Jiang Yixuan hadn’t expected that kind of reaction at all. She was completely stunned by the shouting, tears trembling on her lashes, eyes rimmed red.
How could this be?
This wasn’t how the system had described him!
Wasn’t You Ziqian supposed to gently coax her into the car, drive her back to the mountaintop club, and help her find Bai Lang?
She’d crossed the road at that exact moment precisely because she knew You Ziqian’s skills were good enough that he wouldn’t hit her!
So how could he be so harsh with her?
“I—I’m sorry… There aren’t many cars on this road, so I thought it’d be okay to cross. That car was speeding toward me, I didn’t mean to be reckless with my life…”
Jiang Yixuan spoke timidly, lifting her head cautiously to study the man. The system had said You Ziqian was rebellious to the core—showing a little vulnerability was the best way to stir his protective instincts.
Hearing this, You Ziqian nearly laughed in anger.
“So you cause someone to crash and now you’re playing innocent? Do I need to remind you this is a closed racetrack? No pedestrians allowed.”
He loved extreme sports, sure—but that didn’t mean he had a death wish.
If this scam-artist woman hadn’t suddenly appeared, he and that girl would’ve had a thrilling race.
Shang Shi’an had told him the girl was a fan who’d come specifically to challenge him—said if she won, she wanted to be his girlfriend.
That was why You Ziqian had spent so long posing coolly in the car with his helmet on.
He’d noticed it right away—her eyes had lit up when she looked at him, practically glued to him. And her driving talent was exceptional.
Now she was lying injured in her car, barely conscious, her life potentially in danger.
Under his cold, condemning gaze, Jiang Yixuan’s face flushed bright red.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would turn out like this. I’ll apologize to them, okay? I’ll take them to the hospital right now—they’ll be fine!”
Deep down, Jiang Yixuan resented that supercar for ruining her plans. If they hadn’t barged in halfway, she’d already be sitting in You Ziqian’s Ferrari by now!
As she spoke, she staggered to her feet and reached for Qiao Chu’s car door—
Before she could touch the handle, a sharp pain shot through her wrist. A man grabbed her forearm and shoved her back hard, sending her stumbling.
“Get lost! Moving injured people without authorization—who knows whether you’re trying to save them or kill them? You’d better pray they’re okay, or I’ll wipe out your whole family!”
Anyone with basic common sense knew that moving an injured person without professional help could cause secondary injuries—severe ones could even result in paralysis.
From Jiang Yixuan’s tone and attitude, You Ziqian felt no real remorse at all.
On the contrary, everything about her disgusted him—like a bad performance meant to win sympathy. Fake to the point of nausea.
With such a serious crash, the race was naturally called off. You Ziqian paced back and forth, calling emergency services multiple times—his aggressive attitude nearly got him blacklisted.
“Twenty minutes?! What are the drivers doing—are you all useless?!”
No matter how many times Qiao Chu insisted she was fine, he glared her down and forbade her from moving until the medics arrived.
Bai Lang’s situation was worse—his forehead was cut, and he had a mild concussion. After Riceball’s scan, it confirmed he’d only passed out and wasn’t in life-threatening danger.
So Qiao Chu rested her head against the airbag and dozed off.
Jiang Yixuan didn’t leave. She stood nearby, visibly shaken, trying to find an opening to speak with You Ziqian.
She refused to accept this outcome.
The moment she’d seen who was inside the car, her mindset had completely collapsed.
Qiao Chu.Again it was Qiao Chu ruining everything. Why hadn’t she just died in the crash?!
Every time Jiang Yixuan tried to advance a romance with a male lead, Qiao Chu showed up out of nowhere to sabotage it. Shang Shi Xu. Bai Lang. And now You Ziqian.
Bitch.
Was she only satisfied after stealing everything that was meant to belong to her?
No. No, no, no. She wouldn’t let Qiao Chu get her way.
She was the chosen heroine. And she still had one last trump card she hadn’t played.
A mocking voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
【Look at you—useless. You’ve messed things up again. You Ziqian’s favorability toward you has dropped to -250%, while his favorability toward Qiao Chu has risen to 54%.】
Jiang Yixuan was on the verge of breaking down.“Enough! I did everything I was supposed to do! If I couldn’t get his favor, what could I do? Your information was wrong!”
【I already told you—the task executor has altered the course of events. The data was only for reference. You’re the one still dreaming about following a fixed script.】
With that, the system vanished without a trace, leaving Jiang Yixuan seething where she stood.
When Qiao Chu was helped out of the car by the medics, she didn’t expect to see Shang Shi Xu there as well.
He wore a cool-toned gray suit, a silver tie clip fastening a subtly patterned tie. His formal attire radiated an air of refined elegance—it was obvious he’d rushed over.
The man who valued punctuality above all else… actually cared about the life and safety of his so-called fiancée?
Qiao Chu was still puzzled when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Jiang Yixuan hiding behind Shang Shi Xu, wiping her tears. Her expression was pitiful and wronged, as if she were the one who’d been in the accident.
Ah. Got it.
This was the female lead’s backup. No wonder.
Lately, while she and Bai Lang had been getting along famously, she’d heard that the heroine hadn’t been idle either—rain or shine, delivering soy milk, fried dough sticks, and soup dumplings to Shang Shi Xu every single day.
Sure enough, you get out what you put in—her spicy bullfrog dish still couldn’t compare to the heroine’s sweet, stomach-soothing white porridge.
Shang Shixu’s expression was cold and hard, as if someone owed him two small goals, and he planted himself firmly in front of Qiao Chu, his tone unusually grave.
“Qiao Chu, I know exactly what you’ve been up to.”
Look at that—what an attitude, what a tone! He was scolding her, Qiao Chu the great benevolent one, all because of a little white-flower heroine!
Qiao Chu wrenched free from the medics’ hold and, in one swift motion, slapped Shang Shixu across the face.
“You know nothing! Show some respect! Today it was her life or mine—I spared her! Don’t act shamelessly in front of me!”
The sharp slap landed cleanly, yet Shang Shixu’s face bloomed with a blissful smile. Suddenly, he pressed Qiao Chu into his chest, lightly patting her back to soothe her.
“Alright, alright, don’t be angry. I know, it’s all her fault. I’ll investigate the matter thoroughly, pursue legal action, and make sure justice is served for you.”
Holding the girl tightly in his arms, the relief of surviving such a close call made his chest ache with a bittersweet intensity.
“I also know about the bet with Shang Shi’an.”
“Why be so foolish? Afraid your fiancé can’t beat some illegitimate son? You’re not allowed to risk yourself for me like this ever again.”
The bet, huh? Oh, right—making Shang Shi’an get out of the Shang family.
Qiao Chu kept a straight face. “…You really have an overactive imagination.”
“Mm, let’s just say I’m shameless. When it comes to you, I’ve always been relentless.”
Bai Lang, his head bandaged, had just regained consciousness. He saw the two of them wrapped up together, whispering sweet nothings, and his vision darkened again as he fainted.
In an unnoticed corner, Jiang Yixuan clenched her fingers so tightly they turned white, her eyes burning with fury.
It was true—Shang Shixu had come because of her call.
She had told him she ran into trouble—he hadn’t reacted.
She had told him Shang Shi’an was causing problems—he remained indifferent.
But the moment she mentioned Qiao Chu, even before explaining the details, he had raced over through multiple red lights without hesitation.
He hadn’t even glanced at her once, only fussing over Qiao Chu with concern.
And she—the one nearly run over and badly scraped on her elbows and knees—was ignored.
The medics acted as if she didn’t exist, clustering around the perfectly unharmed Qiao Chu.
You Ziqian leaned against the car door, arms crossed, his gaze aloof, his tone casual but tinged with impatience:
“Looks like she’s fine. You can leave now.”