chapter 17

Qi Sinian was panting by the time he caught up with me.

“You’re back?”

“Yeah.”

He took Yanyan from my arms.

“Are you going back to the old residence? Could you give me a lift?”

I frowned and looked at him, but he avoided my gaze.

Yanyan’s gaze shifted between me and Qi Sinian, his face full of confusion.

In the end, I said nothing and let him into the car.

Qi Sinian sat in the back with Yanyan.

He chatted with Yanyan the whole way, asking him all about his time in the village.

Yanyan gestured animatedly as he spoke, describing everything with great excitement.

Qi Sinian, however, was clearly distracted, his eyes drifting toward me every now and then.

I didn’t say a word, focusing entirely on driving.

We dropped Yanyan off at the old residence.

Carrying his little backpack and holding the gift for his great-grandfather, he waved goodbye to us.

Once he was out of sight, I turned to leave.

But Qi Sinian grabbed my arm.

“Want to go for a drink?”

I looked at him expressionlessly, my gaze cold and distant.

His grip tightened under my stare before he slowly let go.

I shook him off and got into the car.

But just as I started the engine, he pulled open the passenger door and climbed in.

“I can’t get a cab here. Give me a ride.”

He was acting completely shameless.

He was just being a nuisance.

It was incredibly tiresome.

So, I put the car in gear, slammed on the accelerator, and jerked the steering wheel, aiming straight for a large tree nearby.

“Ning Yan!”

Screech!

Qi Sinian let out a strangled roar, his eyes wide with terror.

The sound of tires screeching pierced the air. The front of the car stopped barely an arm’s length from the tree.

“What are you doing? Do you have any idea what you’re doing? Are you crazy?”

He was panting heavily, all his previous listlessness gone.

I was calm.

Calmly, I watched him as he teetered on the edge of a breakdown.

“I told you, I don’t want to die with you just yet.”

“Don’t provoke me! Don’t provoke me!! Don’t provoke me!!!”