Stop Looking, Focus on Driving

At 8:30 AM on August 21st, three cars were driving along the road leading to the Haicheng West Expressway toll station.

The weather wasn’t great today—the sky was overcast and gloomy.

However, the girls in Su Yang’s car were in high spirits, completely unaffected by the dreary weather, except for Pan Ning, who remained mostly silent.

The three in the back seat had been chatting nonstop since getting in the car, making plans for what to eat in Lincheng that evening and where to go after dinner. Occasionally, they’d burst into laughter when the conversation turned to more private topics.

The girls were all dressed lightly today, mostly in short skirts or hot pants.

Su Yang kept stealing glances at them through the rearview mirror, which was quite distracting.

Pan Ning, sitting beside him, remarked coolly, "Stop looking and focus on driving."

"Huh? What was I looking at?"

"Their legs."

Damn.

Caught red-handed, Su Yang had no choice but to keep his eyes on the road.

Soon, the three cars entered the Haicheng West toll station one after another. Once on the expressway, the drive became smooth and uninterrupted.

Haicheng was over 800 kilometers from Lincheng, and it was still before 9 AM.

At Su Yang’s usual speed, they’d likely arrive by mid-afternoon, just in time for a hot and sour beef hotpot.

Su Yang glanced at the road ahead and said calmly, "Qianyu, tell the group chat to remind Lao Meng and the others to speed up if it’s safe. I’m about to pick up the pace~"

Meng Qianyu immediately pulled out her phone with a grin. "Got it~"

She opened WeChat and sent a message in the newly created road trip group chat from yesterday.

Meng Qianyu: @everyone, Su Yang says you guys are too slow—he wants you to speed up~

Two seconds later, Zhang Ziming from the Range Rover behind them replied: Don’t get too cocky!

Ji Bo chimed in: Yeah, way too arrogant!!

Chu Qiunan: Let’s smoke him!!

Meng Qianyu giggled as she read the messages: You snails~ We’re leaving you in the dust, bye-bye~

"Su Yang, I told them. Go ahead and floor it."

"Roger that!" Su Yang smirked and slammed the accelerator. Meng Qianyu, who had just straightened up in her seat, let out a shriek: "Ah!"

The sudden acceleration pinned her sideways against the seatback.

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan instantly pulled ahead, leaving the Range Rover and Navigator far behind.

"Oh, Qianyu, tell them to message the group if anyone wants to make any stops along the way. Keep an eye on the chat too."

"Okay, got it~"

A few seconds later, Meng Qianyu replied, "They said they don’t want to stop anywhere—just head straight to Lincheng for that famous hot and sour beef hotpot~"

"Oh? Works for me. Keep chatting, I’ll focus on driving."

"Sure thing~"

Meng Qianyu put her phone away and resumed her lively conversation with the other two.

Su Yang turned on an upbeat rap song and concentrated on driving.

Though the expressway wasn’t crowded, danger could always strike when things seemed calm.

With four beautiful lives in his car, Su Yang wasn’t taking any chances—safety first, no matter what.

......

The monotonous drive dragged on for over two hours. The three beauties in the back had long stopped chatting, dozing off against each other.

Pan Ning in the passenger seat had also fallen asleep.

By now, the other two cars had vanished from the rearview mirror.

Su Yang drove alone, bored out of his mind. He secretly wished he were in the guys’ car instead—at least then he could smoke and swap dirty jokes to pass the time.

But with a car full of girls, the drive was painfully dull.

He yawned repeatedly until Pan Ning, roused by the sound, checked her Vacheron Constantin wristwatch and said flatly, "It’s 11:30. How far have we gone?"

Su Yang glanced at the navigation. "Three hundred thirty kilometers."

"Still a ways to go. Tired? I can take over if you want~"

Su Yang shook his head with a smile. "Nah, I’m good. Just bored with no one to talk to~"

Pan Ning rolled her eyes. "You could’ve talked to me anytime."

"I thought you needed the rest."

"You know I wasn’t sleeping, just resting my eyes."

"Still, didn’t want to disturb you."

"Such a chatterbox." Pan Ning shot him a look before turning to the three girls sprawled inelegantly in the back.

She sighed. "Don’t peek at them—they’re not exactly graceful sleepers."

Su Yang instinctively glanced at the rearview mirror and saw the three tangled together in a haphazard pile.

Holy—

He swallowed hard and quickly averted his gaze. "Like I’d even look."

"Sure, sure."

[Ding—Host’s calm demeanor briefly falters. Reward: 1 million.]

Su Yang: "......"

Another hour passed before the girls in the back woke up, clamoring for a bathroom break.

Su Yang pulled into a service area for a ten-minute stop.

He used the restroom, enjoyed a quick smoke, then got back on the road.

This time, no one dozed off, and the conversation flowed intermittently.

Time flew by. The expressway remained clear—no traffic jams, no slowpokes blocking the way.

At 3:40 PM, Su Yang was the first to exit the Lincheng West toll station.

"Qianyu, ask the others where they are."

"On it~"

A few seconds later, she replied, "My brother’s about 70 kilometers out. Fatty’s group still has 100 to go."

"Seriously? That far?"

Su Yang thought for a moment. "Tell them we’ll head into the city first and book a hotel. They can meet us there."

"Gotcha~"

While Meng Qianyu sent the messages, Su Yang searched for a five-star hotel in downtown Lincheng and set the navigation.

As they drove from the toll station into the old city, the three in the back eagerly pressed against the windows, taking in the sights of this unfamiliar place.

Lincheng was bathed in sunlight today, the air crisp and fresh. A gentle breeze drifted into the car, making the ride even more pleasant.

"The weather here is amazing—even cooler than Haicheng!" Su Qingci stuck her hand out the window with a laugh.

Su Yang immediately scolded, "Hand back inside."

"Oops, sorry~"

"Lincheng’s average summer temperature is around 23°C. Of course it’s comfortable."

"This is the best! Road trips are so fun~"

"Except my butt’s sore from sitting so long." Meng Qianyu rubbed her backside with a playful grimace.

Su Qingci nodded. "Yeah, seven hours in the car—my butt’s numb~"

Su Yang chuckled. "Let’s check into the hotel first and rest up. We’ll stay in Lincheng tonight and hit the road again tomorrow."

"Yay~"

"So what’s for dinner??"

"Weren’t we getting that famous hot and sour beef hotpot?"

"Oh right, right! I’ve heard so much about it—can’t wait to see what the hype’s about~"

"Lincheng has way more delicious food than our Haicheng~" Su Yang chuckled, glancing at the rearview mirror.

"Brother Su Yang, have you been to Lincheng before?"

"Nope, but I see it all the time on Douyin. The food in the southwest region is amazing—everything looks so appetizing."

"But nothing could beat your cooking~" Meng Qianyu never missed a chance to praise Su Yang's culinary skills.

"Obviously~" Su Yang laughed without a hint of modesty.

......

Half an hour later, the five of them arrived at a five-star hotel called Kaibin in the bustling downtown area of Lincheng.

The hotel was located in the heart of the city, surrounded by lively food streets and shopping districts.

The streets were crowded with pedestrians, buzzing with energy. Many out-of-town tourists preferred staying here, mainly because it was conveniently situated for exploring the city, and the hotel itself had excellent amenities.

Staying on the higher floors at night offered a breathtaking view of most of Lincheng's city lights, though the price tag matched its five-star status.

But Su Yang and his friends weren’t on a budget trip—five-star accommodations were a must.