Night Rose

Su Jin felt awkward and didn't insist on an answer. Seeing that Zhou Zheng didn't speak, she breathed a sigh of relief.

The two got into the car and remained silent the entire way.

When they arrived at their destination, Su Jin got out of the car to leave, and Zhou Zheng, who was sitting in the driver's seat, finally spoke, "I've been very busy these past few days and haven't had time to train."

This can be seen as a disguised explanation for today's recklessness.

Su Jin turned around, pursed her lips, and said, "I'm going to be modifying the race car these next few days. You go ahead and do your thing, and come find me when you're done."

"Okay, leave your phone number," Zhou Zheng said.

He didn't seem inclined to write it down with a pen and paper or his phone, so Su Jin had to recite a series of phone numbers. She doubted whether Zhou Zheng could remember them, but Zhou Zheng calmly nodded and then drove away.

"What a strange person," Su Jin muttered.

In the following days, Su Jin spent all her time in the garage modifying race cars.

The roll cage that Tu Ying had painstakingly bought arrived, and she asked him with heartache if she could take it apart and sell it secondhand after the competition.

Su Jin was too lazy to answer his question and hid in the garage.

As soon as she enters the garage area, people around her automatically keep a distance from her, afraid of interfering with her car modifications.

Wang Tianle was sent to a navigator training course, leaving early and returning late every day, yawning as he went out, studying hard for Brother Zhou.

As for Zhou Zheng, Su Jin didn't see him until dark on Sunday. The race car had already been reassembled, and he brought two car fire extinguishers.

"Busy man, are you done with your work?" Su Jin asked him.

Zhou Zheng smiled, raising an eyebrow slightly. "What's up? Is the chief engineer done with his work?"

"Of course, although this car is dilapidated, it's still relatively easy to modify. When are you coming for a test drive? I'd like to get some data measured for you."

"It'll be a few more days." Zhou Zheng placed the fire extinguisher next to the race car.

Su Jin crossed her arms in disgust, annoyed by Tu Ying's stinginess and by Zhou Zheng's own lack of concern.

"You guys are really not afraid of getting into trouble."

Faced with her complaints, Zhou Zheng shrugged and said, "Don't worry about it, I know what I'm doing."

He was covered in sweat, and his clothes were filthy. As usual, he took off his shirt, revealing his muscular back, and prepared to go upstairs to take a shower.

Su Jin's eyes widened. It wasn't that she hadn't seen men shirtless before, but Zhou Zheng's way of taking off his clothes was too smooth! Moreover, why did his back look so familiar after taking off his shirt?

Zhou Zheng caught a glimpse of Su Jin's flushed cheeks out of the corner of his eye and smiled teasingly, "Never seen a man with such a great physique? Your ex-boyfriend was really something else."

"Stop being so narcissistic!" Su Jin turned her head away, mentally comparing her ex-boyfriend with Zhou Zheng.

My ex-boyfriend is thin and rarely works out due to his busy work schedule, so his physique is definitely not as good as Zhou Zheng's. Zhou Zheng doesn't work out either; I really don't know how he got such a great body.

Zhou Zheng rarely stayed in the tavern after taking a shower, but this time he took a nap on a recliner.

After finishing her racing business, Su Jin went to the front hall to wipe her hands and saw Zhou Zheng lying in a chair, his eyebrows and eyes slightly drooping, his face showing an indelible weariness.

He's already this tired even without training, so will he still have the energy when he actually starts training?

Su Jin looked at him, her gaze unconsciously sliding down to his arms, which had smooth lines, full joints, and slightly bulging veins.

She couldn't resist reaching out and pinching his arm; the muscles felt nice.

It must be said that Zhou Zheng is indeed very manly.

Even with his age, he showed no signs of youthful naiveté.

But the more she looked at Zhou Zheng, the more she realized that he and someone else had similar behaviors in bed.

For example, the similar timbre when the voice is hoarse, the strong arms, the same broad shoulders and narrow waist—her eyes are like a ruler, she rarely makes a mistake in judging a person's measurements...

How come this person and that bastard have similar body sizes?

Su Jin pondered for a while, then dismissed the strange thought in her mind. Where would Zhou Zheng get the money to go to New York? It couldn't be him.

To avoid overthinking, Su Jin picked up her phone and chatted with Ling Keke, sending her pictures of the modified race car. Little did she know, Zhou Zheng had already opened his eyes and was staring at her back.

Zhou Zheng has a bad temper when he wakes up. Even if he is awake, he will not get up on his own and must stay in bed for a while.

At that moment, with his eyes still glazed over, he looked at the back of the woman huddled in the chair and was instantly transported back to that night.

Her long, jet-black hair was gathered to one side, revealing her innocent neck, making one want to take a bite.

Zhou Zheng suddenly reached out and brushed his calloused thumb across the back of Su Jin's neck.

Su Jin was startled and almost jumped out of her chair. She turned around in alarm and saw Zhou Zheng still holding out his hand. She angrily slapped the back of his hand.

"Zhou Zheng, you scared me to death!"

"Damn it." Zhou Zheng covered his eyes in despair, the sensation on his fingers lingering in his mind.

What am I doing? Did I mistake Su Jin for that woman?

I've been obsessed for too long, and I've confused reality with dreams.

"Don't touch my ticklish spot, or I'll beat you up," Su Jin threatened.

The woman's soft, seductive voice echoed in Zhou Zheng's mind again. She covered the back of her neck and said reproachfully, "Don't touch here, it tickles."

"..."

Zhou Zheng rubbed his face vigorously, the movement so exaggerated that it looked like he was about to transform.

Su Jin quickly kicked the bar counter to move the wheeled chair away from him.

"Yes, that's it. Now stay away from me," Zhou Zheng said in a hoarse voice, getting up and leaving the house.

Wang Tianle had just returned from the training base and was still a little disappointed to see the exhaust fumes from the departing Volkswagen. He wanted to share his learning experience with Brother Zhou.

"Why did Brother Zhou leave so soon? Did something urgent happen to him today?"

Su Jin was also baffled. "Maybe so. He suddenly had a seizure after waking up from a nap, and he wanted to rub his face off."

"Oh, that's pretty normal. Brother Zhou has a bad temper when he wakes up. He gets incredibly irritable whenever there are other people around, and he wants to punch people for no reason. Sister Su, stay away from him next time, so you don't get accidentally hurt," Wang Tianle said seriously.

Su Jin suddenly realized, "So that's why? Luckily I dodged quickly, or he would have grabbed my neck."

Wang Tianle exclaimed "Ah!" and quickly explained, "Brother Zhou isn't that violent! He just occasionally pinches my arm, he wouldn't actually hit me."

"Really?" Su Jin touched the back of her neck, the sensation from his touch still lingering. It would have been better if Wang Tianle hadn't explained; now that he had, his actions seemed somewhat ambiguous.

She recalled how that scoundrel had bitten her shoulder so badly, leaving it covered in teeth marks. If she hadn't desperately covered the back of her neck, he would have been frantically biting her by the scruff of her neck.

Could that scoundrel and Zhou Zheng be in contact? Su Jin's sixth sense was screaming in alarm. She couldn't help but want to ask, but she couldn't directly ask Zhou Zheng about it, in case it really was him...

She really didn't know how to handle this situation; the competition hadn't even started yet!

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She pushed off the chair and slid herself to Wang Tianle's side.

"Lele, what are your plans now that you've won the competition? Like, maybe a trip abroad? Your brother Zhou is so awesome, has he ever been abroad? Like to places like New York or London?"