After venting a bit about her scumbag dad, Xu Qingqing instantly felt refreshed. She began one of her daily routine entertainments: lurking in an online celebrity gossip group.
The lives in this group were endlessly dramatic, full of scandals and catfights—everything you could imagine. Hiding among them, Xu Qingqing always managed to feast on the freshest gossip.
For instance, a certain celebrity who claimed to have never been in a relationship was secretly dating someone in the circle; another actor had to delay joining a film set because he got too high on drugs last time; or that seemingly loaded rich second-generation online was actually incredibly stingy in private, even insisting on going Dutch on dates.
Some of these gossip tidbits came with photos and solid evidence, while others were questionable in authenticity, but Xu Qingqing still enjoyed reading them immensely.
A few days ago, a sister in the group who often gossiped with Xu Qingqing was recommended by her and landed a role in a major production. Although it was just a supporting part, for them, it was like hitting the jackpot—a sudden step up into the big leagues.
Since the news broke, everyone in the group had been heatedly discussing it, a mix of sour grapes and envy that the other had such incredible luck, getting hit by a pie falling straight from the sky.
Because Xu Qingqing hadn't let the production team reveal her involvement, they still had no idea that their mysterious benefactor was right there in the group, happily lurking and eavesdropping on the gossip.
Everyone was enthusiastically guessing who that kind-hearted person might be. Someone with ill intentions suggested, "Maybe it's Yunyun's sugar daddy."
Another person who was close with Yunyun immediately objected, "Bullshit! You're just jealous!"
Someone who loved romantic dramas quietly fantasized, "Could it be a big CEO who wants to pursue Yunyun, so he deliberately sent her resources?"
If Xu Qingqing didn't want to continue lurking in the group for more gossip, she would have jumped out long ago and claimed it was her.
Ah, the feeling of being the only one in the world who knows the truth but can't say it is truly agonizing.
But Xu Qingqing was already used to it. After all, she also knew that everyone was living inside a novel world. It was a pity she couldn't tell anyone; even if she did, they wouldn't be able to hear it.
The topic of Yunyun entering the entertainment industry stayed hot for about half a month before gradually cooling down.
Today, everyone was discussing the youngest son of the Zhou Group, Zhou Chenyu, one of the four young masters of City A.
Xu Qingqing immediately took a screenshot and sent it to Zhou Chenyu, saying with nervous excitement, "It's you!"
Zhou Chenyu had just left the company and was still in his car, so he replied quickly, "What are they saying about me?"
Xu Qingqing skimmed through the chat history in the group and replied, "They say you guys are going racing tomorrow afternoon."
Xu Qingqing was quite bored today and had been hesitating about doing something else. Seeing the message, she immediately decided to go find Zhou Chenyu to hang out and get him to play games with her.
When Xu Qingqing found Zhou Chenyu, she glanced at the cigarette in his hand and frowned, "You actually smoke?"
Zhou Chenyu glanced at her sideways and said, "Your Xie Lianqing smokes too." He knew Xu Qingqing hated the smell of smoke, so he was just holding it between his fingers for the feel, not actually lit.
Xu Qingqing didn't believe it. "Liar."
How could Xie Lianqing possibly smoke? His demeanor was gentle and refined, his personality kind. He never had any smell of smoke on him.
Zhou Chenyu leaned lazily on the sofa and said nonchalantly, "Don't believe me then."
That guy Xie Lianqing hid himself so well in front of Xu Qingqing, putting on that graceful, gentlemanly act, to the point that Xu Qingqing still didn't know his true colors.
Thinking about it now, he probably had his eye on Xu Qingqing, this little girl, very early on. Later, he deliberately acted aloof in front of her to lure her into taking the initiative to approach him.
Tsk tsk, such scheming.
No wonder, after all these years and all her twists and turns, Xu Qingqing ultimately still fell for him. It was a pity that both he and Xu Qingqing were young back then; how could they have seen through this man's intentions?
Xu Qingqing and Zhou Chenyu were childhood friends and knew each other fairly well. Hearing Zhou Chenyu's casual tone, she could tell he was probably telling the truth.
She was a bit curious. "Are you serious?"
Xie Lianqing actually smoked? And she had never noticed?
Zhou Chenyu gave a noncommittal nod. Before, when Xu Qingqing and Xie Lianqing were dating, both were his good friends after all, and Xie Lianqing was deeply devoted. He didn't want to deliberately expose him.
However, a while ago, Xu Qingqing contacted him in the middle of the night saying she wanted to break up, and from her tone, she probably regretted it later. Now, seeing his childhood friend still kept in the dark, Zhou Chenyu couldn't help but drop a few hints, lest she blame him again later for not speaking up clearly, like last time.
Xu Qingqing asked, "Besides smoking, what else does he do?"
It was strange. Clearly, she used to really dislike this type of guy, but hearing that Xie Lianqing occasionally smoked too, Xu Qingqing didn't feel any disgust or negative emotions in her heart—just a bit of curiosity.
Zhou Chenyu chuckled and said, "What do you think? Everything I play, he does too."
Zhou Chenyu was famously a playboy in their circle, skilled in all sorts of extravagant pastimes: yacht parties, island vacations, gambling thousands at casinos, betting on uncut jade, racing cars, wine tasting... As for the deeper, darker stuff, he respectfully declined.
Zhou Chenyu was his mother's child born in her later years. His whole family watched him like a hawk, he had an older brother keeping him in line, and his family discipline was even stricter than Xu Qingqing's.
Moreover, he himself knew his limits, so he never touched certain things. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't be friends with Xu Qingqing and Xie Lianqing.
Xu Qingqing had always been well-protected by her friends and family, so she couldn't think of too many examples off the top of her head. Remembering the news she just heard in the group, she asked, "What about car racing? But he's never taken me."
Zhou Chenyu looked at her and chuckled. "Who would dare take our Miss Xu?" Besides, Xie Lianqing hadn't played with those things since returning to the country.
Xu Qingqing snorted coldly. "I can't go, but you guys can. Jerks!"
Don't think she didn't know how wild some people in their circle played. Xu Qingqing found it disgusting just thinking about it, worried about catching something if she got too close.
Sure enough, men were all bad news.
Zhou Chenyu looked at her and laughed. "What do you, a little girl, know?"
Xu Qingqing was very indignant. "You're only one year older than me!"
She thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Come pick me up tomorrow. I'll go play with you guys."
Zhou Chenyu was stunned. "My dear lady, I'm going car racing. What are you coming along for?"
Two years ago, he took Xu Qingqing to watch a street race late at night. When they got back, both families scolded them for days. The psychological trauma was significant, and he never dared take this little miss near anything dangerous again. So even though tomorrow's event was at a proper track, he still didn't dare bring her along.
"Car racing," Xu Qingqing said, also remembering the incident from years ago. She hesitantly asked, "You are going to a race track this time, right?" Proper racing, not illegal street racing.
Xu Qingqing had gone with Zhou Chenyu to watch a street race years ago. Despite having professional tracks available, those people, chasing thrills, insisted on driving far away to a mountain road in a neighboring province with no safety guarantees.
She and Zhou Chenyu were just standing at a distance, curiously watching the commotion, not getting involved themselves. After all, they weren't so idle that they'd go looking for trouble.
Moreover, after Xu Qingqing returned home, she learned that street racing was illegal and constituted the crime of dangerous driving. So, she secretly reported all those people. She just didn't know if their licenses had been revoked or not.
Zhou Chenyu understood her implied meaning. "Of course, I'm not tired of living."
Xu Qingqing was immediately reassured. "That's good then. It's settled."
After saying that, she left excitedly. She had only gone to school to register today; formal classes didn't start for a few more days, so tomorrow would be perfect for going out to play.
The club Zhou Chenyu and the others went to probably had professional instructors. Maybe she could even get behind the wheel herself for a few laps. She still hadn't tried racing yet.
Combining what Zhou Chenyu said about Xie Lianqing's experiences abroad, Xu Qingqing realized that her friends all had a wide range of hobbies—golf, racing, scuba diving, piloting planes, investing, they did it all. Meanwhile, she was just playing against AI in the canyon every day and still getting scolded. If word got out, it would really tarnish her reputation as a drama queen.
Xu Qingqing made a determined decision to change. Starting tomorrow, she would be a cool kid who knows how to race cars too.
The next day.
Although Xu Qingqing was eager to go, today was her scheduled date time with Xie Lianqing. According to their usual arrangement, she had to go to his company to find him.
Xie Corporation, in the office.
Xie Lianqing put down his pen, stared at his girlfriend on the sofa, and asked suspiciously, "Why are you being so well-behaved today?"
He had several meetings today and a lot to handle in the morning, so he didn't have much time to spend with Xu Qingqing, let alone keep his previous promise to play games with her—a promise he'd made specifically to coax her into coming to the company to see him.
Given Xu Qingqing's personality, Xie Lianqing was already prepared for the young lady to throw a tantrum. He had even thought about which restaurant to book later to make amends.
Unexpectedly, from morning until now, Young Lady Xu Qingqing hadn't thrown a single fit and even seemed quite cheerful.
Xie Lianqing was starting to feel a bit unaccustomed to it, suspecting she might be secretly plotting some mischief behind his back.
Hearing her name, Xu Qingqing immediately looked up. "Not at all. I'm just happy because I'm going out to play later."
Xie Lianqing thought of those gaming companions he had deleted from her contacts and raised an eyebrow. "Playing what?"
Xu Qingqing avoided answering directly. "With Zhou Chenyu."
She wasn't stupid. If she told Xie Lianqing she was going racing, he would definitely start nagging just like her grandparents and not let her go.
It has to be said, Xu Qingqing did possess a certain cunning when it came to outsmarting authority figures.
Hearing it was Zhou Chenyu, Xie Lianqing felt relieved. He put down his fountain pen and joked, "Not having lunch together then?" He was busy with work but was planning to make time to take his girlfriend out for a meal.
He hadn't spent any time with Xu Qingqing all morning. If lunch didn't satisfy her either, this little ancestor probably wouldn't come to the company to find him next time.
Xu Qingqing's appointment with Zhou Chenyu was set for noon, so of course she didn't want to waste more time on lunch.
So, she cleverly said, "It's fine. You're so busy today, I won't add to your troubles."
Xie Lianqing looked up, almost doubting if his ears were playing tricks on him.
Was this something Xu Qingqing, the drama queen, could say? Could she be this considerate?
The feeling of strangeness in Xie Lianqing's heart grew stronger. Something definitely felt off.
He almost immediately closed the file in his hand, stood up, and asked gently, "Are you bored? How about I play a couple of games with you?"
He was afraid Xu Qingqing was so angry she was saving up for a big explosion.
Xu Qingqing didn't understand why he suddenly stopped working. Her mind was now solely on the racetrack; she had no mood for games.
So she refused, "You're so annoying. I don't feel like playing at all right now."
Seeing that it was almost time, she got up from the sofa and said, "This whole morning has been so boring. I'm leaving. You go ahead and work." Her last sentence was very perfunctory, her attitude rather impatient.
It was the familiar Xu Qingqing. Xie Lianqing was instantly reassured.
After Xu Qingqing left, Xie Lianqing felt quite pleased. His company had been quite busy lately; he had been working non-stop with meetings and documents, so busy he didn't even have time to accompany Xu Qingqing to her school registration.
He had thought she would make a fuss without his company, but unexpectedly, she had suddenly become so understanding, even saying things like not disturbing his work.
Then he realized he had indeed let his guard down too soon.
A few hours later, coming out of a meeting, Xie Lianqing opened his phone, planning to ask Xu Qingqing how her outing went and if she needed him to pick her up for dinner.
The message was sent, but there was no immediate reply from the other side. Xie Lianqing shook his head, already used to it.
Just as Xie Lianqing was about to ask Zhou Chenyu how Xu Qingqing's afternoon had been, he noticed someone had posted a picture on their social media feed. The photo was taken at a well-known racing spot in City A. Among the group of people in the picture, his eyes immediately found the excited Xu Qingqing in the passenger seat.
Xie Lianqing: "..."
At the racetrack.
After Zhou Chenyu took Miss Xu for several laps, he asked, utterly bored, "Miss Xu, surely that's enough now?"
Xu Qingqing was nervous and excited, her face flushed. She was still posing for various photos, urging him, "Do a few more laps. I haven't had enough fun yet."
No one had ever taken her racing before. Her aunt had sternly warned her not to play this, and her grandparents absolutely forbade her from engaging in such thrilling sports.
Although Xu Qingqing owned a sports car herself, it was just for commuting, never exceeding sixty miles per hour and always getting stuck in downtown traffic. It was no fun at all.
Now she felt it was just right. Zhou Chenyu wasn't driving fast, so she didn't have to worry about safety, and she could even show off on social media that she had finally tried this too!
She was happy, but Zhou Chenyu was suffering.
With this young lady in the car, he was too afraid of an accident to speed up, and he didn't dare put her in anyone else's car either. He had come to race, but while others were finishing their third lap, he was just finishing his first. Don't think he didn't see the many spectators around already snickering.
He said helplessly, "Alright, alright, young lady. Next time, I'll bring you again." If they kept going, he would truly become famous today. In less than a day, news of Zhou Chenyu driving a 'grandpa car' on the racetrack would spread all over City A.
Xu Qingqing finally finished taking her photos, saved them, and posted them on social media.
Zhou Chenyu, as her childhood friend, was long accustomed to this. Seeing this, he opened his social media feed, ready to give this young lady a like. After all, she would force him to do it later anyway; he might as well be proactive now.
However, when Zhou Chenyu opened his feed and scrolled through, he couldn't find the picture Xu Qingqing had posted.
He looked up, incredulous. "Xu Qingqing, did you fucking block me again?"
Xu Qingqing immediately said, "No way. Didn't we just contact each other this afternoon?"
Zhou Chenyu waved his phone in front of her and said, "Where's that post you just made on your social feed?"
Xu Qingqing understood. "Oh, you seem to be blocked. I put you in that blocked group."
Zhou Chenyu: "Why?"
Xu Qingqing was very calm, replying to comments while casually saying, "Otherwise, if my grandparents saw it, they'd definitely scold me."
She just wanted to show off to her fake socialite friends, not get a lecture.
Zhou Chenyu had a bad feeling. "Who else did you block?"
Xu Qingqing said, "You, Xie Lianqing... not many people."
By this time, Zhou Chenyu had already seen the message from Xie Lianqing. It was just one line: "You took Xu Qingqing street racing?"
Zhou Chenyu: "..."
He looked up at Xu Qingqing in disbelief. "You didn't tell Xie Lianqing about this?"
Xu Qingqing was bewildered. "Why would I tell him? If I told him, he definitely wouldn't have let me come. Hehe."
She even thought she was being clever.
Zhou Chenyu: "..."
Damn it. Other people's childhood friends are all cute and sweet. How did he end up with a walking disaster?
Since Xie Lianqing already knew, Zhou Chenyu made a swift decision. He dropped Xu Qingqing off in front of a hotel outside the racetrack and drove off alone to make an early escape.
He said, "I have something urgent to attend to. Have someone send you home later." After saying this, he gave a quick wave to the friends nearby and prepared to flee for his life.
Motivated by his frequent history of being dragged into trouble and a sense of 'misery loves company,' Zhou Chenyu didn't tell Xu Qingqing that Xie Lianqing had found out before he left.
After getting out of the car, Xu Qingqing was still a bit confused. She had been planning to take a lap herself later. Zhou Chenyu actually just ran off.
It was then that she also saw the earlier message from Xie Lianqing, but she didn't reply. She wasn't stupid. If she asked him to come pick her up here now, even an idiot could guess what she'd just been doing.
Xu Qingqing was silently pondering whether to call her driver when she saw a car speeding towards her from the distance, finally stopping right in front of her.
She stared blankly, feeling the car looked somewhat familiar.
The black car window slowly rolled down. Xie Lianqing turned his head, his expression dark, and stared at her. "Xu Qingqing, having fun?" His grip on the steering wheel was tight, and his voice was icy cold.
Even Xu Qingqing, as clueless as she could be, knew she'd been caught. She didn't know how the news had leaked, but no wonder Zhou Chenyu had run off so fast.
Her boyfriend looked furious. Xu Qingqing hesitated, words failing her, before finally managing to blurt out, "I was having fun just now... but now I don't seem to be having much fun anymore."
Xie Lianqing didn't speak, his face expressionless as he looked at her, clearly not satisfied with that answer.
Xu Qingqing's expression was hesitant as she asked timidly, "Should I be happy right now?"
