After settling the matters of his past in the old neighborhood, Lin Yi felt lighter than ever. He had completely severed the final ties that bound him to his old life. He was now a blank canvas, ready for the System to paint colorful and surprising pictures upon it.
He accepted the new ride request on the app. The destination this time took him by surprise: Zhonghai University. It was his alma mater, the place where he had spent four years of his youth, full of both beauty and hardship. It had been nearly two years since he graduated, and he had never returned.
The Koenigsegg glided along the familiar roads, and the sight of the trees and lecture halls flashing by brought back a flood of memories. He parked at the main gate as arranged with the customer. A few minutes later, a familiar figure emerged from the campus.
It was a woman with long, wavy hair, wearing a form-fitting designer dress that accentuated her perfect curves. Her face was meticulously made up, exuding an air of confidence and a touch of arrogance. Even at a glance, Lin Yi recognized her instantly. It was Xu Ya, the belle of his department back in the day.
Xu Ya had been the goddess in the hearts of countless young men, including Lin Yi himself. The old Lin Yi, a poor student with average grades, had only dared to admire her from a distance, never once mustering the courage to speak to her. Xu Ya was famous not only for her beauty but also for her pragmatism. She only associated with the sons of wealthy families or the most promising students with brilliant futures. For ordinary people like Lin Yi, she never even bothered to remember their names.
Xu Ya walked out of the gate, looking around for her ride. When her eyes fell upon the Koenigsegg One:1, they immediately lit up. She quickly checked the license plate on her app and then hurried towards the car, a perfectly calibrated smile on her lips. She assumed the driver of such a car had to be some wealthy young master.
She tapped politely on the window. Lin Yi lowered it. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses that hid half his face, and combined with the calm demeanor endowed by his "Calm Mind" skill, Xu Ya didn't recognize him at all.
"Hello, are you my Didi driver?" she asked, her voice as sweet as honey.
"Yes, please get in," Lin Yi replied curtly.
Xu Ya gracefully slid into the passenger seat, deliberately showing off her long, slender legs. She appraised the car's luxurious interior, filled with silent admiration. She began to make conversation naturally.
"Wow, your car is gorgeous. Are you in the auto business?"
"No, I'm just a driver," Lin Yi replied, his eyes still fixed on the road.
Xu Ya thought he was being modest. She gave a charming laugh. "Oh, don't be like that. Someone who can drive a car like this is definitely no ordinary person. Your family must have a huge business."
She was trying to probe his family background. Lin Yi found it slightly amusing. The image of the pure, youthful goddess in his mind suddenly shattered. He realized that his admiration back then was probably just the fleeting infatuation of a young man for outward beauty. Her true self, pragmatic and calculating, was now on full display.
"I'm just an ordinary person," he said, his tone already a bit distant.
The conversation fell into silence. Xu Ya felt this man was a bit cold and unapproachable. Just as the car stopped at a red light, Lin Yi habitually took off his sunglasses to give them a quick wipe.
In that single moment, Xu Ya saw his face clearly.
The smile on her lips froze. Her eyes widened, filled with an undisguisable shock. "Lin... Lin Yi? Is that you?!"
Lin Yi turned to look at her and nodded slightly. "Xu Ya, long time no see."
Xu Ya's entire world felt like it was collapsing. The man she had just been trying every trick to impress, the man she assumed was some mysterious, wealthy heir, was none other than Lin Yi—the unremarkable, poor classmate she had never paid any attention to. How was this possible? The shock was even greater than seeing the supercar itself.
"Oh my god! How... how is it you?" she stammered. "This car... You... What are you doing?"
"Just as you see, I'm driving for Didi," Lin Yi said, his tone as calm as ever.
His calmness only made Xu Ya feel more flustered and embarrassed. Her attitude did a complete 180. From a confident and charming woman, she became awkward and slightly fawning.
"Ah... I see. We're old classmates, you should have said so earlier," she forced a laugh. "You've changed so much, I didn't recognize you. You've been doing really well for yourself, huh?"
"Just got lucky," Lin Yi replied vaguely, having no interest in explaining his life to her.
The car quickly arrived at its destination—a luxurious French restaurant. For the rest of the trip, Xu Ya tried to bring up old memories from university, attempting to close the distance between them, but Lin Yi only responded indifferently. The atmosphere became painfully awkward.
When the car stopped, Xu Ya sat for a moment, not wanting to get out. She felt an unprecedented wave of regret. What had she missed out on? If only she had been a little friendlier to him back then, then maybe now...
"We're here," Lin Yi reminded her gently.
Startled, Xu Ya quickly said, "Ah, thank you. Hey, Lin Yi, how about... how about we get some of the old classmates together for dinner tonight? My treat."
"I'm busy. Thank you," Lin Yi refused flatly.
He then tapped the payment button on the app, ending the trip. Having lost all face, Xu Ya had no choice but to sheepishly get out of the car. She stood on the sidewalk, watching the Koenigsegg disappear into the distance, her heart in a turmoil. She knew that she and her old classmate now belonged to two completely different worlds.
Unbeknownst to Lin Yi, just as his car was pulling away, a professional camera lens was pointed at him from a black sedan parked across the street.
Inside the sedan sat two men. They were the private investigators hired by An Ning.
"Get anything?" one of them asked.
"Just a lucky shot. A 'ghost' Koenigsegg One:1. A real beauty," said the man with the camera, zooming in on the photo he had just taken. "Can't see the driver's face clearly, but I got a perfect shot of the whole car and the ghost plate. I'll send it to the group chat for the guys to see."
He tapped a few buttons, and the crystal-clear photo of the mysterious supercar was sent to a secure chat group. That photo would soon find its way to An Ning, and then to Liang Ruoxin. The invisible net was slowly tightening.