After Abandoning Her, She Discovered That Her Partner Was a Paranoid - Chapter 27

On the final afternoon of the exhibition, Jing Feizuo finally took Wen Jin to meet Luna.

It wasn’t that Luna had requested it, but Jing Feizuo simply couldn’t find a good reason to ditch Wen Jin.

The Wen Group’s chairwoman was shrewd. The moment she sensed Jing Feizuo might try to slip away alone, she would start droning about “our contract” until the suspicion faded, at which point she’d switch off her mantra.

Jing Feizuo couldn’t keep avoiding her teacher forever; that would be ungrateful.

So now, the two women were in the elevator heading to Luna’s lounge.

Wen Jin asked again, “Does Luna have any hobbies or taboos?”

Jing Feizuo shot her a sidelong glance. “We’re not meeting her parents.”

Before coming, Wen Jin had nearly bought out the entire mall as a gift. Fortunately, Jing Feizuo intervened just in time to prevent such an absurd gesture.

“Besides,” Jing Feizuo added, “my teacher doesn’t really care for material things.”

Wen Jin seemed not to hear her, pressing on, “Have any of your exes met Luna?”

Jing Feizuo snorted. “None of them were as shameless as you.”

Wen Jin didn’t reply. Instead, she suddenly reached out and tucked a stray strand of Jing Feizuo’s hair behind her ear.

Jing Feizuo instinctively tried to dodge, but her movement only caused the other woman’s fingertips to brush against her collarbone, where faint traces of their intimate encounter from a few nights ago lingered. The touch sent a shiver of tingling sensation through her.

She froze in place.

At the same moment, the elevator dinged, signaling their arrival at the top floor of the exhibition hall.

Wen Jin withdrew her hand. “Let’s go.”

The door to Luna’s private lounge was ajar.

Jing Feizuo pushed it open and stepped inside. Her teacher stood with her back to the entrance, meticulously arranging flowers, her silver-gray hair coiled into a flawless bun.

Hearing the movement at the door, Luna chided without turning around, “After all these days, you finally decided to come see me?”

Jing Feizuo set down the gift she had brought. “Now that you’ve secured my spot at the exhibition, there’s no need for me to keep sucking up to you.”

Luna turned, still holding a pair of sharp pruning shears, her gaze landing on Wen Jin with surprise. “And this is?”

“My girlfriend,” Jing Feizuo replied, having prepared the introduction in advance.

She distinctly felt Wen Jin’s breath catch beside her.

Wen Jin quickly added, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Teacher.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Luna replied with a knowing smile, casting a meaningful glance at Jing Feizuo. “Did you bring her here specifically to show me?”

The moment those words left Luna’s lips, Jing Feizuo detected an unfamiliar tension in Wen Jin’s demeanor.

The relaxed demeanor of the group chairman had vanished completely. Her posture was now as stiff as that of a recent graduate waiting for a job interview.

She deliberately gave a vague reply: “I suppose so.”

Luna set down her scissors and gestured for them to sit.

Beneath the coffee table lay a stack of newspaper clippings reviewing Jing Feizuo’s recent exhibition. The top article had the words “genius restraint” circled in red ink.

Luna handed them two glasses of water and asked about her disciple’s current situation: “You still haven’t signed with a company?”

“Taking occasional commercial gigs is enough for now.”

“You’re not very materialistic,” Luna said with an approving nod. “Just like me.”

Jing Feizuo forced a smile, disagreeing. “If I were as famous as you, I would have started my own company long ago.”

“…I really don’t feel like arguing with you,” Luna said, glaring at her student, though the affection in her eyes couldn’t be concealed. When she turned to Wen Jin, the latter also benefited from a rare glimpse of the elder’s warmth. “Are you heading back right after the exhibition ends?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Wen Jin was flattered but hadn’t even reacted before Jing Feizuo immediately interjected, “We’ll stay a few more days.”

Luna gave them a knowing smile. “Young people certainly have boundless energy.”

After saying goodbye to Luna, Jing Feizuo and Wen Jin walked side by side down the bustling sidewalk.

The city streets in the afternoon buzzed with a relaxed, prosperous energy. A cool breeze carried the excited chatter of passersby and the melodies of a street musician’s accordion.

Wen Jin suddenly remarked, “Luna doesn’t feel the way I imagined.”

Jing Feizuo recalled Wen Jin’s earlier comment. “You mean she’s not as stern and rigid as you expected?”

“No,” Wen Jin shook her head. “She’s calmer than I thought.”

Jing Feizuo turned to look at her, noticing Wen Jin’s brow furrow slightly, as if she were pondering a difficult question.

After a moment of thought, she ventured, “Is it because you find the painting in the exhibition hall too flamboyant?”

Wen Jin didn’t deny it.

“The brushstrokes in that painting are indeed full of fury,” Jing Feizuo said, tucking her hands into her coat pockets and gazing into the distance. “But they’re also remarkably composed. It’s precisely this controlled anger that allows the painting’s message to be seen and understood.”

Wen Jin paused slightly. “It seems I still have much to learn about appreciating art.”

Jing Feizuo laughed heartily. “You’re too hard on yourself. I’m not exactly eager to learn how to manage a company either.”

As they passed a dessert shop, Jing Feizuo suddenly stopped Wen Jin. “Wait a moment.”

Three minutes later, Jing Feizuo emerged with a paper bag containing European-style bread.

Wen Jin took a bite, and the sweet aroma immediately filled her mouth.

Jing Feizuo watched her eyes narrow with satisfaction, her lips curving into an involuntary smile. Gazing into those eyes, she changed the subject. “Why didn’t you mention wanting to stay a few more days?”

“Do you seem eager to go back?” Jing Feizuo raised an eyebrow in response. “Finally ready to get back to work?”

Wen Jin’s expression suddenly turned subtle. “I’m just worried about running into another one of your exes.”

Jing Feizuo chewed on her bread, her words muffled. “Then your fears might come true.”

As soon as she spoke, her gaze drifted past Wen Jin’s shoulder and fixed on the entrance of a nearby shop. A tall figure was emerging from the store.

As if sensing their attention, the person looked up in their direction.

Wen Jin’s expression froze instantly.

Seeing the woman’s sudden loss of composure, Jing Feizuo felt a secret surge of delight. She grinned mischievously, as if her prank had succeeded, and playfully hooked her finger under Wen Jin’s chin.

“Just a passerby. What are the odds of that happening?” She shook her head, recalling Wen Jin’s jealous outbursts on several nights. “This city isn’t that small.”

Whether the city was small or not, Wen Jin couldn’t say, but she certainly seemed to recognize a lot of people.

When she had heard Jing Feizuo suggest “staying a few more days,” she had imagined them sailing on a yacht, indulging in gourmet meals, or perhaps traveling to a nearby location to see the Northern Lights.

She never imagined Jing Feizuo would take her to a go-kart track on the city’s outskirts.

Xia Lin, whom they had last seen just two weeks ago, stood at the entrance, waving them over. “This way!”

Wen Jin recalled their last gathering, where Xia Lin, in a flowing white dress, had greeted them with the same graceful wave, exuding the air of an artist.

Now, clad in a leather jacket that revealed extensive tattoos across her arms, Xia Lin looked as rebellious as a biker.

Sensing Wen Jin’s confusion, Jing Feizuo murmured, “She studied mechanical engineering and now designs race cars.”

“Weren’t you college classmates?”

Jing Feizuo shook her head. “We were roommates after graduation.”

“I took Jing Feizuo go-karting for the first time,” Xia Lin interjected from ahead. “Even back then, I thought it was a shame she didn’t pursue a career as a professional racer, given her natural talent.”

The praised party showed no false modesty. “That would have been an even greater loss for the art world.”

Wen Jin frowned. “I thought you didn’t have a driver’s license?”

“That’s why I can only drive on the track. No pedestrians, no traffic lights—just the racing line, braking points, and speed control. If anything goes wrong, I’m the only one responsible,” Jing Feizuo shrugged. “Don’t believe Xia Lin’s hype. It’s not about talent; I was just fearless back then.”

Wen Jin’s eyelid twitched at the utter indifference to life and death in Jing Feizuo’s voice.

The racetrack had a raw, industrial aesthetic, with several cars speeding around the track, their engines roaring so loudly that it made one’s eardrums vibrate.

Xia Lin led them to the maintenance area and patted the car parked nearby. “Here’s your new ride. Every function has been fully optimized. It’s just waiting for you to take it for a spin.”

Jing Feizuo ran her hand along the carbon fiber frame, feeling its icy texture. “Has it been tuned?”

Remembering something, Xia Lin picked up a wrench and crouched down by the rear of the car to adjust the suspension. “I’m softening the rear suspension for you. Right now, this car’s as wild as you are.”

Jing Feizuo: “I want stability, not softness.”

Xia Lin scoffed. “Don’t give me that. You practically drift through every turn.”

Wen Jin suddenly asked, “What’s the top speed?”

Xia Lin: “Jing Feizuo used to hit 120 kilometers per hour in her old car. This one will be even faster.”

Wen Jin’s gaze locked onto Jing Feizuo.

Sensing the worry in her eyes, Jing Feizuo reassured her, “It’s just a test run. Nothing to worry about.”

She threw out a distraction: “Will you come with me to the changing room to get dressed?”

The locker door sprang open, revealing the racing suit Xia Lin had prepared for Jing Feizuo hanging quietly inside.

“You know, female racers are actually quite rare, and so are female designers,” Jing Feizuo said, pulling the suit off the hanger. Without turning around, she slipped into the fireproof undergarments, the rustling fabric amplified in the cramped space. “Of course, this originally had nothing to do with me.”

Wen Jin leaned against the doorframe, holding the bracelet Jing Feizuo had removed, patiently waiting for her to continue.

“Xia Lin bringing me here that time was purely coincidental, but she said I was a rare natural talent as a driver, and that I might be able to help her realize her dream.” Jing Feizuo had already put on the racing suit, the tight fabric accentuating her sleek physique. “Her dream was to have a female racer win a race in a car she designed.”

Wen Jin interjected, “And she actually designed it.”

“Yes, three years later.”

The zipper of the racing suit clicked shut, like a final beat punctuating the end of this story.

“Actually, her dream had already been realized by a more professional female racer a few months ago, who even broke the record. But those guys still refused to accept it, so Xia Lin made a bold claim: even someone who hadn’t driven in ages could beat them. That’s how I got drafted—as a bonus chapter to this dream story.”

Jing Feizuo suddenly turned to Wen Jin. “Help me fasten my neck brace.”

A dangerous invitation.

Jing Feizuo’s neck was right in front of her, a stretch of pale skin visible between strands of loose hair.

Wen Jin picked up the leather neck brace. The cool touch of the leather made her fingers curl involuntarily, but her gaze burned hot on that patch of skin.

Her voice came out a little hoarse. “Too tight?”

“A little tighter,” Jing Feizuo said, tilting her chin up. “Just tight enough not to choke me.”

The moment she settled into the cockpit, the world suddenly went silent.

The five-point harness pressed against her chest, feeling almost like a tight embrace. Jing Feizuo yanked the shoulder straps until her breathing was slightly restricted, then snapped them securely into place.

“Just a few laps to familiarize myself with the track,” Jing Feizuo said, pulling on her gloves. She suddenly grinned at Wen Jin beside her. “Don’t blink. And don’t worry.”

Wen Jin watched Jing Feizuo’s go-kart shoot off the track like a bullet, her worry lashing at her heart like a whip, making it tremble.

Inside the kart, Jing Feizuo felt a long-lost sense of freedom.

The wind roared past her ears as the first turn loomed ahead. She tapped the brakes, swung the steering wheel hard to the right, and the tires screeched against the asphalt.

For a split second, she could feel the kart teetering on the edge of control, the rear wheels briefly losing traction before her precise handling regained grip.

This sense of balance on the knife’s edge was intoxicating.

Back on the straightaway, she floored the accelerator. The speedometer needle climbed relentlessly, the wind pressure pressing against her chest. The crash barriers on either side of the track blurred into streaks of color in her peripheral vision, the world shrinking to the endless black ribbon of asphalt stretching before her.

On the final lap, her breathing grew ragged, and beads of sweat dotted her back, but her fingers remained firmly locked on the steering wheel.

The tires bit into the pavement on the final hairpin turn, and she crossed the finish line with a perfect apex.