Chapter Fifty-Three: Freedom—Now You Can Speed Up

“You’re quite sharp.” Inside the car, the dim orange-red streetlight cast a glow on Xia Qianyi’s sleek black short hair. Having just suspected that Gu Yin retired due to lack of skill, Xia Qianyi now regarded him with newfound respect.

“I’m not blind,” Gu Yin said, gripping the steering wheel as he playfully puffed out his cheek, striking a flamboyant pose. “I’m a coach.”

“Pfft, you’re such a smart aleck,” Xia Qianyi laughed, shooting him a teasing glance.

“By the way, what’s that car for?” Gu Yin asked.

“Huh? How should I know? Why ask me?” Xia Qianyi rolled her eyes.

“You don’t seem surprised at all. You must know what that car’s about, don’t you?” Gu Yin’s keen observation was indeed impressive.

Xia Qianyi fell silent for a moment, seemingly unsure how to put it into words. The car moved forward slowly, the streetlights and shadows repeatedly sweeping across her exquisitely delicate face, as if the very paint on it enhanced her beauty. Her expression was a mix of irritation and helplessness.

“Paparazzi?” Gu Yin guessed, noticing her silence. After all, they say big celebrities are often chased by paparazzi when they go out.

“If it were just paparazzi, it’d be one thing,” Xia Qianyi sighed, glancing back at the white car. “It’s a proxy photographer.”

“Proxy photographer?” That term clearly puzzled Gu Yin.

“Have you heard of ‘sasaeng fans’?” Xia Qianyi patiently explained, wishing Gu Yin were as patient teaching her to drive.

“Oh, I know that. Those are the crazy fans, right?” Gu Yin glanced at her. “Those idiots are scary. I heard some even hide under people’s beds.”

“Yes,” Xia Qianyi nodded helplessly. “The proxy photographer in that car back there is hired by them. They pay, and the proxy photographer takes private photos of me.”

There was a weariness in her voice. When she was young, she had entered the entertainment industry chasing so-called “freedom,” believing that beyond the wall lay the sea, and beyond the sea lay freedom.

But when she finally stood outside the wall, by the sea, gazing over the endless ocean, she realized that beyond the sea were nothing but enemies.

The so-called “financial freedom” was merely another kind of chain, binding her tightly.

“That scary, huh?” Gu Yin’s pupils dilated slightly. She was carefree and straightforward, her thinking correct but a bit crude. He asked, “So when you shower or change clothes, is there a chance someone secretly films you, and then sells the photos to those fans? Do they even take pictures up your skirt?”

“...You know quite a bit, huh?” Xia Qianyi frowned, feeling Gu Yin was teasing her.

“Cough, I saw it all on some websites,” Gu Yin’s face flushed with embarrassment, unwilling to say which sites.

“Pretty much like that,” Xia Qianyi said, not wanting to dig deeper into his words. “Some people claim to love you but do hurtful things. Fans like that are the worst.”

“Hey, don’t generalize~” Gu Yin urged her to be kind. “If you were like me, I wouldn’t be that annoying kind of fan.”

“You’re my fan?” Xia Qianyi raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. “You’re showing your true colors, you little rascal.”

“Hey, hey, I’m a true fan!” Gu Yin grinned mischievously. “Sounds like proxy photography is pretty profitable. How about I snap a few photos of you sometimes? Could be a side hustle.”

“...Then I’ll report you to the driving school and ruin your reputation.” Xia Qianyi answered seriously.

“Pfft, whatever, who cares about reputation?” Gu Yin chuckled foolishly. “Money’s what matters.”

“...Are you ever going to stop?”

As the car finally left the most congested area, the white proxy photographer’s car still aggressively tailgated them. Gu Yin, instead of focusing, kept joking around, driving Xia Qianyi to silently pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration.

“Are you worried we’ll be photographed?” Gu Yin guessed, seeing her troubled expression, thinking it was because celebrities dining with the opposite sex often get rumors.

“Not really...” The short-haired actress shook her head slightly. Her eating out with Gu Yin wasn’t a secret; many netizens probably already knew from his show taping earlier tonight.

Her headache mainly stemmed from the fact that once those proxy photographers latched on, she would have no privacy at all.

That morning, she had barely shaken them off by disguising herself and taking detours. Now being followed again, she wasn’t even sure she’d dare to shower tonight.

Zero sense of security.

She wasn’t used to explaining every little detail of her life to others, especially not to Gu Yin. She didn’t expect him to help much either; once those people got attached, few could escape.

But then...

Gu Yin suddenly elbowed her and said, “Hey, wanna talk about something?”

“What is it?” Xia Qianyi looked up at him.

At the intersection, red and green traffic lights mixed with surveillance lamps cast a pure white and faint crimson glow on Gu Yin’s face. His confident expression made Xia Qianyi frown.

Under her puzzled gaze, Gu Yin smiled calmly and held up a finger. “Give me ten thousand yuan, and I’ll help you shake off those people. How about that?”

“What?”

A question mark floated above the young woman’s head. The word “suspicious” seemed written across her cheeks.

“If you think that’s expensive, we can negotiate, haha...” Gu Yin scratched his head. He’d already accepted ten thousand yuan from someone for a taxi fare yesterday and eaten a meal they paid for today. Asking for money again felt excessive, especially such a sum; his face wasn’t as thick as the city wall.

Unexpectedly, Xia Qianyi frowned and instinctively shifted her shapely hips away from him. Before Gu Yin could wonder why, she asked:

“That cheap?”

Gu Yin was speechless.

He felt insulted. So this woman thought his price was low and suspected he had ulterior motives, hence the worried look as if afraid of being harassed?

“You’re hopeless,” Gu Yin shook his head. “I don’t care, do whatever you want.”

“Ha, just kidding.” Xia Qianyi grinned, enjoying the banter. She knew how to push Gu Yin’s buttons. “I’ll give you thirty thousand.”

“Cough, you’re my student after all. A coach can’t just ignore you.” Gu Yin’s face changed instantly.

Xia Qianyi shook her head helplessly, thinking he was a money grubber, then explained, “The money’s not free. Let’s see if you can actually get rid of them. If you can, then when you drive me home and we run into them again, I’ll leave it to you.”

“So this is a long-term retainer?” Gu Yin thought, getting another job but puzzled by her apparent trust in him.

“Maybe it’s your imagination.” Xia Qianyi said casually. “If you can’t get rid of them, I won’t pay a penny.”

“You’re getting more and more difficult!” Gu Yin thought, realizing he forgot to patch things up with her.

But it didn’t matter...

With his skills, shaking off these two paparazzi would be a breeze.

“Let me show you if my skills are reliable...”

With a hum, Gu Yin pressed the accelerator, and the tachometer needle soared. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

His right hand, which had been lazily resting on the gearshift, moved slightly. Gu Yin flicked his hand with a gesture worthy of the Flame Dragon Knight and placed it on the handbrake, murmuring to himself:

“For three years, finally someone tells me, you can drive fast now.”