Chapter 42 Song Ni Is Willing to Risk Her Life for Tan Zheng
The autumn night rain was both icy and cold, capable of seeping into one's very bones and causing them to shiver. Sheng Jiang, still holding a beer bottle, swung it and smashed it onto the car of the person who had spoken. "Fuck you." These people were from another racing club, rivals to Fox, always at each other's throats. Sheng Jiang's throw ignited the anger on both sides.
"What? Did I hit a nerve? If you've got the guts, call him out and race us." Ding Jing stepped forward with a dark expression.
"You guys? Not worthy."
"Oh, isn't this the guy who just won the championship? Things are different when you're a champion, aren't they? Don't even look at us anymore, do you, brothers?" He whistled afterward, and the group let out particularly jarring laughs. Sheng Jiang's temper flared, impossible to suppress. "What right do you have to talk about Brother Ding? You haven't even won a championship, you piece of shit." He spat in the man's face.
The man wiped his face. "One championship is enough for you to brag about? We've won several and haven't said a word." Sheng Jiang abruptly turned his head to look at the person who had been quietly standing to the side. Huai Yuan... he was a figure who had set the racing world ablaze in the past two years, possessing talent, skill, and courage. Some even compared him to a second Tan Zheng.
Huai Yuan, wearing a hat, remained silent, a look of disgust at his teammates in his eyes. He had only come to see Tan Zheng, not to listen to these people insult him. The impetuous young men, unyielding in their pursuit, spoke with barbs, even directly shouting Tan Zheng's name into the venue.
Song Ni descended the steps one by one. "What are you barking about here?" After the commotion, she understood everything. These people had heard that Tan Zheng was getting back into racing and, with ignorant arrogance, wanted to compete with him. But they were so self-important, thinking that Tan Zheng, having not raced for five years, was a has-been. They even maliciously speculated about the reasons for Tan Zheng's retirement, spewing insults. Where did they get the audacity, the qualification, to lecture Tan Zheng?
Song Ni didn't know why she was so angry, but she simply couldn't stand these people's disrespect towards Tan Zheng, especially after she had so clearly witnessed Tan Zheng's effortless mastery of racing just now. What did five years away matter? He was still a god standing atop the mountain.
The group of men, facing Song Ni's sudden appearance, were stunned. The most abrasive one furrowed his brow. "What are you, some kind of trash?" He paused, as if recalling something. "Aren't you that chick Tan Zheng has sitting in his co-pilot seat? Is Tan Zheng still a man, letting his woman speak for him?"
Lu Fang and his group, who had been watching from the side, heard this and their faces sank completely. Lu Hao Ting, also hot-tempered, exclaimed, "Holy shit, watch your mouth." Lu Fang didn't stop him. Lu Hao Ting stepped forward and kicked the man in the groin. He hadn't learned much from his karate, but he had casually modified the front kick he'd remembered. The man reacted quickly, protecting his lineage.
Even the silent Huai Yuan couldn't stand it anymore. "Shut your mouth."
Song Ni's expression turned cold, her eyes filled with chill. "I'll race you."
The man froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. "You want to race me? Hahaha, that's hilarious. Do you even know how? You want to race me."
Song Ni smirked. "I don't."
"If you don't, then what the hell are you racing me for?" Lu Hao Ting was also bewildered, looking at Song Ni with confusion. "Sister-in-law?"
Song Ni raised her hand and pointed. "See that wall? Drive from here and see who's faster and who stops closer." Song Ni didn't understand the intricacies of technique, but she knew how to press the accelerator and brake. She had once heard Qin Yang describe this kind of game. It wasn't about skill, but about heart rate, courage, and life. And she never lacked courage.
The man was stunned, completely taken aback by Song Ni's insane proposal. Lu Hao Ting was dumbfounded, Lu Fang frowned, Qin Yang's heart pounded, and Cheng Ling's expression was also grim, yet none of them intervened to stop Song Ni. However, Lu Fang turned and glanced towards the corridor; the person smoking was no longer there.
The man was still considering. This stretch of road had only one streetlight, and it was raining, so nothing was visible. This wasn't a simple game; it could even cost them their lives.
"Race or not? Or are you scared?" Song Ni tilted her chin up provocatively. She knew very well that people like him couldn't stand being provoked.
"Race. How about we raise the stakes?"
"If you lose..." A broad hand landed on her shoulder, and Song Ni's words halted. She looked up to see Tan Zheng, who had appeared at some point, his presence heavy with the scent of smoke. The man shot her a glance. "Stop messing around."
Seeing Tan Zheng, Huai Yuan, who had been leaning against the car, straightened up. Song Ni pulled his hand away. "I'm not messing around." She playfully scratched his palm with her finger, then looked up at Tan Zheng with a meaningful gaze. "I know what I'm doing."
Tan Zheng's brow furrowed. Knew what she was doing? Where was the sense in that? With her amateur driving skills, wasn't this just courting death? "Song Ni." The man's face darkened, his voice as cold as the rain.
Before he could speak, Song Ni interrupted, "Do you trust me?"
Tan Zheng looked at her deeply. Her eyes were filled with sincerity, and she wasn't joking, making him almost believe she was confident of winning. But how could Tan Zheng trust her? How could he dare to? Song Ni's life was on the line. It had nothing to do with her in the first place; she was just standing up for him.
The irritability in his chest was becoming difficult to suppress. Tan Zheng's chest heaved as he took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. He didn't want to scold her. But he couldn't let Song Ni undertake such a dangerous act.
"I told you not to meddle, don't you understand?" Tan Zheng's voice suddenly rose, filled with earth-shattering anger, and his eyes held a chilling glint. Song Ni was stunned by his shout.
The man grabbed her wrists and pulled her behind him, his eyes still tinged with red. His tall stature gave him a condescending air as he looked at the other man. "Let's change the game. I'll play with you."
The man was subdued by the coldness in Tan Zheng's eyes and instinctively took a step back to maintain a safe distance. He raised his hand, fumbling and pretending to be calm as he adjusted his hair. "Play what?"
"Head-on collision. Whoever swerves first loses."
The man was completely dumbfounded. Madmen, these two were even more reckless and crazier than the other! Tan Zheng, with his short haircut and furrowed brow, looked down at the man in front of him. As he said this, the anger he felt because of Song Ni had subsided considerably, as if he were stating the most normal thing in the world, as casual as the intermittent rain tonight. Playing with Song Ni's life was unacceptable, but playing with his own life was something he could say with ease.
Looking at the comments section, some darlings are worried that Brother Tan has a white moonlight. Please rest assured, it's 1v1, not a white moonlight. You'll understand what's going on later~
Please give your recommendations and comments, darlings!
Si Mei needs encouragement!
Let me see your little hands, darlings!
(End of this chapter)