Chapter Thirty-Five: You Know How to Comfort Someone

"Cou... cousin?"

Wang Jianhui was no stutterer. The only reason he stumbled over his words was that his brain couldn't process why Gu Yin would call him "cousin."

He and Gu Yin were complete strangers with no family ties whatsoever. What was the deal with him calling him cousin?

His bewildered gaze subconsciously drifted toward Chen Yunjin, as if seeking an answer from her.

Chen Yunjin was as beautiful as ever today. She wore tight, sky-blue jeans paired with a loose-fitting knit sweater that draped over her shapely hips, revealing a white shirt underneath. Her dark, lustrous hair fell loosely over her shoulders. Despite being well past her college years, she inexplicably gave off the vibe of a "youthful university student."

Unfortunately, her gentle face was currently etched with embarrassment. She didn't even dare to meet Wang Jianhui's eyes, and the word "guilty" seemed practically branded onto her expression.

*Slurp.*

After sucking down the last bit of soy milk, Gu Yin rubbed his hands together and stood up.

"You guys chat. I have to get to work. See you later."

Throughout his speech, he never looked at either Chen Yunjin or Wang Jianhui, appearing completely uninterested in them.

With his hands in his pockets, Gu Yin walked to the corner where a white Jetta driving school car was waiting. He pulled open the passenger door, climbed in, and drove away.

Left behind at the breakfast stall, Chen Yunjin and Wang Jianhui stood in the wind, utterly bewildered.

***

"That was... the little preschool teacher, right?"

In the car, Coach Liu Feng glanced through the rearview mirror and asked Gu Yin with a tone filled with inexplicable meaning.

"She’s not a preschool teacher anymore," Gu Yin pouted. "She’s got a tenured position now."

"Haha, out of your league, is she?" Liu Feng laughed and patted Gu Yin’s shoulder. "Don't be discouraged, young man. As the books say, 'The river flows east for thirty years, then west for thirty years; don't bully the young for being poor.' Who knows? Maybe one day we'll trip and strike it rich, and really slap the faces of those who look down on us!"

Gu Yin rolled his eyes so hard they nearly vanished into his forehead.

See, in the eyes of the working class in a small county, they don't count on winning the lottery to get rich; they count on staging a car accident scam.

Gu Yin couldn't be bothered to explain to Brother Liu that Chen Yunjin was the one chasing him now. He took his phone out of his pocket, thought for a moment, and sent a message to Xia Qianyi:

"Coming to practice driving today?"

A moment later, his phone vibrated. Gu Yin opened it to see Xia Qianyi’s reply.

But the message made him frown...

Xia Qianyi: "Should I go... or shouldn't I?"

Gu Yin: "If you want to come, just come. Why the hesitation?"

Xia Qianyi: "...It's me who’s going to be embarrassed, you surely don't care."

"Embarrassed?"

Gu Yin paused for a moment.

***

"Oh."

He figured Xia Qianyi must feel embarrassed about all those "bizarre maneuvers" she pulled during driving practice yesterday.

After pondering for a while, he edited a reply:

"Heh, nobody is born knowing how to drive. Everyone has different talents. There’s a saying that when God closes a door, he opens a window. Maybe your talent points are all maxed out in singing; most people can't even touch that. So what if you're a bit slow at learning to drive? It's fine, don't worry about it."

To comfort her, he added another message:

"I've seen plenty of people your age who are even clumsier than you. It's really no big deal."

A moment later, Xia Qianyi replied: "You certainly know how to comfort people."

Gu Yin: "Ha, thanks for the compliment."

Xia Qianyi: "...You think I'm complimenting you?"

Gu Yin: "I'll take it as one."

Xia Qianyi: "[Rolling eyes emoji]"

As he chatted, the corners of Gu Yin's mouth curled into a smile before he even realized it.

How to put it...

He was acutely aware that the person chatting with him on the other end was a massive star whose presence could empty the streets, a woman of breathtaking beauty and fame.

That sense of superiority and pride was just inexplicable.

"Oh, oh, oh..." Brother Liu, while driving, noticed the smile that was harder to suppress than an AK-47’s recoil. He couldn't help but tease, "Whose little girl have you managed to hook this time?"

"Brother Liu!" Gu Yin rolled his eyes and pointed at the camera on his chest. "Keep your eyes on the road. I'm recording a show here. If you get caught being distracted while driving, watch out for netizen reports!"

"You're a handful..." Brother Liu laughed, then, as if remembering something, added, "But you've really had some good luck with the ladies lately. That college student from our Class Three, Xue Yingying, was mentioning you yesterday."

"Why was she mentioning me?" Gu Yin scratched his head.

Xue Yingying was a student from the nearby teachers' college. Gu Yin had taught her for her Class Two exams. He remembered her as having a rather arrogant personality, always acting like she looked down on people of their social standing, which was why he remembered her so clearly.

"How would I know?" Brother Liu teased. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"...Am I bored enough to go looking for an insult?" Gu Yin curled his lip. "She might even accuse me of sexual harassment."

"It's not that bad, hahaha..." Brother Liu laughed for a while, then said seriously, "But if you have time, you should come teach Class Three for a few days. Get some practice in."

Since starting the job, Gu Yin had always taught Class Two. Both Class Two and Three were difficult, but Class Two carried less risk since you didn't actually have to go out on the main roads, which was why many new instructors started there.

"We'll see," Gu Yin shook his head.

He sent another message to Xia Qianyi: "So, are you coming to practice or not?"

A short while later, Xia Qianyi replied: "Let me prepare myself mentally first."

***

"Mentally prepare?"

Gu Yin scratched his head.

What was there to prepare for?

"Suit yourself. If you’re coming, send a message ahead of time so I can clear the car." After sending this, Gu Yin put his phone away.

They were just about to arrive at the driving school, and Brother Liu stopped at a red light.

"I say..." Brother Liu picked up his thermos, unscrewed it, took a sip, and asked, "Those students Ma Jixiang gave you—did you teach them yesterday?"

"I taught them," Gu Yin answered without even looking.

"..."

Brother Liu glanced at him but ultimately said nothing.

Perhaps he knew how it was.

He hadn't known Gu Yin for just one day; he knew very well that while Gu Yin would eat anything, he would rather "eat shit" than suffer a loss.

Upon reaching the school, Gu Yin went to get his training car, while Brother Liu checked in and headed to the Class Three practice field.

The Class Three field was a bit far, about fourteen or fifteen kilometers away. If it hadn't been on the way for Brother Liu, he wouldn't have been able to give Gu Yin a ride today.

"Morning, Coach."

By the time Gu Yin had brewed a pot of jasmine tea and strolled slowly to the practice field with his thermos, "Sister Liu" had already arrived and was practicing in that old Santana.

There were four other people in the car. Aside from a guy named Brother Wang who was one of Gu Yin’s original students, the other three were the "beauties" Ma Jixiang had dumped on him.

"So boring..."

Gu Yin took a sip of the strong jasmine tea to perk himself up, thinking that with today's "lineup," it was going to be another dull day.

As if hearing his inner thoughts, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

He took it out for a glance, and his mood for the morning was instantly saved.

Xia Qianyi:

"I'll be there in about thirty minutes."