Chapter 11#
One Hundred Thousand to Buy a Day of Your Time#
The phone rang for a long time, only being picked up just as it was about to disconnect.
“Hello.” The voice on the other end was kept very low.
Qin Mu tilted his chin up. Through the window of the café, he could see the main gate of A University directly. “Where are you?”
There was a pause on the other end. “The library.”
“I’m at your school gate.”
“……”
“Come out.”
“……”
The call was hung up.
A few minutes later, Qin Mu was leaning against his car at the school gate, pulling out a cigarette. Before he could light it, his lighter was snatched away mid-air.
The person who swiped his lighter didn’t look very happy. His face was dark, he wore a white mask, and his eyes were glaring at him.
Qin Mu smiled exceptionally brightly under the sunlight. He leaned closer and tugged at the mask on the other’s face.
“Isn’t it stuffy?”
“……”
With a flick of his finger, Qin Mu hooked the mask strap behind the ear. As it brushed past the earlobe, he flirtatiously grazed that patch of delicate soft flesh.
The sensation from behind the ear was clear and scorching. It was a place rarely touched by anyone; the moment it was contacted, a large area flushed red. A numbing sensation traveled from behind the ear all the way down to the spine, causing Jian Yunchen to shudder uncontrollably.
The mask was hooked away. Having taken his liberties, Qin Mu retreated dutifully to his original position, his expression innocent as if he wasn’t the one who had just touched someone’s ear.
Jian Yunchen clutched his ear, feeling a bit frustrated, thinking to himself that they were both men and there was nothing to get worked up about.
“What do you want?”
Qin Mu hooked the mask around his finger, the corners of his mouth curving upward with irrepressible pleasure: “I came to find you to hang out.”
“I’m busy.”
Qin Mu reached out and hooked Jian Yunchen back just as he was trying to retreat. He draped an arm over his shoulder, leaning in sideways, and whispered almost directly into his ear: “You must be free.”
“……”
The forceful woody fragrance seized the air around him the moment Qin Mu leaned in, leaving Jian Yunchen’s nose filled with nothing but that single scent surrounding him.
Jian Yunchen turned his face slightly, and for some reason, took a breath of it.
“Accompany me for the day today,” Qin Mu pulled out a bank card with his fingertips; the hard card shimmered in the sunlight. “The money in this card will be yours.”
Jian Yunchen gave him a suspicious look, feeling that he was up to no good. He could almost see a fox’s tail wagging behind the man. He looked handsome and gentle on the outside, but he gave off a dangerous vibe, like a poisonous mushroom—the more toxic it was, the more beautiful it appeared. This description suited Qin Mu perfectly.
That card was held between two of Qin Mu’s fingers, still swaying slightly as if in provocation.
Jian Yunchen lightly took it, his face showing no change: “How much?”
“One hundred thousand,” Qin Mu added with a grin.
Jian Yunchen’s eyes suddenly lit up. The corners of his mouth curled up reservedly. He exceptionally proactively picked up the helmet from the back of Qin Mu’s bike and signaled for him to lead the way.
Qin Mu laughed.
He picked up the helmet and got on the bike. This was the first time Jian Yunchen had ever ridden a motorcycle; sitting behind him, he leaned back somewhat stiffly.
Qin Mu pulled his hands around to circle his own waist, turning his head to say: “Hold on tight. If you fall off, one hundred thousand won’t even cover your medical bills.”
The voice sounded somewhat muffled through the heavy helmet, making it seem slightly deep. Jian Yunchen pursed his lips, his fingertips tightening as he gripped the sides of Qin Mu’s jacket.
Qin Mu chuckled and teased: “You sold yourself for a hundred thousand?”
Jian Yunchen added strictly: “For one day.”
“Then,” Qin Mu said, “I’ll prepare a bit more next time.”
Jian Yunchen: “……”
The roar of the engine sounded, and the wind whistled past their ears. The resistance of the wind sent Jian Yunchen’s clothes fluttering. The wind traced the silhouette of Qin Mu’s back. At high speeds, Jian Yunchen gripped tighter and leaned closer. He only remembered his chest pressed against that warm back, so hot that it felt as if his heart had constricted for a moment before beating violently.
He couldn’t tell if it was an adrenaline rush or something else.
When the motorcycle stopped at the entrance of the racing club, it was exactly one in the afternoon.
Qin Mu seemed to be a regular here. Upon arrival, just as he took off his helmet, staff members stepped forward enthusiastically to greet him.
“Ever played before?”
Jian Yunchen took off his helmet and smoothed his hair. Watching the roar of different colored race cars speeding past the track, he shook his head blankly.
Qin Mu naturally draped an arm over Jian Yunchen’s shoulder, ushering him inside, and said indifferently:
“Then watch me play.”
Just as they entered, a blond, blue-eyed young man dressed in a white racing suit not far away saw them. His eyes lit up, and he waved vigorously.
Qin Mu raised a hand in response.
“Qin!”
The man with the head of blond hair was named Scheston, the owner of this racing club.
Scheston spoke in fluent English and stumbling Chinese, switching back and forth, gesturing excitedly with his hands: “Hey, Qin, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for you. What have you been busy with lately?”
Scheston shifted his gaze and raised an eyebrow: “Is this… your friend?”
Qin Mu glanced at Jian Yunchen in his arms. In front of outsiders, Jian Yunchen always put on a submissive and soft appearance. The soft light hit his cheeks, making his dark, moist eyes shine a bit brighter. His beautiful, fair face held a hint of fragility, like a tender branch that would snap at a touch.
A beautiful and seductive man-eating flower. Who knew if he’d reveal a set of sharp fangs the moment he opened his mouth?
Being watched by such a focused gaze, Jian Yunchen lowered his eyelids, his eyelashes trembling slightly.
He naturally understood what Scheston was saying, but he had no idea how to define their current relationship. They weren’t exactly open friends, yet privately, there were countless tangled threads between them.
“Look at him less, he is shy. (Don’t look at him, he’ll be shy),” Qin Mu’s English was very standard. When his voice lowered, it sounded gentle and lingering. “He’s mine. (He is mine).”
Jian Yunchen’s breath hitched.
That violent heartbeat that had just gradually calmed down showed signs of returning with a vengeance.
Even the small patch of his shoulder being held began to burn hot.
Scheston laughed along and quickly withdrew his gaze, starting to chat with Qin Mu about other things.
After a few words, Qin Mu came out changed into a pure black racing suit.
Jian Yunchen sat in the spectator seats of the arena, holding Qin Mu’s leather jacket. Watching him come out, he was slightly dazed.
Not far away, Scheston had already gotten into his car, poised and ready to go. Qin Mu took his helmet in hand. As he passed Jian Yunchen, he reached out and ruffled his hair. “I’m going out for a race.”
Jian Yunchen reached out to swat his hand away and gave a faint “Oh.”
Qin Mu smiled, not minding. Instead, he flirtatiously touched Jian Yunchen’s wrist, his tone extremely annoying: “Wait for me here obediently, okay~”
Without waiting for Jian Yunchen’s reaction, he turned and left, getting into the red car parked nearby.
The whistle blew, and the white and red cars charged forward simultaneously. The large screen projected the figures inside the cars. Inside the cockpit, Qin Mu wore a black full-face helmet, revealing only a pair of slightly upturned peach blossom eyes. Gone was his usual gentle and passionate demeanor; his eyes were bright and sharp.
Jian Yunchen’s gaze remained fixed on that vision. Unconsciously, it slowly overlapped with the eyes he had seen on the day they first met.