Surprise! My online crush turned out to be... - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

This was the first time Qiao Jianxue had heard someone say that about her, and it was from a good-looking boy. Even she couldn’t help blushing slightly, and then she noticed Shu Yang’s words.

“You, you, you…” She looked at Shu Yang, who was also blushing, and then her eyes lit up again. She didn’t even care what Shu Yang said. “You! You! Oh my God!”

…Forget it, this girl is an idiot. His father wouldn’t let him play with idiots.

Shu Yang walked aside, almost afraid to look Francis in the face. He nodded, then lowered his voice and said to Francis,

“I lied to her, otherwise she would have definitely come after me. It would have been very annoying, yes.”

In fact, he didn’t know why he had said that so foolishly. He barely thought it through. He really was a careless person.

His face actually looked a bit redder than Qiao Jianxue’s, his rosy cheeks making him look even brighter and more vibrant.

Shu Yang already looked younger, and this look made him even more endearing.

Francis didn’t respond, simply staring at him intently. His Chinese was good, and even after so much time, the words “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” didn’t change their meaning much. Even if he didn’t know, he could guess a little from the man’s expression.

“No…”

Before Francis could finish his words, another commotion erupted from Shu Yang’s side.

“Good job, you black bastard! You couldn’t find me for ages, and you’re meeting a girl here!” Fatty Shen’s loud voice could be heard from ten meters away.

Shu Yang’s face darkened, and just as he was about to turn around, he saw Qiao Jianxue, looking even darker than him. She stood up, took two steps forward, and spoke in a voice rivaling Fatty Shen’s. “Rotten Peach! What’s wrong with you? Why couldn’t I find you just now?”

Chen Yi took a breath and moved away from Tao Zi, lest he hurt the innocent boy. He hadn’t heard anyone call Tao Zi “Peach Peach” in years, and this time, it was even more powerful, especially since it was “Rotten Peach.”

Shu Yang could tell the two knew each other, so he gently held his phone again and waited for everyone to speak.

“And you, Fatty, don’t talk nonsense! This little guy saved my life! And he also has… well!” Qiao Jianxue was suddenly pulled away, stumbling a few steps before steadying herself. She looked at Shu Yang, a little confused.

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Shu Yang’s expression remained calm, his face no longer red, and he seemed much more normal.

“Alright.” Qiao Jianxue straightened her clothes and stood up, ready to continue denouncing Tao Zi.

But the crowd didn’t give her a chance. Chen Yi’s gossipy nature was unstoppable. “A hero saving a beautiful woman? What do you mean by saving her life? What life did he save? How did he save her life?”

Shu Yang sighed. “It’s not that exaggerated. Besides, I think this… Qiao Jianxue, right? She’s more than capable of scaring off that group of people single-handedly.”

This girl wasn’t this fierce when she was acting timid and coy earlier.

“It’s Tao Zi’s fault anyway.” Qiao Jianxue trotted over to Tao Zi and twisted his arm.

Tao Zi restrained her and, facing everyone’s inquiring gazes, explained, “This is my cousin. She’s been staying at my house for the past two days. She’s been a bit naughty.”

Then he turned to Qiao Jianxue, “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me there?”

“Wait for nothing,” Qiao Jianxue instinctively swore, then instantly covered her mouth, returning to her usual naiveté. “I waited and waited, but you didn’t come. I just wanted to look around. Who knew…”

“Alright, alright, stop talking. The competition’s about to start. Let’s go.” Chen Yi lost interest upon hearing it was his cousin and hurriedly urged everyone on.

Shu Yang agreed and followed the others. He glanced at his phone, only to see that the call had been disconnected at some point.

An almost inaudible sigh escaped him.

Shu Yang was stunned, then smiled and shook his head.

What was wrong with him? He was just joking, but he’d taken it seriously? His big pigeon was nowhere near him. It’s no longer just an online romance; it’s a love that transcends time and space.

—

Although this year’s race featured a few more unusual individuals, the rules remained the same as always. Whoever finished the course first, without breaking any rules, would take first place, and so on.

The road conditions in this section of H City weren’t particularly dangerous, just a bit complicated. Without proper driving skills, accidents could easily occur.

So Shu Yang took this matter very seriously. He’d said it before, he cherished his life. He’d rather ride safely than win a rank.

Tao Zi’s car was right next to him, its bright yellow color brightening his face. He stared intently ahead. Only when he noticed Shu Yang’s gaze did he look over.

“Be careful,” Shu Yang whispered.

Tao Zi nodded.

Their exchange was brief, as a car model had already stepped into the middle of the road, holding a colorful silk scarf high in her hand.

Shu Yang exerted force with his fingers, his gaze fixed on the scarf.

The scarf fell to the ground.

There was a sudden roar, and all the cars started up, shooting off like arrows.

The road wasn’t wide enough for all the cars to run side by side, so for the first section, everyone was moving at a similar speed. Shu Yang was stuck in the middle.

He had been running for two years and had carefully analyzed the map with Tao Zi before the race. So, the wide curve ahead was a good opportunity to overtake.

But everyone was bound to want to overtake there. Fortunately, the curve was relatively gentle, so it tested the car’s quality more than its skill.

Shu Yang was confident in his car. His family was different from some of the others; they had plenty of money, and anything they could afford was no problem.

But…as they approached the curve, Shu Yang’s phone suddenly rang.

Shu Yang glared. Had he left his phone on? If this were a life-or-death situation, his distraction would have killed him today! He wanted to see who was so blind.

He glanced around and saw the words “Francis” on the screen.

He hadn’t previously given this “Big Pigeon” a nickname, and the website didn’t automatically generate one. Later, when he discovered the “notes” feature, he typed “Big Pigeon.” Later, he decided that “Big Pigeon” wasn’t as nice as Francis, so he changed it back to “Francis.”

With a flick of his finger, he grabbed the Bluetooth headset from the side. At the same moment, Francis’s voice rang in his ears.

“Shu Yang?”

“Hey, I’m here.” Shu Yang stared ahead, not distracted by the voice within earshot. “What’s up, Da Ge? I’m racing.”

“Race?”

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you before? There’s a race today. I’m racing.”

“Race well.”

“Okay,” Shu Yang said. The curve was just around the corner. He steered, his voice low. “Francis, you said I’m a good driver. Do you think I can take first place?”

Silence fell on the other side.

Shu Yang’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped on the accelerator without hesitation.

The Koenigsegg’s acceleration and lateral G-force far surpass those of other sports cars worldwide, earning it the reputation of being the most powerful street car.

This impulsive move allowed Shu Yang to quickly secure a front-row position in this corner, but he didn’t try to overtake the others. The closer you get to the front, the more intense the competition.

Tao Zi held steady in first place, its bright yellow body standing out in the distance. Another all-black car was following closely behind, occasionally testing the waters to see if it could pass.

Shu Yang averted his gaze. There was a long straight ahead, and in such conditions, he simply needed to maintain his speed.

At this point, he could still explain to Francis, “I can’t live stream you right now, but there are cameras installed along the way. I’ll show you my impressive display when I get back.”

Shu Yang calmly pretended to be fine, feeling refreshed.

He knew the situation ahead wasn’t as simple as he’d imagined. Some veterans, accustomed to this kind of thing, wouldn’t be easily surpassed. Shu Yang hummed a few tunes, but once he got back and edited the results with his divine hand, how would Francis know what place he was in?

Shu Yang was as clever as a tactful person.

“Focus on driving,” Francis said, his words becoming more concise, but he made no move to hang up.

Listening to the sensual male voice beside him, Shu Yang felt a sense of relief. “Don’t worry, anyone could get into trouble, but I didn’t… Damn, who hit me?”

Shu Yang glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that it was the scoundrel who had been chasing Qiao Jianxue. He had bumped into him and, taking advantage of the moment he slowed down, had brushed past him.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Shu Yang gritted his teeth. Why was he so annoying? He hadn’t even tried to run, just pretend, and now he couldn’t.

Shu Yang floored the accelerator and chased the red sports car in front. Today, he was going to show this group the skills of their “Young Master Shu.”

…

“Good job, bro, you didn’t embarrass me!” Chen Yi approached with a grin, giving Shu Yangshu a thumbs-up. Shu Yang grabbed his hand and twisted it violently.

“Ah!” Fatty Shen’s scream echoed throughout the venue.

“Didn’t you say this morning that you’d be content with second-to-last? This year, you’re fifth-to-last! And you’re still not happy? You’re even trying to break my hand?” Fatty Shen patted Shu Yang’s shoulder earnestly, concluding, “It seems you’ve gotten carried away, brother.”

Shu Yang glanced at him, not wanting to talk.

He’d clearly run well in the Wild Dog Club’s simulator car, but on the actual race track, it was a completely different story.

He’d intended to unleash his full potential, but, well, hiding his abilities put him in second-to-last, and exerting all his might put him in fifth-to-last. Hehehe.

The worst part was, he’d said something harsh—how could he possibly win first place? The two of them didn’t hang up the phone, and when the results were announced at the end of the race, they heard it. Hehehe.

Francis even tried to comfort him, saying, “…it’s okay.” Hehehe.

Shu Yang really didn’t want to talk.