Chapter 155
"Clatter."
Not far away, the unlit cigarette fell from Coach Lao Zhang's mouth onto the ground.
His bull-like eyes widened, staring fixedly at the pitch-black skid marks on the ground, his jaw almost dropping to his feet.
Is this a fucking Santana?
This is clearly the spirit of the God of Mount Akina possessing the car!
Inside the car, Gu Ran unfastened his seatbelt, his expression as calm as if he had just returned from buying groceries at the market.
He turned to look at the passenger seat.
The young girl was gripping the handle tightly, her knuckles white from the force, her already well-developed chest heaving violently.
In those cold, almond-shaped eyes, the terror was slowly fading, replaced by an unconcealable brilliance.
"Scared?"
Gu Ran reached out, his fingertips brushing aside the damp, sweat-soaked strands of hair on her forehead.
His movements were gentle, completely different from the crazy driver who had just drifted through the S-curve.
Ye Zhenzhen subconsciously shook her head, then nodded.
The moment the rear of the car swung out just now, she thought she was going to die.
But seeing Gu Ran beside her, the fear turned into the thrill of an adrenaline rush.
"N-no... I'm fine." The girl's voice trembled, but carried a hint of imperceptible excitement.
"As long as you're fine." Gu Ran chuckled softly.
What he didn't know was that the obedient girl was being developed into new attributes step by step by him.
Outside the car, Qin Zhaoyang was awkwardly climbing up from the ground.
His shiny slicked-back hair had turned into a bird's nest, his expensive floral shirt was covered in dust, and the worst part was his face, which had taken the brunt of the dirt kicked up by the tires.
"You... you..."
Qin Zhaoyang pointed at Gu Ran, his fingers trembling, his throat feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton.
The moment the rear of the car swept over just now, it was definitely no more than twenty centimeters from the tip of his nose!
"You what?"
Gu Ran rested one hand on the window sill, his eyes teasing, "Young Master Qin, legs gone soft? Need me to help you book a doctor's appointment?"
"This is dangerous driving! I'm going to call the police! I'm going to make the driving school expel you!" Qin Zhaoyang finally roared, trying to use volume to cover up his fear.
"Call the police, my ass!"
An angry roar exploded like thunder.
Lao Zhang rushed over with a dark face, first tenderly touching the Santana's bumper to confirm no paint had chipped, then pointing at Qin Zhaoyang's nose and cursing loudly:
"Who told you to park your car in the middle of the road? That's the exit of the S-curve! Don't you understand what a blind spot is?!"
"If this kid's skills weren't solid, he would have knocked you flying just now! Are you trying to pull a scam or reincarnate?"
Qin Zhaoyang was stunned by the scolding, pointing at himself, his face full of disbelief.
This fucking script is wrong!
I'm clearly the victim!
Are you all blind?!
"Hurry up and move your piece of junk! Don't block my teaching!" Lao Zhang waved his hand like swatting a fly, "If you don't move it, believe it or not, I'll call security to tow it?"
The surrounding students also gathered around, pointing and whispering, some even taking out their phones to take pictures.
"So what if you drive a BMW, you still got schooled by a Santana."
"That drift just now was so cool, this rich kid was scared like a dog..."
"Hilarious, this is what they call low damage, high insult."
The fragmented mockery pierced his ears like needles.
Qin Zhaoyang's face turned the color of pig liver, glaring viciously at Gu Ran, then glancing at Ye Zhenzhen in the passenger seat.
But this stunningly beautiful girl didn't even spare him a glance from the corner of her eye, her eyes entirely focused on the kid driving the Santana.
"Fine! You wait! I'm not staying at this trash driving school!"
Qin Zhaoyang dropped a harsh threat, got into the BMW, and fled the scene with his tail between his legs.
"Tch, coward." Gu Ran curled his lip.
This level of villain didn't even qualify to make him use his brain, purely an experience-giving mob.
Lao Zhang knocked on the window, his eyes complex, "Alright kid, stop pretending. You don't get these skills without ten years of practice, used to drive illegal cabs?"
"Natural talent, played too much QQ Speed." Gu Ran grinned, "Don't believe me? Go top up for a Diamond VIP and try?"
"Full of hot air."
Lao Zhang rolled his eyes, turning back with his hands behind his back, "I'm warning you, teach this girl properly, no more dangerous moves. I'm going to get some water to calm my nerves, my heart is about to give out."
Regarding Gu Ran's skills, the coach felt deep admiration and decided not to stay and be a third wheel.
Once the tactful coach left, the cabin quieted down.
In the confined space, ambiguous factors began to multiply madly.
"Alright, the MVP assist is gone." Gu Ran turned his head, his gaze burning, "Student Ye, the formal lesson begins, I'll be your private tutor."
Ye Zhenzhen's ears grew hot; having watched too many dramas on the site Pei Susu gave her recently, she felt this "private tutor" wasn't quite proper.
"I... I still don't know how to use the clutch..."
"Normal, that was a stunt just now, now I'll teach you the basics."
Gu Ran unfastened his seatbelt and leaned right over.
"Eh? What are you doing?" The girl instinctively shrank back, pressing against the seat back, looking like a frightened little rabbit.
"Adjusting your posture."
Gu Ran spouted nonsense with a straight face.
He rested one hand on the seat back, and placed the other directly over her left hand gripping the steering wheel.
The distance instantly closed.
The fresh scent of laundry detergent mixed with the unique hormonal aura of a young man aggressively invaded the girl's nasal cavity, pervasive.
"Relax your hand, don't be stiff."
Gu Ran's chest was almost pressed against her back, his exhaled hot breath spraying on her sensitive ear, provoking a tiny shudder.
Ye Zhenzhen's brain sort of crashed.
Is... is this teaching driving?
This is clearly...
"Focus." Gu Ran's palm applied a slight pressure, wrapping around her small hand, "Lift your left foot slowly, feel the vibration of the car body? This is the friction point."
"Mmm..."
The girl let out a soft hum, as soft and sweet as a cat.
With teaching like this, how could she feel the car body vibrating?
All her senses were focused on the places where they were pressed together.
The warmth on the back of her hand, the breathing by her ear, the chest behind her.
The narrow cabin seemed to become an independent world; outside the window, the blazing sun and cicadas, inside, ambiguity flourishing.
Under Gu Ran's "immersive" teaching, ten minutes later, the Santana miraculously completed a reverse park.
"Not bad, a teachable student."
Gu Ran let go, taking the opportunity to scrape her nose, "It seems I, as a private tutor, am quite skilled."
Ye Zhenzhen felt like she had received a pardon, quickly pushing the door to get out.
The moment her feet touched the ground, her knees went soft, almost kneeling, luckily caught by Gu Ran's quick reflexes.
"What? Legs gone soft?" Gu Ran had a half-smile, his eyes playful.
"N-no! They're asleep from sitting too long!" The girl blushed and spoke stubbornly, but her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would jump out of her throat.
...
At noon, a fast-food restaurant near the driving school.
After two iced colas, the flush on Ye Zhenzhen's face finally subsided a little.
"Buzz—"
Gu Ran's phone vibrated.
A multimedia message, sender note: [Employee GR-002] (Li Sinan).
He clicked on the picture.
A wide perspective, excellent lighting.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the entire view of the South Campus of Qinglin University was visible, the distant clock tower clearly in sight.
Then a text message came in.
[Li Sinan: Boss, see if this place works. 16th floor of the Sci-Tech Center, whole floor, fully furnished and ready to move in. It's just a bit expensive, rent for half a year is 500,000...]
The corners of Gu Ran's lips curled up slightly as his fingers typed out a rapid reply:
[Approved. Sign it directly, the funds will be in the account within five minutes. Use the rest to purchase some office equipment.]
After letting Ye Zhenzhen know, he quickly made a trip to the bank next door to transfer the money.
Sitting back down upon his return, Gu Ran let out a breath as he looked at the photos of the contract sent by Li Sinan on his phone screen.
Everything was ready.
When school started in September, this place would be the launching pad for the "GR Gaming Empire," as well as the first puzzle piece of his business domain.
"Who is it? You're smiling so... deviously."
The girl's suspicious voice came from across the table.
Ye Zhenzhen chewed on her straw, her large eyes staring at him warily.
Gu Ran's smile just now gave her a gut feeling that the person on the other end of the phone was a woman.
"What do you mean devious? This is called strategizing," Gu Ran said, placing his phone face down. "I'm negotiating a massive deal worth hundreds of millions."
"Braggart," Ye Zhenzhen curled her lip, poking at the chicken chop on her plate. "I think you're just brewing up some bad ideas again."
Even though she verbally expressed her disbelief, Gu Ran indeed had far too many secrets lately.
His sudden wealth, his driving skills, and how he was mysteriously busy every single day...
"Ye Zhenzhen," Gu Ran suddenly called out.
"Wh... what?"
"I'll give you a big surprise when school starts," Gu Ran said with gentle eyes. "Don't get so scared you start crying."
"I will not, you're the crybaby!" Ye Zhenzhen blushed and pouted, muttering softly, "As long as it's not a fright, it's fine."
Gu Ran smiled but said nothing.
When she stood in front of those floor-to-ceiling windows and he softly told her that she was the boss lady of this place, he hoped she wouldn't be scared to tears.
Finishing his meal, Gu Ran wiped his mouth. Watching the girl who was still battling her chicken chop, he tapped his fingers lightly against the tabletop.
"By the way, Student Ye."
"Hmm?" The girl looked up, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster, looking so cute it made one want to poke them.
"Even though it was a 'sibling' group buy, my private tutoring lessons cost extra."
Gu Ran leaned forward, pointed at his cheek, and gave her a playful look. "I worked so hard teaching you in the car just now. Shouldn't we... settle the tuition fees for that?"
Hearing this, Ye Zhenzhen froze. The ambiguous scene in the car instantly flooded her mind, and her face flushed bright red.
"You... in your dreams!"
"It's fine, it doesn't matter if you can't pay."
As he spoke, Gu Ran stood up and walked over to her side. He leaned in and whispered softly in her ear, his warm breath enveloping her once more.
"You can owe me for now."
"When we go home tonight... you can slowly pay it back with interest."
After saying that, he gave a wicked smile, ruffled the girl's hair, and turned to stride toward the door.
Ye Zhenzhen sat blankly in her seat, the hand holding her fork trembling slightly.
This bad boy... what did he want to do tonight?!
Could his mind be filled with naughty thoughts again?
Looking at the boy's retreating back, the girl bit her lower lip, her firm legs uncontrollably squeezing together.
"Hooligan..."
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
