After leaving Qingyun Villa, I had no idea where to go, so I just wandered aimlessly along the road.
I hadn't gone far when my phone rang. I checked the screen—it was Linda. I hesitated but answered the call anyway, figuring that if I ignored her, things might end even worse for me.
"Miss Zhang," I greeted her sweetly before she could even speak, my tone so ingratiating it made me blush with shame.
"Where are you?"
Linda's voice was calm—too calm, devoid of any emotion, which made it impossible for me to guess what she was really feeling.
"I'm just wandering around outside. I'll catch a bus back to school later. No need to wait for me when you all head back—I'll manage."
"Come back now, apologize sincerely to your teacher, and I'll forgive you. Come on back."
Her words made my eyes light up. My anxious heart finally relaxed. *Linda is so kind. It's totally my fault for saying those things—I should apologize anyway.* I was about to agree when I suddenly heard Bucktooth's pitiful voice in the background:
"Miss Zhang, I think my arms are going to fall off! Can we rest for a bit before continuing?"
Then it sounded like Linda covered the phone, but I still faintly heard her cold reply:
"No. Keep doing push-ups. I didn't say stop. None of you are allowed to stop."
A cold sweat instantly broke out across my forehead. So Linda was punishing Bucktooth, Big Luo, and Little Luo! And just a second ago, she was coaxing me to come back and "apologize so she could forgive me"? Yeah right—she was clearly trying to lure me into a trap.
Her voice came back through the phone, clear and crisp:
"Andrew? Why aren't you saying anything? Hurry up and come back."
*Hell no.* She wanted to trick me back there? Bucktooth and the others were just accomplices and they were already getting punished like crazy. If I—the ringleader—went back now, I'd be tortured to bits!
As the saying goes: "If you confess, you get leniency—life in prison. If you resist, you get severity—home for the holidays."
My eyes darted around for a second. Then I held the phone slightly away and said loudly, "Hello? Hello? I can't hear you… Bad signal here… Hello—"
While pretending there was poor reception, I decisively hung up and turned off the phone. Linda was still furious—no way I was walking back into the lion's den right now. I'd wait until we were back at school and she'd cooled off a bit before apologizing.
Right after I hung up, a red Ferrari slowly drove up ahead. The flashy car caught my attention, so I glanced at it—and was stunned to see that the driver was none other than that seductive older woman, Li Mengting, who had harassed me at the Junyue Hotel.
She pulled up beside me, rolled down the window, and gave me a charming smile.
"Hey, handsome. We meet again."
This woman was a few years older than Linda. Her features weren't quite as delicate, and her figure wasn't as youthful or curvy, but she radiated a mature allure. Especially her narrow, slanted phoenix eyes and slightly arched brows—her face was brimming with sensuality.
She wore a plunging V-neck dress, with a heart-shaped ruby pendant around her neck. The pendant hung perfectly between her snowy white cleavage. I only glanced once, and I couldn't help but swallow—*damn, this woman is insanely seductive. A classic vixen.*
She must have noticed my gulping reaction, because her sultry eyes twinkled with amusement as she stared at me with a teasing smile.
Annoyed at myself for losing composure, I quickly asked, "What do you want?"
"Nothing. I just saw you walking alone on this deserted road and thought I'd ask if you need a ride."
Leaning against the car window, she rested her cheek in her hand—a pose that conveniently deepened the plunge of her neckline. From my angle, I could see even more of that snowy white skin.
"No, thanks," I replied.
Sure, she was seductive, and I'd definitely been flustered. But that didn't mean I was some lovestruck fool. A woman like her, driving a luxury car, commanding the respect of hotel managers, stunning and charming—okay, maybe a bit older—but still a textbook rich, beautiful woman. And no one gives affection for no reason.
There's no such thing as a free lunch, and there's definitely no reason for a woman like her to strike up random conversations with a guy like me. Even if I was a little good-looking, I didn't believe for a second she'd fall head over heels. No, this woman reminded me of a demoness from *Journey to the West*, and I was the Tang Monk. If I wanted to live, I had to steer clear.
So I turned and walked calmly down the mountain path.
But she wasn't giving up that easily. She turned her car around and slowly followed me, smiling as she said, "The bus from Qingyun Mountain only comes every thirty minutes. You really planning to walk all the way down?"
I gave her a sideways glance and snapped, "Can't I take a walk after a big meal? Helps with digestion, you know?"
She giggled at that but didn't argue. Instead, she invited me again. "Hop in. I'll drop you off wherever you're going."
"No thanks. I'll walk."
It's not uncommon to see old men driving luxury cars trying to pick up young girls outside high schools or colleges. I never thought I'd be in a reversed situation—getting hit on by a beautiful older woman in a sports car. It felt weird. And though walking down Qingyun Mountain would take forever, I was still wary of taking a ride from a woman like her.
She didn't seem upset by my refusal. Instead, she raised a brow and asked, "Andrew, are you afraid of me?"
I stopped and shot back, "Me? Afraid of a woman?"
She pulled over and opened the passenger door. "If not, get in. It's just a ride. I'm not going to eat you."
Fair point. I was a broke nobody—what did I have to be afraid of? And the walk *was* going to be brutal. After a bit more hesitation, I gritted my teeth and got into her Ferrari, settling into the front seat. "Thanks for the ride, Ting-jie."
"Ting-jie" was what I'd heard that hotel manager call her last time, so I used it too. Surprisingly, her eyes lit up the moment I said it—seemed she liked being called that.
She asked where I was headed. I told her just to drop me off at the nearest bus stop once we got down the mountain. She pressed further—was I going back to Second High?
Startled, I asked how she knew which school I attended. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and didn't explain. Instead, she simply said she'd drive me all the way back to school.
Now I was even more confused. What was her motive in helping me?
The car was filled with her strong Chanel perfume. I couldn't resist sneaking another glance at her plunging neckline, heart racing. *If she tries to seduce me later… would I resist?*
"Buckle your seatbelt," she said.
She'd already started the engine and, seeing I hadn't buckled up, leaned over to help me. Her ruby-red lips were less than two centimeters from my cheek. I could feel her breath on my skin, warm and intoxicating.
Aside from the two times I'd stolen kisses from Linda, this was the closest I'd ever been to a woman. My face flushed red, and I froze in place, too scared to move in case I accidentally brushed her lips.
Like a sultry secretary, she finished fastening my seatbelt and, noticing my blushing face, burst into a flirtatious giggle. Shooting me a glance full of charm, she said:
"Andrew, did you know? No man has ever ridden in this car before. You're the first."