Chapter 39 A Passionate Kiss
Tan Zheng placed the helmet from his hands on the car roof and then took the one from Song Ni, helping her put it on. “Tight?”
“Not tight.” Her throat felt dry, and Song Ni licked her lips. The man’s slightly rough fingers brushed across her face. Tan Zheng opened the car door, and Song Ni slid in. She had never been in a race car and knew nothing about it. Then she heard the man let out a soft chuckle. Immediately, he crouched down and fastened her seatbelt. The space inside was not large, and Tan Zheng’s hair brushed against her face. Song Ni held her breath. The click of the buckle landed like a thud in her heart.
“Thank you.” Her voice was like a cat’s. Tan Zheng grunted in response and stood up to leave. Without paying much attention, his lips brushed against Song Ni’s cheek. The man radiated heat, yet his lips were cool. Although it was a brief touch, the sensation was enough to short-circuit Song Ni’s brain. Song Ni might say flirtatious things, but her experiences were pure, like a blank sheet of paper, her first kiss still intact. And now, this one touch had successfully left a mark on that blank page.
Tan Zheng also froze for a moment, clearly not expecting this to happen. He had initially planned to apologize, but seeing Song Ni’s stunned expression, he changed his mind. He raised his hand and pinched the spot his lips had brushed. “Quite tender.”
Song Ni:…
Coming back to her senses, she lifted her eyelids to look at him. They were close, and Song Ni finally noticed that Tan Zheng’s eyelashes were very long. She reached out and pushed Tan Zheng away, scolding him, “You old lecher.”
Tan Zheng stood outside the car, looking down at the flushed young girl inside. He let out a laugh from his chest and couldn’t help but stroke his hand by his side a few times, savoring the sensation. Perhaps feeling a pang of conscience, the man didn’t tease Song Ni further. He closed the car door and then put on his gloves and helmet.
As soon as Tan Zheng sat in the car, his aura shifted slightly. It was the power and confidence that came with talent. He was a master of racing, absolute control, effortlessly managing every situation. Song Ni watched him skillfully adjust the various controls inside the car, and Lu Fang’s words suddenly popped into her mind: Losing to Tan Zheng in a race was an honor.
Tan Zheng turned his head to look at her. “Scared?”
Song Ni shook her head. “I’m not scared.” She heard him chuckle.
Someone in front waved a flag. Tan Zheng stopped looking at her and started the engine. Race cars were different from ordinary cars. The engine roared to life, the sound waves gradually intensifying, like the wind howling through window cracks on a stormy night, as if to tear one’s body apart and liberate the soul. The car body vibrated with the engine, and Song Ni instinctively gripped the seatbelt. She turned her head to look at Tan Zheng beside her. The booming exhaust and engine sounds were like a symphony composed for him. He looked like a warrior, focused on the road ahead, awaiting the signal. The sunlight outside was blinding. She saw dust rising in the air.
Song Ni couldn’t recall how long she had waited. The prolonged engine noise made her ears feel like they would explode. The flag was waved, and the car shot forward like a wild horse. The seatbelt dug into Song Ni, making her wince. She opened her mouth, gasping for breath to calm her racing heart, and involuntarily turned her head to look at the man beside her. She couldn’t see the expression on Tan Zheng’s face, but his hands on the steering wheel looked as if he were controlling the wheel of destiny. For him, this was just a simple game, played with effortless skill. His wild nature erupted, and the surging passion of the racetrack seemed to heat the air inside the car. He floored the accelerator, and scenery flashed past the window at an incredible speed. Song Ni could see nothing clearly. Even at the corners, Tan Zheng didn’t slow down. He applied the handbrake, the tires screeching against the asphalt, and he violently jerked the steering wheel inward, drifting into the turn. In an instant, he sharply turned the wheel again, stepped on the accelerator, and surged forward. He had overtaken several cars in the first corner. Song Ni’s vision blurred; the speed was too extreme for her. She struggled to lift her eyelids and looked at Tan Zheng again. In a blur, she saw a smile on his lips. Arrogant, wild. Song Ni’s heart burned, and her eyes began to water. She felt like she was seeing the racer Tan Zheng from her senior year of high school. Sharp, unrestrained, rebellious. Her heart pounded. The car was unstoppable, and certain emotions within her surged, impossible to suppress.
The finish line was at the mountaintop. Tan Zheng effortlessly took first place, with a significant lead. Even after five years away from racing, he was still the king of the track. The man removed his helmet and gloves, tossing them aside. He turned his head to look at the motionless Song Ni. “Are you okay?”
Song Ni didn’t respond. Tan Zheng furrowed his brow and leaned over. He saw Song Ni staring ahead with wide eyes, her vision misty, looking dazed and silly. “Scared?” Tan Zheng’s voice softened, a rare occurrence, as he gently patted Song Ni’s face. Song Ni finally recovered, her chest heaving. She exhaled deeply and looked at Tan Zheng. “Holy hell, that was f***ing exciting.”
The sheer shock, the exhilaration, the excitement—Song Ni couldn’t help but curse. Tan Zheng raised an eyebrow and reached over to unbuckle her seatbelt and remove her helmet. “Girls shouldn’t talk like that.”
Song Ni’s lips curved. “I learned from you.”
The man’s hands paused, and he looked up at her, his gaze deep. He then brushed a strand of hair from her mouth. “You have quite the nerve.” She had ridden in his car and was still joking with him.
Tan Zheng’s hands were rough, and they felt a bit itchy on her face, like something was sprouting in her heart. Song Ni quickly sensed this unfamiliar emotion but couldn’t define it. Was it the pounding heart after the race? The excitement of witnessing Tan Zheng’s driving skills? Or was it love? She didn’t know. She noticed the stubble on Tan Zheng’s chin and his sexy, thin lips. Following her heart, Song Ni cupped Tan Zheng’s face and leaned in, biting his lip.
Tan Zheng’s eyes instantly turned dark and deep. Song Ni, unaware, even stuck out her tongue and licked it. She didn’t feel anything except the coolness and softness. Song Ni hadn’t experienced what a kiss was like at all. She pulled back, licked her lips, and rubbed the spot she had just kissed. “You’re quite tender too.”
Tan Zheng:…
“Song Ni.” The man’s voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with an unknown emotion. Song Ni looked at him defiantly. “You allow officials to set fires but forbid common people from lighting lamps?”
Tan Zheng’s gaze locked with hers. Seeing her boldness, her recklessness, he suddenly smiled. His lips, kissed and rubbed by Song Ni, were as red as fire. Alluring and dangerous. “If you’re so disobedient, how can I spoil you?”
Song Ni’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”
The man merely curved his lips, then reached out and pinched Song Ni’s chin. He lowered his head and fiercely bit her lip. He didn’t hold back, and Song Ni cried out in pain, opening her mouth, allowing him to press his mouth against hers fiercely.
When a fire is set at the city gate, it gradually engulfs the entire city. (End of chapter)