Chapter 18
Ruan Tang stared blankly at Song Chenxi as memories of the past flooded her mind all at once.
Her master disliked small animals. She hated furry creatures, believing they were filthy and greedy. She would never touch one, even if someone threatened to beat her to death.
Once, a neighbor came over carrying a puppy while delivering housewarming pastries. Ruan Tang could not resist touching the puppy’s head.
That night, Song Chenxi personally bathed Ruan Tang, saying she had become dirty. She scrubbed Ruan Tang’s hands repeatedly until the skin broke and bright-red blood emerged.
Another time, Ruan Tang secretly saved two pieces of braised pork for the neighbor’s puppy.
After her master discovered it, the dog disappeared the following day.
Song Chenxi happened to raise her head and met Ruan Tang’s terrified gaze.
It appeared that they had remembered the same things.
Song Chenxi rose, carefully moving her feet so she would not frighten the kitten, and approached Ruan Tang.
“Ruan Tang, do you like this kitten?”
Ruan Tang did not dare admit it. Her fingertips tightly clenched the edges of her clothes.
“All right. I understand. If you like it, you can continue feeding it. But the kitten won’t receive much nutrition from eating only this.”
Song Chenxi’s gaze was sincere as she glanced at the nervous Omega.
“When we have time, we can prepare some cat food for it.”
“R-Really?” Ruan Tang asked quietly.
The moment she finished, she lowered her head to conceal her excitement.
“Of course.”
Song Chenxi did not know whether to laugh or cry. She raised a hand and lightly tapped Ruan Tang’s nose.
“All right, let’s go. I’m taking you out to eat something delicious.”
The original Song Chenxi had obtained her driver’s license immediately after graduating from high school. As a gift for starting university, she received an expensive SUV.
Unfortunately, the current Song Chenxi had obtained her license only shortly before her sudden death. With less than a day of driving experience, she had no confidence whatsoever about taking a car onto the road.
The two entered the villa’s underground garage.
An iris-recognition system had been installed there, and only Song Chenxi could enter and leave freely.
She would never have known if she had not come down—and the discovery gave her quite a shock.
Twenty cars were parked inside the underground garage!
This was Ruan Tang’s first time there as well, leaving her too astonished to speak.
There were executive sedans, convertible supercars, luxury vans, SUVs, and even several vintage cars that appeared old and highly collectible.
Good grief!
Had the original owner opened an entire car dealership in her basement?
Song Chenxi swallowed against her dry throat. She pressed one hand against her throbbing temple while bracing the other against the wall.
“Oh, good Lord. Give me a moment to recover.”
Ruan Tang became concerned when she noticed something was wrong with Song Chenxi.
She felt deeply conflicted.
She worried that her master would take her outside, regret it afterward, and beat her viciously.
But she also worried that her master would regret it now and refuse to take her out at all.
Seeing Ruan Tang remain silent, Song Chenxi composed herself before asking gently, “Which car should I drive? Preferably one that won’t cost too much if I get into an accident.”
Ruan Tang clearly did not understand what Song Chenxi meant. She shook her head stiffly.
“Can you drive?”
Ruan Tang continued shaking her head.
“Then we’ll take whichever one you’ve ridden in before.”
Ruan Tang glanced at Song Chenxi and lowered her head.
Only then did Song Chenxi realize how foolish and ridiculous her question had been.
Given the original owner’s attitude toward Ruan Tang, she would never have driven her anywhere.
Song Chenxi was about to change the subject when Ruan Tang slowly raised her head and said apologetically, “I’m sorry. I… haven’t ridden in… any of them.”
Song Chenxi immediately laughed awkwardly twice.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Then which one would you like to ride in?”
Song Chenxi wanted to respect Ruan Tang’s opinion completely.
Ruan Tang slowly turned her head and carefully examined every car. In the end, she still shook her head.
Her voice was quiet, yet it contained a barely perceptible trace of anticipation.
“Any… any of them would be fine.”
“Any of them?” Song Chenxi asked for confirmation.
Ruan Tang nervously bit her lower lip and nodded vigorously.
Song Chenxi pressed her palms together and lightly tapped them against her lips. Then she interlaced her fingers, stretched both arms above her head, and leaned first to the left and then to the right, as though warming up.
Ruan Tang watched her.
Although she had no idea what Song Chenxi was doing, she began copying the movements.
When Song Chenxi noticed the girl mimicking her, she burst out laughing.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Having been laughed at, Ruan Tang’s face flushed bright red. Even her ears and the back of her neck became tinged with pale pink.
She awkwardly lowered her hands and once again became as motionless as a robot.
Throughout her entire life, Ruan Tang had ridden in a car only twice.
The first time was when her parents took her to meet Song Chenxi. The second was when they delivered her to Song Chenxi’s house.
After that, she had never ridden in Song Chenxi’s car—or anyone else’s.
Just now, she had assumed that Song Chenxi’s movements were part of the preparation required before riding in a car.
“It-It was nothing.”
She felt foolish, ridiculous, and useless.
A second later, she lowered her head even further, allowing her long black hair to conceal her expression.
Song Chenxi bent down and reached out to sweep Ruan Tang’s hair back.
“Since we’re going out to spend money, why don’t we drive something flashy?” she asked with a cheerful smile.
Her fingertips were like wisps of smoke or a layer of gauze, drifting lightly across Ruan Tang’s cheek and brushing through her hair.
Ruan Tang instinctively closed her eyes.
Countless times, someone had viciously grabbed her hair from behind and thrown her against the wall before removing her clothes and treating her violently.
Countless times, she had been forced beneath the surface of a bathtub filled with cold water, her own long hair wrapped tightly around her neck as she struggled desperately against the despair of approaching death.
Song Chenxi saw Ruan Tang’s shoulders tremble violently.
She abruptly realized that her sudden gesture had been overly familiar and impolite.
She immediately withdrew her hand and apologized repeatedly.
“I’m sorry, Ruan Tang. Your hair was covering your face, and I only wanted to sweep it back. I didn’t mean anything else. Please don’t be afraid.”
Hearing her master apologize, Ruan Tang’s eyes flew open.
The moment Song Chenxi’s voice reached her, those painful, nauseating memories seemed to flee in panic.
It was clearly the same voice, yet this one held concern and warmth.
Was it because her master was not currently experiencing a susceptible period?
*
The orange-red Ferrari crept painfully slowly down the road. Cyclists repeatedly overtook it, casting strange looks at Song Chenxi as they passed.
Song Chenxi narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips tightly together. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel so forcefully that her knuckles turned white, while sweat covered her palms.
She struggled to determine the correct direction while simultaneously watching for other vehicles.
This was her first time driving a Ferrari. Before leaving, she had spent at least twenty minutes figuring out how to operate it.
Then she had taken ages just to locate the underground garage’s exit.
The traffic light turned red, and the car stopped neatly behind the line.
Song Chenxi glanced at Ruan Tang.
She sat upright in the passenger seat, staring directly ahead like an elementary-school student listening attentively in class.
“Stand!”
“Good morning, students!”
“Good morning, teacher!”
…
What kind of ridiculous thoughts were these?
Song Chenxi shook her head.
At that moment, she noticed that an alarm had been sounding continuously inside the car, but she did not know where it was coming from.
Um…
The green symbol on the dashboard looked a little like…
Ah!
Ruan Tang had not fastened her seat belt.
Fortunately, Song Chenxi had not been driving quickly. Otherwise, the consequences could have been disastrous.
Did this world also deduct license points and impose fines for failing to wear a seat belt?
“Ruan Tang, you forgot your seat belt.”
Hearing this, Ruan Tang glanced at Song Chenxi and then at the thick black strap beside her, looking utterly confused.
Of course she did not know how to fasten a seat belt.
That was only natural.
“Watch me…”
Song Chenxi silently cursed herself for being an idiot, then demonstrated while explaining.
Ruan Tang pulled at the seat belt and looked at Song Chenxi.
Her first attempt failed.
One second later, her second attempt failed as well.
Song Chenxi anxiously watched the traffic light’s countdown.
Nine, eight, seven…
If Ruan Tang truly could not fasten the seat belt, it was not the end of the world. Song Chenxi did not care about a few points on her license or a little money from her bank account.
However, given her current, painfully amateur driving skills, Ruan Tang would be safer with her seat belt fastened.
With that thought, Song Chenxi unfastened her own belt, turned sideways, and took Ruan Tang’s seat belt from her hands.
Then she fastened it for her.
“Okay! Now you know how to do it…”
As Song Chenxi spoke, she tilted her head and looked sideways at Ruan Tang.
Ruan Tang’s face was flushed as she looked back at her.
Their eyes met, their breaths far too close together.
For a moment, Song Chenxi detected a faint jasmine fragrance.
The sensation resembled the evening breeze of early summer—soft and gentle enough to melt a person’s heart.
“…right?”
She slowly finished the sentence with the final word she had left unsaid.
They stared at each other for a long time, until a horn sounded behind them.
The repeated, piercing honks startled both Song Chenxi and Ruan Tang, making them hurriedly look away.
Ruan Tang turned toward the window, exposing an ear so red that it appeared ready to drip blood.
Was the girl… feeling shy?
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