Chapter 113: Chapter 113

Ling City, true to its name, is surrounded by hills and mountains of all sizes.

Among them is a mountain known for its particularly treacherous terrain, called "Eye of Death" by the locals. A winding road snakes up the mountain, with a sheer cliff on one side leading to an endless sea below, and jagged mountain rocks on the other. The slopes are densely covered with verdant pine trees.

When the wind blows, the pines whir with a resounding roar.

Those who drive here do so with their hearts in their throats, fearing that a single misstep could send them plunging over the cliff or crashing into the rock face. The former could leave no remains, and the latter could mean a pulverizing end; both are equally horrific.

No matter how careful you are, accidents are unavoidable, with a few occurring every year. Over time, even the news outlets have stopped bothering to report them.

Yet, a group of thrill-seekers loves to come here for the excitement.

Sports cars roar into the unknown with thunderous engines, fireworks light up the roadside, and the cheers of onlookers push the atmosphere to its peak.

Pei Che is no stranger to this place.

Every time he appears, he stirs up the crowd, worshiped by men and adored by women.

He drives a modified dark blue supercar, considerably faster than most sports cars. When the engine roars to life, the entire half of the mountain can hear the soul-shaking sound.

"Mr. Pei! Mr. Pei! Mr. Pei!"

"Fellows, Mr. Pei said that whoever wins today will get this million-dollar sports car of his."

"Mr. Pei, you’re so generous!"

A few cars lined up at the starting line, their drivers fired up and shouting Pei Che’s name. As for him, he had just finished a phone call, uttering only one sentence before turning his phone off and tossing it into the car through the open window.

He leaned back against the car, gazing up at the vast night sky, tuning out the clamor around him until only the soft voice remained in his ears—Pei Che, is that you?

The moment Pei Che heard her voice, his eyes reddened. He closed his eyes, replaying the moment over and over, cherishing even her tone.

But she was no longer his.

Pei Che’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he swallowed a bitterness, not noticing the tears welling in his eyes.

"Mr. Pei." A woman from the crowd noticed his dejected appearance, her heart aching. Bravely, she approached, offering him a cigarette and a lighter. "Would you like a smoke? It might help you relax."

Pei Che lifted his eyelids and cast a faint glance in her direction, making her heart skip a beat.

How could there be someone in this world with such a bright, handsome face, yet eyes so desolate and lifeless, as if devoid of any vitality?

The woman’s heart fluttered, increasingly fascinated by him. She hoped to captivate him, curling her lips into a light smile as she offered a cigarette to his lips.

Pei Che’s gaze turned cold as he tilted his head, avoiding her touch.

The woman’s red-polished fingers stiffened before she reluctantly withdrew them, fully aware that someone of his elite status carried an innate pride, not easily swayed. She plastered on a radiant smile, "Good luck."

And thus began a race of life and death.

Pei Che opened the car door and sat in the driver’s seat, fastening the seatbelt across his chest. His deadpan gaze fixed on the dark road ahead.

The streetlights were bright, yet seemed so lonely deep in the mountains.

"Are you ready? Three, two, one—"

The sound of a whistle tore through the sky. Several sports cars took off from the starting point like arrows released from a bow.

The million-dollar prize for the champion was dazzling, inciting the drivers to race more recklessly than ever, overtaking each other with abandon, with their eyes only on the finish line.

Pei Che led the race, a red sports car less than ten meters behind him. He pressed down hard, flooring the gas pedal and deftly maneuvering the steering wheel around the bends.

One turn came after another, barely giving him time to catch his breath.

The fiery red car behind tirelessly pursued him, and as they rounded another bend, the gap between the two cars diminished.

Their front bumper was about to hit his rear bumper when the red car seized the moment, ready to overtake.

Pei Che’s car was on the outer lane, right next to the cliff. He would have to slow down to avoid being run off the road, but he didn’t. He kept his foot on the gas, pushing the speed to its limit.

The moment his car crashed through the guardrail and flew off, there was no fear or panic on his face, only a sense of relief.

They agreed on a life for a life, but what could he do? He only had one life to give.

The screeching brakes pierced the air as the red sports car stopped dead on the road, the force from the emergency brake throwing the driver forward, who then forcefully slammed back against the seat.

His mind buzzed as he stared in horror at the scene of the man and car plummeting off the cliff, his face turning ashen.

At one o’clock in the morning, Shen Jianian stood by the bed, feeling cold all over, repeatedly dialing Pei Che’s phone number, but it was always turned off.

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. The line "I love you" that Pei Che said on the phone sounded distant like ethereal clouds, not like a confession, more like a goodbye.

Shen Jianian was too tense and belatedly noticed that she had been holding a half cup of warm water in her hand, forgetting to drink it, and it had turned cold, her fingers clutching the cup slightly aching.

She placed the cup on the bedside table but didn’t secure it properly, causing it to fall and hit the floor.

With a crisp "snap," it shattered into pieces, and water splashed onto her ankles.

Shen Jianian put her phone on the bed and squatted down to pick up the shattered glass, wrapping it in a few tissues.

Just then, the door was pushed open from outside, and Fu Jichen walked in briskly. Seeing Shen Jianian squatting by the bed collecting glass shards, his eyebrows tightened, "What are you doing?"

He had just finished work, coming out of the study, and heard the sound of a cup breaking from her room, so he came to check. Otherwise, would she have picked up all the glass on the floor?

Fu Jichen grabbed one of her hands and pulled her up, "Did you get cut?"

Shen Jianian’s face was pale; it was better not to mention it, as once he did, she suddenly felt a bit of pain in her fingertips. Looking down, she saw a tiny bead of blood emerging from the pad of her index finger.

"Why pick up broken glass when the lighting is bad at night? Are you thinking straight?!" Fu Jichen spoke impulsively in anger, his harsh words coming out quickly. After pausing for a moment, seeing Shen Jianian’s poor complexion, he softened his tone, "Come sleep in the next room with me."

If she accidentally stepped on it again, she’d be the one suffering.

Shen Jianian, like a puppet on strings, was pulled into the adjoining bedroom by him.

The ceiling lights were all turned on, and in the overly bright lighting, her dazed and lost expression was clearly visible. Fu Jichen glanced at her and softly asked, "Why so careless?"

Shen Jianian’s lips were somewhat dry; she pressed them together, "Had a nightmare, got up to drink water and didn’t pay attention..."

She spoke very quietly, like a child who had done something wrong.

Fu Jichen sighed, picked up a clean cup, filled it with warm water, and handed it to her, "Sit down and drink some water first. I’ll go find a band-aid."

Shen Jianian held the cup as she sat on the edge of the bed, her injured finger held up, the blood flowing more and more, the wound deeper than expected.

Fu Jichen took the elevator to the living room, rummaging drawer by drawer for the medicine box. He usually didn’t need these things as the housekeeper organized them, and he didn’t know where they were kept.

The commotion woke Cheng Jin from the servants’ room. She came out wearing a thick coat, "Sir, what are you looking for?"

Fu Jichen straightened up, one hand supporting his waist, irritation etched between his eyebrows, "Where’s the medicine box?"

Hearing he was looking for the medicine box, Cheng Jin’s mind instantly cleared. She hurried over, opened the drawer at the bottom of the cabinet, and took out a transparent storage box, "Has something happened? Do you need my help?"

"No, go back to sleep," Fu Jichen said, taking the medicine box. Then he remembered the broken glass still uncleaned in Shen Jianian’s room, "Jianian broke a cup; carefully clean her room tomorrow, especially by the bed."

Cheng Jin nodded, "Understood."

Fu Jichen returned to the third-floor bedroom, Shen Jianian was still in the same position as when he left. The water cup was empty, yet she still held onto the cup.

"What nightmare was it?" He took the cup away and placed it on the table, sat beside her, and first used a cotton swab dipped in iodine to disinfect the wound, then applied a band-aid.

Shen Jianian shook her head, "Can’t recall clearly."

Upon hearing this, Fu Jichen raised his gaze, scrutinizing her face. Can’t recall clearly yet so distraught that she shattered the cup?

Time was already late; he didn’t press further, went to wash his hands in the bathroom, and held her in bed for rest.

"Sleep now, dreams aren’t real; I’m here with you." Fu Jichen soothed her back. His hand was warm and wide, carrying a comforting intent.

Shen Jianian nestled into a comfortable position in his embrace, closing her eyes, hoping that the dream was false.

Despite holding onto such a mental suggestion, she still couldn’t sleep soundly throughout the night, remaining in a half-asleep, half-awake state. If only the brain could forcibly shut down...

Until it was nearly dawn, Fu Jichen got up to prepare for work. Realizing the person beside him moved, he knew she was awake. He touched her face, hoarsely said, "Don’t practice piano with your hand injured; rest at home for two days."

Shen Jianian murmured a response.

"I’m heading to the office, call me if you need anything."

Fu Jichen instructed with a word, went to the dressing room to change clothes, soon came out in full business attire, didn’t ask her to tie his tie, he adjusted it himself, leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, then left the room.

Shen Jianian couldn’t sleep, reaching her hand out from the blanket to touch beside the pillow, remembering her phone was in the next room.

She got out of bed and shuffled her slippers to her room to retrieve her phone, discovering several missed calls, all were Bai Changxia from half an hour ago.

Shen Jianian was just about to redial when another call came in, she quickly answered.

"Jianian, have you seen the news?" Bai Changxia said anxiously, "Pei Che had an accident racing at ’Eye of Death’ last night and fell into the sea, his fate is still unknown."