As the night deepened, my worn-out second-hand car slowly glided through the bustling streets. In this city, the daytime was a fierce battlefield of professional rivalries, while the night fell under the clamor of taxi drivers. I had grown accustomed to this rhythm, to the separation from the world that a thin layer of glass between the driver's seat and the outside world offered. After receiving a new fare, the navigation indicated that the destination was nearby. I started the engine, and after crossing two streets, I stopped at the designated location. The moment the car door opened, My heart skipped a beat—Why is it her?
Seven years had passed, yet her image had become so deeply embedded in my memory, and yet, at this moment, she appeared before me unexpectedly. She was accompanied by a stranger, a man, with whom she walked to the car, speaking to each other in a familiar tone. Instinctively, I lowered the brim of my cap, feigning busyness as I adjusted the navigation, deliberately avoiding the rearview mirror. Reaching into the glove compartment, But after searching for a long time, I found that it was used up.
She seemed not to recognize me, speaking softly to the man beside her. From their brief conversation, I learned that she was now running her own company in the heart of the city. The former university student had transformed into a powerful businesswoman. Meanwhile, I could only scrape by at the edge of the city, earning a living in this old car. Fate, like a cruel joke, had led me to this lowly state.
"Have you been listening to me all this time?" she suddenly interrupted her conversation, her tone tinged with impatience.
I froze for a moment, thinking she was addressing the man beside her, and thus remained silent, focusing on driving.
But she didn't stop."Do you think I wouldn't recognize you just because you're wearing a hat?"
A heavy weight settled in my chest, and I instinctively gripped the steering wheel tighter. Her tone was certain, laced with a familiarity that I could not ignore.
"Ryan Cross, are you so poor now that you need to drive a taxi?" Her words were cold, tinged with deliberate mockery.
Hearing her voice was like a sudden pressure point being struck, my body stiffened instantly. The name I had not heard in years came tumbling from her lips, carrying with it a deep-seated emotion that I could not shake off.
The car finally stopped at the designated destination, and in that moment, I did not speak again, struggling to maintain my composure."We've arrived, please get out," I said, my voice calm, though my chest betrayed my unease.
Before stepping out, the man cast me a lingering glance, as though trying to peer through my discomfort. After the car door is closed, But she made no move to exit, leaning back in her seat, her arms crossed, her sharp gaze piercing through me, as though she intended to dissect me, body and soul.
The ping of a new order sounded on my phone, and I quickly said,"Sorry, I have other passengers to pick up, please get off."
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She remained motionless, a faint smirk curling at the corner of her lips."What's wrong? Have you lost the courage to face me?"
Seven years had passed, and she still possessed that cutting edge, like a blade that pierced straight into the heart.
"I'm sorry, the past was my mistake. Please, get out of the car," I softened my tone, striving for calm, yet my racing heartbeat betrayed me.
She snorted coldly, her eyes still fixed on me."Seven years, and all the confidence and arrogance you once had are gone?"
Hearing this, I couldn't help but think of that summer. Her name was Sophie Summers, and she was a freshman. That year, I had just entered my sophomore year, and I was living a lavish life, relying on my family's wealth. On the day of the orientation event, I saw her in the crowd at first sight - she was wearing a white dress, her hair was waist-length, and she was pulling a small suitcase, like a scene from a painting.
Her beauty was so pure that it felt sacrilegious to even look at her. I prided myself on my success with women, always able to win them over with a few slick words, but in her presence, my usual charms failed. She looked at me coldly, then turned and walked away without a second glance.
Her rejection sparked something inside me, an unwillingness to accept defeat. From that day on, I began my relentless pursuit—chance encounters, flowers, flattery, even waiting for hours in the library just to brush past her. But she never once gave me the time of day.
One day, I finally cornered her at the school gate. As she saw me holding a large bouquet of roses, her brow furrowed deeply, and her tone turned icy."Ryan Cross, what exactly do you want?"
"I like you. I want to be with you," I declared openly, not hiding my intentions, fully expecting that my candor would move her.
Without a hint of mercy, she replied,"Why do you keep pestering me? I don't like you."
Her words struck me like a slap, completely shattering me.
Of course, I wasn't willing to accept defeat, and I persisted relentlessly. However, the tide turned unexpectedly. That day, as I was walking with a friend near the school gate, I saw Sophie Summers surrounded by a group of thugs, one of whom was the notorious local troublemaker, Liam Harper.
"What's going on, Liam Harper?" I asked, as I knew him.
Liam Harper sneered, answering with lazy nonchalance,"Her family owes us money. It's her father's gambling debt—two million. If she can't pay, we'll let her work as a Karaoke Companion Girl to settle it."
They were forcing her to repay her father's two-million-dollar gambling debt, even threatening to push her into the degrading job of a Karaoke Companion.
I couldn't stand by and do nothing. I stepped forward and settled the debt with Liam Harper. But my help wasn't without a price. Coldly, I told her,"I'll pay your debt, but from now on, you must agree to one condition."
Her face drained of color, but she stubbornly lifted her gaze to meet mine."What condition?"
"For the next four years of college, I'll keep you. I'll give you another million. How does that sound?" My voice was calm and resolute, but it made her break down in an instant.
Her eyes reddened as she choked out her refusal."No… it's impossible!"
In that moment, as I looked at her in distress, I couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction rise within me.
I sneered,"Then go ahead and work as a Karaoke Companion Girl to pay off your debt."
"No!" Her voice trembled with desperation, her collapse evident.
"Then what do you want?" I pressed.
"Ryan Cross, I will earn money to pay back the money you helped me pay back. I will pay it back slowly, okay? I will give you interest." she pleaded, her voice laden with desperation and hopelessness.
I responded coldly,"I don't want your money, and I won't help you repay it."
Liam Harper and his thugs jeered from the side,"Ryan helped you pay off the debt, so didn't you just sleep with him for a few years? Far better than being a Karaoke Companion Girl."