his phone screen.

After glancing at the message, he with a blank face looked to the back left, signaling the next person to continue the report.

The person he looked at quickly stood up.

Just as he started his first sentence, another message flashed on the phone on Lu Jiuxu's table.

Lu Zhiyun: Su Su's birthday!! Get here ASAP!!!

The meeting was abruptly cut short.

Everyone watched Lu Jiuxu's hurried departure, all utterly confused.

*

Lu Zhiyun's supercar stopped in front of a huge logo.

Su Xingyao tilted his head slightly and saw three massive letters ahead.

csg.

the csg Club.

A supercar club where membership requires a net worth of at least nine figures.

A playground for the bored rich second generation of Jin City to pass the time and show off their expensive toys.

Su Xingyao had heard of this place, but only from Qin Mingchuan's mention years ago.

But he couldn't afford these supercars and had no real interest in such money-burning toys.

So over the years, he had never bothered to find out the specific location of the club.

Glancing up at the three glowing letters, Su Xingyao realized that he had somehow followed Lu Zhiyun to this legendary supercar club.

The venue wasn't as lively as it usually was during races, with only a handful of staff setting up the track in the vast space.

However, the group gathered to play tonight were all well-known wealthy heirs from the circle.

Although there weren't many people at the gathering, the setup was anything but modest.

More than a dozen supercars of various models were neatly lined up on both sides of the venue.

All of them were limited editions with a starting price of at least eight figures.

Su Xingyao kept a wide berth, careful not to accidentally scratch one.

Lu Zhiyun arrived late, and by the time he got there, his friends had already finished a round of mahjong in the VIP lounge.

When it was the turn of the person nearest the door to draw a tile, he reached out but came up empty.

"Here, let me help you see if you can self-draw a win."

Lu Zhiyun, helping to draw the tile, ran his fingers over the tile for a moment before throwing out a six of bamboo with a look of frustration.

"Looks like your luck's not on your side today."

The person across from him scooped up the tile Lu Zhiyun had thrown out with a grin, "I don't know about his luck, but mine's pretty good tonight."

He looked at Lu Zhiyun, "Sorry, Lu Shao, you just fed me a winning hand—a full house."

The moment Lu Zhiyun spoke, all eyes turned to him.

The person who had been fed the winning tile slapped down his tiles, tossing chips while complaining.

"Lu Shao, cough it up—you fed that tile. My luck's been crap tonight; I'm nearly cleaned out."

As soon as Lu Zhiyun appeared, the atmosphere immediately lit up.

The noise reached the bar, and a dozen people made their way over, weaving through the champagne towers.

"Lu Shao, where's your 'main squeeze'? Let me see how beautiful she is."

While speaking, everyone kept their expressions neutral, but their gazes couldn't help but drift toward the polished and good-looking young man beside Lu Zhiyun.

The guys who'd been playing mahjong had met Su Xingyao on a camping trip before.

All three gave Su Xingyao a warm welcome when they saw him.

But their behavior only fueled the rumors about the relationship between Su Xingyao and Lu Zhiyun.

Someone immediately tried to pry for details about this striking young man.

"Lu Shao, this is a first for you..."

Before the person could finish, Lu Zhiyun cut them off with a sharp glare.

He gave the person a cold look, his eyes dropping to the cigarette in his hand.

"The cigarette was put out."

Lu Zhiyun's attitude, though he said nothing, already signaled to everyone how different Su Xingyao was.

The person tactfully extinguished the cigarette, not daring to continue the joke.

"Hello, sir, may I know your surname?"

When he spoke again, his tone was no longer as flippant as before.

Su Xingyao nodded politely, "My surname is Su, Su Xingyao."

Lu Zhiyun casually waved away the smoke drifting in front of Su Xingyao.

After sniffing and still noticing the lingering smoke, he guided Su Xingyao to another seat.

Picking up a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice from the waiter's tray, he enthusiastically handed it to Su Xingyao.

"Su Su, here's some water."

In just a few seconds, Lu Zhiyun's demeanor had shifted entirely.

In front of Su Xingyao and Lu Jiuxu, he was warm and charming.

He was bold yet still had a charming side.

But the Lu Zhiyun in front of outsiders was truly a bit arrogant.

Su Xingyao felt a little uneasy at first but soon caught on.

Lu Jiuxu had been so gentle and kind to him that he almost forgot the other was a formidable figure whose mere cough could shake the entire city.

As his younger brother, Lu Zhiyun naturally commanded respect in public.

The second young master of the Lu family had every right to be arrogant in front of others.

Take tonight's gathering, for instance. Though Lu Zhiyun didn't organize it, he was clearly the star of the evening.

With the main character's arrival, the event was set to kick off.

After some commotion, as it neared ten, everyone began to head out.

The venue was expansive, with the track and parking area separated by some distance.

Lu Zhiyun and his friends went to fetch their cars, leaving Su Xingyao to head to the track and wait.

The staff escorted Su Xingyao to the track, where he took in the surroundings.

The area was specially decorated, with graffiti and night lights adorning the buildings on both sides.

The uniformly tall trees were wrapped in layers of light tubes.

When the lights lit up, they resembled rows of golden Christmas trees, their glow stretching far into the distance, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

As the lights flickered on, the crowd grew louder.

Amidst the noise, Su Xingyao heard his name being called from behind.

"Xing Yao," a voice called out.

Qin Mingchuan, having stayed up all night, never expected to see Su Xingyao again so unexpectedly.

The moment he saw Su Xingyao's back, he almost thought he was dreaming.

It wasn’t until Su Xingyao turned around that he clearly saw the face he had been thinking about all night.

Locking eyes with Su Xingyao's striking amber gaze, Qin Mingchuan looked at the person so close to him, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his heart racing uncontrollably.

Just like that afternoon when he first laid eyes on Su Xingyao.

His heart and body had raced just like this.

"Xing Yao, it's been a while..."

Although Qin Mingchuan was smiling, his exhaustion from a sleepless night was obvious.

Su Xingyao was taken aback.

Seeing Qin Mingchuan's poor state, he didn’t ask for the reason.

He had no intention of engaging further with Qin Mingchuan and had nothing to say, his immediate instinct was to put as much distance between them as possible.

Qin Mingchuan, who had been thrilled to see Su Xingyao, now watched as the other was about to leave without saying a word.

In a desperate move, he reached out and seized Su Xingyao's wrist.

Qin Mingchuan used a lot of strength, and Su Xingyao's skin flushed red under the pressure of his grip.

He deliberately closed the distance between them, and the air was tinged with the lingering scents of alcohol and tobacco.

"Don’t go, Xing Yao..."

Qin Mingchuan's sleepless night left his eyes red and bloodshot.

"Can we just talk?"

Su Xingyao instinctively tried to pull his hand back, trying to break free from Qin Mingchuan's restraint.

But Qin Mingchuan, terrified that Su Xingyao would vanish again if he released him, stubbornly held onto his wrist without loosening his grip at all.

Qin Mingchuan wasn’t making a scene, but that didn’t stop the people around from noticing what was happening.

Noticing the curious glances between him and Qin Mingchuan, Su Xingyao reminded the other.

"Mr. Qin, please be mindful of your conduct."

His wrist ached from the tight grip, so he could only try to gently pull his hand away.

But it didn’t work.

Su Xingyao sighed, "This is... highly inappropriate."

Su Xingyao intended to remind the other not to make a scene in public.

But Qin Mingchuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his eyes unusually firm.

"I don’t care."

Back in school, after he had shown off in front of Su Xingyao, many people joked with him, asking if he liked Su Xingyao.

He had refuted these rumors many times before.

But never before had he wished so intensely for the rumors to be true.

Qin Mingchuan was still immersed in his memories.

Su Xingyao's next words hit him like a bucket of ice water, leaving him drenched in humiliation.

"But it would cause me trouble."

It felt like a heavy blow, landing with a thud.

The grip in Qin Mingchuan's hand instantly loosened.

From a distance, Lu Zhiyun, who had just driven over, saw a stranger gripping Su Xingyao's hand.

Assuming Su Xingyao was being harassed, he leapt out of the car and rushed between them, shielding Su Xingyao.

He seized Qin Mingchuan's hand and yanked Su Xingyao's wrist free, snarling like a protective wolf, "Let go."

Qin Mingchuan stared at the man who had suddenly appeared, his throat tightening.

"Who is he?"

Su Xingyao didn’t answer, instead shaking his head gently at Lu Zhiyun, signaling him to release his grip.

"Mr. Qin and I are old acquaintances."

With a single sentence, he clarified their relationship.

Not wanting to cause a scene, Su Xingyao looked calmly at Qin Mingchuan and spoke with firm resolve.

"Mr. Qin, let's find a quieter place to talk."

His voice was calm, yet it carried an unshakable resolve.

It was time for them to clear the air between them.

At Su Xingyao's words, Lu Zhiyun stepped back and let go of Qin Mingchuan's hand.

Lu Zhiyun stood frozen, his eyes locked on their retreating figures, a knot of unease tightening in his chest.

Out of respect for his friend, he had never pried into Su Xingyao's family or background.

But Qin Mingchuan's actions and gaze were too intense, clearly revealing his ill intentions toward Su Xingyao.

It was obvious to anyone that he had feelings for Su Xingyao.

The fact that Su Xingyao had confirmed they were old acquaintances made Lu Zhiyun's stomach churn.

He wanted to follow but hesitated, not wanting to intrude on their conversation.

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Zhiyun anxiously dialed Lu Jiuxu.

"Bro, you might want to come over... someone just tried something with Su Su..."

Lu Jiuxu, behind the wheel, frowned slightly, his tone edged with impatience.

"Cut to the chase."

"Someone showed up at the track, likely someone Su Su used to know... surnamed Qin. Su Su left with him..."

Before Lu Zhiyun finished speaking, he heard the phone click off.

Five minutes later, a black sports car screeched to a halt in front of him.

The tires left a long skid mark on the pavement.

Lu Zhiyun gulped, gauging the force and silently estimating the car's speed.

Realizing his brother had been treating the car like a race car, he quickly raised his hands to Lu Jiuxu in surrender.

"Brother, this really isn't my fault."

*

A short distance from the track was a lounge.

Su Xingyao and Qin Mingchuan sat across from each other in silence.

Su Xingyao stared out the window.

He had striking features, a slim waist, and long legs. Leaning on one hand, he was a picture of elegance.

Qin Mingchuan couldn't help but think of the Lu brothers as he stared at him.

He knew Su Xingyao always had admirers.

Back in school, he’d secretly intercept dozens of love letters meant for him daily.

Yet, he’d once foolishly thought this beautiful, gentle person wanted to tie him down with a marriage contract, and so he’d hurt and pushed him away, time and again.

The thought weighed heavily on Qin Mingchuan’s heart.

After a sleepless night, he had so much to say to Su Xingyao.

But now, face-to-face, he didn’t know where to begin.

Minutes of silence passed before Qin Mingchuan finally broke it.

"Xing Yao..."

"I'm sorry."

After all the words he’d rehearsed, Qin Mingchuan could only manage three.

He owed Su Xingyao so much...

Not just for neglecting the movie star, but also for those unspoken feelings.

Su Xingyao wasn’t surprised by Qin Mingchuan’s apology.

He paused, his gaze lingering on the table for a moment, before speaking.

"If you're apologizing on behalf of Shen Huaixi, there's no need."

Seeing that Su Xingyao had misunderstood him, Qin Mingchuan wanted to deny it.

But Su Xingyao continued, "If you feel guilty about the movie star incident, your company has already apologized."

Su Xingyao lifted his gaze slightly, offering Qin Mingchuan a faint smile.

"It's all over now."

It's not that it doesn't matter anymore; it's just that it's all over.

Qin Mingchuan stayed silent, quietly gazing at the person before him.

The other man wore a faint smile, as gentle as Qin Mingchuan remembered.

But the gentler Su Xingyao acted, the more uneasy Qin Mingchuan became.

It felt like punching cotton—no matter what he said or did, it seemed to make no difference.

"Xing Yao..."

As Qin Mingchuan spoke, Su Xingyao turned his gaze toward him.

"Qin Mingchuan, from our first meeting until now... how long have we known each other?"

Su Xingyao's question caught Qin Mingchuan off guard, and he blurted out a number without thinking.

"Six years..."

As he said it, Qin Mingchuan was struck by the realization.

Six years.

He and Su Xingyao had known each other for so long—it was hard to believe.

But for most of that time, he had ignored Su Xingyao.

Even subjected him to emotional neglect...

Su Xingyao smiled faintly but didn't reply.

He looked down, picked up a cartoon sticky note and a pen from the table, and wrote down a line of numbers.

Then, he turned the note around and slid it toward Qin Mingchuan.

"Six years, eight months, and seventeen days."

Six years, eight months, and seventeen days...

Seeing the familiar handwriting and the precise date, Qin Mingchuan froze.

Compared to his own hazy memories, Su Xingyao had kept every detail of their past crystal clear.

His hand shook, too overwhelmed to even touch the note...

Without looking at him, Su Xingyao picked up the pen again.

At the end of the numbers, he added a final period.

"Qin Mingchuan."

He said the name softly.

"This number won't grow anymore."

The period marked the end.

It was time to put an end to their relationship today.

The headlights of a sports car flashed outside the window.

With no desire to linger, Su Xingyao set down the pen, rose, and made his way to the door.

"I know the engagement has been weighing on you."

As he approached the door, Su Xingyao remembered he hadn’t clarified this matter with Qin Mingchuan. He paused and spoke solemnly.

"But rest assured, no one will hold you to this engagement any longer."

"I never intended to leverage this contract to get anything from you."

Su Xingyao offered a faint smile.

"You're free now."

Those final words sliced through Qin Mingchuan's heart like a blade, shattering it into countless pieces.

A wave of bitter loss threatened to overwhelm him.

Grasping the gravity of those words, he dashed toward Su Xingyao, his voice tinged with desperation.

"Please, Xing Yao, don't do this."

"Don't call off this engagement..."

Qin Mingchuan's voice quivered with boundless panic as he spoke.

"Please..."

Once the staunchest opponent of this engagement, he now found himself utterly terrified upon hearing Su Xingyao's declaration.

"I was arrogant before, and I did a lot of stupid things that hurt you..." Qin Mingchuan humbly confessed his belated feelings for Su Xingyao, "but I never considered breaking off this engagement with you."

No, he never did.

Despite his previous disdain, he had never once suggested that the engagement was null.

Because, deep down, he had always wanted it.

He finally recognized the feeling he had when he first met Su Xingyao.

It was the uncontrollable flutter of the heart when you see someone you like.

He had been smitten with Su Xingyao from the very first moment.

Finally coming to this realization, Qin Mingchuan gazed at the person before him, feeling utterly foolish.

It was only after causing Su Xingyao deep pain that he realized he couldn’t bear to be without him...

Before seeking out Su Xingyao, he had even convinced himself that this engagement could mend their fractured relationship.

But now, that bond was on the verge of snapping.

Su Xingyao no longer wanted any part of it.

"Xing Yao..."

The bitterness swelling in Qin Mingchuan's heart made his eyes sting.

The feeling of impending total loss tore his heart to shreds.

He desperately chased after Su Xingyao, yearning to grasp his hand and never let go.

But upon exiting the lounge, he realized he was ultimately a moment too late.

As Su Xingyao stepped out of the lounge into the darkness, a man silhouetted against the light gently grasped his wrist.

With slender fingers, he gently applied an ice pack to Su Xingyao's wrist, reddened from Qin Mingchuan's grip.

Noticing the finger marks, Lu Jiuxu shot a warning glance at Qin Mingchuan in the distance.

Thereafter, he ignored the other, masking all emotion in his gaze.

"Does it hurt?" he asked Su Xingyao in a low voice.

A cool sensation spread over his skin.

Su Xingyao shook his head, "It's nothing, it doesn't hurt."

His fair skin made any marks appear quite severe.

But Su Xingyao knew it wasn't as painful as it appeared...

The man, seemingly unhearing, continued patiently applying the ice pack to every spot.

The gentleness of his fingertips contrasted with the coolness of the ice pack, creating two distinct sensations.

Su Xingyao glanced up at the man before him.

Then he noticed the man was still in his work attire, his usually immaculate hair slightly tousled.

Catching the man's hurried and anxious demeanor, Su Xingyao smiled, "Mr. Lu, did you come straight from work?"

Lu Jiuxu didn't evade the question and admitted directly.

"Yes, I was tied up in a meeting earlier."

A car horn blaring on the runway cut through their conversation.

Lu Zhiyun, seated in the supercar, waved to Su Xingyao from a distance.

"Su Su, hurry over here."

Lu Jiuxu shot a glance at Lu Zhiyun and walked Su Xingyao slowly to the passenger seat.

He paused, lowered his gaze, and glanced at the passenger seat.

"Is he driving you?"

Su Xingyao gave a nod.

Noticing Lu Jiuxu's expression, Lu Zhiyun quickly interjected, eager to appease.

"Bro, Su Su agreed before we got here."

Lu Jiuxu remained silent, bent down, and gently secured Su Xingyao's seatbelt.

As he stood up, he glanced at Lu Zhiyun.

Someone gently tapped the edge of the driver's window.

Lu Zhiyun hurriedly rolled down the window.

"Be careful."

Lu Zhiyun nodded, but in the next second, his mind suddenly cleared.

Finally realizing he had been treading on his brother's minefield all night, he hastily unbuckled his seatbelt and bolted out of the car as if fleeing for his life.

Lu Zhiyun didn't dare say a word, muttering, "The keys are in the car," before darting into the crowd.

"Su Meow, your driver bailed..."

Amid the low growls of the surrounding sports cars, Su Xingyao heard the man's voice, tinged with amusement.

He turned to see the man casually unbuttoning his shirt collar.

The interplay of light and shadow on Lu Jiuxu's face gave him an air of both restraint and roguish charm.

"What now?" Su Xingyao asked, half-serious, half-teasing, "Mr. Lu, care to take me along?"

Lu Jiuxu looked up, met Su Xingyao's gaze, and smirked.

With his collar half-open, the man slid into the driver's seat and smoothly started the car.

"This is my first time taking someone along."

Lu Jiuxu spoke casually.

"Got any goals for me? Third, second..."

He drawled, "Or first?"

A wave of excited cheers erupted outside.

It was the thrilled screams of the second-gen heirs lucky enough to catch young master Lu racing for the first time.

The closed window muffled some of the noise, and Su Xingyao, distracted, didn't set any goals, just smiled faintly and looked ahead.

"Zhiyun says you're amazing."

The comment clearly pleased him.

A low, amused chuckle immediately came from the sports car.

Su Xingyao found it soothing yet ticklish, like a feather lightly brushing his ear.

The women at the starting line grabbed sparklers and started the ten-second countdown.

Su Xingyao, new to this sport, felt his heart race in time with the countdown.

Lu Jiuxu gripped the wheel with one hand, his eyes tracing the curve of Su Xingyao's face.

"Su Meow, you into fireworks?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then I’ll take you to see some fireworks."

Amid the roaring noise, Su Xingyao felt something pressed into his hand by the person in the driver's seat.

He looked down and found a beautifully packaged black gift box.

Palm-sized, it looked like a gift meant for someone.

"Keep this safe for me."

The man’s crisp voice sounded, and Su Xingyao clenched his hands silently, gripping the gift box tightly between his fingers.

The countdown to the race ended.

Su Xingyao felt his body pressed into the seat by a strong force of acceleration, and everything around him blurred as it rushed past—houses, trees, and people blurred into indistinct shapes in an instant.

Su Xingyao closed his eyes, feeling the car’s roar as it raced down the track and the suffocating feeling of his heart skipping a beat.

With his eyes closed, his senses sharpened.

The engine’s rising roar made Su Xingyao feel the increasing speed.

His heart raced wildly from the adrenaline, and he felt like he was about to lift off.

He instinctively tightened his grip on the gift Lu Jiuxu had entrusted to him.

A question he’d discussed with Lu Zhiyun earlier flashed through his mind.

As the light and shadows faded into darkness, Su Xingyao couldn't help but open his eyes again.

He didn’t need to imagine what the other looked like while racing.

Because he was right there beside him.

Calm, handsome, and steadying.

Su Xingyao watched the scenery rushing past outside the window.

He thought he should’ve been scared by the extreme speed.

But now, maybe because Lu Jiuxu was beside him, he felt an unexpected calm.

It was like they were each other’s only anchor in a journey at the world’s end.

Su Xingyao took a deep breath, savoring the rush of freedom and speed.

The lights and crowds came back into view.

The black supercar glided across the finish line.

The car’s stopping reverberated intensely in his ears.

But Su Xingyao was reminded by a clear voice.

"Su Xingyao, look up now."

Lu Jiuxu tilted his chin toward him.

Su Xingyao followed Lu Jiuxu's gaze and looked ahead.

In the dark night sky, magnificent fireworks streaked across the sky like meteors.

As they burst into dazzling light, the light panels on both sides of the runway suddenly lit up, displaying a line of letters in unison—

"Happy Birthday~"

The sudden birthday wishes that appeared before his eyes were grand and heartfelt.

It felt like millions of butterflies were fluttering their wings all at once in Su Xingyao's heart.

As his heart pounded fiercely, he forgot where he was.

All he could hear was Lu Jiuxu's soft whisper in his ear—

"Happy Birthday, Su Xingyao."