Huang Chao obligingly continued the conversation, "Fengfeng just mentioned that you live in the Old Industrial Zone. Do your parents work at a factory over there?"
Xu Su nodded. It was something anyone could find out with a little digging, so she admitted it frankly, "Yes."
"What a coincidence! Our Mr. Zhou happens to have some business in the Old Industrial Zone. Fengfeng and I will head home first in a bit, and then we can have Mr. Zhou give you a ride since it's on his way." Huang Chao's voice was tinged with surprise, as if he'd just learned this himself.
'Once Huang Feng and her brother get out of the car, won't it just be me and Zhou Mochen?'
Xu Su had been feeling drowsy since she got in the car, but his words jolted her awake. She said, "Wouldn't that be too much trouble? I can just take the bus. There's a stop up ahead with a bus that goes right to my door."
Huang Feng was also a little confused. "Brother, let's just take Susu home first. It's fine if we're a little late."
This was the first time Huang Chao had ever tried to create some private space for his boss, so it took him a few seconds to react and explain to his sister.
"Mr. Zhou needs the car again tonight. He has actual business in the Old Industrial Zone and we don't know when he'll be finished. There aren't many taxis over there. If we went along, we wouldn't be able to get a cab back. He can't just make a special trip to drive us back again, can he?"
Zhou Mochen, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up. "It's on the way. No trouble."
His eyes met Xu Su's in the rearview mirror, making it clear his words were for her.
'She was just being polite, and he actually took her seriously.'
'What on earth does he want?'
Seeing the silence in the car, Huang Chao tried to liven things up. He asked, "By the way, was your military training tiring? I remember back when I did mine, several classmates got heatstroke, and it even rained. A lot of us got friendly with the drill instructor, so he didn't want to make things too hard on us."
Xu Su's stomach hurt, and she had no energy to join the conversation. She closed her eyes, feeling drowsy.
Huang Feng, however, wouldn't let her brother's attempt at conversation fall flat. "Several of our classmates got heatstroke on the very first day of training. I guess the school didn't want to over-exhaust the new students, because the training intensity was much lower the next day. It wasn't much harder than a middle school gym class."
At the end, she rubbed her arms, which weren't covered by her short sleeves, and grumbled, "I just got so tanned. I asked my mom to buy me sunscreen, but she refused, saying students should look like students. Now look at me, this dark. I don't know how long I'll have to stay covered up to get fair again."
While driving, Huang Chao spared a glance for his little sister in the back seat. His gaze shifted to Xu Su beside her, who seemed to be asleep with her eyes closed. He laughed, "You've never been fair-skinned. Don't blame the military training. Look at Xu, she hasn't changed at all. Still so..."
"Focus on driving."
The reminder came from the passenger seat. The smile on Huang Chao's face vanished instantly, and he said solemnly, "Yes, sir!"
The siblings both shut their mouths. The car, which had just been filled with cheerful chatter, once again fell into an eerie silence...
Huang Feng was eligible to be a day student, so her home was naturally not far from the school. The silence didn't last long before the car came to a smooth stop, and the two siblings got out.
When the car started moving again, only Zhou Mochen and Xu Su were left inside.
Zhou Mochen drove even slower than Huang Chao had, glancing into the back seat from time to time.
"Are you... feeling unwell somewhere?"
After his third glance at the back seat, seeing Xu Su's brows constantly furrowed as if she were enduring some discomfort, Zhou Mochen finally couldn't help but ask.
Xu Su's abdomen was cramping horribly. She forced her eyelids open. "I'm fine. Please let me know when we get to the bus stop in front of the Hongde Textile Factory in the Old Industrial Zone. I'm going to sleep for a bit."
'In her last life, after she got together with Zhou Mochen, he found out how severe her menstrual cramps were. He had gotten a prescription from somewhere and forced her to drink bitter medicine for a long time, and it had actually cured her of the problem.'
'She hadn't felt this kind of pain in over a decade. For it to hit her so suddenly now was truly hard to bear.'
Zhou Mochen pursed his lips, pulled the car over to the side of the road, and got out.
Xu Su felt the car door on her side open as a wave of hot air swept in from outside. Just as she was about to open her eyes to see what was happening, a dry hand touched her forehead.
The next second, Xu Su jumped in shock, violently shoving the hand off her forehead and glaring at its owner. "What are you doing?"
"You don't have a fever. What's wrong?" Zhou Mochen stood outside the car door, looking at the startled girl, a ripple of emotion in his eyes. "I'll take you to a hospital for a check-up."
He stood outside the car door, backlit by the light, so Xu Su couldn't see his expression clearly. Hearing his words, she said hurriedly, "There's really nothing wrong with me. I'm not going to the hospital."
"Are you worried about the medical bills? I'll pay for them."
'Xu Su was so angry she wanted to laugh. They had only met twice, and he already assumed she couldn't afford medical bills?'
"If you want to go to the hospital, go by yourself. I want to go home. Move, I'm going to take the bus."
She tried to push him, but the man was like a wooden post, rooted to the spot. Anger surged through Xu Su. "What? You're not going to let me get out of the car now?"
"You're really not unwell?" Zhou Mochen's voice was a little tight.
His tone startled Xu Su. She knew Zhou Mochen too well. She abruptly pulled back the hand she'd been pushing him with and wiped it on her school uniform pants. "Are you still going to the Old Industrial Zone or not? If not, then let me out."
Zhou Mochen stood there, silently watching Xu Su for a few seconds until her skin crawled. Only then did he close the car door and return to the driver's seat.
After that scare, Xu Su didn't dare try to sleep anymore. She didn't even dare to look listless or sickly.
'Who knows what this pervert might do?'
Zhou Mochen drove, his gaze occasionally sweeping to the back. In his early twenties, with a languid posture, his hands on the steering wheel, his movements casual—without that intimidating aura, he actually had a bit of a youthful air about him.
Xu Su noticed his glances and couldn't help but jab at him, "You tell others to focus on their driving, but you can't do it yourself?"
Hearing this, Zhou Mochen tilted his head slightly, revealing the straight bridge of his nose. There was a hint of a smile in his voice. "Looks like you really aren't sick."
Xu Su instantly clammed up and shifted her gaze out the window.
Zhou Mochen's voice continued, and he seemed to be in a good mood. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhou Mochen. I'm five years older than you, and I graduated from college this year."
When Xu Su didn't say anything, Zhou Mochen asked, "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
'Xu Su was at a loss for words. He was still the same—as cold and distant as the moon to everyone else, but completely shameless in front of her.'
"There's no need for us to get acquainted. I'm still a student, and I don't want to have any contact with 'working adults'."
That label, "working adult," made Zhou Mochen's expression stiffen for the rest of the drive.
He rarely looked so displeased. He said nothing more.
Xu Su was happy for the peace and quiet. She watched the scenery outside the window grow more and more familiar. Soon, they passed the entrance to her alley, and a few seconds later, they arrived at the bus stop in the industrial zone.