Wait, I Got in the Wrong Car (GL) - Chapter 2

Bang!

A loud, forceful slam exploded beside her ear. Lou Anran, who had just closed her eyes in the backseat to fake a nap, rubbed her temples in frustration.

“You’ve followed me for three years and still don’t understand the rules. Your bonus this month is gone.”

Mo Ying’s legs felt like twisted pretzels, soft and barely functional. The moment she sat on the Italian leather of the custom backseat, that strange, rising heat in her body was soothed with surprising ease.

She widened her sparkling eyes and studied the person beside her, only half an arm’s length away. Oversized sunglasses concealed most of Lou Anran’s dangerously striking features. Yet her plump red lips, painted in a vivid berry shade, were more than enough to make one’s mouth water… undeniably tempting. They looked delicious.

Suddenly, a sweet unfamiliar scent filled the narrow space. It was a fragrance Lou Anran had never encountered before. Alarmed, she opened her eyes. Beneath her lenses, Lou Anran’s sharp gaze met Mo Ying’s pure, vibrant green eyes. They shimmered with curiosity and playful mischief, holding her attention without flinching. Lou Anran quickly glanced at the driver’s seat, then at the back door Mo Ying had entered through.

A flicker of doubt crossed her expression, but it was instantly replaced by towering fury.

“Get. Out.”

Startled by the scolding, Mo Ying suddenly lost interest in tasting those berry-colored lips. She hugged herself tightly and shrank into the corner, as if putting distance between them could shield her from the verbal storm.

Even so, she couldn’t help but steal another glance at the smoldering volcano across from her. Confusion clouded her already limited brain capacity, overwhelmed by the reddish-purple ribbons floating from Lou Anran’s body. They were sour, spicy, and strangely addictive.

She’s even scarier than those jerks who littered earlier. So why doesn’t she feel hostile?

Driven by the philosophy of not wasting what’s free, Mo Ying slurped up a few threads. Her entire mermaid body felt as if it had been tossed into boiling water. The discomfort surged.

“Excuse me, would you give me a ride? I’ll pay for the fare.”

“???”

Lou Anran nearly burst out laughing once she decoded the girl’s clumsy request. Her brand-new luxury car mistaken for a street cab, and her pristine leather seat stepped on with shoes? She should’ve thrown her out without hesitation. And yet, somehow, her fury was miraculously soothed by that soft, pitiful voice.

“Boss, you were right. Lou Annie really is getting desperate for investors. I secretly handed Lu Wenbin the—”

“Ahem, ahem!”

“Boss, if your throat’s acting up, drink some of this—”

Chu Shu, the diligent assistant and driver, opened the lid of the herbal tea and reached toward the back. That’s when she noticed the unexpected passenger.

“!!!”

Who the hell is this?!

She’d only been gone half an hour! How did her boss pick up a girl?

After staring in shock for a few moments, she snapped her mouth shut and looked to her boss for instruction. Lou Anran crossed her arms and lifted her chin slightly, revealing a sharp and elegant jawline.

“Drive. Take her home.”

Chu Shu nearly dropped the tea. She gawked at the girl with her chin resting on her knees. Her golden hair flowed like a waterfall, framing a delicate, doll-like face. Those rare green eyes were as clean and clear as a piece of priceless jade. Just one look stirred the urge to hide her away.

Unfortunately, the little beauty was trembling under the full-on aura of their T-Rex of a boss. Chu Shu silently complained about Lou Anran’s terrifying presence.

Snapping herself out of it, she resumed her duties.

“Boss, you have an appointment at three with the gossip editor from Star Entertainment. Only one hour left.”

Mo Ying was burning up, about to melt into a puddle. She looked utterly miserable as her gaze settled on the only person who held the power to decide her fate… Lou Anran.

Her green eyes shimmered like cat’s eyes, filled with cautious pleading. Even Chu Shu, watching through the rearview mirror, felt a stab of guilt. But she reminded herself, she was just a salaried worker. Survival meant staying in her lane.

Beauty is a trap. Beauty is a trap.

Knock knock.

Knock knock knock.

The sudden rapping on the window startled all three. Chu Shu turned and nearly choked as if a chunk of boiled egg had lodged in her chest.

“Boss, it’s Lou Annie.”

Mo Ying saw it clearly. The moment Lou Anran heard that name, gray ribbons floated from her body. Under Mo Ying’s intense gaze, they darkened, nearly turning black. The woman outside the car wore the same murky aura.

Half the window rolled down, and the summer heat rushed in like a blowtorch.

Earlier, dancing in the plaza, Mo Ying hadn’t felt hot at all. But now she felt like she was being roasted. Her legs itched. Her tail itched. She was about to lose control.

“What a coincidence, Big Sister. What brings you out here today? Should I take you shopping so the staff get used to your face? Wouldn’t want someone with no eyes bumping into you one day and not realizing you’re a Lou. That’d be embarrassing.”

Lou Annie smiled sweetly and even nodded politely at Mo Ying.

“Big Sister, is this young lady—”

Lou Anran raised the window until only a narrow slit remained. She clearly had no intention of introducing Mo Ying.

“Haven’t there been enough jokes about the Lou family? Like your mother, begging at the gates to marry in and making us the laughingstock of the entire circle.”

Lou Annie’s smile froze. The sting of being an illegitimate daughter hit hard.

Lou Anran acted like she didn’t notice.

Her red lips curled seductively. “You’re always loitering in malls. Haven’t they figured out your last name used to be ‘Wild’?”

Surname Wild. First name Bastard.

“Pfft.”

Chu Shu couldn’t hold it. A mouthful of tea sprayed onto the dashboard.

Lou Anran snapped, “You’re disgusting. Get this car deep-cleaned. I’m not sitting in a seat tainted by someone’s spit. Filthy.”

“Yes, Boss. I’ll take it in right away.”

The car sped off, leaving nothing but exhaust.

Lou Annie’s face contorted through various shades. She returned to her cheap car and slapped the hood.

“So smug. It’s just because the old man likes you.”

The drive continued for a long stretch. Chu Shu kept peeking at her boss in the rearview mirror. Every time they encountered Lou Annie, her boss would act out of character for a while.

“Boss, how did I do back there?”

“Mm.”

That brief reply told her the boss wasn’t in a terrible mood, but she kept quiet.

A few minutes passed before she asked, “Boss, are we still heading to see Editor Song at Star Entertainment, or—”

Lou Anran turned toward the window. Mo Ying was asleep, her head resting softly against the glass.

Chu Shu noticed the familiar furrow forming between her boss’s brows.

“Boss, where should I drop her?”

Lou Anran looked more lost than she did. The sudden intrusion had thrown her off.

“Next intersection. Toss her out.”

Chu Shu flinched, nearly hitting the guardrail.

“If you can’t drive, I’ll find someone else.”

Being replaced meant losing her status and her job.

“Sorry, Boss.”

She glanced sympathetically at the flushed, sleeping beauty. What a pity. But one more word out of turn and she’d lose her rice bowl.

Lou Anran felt lighter after deciding to kick her out, but the peace didn’t last.

Mo Ying, still asleep, crept closer. First a hand, then half her body sprawled over Lou Anran. She tried nudging her away. Instead, the girl snuggled deeper, eventually burying her face in Lou Anran’s abdomen like a child.

Lou Anran looked down. She gently touched her forehead to Mo Ying’s. The heat shocked her.

“Chu Shu. She’s burning up.”

“Should I take her to a hospital?”

Something in Mo Ying twitched at the word. Her eyes fluttered open, and she slapped Lou Anran’s sunglasses clean off her face.

“No hospital. I want to go home.”

Chu Shu stared at the red print blooming on her boss’s cheek and pressed her lips together to stifle a smile.

“Boss, where does she live? A sick girl like her… it would be far too dangerous to leave her out on the street.”

Lou Anran considered throwing her out a third time. But the dazed girl, flushed and confused from the fever, made her swallow the urge.

“Hotel.”

Chu Shu quickly located the nearest one.

As they entered, the manager rushed over to greet them. Lou Anran tried to hand Mo Ying off to a staff member, but the girl clung like an octopus, refusing to let go.

That same fragrant scent from the car wafted up again.

Lou Anran leaned in, breathing it in. The tension in her mind melted. She felt oddly serene. She followed the trail of scent and found it coming from Mo Ying’s neck. She reached out to touch it—

Mo Ying blinked her eyes open and glared.

“What are you doing!”

Her voice was soft like a puff of cotton. Even her accusation came out like a whine. Lou Anran had never taken care of anyone before. She wondered if everyone was this cute.

“Boss, need help?”

“No.”

She waved Chu Shu off without thinking and half-carried Mo Ying into the room. Just before shutting the door, she said,

“Buy fever medicine. No, get a doctor.”

Chu Shu blinked.

Is this really the same boss who wanted to toss her out of the car?

She had the manager call a doctor. The three of them waited at the door, ringing the bell repeatedly. No one answered.

Chu Shu pulled out her phone. Still no answer.

“Did something happen in there?”

They all exchanged uneasy glances.

The manager smirked knowingly.

“Come on, what could happen? And you call yourself her special assistant? Still this clueless?”

He and the staff member walked off arm in arm, leaving Chu Shu stunned and bewildered in the hallway.