Chapter Sixteen: Goddess, You’ve Completely Broken Character

“Celebrity… heh heh heh.”

Gu Yin had to admit that today he had overestimated Xia Qianyi just because of her “celebrity” status. But celebrities are human too; even stars can be hopelessly clumsy when learning to drive.

*Huff huff…*

The weather had turned chilly, and the steam rising from the thermos cup was more visible than ever. Gu Yin blew on it gently before taking a sip. Glancing at the girl beside him, who had just familiarized herself with the car, he casually asked, “Do you know what you should do first once you get in the car?”

“First… drink water?” The girl looked at the thermos cup in Gu Yin’s hand.

“Pfft, cough cough…” Gu Yin nearly sprayed out his soda, “That’s not funny at all!”

He tapped decisively on the seatbelt buckle and said, “The first thing to do when you get in is to fasten your seatbelt. Safety comes first!”

“Oh, oh.” Xia Qianyi nodded blankly. Her bright eyes flickered with a mischievous glint, like a little fox momentarily triumphant, while her face remained cool and icy—a stark contrast.

Obediently, Xia Qianyi pulled the seatbelt from the left side of the driver’s seat and clicked it into the buckle with a crisp sound. Her delicate, fair features bore traces of newfound confidence under the sunlight.

“And then?” she asked Gu Yin.

“…”

To everyone’s surprise, Gu Yin remained silent from start to finish.

“?” Xia Qianyi frowned slightly, turning to look at him.

Gu Yin just stared blankly at her, saying nothing, making no move. If there was any “movement” in his gaze, it was probably just the steam rising from the thermos cup in his hand.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Xia Qianyi’s brows furrowed, a little annoyed by the intense gaze.

[What are you staring at, shrimp head guy!]

Suddenly, a flood of Xia Qianyi’s fans had poured into the live broadcast chatroom, vehemently defending their idol.

Everyone knows Qianyi’s beautiful, but you can’t just stare all the time, can you?

The key issue was that while Gu Yin was indeed staring, his expression didn’t resemble that of any admirer captivated by Xia Qianyi’s beauty. Instead, it looked more like…

The gaze of someone watching a fool.

This strange look left Xia Qianyi puzzled.

Just then…

Gu Yin slowly extended his right index finger and tapped several times on the steering wheel buckle beneath the seat, as if to attract attention. Then, with a tone mixed with exasperation, helplessness, and a range of other complex emotions, he said:

“Have you ever seen anyone fasten the driver’s seatbelt into the front passenger’s buckle?”

The moment those words left his mouth…

“…”

Xia Qianyi froze.

[…]

Even the crazed fans cursing in the chatroom froze.

The camera panned down…

Everyone could see clearly that the driver’s seatbelt buckle that Xia Qianyi had fastened was actually clipped into Gu Yin’s front passenger seatbelt buckle.

*Snap!*

It was as if an invisible giant slap had just landed hard across the faces of Xia Qianyi and her rabid fans.

Notably, the camera captured the blush rapidly spreading across Xia Qianyi’s stunningly beautiful face, her pale complexion quickly turning a visible shade of rosy red.

In mere moments, the flush spread from her cheeks all the way to the roots of her ears.

Though only the two of them were in the car, Xia Qianyi couldn’t help but feel the urge to crawl into a hole and immediately launch herself off this planet on a rocket!

Embarrassing!

Absolutely mortifying!

*Pfft…*

*Hahaha…*

Many viewers watching the show found the spectacle hilarious. They never expected their goddess to be this hopeless at learning to drive—it was killing them with laughter!

Unlike the audience, Gu Yin wasn’t amused. Having worked as a driving instructor in his small hometown for two or three years, he could usually gauge a student’s “talent” for driving on the very first day.

Most young people his age, including Xia Qianyi, were quite smart; even if they knew little about cars, they generally understood basics like gears, steering wheels, seatbelts, and could learn quickly.

Driving was something everyone on the street knew how to do; it wasn’t inherently difficult.

Usually, only middle-aged folks like the two uncles he’d taught earlier had trouble grasping the basics, often leading to funny mishaps.

But someone like Xia Qianyi, in Gu Yin’s words, was an “extreme case.”

She was truly, hopelessly clueless.

Looking at Xia Qianyi’s shamefully flushed face, Gu Yin’s thoughts were blunt:

“Goddess, your image just shattered!”

When they first met, Xia Qianyi had been aloof and mysterious; the breathtaking moment when she took off her hat was something Gu Yin felt he could remember forever…

But now, barely five minutes into the ride, she’d already made so many blunders that her carefully crafted persona had completely collapsed!

“I—I didn’t mean to,” Xia Qianyi said, not daring to look up at Gu Yin.

“…” Gu Yin waved his hand. “You know you’ll fail the test if you keep this up. No need to even start driving.”

“I’m sorry,” Xia Qianyi lowered her head, looking contrite.

*Sigh…*

Gu Yin sighed in resignation, twisted the black thermos lid shut, and tossed it aside. He realized he couldn’t afford to be so careless anymore; he needed to keep a close eye on Xia Qianyi, or she might pull some more stunts.

“All right, adjust the seatback,” he instructed.

Seeing Gu Yin change the subject and give her a way out, Xia Qianyi silently breathed a sigh of relief. But soon, she looked embarrassed again and asked, “H-how do I adjust it?”

That wasn’t her fault. Gu Yin’s Jieda instructor car’s driver seatback adjustment wasn’t electric but manual.

The driver’s seatback had three adjustment controls: up and down, forward and backward, and angle. It was normal for someone not used to driving to be unsure how to operate them.

Gu Yin was likely still a bit irritated; without thinking, he stepped over to the passenger side and threw his arms open in an “embracing” gesture, moving toward Xia Qianyi.

In that instant, Xia Qianyi’s pupils contracted.

[???]

[!!!]

The live broadcast chat exploded.

[Shrimp head guy, what the hell are you doing?!]

[Why did you suddenly hug my goddess? That’s sexual harassment, you know!]

[Get away! Get away, can you hear me?! (voice cracking)]

…

“This one is up and down, this one is forward and backward, and this is the angle…”

By all that’s holy, Gu Yin swore he had no intention whatsoever of sexually harassing Xia Qianyi.

But somehow, when he stepped back, he noticed that Xia Qianyi’s face, already flushed, had turned even redder.

Fans often said Xia Qianyi was a flawless beauty from every angle—that different perspectives revealed different facets of her charm. This moment was the perfect example.

As Gu Yin finished teaching how to adjust the seatback and straightened up, his arms were still in that “hugging” pose, making it look as if Xia Qianyi was nestled in his embrace.

From the front, her exquisite face was as delicate as a fairy’s, as if God had sculpted it countless times—no extra width, no shortage, perfectly three-dimensional, the golden ratio of beauty.

For a moment, Gu Yin was completely mesmerized.