97: impulse

She honked the horn.

The sound was a bit piercing.

Yu Heng stood still, hands in his hoodie pockets, watching her.

Qin Lu honked again, this time for a bit longer.

Yu Heng still didn't move, just looking at her through the windshield.

Qin Lu's grip on the steering wheel tightened.

She couldn't actually run him over, nor could she keep honking forever.

The two of them remained in a standoff for a while.

Qin Lu admitted defeat; she dejectedly let go of the horn, leaned back into her seat, and looked away.

Seeing this, Yu Heng walked around the front of the car to the passenger door.

He pulled the handle, but it was still locked.

He knocked on the window again.

Qin Lu took a deep breath and pressed the unlock button with some force.

Yu Heng opened the door and bent down to sit inside.

The door closed, and the space instantly became small and private.

Yu Heng didn't speak immediately; he adjusted the seat and found a comfortable position.

Only then did he turn his head to look at Qin Lu.

Qin Lu was still looking straight ahead, her body tense.

She could feel his gaze on her, making her feel uneasy.

"Still angry?" Yu Heng spoke, his voice low. "How long do you plan on giving me the cold shoulder?"

"I'm not giving you the cold shoulder," she said stiffly. "Qin Ya has arrived; I should go back."

As she spoke, her hand went back to the gear shift, making a move to put it in gear.

"About yesterday," Yu Heng continued on his own, "it was my fault. I didn't consider your situation."

Qin Lu's hand on the gear shift paused, and she said with displeasure, "When have you ever considered my situation?"

"Then I'll consider you more in the future," he said, reaching out. His palm landed familiarly on her leg, stroking it in an attempt to soothe her.

"Just talk, don't touch me!" Qin Lu's voice rose.

Yu Heng frowned slightly; this reaction was a bit extreme.

He had felt something was off since yesterday. Logically, even if she were angry, she wouldn't act like she did yesterday.

Moreover, she had said that if he messed around again, she would never let him touch her again.

That meant if he didn't mess around, he could still touch her. Today, he had already shown weakness, and they were in a private space, yet she wouldn't even let him touch her leg?

"Did something happen?" He looked at Qin Lu. "You're not acting like this just because of what happened in the classroom yesterday, are you?"

"…" Qin Lu bit the inside of her lower lip and remained silent.

"Really, nothing happened?" Yu Heng's voice was probing. "Did someone see?"

"…"

"Qin Lu," Yu Heng's tone became serious, "what happened? Tell me."

Qin Lu still didn't speak, but her chest was heaving more noticeably.

She stared ahead, but her eyes lacked focus.

"Did someone discover us?" Yu Heng pressed. That was the worst-case scenario.

"No…" Qin Lu finally spoke, her voice dry. "No one found out."

"Then what is it?" Yu Heng continued to ask.

"Yesterday, my parents were shopping at the mall and saw Lin Liyan with that girl," Qin Lu said hoarsely. "They asked me what was going on."

"They didn't know about this?"

"Of course not. They thought we were just having a simple disagreement," Qin Lu sighed. "So I told them."

"And then?"

"Heh," Qin Lu gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Then they actually scolded me. They said that because of such a small matter, we've turned the house upside down and disrupted Qin Ya's studies. They even said they hadn't approved of us from the start and that I was the one who insisted on marrying him."

"Because of such a small matter?" Yu Heng didn't take his hand off her leg; instead, he gripped it a bit tighter.

"What else? In their eyes, the house being in chaos and the child's studies being disrupted are the greatest sins. As for who is right or wrong, it doesn't matter."

As she spoke, she tried to move her leg away, but Yu Heng's hand clamped down firmly on her.

"So you feel like it's all your fault?"

"I don't know…"

Yu Heng was so speechless he almost wanted to laugh. "Were you raised under 'suppression education' since you were a child?"

Qin Lu was stunned by his question. Was she?

Probably.

Her parents had been exceptionally strict with her since she was young, and she rarely had time for entertainment.

Besides studying hard at school, she had tutors and extracurricular classes after coming home.

Looking back now, for her era, it wasn't just being ahead of the curve; it was ridiculous.

After working and getting married, she was a virtuous wife and mother at home and a backbone teacher at work.

When she was a child, she was a tool for them to brag about; now that the family fortunes had declined, she was the source of solace they relied on.

Yu Heng looked at Qin Lu's profile as she bit her lower lip and suddenly asked an unrelated question: "Do you know how to curse?"

Qin Lu was taken aback. She turned her head, her brow furrowed. "Curse? Why wouldn't I?"

Of course she did, like when she was shaking with anger because of Lin Liyan.

In her mind, she had already torn him apart with curses.

"Not like when you call me a 'little rascal'," Yu Heng curled his lip. "That's too elegant. It sounds like flirting."

Qin Lu's ears burned, and she glared at him. "Then how should I curse?"

"Naturally, you say the nastiest things possible," Yu Heng said as if it were a matter of course. "You know the national curses, right? You know 'idiot'? The ones with profanity?"

Qin Lu opened her mouth, but it was as if something was stuck.

In her entire life, she had never uttered those words.

She shook her head, her voice dropping. "I can't say them."

Yu Heng stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly released his grip on her leg and pulled out his phone.

He lowered his head and swiped quickly across the screen, seemingly searching for something.

The spot on Qin Lu's leg where he had squeezed was still a bit numb. She watched him work, wondering what he was up to now.

"Found it." Yu Heng turned his phone screen toward Qin Lu.

There was a Chinese Super League match between Beijing Guoan and Changchun Yatai at the Workers' Stadium in the Capital City, and there were still tickets!

"Let's go." Yu Heng put away his phone, speaking succinctly.

"Huh?" Qin Lu didn't react in time. "Go where?"

"Taking you to curse at people," Yu Heng said as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "The professional way."

Qin Lu's mind couldn't quite keep up. "Now? To the Capital City? To watch a game? I still have to... tomorrow..."

"For the next 24 hours," Yu Heng interrupted her, "you're following my arrangements. Qin Ya is with me; she'll sleep here tonight. With Bai Xinran accompanying her, she'll definitely be fine!"

Qin Lu's heart skipped a beat.

She looked at Yu Heng's face so close to hers. There was no mockery in his eyes; he was serious.

An almost rebellious impulse, unbefitting of her age, began to stir within her.

"Crazy..." she murmured, but her hand involuntarily let go of the gear shift.

"Switch places." Yu Heng had already pushed the door open and gotten out. He walked around to the driver's side and knocked on the window.

Qin Lu took a deep breath, unbuckled her seatbelt, and moved to the passenger seat.

Yu Heng sat in, adjusted the seat, and familiarized himself with the controls of her car.

Then he briskly shifted gears and gave it some gas. The car smoothly drove out of the Villa area, heading toward the city center.

In life, there will always be a moment of impulsive heat, a wonderful experience born from that impulse.

And the person who goes crazy with you might be remembered for a lifetime.