Chapter 16: I Think I Hit Someone

**Chapter 16: I Think I Hit Someone**

The agreed-upon location was a café named *Rainy Night* on Jinghua Street.

Its name sounded elegant, and it was said to be the most famous café in the country, with only one branch located in Yunjing City.

Many upper-class young men and women, as well as business elites, liked to meet here for casual gatherings or professional discussions.

On the way to Jinghua Street, part of the road was under construction, with half of it blocked off, narrowing the passage and causing traffic congestion.

Jian Ye was stuck too. He drove carefully, following traffic rules without reckless driving, moving slowly along with the rest of the traffic.

There happened to be no bike lane here, so cars and other vehicles were all mixed together.

But some people were impatient.

An e-bike delivering food darted through traffic, zigzagging and trying to overtake Jian Ye when its tire suddenly skidded. The delivery box at the back, full of orders, was about to crash to the ground.

The flimsy box looked like it couldn’t withstand impact, and the contents seemed to include breakable stuff like fruit.

At that speed, if the box hit the ground, the food would definitely be ruined.

The delivery rider realized something was wrong but couldn’t brake in time. He turned his head, helplessly watching as the box tipped.

Just then, a pair of graceful hands swiftly and firmly caught the box, softening its landing just in time.

The contents didn’t spill, but the person who steadied the box tumbled to the ground.

Unfortunately, the red light ended right then, and the stalled traffic suddenly lurched forward.

The teenager had no time to react. After pushing the delivery box aside, he got pulled under the car behind him.

People screamed around him, and screeching brakes echoed down the entire street.

"Ahh! A young man got trapped under a car! Quick! Come help!" A middle-aged woman nearby witnessed everything and shouted desperately to pedestrians.

The delivery guy stood frozen in shock.

He abandoned his e-bike and rushed over to lift the car.

Passersby and even some drivers jumped out to join the rescue effort.

In such situations, lifting the car quickly by force is the safest way to help.

Since it was unclear whether the boy had been hit, moving the vehicle recklessly could easily cause secondary injuries.

With no jack or tools available, they had to rely entirely on manpower to lift the front of the car.

And so...

Inside the car, the stern-faced man first felt the sudden jolt from emergency braking, then noticed his seat tilting upward.

When he opened his eyes and looked up, faces crowded the window.

Yi Siyu: ?

The driver, Xiao Dong, was sweating bullets, trembling as he stammered, "Th—Third Young Master… I… I think I hit someone..."

Xiao Dong had joined the Yi family as a driver only two years ago, making him relatively new. From the day he started, he only drove for Yi Siyu, while the mistress, master, and other young masters were taken care of by more experienced drivers.

Xiao Dong was deeply grateful that the third young master had chosen him back then. He had always been conscientious and carefully driven, maintaining a steady pace without any incidents.

However, being young, he hadn't encountered any serious accidents before.

Technically speaking, Xiao Dong wasn't at fault.

The young man had suddenly darted out from the side while all cars were moving forward, and Xiao Dong had simply continued with the traffic flow.

Such an unexpected situation had never occurred before, so by the time it happened, it was already too late to stop immediately.

Even so, Xiao Dong did his best, slamming on the brakes right away.

...

Yi Siyu had originally been dozing off in the car when the sudden braking jolted him awake.

Fortunately, his reflexes were quick. Sensing something wrong, he grabbed the front seat for support. Then, upon hearing Xiao Dong say, "I hit someone," his eyes hardened, and he swiftly opened the door and stepped out alongside Xiao Dong.

Today, he had come out to meet the Jian family's young heir, so he hadn't brought Special Assistant Xu along.

By the time he opened the door, the front of the car had already been slightly lifted by bystanders, causing him to stumble slightly as he exited.

With so many people gathered to help, no one could even see what was under the car.

It was the first time in his life his private car had been involved in such an accident.

Everything had happened too fast—he had no idea how the accident occurred. But he had already decided: regardless of the severity of the victim's injuries, he would take full responsibility.

With everyone's assistance, the young man trapped under the car was pulled out in less than a minute.

Suddenly exposed to sunlight, the young man squinted hard, his emotions complex and turbulent.

Jian Ye: *I really didn't expect that doing a good deed would land me as an unlucky guy stuck under a car.*

System 748: *I really didn't expect you'd go this far for Green Tea Points. The surrounding values are still skyrocketing, mainly fueled by sympathy.*

Jian Ye: *...*

Fortunately, the car's chassis wasn't too low, so Jian Ye only suffered some skin scrapes.

As soon as he was dragged under the car, he immediately tensed up, flattening himself against the ground to avoid contact with the chassis.

Luckily, the crowd reacted quickly—the crushing pressure didn't last long.

A middle-aged woman, seeing him close his eyes, asked worriedly, "Young man, are you hurt anywhere? Where did the car hit you? We've already called an ambulance—please hold on!"

The delivery guy also stepped forward, saying apologetically, "I'm so sorry; this happened because you tried to save my delivery box. It's entirely my fault—I'll cover your medical expenses."

Hearing the delivery guy's explanation, the crowd sighed in admiration.

"This young man is truly kind-hearted!"

"What a good kid, but you must be careful in the future. Never risk your life just to help others!"

"I run a social media page—would it be okay to post this online? The way this young man caught the delivery box was so impressive!"

Amidst the surrounding voices, Jian Ye couldn't focus on the chatter. Once his vision cleared a bit, he softly said, "I'm fine. Thank you all for your help. Without your rescue, I would have been in real danger just now. Thank you, everyone."

"Hey, no problem!"

"Of course! Of course!"

"Who wouldn't step in to help in such a situation? After all, it's a human life."

"This boy's so well-mannered and handsome—thank goodness he's alright!"

...

"Excuse me, make way." A rich, magnetic baritone voice rang out.

Everyone knew it was the car owner approaching and instantly parted like the Red Sea.

The onlookers didn’t rush to leave either, curious to see how the owner would react. If he turned out to be a jerk, they could still back the kid up.

But when they saw the man’s commanding presence and his tailored suit, most of them dismissed that idea.

This man clearly came from wealth—he didn’t seem the rude type.

Jian Ye sat on the ground, and as his eyes met the man’s, his pulse quickened with a jolt of attraction.

This man checked all his boxes. A bone-deep certainty surged through him.

In novels, someone who looked this good had protagonist written all over him.

Could this be…

"System 748: Bingo! That’s right, he’s the Protagonist Gong of this world—Third Young Master Yi, Yi Siyu."

"Jian Ye: …"

His purpose for going out today was to meet the Protagonist Gong. Well, what a twist—a minor car accident led him straight to the man. That's some main character luck!

According to Old Mr. Jian, Third Young Master Yi shouldn’t have seen him before. Today was supposed to be their first meeting.

But… why was the man looking at him like that?

"Jian Ye: I swear this wasn't some setup—I just happened to roll under his car."

"System 748: Why are you explaining this to me? And so deliberately at that."

"Jian Ye: I'm a little afraid he'll misunderstand. He's the Protagonist Gong, and I'm just a scheming side character. What if he thinks I did this on purpose to get his attention?"

After all, in the original novel, the Protagonist Gong despised the side characters like Jian Ye for exactly this kind of behavior—so much so that he wouldn’t even enter their shared bedroom after the wedding.

Jian Ye wasn’t too concerned about post-marriage matters. He just didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot. He still needed to keep breathing in the Yi mansion.

While Jian Ye was lost in thought, the man also froze upon seeing his face.

It was that pathetic stray pup.

This was the third time they’d crossed paths…

And each time, the little thing looked more down on his luck.

Every time they met, the other was always in dire straits.

Before, he could remain a bystander. This time, though, his own car had hit him. He was profoundly grateful the boy was unharmed.

Yet he couldn’t walk away this time—he bore at least some responsibility now.

The man's expression flickered for a moment before quickly regaining composure. His deep voice cut in, "Can you still stand up?"

"Ah... yeah! I'm fine!"

Jian Ye was just about to push himself up with his hands when a large palm suddenly wrapped around his wrist.

Dry warmth immediately seeped into Jian Ye’s skin, making his nerves tingle slightly.

"You’ve got a scrape on the outside of your calf. If you don’t mind, come to my car—there’s a med kit. I’ll help clean it."

Jian Ye hesitated, still processing the offer.

The man added, "Or if you’d rather go to the hospital for a checkup, I can take you. I’ll cover the medical costs—"

"No, no, this tiny scrape isn’t worth a hospital trip. I can just grab a band-aid myself—"

"Then get in the car, then."

"......"

Jian Ye wanted to argue that a band-aid would do.

He had baby-soft skin—one little bump and he’d start bleeding, leaving behind a mark.

But under that no-nonsense stare, Jian Ye ultimately didn’t resist.

A minute later, he was seated on the incredibly soft and comfortable backseat.

Outside, the bystanders saw that the driver was reasonable and willing to take responsibility, so they figured they weren’t needed anymore and gradually dispersed.

Traffic picked back up.

The car rolled forward slowly, the cabin quiet except for the sound of the man rummaging for the first aid kit.

Driver Xiao Dong glanced at the scene through the rearview mirror and anxiously said, "Third Young Master, let me handle this. I’ll patch up the kid once I park."

*Who are you calling a kid?* Jian Ye thought. *Says the kid.*

Yi Siyu replied coldly, "Eyes on the road. Trying for round two?"

Xiao Dong’s rebuttal died in his throat at those words.

This was his crowning shame—being the young master’s personal driver and still causing an accident.

Though not serious, the incident left him mortified.

A/N:

Jian Xiaogou: Why am I in this car and not under it?

Er Tong: Boss is on fire.

Yi the Third: …? (slowly leaning sideways.jpg)