At the exhibition hall housed in an old Western-style mansion, Wen Shushu sat in her office for a while, unable to shake the heaviness in her chest.
Eventually, she picked up her phone and called Jiang Ye.
“Brother Ye, I want to do a few laps at the racetrack tonight. Can you arrange it for me?”
“What’s wrong? Did someone upset you?”
She remained silent, too dispirited to answer.
“I’ll take care of it. I’ll reserve the entire track for you.”
“Mm!”
After hanging up, Wen Shushu shut herself away on the second floor and immersed herself in her drawings. She stayed there until dusk before finally heading downstairs.
She checked the measurements of several qipaos with the shop assistants, making sure everything was in order before picking up the cloth bag she usually carried and leaving.
Instead of returning to the villa, she headed straight for the racetrack on the outskirts of the city.
Jiang Ye had already cleared the venue for her.
When Wen Shushu arrived at the garage, she found him leaning casually against a car door.
“Come on, tell me. Who made you angry?”
“No one,” Wen Shushu replied, her voice still subdued.
Seeing that she was in no mood to talk, Jiang Ye wisely decided not to press her.
Wen Shushu walked past him and entered the private changing room.
She reached behind her head and grasped the smooth jade hairpin holding her hair in place.
With one swift movement, she pulled it free.
It felt as though she had finally broken free of the restraints on her true self.
Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back, spilling all the way to her waist.
She grabbed a hair tie and gathered it into a loose ponytail.
In an instant, the gentle, obedient young woman seemed to disappear, replaced by someone with a sharp, untamed edge.
She quickly changed into her racing suit.
When she emerged from the changing room, Jiang Ye let out an appreciative whistle.
“Looks like our darling Shushu is about to unleash her temper!”
Wen Shushu did not bother answering.
She walked straight toward the deepest part of the garage.
Stopping before a sports car concealed beneath a dust cover, she caught the edge of the fabric between her fingers and gave it a sharp tug.
The cover slid smoothly over the vehicle before falling to the floor.
Beneath the bright garage lights stood a black Porsche that had undergone extensive modifications.
Its sleek, powerful body resembled a ferocious beast crouching in silence, ready to spring into action at the slightest command.
Wen Shushu opened the door, bent down, and slipped into the racing seat.
She pulled the six-point harness over herself and fastened it securely.
The straps tightened around her body, pinning her firmly in place.
The pressure against her chest seemed to awaken something deep within her.
This was who she really was.
Not the Wen Shushu who had to tread carefully around Fu Yan, afraid to so much as breathe too loudly in his presence.
She put on her helmet and secured the clasp with a crisp click.
The outside world instantly faded away.
All she could hear was the steady pounding of her own heart and the faint vibration of the engine waiting to be awakened.
Jiang Ye’s voice came through her earpiece.
“Take it easy out there.”
Wen Shushu lightly tapped her fingers against the steering wheel.
Then she started the engine.
Vroooom!
A deep, thunderous roar erupted from the car.
The vibrations surged through the seat and steering wheel, traveling straight into her bones.
The entire vehicle trembled with restrained power, and she could feel herself trembling along with it.
She drew in a deep breath.
The last trace of meekness in her eyes shattered completely.
The Porsche rolled out of the pit garage.
The moment she reached the track, she slammed her foot down on the accelerator.
The piercing shriek of tires against the asphalt tore through the night.
The sudden acceleration hurled her back against the seat, squeezing the breath from her lungs and sending a violent jolt through her body.
The overwhelming sensation of speed and force rushed over her all at once.
Yet instead of fear, an exhilarating thrill spread through her, making her scalp tingle.
The headlights carved two dazzling beams through the darkness.
Everything else ceased to matter.
There was only the dark stretch of racetrack ahead.
A corner approached.
She barely eased off the accelerator before wrenching the steering wheel sharply.
The car swung sideways.
Centrifugal force dragged her toward the outside of the turn, while the harness dug painfully into her shoulders, keeping her firmly anchored in her seat.
The sting only sharpened her senses.
The rear of the car began to slide.
With a subtle adjustment of her fingers, she corrected the steering, bringing the front end back into alignment in one seamless motion.
Every movement was precise.
Every adjustment came as naturally as breathing.
It was as though the knowledge had been carved into her instincts long ago.
The engine’s furious roar became her own unspoken scream.
The smoke rising from the tires carried all the emotions she had been forced to suppress.
Every grievance, every humiliation, every ounce of resentment she had accumulated over the past several days was crushed, torn apart, and scattered beneath the relentless speed.
She could feel the tires gripping the track.
She could feel the steering wheel vibrating beneath her palms.
She could feel the cold wind slipping through the narrow gaps of her helmet, chilling her to the bone.
And she could feel her heart pounding so fiercely that it seemed ready to burst from her chest.
This was what it meant to be truly alive.
Here, she controlled the direction.
She controlled the speed.
She controlled every breath she took.
As she entered the straightaway, she pressed the accelerator all the way down and held it there.
The speed climbed rapidly.
Wind roared around her helmet, while the world beyond the windows rushed backward, dissolving into a blur of lights and shadows.
Everything she had kept bottled up inside finally erupted.
From the monitoring room, Jiang Ye called out to her through the earpiece.
“Wen Shushu… take it easy, will you?”
Inside the car, Wen Shushu tilted her head back ever so slightly.
For a fleeting moment, she closed her eyes.
A faint smile curved her lips, cold, reckless, and utterly untamed.
Tonight, she belonged to no one.
She was not anyone’s obedient wife.
She was not the timid woman who lowered her head and swallowed her grievances.
Tonight, she was simply Wen Shushu.
The woman behind the steering wheel.
…
The thunderous roar that had filled the racetrack gradually subsided.
Wen Shushu slowly eased off the accelerator, allowing the Porsche to glide into the runoff area.
The engine’s furious growl softened little by little until it settled into a low, rumbling purr, like a beast finally catching its breath.
She removed her helmet.
Loose strands of hair clung damply to her forehead and temples, darkened by sweat.
Her high ponytail remained neatly tied, but the fierce sharpness in her eyes gradually faded.
A hint of exhaustion returned to her gaze.
She opened the car door and climbed out.
The moment her feet touched the ground, she paused briefly, as though she had only just returned from a world where she had been free to unleash everything she had kept hidden.
Jiang Ye approached and handed her a bottle of water.
“Feel better now?”
Wen Shushu twisted off the cap and took two small sips.
Her voice was still slightly hoarse, but she sounded much calmer than before.
“Mm. Much better.”
Jiang Ye studied her for a moment.
“Was it Fu Yan? Did he do something to upset you?”
She gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.
She offered no explanation.
Nor did she have any desire to bring up what had happened.
Jiang Ye understood.
He did not ask any more questions.
Instead, he gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.
“That bastard is asking for a beating. How dare he bully our Shushu? Just say the word, and I’ll go teach him a lesson.”
“There’s no need. I can handle him myself. If I ever reach the point where I can’t, I’ll let you deal with him.”
Wen Shushu managed a faint smile.
She lifted her head and gazed at the dark night sky.
A trace of uncertainty flickered in her eyes.
No matter how free she felt on the racetrack, she could not stay here forever.
Sooner or later, she would have to return.
Go back to Jinghua Villa.
Return to the life waiting for her there.
She made her way back to the changing room and took off her racing suit.
Then she picked up the jade hairpin she had removed earlier.
Gathering her long hair, she carefully twisted it into place and secured it with the pin.
Just like that, the wild, fearless Wen Shushu, the woman who refused to be confined by anyone, was sealed away once more.