That Mysterious Maybach
Su Yuning only realized the problem after stepping out of the school gate.
On the day she was packed off and sent here, her mind had been too anxious to spare any attention to the surroundings outside. As a result, when she left the school, all she saw was a stretch of straight road, lush greenery nearby, and scattered single-family villas visible in the distance.
The environment was nice, but there was no bus stop.
No problem.
She thought to herself, it made perfect sense that there was no bus stop near the Aristocratic Academy—after all, the young masters and princesses wouldn’t be squeezing onto public buses. She could just take a taxi.
Bet you didn’t see that coming—I predicted your prediction.
Su Yuning confidently opened the ride-hailing app.
A few minutes later,
Su Yuning was dumbfounded.
Huh?
What?
Why is no one accepting the ride?
So the affluent neighborhood really doesn’t even have ride-hailing services?
This is too hard. Working a part-time job is just too hard.
She had finally made it out of the school, only to be defeated by the lack of transportation.
Calculating how long it would take to walk there, she let out a desperate wail: “Ah—”
Just as the sound escaped her lips, a black Maybach silently pulled up. Lu Ji, who had the car window rolled down, was startled by the noise that sounded like a chicken being slaughtered. He blinked rapidly twice, met Su Yuning’s stunned face, and nervously asked, “There are no cars here. Can I give you a ride?”
Seeing her confusion, he hurriedly added, “I… I also don’t feel like going to class, actually.”
So he was skipping class too.
Su Yuning felt as excited as if she had found a comrade-in-arms.
Great! So I’m not the only one who hates speech class. Having to give a speech in front of so many people—even a socially anxious person would break down, right?
She got into the car, and the driver uncle even came over to open the door for her, which felt really unfamiliar. Her entire body stiffened up, and as she looked at the luxurious interior of the car, her eyes darted around nervously.
Su Yuning: Holy crap, why is the seatbelt coming out on its own!
Wow, the screen in front is way too clear.
How do I open the car door? How do I open the car door? Oh no, why are there so many buttons… Which one do I pull to open the door? If I can’t open it, how am I supposed to get out later?
Should I just ask, or should I stay in the car and never leave?
She stole a glance at Lu Ji and saw him sitting properly with his hands on his knees. So she took out her phone and secretly searched: What car has two M’s… How to open the car door from the inside…
An eerie silence settled over the back seat. The driver couldn’t help but glance back through the rearview mirror, where he saw his young master sitting stiffly, frequently stealing glances at the girl beside him. But the girl seemed completely unaware—she was… furtively and evasively studying the buttons in the car?
The shrewd driver instantly understood.
The prolonged silence made Lu Ji uneasy. He pursed his lips tightly, his nails digging into his palms. “…You…”
“Ah?!” Su Yuning reflexively put away her phone and sat up straight in an instant.
“What’s your name? Why… why have I never seen you before?”
“My name is Su Yuning. I just transferred here. I’ve been here for two months, but I haven’t seen you before either. What’s your name?”
Regret washed over Lu Ji. He said, “My name is Lu Ji. I… don’t come to school often.” He should have come earlier.
Two months. He had missed a whole two months.
If he hadn’t stayed at home for too long, his older brother wouldn’t have forced him to come to school for a change of pace, and he wouldn’t have met Su Yuning.
He sank into boundless remorse and self-blame. Su Yuning hadn’t dared to look at him much earlier—after all, she couldn’t stare at such divine beauty for too long, afraid her heart wouldn’t be able to take it.
Taking the opportunity to quietly observe now, she noticed that Lu Ji’s cheeks were slightly flushed for some reason.
She hesitated for a moment. Seeing the other’s dazed and flustered expression, his fists clenched tightly on his knees, and sensing that his emotions seemed a bit off, she still pointed to the same spot on her own face as a hint and softly reminded him, “Your face, right here, seems a bit red. Is it an allergic reaction?”
Lu Ji raised his hand to touch his face.
Su Yuning’s gaze naturally fell on those beautiful hands.
Just one look confirmed it—this was a child raised in a wealthy household! His hands were even fairer and more delicate than her own face.
And his personality was so good, beautiful inside and out—truly a little prince from an ivory tower!
The little prince pulled up a mirror on the screen in front of him, checked his reflection, and frowned slightly at the redness. He pursed his lips and said, “It might be from sun exposure. It’s fine.”
Look at how delicate he was!
“Oh, oh, an allergy to ultraviolet rays?”
Su Yuning sighed inwardly while rambling to keep the conversation from going cold. Lu Ji listened patiently and answered earnestly. Moreover, talking to her seemed to lift his mood, as he occasionally offered a small, pursed smile.
Su Yuning: “If you’re allergic to ultraviolet rays, you should stay away from the sun! If you really have to go out, make sure to apply sunscreen and use a parasol!”
Lu Ji: “Mm! Sunscreen and a parasol? I understand!”
“Have you never used them before?”
“No, because I rarely go out.”
“Ah—that works too, cutting off the allergen at the source, haha. But you should still get some sun occasionally. People can’t avoid sunlight forever.”
Lu Ji: “My older brother said the same thing.”
“You’re not an only child, then.”
“No, I have an older brother. He’s eleven years older than me.”
“Ah, having an older brother is nice. A child with an older brother is a treasure. I don’t have any siblings because of the fines for overpopulation back then. I even have a single-child certificate—I could get a small monthly allowance before I turned 18. It wasn’t much, but who would turn down free money, right? Haha…”
Su Yuning thought to herself: What on earth am I even saying?!
Lu Ji tilted his head and smiled. This wave of stunning beauty left Su Yuning momentarily dazed again.
The conversation was all over the place, but Lu Ji answered every question and even volunteered a lot of information, practically laying his family background bare.
Su Yuning felt that if she asked for his family’s bank card password, he’d probably tell her honestly.
…His personality was so good it bordered on naive and gullible.
She wondered how his older brother had raised him, letting him grow up so unworldly and seemingly unconcerned about his younger brother being deceived.
But then again, with their power and influence, probably no one would dare to trick him.
Naivety had its privileges.
She had originally planned to exchange a few polite pleasantries, but Lu Ji kept responding, so she had no choice but to keep rambling. She felt her mouth going dry from all the talking when the car finally crawled to a stop.
She couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but the drive felt unusually slow.
Su Yuning didn’t dwell on it. Seeing the rows of towering buildings, she quickly said, “Driver, you can stop anywhere convenient.”
The driver, addressed as “driver” for the first time, suddenly felt like he was driving a bus instead of a Maybach. Glancing at Lu Ji’s now expressionless face, he sighed inwardly but still found a spot to pull over, considerately opening the rear door.
The car door opened automatically, rendering Su Yuning’s earlier efforts to figure it out unnecessary. She let out a sigh of relief, gratefully thanked the two people inside the car with a wave, and happily ran off.
Lu Ji was still staring longingly at her retreating figure, his expression somewhat displeased as he said:
“Follow her.”