After Bankruptcy, the Billionaire Asked Me to Marry Him!
Chapter 370: He’s Just Flirting with Her

Chapter 370: Chapter 370: He’s Just Flirting with Her

Fu Yanci came downstairs.

The voices from downstairs echoed again.

In the upstairs lounge, Ye Li decisively opened the door and left.

The elevator led straight to the underground parking lot, and Ye Li found Fu Yanci’s car and drove directly to Qin Chu’s garage.

Qin Chu was busy inspecting her beloved war car.

The bold red Ferrari.

Before heading abroad to compete, Qin Chu had been struggling with a decision: whether to pick the black car that had accompanied her for years, or to go with the higher-performing red car gifted by Xi Zhou.

Ultimately, she chose the red one.

On the racetrack, even a sliver of advantage can knock several competitors out of the running.

Reality proved that her choice was spot on.

When she secured victory by a few seconds and stood on the podium, the first thought that flashed through Qin Chu’s mind, mingled with excitement, was: good thing I didn’t choose the wrong car.

Seeing Qin Chu standing there intensely gazing at her car, seemingly lost in thought, Ye Li couldn’t help but chuckle. "Darling, why don’t you marry your car already? Make it official for life!"

"I’d love that!"

Qin Chu stood up, tossed aside her tools, removed her gloves, and gazed at Ye Li with a teasing glint in her eye. "You’ve figured things out?"

Ye Li froze for a second and sighed. "Figured out or not, what can I do? I can’t win if I fight for it, but I can’t bear to let go either. So... I’ll just take things one step at a time."

After all, her heart had already betrayed her.

As if trying to shake off the memory of her love-stricken self from days prior, Ye Li turned away and headed toward the changing room. "Take a few laps with me. Wait right there..."

As Ye Li walked away, Qin Chu stared at the phone resting in the driver’s seat, frozen in a daze.

Before she left, he said: "Good luck, Team Qin! Remember to buy me a drink when you return!"

After she got back, he messaged: "??? I treated you like a close buddy, and you treat me like some random guy on the street?"

Just moments ago, he texted: "I’ve arrived in Imperial City! Where shall we meet?"

Half of her thought he might be misunderstanding something.

They’d only met twice before. Xi Zhou was the laid-back and indulgent type.

Maybe he just had a blast racing downhill that day or had a fleeting moment of sentiment, and now he’s treating her like one of the bros.

Men are, after all, such carefree creatures.

But another part of her thought: No, he’s clearly flirting with me.

Even if the latter was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, Qin Chu didn’t want to entertain it.

From the beginning, she and he weren’t suited for the same path. In that case, any budding sparks should be smothered in the cradle.

"Darling, I’m ready..."

The crisp sound of her calling out grew closer, and Qin Chu snapped back to her senses. She gestured toward the newly inspected red Ferrari. "This one’s good to go. You drive it."

"No way!"

Ye Li refused without hesitation, glanced around, and spotted her usual white car. She threw a playful wink at Qin Chu as she walked over. "I’m a loyal person; I’ll stick with my Little White."

Qin Chu laughed, then turned and headed to her black Ferrari.

White and black cars chased each other fiercely, lap after lap, until they crossed the finish line neck and neck.

Ye Li’s phone rang for the umpteenth time. Seeing her expression of exasperation but hearing the laughter in her voice as she picked up, Qin Chu could tell. If it wasn’t Fu Yanci calling, it couldn’t be anyone else.

"Darling, come on, let’s change clothes and grab dinner."

"You go ahead! I’ve got a mountain of work here."

"You can come back after eating! Food is life; you can’t skip meals!"

"Mrs. Fu, do I have to spell it out bluntly? I don’t want to be the glaring third wheel. Get it now?"

"...Fine then, starve if you want!"

Watching Ye Li wave goodbye, Qin Chu slipped into her grease-streaked coveralls, grabbed her wrench, and moved on to inspect the next car.

Her hands were smeared pitch black.

The scent of engine oil saturated the air around her.

The garage was silent except for her movements. Yet, Qin Chu felt this moment was the only time her body and mind felt entirely at ease.

Click!

A sharp sound echoed, like the lid of a lighter snapping open.

Qin Chu turned around, her gaze freezing.

In the shadows of the dimly lit garage, at the edge of the spectator stands, a red spark flickered faintly.

She couldn’t make out the smoker’s face.

But Qin Chu’s heartbeat accelerated, thump, thump-thump, each pulse louder than the last.

"Who’s there?"

Qin Chu shouted.

The red spark fell and was promptly stomped out.

The figure walked out of the shadows.

Seeing his face, Qin Chu’s heartbeat quickened again.

But the words she blurted out carried disdain. "Who let you in here? Don’t you know this is a private garage? No entry without permission!"

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Xi Zhou strode closer, his gaze trailing from the oil-smudged tip of Qin Chu’s nose down to her dirt-streaked combat boots. "Qin Chu, it’s not that I don’t see you as a woman, but seriously... you don’t seem to see yourself that way either."

Qin Chu’s face darkened.

Xi Zhou laughed. "Don’t get mad, don’t get mad. Such a beautiful face—getting mad ruins the look. What a waste! ...Hey, are you almost done? I’m starving!"

"???"

"If you’re hungry, go eat! I didn’t ask you to wait for me!"

"Can’t I choose to wait for you?"

"..."

"Come on, how long will this take?"

The clinking of tools reverberated through the air; Qin Chu didn’t seem inclined to respond.

Xi Zhou didn’t press further. With a cigarette between his lips and his phone in hand, he either gamed or flirted with girls over text—whatever it was, his mood was visibly high.

Qin Chu ignored him completely, focusing on her work.

Yet the screws refused to budge, and grease and oil looked indistinct.

Bam!

Qin Chu forcefully shut the car hood and began tidying up her workspace.

"Hey, wait! Just a few minutes more..." Xi Zhou suddenly raised his voice, calling out.

But his attention quickly returned to his phone.

Carrying her tool bag, Qin Chu brushed past him, glancing at his phone screen.

Qin Chu: ...

Multicolored tiles filled the screen; it was obvious he was struggling with Candy Crush.

Her expression faltered, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Without a word, Qin Chu walked away.

"Hey, wait for me!"

Xi Zhou’s voice trailed behind her. Soon, the game-over chime rang out.

He scrambled to his feet, calling out loudly as he chased after her.

Dinner was at a street stall near the garage.

The meal came in disposable containers larger than their faces.

Chunks of blackened beef, strands of red carrots, white bean sprouts mixed with rice noodles, green cabbage leaves, and a sprinkle of scallions?

This chaotic medley of ingredients called "beef stir-fried noodles" released a questionable aroma.

Scanning their surroundings, the place was a mishmash of construction workers from nearby sites, students sneaking out late from school, and office workers finishing up overtime shifts...

A motley crew.

Xi Zhou’s face instantly darkened. "Qin Chu, this is your idea of treating me to a meal?"

"Yep," Qin Chu replied, snapping apart a pair of disposable chopsticks and smoothing out the edges. She looked Xi Zhou directly in the eye. "Mr. Lue, your stomach probably only accepts Michelin-starred meals. But me? I grew up eating all kinds of street-side food. It’s the stuff you turn your nose up at that I happen to love."

"Xi Zhou, we’re simply not cut from the same cloth!"

A faint smile lingered on her face.

The meaning in her eyes was unmistakable: Mr. Lue, please go on your way!

Grabbing her container, Qin Chu dug in unapologetically.

Xi Zhou stared at her, mouthful after mouthful, not even looking up.

Then glanced at the mix of colors and textures under the yellowed streetlight, her stir-fried noodles looked anything but appetizing.

Clenching his chopsticks, Xi Zhou bit back his frustration.