Chapter 12 Mr. Guan Is a Good Person

Chapter 12: Mr. Guan is a Nice Guy

Lin Haoda originally got his international driver's license for Liang Yuan.

Back then, Liang Yuan had just come to Hong Kong to study and had trouble getting used to the local food and weather, and would complain on the phone every day. His Cantonese was still bad, and he couldn't make friends, so during holidays he could only hide in his dormitory playing games. Lin Haoda suggested he explore the city center, but he would make excuses: "The subway's as packed as char siu, and taxis are too expensive. Going out just leaves me wiped out."

Lin Haoda had to coax him, saying that when he came to Hong Kong to visit him, he would rent a car and take him wherever he wanted to go.

With a soft click, the sensor light inside the car turned on.

Guan Junshan opened the door from the other side and got into the passenger seat.

Lin Haoda thought he'd sit in the back and treat him like just a driver—but of course, it was Guan Junshan's car, and he could sit wherever he liked. Sticking to his rule of not asking questions, Lin Haoda stayed silent. He reached out to adjust the angle of the rearview mirror, and at that moment, Guan Junshan's gaze met his in the mirror.

"Let's go."

Lin Haoda nodded, said "Okay," and his palms got a little sweaty on the steering wheel. Like a novice driving for the first time, he nervously started the car.

They slowly drove out of the hotel's underground parking lot. On this rainy night, even the light spread slowly, and everything was dim and blurry. The tires rolled over the flooded road, like a lone boat sailing into the ocean, leaving only two small ripples behind.

Lin Haoda focused completely, not daring to be distracted for a moment. The wipers couldn't keep up with the pouring rain; the windshield was covered in a white haze. Driving in this weather was like playing the hardest video game level with only one life.

Luckily, it was late at night, and traffic on the main roads had lightened up a bit. Lin Haoda drove carefully and slowly, following the GPS, and they had already made it halfway through the journey without incident.

When they got closer to downtown, the flooding got worse, the roads narrower, and traffic was basically at a standstill, unable to move an inch.

Then someone tried to cut in line, cutting in front of him and forcing him to stop. Lin Haoda, who always drove steady and let people in, didn't want to argue. But the car behind them got annoyed and started honking like crazy. Maybe out of anger, the driver hit the gas and scraped their rear bumper.

The jolt woke Guan Junshan from his nap. He opened his eyes and immediately looked at Lin Haoda. Lin Haoda briefly explained what happened. Maybe afraid of being blamed, he quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and said guiltily, "I'll go check it out."

Guan Junshan was about to call him back, but Lin Haoda pushed open the door and dashed into the rain like he was escaping.

As usual with Lin Haoda's luck, the negotiation didn't go smoothly.

For such a minor scrape, normally you'd just take a photo, exchange contact information, and leave the rest to the insurance company. But either because Lin Haoda's Cantonese was shaky, or because the other guy saw only one person get out and figured he was an easy target, he not only refused to pay but also sneered and told him to go home and get his head checked.

Lin Haoda didn't argue. He just blocked the car, insisting on settling things. The stalemate continued until Guan Junshan opened his door and got out, taking in the scene.

Lin Haoda was standing stiffly, his hair and jacket soaked. He didn't even think to take cover in the rain, just standing in front of the other car.

Guan Junshan was used to seeing him timid, so he didn't know where this sudden backbone came from. He walked over and pulled him under the umbrella, saying in a displeased tone, "What are you doing, getting soaked? You planning to film a movie?"

"Mr. Guan," Lin Haoda turned and saw Guan Junshan, his bravado immediately fading, and murmured, "Why did you get out of the car?"

"Otherwise what?" Guan Junshan looked down at him, slightly raising an eyebrow. "Wait for you to stand here till dawn?"

Lin Haoda froze for a moment, not daring to meet his eyes, then said, "It's almost done. I'm not trying to waste time."

Guan Junshan said nothing. He handed the umbrella to Lin Haoda, walked over, bent down to inspect the scrape, took a photo with his phone, then straightened up. "Just follow the procedure. No need to argue here endlessly."

The other guy, maybe finding Guan Junshan more intimidating, stayed silent for a bit.

The umbrella was small, barely big enough for two. Lin Haoda's back pressed against Guan Junshan's arm, and the warmth from his body seeped through the wet fabric, warming his skin.

Noticing his distraction, Guan Junshan called, "Lin Haoda, get back in the car."

Lin Haoda said "Oh" and obediently followed him, holding the umbrella. Just as he was about to walk around to the driver's door, he felt a shove from behind and fell over. The ground was slippery from the rain, and Lin Haoda staggered forward two steps before falling into a puddle with a splash.

Guan Junshan, a few steps ahead, heard the commotion and turned. The next moment, someone grabbed his collar and shoved him hard.

A fight broke out. Two people rushed out of the car behind—one grabbed the attacker and pulled him away, while the other, soaked in the rain, apologized profusely to Guan Junshan, helping brush the water off his suit, explaining that his friend had a bad temper and acted on impulse.

Guan Junshan coldly pushed his hand away, smoothed his jacket, opened the car door, and pulled a lawyer's business card from the glove compartment, tossing it at him. His message was clear: he wasn't going to say another word. Then he walked around the man and headed straight for Lin Haoda.

Lin Haoda was still unaware of what had happened. His umbrella had long since been dropped, and his glasses were gone. He knelt in water up to his calves, squinting, groping around for his glasses.

The rain was too loud. Guan Junshan called his name twice with no response. Frustrated, he took another umbrella from the car, opened it, walked over, and pulled Lin Haoda. "Lin Haoda, get in the car! You're soaked through!"

"I... I lost my glasses!" Lin Haoda turned his face. His long, dark lashes were plastered together, dripping water.

His pupils were very dark, but myopic, they seemed a bit unfocused. "Wait for me!" He insisted on searching, shaking off Guan Junshan's hand. "Just a second!"

Guan Junshan frowned, staring at him silently, until he noticed that Lin Haoda's right hand was seeping blood—it must have been cut or scraped. He immediately grabbed his wrist. "Your hand is injured."

Guan Junshan's brow furrowed, and his tone grew cold. "Didn't you notice?"

Lin Haoda looked up at him, his lips trembling. He was about to say something, but Guan Junshan didn't want to hear his excuses and had already made a decision.

The next second, amid Lin Haoda's sharp gasp, Guan Junshan dropped the umbrella, wrapped his arm around Lin Haoda's waist, and lifted him directly out of the water.

Lin Haoda, recovering his senses, tried to struggle, but Guan Junshan opened the door with one hand and tossed him inside.

"Dry yourself off."

Guan Junshan gave him a deep look, picked up the umbrella, and said, "I'll find them for you."

Then, unbuttoning his cufflinks, he walked toward the flooded area.

If any paparazzi were lurking, this scene in the stormy night would likely become tomorrow morning's entertainment headline: Shocker! Guan Wades Through Flooded Street at Midnight to Retrieve Glasses for Someone.

—Every word, taken separately, made sense, but together, they created a bizarre absurdity.

The only thing to be thankful for was the storm, which made people's faces hard to make out. Besides, plenty of ordinary citizens were also fishing for keys or umbrellas by the roadside tonight.

Since adulthood, Guan Junshan had rarely experienced such absurdity. His life was dignified, refined, and orderly, with no room for unexpected incidents that would require him to lower himself.

And Lin Haoda was precisely that kind of unexpected incident, running counter to his dignity.

Guan Junshan didn't understand: he had already retrieved the glasses from that drain full of branches and trash, so why was Lin Haoda still upset, even crying? As if he had suffered some injustice, and Guan Junshan had chosen to ignore it and look on coldly.

"No, I, I just..." Lin Haoda sobbed, tears streaming down in large droplets, leaving trails on the steering wheel.

The reflection of the rain columns on the windshield flickered on his face, winding down, making Guan Junshan momentarily unsure which were raindrops and which were tears.

He had never dealt with something like this. No one lost control of their emotions in front of him. Everyone disguised themselves well. They swallowed their sorrows, and when the time came, they all had to play the roles assigned to them.

But Lin Haoda was different. He cried easily, laughed easily, showed obvious nervousness when lying, and seemed strained when trying to appear sharp.

So Guan Junshan felt a rare flicker of curiosity, just like that time on campus. "Lin Haoda," he sighed, pulling out another tissue, "What are you crying about?"

And crying so sadly.

"I..." Lin Haoda took the tissue, sobbing with a hiccup, wiped his tears, and said, "I just think he was too unfair."

Guan Junshan was a bit stunned for a moment. It took him a few seconds to realize who "he" was referring to.

He rarely felt a mix of amusement and exasperation like this. "Unfair?"

Lin Haoda turned to look at him.

"Aren’t the words I said tonight even more over the top?" Guan Junshan coaxed, then asked, "How come I didn't see you cry then?"

Lin Haoda was silent for a moment, his voice mingling with the rain pattering against the glass: "I did cry."

Clutching a tissue in his hand, he quickly added, "But because Mr. Guan is such a good person, and helped me find my glasses again..."

Guan Junshan suddenly spoke, calling out to him, "Lin Haoda."

It seemed he didn't want him to continue.

But Lin Haoda finished anyway: "So I've never been angry with him."

Guan Junshan fell silent. Lin Haoda turned to look at him and added quietly, "I'm sorry."

Guan Junshan slightly tucked in his chin, his gaze dropped. In the darkness, it was unclear where he was looking. The streetlamp outside slanted in through the window, casting his face half in light and half in shadow, with his expression hidden entirely in the darker half, making it impossible for Lin Haoda to see his expression.

After that, Guan Junshan never spoke another word.

Lin Haoda drove smoothly to the hospital. Just as he was about to voluntarily get out and find his own way back, Guan Junshan suddenly grabbed his wrist: "Go inside and get that cut on your hand looked at."

Lin Haoda turned to glance at the brightly lit hospital building, about to refuse, but Guan Junshan had already gotten out of the car before he could, circled around to Lin Haoda's side, opened the door, and pulled him out.

"Don't waste time."

Though he had a cold exterior and a kind heart, at certain moments, Guan Junshan seemed like the kind of person who rarely considered others' wishes.