You didn’t accept my confession, why are you crying because I changed my mind?
Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Scam Him to Death, Crash a New Car!

They had been driving on the highway for two hours.

Suddenly, the northern wind picked up and turned wild.

The light drizzle from earlier instantly grew heavier.

Looking ahead, the dark sky loomed oppressively low over the road, as if thunder could crash down at any moment.

Soon after, raindrops began to beat loudly against the hood with a pitter-patter.

Jiang Zhou turned on the windshield wipers and drove carefully, but it was obvious that the cars in front were slowing down.

They had no choice but to decelerate as well, keeping a safe distance and following the flow of traffic.

They hadn’t even gone another fifty meters before the car in front came to a complete stop.

Guo Wei stuck his head out for a look.

“Brother Jiang, there’s a massive traffic jam up ahead. We’re probably going to be stuck for a while.”

Jiang Zhou pulled the handbrake and took a sip of water.

“Damn weather forecast. Said it’d be dry. What a joke!”

“It might not just be the weather. Maybe there’s been an accident ahead.”

“Hopefully not. If we’re stuck any longer, we’ll be lucky to get home before dark.”

While talking, Jiang Zhou glanced at the back seat.

Chu Yuwei and Han Rou were sound asleep, leaning against each other.

He couldn’t blame them.

Rainy days always made people sleepy.

And since they’d gotten up early to go home today, it was no wonder they were dozing off.

Just then, the traffic began to move again.

Jiang Zhou sighed in relief, started the car, and quickly followed.

“Hey Jiang Zhou, what’s going on with you and school belle Chu now?”

Jiang Zhou glanced at him. “Nothing. Just very friendly classmates.”

Guo Wei sighed faintly. “I used to feel indignant on your behalf because she looked down on you.”

“And now?”

“Now I just feel bad for her. She’s always chasing after your shadow.”

Jiang Zhou fell silent.

Through the rearview mirror, he looked at the sleeping Chu Yuwei.

That girl had woken up over an hour early to take the bus from the north second ring all the way to the east second ring just because he’d casually mentioned wanting chicken wings stuffed with rice that morning.

She was the proud school belle of Chengnan, practically a princess.

When had she ever done something so over-the-top?

If something could change a person’s personality and habits, and it wasn’t love, who would believe it?

Since his rebirth, Jiang Zhou had felt he could handle everything with ease.

But when it came to Chu Yuwei, he really didn’t know what to do.

If she were still the arrogant girl she used to be, he could easily ignore her.

But he truly couldn’t bring himself to be cold toward the person she was now.

Even he sometimes thought she was foolish and pitiful.

“Stop the car! I see Zheng Yu!” Just then, Guo Wei’s eyes widened.

Up ahead, two smoke-spewing vehicles had been pulled over to the emergency lane.

A young man and woman stood in front of them, being loudly berated by a man in a suit.

“Are you insane?! Driving go-karts on the highway? My brand-new car’s a wreck thanks to you!”

“I’m sorry, sir! I’m just a student. Please, can you let me off this once?”

“Cut the ‘student’ crap. Call your parents. Now!”

“Please, I’m begging you! I just bought this car too! My parents will kill me!”

Jiang Zhou focused his gaze.

The crying, snot-nosed mess was none other than Zheng Yu.

No wonder traffic had been backed up so long.

The guy had literally crashed his car onto the roof of someone else’s!

The BMW underneath was covered in scratches. One of its wheels had even fallen off.

Jiang Zhou also drove on the highway once a month, but at least he had experience from his previous life.

Meanwhile, Zheng Yu clearly had guts but no skill.

Did he really think he was some prodigy?

Jiang Zhou turned the steering wheel, slowing down and pulling into the emergency lane.

“Zheng Yu! What a coincidence. Playing bumper cars on the highway?” Guo Wei got out and hollered without a care.

The shout startled not only Zheng Yu but also woke the two girls in the car.

“You… why are you guys here?”

“We’re going home. Some dumbass blocked the highway for half an hour.”

Zheng Yu quickly wiped away his tears and tried to look composed because Chu Yuwei had just stepped out of the car.

Beside her was Jiang Zhou and another unfamiliar girl.

At that moment, Guo Wei noticed something strange.

His gaze fell on the girl standing beside Zheng Yu, and his expression changed in shock.

He recognized her.

Qian Rongrong!

She had been in the same high school class as them.

She was Chu Yuwei’s so-called high school “bestie.”

“Qian Rongrong? What are you doing in Zheng Yu’s car?”

Qian Rongrong glanced at him smugly. “Brother Zheng Yu is taking me home. He bought a car, and I’m the first one to ride in it.”

Guo Wei suddenly realized, “So there’s something going on between you two?”

Zheng Yu’s expression shifted when he saw Chu Yuwei. “Don’t talk nonsense! I was just helping a classmate out!”

“But Qian Rongrong goes to university in Jibei, right? That’s three cities away. How’s that ‘on the way’?”

Qian Rongrong smiled. “Of course Brother Zheng Yu made the trip just for me!”

Jiang Zhou also approached. “What happened? Car accident?”

“Who are you?” The BMW owner looked displeased at the crowd gathering.

“Just spectators. Saw the smoke and came to check it out. Want a smoke?”

Seeing the cigarette Jiang Zhou offered, the BMW driver sized him up.

After a moment’s hesitation, he accepted.

The two walked off to the roadside to chat.

—

Meanwhile, by the totaled BMW…

Qian Rongrong looked at Chu Yuwei with a sarcastic smile. “Yuwei, what are you doing with Jiang Zhou?”

“He’s giving me a ride home.”

“He bought a car too? Copying Brother Zheng Yu, huh?”

Chu Yuwei glanced back and chuckled softly. “Yeah, same car as yours. But the driving skills are worlds apart.”

Qian Rongrong frowned. “What do you mean? He’s not even worthy to be compared to Brother Zheng Yu!”

“You’re serious???”

Guo Wei quickly jumped in. “School belle, you forgot. Qian Rongrong went overseas after the college entrance exam. She doesn’t know what happened.”

Chu Yuwei suddenly understood. “No wonder she’s comparing Zheng Yu to Jiang Zhou.”

Zheng Yu’s expression darkened.

Even his goddess thought he was no match for another man.

The bitterness in his heart was indescribable.

But Qian Rongrong didn’t notice his strange expression at all.

She loved competing with Chu Yuwei.

No way was she going to stop now.

“Yuwei, I heard you confessed to our Brother Zheng Yu, didn’t you?”

That one sentence left Guo Wei and Chu Yuwei both stunned.

What kind of nonsense is that?

“Who told you that?”

Qian Rongrong smiled smugly. “Brother Zheng Yu did. Said you went to his school to find him, and he turned you down.”

Chu Yuwei glanced at Zheng Yu. “Oh? Was I suffering from amnesia?”

“Stop pretending. You knew he was starting a business and even asked him for a Prada.”

“He told you that himself?”

“Of course! I didn’t expect you to be so sneaky. You knew I liked him but still went after him!”

She held her chin high, full of smug superiority.

Guo Wei, meanwhile, was thoroughly disgusted.

Not by Qian Rongrong’s attitude, but by her sheer stupidity.

More importantly, what she’d said just now.

Zheng Yu told people the school belle chased after him?

And that he rejected her?!

Good lord, what an outrageous lie.

Zheng Yu’s face had gone pale.

He did like to show off, and during his chats with Qian Rongrong, he’d exaggerated a little.

But he never expected them to actually run into each other like this.

“Yuwei, listen to me, I was just joking…”

Chu Yuwei immediately ducked behind Han Rou. “Don’t come near me. You make me sick!”

Sick.

Sick.

That word echoed like thunder through Zheng Yu’s mind.

“I only said that because I thought it was funny. How was I supposed to know she’d take it seriously?”

“Funny? You think saying that was funny?”

Zheng Yu pretended to stay calm. “Yeah, Yuwei, I was being self-deprecating. I was using irony, you get that, right?”

Chu Yuwei was disgusted. “Can you stop calling me by my nickname? We’re just classmates who aren’t even close, okay?”

Not close! Not close!

Zheng Yu’s mind went blank.

In truth, the reason he approached Qian Rongrong was all for Chu Yuwei.

Because Jiang Zhou had told him he wasn’t allowed to go to the North District.

He didn’t dare look for Chu Yuwei directly, so he had to think of another plan.

He figured he could win over Chu Yuwei’s best friend, and then use her to invite Chu Yuwei to the South District.

That way, he wouldn’t technically be defying Jiang Zhou’s order.

But he never imagined that all his boasting would be repeated word-for-word by Qian Rongrong.

At the same time, Qian Rongrong stood by looking confused.

She just called Zheng Yu disgusting?

That didn’t seem like Chu Yuwei was the one who got rejected?

She glanced toward Jiang Zhou in the distance.

He was chatting and laughing with the BMW owner.

An eighteen-year-old freshman talking to a forty-something businessman, they looked like they had zero generational gap.

They smoked and chatted like old friends, nearly putting an arm around each other.

Qian Rongrong was puzzled.

This wasn’t the Jiang Zhou she remembered.

He used to be childish and impulsive.

Wasn’t he the one who cried so hard after Chu Yuwei rejected him that the whole school heard about it?

She had always looked down on that kind of big dumb guy — immature, shallow, lacking depth.

So why was it that while Zheng Yu was about to be scolded to tears,

Jiang Zhou was over there laughing and joking with the guy?

At that moment, Jiang Zhou and the BMW owner walked over.

“I just had a word with Brother Wei,” Jiang Zhou said. “He’s agreed not to call the cops.

“Since no one got hurt, you guys can settle this privately.

“As for compensation, Brother Wei says students have it tough, so he’ll go easy on the amount.”

Zheng Yu’s eyes widened. “Jiang Zhou, are you serious? Thank you so much!”

Jiang Zhou nodded. “But you still need to call your family, get a tow truck, and move your car. Don’t block traffic.”

“Got it, I’ll find a tow truck right away.”

“Good. Be more careful on the road. Don’t joke around with your life.”

Qian Rongrong’s eyes widened instinctively.

That BMW owner had been so difficult. He wouldn’t budge even a little.

Yet after just one chat with Jiang Zhou, he changed his mind?

She couldn’t believe it.

Zheng Yu was supposed to be the most mature guy in the class.

If even he couldn’t handle it, how did Jiang Zhou manage?

Just then, Jiang Zhou noticed something was off with the group.

Guo Wei looked at Zheng Yu with disgust.

Han Rou was comforting a furious Chu Yuwei.

Something must’ve happened while he was gone.

“What happened? Why is everyone so quiet?”

Guo Wei pointed at Zheng Yu. “This idiot said the school beauty chased after him and that he turned her down!”

Chu Yuwei’s eyes turned red…

People were like that.

They could hold back tears through all kinds of grievances.

But just one caring look from someone they trust, and they couldn’t help but cry.

Jiang Zhou frowned. “You really said that?”

Zheng Yu panicked. “It’s a misunderstanding! I was just joking! I didn’t mean it!”

“Joking, my ass. You think that’s funny?”

“I… I… I can apologize to Yuwei. I’m just a little vain. I didn’t want people looking down on me, so I exaggerated.”

Guo Wei sneered. “You call that exaggeration? Don’t insult the word ‘exaggerate.’”

“It really was just a little exaggeration!”

“The school beauty never even looked you in the eye, and you claim you rejected her? You were the one pestering her! You got kicked out by Jiang Zhou, and you say she came to you? That’s your version of ‘exaggerating’?”

Zheng Yu swallowed hard, at a loss for words.

Qian Rongrong finally understood the truth. Her face showed utter disbelief.

He twisted the entire story around?

No wonder Guo Wei reacted like he swallowed a dead fly.

How could Zheng Yu be this kind of person?

“Brother Wei.”

“What’s up, Brother Jiang?”

Jiang Zhou smiled. “I don’t know this guy. Also, he’s still in his probationary period. That makes the accident entirely his fault.”

The BMW owner lit up. “Honestly, I was only being nice because of you. But if that’s the case, I’ll stop holding back.”

“Please! Go wild. Be ruthless. Be lawless.”

“You won’t hold a grudge if I stop being lenient?”

Jiang Zhou shook his head. “Once it’s sorted, come to Linjiang. I’ll throw you a banquet.”

The BMW owner laughed. “I always thought white cars were annoying. Hard to keep clean. Time to get a new one!”

“Then it’s settled.”

“No problem. You go ahead, I’ll take care of the rest.”

Jiang Zhou shot a cold glare at Zheng Yu and led the others back to the car.

Zheng Yu stood there, pale.

Get a new car?

That was a BMW!

His parents were going to kill him.

No, he had to think of something. He had to.

In his panic, a lightbulb went off in Zheng Yu’s head.

“Rongrong, can you contact your parents and ask them to help pay for this?”

Qian Rongrong looked shocked. “But I was just a passenger!”

Zheng Yu stammered, “Yeah, but I didn’t charge you, right? You should contribute something.”

“Are you insane? I told you my parents were picking me up, and you insisted I come with you. Now you want my parents to pay?”

“I…”

“Just stop. You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous? I drove all the way to pick you up out of kindness!”

Qian Rongrong didn’t want to argue anymore.

She glanced back at Jiang Zhou and the others.

Their car hadn’t left yet.

She immediately pulled away from Zheng Yu and ran over.

“Um… Yuwei, is there still a seat in your car? Can I hitch a ride?”

Chu Yuwei hesitated. “You’ll have to ask Jiang Zhou. It’s not my car.”

Qian Rongrong froze. “But Jiang Zhou likes you. If you say yes, he’ll definitely agree!”

“…”

Chu Yuwei lowered her head. “I like him. He doesn’t like me…”

Buzz!

Qian Rongrong stood there stunned.

She stared at Jiang Zhou in disbelief.

What the hell is going on here?

I’d only gone on a month-long trip over the summer.

How did the whole world fall apart in such weird ways?

What is real? What is fake?

Are we even living in the same dimension?

She remembered clearly that when she left, Jiang Zhou had been rejected by Chu Yuwei!

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

She was terrified Zheng Yu would try to pin the cost on her.

“Jiang Zhou, can I please ride with you? I’m begging you.”

Jiang Zhou lit a cigarette, paused for half a minute, then said, “Ask Chu Yuwei. I’ll listen to her.”

Chu Yuwei was stunned.

He said… he’d listen to me?

Why?

Why would he listen to me?

Before she could figure it out, her hand was grabbed by Qian Rongrong.

“Yuwei, we were besties in high school, remember? Please help me. This is the highway. I can’t just walk away!”

Chu Yuwei sighed. “We’ll drop you at the next exit. You can take a bus from there.”

“Th-that works. Thank you.”

Qian Rongrong got in the car and left with Jiang Zhou and the others.

Zheng Yu was left standing there, dumbfounded.

You think buying a car is easy?

His parents nearly got divorced arguing over this car!

He’d had it for five days, driven it three times.

Now it was totaled and he had to replace a BMW?

Worst of all, Chu Yuwei thought he was disgusting. Even Qian Rongrong thought he was disgusting.

“Hey, kid. What are you spacing out for? Call your family already.”

Zheng Yu paused for a moment, then tried to change his tone. “Brother Wei, how about we talk this over like men?”

The BMW owner was stunned. “You trying to act like Brother Jiang now? You think I won’t slap you?”

“Brother Wei, you can’t just forget about respect—”

“Wait, are all college students this damn weird nowadays?”