Sure enough, the car behind them became like a persistent dog-skin plaster, either deliberately blocking them and showing off their driving skills, or slowing down to follow behind and flashing their high beams. Or, in wider lanes, they would pull alongside Su Jiaobai’s Cayenne, even rolling down the window and sticking their head out to look.
It was clearly an intentional provocation.
This was the type of man Su Jiaobai hated the most: mediocre and greasy, yet full of self-importance.
If it weren’t for the fact that they were driving on the road and she feared causing an accident, Su Jiaobai would have really wanted to spit in his face.
“Speed up.” Just as Su Jiaobai was mentally cursing the sleazy man, Gu Xingmo suddenly changed his previous calm demeanor. “Don’t let him tail us.” With that, he reached out and took the steering wheel himself.
The steering wheel seemed to come alive in his hands, incredibly responsive. In just a few moves, he maneuvered the car so that the car behind them almost hit the guardrail.
A muffled curse could be heard from the car behind.
Then, Gu Xingmo said, “You stay in the leftmost lane.”
As expected, the car that had almost hit the guardrail immediately followed, moving to the right of the Cayenne.
The driver, a middle-aged man around forty, immediately cursed as he rolled down his window, “How do you drive?”
At this point, Gu Xingmo slowly rolled down his window, his gaze cold as he looked at the already unstable man.
The man had assumed the car only contained a woman, which was why he dared to pull so many disgusting stunts. Seeing a man in the passenger seat, and one with such a powerful aura, he immediately lost his nerve.
Then he thought that someone driving such a car must be someone not to be trifled with, so he quickly fled in shame.
Seeing this, Gu Xingmo rolled up his window again.
But in his heart, he silently noted the license plate number.
Beating a fallen dog, Su Jiaobai felt refreshed and invigorated.
“This kind of sleazy man is the most disgusting,” she said, her mood greatly improved, so she spoke her mind freely in front of Gu Xingmo. “So spineless. He thought because I was a woman driving a luxury car alone, he could provoke me. But when you opened your window, he ran off like a mouse seeing a cat. People like that have no class. Both wicked and cowardly.”
Su Jiaobai chattered on the entire way.
Gu Xingmo just listened, not agreeing with her, but also not changing the subject to stop her from talking.
Soon, they arrived at the mall. Under Gu Xingmo’s guidance, Su Jiaobai successfully found a parking spot.
Because there were many cars, parking the car neatly into the spot was quite a test of driving skills. Fearing they would waste time, Gu Xingmo said directly, “Let me do it.”
Su Jiaobai had been nervous the whole way. Hearing him say he would park, she immediately unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. She was afraid that if she delayed even a second longer, he might change his mind and have her back into the spot.
In the back seat, Sister Zhou had already gotten out with Junzai in her arms, her mommy bag still on her shoulder.
Su Jiaobai walked over and took her son from Sister Zhou’s arms.
Then, she watched as Gu Xingmo, in a few swift moves, perfectly parked the car into the spot.
Sister Zhou, not wanting to disturb the intimate time of the employer’s family of three, voluntarily suggested, “Teacher Su, you and Mr. Gu take Little Treasure to stroll. I won’t go with you.” She explained, “My daughter mentioned a few days ago that she needed something for her studies, so I’ll contact her and buy it for her.”
Su Jiaobai: “Then you go.” She added, “If you need any help, contact me promptly.”
“Okay, sure.” Sister Zhou greeted Gu Xingmo and left first.
Then the couple found the mall entrance and, without any specific shopping goals, just browsed around.
They went to the children’s play area. Although Junzai couldn’t play on many of the rides yet, he was very excited just watching others play.
He was so excited that he flailed his limbs and let out screams… He seemed to have never been so happy before.
His obsidian-like eyes were wide open, looking everywhere, interested in everything.
They had originally planned to take him back at 8:30, but seeing how much he liked it, they stayed an extra twenty minutes. Finally, Junzai, unable to stay awake any longer, fell fast asleep in the car on the way back.
By the time they got home, it was almost 9:30.
After Sister Zhou carried Junzai back to his room, Gu Xingmo and Su Jiaobai also returned to their respective rooms.
After entering her room and taking a shower, Su Jiaobai changed into clean pajamas and lay down on the bed.
Just as she was about to browse the internet for a bit before sleeping, her phone suddenly chimed. The name “Jiang Heng” appeared clearly before her eyes.
[I’m back in the country.]
[My flight lands in Shanghai at 2:30 AM.]
[Are you free to meet tomorrow?]
Jiang Heng was the first love from that novel who, in a drunken state, caused a car accident and died. Seeing this name suddenly, Su Jiaobai was so startled that she almost dropped her phone on her face.
What was going on?
According to the novel’s timeline, she shouldn’t have reunited with Jiang Heng at this time.
Their reunion was supposed to be a few months later, at the New Year’s Eve party held by the school. Jiang Heng, as the youngest associate professor at the university affiliated with her middle school, was invited to give a speech at the school’s party. That was when they reconnected.
After reconnecting, they exchanged contact information again and got back together.
Now, they shouldn’t be WeChat friends. Why would he send her a WeChat message?
Moreover, judging by his overly familiar tone, it seemed like they had reconnected after their breakup and no contact.
Recalling the incident with Qi Mingxuan’s video earlier, a bad premonition immediately surfaced in her mind.
No way?
Could it be that because of her sudden awakening, this plotline had also changed?
Although she was a cannon fodder NPC in that book, she seemed to have quite a significant role. Many plot developments and emotional turning points between the protagonists were driven by her.
Once she woke up and stopped causing trouble, many of the original plotlines and emotional arcs might not be able to proceed.
The so-called original author, seeing that things were not going as planned, started to revise the plot. Therefore, her encounter and affair with Jiang Heng had happened prematurely.
Su Jiaobai: “…” Damn fate!
However, she wasn’t as panicked as she was the first time she learned about this. Not only would she not back down, but this matter had instead ignited her fighting spirit!
She refused to believe that she, a living person, couldn’t control her own destiny!
If she hadn’t glimpsed the secrets of heaven, it would be one thing. But since she had already seen them, she had to defy fate!
No matter how far things had progressed with Jiang Heng, she had to cut it off immediately and draw a clear line.
She originally intended to reply with a message like “Let’s not contact each other anymore,” but then she thought it would be better not to reply at all for now.
By not replying, she could pretend she hadn’t seen it.
Losing the mood to browse the internet, Su Jiaobai immediately set her phone to airplane mode and went to sleep.
She couldn’t fall asleep immediately.
With things on her mind, she tossed and turned in bed.
She thought, if in this parallel world she had already gotten involved with Jiang Heng, then with Gu Xingmo’s abilities, he would surely know by now.
The book stated that Gu Xingmo knew from the beginning when she and Jiang Heng first got involved.
However, because their actions were somewhat discreet and didn’t go too far, Gu Xingmo didn’t intervene.
Later, when her actions became increasingly excessive, and she no longer wanted to maintain even a superficial peace, she initiated the divorce… only then did Gu Xingmo make her leave with nothing.
Since Gu Xingmo in the book knew from the beginning that his wife was having an affair, the current Gu Xingmo must also know.
He knew about her secret affair with Jiang Heng and that Jiang Heng was about to return to the country.
Yet, under these circumstances, he could still accompany her and Junzai to the mall today as if nothing had happened… This showed how strong his inner fortitude was.
Not just today, but everything before as well.
Including accompanying her back to the Lu family, including strategizing with her about the dowry, including giving her 200,000 yuan in pocket money each month, including buying her a car.
With Gu Xingmo, it seemed she had everything top-notch except for love.
But what was love, anyway?
Could you eat it or drink it? Or spend it like money?
Yes, Jiang Heng was her first love, and he had indeed held a relatively important place in her heart before. If she hadn’t suddenly awakened, she might have indeed gotten involved with Jiang Heng again.
But since heaven had given her those eyes, she naturally wouldn’t debase herself and continue down a path that was destined to end in death.
Compared to her life, Jiang Heng was nothing.
Moreover, according to the book, Jiang Heng was not a good person.
He used her more than he truly cared for her.
If he had deep feelings for her, and she were to unilaterally sever ties like this, she might feel some guilt and reluctance. But since he was a heartless and unrighteous person, she couldn’t wait to distance herself from him.
With this thought, no matter how far things had progressed with Jiang Heng, she should directly end all contact with a single sentence.
So, she picked up her phone again and directly edited a message: “No need to contact each other in the future,” and sent it.
After sending the message, she ignored Jiang Heng.
Perhaps due to a guilty conscience, she hesitated and wanted to send Gu Xingmo a message. One to show goodwill and consolidate their relationship, and the other to probe Gu Xingmo’s stance.
After much deliberation, she finally typed out her message, first asking him: [Are you asleep?]
Then, she added, [Junzai had so much fun today~ If we have the chance next time, let’s take him out to play together again.]
Gu Xingmo returned home and stood on the balcony, slowly smoking two cigarettes. After finishing, he went to the bathroom to shower.
When he came out wrapped in a towel, he heard his phone chime twice.
While drying his hair with a towel, he reached for his phone and saw the messages from Teacher Su.
They were about their son.
And he attached great importance to everything concerning their son.
Jiang Heng had returned to the country today and must have contacted her. In this situation, she could still approach him to discuss spending time with their son, which made Gu Xingmo feel pleased.
Regardless of how she felt about her relationship with Jiang Heng at the moment, she was at least a responsible mother and hadn’t become so unreasonable as to neglect her son for her lover.
Su Jiaobai’s actions were undoubtedly to Gu Xingmo’s liking.
Therefore, he was in a good mood and replied with a slightly teasing tone: [Everything is up to Teacher Su’s arrangements.]