Gazing with longing, not as steadfast as the Vega Star.

"No." Su Cheng stared at her in utter confusion. "Auntie, who are you?"

The woman was actually urging him to get in the car?

But he didn’t recognize the female driver at all.

What was the meaning behind all this unspoken tension?

And why did it feel like some kind of high-stakes scene straight out of a movie?

"Who are you calling 'auntie'?"

The driver frowned, clearly displeased with the term, as if she wanted to correct him. But then, realizing there was no time to waste, she swallowed her words and pressed on urgently, "Cornelia sent me! I’ll explain in the car!"

Hearing that, Su Cheng’s suspicion faded significantly, and he quickly moved toward the back seat.

But before he could get in, the big yellow dog darted in first, settling onto the inner side of the seat and wagging its tail furiously, as if urging him to hurry.

Without hesitation, Su Cheng climbed in and shut the door, immediately demanding, "Where’s Cornelia now?!"

The driver—a woman in her late twenties or early thirties, tall and lean with a sharp, no-nonsense air—looked oddly unreliable with her sunglasses on in the middle of the night.

She started the car, then removed her shades and turned to Su Cheng with a grave expression, her voice low and rough. "I don’t know her exact location. She just sent me a message half an hour ago—"

"Then head to XX Villa!" Su Cheng cut her off, his face tense. "Please!"

He had no time to scrutinize her appearance or wonder why she was driving a taxi with a dog. If she didn’t know where Cornelia was, the priority was to go straight to her home. There was no room for delay.

But her reaction caught him off guard.

Instead, the driver turned off the engine, put her sunglasses back on, and calmly said, "Can you calm down for a second? Let me finish before you decide anything."

"Fine. Go ahead." Su Cheng took a breath, regaining some composure as he studied her.

"She only sent me one text," the driver said, restarting the car and pulling onto the road. "She told me to wait at the gate of her villa and follow a dog that steals takeout—that’s how I’d find you. I was skeptical, but… well, here we are."

Su Cheng froze, then turned to look at the big yellow dog beside him. The animal seemed to understand their conversation, tilting its head and barking at him a few times in response.

"Wait… what?" Su Cheng could only gape at the dog, stunned.

He’d assumed the dog belonged to the driver.

But instead… the dog had led the driver to him?

What kind of twisted logic was this?

"I thought you’d know more, but it seems you’re just as clueless…" The driver sighed, rubbing her temples. "I was hoping you’d have some answers."

"Her parents are taking her back to Britain!" Su Cheng blurted out.

The driver seized on the keyword. "Back home?"

"Yes, and if she goes, she might never return!" Su Cheng said urgently. "That’s why I have to convince her parents to let her stay."

"I see. But this is a family matter..."

The female driver couldn't help but interject, "What identity will you use to approach them? Do you know her parents' temper? Are you sure you can convince them?"

"Let’s not worry about that for now." Su Cheng shook his head. "Just help me find her."

Since Cornelia hadn’t mentioned anything about reincarnation to the driver, he decided to keep silent.

"Let’s go to her house first."

Hearing this, the driver turned to look at the yellow dog, pondering for a moment before saying, "Since this dog managed to find you, maybe it can find her too?"

At these words, Su Cheng turned to the ordinary-looking yellow mutt, as if questioning whether it had such abilities.

"Here’s a cigarette."

The driver pulled out a pack, tossed one to Su Cheng, and then threw over a lighter, explaining, "I once heard Cornelia say that giving a dog a cigarette makes it obedient and cooperative."

"Woof woof woof!"

But to their surprise, the dog didn’t even touch the cigarette. Instead, it sat up abruptly, pawing at the car door handle as if eager to jump out, clearly impatient.

"This dog..."

Watching this, both Su Cheng and the driver were stunned before quickly realizing what was happening. The driver hit the brakes, Su Cheng opened the door, and the dog leaped out, sprinting ahead.

"It’s leading the way!"

Su Cheng slammed the door shut and shouted to the driver, "Follow it slowly—don’t overtake it!"

The driver nodded and pressed the accelerator, keeping pace.

Meanwhile, Su Cheng rolled down the window and leaned out to look ahead.

The night grew darker, and aside from streetlights, almost nothing else was visible—except for the bright yellow figure of the dog.

It bounded forward at an astonishing speed, not even slowing at turns, quickly putting distance between them. Every now and then, it glanced back, as if worried they might lose sight of it. The intelligence in its actions was undeniable.

At this point, Su Cheng was fully convinced.

Forget backflips—if this dog had a PhD, he’d believe it.

"This route leads to the western airport!"

After following the dog for several blocks, the driver finally caught on. "You should stop the dog—don’t let it exhaust itself. We can get there on our own now."

With that, she sped up, pulling the car alongside the dog.

"Are we going to the airport!?"

Seeing this, Su Cheng leaned out and shouted at the yellow dog.

The dog skidded to a halt.

"Woof!"

Then, it lifted its head and barked at Su Cheng—a loud, almost excited sound, as if confirming something.

"Got it!" Su Cheng pulled back inside and told the driver, "Head straight to the airport!"

Without hesitation, the driver accelerated. Meanwhile, the yellow dog, its mission accomplished, flopped onto the ground, panting heavily with its tongue out, watching as the car disappeared around the corner.

"Did that car just ask the dog for directions?!"

"And did the dog just answer?!"

"Yeah."

"And the car actually believed it?!"

Passersby who witnessed the scene gaped in shock, their faces a mix of disbelief and amazement, as if they’d just seen the most absurd thing in the world.

……………………

Under a gloomy sky, a light drizzle fell, filling the city streets with a damp, chilly mist that weighed on the mood. A biting wind swept through, adding to the dreariness.

A taxi was forced to stop at a traffic light, and inside the car, Su Cheng finally calmed down, beginning to think about how to persuade Cornelia’s parents to give up on sending her back to Great Britain.

To be honest, he had no confidence in this whatsoever.

He was just an ordinary student, his words carried little weight.

But he had no other choice. In this situation, even if he had to shamelessly cling on, even if he had to beg on his knees, he had to stop Cornelia from leaving.

Otherwise,

the pain, the torment, and the regret would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Lost in thought, Su Cheng raised his head and glanced outside. The rain was falling harder, the pitter-patter of droplets beating against the glass, blurring his vision into a misty haze.

Finally, the car began moving again.

"Can you go any faster?"

Su Cheng frowned, urging the driver. Right now, all he wanted was to save as much time as possible, to reach her before she boarded the plane.

"There are several airports to the west. Are you sure which one it is?"

"Just head to the nearest one first!"

The female driver glanced at Su Cheng through the rearview mirror, hesitating for a moment. "Then we’ll have to take a shortcut to save time. There’s a small road nearby with no surveillance cameras. If you’re not afraid of dying, I’m willing to take the risk."

"Please, do it!"

Su Cheng answered without hesitation. "Just go as fast as you can!"

The driver took a deep breath, stomped hard on the accelerator, and swerved into a secluded alley.

Screech—

The car suddenly accelerated, its tires grinding through muddy puddles on the old road, splashing up white foam as the rear swung wildly.

At this speed, anyone would feel terrified, but Su Cheng remained as steady as a mountain, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Seeing this, the driver felt both admiration and a growing resolve—she absolutely couldn’t let this young man down. So she pushed even harder, and the car’s speed surged again.

Surely, he’d show a look of horror now…

The driver thought to herself, then glanced in the rearview mirror. But when she saw Su Cheng’s expression, she froze. He remained in the same posture, his face as calm as ever, as if nothing had happened.

Indeed.

This one was no ordinary fish in a pond—he was destined for greatness!

"How about letting me drive?"

But who would’ve thought Su Cheng would actually suggest switching places?

As if he thought she was driving too slowly.

"Ah…" The driver was stunned. "N-no, it’s fine! Just sit tight!"

"Wait, you’re a student, right?"

She suddenly realized. "Do you even know how to drive?"

"I used to play Crazy Racing Kart."

"Are you out of your mind?"

"But you’re driving like you’re playing a racing game."

Su Cheng shot her a glare. "Either slow down, or let me drive."

"Tch." The driver scoffed, annoyed. "I thought you weren’t scared."

Even so, she eased off the accelerator.

"Thanks!" Su Cheng nodded in appreciation, then turned to look out the window, falling silent as if steeling himself for something.

………………………………

In the VIP lounge of an airport, Cornelia sat curled up in a corner on the carpet, her eyelashes trembling faintly, her mood visibly low.

"It’s been an hour. Didn’t you say your chosen future boyfriend could do anything? But right now, it seems he can’t even find the right airport."

Cornelia's mother glanced at her daughter, who was curled up in a ball, her tone steady yet tinged with helplessness: "We'll be boarding soon. I can give you 15 more minutes at most. You're not a child anymore—you should understand the principle of accepting the consequences of your choices."

"I believe he’ll come for us!" Cornelia repeated the same words, as if trying to bolster her own resolve. "I believe he’ll come for us!"

Seeing her daughter still distracted and stubborn, Cornelia’s mother sighed, crouched down in front of her, cupped her face, and forced her to meet her gaze.

"My dear, let me ask you—did you get into this school, come all this way, by your own ability?"

"No… Mom and Dad got me in."

Even without her usual walnut milk, Cornelia’s brain, though not the sharpest, could grasp basic logic. At the very least, she understood that on her own merit, she might not have even passed the entrance exams, let alone the interviews.

Without her parents’ arrangements and support, she wouldn’t have dared to entertain such ambitions in the first place.

"Then think again—was Mom and Dad’s support alone enough?"

Cornelia’s mother released her hold and gently guided her daughter to reflect further.

After a moment of thought, Cornelia shook her head again. In her view, without the prestige of their aristocratic lineage, she wouldn’t have had the privilege of being selected through diplomatic channels.

If it were just her immediate family, they’d merely be ordinary wealthy—and at that level, they wouldn’t qualify for this kind of admission route.

Realizing this, she faintly grasped the implication behind her mother’s words, and the little color left in her face drained further.

Though Cornelia’s mother ached to see her daughter like this, she needed the stubborn girl to understand the reality—and, more importantly, what was at stake.

Suppressing her pity, she pressed on.

"It seems you’ve realized, my dear. Much of what we have now comes from the family’s influence. Since we’ve benefited from it, we must also give back adequately—only then can this cycle sustain itself."

At this, she recalled the root of the incident and couldn’t help but frown.

When she’d arrived after receiving the news, Cornelia had insisted she was "reborn from the future," rambling about how wonderful her future boyfriend was and how deeply she loved him.

This had made her, usually composed and gentle, wonder if the boy had done something to her daughter to provoke such a drastic, irrational change in behavior.

Out of momentary softness and her daughter’s sheer stubbornness, she’d allowed Cornelia to send him a message—but forbade her from revealing their exact location.

If the boy was clever enough, he could find them before the plane took off.

But now, it seemed her dear daughter had hoped for too much. This only strengthened her resolve to take Cornelia back. And so, she continued explaining the situation.

"So, you should understand the situation now. Mom and Dad are more than willing to support you in finding true love, but this isn’t just about the two of you—or even two families. It’s about whether this will spark a full-blown conflict between two major clans."

"If you can prove that his value is worth igniting an all-out clash between the families, then Mom and Dad will do everything in their power to convince the elders and help you fight for him. But can you do that right now?"

Hearing this, Cornelia strained her little brain, desperately searching for even a sliver of hope. If she had walnut milk right now, she’d chug it while thinking until her stomach burst.

But this was an airport, and no such opportunity presented itself. Defeated, she could only shake her head dejectedly in surrender.

Cornelia’s mother gently took her hand and pulled her up, leading her toward the boarding gate.

"The fact that they’ve only recalled your father for a six-month debriefing means there’s still room for negotiation. If you’re truly confident, what’s stopping you from trying again half a year later…?"

Dazed, Cornelia was ushered onto the plane. After sitting down, her gaze drifted helplessly to the window—as if her hopes, her everything, lay just beyond it.

Meanwhile, Su Cheng rushed into the airport, panting heavily, just as a plane soared overhead, flying in the opposite direction.