After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

On the streets of Kyoto, an Audi A8L Horch edition with a Beijing license plate (京A) smoothly merged into the traffic.

This car has an unassuming appearance, but those in the know can recognize it at a glance as an exclusive vehicle for officials at the vice-ministerial level or above, or for top-tier red families.

Wherever it went, the surrounding vehicles kept a safe distance in perfect unison.

Zhu Xun Chuan gripped the steering wheel with one hand, his well-defined fingers rhythmically tapping the leather cover.

In the co-pilot's seat, Fu Xinghe was huddled in the large airline seat. Her moon-white Suzhou-embroidered cheongsam still had some wrinkles, and her two fair and slender legs were tightly pressed together under the high slit, completely lacking the dignity and composure she usually displayed on the podium.

The car was so quiet that only the low hum of the air conditioner could be heard.

"Is your throat still sore?" Zhu Xun Chuan broke the silence, picked up a bottle of Evian mineral water from the storage compartment, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to him. "Professor, you've worked hard just now."

Fu Xinghe's body trembled violently, and a blush instantly spread from his ears to his fair collarbone.

"Shut up." She spoke in a hoarse, soft voice, completely lacking any threat. She took the water bottle, her fingertips still trembling slightly, and took several sips to suppress the strange dryness in her throat.

The moment I close my eyes, the absurd image of myself crouching in front of the rosewood bookcase in the National Museum's lounge replays in my mind. A distinguished professor at Peking University, the apple of the eye of the municipal party secretary, she had acted like a servant devoid of dignity, doing something that utterly disgraced her.

That intense sense of immorality and shame shattered her pride completely.

Twenty minutes later, the car entered the Bayi Jingyuan high-end residential area.

The elevator takes you directly to the top-floor penthouse. Unlock with your fingerprint, and the heavy armored door springs open.

The interior is decorated in a minimalist, cool gray and black style, devoid of any superfluous ornamentation, exuding an aloofness that keeps strangers at bay. But today, this cold house is imbued with a different kind of enchanting atmosphere.

Fu Xinghe kicked off her nude high heels, her two smooth, delicate feet stepping onto the wool carpet. Having expended too much energy in the lounge, her legs were weak, and she nearly collapsed.

Zhu Xun Chuan reacted quickly, grabbing her slender waist and lifting her up in his arms.

"Ah!" Fu Xinghe exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to wrap his arms around Zhu Xunchuan's neck.

Zhu Xun Chuan walked to the living room and placed her on the large leather sofa. He then knelt on one knee at the edge of the sofa, supporting himself with his hands on either side of her, completely enveloping her in his presence.

"Xun Chuan..." Fu Xinghe tilted his head back, his eyes glazed and empty.

Looking at the man so close to her, a complex and conflicted emotion flashed in her eyes. On a selfish note, she longed to give herself completely to this man, ten years her junior, and fill the emptiness in her heart in the most primal way; but the strict upbringing of the Fu family for over twenty years was like an iron chain, tightly binding her neck.

I want to overstep the boundaries, but I don't dare. I can only try to please him in a way that's almost self-deceptive.

"Why the long face? It's like I've bullied you." Zhu Xun Chuan pinched her burning cheek.

"No." Fu Xinghe turned his head away, burying his face in the sofa cushions, his voice barely audible, "I'm just... a little tired. You should go back to school first; I want to be alone for a while."

She has suffered a huge blow, both physically and mentally, and needs time to rebuild her psychological defenses.

Zhu Xun Chuan noticed her embarrassment and didn't press her any further. The essence of this tug-of-war lies in striking a balance; he had already gained enough "interest" today, and pushing further would only backfire.

"Okay, then you should get some rest. Drink more hot water, it's good for your throat." Zhu Xun Chuan stood up and straightened his suit jacket.

Upon hearing the word "throat," Fu Xinghe grabbed a cushion in shame and anger and threw it at him.

Zhu Xun Chuan smiled as he caught the cushion, then turned to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Fu Xinghe suddenly sat up from the sofa, grabbed the car keys from the coffee table, and casually tossed them over.

Zhu Xun Chuan caught it steadily, raising an eyebrow: "What? Using the municipal party committee's daughter's official car for transportation, wouldn't that count as me living off the government?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Fu Xinghe bit his lip, his eyes darting around. "That car is just sitting idle anyway, you can drive it back to school to get around. It's windy in Kyoto, so... drive carefully on the road."

The usually aloof and icy professor had completely transformed into a timid woman reminding her husband to leave the house. In this way, she subtly expressed her dependence and openness.

"Alright, thanks for the meal, Boss Fu." Zhu Xun Chuan shook the red flag key in his hand, pushed open the door and left.

Hearing the sound of the security door locking, Fu Xinghe completely slumped onto the sofa. She stared at the ceiling, a tear sliding down her cheek, but an uncontrollable smile crept onto her lips.

……

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

A long, black Audi A8L Horch edition, bearing an eye-catching Beijing A license plate with red lettering, smoothly drove into the main gate of Kyoto University.

The security guards, who usually bossed students around, straightened up instantly when they saw the license plate with red characters on it. They snapped to attention, gave a standard military salute, and didn't even dare to lower the car window, raising the barrier to let it pass.

Luxury cars drove slowly along the tree-lined avenues of the campus.

The long body, the exclusive large wheel rims, and the license plate that represented absolute power immediately attracted the attention of the entire school.

"Holy crap, is that an Audi A8L Horch? And it's a red card?"

"It must be a high-ranking official from some ministry who's coming to inspect our school, right?"

"Nonsense! They use Toyota Coasters for inspections; this is clearly some big shot's private vehicle!"

Several boys stood by the roadside, holding the jianbing guozi they had just bought. They didn't even notice the sauce dripping onto their shoes, their eyes filled with undisguised awe and envy.

Just then, Lin Yuan, Lao Zhao, and Monkey had finished their professional class and were walking back to the dormitory building with their arms around each other's shoulders.

"Let me tell you, Brother Chuan's entourage last night was like a cow on a plane, absolutely amazing!" Lin Yuanzheng boasted excitedly about what he had seen and heard at last night's concert.

Suddenly, the Horch A8L stopped abruptly beside the three of them.

Lin Yuan and his two companions were startled and quickly shrank back onto the curb, afraid of scratching the luxury car that they couldn't afford to pay for even if they sold themselves.

There was no movement from the rear windows.

Instead, the driver's side window slowly rolled down, revealing a handsome face with half a Zhonghua cigarette dangling from his lips and a slightly roguish air about him.

"Hey, sons, get out of class's over?" Zhu Xun Chuan rested one hand on the car window and exhaled a puff of smoke.

The book in Lin Yuan's hand fell to the ground with a "thud." Monkey and Old Zhao almost hit their chins on the insteps.

The three of them stared at Zhu Xunchuan sitting in the driver's seat, then glanced at the red license plate on the front of the car, their heads buzzing.

"Godfather... Godfather?" Lin Yuan swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "Didn't you go ride in Instructor Gu's A6? How come today... you've brought out the leader's official car? Did you just get a secure job?"