Chapter 6: Loading also has levels

"Get in the car."

"Hah, no way."

"Then, how about adding my WeChat?"

"Holy crap, don't even think about it. Who do you think you're hitting on here?"

"Then... give me your bank card number?"

"What the hell? Are you trying to violate personal privacy now? Dude, there has to be a limit to your pickup attempts, right?"

"Hmm, then what should I do?" Xiang Bei looked troubled, raising the hand holding the coffee slightly to point at the almost invisible coffee stain on her dark skirt. "Didn't you say you wanted me to pay for your clothes?"

Alright, if this isn't the classic act of playing dumb to catch the tiger, then what is?

Gao Qinghe gave him a proper, full-on eye roll.

This coffee stain on her clothes might very well be from not washing it cleanly last time, having absolutely nothing to do with his perfectly sealed coffee.

Could she not see what he was scheming?

Xiang Bei was no philanthropist; Gao Qinghe knew this perfectly well. He was that type of meticulous self-interested person, only spending money where it was necessary, never doing useless work. Normally, she would absolutely want nothing to do with this kind of person.

...But normal was normal, and now was now.

Gao Qinghe reconsidered. What was the point in not going?

Right now, her closet didn't have a single piece of women's clothing, her living expenses were almost completely spent, and on top of that, she had left her phone and wallet at home when she went out, running out without a single cent on her.

Xiang Bei's money was there for the taking; he'd delivered himself to her doorstep, so why should she refuse him?

Besides, this guy stole her girlfriend... ahem, alright, stole her ex-girlfriend. She'd feel much better making his wallet bleed a little for it.

"Hey, then go buy me a coffee," Gao Qinghe said without any politeness, slightly raising her chin as she gave the order.

Xiang Bei agreed readily. "Sure, what do you want to drink?"

From his tone, it seemed he intended for her to wait here while he went and came back.

"Uh, that thing... just an iced Americano, I guess."

What did Gao Qinghe know about this? She never understood coffee drinkers. Wasn't this just pretentiousness? A cup of coffee cost over thirty bucks, bitter and not even tasty. She'd rather have her four-yuan cup of lemon water.

"If it's an iced Americano, do you want to drink this one? I happened to buy an extra cup." Xiang Bei smiled, raising the coffee in his hand, gesturing for her to take it.

This... wasn't right, was it? Why would he buy two cups for no reason? Wasn't this probably the coffee he bought for Lin Xi?

"What? You bought it for someone else? What will she drink if I drink it?"

"No, I bought it for myself to drink." His expression was calm, his tone even. "One cup in the morning, one in the afternoon."

...Was this true or false? He better not be lying over there.

Gao Qinghe stared at him for two seconds, trying to find a clue, but found nothing.

Whatever, who cares?

Even if he gave her the coffee he bought for Lin Xi, so what? It wasn't her money, it wasn't her girlfriend. Whether they were sweet and loving or fighting each other had nothing to do with her.

No, they better be fighting, arguing every day!

Serves them right to break up!

Gao Qinghe, fuming, took the cup, stabbed the straw in, and took a big gulp—

Fuck, it's so bitter!

What kind of awful-tasting stuff was this? It was only slightly better than the herbal medicine her mom brewed.

Gao Qinghe's face instantly scrunched up, her lips pulling back exaggeratedly, her little tongue and neat pearly teeth clearly visible.

Xiang Bei finally couldn't hold back, letting out a low chuckle.

"Wasn't it you who ordered the iced Americano? What, not to your taste?"

"...It's too cold, it shocked me!" Gao Qinghe cried out in flustered anger, her soft voice carrying a sulky nasal tone. "Your sarcastic remarks are plenty cold too, almost giving me a chill. Hurry up, where's your car?"

Xiang Bei still wore an amused expression as he pulled the car key from his pocket and pressed the unlock button.

Holy crap, a Maybach! Holy crap!

Gao Qinghe stared at the double-M shield emblem on his car key, her eyes going wide.

Forget riding in one, she had only seen a car of this level in TV dramas.

Seriously, who drives a Maybach just to buy coffee? Where did he park it?

Oh, parked by the roadside?

Parked by the roadside?

Wasn't he afraid some wealth-hating person would scratch his car?

It didn't matter. If there was no wealth-hater, she could be that wealth-hater. After all, she had nothing to lose. Since he dared to park it on the roadside, he probably didn't have the international time to bother with scratches on his car...

"Miss, not getting in?" In the time she was mentally cursing, Xiang Bei had already opened the passenger door for her. He leaned against the door with one hand, his posture lazy yet excessively gentlemanly. The open door revealed the cream-colored leather seats inside, a faint woody scent from the car fragrance wafting out.

Alright, this guy was also a poser.

Different from Li Xiang's last-minute diligence, this guy Xiang Bei was clearly used to putting on an act. Looking at his playboy appearance, he could out-pose the three big trash cans at the community entrance combined.

Gao Qinghe rolled her eyes again dramatically and strode into the car.

Sitting in the seat, the skin of her thighs completely touched the leather, the cool sensation making her shiver slightly. She quickly adjusted her position before he got in, smoothing out her skirt.

Xiang Bei walked around to the driver's seat and sat down, his slender fingers resting on the steering wheel. His profile looked particularly sharp in the sunlight streaming through the window. He placed his coffee in the driver's side cup holder, turned his head, smiled, and silently looked at her.

Hey, what was this? Showing off again?

Damn it, if I had a Maybach, I'd want to show off like this too!! Hadn't she dreamed before of picking up her girlfriend from school in a luxury car, or driving her girlfriend shopping?

When she used to tell Lin Xi about her luxury car dreams, Lin Xi would always laugh and call her silly, but who wouldn't be moved by this sight! Wasn't Lin Xi also saying one thing and doing another, ending up in the passenger seat of a Maybach anyway—well, although the one sitting here now was her, Gao Jing... Gao Qinghe, that is.

Gao Qinghe secretly surveyed the luxurious interior of the car, inwardly marveling at how different a luxury car was from a ride-hailing car, when Xiang Bei suddenly leaned close to her.

His face drew nearer bit by bit, his breath carrying the bitterness of coffee and the woody perfume scent she'd just smelled, so close she could see the shallow shadow along his jawline. The slight upward curve of his lips held a hint of teasing.

Hey hey hey hey, what are you doing?? Public harassment?

Or forcibly abducting a woman??

Dude, even though this isn't our first time meeting, it IS our first time meeting!!

I never thought you were truly a beast in gentleman's clothing!

Gao Qinghe's mind screamed incoherently, but the sound of her heartbeat pounded like war drums against her eardrums. The two soft mounds on her chest trembled slightly with her rapid breathing.

She couldn't help but tightly close her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering faintly, her whole body instinctively shrinking back into the seat—

Click

What?

Her eyes flew open. Xiang Bei was already back in the driver's seat, leaning lazily against the backrest, one hand still resting on the seatbelt buckle beside her.

"You forgot to fasten your seatbelt." His voice held restrained laughter, low and magnetic, hiding a touch of satisfaction from a successful prank.

Holy shit!! How did I end up being the one teased instead?

Gao Qinghe glared at him fiercely and turned her head away, refusing to look at him again.

That heartbeat earlier was definitely from being scared—suddenly getting close counts as a jump scare in horror movies, he should pay compensation!

Just you wait, kid. Don't think I'm easy to bully just because I've turned into a girl. Watch me max out your card later!