Fell in Love with the Crazy Young Lady - Chapter 23

Seeing her standing safely before her own eyes, Hua Man quietly let out a sigh of relief.

 

 

Thank goodness she was fine—otherwise, Yu Shan would probably have killed her.

 

 

“Oh wow, this young lady is so pretty!” The man immediately switched to a smiling face when he saw Yang Zhao. “I’m the leader of the AAA tour group. For just 399, you can enjoy the absolute highest quality travel experience! And!”

 

 

Here, he winked suggestively at the two of them. “Couples get an even better deal! We’ll arrange a special couple’s room for you, and our group even has exclusive perks for young lovers—something no other tour offers!”

 

 

Yang Zhao didn’t take the flyer he held out. “Not interested.”

 

 

With that, she reached out and grabbed Hua Man’s hand, pulling her away.

 

 

But the man was persistent, chasing after them. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Today’s special discount is only 399—later, the price will go up! Traveling alone is such a waste of money. Joining a group is way more cost-effective!”

 

 

Yang Zhao, who had been in a decent mood, narrowed her eyes. “No matter the price, I can afford it. Now get lost.”

 

 

The man, intimidated, immediately stepped aside.

 

 

With the annoying pest gone, Yang Zhao’s mood improved significantly.

 

 

Back in the car, she turned to Hua Man. “What a shame you didn’t get to see my heroic climb to the summit.”

 

 

The pride and confidence in her expression were almost palpable. Though she said it was a shame, Hua Man had the inexplicable feeling that Yang Zhao didn’t actually care whether she’d seen it or not.

 

 

Yang Zhao hadn’t climbed for her sake.

 

 

She was just another passing sight on the young mistress’s journey—no one cared about how the scenery felt.

 

 

“Still, I’m all sweaty now. I stink.” At this, the smile on Yang Zhao’s face faded slightly as she urged the driver, “Hurry up.”

 

 

The driver hesitated. “Miss, any faster and we’ll be speeding.”

 

 

“That’s your problem,” Yang Zhao said, unmoved. “Either way, I want to get back to the hotel immediately.”

 

 

Hua Man, sitting beside her, felt her eyelid twitch: the lawless troublemaker was at it again. She quickly interjected, “Speeding is illegal and dangerous. Let’s just stick to the current speed.”

 

 

The driver broke out in a cold sweat.

 

 

But his foot was honest—he pressed the accelerator, and the car sped up noticeably. Hua Man was just a bodyguard, after all. Whoever paid the bills called the shots.

 

 

Hua Man wasn’t surprised. This wasn’t the first time. There was a clear hierarchy between her and Yang Zhao—Yang Zhao was the employer, the one with the authority. It was only natural the driver listened to her.

 

 

The key was Yang Zhao herself.

 

 

She turned to Yang Zhao. “You don’t stink.”

 

 

“You’re lying,” Yang Zhao retorted, unmoved.

 

 

The next moment, Hua Man leaned closer. Yang Zhao instinctively held her breath, watching quietly as Hua Man sniffed her, then declared with utmost seriousness, “I’m not lying. You don’t stink.”

 

 

Yang Zhao couldn’t help but laugh.

 

 

How could she be this adorable?

 

 

The discomfort from the sweat clinging to her body seemed to fade a little.

 

 

But she still refused to back down. “I don’t trust your sense of smell. Last time you rolled around in a garbage dump, you also claimed you didn’t smell.”

 

 

Hua Man: “…”

 

 

She’d already said she hadn’t gone near any garbage.

 

 

But though the young mistress said this, she soon told the driver to return to the previous speed.

 

 

At least they weren’t speeding anymore.

 

 

Hua Man sighed in relief.

 

 

 

The next second, her hand was suddenly grasped.

 

 

“Such a scaredy-cat.” Feeling the dampness in Hua Man’s palm, Yang Zhao clicked her tongue. “Just a tiny bit faster and you’re already this frightened.”

 

 

“Speeding is dangerous,” Hua Man frowned. “It harms both yourself and others. If there’s an accident and someone gets hit—”

 

 

Yang Zhao cut her off: “That wasn’t even fast just now.”

 

 

Hua Man: “But it was still speeding.”

 

 

Yang Zhao: “…”

 

 

She really was like a stubborn, nagging little old lady.

 

 

But since Yang Zhao was in a good mood today, she didn’t argue further. Looking up at the driver, she said, “Did you hear that? Obey traffic laws—no more speeding from now on.”

 

 

The driver quickly agreed: “Yes, yes.”

 

 

Hua Man couldn’t help stealing a glance at Yang Zhao. Ever since learning that she had held climbing records for several consecutive years, Hua Man couldn’t help but see Yang Zhao in a different light.

 

 

In moments like these, Yang Zhao didn’t seem like a pampered heiress at all. She was such a contradictory, complex person—utterly inscrutable.

 

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

 

Yang Zhao suddenly turned her head, catching Hua Man red-handed.

 

 

“Earlier, you mentioned you were kidnapped as a child,” Hua Man said, though bringing up that night’s events made her feel awkward. “You never told me who kidnapped you.”

 

 

At this, Yang Zhao chuckled. “Isn’t it a bit late to ask now?” She wagged a finger playfully. “Opportunity knocks but once, Manman. That ship has sailed.”

 

 

Hua Man: “…”

 

 

Fine. It wasn’t like she was dying to know anyway.

 

 

She turned her head away to look out the window.

 

 

Something brushed against her arm. She looked down.

 

 

Yang Zhao raised an eyebrow. “Here, for you.”

 

 

“What is this?”

 

 

She had noticed Yang Zhao holding this object ever since she first saw her today.

 

 

Yang Zhao’s expression remained unchanged. “Open it and see.”

 

 

Without giving her a chance to refuse, Yang Zhao shoved the item into her hands and commanded, “Open it.”

 

 

Hua Man was astounded by her domineering gift-giving manner but complied nonetheless.

 

 

Inside was a beautiful trophy.

 

 

“The view from the mountain was stunning—too bad you missed it,” Yang Zhao said, tilting her chin up, her eyes sparkling like stars. “But I got this commemorative cup for you. Now returning it to its rightful owner.”

 

 

Was that really how “returning to its rightful owner” was supposed to be used?

 

 

Hua Man handed it back. “This is the result of your hard work.”

 

 

“Hard work?” Yang Zhao rejected the notion outright. “I didn’t work hard. I don’t need to. Only the weak need to work hard.”

 

 

After a pause, she added, “Besides, I have plenty of these commemorative cups.”

 

 

Every word was lethally arrogant.

 

 

Hua Man slowly withdrew her outstretched hand. “Oh.”

 

 

For the rest of the journey, Yang Zhao didn’t speak again. She must have been truly exhausted, as her breathing soon evened out—she had actually fallen asleep in the car.

 

 

Hua Man carefully picked up the commemorative cup.

 

 

It had a satisfying weight to it; neither its design nor its texture felt the least bit cheap.

 

 

The trophy, shaped like the Skyward Gorge, was engraved with the words: “Atop the highest peak, I am the summit.” Tracing the inscription with her fingers, Hua Man couldn’t help but look at Yang Zhao again.

 

 

She was fast asleep, appearing so innocent and harmless.

 

 

This was the first time Hua Man could gaze at her so freely. Eventually, her eyes inevitably drifted to Yang Zhao’s lips.

 

 

 

Her lips were always naturally pink and tender. At first, she thought Yang Zhao wore lipstick, but later discovered the young miss was born with these plump, rosy lips.

 

 

Yet they could be so domineering.

 

 

When Yang Zhao forcefully pressed against her for a kiss, those lips felt so soft that she hardly dared exert any pressure—as if they were fragile as tofu, ready to break at the slightest bite.

 

 

Sometimes they reminded her of jelly—sweet, tender, and elastic, especially when they collided with hers…

 

 

Wait!

 

 

Hua Man’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt. What was she even thinking? Was she actually reminiscing about kissing Yang Zhao?!

 

 

Realizing this, her expression darkened instantly, and she quickly shoved those absurd thoughts out of her mind.

 

 

The car came to a smooth stop.

 

 

Yang Zhao, who had been so eager to return to the hotel earlier, had already fallen asleep. The driver glanced helplessly at Hua Man. “Miss Hua, perhaps you could wake the young miss?”

 

 

Everyone in the Yang family knew how terrible the young miss’s temper was upon waking. He certainly didn’t have the courage to rouse her.

 

 

But if they didn’t wake her now, she would undoubtedly hold them accountable later.

 

 

“Mm.”

 

 

This wasn’t the first time Hua Man had been tasked with waking her. She took on the responsibility, gripping Yang Zhao’s shoulders and giving her a gentle shake. “We’re at the hotel.”

 

 

Not only did Yang Zhao not wake, but her head lolled to the side. If Hua Man hadn’t reacted quickly, catching her head with a hand, the young miss might have tumbled into the aisle.

 

 

Her palm pressed against Yang Zhao’s slightly cool cheek, and Hua Man’s breathing softened.

 

 

Yang Zhao looked utterly exhausted.

 

 

The nearly three-hour climb had truly worn her out.

 

 

An indescribable emotion churned within Hua Man.

 

 

Remembering the commemorative cup Yang Zhao had given her, engraved with the words “At the mountain’s peak, I stand supreme,” Hua Man hesitated for a moment before making a bold decision.

 

 

Stepping out of the car first, she circled to Yang Zhao’s side, opened the door, and lifted her out in a princess carry.

 

 

The sleeping young miss was surprisingly docile.

 

 

“Miss Hua, won’t the young miss blame us when she wakes?” The driver followed anxiously, pressing the elevator button for them.

 

 

“It’s fine,” Hua Man murmured. “If she blames anyone, it’ll be me. You have nothing to worry about.”

 

 

She glanced down at the peacefully sleeping Yang Zhao.

 

 

Besides, the tiger had already turned into a kitten in slumber—hardly capable of unleashing any fury. As for what would happen after she woke… they’d cross that bridge when they came to it.

 

 

The driver helped Hua Man open the door with the key card but lingered at the threshold. “Should I leave now?”

 

 

“Mm.”

 

 

Hua Man carried Yang Zhao to the bed and laid her down.

 

 

She remained fast asleep.

 

 

It was hard to imagine just how exhausted she must be to sleep through all that without even stirring. By now, it was nearly Yang Zhao’s usual dinnertime.

 

 

After adjusting the room temperature, Hua Man headed out.

 

 

At this hour, even she was feeling hungry.

 

 

The presidential suite resembled a luxurious apartment, complete with a fully stocked kitchen.

 

 

Hua Man decided to cook something simple for herself.

 

 

After days of indulging in extravagant, unfamiliar dishes while accompanying Yang Zhao, she found herself craving homely comfort food.

 

 

Though she knew the room’s soundproofing was excellent, she still moved quietly out of habit.

 

 

In the end, she made a pot of mixed noodle soup.

 

 

Perhaps it had been too long since she last cooked it—she misjudged the portion size. Even after filling a bowl, plenty remained in the pot.

 

 

Just as she turned to carry the bowl to the living room, she froze.

 

 

A figure stood in the doorway.

 

 

 

She froze in place, completely unaware of how long Yang Zhao had been standing there watching.

 

 

“What are you standing around for?” Yang Zhao raised an eyebrow, already walking past her. “Hurry up, I’m starving.”

 

 

Clearly, she had misunderstood something.

 

 

Hua Man pressed her lips together and glanced down at the bowl of noodles in her hands.

 

 

Compared to all those extravagant delicacies, her humble bowl of mixed noodles looked especially shabby.

 

 

Placing the bowl on the table, she looked at Yang Zhao, who had already picked up her chopsticks. “It might not suit your taste.”

 

 

This young mistress was notoriously picky—even five-figure dishes could be torn apart by her critiques. After watching her eat out so many times, Hua Man had never seen her satisfied with any restaurant.

 

 

Yang Zhao stirred the noodles lazily with her chopsticks. “Hmm.”

 

 

As she took a bite, Hua Man couldn’t help but tense up, her gaze fixed intently on Yang Zhao’s face.

 

 

The next moment, Yang Zhao’s brows suddenly furrowed, and she lifted her head to look straight at her.